Seraphina Chapter 3: Into the Fire

“What do you mean Celeste has already been measured?!  That is my gown, Mina!”  Magda spat the words at her like venom from a viper’s fang.  Mina stood her ground, toe to toe with the actress.   “Learn your place, woman, I can make your life insufferable.” 

“Uncle told us to measure Celeste, Magda.”  Bonnie shot back.
“I TOLD you not to call me that, you willful brat, that’s not my name!”
Bonnie smirked and lifted her chin defiantly.
“Don’t test me, child.”  Magda warned.  “Just measure me, Mina, before I lose my patience, detestable gypsy sc..”

A kitten mewed from just outside the tent door.  They all turned to see Rye step in with a small, grey striped ball of fur.
“For me?!”  Bonnie squealed and ran for Rye.  She scooped up the kitten and nuzzled it against her cheek.  “Oh, thank you Rye, I love her!”
Immediately, Magda’s face softened.  She looked almost demure.  Well, as much as a snake could manage. 

“Isn’t that just the sweetest thing?”  Magda looked up at Rye through her eyelashes.  “You’ll spoil that child, Rye.”
“Good morning, Miss Salome.”
“It is now.”  Magda smiled while her hand reached out to touch his arm. 
“Mina, dear, you are so busy.  I will come by later for my fitting.  I wish to add no further burden to you this morning.   Rye, would you come by my tent later, I have something for you.”
Rye nodded, Bonnie rolled her eyes and Magda stepped out the tent door.

“Nimbus…what do you think about that, Rye?”
“Like the clouds?  It’s a great name, I like that a lot, Bonnie.  I really am sorry for raising my voice to you last week.  I was just upset that you had gone down to the river alone, it’s very dangerous not to take someone with you.”
“I know, I am sorry, Rye.  But, if I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have met Mina, so it all worked out!”  Bonnie said, trying to divert the conversation. 
Rye sighed, “And this is for you, Mina.”  He handed Seraphina a beautiful traveling bag made from the most exquisite textiles. 
“Johnny found it after the last show, he said he hadn’t seen one since he left the states.  It’s a carpet bag or something, all the rage, I gather.”  Before Seraphina could speak, Bonnie rushed over to inspect the gift.  “Rye, its amazing!  What a thoughtful surprise, don’t you just love it, Mina?!”  
“It’s magnificent, I…I don’t know what to say, thank you, Rye.”   Her eyes began to well up.  It really was beautiful, she felt she didn’t deserve such an opulent present.

“I, uh, well, it’s nothing…I thought you could use it to hold your equipment for sewing, that’s all.”  And with that, he turned and left the tent.
“I’ve never seen Rye blush.  He stammered and blushed, Mina.”  Bonnie said delightfully while she grinned at Seraphina.

Seraphina wiped her misty eyes and went to work collecting her tools and supplies, tying the ribbons, silks and laces to the handles and threading to them the buttons and beads she might need to repair costumes.

Rye stepped from the tent quickly before he embarrassed himself.  He really didn’t mean to make Mina cry.  While walking back to the stables, he noticed Magda (he really tried to remember to call her Salome, she hated her given name) hands on hips having an intense, animated conversation with Silas.  He didn’t trust that man, always sneaking about and turning up where he had no business being. 

“She’s mocking me.”  Magda exaggerated.  “That filthy gypsy is making me look bad to Mr. Poole.  We can’t let that happen, can we Silas?  We’ll talk about this later, she must be dealt with before we leave for the next show.” 
She looked over at Bonnie’s tent to see Rye leaving.  She smiled sweetly at Rye and motioned for him to join her.  
“I’ll be damned if she thinks she’s just going to step in and take over.  Teach her a lesson.  That woman needs some humbling or to just disappear.  Your choice, Silas.”

Magda collected her skirts and put on a pleasant face as she turned away and headed toward Rye.  Silas glowered.  He hated that man.  Simpering fool.  Why she preferred him, he would never know.  Silas packed tobacco into his pipe, thinking on what Magda had said.  He didn’t think the gypsy was a threat, but he would do anything to make Magda happy.  Anything.

That evening, Seraphina couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease.  She could see little Bonnie's chest rising and falling in the slow cadence of sleep and a slight smile formed on her lips.  The smile quickly faded when her mind digressed back to vexing thoughts.  Through the haze that hung in the air like the gauze of a death shroud, Seraphina could barely see the form of a man amongst the silhouettes of the trees.  He seemed to be facing her way, was he?

Bonnie let out a little cry in her sleep which made Seraphina turn to notice.  But, when she shifted her gaze back to the forest, the man was not there.  Was it only a trick of the eyes?  An apparition caught between worlds that can appear and then evaporate when noticed by the mortal realm?  The hair on Seraphina's arms rose with the chill that came over her.
Sitting down at the small mending table, she tried to put the uneasy thoughts out of her mind.  She retrieved her sketch book from the tapestry bag Rye had given her and began to plan her work for the following day.  They had much to do before the camp left for the next show in Paris.
 
In the heavy fog, a man stepped out from behind a large oak.  His gaze upon the tent turned dark with malcontent and slowly he began to make his way closer.