Sweet Memories

by Marie Higgins

  “But...but I was just a child when I talked about running an estate. That’s not what I want to do now.”

  The other man shrugged. “Hollingsworth was thinking of your future, whether you want to admit it or not.”

  Her head pounded harder. The only question swimming in her head was why? None of this seemed fair, especially because she desperately needed the money now. Somehow, some way, she must figure out how to convince the solicitor to give her the money—and urgently—before time ran out.

  Mr. Whitehead wrote down an address on a piece of parchment paper. “This is Major Baldwin’s address. But...there’s something else you must know.” Mr. Whitehead swallowed with a loud gulp. “He doesn’t know what your uncle has done. At least, I haven’t heard that the major is aware of this.”

  Her headache expanded, tightening her skull. “Are you jesting? You want me to just show up on Major Baldwin’s doorstep and announce that I’m his new housekeeper?”

  “Not necessarily.” He lifted another letter off the desk and handed it to her. “Take this letter to Major Baldwin. It’s from your uncle and it explains everything.”

  Anger rose inside of her, aimed solely toward her deceased uncle. If he was alive now, she’d strangle him for what he’d done. “I’m quite certain Major Baldwin won’t be too happy about our arrangement.”

  Mr. Whitehead shrugged. “You will have to work out some kind of deal with him—”

  “Tell me now, Mr. Whitehead,” she interrupted, “is there any way to get out of this? As I explained to you earlier, I desperately need the money.”

  Frowning, the portly man shook his head as lines creased around his chubby mouth and forehead. “Unfortunately, there is no way out. It’s stipulated in the agreement that you will not get one shilling until you’ve spent a year with the major and worked as his housekeeper. However, if Major Baldwin backs out, the estate will be turned over to you. So if you need the money posthaste, I suggest trying to make the major back out of the agreement.”

  Actually, Victoria was already plotting ways that would make the man back down.

  He sighed and frowned. “Please take my suggestion and to meet with Major Baldwin. Maybe between the two of you, you will find a solution to all of this. In fact,” he tapped his finger against his chin, “you may just realize what a grand adventure this really is and soon be grateful for what your uncle did.”

  She jumped up from her chair, knocking it over in the process. “Mr. Whitehead,” she growled, “I see you are pleased with this most stressful situation, however, I am not.” She pushed some papers on his desk toward him as her anger heightened. “I’m quite sure you were paid nicely for it. Heaven forbid you lie awake at night in guilt knowing how you have ruined so many lives from my uncle’s contract.”

  She stormed out of the office, not giving the other man any room to speak. She didn’t want to hear any more of his apologies now. Glancing down, she noticed the letter for Major Baldwin was still in her hand. She crumpled it, gnashing her teeth. Hells bells! What was she going to do now? She shoved it in her satchel. Really, there was no other choice. She must talk to him and make out some kind of arrangement. If the man had half a brain, he’d see that what her uncle had done was ludicrous.

  Over the next half hour, she wandered the streets, trying to formulate some kind of plan. How could she get the money now? Her sister’s life was at stake. Victoria couldn’t wait a year. She couldn’t have sweet Annette being sold as a slave. The girl was only in her fourth and tenth year!

  Perhaps Major Baldwin would lend her some money, just enough to pay off that evil man before he made good on his promise. Victoria would, of course, promise the Major to pay him back once a year was up.

  Sighing, she stopped and leaned against a tree. Her feet throbbed because of the tight, old boots, but that wasn’t anywhere near the commotion going on inside her head, and her heart. This plan must work. She didn’t want to think of the consequences if it didn’t.

  Glancing at the crinkled parchment still in her hand that held the major’s address, she moistened her dry throat with a hard swallow. She would find this man and talk to him. Perhaps between the two of them, they could find a way to get through this next year smoothly. Although, it wouldn’t be effortless at all knowing he hated her and she loathed him—mainly his sister, Lady Diana. Anyone that was related to that woman must be a terrible person. Diana had made her uncle’s life miserable.

  What if Diana’s brother was stubborn and wouldn’t give her the money? Her chest clenched. If that happened, she would have no other choice but to fall back into her former life and steal it from him. One way or another, she would get the money!

  Slowly, the noise from the town grew louder in her ears. When she looked upon all that was around it, she wondered how she’d walked this far and not seen a thing. The town hustled and bustled with a fast-paced crowd. There was so much to see and do for a price, and because she hadn’t any money to spend, it made sight-seeing much easier.

  She followed the crowd down Main Street until it reached the docks, where far less people mulled around. The blue-green color of the ocean appeared different from what she remembered, but then she hadn’t really walked this close to the water since she was a young girl. There were more ships with designs much grander than those she’d seen before.

  While one loading dock was being prepared for the disembarking passengers, another was being prepared for the new passengers to embark on the ship. They seemed to be in a bigger hurry than the ones coming off the ship.

  Stepping closer, she took a deep breath of the salty air. When the ship finally came to a complete stop, eight of the crew did the necessary setting of the long ramp and secured the boat in place in preparation for the actual unloading.

  Women in fancy dresses clasped their escorts’ strong arms as they slowly made their way down the gangplank. Some children clung to their mother’s skirts, their wide eyes darting from person to person.

  Suddenly, a painful grip tightened around Victoria’s arm, and she swung her head to see who could possibly have been so bold as to grab her in such a way. When she recognized the large burly man and the hideous scar by his right eye, fear lodged in her throat and made it impossible to scream.

  How could he have found her so soon...while wearing a widow’s garb, no less? But more importantly, how was she going to get away?

  She gulped down the knot of terror lodged in her throat. “How...did...you know...I was here?”

  The evil man let out an eerie laugh, frightening her even more. “I wasn’t ‘bout to let ye outta my sight till I got me money, girlie.”

  She blinked back the tears threatening to fill her eyes. “I haven’t forgotten about your money. In fact, that is the very reason I’m here.”

  “Why? To cheat more people?” He ran his beefy fingers through his chopped, black hair.

  “Of course not. As I told you the last time we’d spoken, I have learned my lesson. I won’t ever cheat another person as long as I live.”

  “Ye know what I’ll do to yer sister if I don’t get me money. So where is it?” His grip tightened, making her cry out in pain.

  “It’s...it’s—” She frantically tried to think of a lie. She couldn’t tell him she had to wait a year.

  A loud commotion came from behind, and pistol shots rang through the air. Screams arose in the crowd. Before Victoria had time to see what was happening, someone plowed into her. The force released the hold the man had on her arm. She had no time to think. She needed to run as fast as she could. The crowd thickened around her. Panicked, more people cried out and ran. Victoria elbowed people as she tried to pass, but her small frame was useless against such large bodies.

  Out of nowhere, someone flew into her. She stumbled out of control and slammed head-on into a man loading trunks onto a wagon. He lost his balance and fell against the wagon, causing it to tilt. One by one, the trunks dropped out. One landed on her back. Pain and dizziness assailed her and she fell
to her knees. Another large trunk struck her head. A dark mist surrounded her vision. The screams all around her soon became muffled echoes in her head until they merely faded into a deep, dark void.

  TWO

  A little earlier that same day...

  Tori Hampton tapped her foot impatiently as she watched from the deck of the ship as Portsmouth crept closer. The ship was close enough that she could see the crowd gathering on the dock. Soon, she’d be able to feel the relief from the lack of money she’d experienced these past five months. She and her mother had not been close, and now that the woman had passed into the next world, Tori would finally get what was hers.

  A small wind blew against her, making the ribbons on her bonnet flip against her face. Trying to block the wind, she turned her head and her attention fell on the man next to her. He was certainly someone she didn’t want to mix words with for fear that she’d upset him.

  He was a good two heads taller than her and nearly as wide as he was tall. He wore his black hair longer than most men she’d met, and in her opinion, the style made him that much more stringent. The clothes he wore labeled him more of a farmer than a gentleman. He didn’t even wear a hat or carry a walking stick. Most definitely, this man must have been raised under poorer circumstances. The aggressive snarl that he wore on his expression frightened her almost as much as his scarred face—especially the large one near his right eye. She assumed he’d been in many fights at the tavern, and by the scars decorating his face, she also assumed he had lost.

  Nevertheless, this was one person she didn’t want to tangle with, neither verbally or physically. She’d noticed him on the ship right after she boarded yesterday, and it seemed nobody wanted to look directly at him. He had vengeance in his steely gray eyes that nearly frightened the wits out of her.

  She glanced back at the harbor that was thankfully almost upon them. Sighing, she clasped her hands together. Since her mother’s death, Tori had wanted nothing more but to seek out the man who stole her mother’s money. Now, she was so close to her goal, she could literally taste the victory...and it was very sweet.

  “Victoria, dear.” Mrs. Orme, an older woman Tori had met on the short voyage, touched her arm. “Look. We are almost there.”

  Tori forced a polite smile. The woman with the silver-gray hair just wouldn’t listen. How many times had Tori asked her not to call her Victoria? That name was too regal for her, and Tori suited her just fine.

  “Yes, we are almost there.” Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the burly man had swung his attention toward her. His eyes widened. Tori could see the anger shooting out of them.

  “Yer name is Victoria?” he snapped.

  “Yes.”

  “Do not like that name.” He huffed and ran his gaze over her.

  Inwardly, she shivered with disgust. “That is my given name, but most people call me Mrs. Hampton.”

  He rolled his eyes, turned, and marched away from her. Slowly, she released a ragged breath. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to deal with him any further.

  Once The Duchess docked and began letting the passengers off, Tori’s impatience overrode her excitement and she stomped her way off the ship. More than ever, she was determined to find the inconsiderate fop who’d married her mother as a mere sport, and kick him out of her mother’s house. Major Cole Baldwin would pay dearly for making her mother so unhappy and taking all of her money.

  Tori hadn’t met the major, but he would rue the day he took advantage of such a kind soul. She rolled her eyes. And the dolt honestly thought he was helping her out by asking her to work for him as his housekeeper not too long ago. He’d mentioned that her mother wanted him to help Tori out. It shocked her to think he thought her mother had meant working for him. Well, she had other plans, and if—no, when—her plans worked out, she would have him removed from the house her mother had paid for, so that Tori could step into her new role as mistress of Grand View.

  Over the past several years, her mother had written to Tori and described the beautiful land. Now that Tori’s dead husband—God rest Mr. Hampton’s soul—was gone, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her mother’s land...using her mother’s money, of course.

  She’d also heard that her mother’s husband was turning the estate into a stud farm. She would continue his dream, since she loved horses herself, and make the stud farm into the greatest farm England had ever known. Her husband had worked with horses before, and he taught her many things. At times in her marriage, horses had been more of a companion to her than her husband. They were better to converse with, as well.

  She heaved a relieved sigh. She really needed to get through this dock quicker. There were just too many people milling about. Too many old biddies visiting. Too many men gathered in groups to discuss politics. If she didn’t walk over them, they would surely walk over her. And Tori wasn’t the kind of person to have people step all over her.

  “Pardon me.” She shoved the man in front of her aside. “Please move,” she told the old woman strolling alongside the man.

  From up ahead, she noticed the scarred, burly man who had stared at her oddly not so long ago. He stood with another woman who wore the same black mourning garb as Tori. She crinkled her forehead. Had he been looking for someone named Victoria who was a widow? What were the odds of that happening?

  The man grasped the other woman’s arm roughly. Tori sucked in a quick breath. That poor woman. Whatever had she done to upset the monster of a man?

  Suddenly, shots were fired somewhere in the crowd. Everyone around her screamed and started running. Panic filled her. Before she knew it, people shoved her aside, just as she’d done to them a few moments ago. One woman cried out and pulled on the sleeve of Tori’s mourning dress, ripping it.

  Struggling to get away, Tori finally stumbled out of the mayhem, but before she could breathe, another scream ripped through the air. The ground rumbled as if something bulky was out of control. Tori peeked behind her. In a flash, a large wooden object smashed into her. The weight threw her to the ground.

  Pain throbbed through her skull, and warm liquid oozed from her hair. “Help,” she cried out, but the pain made it impossible for her to say anymore. Helplessness washed over her, as did a dark cloud. She closed her eyes to shut out the pain, but instead, her mind fell into a cloud of emptiness.

  MAJOR COLE BALDWIN entered one of the busy taverns along the docks of Portsmouth, and quickly took a chair near an empty table. He raked his fingers through his hair before resting his elbows on the worn table-top. Breathing deeply, he tried to release his frustrations.

  For a sennight now, he’d been deeply distressed. Most of his life, he’d grown up knowing what a useless gambler his father was. The family never had any money, and only on occasion when his father won a good hand, did they ever feel like they were part of society. It wasn’t until Cole married an older woman for her money so that she could restore his family’s estate in Burford—that he felt important. Not long after that, he entered the military, and he’d finally found a place to call home. Military life hadn’t been easy, but it shaped him into the man he wanted to become—which was completely opposite from his father.

  Being married to an older woman wasn’t exactly how he wanted his life, either. Rebecca treated Cole more like a little child than a husband. He couldn’t love her as a wife, so it didn’t matter. He wasn’t happy with her lifestyle, and she didn’t worry about his military life—or that he spent more time there than with her. She hadn’t seemed bothered by it, and of course, he rarely thought about her during those years.

  Unfortunately, luck had not been his companion as of late. In one year’s time, a few things had happened. To start with, he nearly lost his life when a cannon landed near him and his men. His leg had been injured severely, and the physician wanted to cut it off, but Cole wouldn’t let him. He was content to limp for the rest of his life.

  When he returned home, Rebecca cared for him, even though he nearly died from the
fever because of the infection in his leg. Most of the time, he didn’t even know where he was. Once he started to recover, he was informed that Rebecca had died after she had accidentally tumbled down the grand stairs. He felt no loss, and guilt had rested heavily on his shoulders. He should have at least been saddened. The whole household had been in shock, and yet Cole hadn’t remembered any of it.

  The last part of his unfortunate year was when he’d gotten a letter from Rebecca’s daughter. She wasn’t very happy to learn that her mother hadn’t bequeathed her any of the inheritance—because it had all gone to Cole. Rebecca’s daughter was adamant that he give some of that to her, since her mother had been wealthy before Cole married her, and so some of the wealth should be distributed to the children.

  Cole fisted his hands on the table and gritted his teeth. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Rebecca’s children should get it, but they were adults now and living their own lives. Besides, he had his own debts to worry about, especially the ones his deceased father had created during Cole’s lifetime. One major debt was to Lord Hollingsworth—one of the worst power-hungry peers in the realm. Cole wished he knew what his father had been thinking for him to deal with that particular man, although Cole was certain his father hadn’t been thinking about his family at all.

  If his father was still alive, Cole would be tempted to end the man’s life himself! If it wasn’t for their lack of money while he was growing up, he wouldn’t have felt obligated to marry a woman twice his age just for her wealth. Rebecca was a kind woman, and older than him by eighteen years. She knew Cole loved her as a friend. Still, he would always carry the weight of guilt on his back for not being the kind of husband she’d wanted.

  Because of his father’s mounting debts, his mother had gone into melancholy. Now Cole felt obligated to deal with his father’s bills, first and foremost. And yet, he really must deal with Rebecca’s daughter before handling his father’s affairs.