Clancy came out from the wings and grinned at him. ‘I'll stay and watch, if you don't mind. Be your lucky mascot, eh what? You have to crack it, Dare. You can't let Whiteley best you.’
Mr Holt came on stage with Eddie and Alec Rickards behind him. Eddie nodded at Paddy but Paddy stepped away, keeping his distance. Mr Holt put his hands behind his back and looked at the three men thoughtfully.
‘You know, gentlemen, Sarah Bernhardt herself said my last show was the sensation of the century. When she was here in Melbourne she came by just to see how true spectacle can really capture an audience. So there's a reputation to uphold, a legend, no less. This show could top all that we've ever done before.
‘There are four acts, ten yells, three plunges and a shriek to set your spine tingling. You have all read with flair and competence, but there is more to this show than mere dramatic ability. The scene I would like you to attempt now is at the end of Act II. Your character is being pursued by ruthless men who wish to steal the great nugget he has found – the Golden Dream. But you escape, plunge into the river and gallop away to glory. We've had a tank set into the stage – ten feet deep, ten feet wide. I want each of you to attempt to leap from the bridge on horseback and into the pool – which is a river from the point of view of the audience. Then you are to swim to the side and scramble ashore. There's a mechanism that you must activate to allow a ramp for the horse to extend into the pool and you must emerge together.
‘As was advertised, this role is for performers who are also accomplished horsemen. Our steed has been trained to make the jump, but if she senses your fear or incompetence, she may shy. There is a serious element of danger. If at any stage you wish to withdraw, that is perfectly understandable.’
Paddy and Clancy settled down in the back of the stalls, waiting for Paddy to be called. Mr Holt's secretary led Eddie backstage where the trained horse was waiting in the wings.
Alec Rickards attempted the jump first. It was obvious from the moment he rode the grey mare on stage that he was uneasy in the saddle. Before the horse had even mounted the scaffolding, he had lost his seat and lay sprawled on the stage.
‘Would you like to attempt the jump again?’ called Mr Holt. Alec stood up and dusted his trousers, shaking his head mournfully.
Clancy elbowed Paddy as they watched Eddie walk backstage to take his turn.
‘Let's hex him, so that he breaks his neck,’ said Clancy in a whisper.
‘Let's not. I don't want Kate's baby to be an orphan.’
Eddie came cantering in from the wings but when the mare reached the top of the scaffolding she stopped, hesitating at the brink of the jump.
‘Bring her down again,’ cried a voice from the wings. ‘she'll take the jump this time.’
It was difficult to make the horse turn on the scaffold but Eddie managed to guide her down. They came at the scaffold again and this time the horse galloped unhesitatingly to the brink. It was the force of her sudden stop that catapulted Eddie over her head and into the pool. The grey mare backed down the scaffolding as a plume of water rose up into the air. Clancy chuckled. Eddie swam to the edge and climbed out. He stood by the pool, dripping and muttering angrily to himself, while a stage attendant handed him a towel.
Undeterred, Eddie tried again. Again he rode the horse up the scaffolding and again it shied at the summit. This time he managed to stay in the saddle, but the horse refused to take the jump. He dismounted and led the horse back down.
‘Your turn to show them how it's done,’ said Clancy, slapping Paddy on the back. ‘Good luck, old bean.’
Eddie was standing holding the reins of the horse as Paddy walked into the backstage area.
‘I'll be damned if I'll keep making a fool of myself,’ he said angrily. ‘that horse hasn't been trained!’
A dark-haired man stepped forward and snatched the reins from Eddie.
‘There's not a problem with the horse. She'll jump for any competent rider,’ he said, his voice bristling with aggression.
Paddy blinked. ‘Jack Ace!’ he said, disbelievingly.
For a moment, Jack didn't recognise Paddy. ‘Billy Dare?’ he said, offering Paddy the reins. ‘she's a docile mare. You be confident and she'll do the stunt, no worries.’
Then the smile fell away from his face.
‘You,’ he said. ‘I'd hoped you'd starved in the bush, you and the brat.’
‘You'll never get your filthy hands on her again.’
Jack Ace lunged at Paddy. In an instant, his hands were around Paddy's neck, squeezing the breath from him. Paddy drew his body away, as if resisting the attack and then with all the force he could muster rammed his head forward, straight into Jack's face. Jack let out a cry and loosened his grip. For a moment he was stunned, his hands cupped beneath his bleeding nose. Then he lunged at Paddy again. But this time, Eddie, Alec and one of the stage hands grabbed Jack by his arms and held him back.
‘Settle down, mate,’ said Eddie. ‘the lad's about to audition.’
‘Not if I can help it,’ said Jack, straining against Eddie's grip.
Mr Holt's secretary, Miss Coppin, tapped her clipboard. She was a small, sweet-faced woman but her voice was steely. ‘I am sorry, Mr Ace, but we cannot allow this sort of behaviour in our theatre. We have already paid the full purchase price of this horse and as it is obvious that your presence contributes nothing to her performance, we no longer require your services. You will kindly restrain yourself or leave.’
Jack stopped struggling against the hands that held him. They let him go.
‘I have unsettled business with this bugger. You let me take him outside for ten minutes and then you can go on with this audition caper.’
‘I don't think that would be at all appropriate,’ said Miss Coppin.
Jack grabbed Paddy by the front of his shirt. But before he could do anything more, Eddie stepped between them, shoving Jack away and threatening him with his fist. ‘You heard what the lady said. Clear off.’
Jack grabbed his coat and left the theatre in a rage.
Paddy couldn't bring himself to look at Eddie. His head was spinning from the force of the blow he'd dealt Jack, and everyone was staring at him.
‘Mr Dare,’ called Bland Holt, oblivious to the dramas backstage. ‘We are waiting!’
‘Get on with it,’ said Eddie. ‘Pull yourself together, boy.’
Paddy turned to face the horse and realised with a thrill that it was none other than Tattoo.
‘Hello, girl,’ he said. She stepped closer and nuzzled his chest.
When Paddy swung into the saddle, Tattoo pawed the stage restlessly. He leant forward and stroked her neck.
‘Don't worry, girl,’ he whispered. ‘Everything's going to be all right now.’
At a sign from the stage manager, Paddy urged Tattoo forward and they raced up onto the bridge. In a flash, she leapt over the edge. They seemed to fall through the air for ever and then a wave of white rose up around them. Paddy felt a rush of fear as the water closed over him but Tattoo was swift and sure beneath him, kicking her way upwards.
When they broke the surface of the water, Paddy slipped off Tattoo's back. He swam to the side of the tank, releasing the mechanism that made the ramp unfold into the water, and then rode the horse up out of the pool. As they emerged from the water, all the stage hands and actors applauded wildly.
‘Excellent, my boy,’ called out Mr Holt. ‘I think we may safely say we have found a new Percy Hurricane.’
Paddy couldn't believe it. His head was still throbbing and water streamed from his clothes but he laughed out loud. Clancy raced down the aisle and leapt onto the stage, cheering. He slapped Paddy so hard on the back that water shot out of his nose.
‘What a crackerjack, Billy Dare!’ he said, sounding as pleased as if he had won the part himself.
Tattoo stood calmly beside him as the stage hands came out to towel her down. Paddy turned and threw his arms around her neck. ‘thanks, old girl,’ he said.
Backstage, Eddie was sitting with a towel thrown around his shoulders, his wet, tangled hair pushed away from his face.
‘Congratulations,’ said Eddie, extending a hand towards Paddy. ‘I didn't think you had it in you.’
‘Thank you,’ said Paddy. ‘I didn't think you had it in you either. You know, to help me out and …’ He stopped, embarrassed.
‘It's all right, Smith. You've had reason to doubt me before but things are different. I've Kate and the baby to think of. I've changed.’
‘I've changed too,’ said Paddy. ‘I'm not Billy Smith any more, or Paddy Delaney, or any of the boys I used to be. I've become Billy Dare.’
36
Bright thresholds
It was like a parade as the cabs and carts wove their way down St Kilda Road and turned into Fitzroy Street in St Kilda. The bay shimmered in the autumn sunshine and there was an air of festival as everyone piled out of the carriages and waited on the kerbside for Bridie and Doc to join them. Some of the men were already starting to unload Bridie's possessions and carry them up the path of her new home.
Doc had announced that if Bridie wasn't coming with him, then she wasn't staying in the rooms in Exhibition Street either, but what he was planning had to be a surprise.
Doc had more than one surprise to share that day. Paddy nearly fell over backwards when a horseless carriage came veering around the corner with Doc, Annie and Bridie inside it.
‘Damn newfangled gadget,’ said Doc, as he climbed out of the automobile and slammed the door. ‘don't know why I let you talk me into that, Annie. Give me a horse any day.’
‘You like it, Gramps, you just don't want to admit it.’
But Doc wasn't interested in arguing with Annie. He was watching Bridie closely as she stood on the pavement outside her new home.
‘I hope it's the right place, Bridie.’
The house was on a narrow strip of land between two grand brick mansions, and the white gravel driveway that led to it wound through an old, overgrown garden.
They all followed Doc and Bridie up to the front steps of her new home. Paddy thought it looked like a doll's house. It had high gables with weathered, silvery-grey timber fretwork all along the eaves. The old stone walls had been freshly painted a golden yellow. The door was red and a sheet of bright copper had been nailed down over the front doorstep and polished until it shone. Above, etched on the fanlight in beautiful scrolling letters, was the name of the house, Beaumer.
Bridie stood at the threshold, her hands pressed together as if in prayer, her face streaked with tears. For a moment, Doc looked worried but Bridie turned to him and smiled, speechless with happiness.
‘Your silver and gold house,’ said Doc. He put his arm around Bridie's shoulder and then kissed her on the cheek.
Inside, the house smelt of new polish and old stone. Paddy and Annie explored every corner of it. There were three rooms upstairs and three down as well as a walk-in pantry. There were a couple of out-buildings in the back garden too, but they were almost covered with a cascade of autumn roses.
By three o'clock even more people had arrived for the housewarming: Eddie and Kate, Flash Bill, Wybert Fox and a crowd of showgirls and old actors. Even Nugget Malloy had turned up, looking uncomfortably out of place squashed on the chaise longue between the Tallis twins. There was barely room for everyone to fit in the front parlour and the guests spilled into the hall and out onto the front lawn.
Paddy and Annie slipped out through the front gate and into the street. The sharp, salty scent of the sea blew across the Esplanade.
‘Sure was cosy in there,’ said Annie, taking off her hat and shaking her black hair loose. ‘Let's go for a promenade. I want to feel the sea breeze.’
They crossed the road and walked along the beach front. Annie wanted to walk the length of the pier to the pavilion at the end, but Paddy took her arm and led her further along the beach. On a smooth stretch of sand, a small stage was set up with the flat waters of the bay as its backdrop.
Harlequin and Columbine were dancing across the boards while Pierrot sat on the edge of the stage, strumming a mandolin. The makeshift theatre was surrounded by a low picket fence and a second melancholy Pierrot stood by the gate, holding out a hat to passers-by. Paddy dropped some pennies into it and followed Annie through the gate. They sat side by side on the low benches before the stage. Paddy had meant to watch the performance but he found himself watching Annie. She laughed at the trickery of Harlequin and cried out with sympathy for the poor, melancholy Pierrot. Every time she applauded, she would glance across at him and smile. It made him wish the performance could last all afternoon.
When the show had finished, the actors passed the hat around again and Paddy emptied his loose change into it.
‘I can't believe you and Auntie Bridie aren't coming to America,’ said Annie as they walked back along the Esplanade.
‘We're playing a one-month season here in Melbourne. Then we go on tour. We're up to Sydney and then inland from there,’ said Paddy. ‘And by then you'll be halfway across the world.’
Annie laughed. ‘didn't Auntie Bridie tell you? We're staying on a while longer. Gramps got talked around. He's training a new colt for your Melbourne Cup. We're moving on down to the George Hotel this week, right here in St Kilda, so we can be near Auntie Bridie. Those two old coots never run out of things to talk about!’
‘Does that mean you'll be in town when The Great Rescue opens?’
‘Sure does,’ she said, grinning. ‘Gramps has already booked us a box.’
‘Well, I guess I should give this to you anyway.’
‘What?’ she asked.
‘Something for good luck. It's not so much to use as to keep – a keepsake so you don't forget me.’
‘I'm not going to forget you in a big hurry, Billy Dare.’
Paddy had wrapped the present in a piece of blue silk and tied it with gold braid. Annie took the gift and unwrapped it carefully. The pale red wood looked striking against the sky-coloured fabric. Annie put the love spoon against her cheek.
‘Where'd it come from?’
‘I made it,’ said Paddy. He leant towards her and pointed out the band of chains that coiled around the handle of the spoon. ‘It's the first spoon I've made out of Australian wood. It's red gum. These Australian timbers, they're hard to carve, but they last forever. See, it smells like the bush.’
‘And the flower, and the chains? What do they mean?’ asked Annie, tracing the pattern with her fingers.
‘They're part of the design,’ he said, reluctant to tell the full truth.
‘Does this mean you want me to kiss you again, Billy Dare?’ asked Annie.
Paddy blushed. Did he want her to kiss him? Is that why he'd given her the love spoon? The price of a kiss. He looked at her laughing brown eyes and smiled.
‘I don't mind if you do,’ he said.
Author's note
This is a work of fiction, but in writing it I hoped to shed some light on an important era in Australian history. Although I had to use my imagination to create Paddy Delaney, the world in which he lived was a real one and the events of his life are based on fact. Despite the depression of the early 1890s, by the time Paddy Delaney arrived in Australia, the colonies were soon to become a federation. It was the era of Henry Lawson and the awakening of a distinctive sense of national identity. Just as Paddy Delaney reinvented himself as Billy Dare, Australia was inventing itself as a nation.
In the late nineteenth century, Australia's entertainment industry was one of the most vibrant in the world and Australians began to define their separation from the old world by producing hundreds of locally inspired productions. Melodramas that romanticised the earlier era of the bushrangers, like Lightning Jack, were hugely popular. Circuses and touring theatre troupes were as important as television is today.
Now that we live in a more secular age, it's hard to appreciate the importance of religion in the nineteenth century. My great-grandfather, David Ma
cNamara, ran away from a seminary in Ireland and was subsequently ostracised by his family because of it. He shovelled coal to make his way back to Australia, the country of his birth. Some aspects of Paddy Delaney's story were inspired by his impulsive personality.
Many of the characters in Becoming Billy Dare are composites of men and women of their time, but a number of them are real people and I used their real names. The actors mentioned as performing at the Bijou Theatre were famous in their time – including the death-defying Hugarde, the ventriloquist Joey Windsor, the magician Chung Ling Soo and the immovable Georgia Magnet. The Lilliputians theatre troupe that Violet joins was a genuine ‘children's’ company. It was run by the Pollard family and for many years toured Australia, New Zealand and south-east Asia. Jim Crilly was a famous showman of his day who really did exhibit a ‘living skeleton’ in Swanston Street. Bland Holt was one of Australia's most famous theatrical figures of the nineteenth century. He was an actor, manager and producer of the country's greatest stage sensations. He really did produce a play called The Great Rescue, though it differed slightly from the one in which Paddy wins the starring role. Other real people who either appear or are discussed in the pages of this book include William Lane, George Coppin, Miss Coppin, Mr Brodzky and Messrs Tait and Williamson.
It's now over 100 years since the events described in this story. Almost no one who lived in that era is alive today but when I was a child, many elderly people described that time as if it was only yesterday. Time moves so quickly that sometimes we can forget how our lives have been touched by those who came before us. One day our own stories will echo as loudly to the generations that follow.
Becoming Billy Dare Page 20
