The Ringmaster's Wife (40 page)

Rosamund shook her head, allowing the reins to drop from her fingertips. She raised an arm, feeling the soft touch of linen beneath her hand. She slid her hand up until it hooked around his neck. “I meant you. You're here.”

He laughed softly, encircling her with strong arms.

“You left the show for me?”

“In the thick of the season,” he confirmed.

She could hear the smile in his voice.

“We rolled into Decatur, Illinois, mid-June. I told Mr. Ringling then that I had no choice—I would be forced to trail after a bareback rider who'd left his employ. But I couldn't desert him then. Not after we'd just lost Mable. It took some time, but we brought Owen and Jerry in to take over shared management. And when the train went west from Missoula, Ingénue and I caught our own train back east. And it brought us all the way here. To you.”

Rosamund let a breath escape she hadn't realized she held. “Then you left for good?”

He chuckled, and she could picture him smiling. Just as he always had. She hoped his blue eyes were dancing, staring back at her.

“Yes, Rose. If you wanted me to, I'd walk away from the life. In a heartbeat.”

“But you're circus, Colin. It's in your blood.”

He paused. She listened, turning her face into the breeze, wishing she could see his face to know why he'd stopped.

“And you told me once that it's in yours too.”

“But this might never change. I could be blind the rest of my life,” Rosamund cried, raising her hands to his face, seeing only shades and shadow where his smile used to be. “I'll never see you.”

“You've always seen me, Rose. That's the difference. I couldn't accept a new watch for a new life unless you're in it. And Mable knew that. Seeing isn't always with the eyes, love. But we can do that together too. I'll play for you like Hendrick once did. You can ride Ingénue and I'll be at your side, performing with you in the ring. And I'll describe everything, like it's the Cà d'Zan we're seeing all over again. We can even fish on every dock and dance in every tower in Florida if you want to.”

“Mable would have expected nothing less. Somehow she knew I'd go out and perform too, didn't she?”

“I think she did,” Colin said, chuckling ever so slightly. “Mable Ringling was a remarkable woman. Our friend. A blessing, I think, to see that both of us came back to one another.”

“If you ever came back, I assumed it would be to say good-bye. I thought you'd only be able to see me as broken now.”

“We're all broken, Rose. You told me that once, remember? That's the point,” he whispered, his lips grazing hers. “Everyone has scars. Some you can see, like the one on your wrist. Others, like a watch, remain hidden in the pockets of our past. But to heal? We can't possibly do it on our own.”

“I was never on my own. Not from that day I stepped onto the train at King's Cross Station. And I was wrong. My home was never the circus. It wasn't under the Big Top sky or turning circles in front of the crowds. I was on a circus train traveling from place to place, but my home has always been with you.”

“Then why don't you marry me?” He leaned in, whispering in her ear. “Because my home is wherever you are too.”

Rosamund stood on tiptoe, trusting her heart to connect her lips to his. She pressed in, feeling the strength of familiar arms come around her. Reveling in the presence of him once again in her life.

“Is that a yes then?” he asked, the smile of a happy Irishman alive in his voice.

“Aye. It's a yes,” she teased, smiling back because he hadn't needed to ask. “Mable said we only see what we want to see, and I want to spend the rest of my life looking at you.”

A
PRIL
28, 2002

C
À D
'Z
AN

S
ARASOTA
, F
LORIDA

Camden Keary-Smith never heard her name called over the microphone.

A stage had been erected against the backdrop of the Cà d'Zan, with the crystal waters of the bay rolling beyond. She gazed out over the water, imagining what the yachts and the grand parties must have looked like in Mable Ringling's day.

Ruby nudged her shoulder. “Mom, it's time.”

“Hmm?”

“They called your name . . .”

Her attention was drawn back and she remembered at once why they were there.

“Oh yes.” Camden fluttered her hands, almost dropping her program in her haste to stand. “Yes, of course.”

Ruby braced her at the elbow, helping her to her feet.

They took the steps slowly. Having waited for the moment for some time, she now wanted to savor it.

A young lad stepped up, adjusting the microphone in front of her.

She nodded in thanks, then looked out over the crowd for the first time. “I've never spoken in public before . . .”

The young man hopped up again, tapped the microphone.

“Right here, Mrs. Smith. Speak right here.”

She exhaled, then smiled. “I've never spoken in public before,” she said, trying again.

Her voice was loud this time. Crystal clear. Booming out from the speakers to mingle with the swaying palms and the roses in Mable's garden.

“But this is a very special occasion, and both my brother, Jack Keary, and I are delighted to be here for this historic day. The Cà d'Zan reopens today, after the greatest renovation in this property's history. We gather here now, in its shadow, proud to stand as two of many who represent the rich history of this place.

“Our parents, Colin and Rosamund Keary, traveled with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus for over four decades. They held roles as manager, bareback rider, musician, and in 1957, with the Big Top no longer in use for the shows, they spent their final working year as ticket takers at the venue doors. Our parents not only spent time at this property, but they loved the family who owned it, and credited Mable Ringling in particular with bestowing compassion and kindness on all who entered this home.

“In the days when names such as May Wirth, Lou Jacobs, and Lillian Lietzel were known the world over, our father worked humbly behind the scenes, partnering with the Ringling Brothers to bring the circus to countless towns and cities all across the country. He retired in 1958, after faithfully serving for forty-six years.

“Our mother, Lady Rosamund Easling-Keary, received her paid passage from the Ringling Brothers in 1926 and traveled from England to Sarasota, where she began a bareback riding career that spanned decades. After an accident sustained in the years following
her circus debut, she was declared legally blind, and believed her circus days were over. But it was the belief my father had in her abilities and the extraordinary friendship they shared with John and Mable Ringling that she credited for the career she had in the years that followed.”

Camden stopped, overcome with emotion.

She turned, gazing at the Venetian palace that sparkled in the sun.

There was restored whimsy in every corner. A playfulness that combined with the rich artistry of a piece of history one couldn't read about in a book. It was so much more.

She brought her attention back to the crowd, searching for young faces to talk to. Her eyes sought out families—the ones who would make this place live on.

“I speak to you today, to the children of the next generation who will visit and truly cherish this place. Everything the Ringlings loved is here.
They
are here, and their story—waiting to be discovered anew. And so we leave you today with Mable's words, because what we see is a choice, as is what we offer the world in return. And it's only behind the costumes and the masks that we can be who we truly are. Embrace that today, and may we never be afraid to really live. Thank you.”

Camden heard the applause as she walked back across the stage. But it didn't feel as though it was for her. She turned a half circle before stepping down again, catching a final view of the glorious Cà d'Zan—the House of John—before the Ringlings welcomed the world again.

1866
—John Nicholas Ringling born May 31, in McGregor, IA, to August Frederich Rungeling (Ringling) (b. 1826, m. 1852, d. 1898) and Salome Marie Juliar (Ringling) (b. 1833, m. 1852, d. 1907).

1875
—Armilda E. (Mable) Burton born March 14, in Moons, OH, to George Wesley Burton (b. 1848, m. 1869, d. 1919) and Mary Elizabeth Wilson (b. 1852, m. 1869, d. 1929).

1882
—Ringlings move family, including seven sons and one daughter, Ida Lorina Wilhemina Ringling (b. 1874, d. 1950), to Baraboo, WI.

1882
—Ringling brothers Albert Charles “Al” (b. 1852, d. 1916), August Albert “A.G.” (b. 1854, d. 1907), William Henry Otto “Otto” (b. 1857, d. 1911), Alfred Theodore “Alf T.” (b. 1863, d. 1919), Carl Edward “Charles” (b. 1864, d. 1926), John Nicholas (b. 1866, d. 1936), and Henry William George (b. 1868, d. 1918) organize first winter-season hall shows, performing in Wisconsin town halls.

1884
—Circus formed in partnership with Yankee Robinson. Billed as Yankee Robinson and Ringling Bros. Double Show.

1885
—Ringling Bros. established as sole proprietors.

1890
—Circus travel ceases by wagon, converts to rail.

1893
—World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) opens May 1, recognizing 400th anniversary of the New World's discovery by Europeans, spanning 600 acres, with 200 newly built structures and culture displays from 46 countries. Draws world record with more than 27 million in attendance through closing day, October 30.

1905
—Mable Burton marries John Ringling December 29 in Hoboken, NJ.

1907
—Ringling Bros. purchase Barnum & Bailey Circus from Bailey family heirs.

1918
—John Ringling purchases summer home along Hudson River in Alpine, NJ.

1919
—Ringling Bros. merge circus proprietorships to debut Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Shows March 29 in New York City.

1923
—Doge's Palace opens as museum in Venice, Italy. John and Mable Ringling spend year touring Italy, finding inspiration to build their new winter home in Sarasota, FL. Society architect Dwight James Baum commissioned as architect for Cà d'Zan (“House of John”).

1924
—Construction begins on 36,000-square-foot Cà d'Zan, winter home for John and Mable Ringling. Venetian-style mansion spans 20 acres of Sarasota Bay waterfront and includes $50K electric organ, 41 rooms and 15 bathrooms, waterfront dock with Venetian gondola, five-story belvedere tower (kept lit in evenings at Mable Ringling's request), and roof with antique Spanish barrel tiles salvaged in Granada by John Ringling.

1926
—Cà d'Zan mansion completed at then-staggering cost of $1.5M. Charles “Mr. Charlie” Ringling dies December 3.

1927
—John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art established in Sarasota, FL. In January, circus winter quarters move from Bridgeport, CT, to Sarasota, FL.

1929
—Mable Burton Ringling dies, age 54, on June 8 in New York. John Ringling purchases American Circus Corporation, absorbing major circus shows Sells-Floto Circus, Al G. Barnes Circus, Sparks Circus, Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, and John Robinson Circus at a cost of $1.7M.

1930
—John Ringling marries Emily Haag Buck December 19 in Jersey City, NJ.

1932
—John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art opens to public January 17 in Sarasota, FL. Circus partnership dissolves into corporation formed by Ringling creditors. John Ringling remains as president with no assigned duties.

1936
—John Ringling and Emily Buck divorce July 6.

1936
—John Ringling dies December 2 in New York City, with reported $311 in the bank. Estate is closed to public. Cà d'Zan, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and estimated assets of $24M bequeathed to state of Florida. John Ringling North (nephew) and Ida Ringling North (sister) appointed estate executors.

1946
—Cà d'Zan reopens to public. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Cà d'Zan mansion ownership transferred to state of Florida, with final settlement between the state and Ringling's executors in 1947.

1996
—Cà d'Zan falls into disrepair, serving as setting for Miss Havisham's dilapidated mansion in Hollywood remake of Dickens's classic
Great Expectations
. $15M restoration and conservation project begins on Cà d'Zan mansion. Full restoration is completed in April 2002.

In a time when America saw a rise in wealth and prosperity, the Jazz Age became synonymous with the questioning of long-held societal rules, the boom of innovation, and the exodus of workers from rural to more urban-centered lives. Entertainment, industry, and culture saw great change in this post-WWI society. It's during this shift that English-born Rosamund Easling would have had to make the life-altering decision of whether to risk leaving her traditional world behind to embrace a new hope for her future.

The story in this novel underpins themes of faith and characters living out their true calling, both fictional, in Rosamund and Colin, and historical, in John and Mable Ringling. It mirrors the “world within a world” perspective of performers' nomadic lives in the late 1920s, steering the ripple effects of the circus's impact on the menagerie of people living and entertaining in that world.

Few details are known about Armilda (Mable) Burton's life prior to her marriage to John Ringling. Notoriously reticent with the press, Mable never agreed to be photographed and gave only one official media interview in her lifetime. Instead of basking in the limelight as the Ringling circus queen, she chose to place value in the relationships she fostered with close friends and family behind the scenes, hosting parties for the Sarasota Garden Club at
the Cà d'Zan estate and staging social events in the surrounding community of Sarasota.