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Mar. 4th, 2011 11:47 pmShe always meant to run this by Teja and Demeter first. It wouldn't seem right not to consult anyone.
But when the time came, the door wouldn't come. And so, she got on with it, and made arrangements. The only one she told at first was Libby, who knew her well enough not to try and change her mind, and was prepared to promise to look after Orion in her absence. That satisfied her; Carlotta would trust Libby with her life.
She worked out that with her gone, now that the stables was running on three fewer horses, the books would balance. The cost of lost labour would be balanced by not having to feed her or the evacuees.
And then she locked the caravan, and went into the farmhouse with her bag packed. She handed the spare key to Mr Frances, her father in law.
"I'm sorry. I have to join up." she says quietly. "I can't sit here and do nothing for the war effort with Will out there."
Mr Frances stares at her for a moment, then pockets the key and stands to hug her.
"I understand." he says. "But Carlotta... we all love and care for you here. So please, try and take something off the front line. We want you back in one piece."
"I will." Carlotta says. She's pretty sure they don't put women on the front line, and she's pretty sure there must be places where she'd be more use than rushing around with a gun.
Mr Frances goes with her to tell the others, standing by her in quiet support. And then, she sets off for the town recruitment office.
***
The recruitment officer looks down the form Carlotta filled in, then looks at her.
"We don't put girls in the regular army, love. You want recruitment for the home front, or the land army, or the balloon corps."
"Land army? That's farming, isn't it?" Carlotta says. Damnit! This might be an important job but it's hardly going to get the message to Will that she can be just as brave as he can. He'd probably laugh his socks off if she got put in the 'balloon corps'.
The officer eyes her.
"What accent is that? You're not Italian are you?"
"No, half Spanish. I speak the language flutently but I've only visited Spain once." Carlotta says. "I'm a British citizen."
"You done any work before?"
"I'm a professional acrobat, and I've been running my husband's stables. He's in the RAF."
The recruitment officer looks at her for a moment.
"Go and sit in that interview room, someone will be with you shortly." he says.
Carlotta goes and sits in the room, and waits. It's a fairly plain room, but she spots what looks like a concealed door in the wall. What's that doing in a recruitment office? Are they going to spring out at her as a surprise?
Sure enough, a man comes through the fake door. Interesting. He seems pleased that she doesn't jump.
"Mrs Frances. How good are you at keeping secrets?" he says, sitting backwards on the chair opposite her.
"Well, apart from my father and grandmother, my own family don't know I'm in the circus." Carlotta offers.
"Anything tying you down here?" the man asks.
"Only my horse, and I've left him with my sister-in-law." Carlotta says.
"Prepared to risk your life?"
"Yes, though I'd prefer to come back alive in the end."
"Hah!" the man laughs, amused. "At least you're honest. Prepared to kill someone?"
"If it comes to it." Carlotta says.
"I think we may have a job for you Mrs Frances."
But when the time came, the door wouldn't come. And so, she got on with it, and made arrangements. The only one she told at first was Libby, who knew her well enough not to try and change her mind, and was prepared to promise to look after Orion in her absence. That satisfied her; Carlotta would trust Libby with her life.
She worked out that with her gone, now that the stables was running on three fewer horses, the books would balance. The cost of lost labour would be balanced by not having to feed her or the evacuees.
And then she locked the caravan, and went into the farmhouse with her bag packed. She handed the spare key to Mr Frances, her father in law.
"I'm sorry. I have to join up." she says quietly. "I can't sit here and do nothing for the war effort with Will out there."
Mr Frances stares at her for a moment, then pockets the key and stands to hug her.
"I understand." he says. "But Carlotta... we all love and care for you here. So please, try and take something off the front line. We want you back in one piece."
"I will." Carlotta says. She's pretty sure they don't put women on the front line, and she's pretty sure there must be places where she'd be more use than rushing around with a gun.
Mr Frances goes with her to tell the others, standing by her in quiet support. And then, she sets off for the town recruitment office.
***
The recruitment officer looks down the form Carlotta filled in, then looks at her.
"We don't put girls in the regular army, love. You want recruitment for the home front, or the land army, or the balloon corps."
"Land army? That's farming, isn't it?" Carlotta says. Damnit! This might be an important job but it's hardly going to get the message to Will that she can be just as brave as he can. He'd probably laugh his socks off if she got put in the 'balloon corps'.
The officer eyes her.
"What accent is that? You're not Italian are you?"
"No, half Spanish. I speak the language flutently but I've only visited Spain once." Carlotta says. "I'm a British citizen."
"You done any work before?"
"I'm a professional acrobat, and I've been running my husband's stables. He's in the RAF."
The recruitment officer looks at her for a moment.
"Go and sit in that interview room, someone will be with you shortly." he says.
Carlotta goes and sits in the room, and waits. It's a fairly plain room, but she spots what looks like a concealed door in the wall. What's that doing in a recruitment office? Are they going to spring out at her as a surprise?
Sure enough, a man comes through the fake door. Interesting. He seems pleased that she doesn't jump.
"Mrs Frances. How good are you at keeping secrets?" he says, sitting backwards on the chair opposite her.
"Well, apart from my father and grandmother, my own family don't know I'm in the circus." Carlotta offers.
"Anything tying you down here?" the man asks.
"Only my horse, and I've left him with my sister-in-law." Carlotta says.
"Prepared to risk your life?"
"Yes, though I'd prefer to come back alive in the end."
"Hah!" the man laughs, amused. "At least you're honest. Prepared to kill someone?"
"If it comes to it." Carlotta says.
"I think we may have a job for you Mrs Frances."
