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  The Ruby Talisman

  ePub ISBN 9781742740621

  Kindle ISBN 9781742740638

  A Random House Book

  Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

  Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, NSW 2060

  www.randomhouse.com.au

  First published by Random House Australia in 2010

  Copyright © Belinda Murrell 2010

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia.

  Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at www.randomhouse.com.au/offices

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry

  Author: Belinda Murrell

  Title: The ruby talisman/Belinda Murrell

  ISBN: 978 1 86471 987 1 (pbk)

  Target audience: For primary school age

  Subjects: France – History – Revolution, 1789–1799 – Juvenile fiction

  Dewey number: A823.4

  Cover design by saso content & design pty ltd

  Cover images courtesy Getty Images and iStockphoto.com

  Internal design by Midland Typesetters

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  William Wordsworth

  Glossary of French Words

  Chapter 1 Salut

  Chapter 2 The Heirloom

  Chapter 3 The Dream

  Chapter 4 Ball at Versailles

  Chapter 5 The Wish

  Chapter 6 Bastille Day

  Chapter 7 Brigands

  Chapter 8 The Chevalier’s Proposal

  Chapter 9 The Chateau de Montjoyeuse

  Chapter 10 Dinner Guests

  Chapter 11 Bonfire

  Chapter 12 Ride to Paris

  Chapter 13 Paris

  Chapter 14 The Tunnels

  Chapter 15 The River Seine

  Chapter 16 Journey by Barge

  Chapter 17 The Cornish Captain

  Chapter 18 The Mermaid of Zennor

  Chapter 19 The Crumplehorn Inn

  Fast Facts on the French Revolution

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  THE LOCKET OF DREAMS

  THE QUEST FOR THE SUN GEM

  More from Random House

  For Emily-Charlotte, Nick, Lachie and Rob who shared many adventures with me in Paris and Versailles

  I wander’d lonely as a cloud

  That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

  When all at once I saw a crowd,

  A host, of golden daffodils;

  Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

  Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

  –Excerpt from ‘Daffodils’,

  William Wordsworth, 1804

  Glossary of French Words

  Absolument absolutely

  Allez go

  Anglais/Angleterre English/England

  Aristos aristocrats

  Au revoir goodbye

  Belle beautiful

  Bon good

  Bonjour good day

  Bon nuit good night

  Bonsoir good evening

  Café au lait milky coffee

  Chérie darling

  Chevalier knight

  Comte/comtesse count/countess

  Croissant flaky, crescent-shaped pastry

  Dauphin/dauphine crown prince/princess

  Duchesse duchess

  Enchanté enchanting

  En garde on guard

  Épée duelling sword

  Excusez-moi excuse me

  Fantastique fantastic

  Fichu delicate lace scarf

  Grand-mère grandmother

  Grand-père grandfather

  Incroyable incredible

  Madame Mrs (my dame)

  Mademoiselle Miss

  Magnifique magnificent

  Mais non but no!

  Maman mamma

  Merci thank you

  Mes amies my friends

  Mon/ma my

  Mon Dieu my God

  Monseigneur my lord

  Monsieur Mister (my sir)

  Non no

  Oui yes

  Panniers twin baskets, like those carried by a donkey, worn under skirts to make them full

  Petit-déjeuner light breakfast

  Postillion groom who rides one of the leading carriage horses

  Reverence an act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsey

  Salut salute, greetings

  S’il vous plaît if you please

  Tante aunt

  Toilette the act or process of dressing or grooming

  Très very

  Très bon very good

  Tricorne three-cornered hat

  Versailles the royal palace about 23 kilometres south-west of Paris

  Table A

  1

  Salut

  Tilly pulled the mesh faceguard down and limbered up her right wrist, circling it nervously, her long, thin fencing foil drawing through the air. She was dressed all in white, with padding to protect her chest and padded gloves on her hands. She jigged up and down, adrenaline surging through her body.

  ‘Salut.’

  Tilly lifted the foil in front of her face in a formal salute to her opponent on the other side of the narrow mat.

  ‘En garde.’

  The foils flashed forward into the defensive position.

  ‘Allez!’

  The two fencers leapt forward, foils slashing. Tilly felt her hot, seething thoughts turn cold and hard as steel. Her mind stilled and became totally focused on the silver weapon surging towards her. She scanned her opponent, Bella, for a weakness, judging her body language, looking for an opening, a moment’s delay. The two girls tested each other, dancing back and forth, feinting and parrying.

  Tilly finally saw her chance and lunged, her foil slipping through Bella’s defence, stabbing her chest.

  ‘Touché,’ yelled the referee. ‘Retreat.’

  Tilly leapt back behind her line
, a warm glow of satisfaction flowing through her. Bella shook her head in frustration, her long, black ponytail swinging.

  ‘En garde. Allez!’

  The two girls fought again, graceful as dancers, fierce as warriors, gliding across the mat. This time it was Bella who saw the opening and lunged. Tilly tried to parry the thrust, but missed, the foil finding its mark on her shoulder.

  Stupid. Stupid, thought Tilly angrily. I should have seen that coming.

  ‘Touché,’ called the referee. ‘Retreat.’

  Tilly’s mistake threw her off guard, making her lose focus and rhythm. The next bout was easily won by her opposition. Tilly bit her lip in frustration and disappointment. She felt like hurling her foil across the room at the wall.

  But Jack, her coach, would never tolerate such bad sportsmanship. Tilly gritted her teeth and shook hands with Bella.

  ‘Well done, Tilly,’ congratulated Jack, smiling warmly. ‘It was a close bout. You’re really improving. Keep up the good training.’

  Jack was two years older than Tilly and helped teach fencing at the local community hall every Thursday afternoon. He was tall with short, dark hair, green eyes and the narrow frame and graceful movement of a natural athlete.

  Tilly blushed and hunched her shoulders.

  ‘I lost,’ she muttered, scowling, but secretly she felt warmed by Jack’s praise.

  The easy smile dropped from Jack’s face. He stepped away.

  ‘Next time, try not to let your anger get the better of you.’

  Tilly’s heart contracted sharply. She turned away, tears smarting her eyes.

  In the change room, she pulled on a big, baggy sweater that had belonged to her dad, a pair of old faded jeans and scruffy runners. She carefully packed away her fencing clothes and foil into her kit bag, checking it all carefully. She ignored the other girls chatting and giggling in the corner. They were congratulating Bella, who had just defeated Tilly.

  Bella looked gorgeous with her deep brown skin, black eyes and long hair. Dressed now in black leggings and top, a purple-and-black tartan skirt and silver ballet shoes, she looked graceful and confident surrounded by her friends.

  ‘Bye, Tilly,’ called Bella cheerfully. ‘You fought well today.’

  A hot flush stained Tilly’s cheeks.

  ‘Thanks,’ Tilly muttered, her eyes glued to the floor as she loped for the door.

  Tilly glanced back to see Bella raising her eyebrows and shoulders in a what’s up with her?gesture to the other girls, who shrugged and tittered in response.

  At the park on the corner, Tilly sat on a bench, staring at the hole in the toe of her runner and scuffing her heel in the dirt.

  Tilly wasangry.

  The last six months had been the worst in her life. Six months ago she had been a normal girl with normal friends and a normal family. Then one night everything had changed. Her dad had come home from work and explained that he had met a woman at the office. That he had fallen in love. That he would be moving in with ‘Bunny’ and her children. That he still loved Tilly, but he couldn’t live with her and her mother anymore.

  Tilly had run up to her room and slammed the door, the anger like bubbling lava, threatening to boil over. The anger had come suddenly, but it stayed. Tilly was angry with her mother for not doing whatever it took to make her dad stay. Tilly was angry with her brother for being so annoying that he’d probably driven him away. She was angry with her father, his new ‘friend’ Bunny and her horrible children. She was angry with her teachers, her friends and, most of all, with herself for not being loveable enough.

  Tilly’s head ached with the memory of it.

  Her younger brother, Tim, often went to stay with Dad and the new family, but Tilly refused. She would rather lie on her bed with her iPod turned up high to drown out the world. A tear trickled down Tilly’s face and she wiped it away fiercely with the back of her hand.

  Reluctantly, she picked up her kit bag and walked home. In the hallway she met her brother in his soccer training gear, zooming a Lego spaceship through the air.

  ‘Mum’s cross,’ announced Tim as he walked past her, soccer bootlaces undone.

  A wave of annoyance washed over Tilly. Tim was always messy and always in the way.

  ‘Poor bubba,’ hissed Tilly. ‘Is mumsy cwosswith you? Did you leave Lego all over the lounge room floor again?’

  A flash of pain crossed Tim’s freckled face, then a mask of nonchalance dropped down.

  ‘No, she’s cross with you,’ Tim retorted quickly. ‘Again!’

  Tilly’s heart sank. What had she done now?

  Tilly’s mother, Juliette, was in the kitchen unpacking the dishwasher.

  ‘Where have you been?’ cried Juliette, hand on hip, face knotted with anxiety. ‘You were supposed to pick Tim up from the neighbour’s house half an hour ago. She rang me at work, and when I couldn’t find you on the mobile I had to come home early. Andyou were supposed to unpack the dishwasher before school.’

  Tilly threw her bag down. A flood of guilt washed over her. She had forgotten about Tim, and the dishwasher. She pushed away the guilt and reached for the anger.

  ‘I ... I ... I was caught up after fencing. Besides, why should I always have to look after Tim? He’s so annoying and never does what I tell him. No-one else has to mind their pesky little brother. It’s so unfair.’ The headache came pounding back.

  ‘I don’t want to argue with you, Tilly,’ Juliette sighed. ‘Could you pleasefinish unpacking the dishwasher?’

  Tilly shook her head, forming a ‘W’ with her two hands. ‘Whatever,’ she mouthed.

  Juliette closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, refusing to answer.

  Tilly groaned loudly and stomped around the kitchen, dropping knives in the drawer with a clatter, banging saucepans and clashing plates. Life is so unfair, she thought.

  When the dishwasher was emptied, Tilly crept upstairs before Juliette could give her another job. As she tiptoed past her mother’s room she heard a funny sound coming from behind the almost closed door.

  It sounded like sobbing. Tilly listened in carefully.

  ‘I just can’t doany more, Kara.’ Juliette sniffled. ‘Tilly’s being revolting all the time. I think she hates me ... I know ... I know ... She’s so angry with me, as if it’s all my fault ... But so do I ... All I do is work and clean and cook and wash and help the children. I just feel like my life is a misery ... Yes, but where would I go? ... I couldn’t possibly! ... I know ... It would be wonderful, but the children? ... Tilly won’t go to Richard’s. Tim will, but ... Would you? ... Are you sure? ... That would be fantastic ... Thank you, Kara. I just need to get away from everything and everyone.’

  Tilly heard her mother say goodbye, and she quickly snuck away. What’s going on? Is Mum going away too?Tilly thought anxiously, her stomach churning.

  Nothing more was said until the next morning when Juliette was making tea, looking pale and drawn, her puffy eyes surrounded by dark circles.

  Tilly looked at her mum closely. There was a thread of grey in her dark hair that hadn’t been there before and two deep furrows across her brow. Had Juliette aged overnight? Or had Tilly simply not noticed?

  ‘Are you all right, Mum?’ Tilly asked. ‘You look tired.’

  Juliette smiled gratefully and rubbed her forehead. ‘I didn’t sleep very well last night,’ she admitted. ‘But then, I haven’t been sleeping well for ages.’

  Juliette poured the tea.

  ‘Actually, Tilly, there’s something I need to talk to you about. I’m going away for the weekend. I simply need to get away from everything. Tim is going to stay with your father, but I thought you might prefer to go and stay with Auntie Kara.’

  Tilly scowled. ‘But I don’t want to go to–’

  ‘Please, Tilly,’ interrupted her mother. ‘For once, can you just not argue with me? You have no choice. I’m going away today and you can’t stay here on your own. I know it’s been hard, believe me. But now you just need to grow
up a little and realise how your behaviour is affecting everyone else. You just aren’t that nice to be around anymore, Tilly.’

  Tilly scowled again and then stormed out of the room, banging the door behind her. Unfair, unfair,she thought. Nothing is right anymore.

  ‘Kara will pick you up from school,’ Juliette called up the stairs.

  That afternoon, Tilly dawdled out of the classroom. In the bag room she could hear some of the girls chatting and giggling. Last year these girls had been her friends. When Tilly had first been sad and angry at school, they had been sympathetic and supportive. But over time they had started to avoid her.

  ‘Don’t forget your pillows on Saturday night,’ Maddie reminded the other girls. ‘Mum’s going to set up a whole pile of mattresses in the lounge room. She’s making popcorn and pizza to eat in front of the DVD.’

  ‘I can’t wait,’ Jess exclaimed. ‘And I’ve bought you the most awesome present.’

  Tilly’s stomach clenched and her heart beat faster. Maddie was having her birthday sleepover this weekend, and she wasn’t invited. Tilly crept back into the classroom, pretending to look for her ruler. She waited until she heard the girls race down the stairs, still laughing and chatting, before she went to the bag room, tears in her eyes.

  By the time she came through the gates, she was one of the last to leave. She saw her aunt’s silver sports car, the convertible roof folded down. Her aunt was chatting on her mobile phone, arms gesticulating wildly. Kara saw Tilly and waved frantically.

  ‘Over here, darling,’ Kara cried. ‘How was school?’