“I don’t want you to tell anyone you have seen me,” I said. “You told me if I needed your help to call on you, so I am. I have discovered that I am a very wealthy heiress. Sheldon thought no one cared what happened to me, and he could use me however he pleased. I want to come to Tamara’s birthday party. I want Sheldon to see that I now have more power over him, than he ever had over me. Once I am finished with Sheldon and my Godfather, I don’t think you will have to worry about your sister marrying Sheldon, but it might take time.”
“But if he has compromised her, it could interfere with her marriage to someone suitable, in the future.”
“I don’t know what to do about that. But it is my belief that if someone loved her enough, he may over look what happened to her.”
“He would have to have a very strong character,” Vance muttered.
“And therefore, she should hold out for someone with a strong character, then.”
“Do you believe he has taken her virginity?” Vance asked, but I didn’t want to answer. If she was with child, she would have to admit to her interaction with Sheldon, and then her father could decide if Sheldon should marry her or not.
“It is not for me to say,” I murmured. “When is the party?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Next week. I must tell you, though. Sheldon was devastated, when he discovered you had gotten out of the tower. I have never seen him go through a rage before. He seemed more scared than mad, though. He kept insisting he had to find you. He rode his horse back and forth along the road, and even out on the moor, all afternoon and evening, looking for you. He was so stricken, that he wouldn’t even attend to Tamara’s entertainment. We left early, because he barricaded himself in his room, and refused to speak to anyone.”
This shocked me. I did not think Sheldon would let my escape upset him that much. I knew he would be angry, because he had lost his kept servant, but it shouldn’t have upset his visit with Tamara, unless he was worried that I would go to her father and expose what he had done to both Tamara and me, like I had threatened him I might do. I laughed to myself, because this was the first sign that I had power over Sheldon, and he knew it. I toyed with the idea of completely exposing him for who he was, but telling Vance was all I had intended to do, since Tamara’s honor was involved, so he would help me in my plan to reduce both him and his father, to the level they deserved.
Considering Aldridge’s treatment of me, neither he nor his son deserved Tamara’s money, in order to save their estate. No telling how Sheldon would treat Tamara, once he married her? He had told me how women were only men’s chattel to do with as they pleased.
“To Sheldon, I was a mere servant. He was probably just upset that he could not use me as his personal servant any longer, and make me work from dawn till dusk. Also, I do not believe that his father knew he had locked me in the tower, but his father had threatened to lock me there himself, so I don’t know why he would be surprised to learn that Sheldon had done it. My Godfather didn’t even want to take me under his shelter. Sheldon talked him into it, by suggesting I become their servant.”
“That is truly unacceptable, considering you came from a proper family, and he had agreed to become your Godfather, when you were born.”
“He only agreed to be my Godfather, because he thought my parents had money and he would get access to it, if he cared for me. I was not aware they had left me anything. You were right. I found my parent’s solicitor, and he is caring for my interests now.”
“I am so happy to discover your parents left you well cared for after all. It is just sad that you had to escape the tower, in order to claim what was yours.”
“That part is behind me now. I will be looking forward to Tamara’s birthday party. I can’t wait to see the look on Sheldon’s face when he discovers I have returned to the city.”
“What are your plans about him?” Vance asked.
“I will tell you, when I have made sure I can carry them out.”
“If I can be of any service, let me know,” he offered. “I am happy you came to see me. I was worried about you. I thought that perhaps you would have to live on the streets, since you didn’t have any money. But I was hoping you would come to me for help, like I told you to do. And now you have.”
I smiled. I was glad he had given me his card. “I will see you in a week, then,” I said, as I got up.
Vance walked with me to the door, and helped me up in my buggy. “Come visit me again, or I will come and visit you, if you like,” he offered. “I will be going off to school in a few months, though, so since we will not have a lot of time to see each other, I hope to see you often, before I have to leave.”
“I will look forward to it,” I said truthfully. I at least had one friend I felt I could trust. But if he ever learned of my own compromised position, he may not wish to be my friend. After all, it was not like Sheldon merely compromised me once. We had continued to share all those tests for over two months, and I had enjoyed it, until the end, when I had crossed Sheldon. A glimmering remembrance of Jim crossed my mind. I probably wasn’t even suitable to be Vance’s friend.
I wondered what Sheldon was doing now? I was sure his father was very angry at him, not because he locked me in the tower, but because I had escaped. Was he aware of my ability to ruin his son’s chances of ever marrying Tamara, I wondered? Sheldon probably wasn’t brave enough to tell him what he had done, with Tamara. Only I believed that his father had an idea of what Sheldon and I had been doing with me, while I was there. That, in itself, condemned Aldridge, because he was supposed to be my guardian and protect me from things like that.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When I arrived home, I was greeted by a strange man, I had never seen before. He stood on the porch to greet me. “My name is Connor Price,” he informed me, when I approached. “My uncle sent me. He said you were expecting me. Are you the young lady I am to be the guardian of?”
I looked up at Connor. He was tall and slim, but broad shouldered and strong looking. His skin was tanned, I assumed because he had spent a lot of his time in countries that had a lot more sunshine than we had. He had removed his hat, and had given a half bow, as he offered his hand. The strands of his hair were streaked gold with dark red undertones. His eyes were a stark piercing green. He was dressed impeccably, and I approved of his looks. He did not look like a person to cross, and I had no intentions of doing so. But I was certain that no one else could get the better of him either. I was starting to feel safer.
“I thought you to be a mere child,” Connor stated, gazing down at me. I was tall for my age, and in the last two weeks, since I had been gorging myself with food, to put on more weight, and hadn’t been working it off, with doing chores, and climbing tower stairs, my breasts had filled out, and I was starting to look more like a young lady, than a skinny girl.
“I am fifteen,” I told him.
“Well, you are a very pretty fifteen,” he smiled.
“And how old are you?” I asked. “You do not look old enough to be a guardian,” I insisted.
“I assure you, I am very qualified for the position. After all, you just need someone to help you run your estate, and make sure you are protected from young men hoping to woo you into marrying them for your fortune.”
“That is the least of your worries,” I said flippantly. “I do not ever plan to get married, so all that is required of you is to run my estate, until I am of age.”
“Let us go into the house, and we can discuss everything. My uncle has informed me of your circumstances, and how they came about.”
Connor offered his arm, and I followed him into the house and into a small study, off of the parlor. “You never told me your age,” I complained, as Connor helped me become seated, and then sat across from me behind a writing desk.
“Oh, that,” he chuckled. I am twenty four,’ he informed me.
“That is too young to be considered a confirmed bachelor,” I complained. “Mr. Price said you were a con
firmed bachelor.”
“You have just confirmed that you never wish to be married, and you are a mere fifteen. How does that make me too young to be a confirmed bachelor? Most men are married by the time they turn twenty, and sometimes younger. I have remained single this long, and have no inclination to change it.”
“Why don’t you want to get married?” I asked. I knew my reasons had to be much different than his.
“First of all, I have nothing to offer a woman. I am the second son, and my brother will inherit our small ship building company. I was never interested in the family business, but I did like sailing, so I would take the ships on a test run when needed. I became well- traveled, but had no roots, so to speak. No woman, in her right mind, would wish to move from pillar to post with a man. If she ended up having children, she would want to settle down in a house of her own. I do not have that to offer a woman. I have only consented to become your guardian, because once you are of age, I no longer have to remain. I don’t like being tied down for too long, but for the next four or five years, I could deal with it. I hope that answers your question,” he smiled. “Now I should like to know, why at such a young age, you have decided against marriage?”
“Simply because I do not trust men. Even with no money for them to trick you out of, they know how to trick you out of other things. I would not do well being some man’s chattel, to treat however he pleases, even if it doesn’t please me,” I told him truthfully.
“Apparently you have already been mistreated by a man,” he said astutely.
“And I shall never put myself in that position again. I’m glad you are here, because you can keep me from making bad choices, where men are concerned.”
“I certainly would do that,” he promised. “But you must inform me of who has treated you badly. They are not a threat to you now, are they?”
I sat looking at him, wondering if I should tell him. “I intend to stop him from ever doing it to anyone else, beyond myself, and the girl he is betrothed to.”
“This sounds serious,” Connor murmured, eyeing me closer.
“I want to ruin him and my Godfather, who turned me into a servant, because they didn’t think I had been left any money by my parents.”
“And how do you wish to do that?” Connor asked, raising his eyebrows, probably thinking there would be nothing a fifteen year old girl could do.
“Do you know how to gamble?” I asked suddenly.
Connor started laughing. “Why ever have you asked me that?”
“Because my Godfather Aldridge Bogart is addicted to gambling. I want to take Heather Ridge House from him, and leave him more destitute than he already is, so he cannot lock people in the tower room, or betroth his son to any heiress in the future. Nor will his son be in a position to marry into money either. He would never sell me his home, because he wishes to preserve the last thing that he has, until his son can revive it with money gained by marrying a wealthy companion. Right now, his son is to marry someone they hope can save their estate. I can make sure that never happens, but it won’t be enough. He could have married me, if he hadn’t been so greedy, but then if he had known I had money, it would have been his greed that caused him to want me anyway.”
“I am beginning to understand, why you don’t wish to marry. Love scorned, I presume?” Connor said kindly. “But what does gambling have to do with all of this?”
“If you could entice Aldridge into a game of cards, where he was sure he could win, and then you turned the tables on him, until he was desperate, perhaps he would put his home up for collateral, or you could request it. But I have to be sure you are a good gambler. I know that Aldridge can’t be that good, because he has lost so much from his gambling. Only I am sure he has had many years of practice, so he could get lucky, and he may be able to size up other gamblers. If you can’t beat him at cards, maybe you could find someone professional, who could.”
“This seems pretty risky,” Connor said, his eyes starting to look serious.
“I will give you all the money it takes to gamble with him, until you have brought him to his knees. Make him believe it is a sure thing that he can beat you at cards, until the last, when you take the whole pot, including his house.”
“You seem to think it is a simple thing to do,” Connor concluded.
“If you can’t do it, you need to find someone who can,” I insisted. “I have heard my father talking about the gaming tables, and those who do it for a living.”
“You must want this pretty bad, which means whatever your Godfather, and his son did to you, had more to do with something other than just making you their servant, and perhaps locking you in a tower room.”
“I didn’t mind being a servant. I needed a place to live, and they professed to be too reduced to afford to keep me. They had even let their other servants go. Aldridge was counting on Sheldon’s marriage to his friend’s daughter. They told me, if I had been left money, that he would consider letting Sheldon marry me. I’m glad they never knew of my inheritance.”
“So it is something else, you hold against them,” Connor guessed.
“Are you willing to do it?” I asked, not wanting to talk about reasons, but just making sure it could be done.
“I will think about it,” he said, his green eyes willing me to tell him what I refused to mention.
“I suppose there is no rush,” but I wondered what would happen if Vance ended up telling his father what I had mentioned to him? His father might force the marriage sooner, if he thought Tamara had been compromised, unless I told the whole story. I didn’t know if I had the strength to tell it. “Next week I plan to attend a birthday party for the girl Sheldon is supposed to marry. I am sure his father will be there as well. I will have Vance invite you, but no one must know you even know me. Vance will help me, because he has witnessed the way I was treated by my Godfather, and his son. Then you can ask Aldridge about a good place to play cards, and have him introduce you to his gambling friends. After you have played them a few times, losing money at the tables, they will think you are an easy mark, or whoever else you find to bring with you to play. I will furnish the money for you, or whoever you find, to lose to Aldridge, in order to whet his appetite.”
“You seem to be a rather conniving young woman. I wonder if you will end up being a handful for me to manage. Perhaps you are saving future men from a brow beating wife, by not accepting their hand in marriage,” he half chuckled.
“You are here to protect me, and advise me,” I pointed out. “If I told you half of what I have been through, while residing in my Godfather’s house, you would have no hesitation, but to help me. And if you must know, I would never be a browbeating wife. I just won’t be a wife period.”
“Maybe when you trust me more with your secret, you will tell me,” he suggested.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t think I would ever tell anyone what I had suffered at Sheldon’s hand. I would be mortified, and I am sure that Connor would think less of me, if he ever learned my willingness to participate with what Sheldon suggested, wanting to pass his tests, and feeling grateful when I had passed them to his satisfaction.
I wondered if Tamara was feeling the same way. She had known Sheldon all her life. She had said she always loved him. As long as he thought she loved him, would he treat her kind, I wondered? I just feared what he would do if she ever crossed him, though?
A week later, I was approaching the Bronson’s home in my buggy, driven by Sam, while Connor came in a separate buggy, which I had purchased, for this very occasion. He did not require a driver, because he enjoyed tending the reins himself, he told me.
Vance had offered the invitation, as I requested, and I had explained to him then, what my plan was, concerning my Godfather and Sheldon. “Once my Godfather has lost everything he owns, I will tell your father in private why Tamara should never marry Sheldon,” I told him.
Vance looked as though he wished I would trust him with my secret, but I didn’t want him to kno
w the truth about me, and once his father learned my secret, he would never let Vance associate with me again, even if I was saving his sister by confessing. But I would do it, after Vance left for school, I told myself. Losing Vance as a friend would be difficult, but it would be worth it, in order to save his sister from Sheldon.
When I walked into the room, and was announced by the butler, Sheldon, who had been talking to Tamara and her brother, while Chandra listened on, turned to look, as though he hadn’t heard right. Our eyes connected, and his mouth fell open, when he saw me. He acted as though he could not decide whether to come greet me, or run away and hide.
I walked regally up to him, and offered my hand. “Hello, Sheldon. You thought you had me for good, didn’t you?” I smiled as though we were good friends. “Too bad you didn’t know the truth about my parents leaving their wealth to me. I had no idea either. Had I known, I would have gladly helped your father in any way I could. But that would have been because I thought he actually was a worthy person to gain my help. I have learned the truth, since then. I suppose I have always been too trusting. It was a difficult way to discover the truth, though.” I turned to Vance. “Hello, Vance. It is so nice of you to invite me here. I hope you have a happy birthday, Tamara,” I turned to her and smiled. “I have brought you a special gift. I am sure you will like it.”
Tamara smiled back, trying to place me. Then her eyes widened. “You are the servant,” she whispered.
“Not anymore,” I informed her.
Chandra looked as surprised as Tamara, and I gave her a friendly smile. She had been the only one to treat me kindly, while I was at Heather Ridge House, but we had not spent much time together. Between her father and brother, I was always kept busy.
I looked across the room, and saw that Connor was talking with Aldridge. Aldridge, glanced over to me, and then his eyes widened. He excused himself from Connor, and walked over to me. “Where did you come from? Sheldon said you had probably drowned in the ocean. Did a wealthy family take pity on you, and take you in?”
The Fledgling Page 11