Victorian Country Girl: Front Porch Tales

Front Porch Tales~

Victory Clement bounced up and down in the jolting buggy. She watched as leaves fell from the nearby trees and came to rest on the chilly ground. The sight only reminded her of the coming life she would have to endure now that summer had past and winter was settling in. It did not help that her entire summer was spent by the consuming project of moving from her hometown in Massachusetts to the small dwellings of Buffalo Kansas. The finer life that she had grown accustomed to seemed to be lost to her forever; that is, until her father announced that she would be attending a private school for girls which was located one hundred miles from the ranch. Victoria suddenly sighed and looked at the back of her father’s head.

“Pa, do I absolutely have to go to the school?” Her voice was close enough to a whine that she sounded like a two year old. Victor hated when his daughter tried to talk her way out of something. She did it all the time and he was very good at letting her get her way, but to consent to her pleadings this time would only risk his wife, Virginia’s anger. The only way his wife had agreed to move to Kansas was if Victoria received a good education, but finding a qualified facility had been a difficult task. It was hard to allow his little girl to go so far from home but he consoled himself with the fact that she would return on the holidays. Their home was a prosperous horse ranch; much of their profit came from selling their stock to the government. The “Triple V” had a great reputation far and near which was enough to make Victor proud.

“I don’t want to hear another complaint young lady. You are to get on the stage and go to that school.” The silence that fell after his outburst seemed to increase the intensity of his last statement.

“I don’t mean to sound so harsh. I would rather have you on the ranch by my side but you must get a good education while you still can.”

By this time, they had reached town and Victor pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the post office. He turned around and saw that his daughter was still unhappy but that her face was relaxed and he decided not to continue the conversation further. “Do you remember everything I told you about this trip?”

“Yes pa, don’t talk to strangers unless it is necessary, keep my purse with me at all times, and don’t wonder the streets alone”

Victor could hear the sarcasm in her voice but decided to ignore it for they only had a few moments left with each other. He lifted her trunk out of the wagon and heaved it onto his shoulder; with his free arm, he gave Victoria a hand down. She had wanted to wear her riding clothes which consisted of a brown riding skirt, a tan shirt, and her black hat but her mother had insisted that the green cotton dress would make a fine impression to anyone who would see her and it was readily evident that her prediction was very accurate. As Victoria walked up the steps, she could see that many eyes were watching her and she gracefully lifted her chin a little higher after realizing that most of the eyes belonged to men.

Victor set the heavy load down and then came closer to his daughter. “I wish that I could stay until the stage comes but I have to get back to the ranch. You sure you’ll be fine?”

Victoria hugged her father and whispered tenderly into his ear. “I love you Pa, and I will be fine.”

Victor may have been naïve about book learning but he was not born yesterday and he felt unnerved about leaving his little girl in this town with so many wondering eyes. He consoled himself with the thought that she was sixteen and would have to learn to handle the world someday. As he rode out of town, Victoria felt a loneliness creep up into her heart which sent a shiver down her spine. It was going to be a long time before Christmas break.

The stage halted to an abrupt stop and from where she sat, Victoria could only see a gun held firmly in a masked man’s hand.

“Now y’all get yourselves out here and don’t make any fancy moves… or it will be your last.” Victoria followed the elderly couple out of the stage. Jim and Rose Wheeler had been wonderful traveling companions and they had quickly become friends. Rose put a protective arm around the girl beside her. Victoria looked up and saw another man mounted on his horse and holding the reigns of his partner’s horse. Victoria flinched as the younger robber on the ground moved closer; he was watching Mr. Wheeler very closely.

“Hurry it up boy!” the mounted robber hissed. The younger man did not hesitate to comply by pulling his hat and revealing a mop of yellow hair.

“Take all your money and an’ thing worth something and throw ‘em in that there hat” At this he tossed the hat on the ground and eyed the passengers with great intensity. “If we don’t get what we want, we’ll just shoot y’all and then gather the value-b-les ourselves” He pronounced that last word as if he had heard it the morning before and had been practicing to impress someone. Mr. Wheeler was not anxious to do the bidding of the robber and the delay was enough to make the robber nervous. He quickly placed his aim upon the three travelers. It was obvious that both men were nervous enough to pull the trigger, so Mr. Wheeler relented and began to remove all of his worldly possession. He figured that no money was worth their lives. Mr. Wheeler dropped his belongings into the designated offering plate and then focused his gaze upon the young man in front of him. “One of these days, you will be rewarded for your wrong doing.”

The young bandit was more than rattled at the statement but he quickly defended himself by pointing the gun directly at Mr. Wheeler’s head. “You just get back in line there and keep your mouth shut”

Victoria watched as her traveling companion stepped back. She had been pondering their predicament but could not think of a logical solution to the mess they were in. Absent mindedly, Victoria reached up to fiddle with her necklace, a habit she had gained when trying to concentrate on something very puzzling.

“Off with the necklace, lady!” The young robber’s voice startled Victoria and she stepped back a step as if to sidestep a blow. The necklace was not just an expensive pearl but was also a heirloom from her grandmother. As she slowly unlatched the hook and slipped the precious necklace into the hat, something suddenly came to life inside of her and she looked directly into the robber’s eyes.

“Do you have some water with you; I am not feeling so well.” She forced herself to look as pitiful as she could manage and then made a gasping sound that would have startled any person standing there. The young man began to move toward his horse to fetch his water when the older man stopped him. “Leave her be boy, she just putting on a show, she ain’t had a thing wrong with her until we took that necklace. Victoria silently congratulated the man for at least sounding more intelligent than he looked, but she hoped the younger man would not be so quick to comply.

Now get the hat and let’s get out of here.”

The younger rider decided to follow the orders but not before glancing with concern into the girl’s pleading green eyes. He grabbed hold of his saddle and put his foot into the stirrup to swing up on the horse, but stopped in the middle of this action when he saw the girl fall to the ground. He whipped his head around to look at his partner.

“What’s wrong with her Tom? We got ‘a do something” His voice squeaked with concern.

“We don’t do a thing but get outa here. Now get on the horse boy and let’s go” His partner was noticeably frustrated at the younger robber’s behavior and began to prod his horse forward.

“We can’t just leave her like this!” This desperate cry was enough to get the man to stop his retreat.

“Fine!” He growled and directed his squinted eyes at Rose Wheeler. “You! What’s wrong with her?”

Immediately after Victoria had fallen to the ground, Rose had bent to her side. She was under the impression that Victoria had fainted but was greatly surprised and relieved when Victoria peeked one of her eyes open. Rose did not have to have anything spelled out to realize that the whole thing was an act and she was determined to do her best to play along. Taking precaution to put her back to the outlaws, she leaned closer to appear to be listening to the girl’s breathing so that the plan could be explained. “Tell them I have a terrible illness and need water immediately” Victoria whispered quietly.

“I asked you what is wrong with her!” The older outlaw sounded nervous.

“She must have some water; it’s her illness. I am afraid that it may be too late but there may still be time” Victoria soundlessly congratulated Rose for her quick thinking and was glad to hear that it had the desired effect on the outlaws.

“Tom, we can’t let her just die; let me get some water for…” The young outlaw was unable to finish his thought because his partner interrupted him. “Someone’s coming; let’s get out of here!”

Both men were gone before the Wheelers could think twice. Two riders reined their horses to a halt beside the coach and dismounted. “Are you folks alright?” The first rider asked while pointing at Victoria who still lay in a heap on the ground. Any other statement from either party was cut short when Victoria jumped up and started swatting the dirt from her dress. Poor Jim Wheeler’s face was a picture of relief and surprise at seeing this amazing transformation, but he noticed the triumphant smiles shared between the girl and his wife and realized at once that he had been worrying for nothing. Victoria was quick to move to the hat which still occupied the dusty road. “It is all here!” She stated triumphantly and handed the hat over to Jim after taking her own belongings back. “What exactly were you doing?” He asked with a smirk while sorting through his things. “I decided to stall for time as long as I could and then when I heard the horses coming, I decided to throw out some more acting skills.” She clamped her necklace back in place and then looked curiously at the stage. “Where is the driver?” Just at that moment, they heard a gunshot come from the North line of trees. The two riders mounted their horses and rode off in the direction of the sound. Victoria let out a deep breath and prayed that her gut suspicions were wrong.

~ ~ ~

That evening, Victoria, Jim, Rose and the two riders sat around a table in a quaint diner. “I am so glad that the poor man is fine!” Rose stated in a quiet voice then took a sip of tea. Earlier that day the two men, who were brothers, had returned with an injured driver who informed them that there was a third outlaw who had dragged him off into the side woods. The outlaw had the intention of disposing of the driver before joining his partners but when he saw the others ride off, his mission was suddenly cut short and he hurried after them, but not before sending a bullet toward the driver who had moved to stand from where he had been held hostage.

“It was pure luck that the bullet only grazed him!” Peter Garnett, the younger brother, put in.

“What we saw today was not luck; God had that all planned out.” This statement from Jim was followed by an awkward silence which lingered until Rose changed the subject. “So, dear, did you hear back from your father?” Victoria had to refrain from giggling before saying, “I didn’t only hear from him once, but five times! He was ready to run all the way here when he heard what happened” Everyone in the group got a good laugh from this explanation.

“And how did you convince him against running all the way here?” The older brother, Jonathan, asked.

“Well, it was something akin to telling him that I had hired myself four body guards.” She stretched her arm out and made a swooping motion around the table to reveal who she was speaking about. Again, a ripple of laughter rang from their little table. Victoria glanced out the window and realized that the sun was sinking behind the trees. “I best get a room; see you in the morning.” The men stood as she pushed her chair back and headed out the door. When she had gone and the door was firmly closed behind her, the group settled back into their chairs. “Quite a girl that Victoria.” Jonathan smiled at his younger brother’s comment because he knew that Peter had been smitten with Victoria since her amazing performance earlier that day. Who could blame him for taking notice of a pretty girl?

~ ~ ~

Victoria walked gracefully into a giant, brick building. The Wheelers had left on the morning stage but she had discovered that the Garnett brothers lived at a nearby plantation. Peter was bad about keeping his feelings hidden and Victoria was certain that she had not seen the last of them. When she had arrived, one of the returning students directed her to chancellor’s office. The door was cracked open to allow only a slight view of a desk. A muffled, “come in”, responded to her tentative knock and she entered the room with surprising calm. Mr. Roberts, the chancellor motioned for her to take the seat across from his desk. “My name is Victoria Rose.” She said while taking the seat offered.

Lethargically, he glanced to reveal a pair of dark eyes set in a stern expression. “What year, Miss Clement?”

“Junior, sir.”

His indifference and lack of conventional etiquette did not seem to improve as he began to look through a file. “Yes, I see you have registered prior to today?” He did not wait for a reply which was hardly necessary any way because the paper he had removed from the file and was handing to Victoria had all the information recorded upon it. “I would like you to look over this and confirm that everything is correct. Once that is completed, please take it directly to the secretary’s office and Miss Lydia will direct you from there.”

Victoria took this as her cue to leave and moved toward the door where she paused. “Thank you, Mr. Roberts.” His only response was a quick nod in her direction and so she left with little respect for the chancellor but also with a great desire to get settled into her new life.

~ ~ ~

Miss Lydia instructed Victoria about her classes and where her room would be. Unlike most schools she had attended, the dorms were in a building behind the actual school. The two buildings were made of an identical brick pattern and Victoria felt like she was having a deja vu moment when she entered the large iron door to the dorms. There was one large hall with doors on both sides, but nothing else occupied the hall which provided a dreary first impression. She made her way down the hall looking from door to door only to reach the end with no luck in finding room thirty-two. There was one remaining door but no number was attached.

“I believe Miss Lydia forgot to mention one little detail to you.” Victoria zipped around, startled by the sudden appearance of the girl who had just exited room twenty. Victoria accepted the warm hand shake she offered while the girl introduced herself. “My name is Marie and you must be new here.” Her tone was kind but something in her the way she said that statement made Victoria feel a little uneasy. “What room are you looking for?”

Victoria did not overlook the fact that Marie had not requested her name, but decided that she could introduce herself later. “Room thirty-two but it seems as though it does not exist.” Marie smiled a knowing smile, “Well, the girls are all sectioned off by grade. This hall is the freshman hall; the next hall, the junior hall is directly through that door.” she pointed at the numberless door behind Victoria. “Adjoining that hall is the senior hall.” Marie followed Victoria into the junior hall and helped to locate her room, but before Victoria opened the door Marie grabbed her arm. Marie’s voice dropped to a whisper and she moved as close to Victoria as was possible. “I just want to warn you that your roommate is…well… let’s just say, she is a little difficult to get along with. I would be careful if I were you.” She was gone before Victoria could ask any questions. The feeling of being in a new place with strangers overwhelmed her and she felt like calling her mother to beg to go home; however, she took a deep breath and entered the room. There were no occupants at the time but she could still feel the Goosebumps on her arms from the chilling warning Marie had given her. Two beds set at opposite end of the room which was not saying much since the room was only half the size of her room back at the ranch.

She had just sat down on one of the wire framed beds to survey her gloomy room when the door knob rattled and the door flew open and slammed against the wall. This startled Victoria but she remained where she was seated and watched as the medium sized girl walked into the room with a large trunk in her grip. “Someone give you a right to sit on my bed?” Her gaze gave a piercing and unnerving look at Victoria but her voice was amazingly quiet.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t know that it was ‘your’ bed.” The girl rolled her eyes and grunted while she plunked the trunk onto the bed being discussed. “Well, now ya do.”

Finality saturated her voice and dared Victoria to contradict her. Victoria could not help but feel threatened and she stood up to face the girl. She was particularly thankful that both of her parents were tall individuals because she stood a whole head above her rival. Her roommate did not seem too concerned with this fact as she turned toward her bed and began unpacking belongings from her trunk. Victoria was half tempted to say something but remembered Marie’s warning and decided against it. “My name is Victoria.” She outstretched her hand but it was only returned by a cold glance which perturbed Victoria. “Generally, people would shake the hand offered them and maybe give a smile- or in the very least, a nod.” This statement riled the girl and she slammed her trunk lid shut with a huff. “Well, Victoria” she turned around with a terrible scowl plastered on her face. “It is also proper etiquette for a young lady not to be forward and pushy with someone who would rather be left alone!” The statement left Victoria in silence which apparently bothered the girl more than anything because she stomped over to the door, and moved to exit. Just before the door closed behind her, she turned around “and it’s Alice!” The door slammed before Victoria could speak anything more. She stared for a few moments and then rolled her eyes as she turned to her trunk. “Well, Alice, I guess you will take this bed no matter what.” She lifted the trunk, placed it on the opposite bed, and began unpacking.

~ ~ ~

She had survived four weeks at the school and couldn’t complain about anything more than her impossible roommate. Every time they were both in the same room nothing was said, at least nothing cordial. If Victoria had the choice, she would have attempted to move to another room but all the rooms were occupied for the term; and because Alice was such a well-known reputation, Victoria would never be able to find someone to switch rooms with. She was trapped, a prisoner in her own school; However, she was a respected prisoner. Although none of the girls envied her, many respected her for her courage.

One day at noontime, Victoria was deep in thought. No one knew why she was so still and silent but out of respect they opted to leave her in peace. Victoria woke from her daydreaming and realized that the room was completely empty of everyone but herself and one other girl whom she had neither met nor seen. The girl has her arms loaded with dishes. After quick examination, Victoria realized that the girl was wearing a black dress with a white cap and apron. The attire was suited for a servant girl but it seemed impractical because the she looked like she could be Victoria’s age. “Hello, do you attend school here?” The girl jumped in surprised and one of the pitchers of water toppled over and poured straight down her uniform.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” She cried while frantically trying to soak up the water on the tray.

“I’m so sorry; can I help you with those?” Victoria indicated at the tray with her finger. “No thank y’ miss.” But even as she said the words, her eyes darted around the room and she looked as if she would change her mind when a plate suddenly slipped from the tray and crashed into a hundred little slivers of glass all over the wood floor. Fear ignited her eyes as she sat the tray down on the table and scrambled to pick the pieces up. Simultaneously, the kitchen door swung open and an over grown man practically ran across the dining room. “I swear you are the most feather minded bird brain ever put on this earth!” The man crossed his arm and watched as the servant continued to pick up the pieces and once the task was complete, he lifted her up by the arm and headed toward the kitchen. “This will come out of your pay.” Victoria could hear the man saying as they disappeared behind the door.

Marie had been looking for Victoria and entered the room just as the plate crashed to the ground. She remained motionless until the servants were gone and then moved to pull Victoria away from the mess. “Come Victoria, leave the servants be.”

When Victoria turned around, Marie noticed the tears streaming down her face. She placed a gentle arm around her friend’s shoulders and slowly walked her from the room. “You have to know that students are not permitted to socialize in any way with the servants.” At these words, Victoria’s cheeks flamed with heat, her jaw tightened, and she shook Marie’s arm from her shoulder. “How dare you!” Marie did not need an explanation for the reaction because she knew how much Victoria disliked the separation of class. “Victoria, the servants have rules and punishments also.”

The words seemed to register somewhere deep in Victoria and she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “That man had no right to punish her. For pity sake, she broke a plate! How bad can that be?”

Marie did not respond. What could she say? The girls in the school all realized the conditions which the servants worked, but it was an unspoken rule among them not to speak of the situation at any time. The two had now made their way outside to an empty glider. “You should be glad I walked in and not Miss Lydia, or any of the staff for that matter!” Marie surprised both of them by chuckling lightly. “Not only were you ‘talking’ to a servant, but you were talking to a girl can’t even return conversation.” Marie shook her head slightly back and forth as she giggled until she noticed the startled look on her friend’s face. “She is dumb, or at least that is suspected because she has not uttered a word since she arrived at the school.” The explanation did not ease Victoria’s confusion at all because she distinctly remembered the servant talking.

~ ~ ~

Later that evening, Victoria was busy brushing out her long red curls and Alice was lounging on her own, beloved bed. Never exchanging polite conversation, not even looking at one another; but when someone knocked on the door the answered in unison. “Come in.” Each was shocked by the other’s voice but they both chose to ignore the annoying intrusion of the other. “How are both of you this evening?” Marie said cheerily. Victoria smiled in return but Alice only grunted and turned her face toward the wall. Marie envied the grit her friend displayed in the face of such opposition. If it were her living in this room, she just knew that she would die. Rumor had it that no one had ever survived the first week in the same room as Alice but Victoria had made it through an entire month!

It was for this reason that Marie decided to extend her invitation to both girls. She sat down on the edge of Victoria’s bed. “As you both know, tomorrow is Sunday and I wanted to invite you ‘both’ to come to church with me.” Victoria looked puzzled and Marie decided to explain. “I know that the girls are required to attend mass but that is only if you have no other church organization to attend.”

This statement seemed to interest Alice because she made a slight move which made the floor boards beneath her bed squeak in protest.

“Is that why I never see you at mass?” Victoria asked and then smirked toward Alice. “That must be Alice’s reason as well.” The words hung in the air with a thickness that hinted at the exaggeration to such a statement. Alice would walk with the rest of the girls but would stop just before reaching the church corner. Out of curiosity one day, Victoria had followed her and could not believe it when she saw her roommate walk into a saloon. Victoria had to hurry back to the church before someone discovered her but she felt the need to inform someone. Talking directly to Alice would only make life more unbearable and it could even land her flat on her back.

Marie recognized the awkwardness of the moment and decided to return to her purpose for coming. “We would have to leave a half hour earlier because the walk is a bit longer and services begin sooner.”

Victoria had a hard enough time going to mass when she first arrived at the school, and to go to an entirely different church would be difficult. She had no idea what to expect. At home, religion revolved around horses.

“Well?” Marie prodded for an answer.

“I don’t know, Marie.”

“Come now, it will be an adventure, and besides I would enjoy the company.” Her voice was a pathetic pleading and Victoria turned to look at her reflection in the window then smiled. How could she refuse such a pitiful request? “Yes, I think I shall go.” She turned back toward Marie and glanced at Alice. “What about Alice?”

“She is still invited and I am sure we would all three have a splendid time.” A little snort came from the other side of the room but Alice remained in the position of staring at the wall as if there were a large spider creeping up the plaster. Little did the girls know that Alice was suffering an inner battle. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that these two girls were offering her a friendship even after all she had done. From the very beginning, Alice could not remember ever being accepted, neither by friends nor by her parents. Her parents had never given her anything other than her life. The first nine years of her life were spent in an orphanage and after that she was moved from home to home. She quickly discovered that the only way to survive in her cruel world was to put a wall up around her and give no one a chance to harm her. In return for her protective cover no one ever showed her kindness and she was determined that her two schoolmates were no different.

“No, I think not.” With her face still to the wall, she had to imagine that they were looking at each other with smug faces but then Marie spoke. “I am sorry to hear that, I was really looking forward to you coming.” Alice had to turn around to see if Marie looked as sincere as she sounded. If she didn’t know better, Alice would have thought that Marie actually looked upset.

~ ~ ~

By morning a thin layer of snow covered everything in sight. Victoria glance outside only long enough to realize that she would have to dress warmly. Then she hurried to dress and arrange her hair in a braid. She must hurry in order to be at the church on time. Alice was gone already and Victoria couldn’t help but let her mind wonder to why her roommate would be going to a saloon every Sunday. She could turn her in but not when Alice was just getting to where she was bearable. A knock at the door startled her from her thoughts and she moved to let Marie in. “I am just about finished, just need to slip on my shoes.” Marie gazed at her with a funny grin on her face. “I’ve never see you wear that dress before.” Victoria took a quick look down to observe what she was actually wearing. “I should think not since we never see each other on Sunday.” She twirled around, allowing the dress to fill out. “Does it look like too much?”

Marie nodded her head back and forth. “It is perfect! Now come on or we will be late.”

The air was crisp as the girls stomped through the snow and Victoria quickly decided that she would have preferred not to be walking. When they were not too far from the school, Victoria heard a horse approaching and a quick glance over her shoulder revealed that a buggy was approaching and slowing down as it neared them. “Good morning ladies.”

Both girls glanced up at the driver and noted that he was probably no older than they were.

“Could I offer you a ride? I am going your way.”

Marie politely shook her head and continued forward but Victoria, who felt frozen to the bone, decided it would be best to take the offer and hurry their trip to the church. “That would be very nice, but are you sure it won’t be out of your way?”

Marie stopped suddenly and looked back at Victoria with an exasperated look. She appeared like she would say something to contradict Victoria but the young man had already pulled his buggy to a stop and hurried to jump down from his seat. “My name is Philip Sheldon.” He tipped his hat with proper etiquette and then offered his hand to assist Victory into the buggy. He then turned to look at Marie who was still standing a distance away. “Are you coming?”

Marie hesitated a moment longer before moving forward and accepted his outstretched hand. She seated herself on the other side of Victoria and turned her head away from them. Philip sent Victoria a puzzled look but sat down and grabbed the reigns “Where to ladies?”

This was a question that only Marie could answer and Victoria nudged her friend’s elbow. “We were headed toward the small country church just a few blocks from here.” Marie waited long enough to see the recognition in Philip’s face and then turned her head away once again. Victoria smiled sheepishly, attempting to apologize for Marie’s strange behavior. The trio remained silent for the remainder of the ride and once Philip pulled up in front of the church and helped both girls down, Victoria felt the need to break the silence. “Brrrr!” She rubbed her arms up and down and stomped her feet. “Mr. Sheldon wasn’t it?” she addressed the young man in front of her who responded with a nod. “Thank you for saving me from freezing this morning. Marie is more accustomed to the cold but I have been spoilt with being by a fire on most days this cold.” The statement was appreciated and Victoria marveled at how his entire face lit up when he smiled. “You’re most welcome!” It was this statement that alerted Marie to the need to be polite. “We both appreciate it, Mr. Sheldon. Will you be attending the service this morning?” The smile that was once in place suddenly disappeared and he shifted his gaze toward the church door. “I don’t think so.” He then turned toward his buggy and climbed aboard. “Thanks again.” Victoria waved politely as he drove away wondering at his sudden change of attitude, but there was no time to ponder because Marie had already headed toward the front porch steps so she had no choice but to follow.

~ ~ ~

Philip pushed his horse as hard as he could without tearing the wagon apart. He knew it wouldn’t help him escape what had just transpired, but he did hope that he could begin to breathe again. Would he be in the service? The question sent a strange sensation of anger and pain through his heart. He knew that he had to get out of there before he made a fool of himself. It didn’t take his horse long to start breathing hard and Philip pulled back on the reigns. “Woe boy!” He had arrived at the one place he knew to go in order to gather his thoughts. Right here in the silence of the cemetery, Philip had sorted through how he would survive the hardships of life. He had asked himself many times why life was even worth living but somehow, he always found something to keep him going. After tying his horse to a tree limb, he made his way through the rows of grave markers. Each had a name, a date of birth, and a date of death. Not enough to really hold a memory but at least their family would have something to remember; something to mark that their family member had lived on this earth. The same could not be said for his parents who had taken their lives by plunging straight into the river. Philip often questioned his parent’s actions. Suicide had to be the most selfish act of all acts. His parents found some twisted romance in dying together but apparently never considered the son and daughter they had left behind. If he had been older, he would have made sure that he stayed with his sister. They were toted from place to place until the day when someone came to take his little sister with them. He tried to be brave as she packed her suit case. Before the two had been taken from their home, Philip had taken his mom’s favorite locket which contained a picture of his mom and dad. He had placed the necklace around his sister’s neck just before she left. “Don’t forget, don’t ever forget.”

Philip suddenly realized that he had spoken the words out loud as he had done so many years ago. He could trace his lack of belief in God to that very point in his life. The pain that came from the events throughout his life could never be allowed by a God who was to love and care for his creation. Even if God did exist and care for him, Philip could not bring himself to love and respect someone so harsh. Since the day his sister was taken from him, he had learned to get through life with his own skill, power, and determination. If others chose to believe a God like that, they were more than free to but Philip chose to stay as far away as possible. He sighed as he turned back to where his horse waited for him. Wasting the day away with hopeless thoughts would never benefit him, so he decided to head back to town and get busy with something productive.

~ ~ ~

Marie had angled herself in the pew and patted the seat next to her for Victoria to have a seat. She knew that her behavior was deplorable but Victoria had no right accepting a ride from a total stranger, and especially one that was a man. Her mother would have had heart failure if she had known what they had done. Marie had kindly explained the issue to Victoria but without making headway. Her friend still saw nothing wrong with her forwardness. The service went as usual with the organ keeping the entire congregation in some form of order as they sang the chosen hymns. One older lady bellowed out with all of her might in the parts of the song that should have been quieter but the rest of the congregation just continued as if the behavior was expected. As the preacher got up to give his address to the people, Marie peeked over at Victoria to see how she was fairing. She was sitting up straight in her seat as if afraid to move and when the preacher slammed his fist down on the pulpit, she almost jumped clear out of her chair. “Brothers, sisters have you been set free? Have you made peace with God? You have no right to say what will happen tomorrow for you know not what tomorrow will bring. Give God your heart!” Once again he pounded his fist hard on the pulpit. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”

After the service, Marie hurried Victoria to the back of the church where the pastor stood talking with each person before they left. “Ah, miss Marie! It is very good to see.” As he spoke he looked toward Victoria and smiled. Marie quickly introduced the two before another couple came up behind them.

As they walked out, Victoria breathed in a gulp of the cold air and realized she had been holding her breath near the pastor. There was something about the way he looked at her; like he could see straight through her mind, to the confused and doubting thoughts that lurked there. To her relief Marie did not push any questions as they started walking back. Just a few buildings down from the church, Marie suddenly turned and began to enter a small yellow building. “Wait, where are you going?” Victoria asked while scanning the building. A peak in the windows revealed tables situated on both sides of the building and Victoria quickly gathered that it was a small café. “Come on; let’s get a hot chocolate or something.” A little bell caught the door as they entered the quaint room. Fire burned brightly in a fire place, which was situated in the corner of the room, helping to take the chill out of their bones. Marie led them to a couple seats at the bar as someone yelled from the back room. “I will be with you in just a moment.” True to her word, moments later a tall blond haired woman entered the room and smiled brightly. “Let me guess, chocolate?” She sent a wink in Victoria’s direction while watching Marie shake her head. “You know me too well, mom.” It took a moment for the word, mom, to register in Victoria’s mind and then she realized that in her ignorance, she had failed to consider that some of the girls were from the same town. “And what would you like?” Victoria noticed that she had been staring and quickly averted her eyes to the menu written on a black board. “I think I will try the chocolate ice cream.” Feeling had still not returned to her feet from the cold outside but she was suddenly felt hot enough to melt the snow. She didn’t have to be embarrassed and it made her feel foolish for losing control. Marie’s mom acted as if she didn’t notice how awkward the moment was and hurried off to get the order. A few moments passed before she glided through the door. “This will probably be a cold treat on a day like today.” Marie said as her mother placed the ice cream in front of Victoria. Victoria picked the dish up and crammed a mouthful in but soon felt her mistake and shut her eyes tightly. Marie laughed at the expression on her face. “ Oh my! Victoria let a heavy breath escape her lips. “My tongue feels numb.” The words came out with such a funny sound that all three began to laugh. Marie recovered first and decided to give proper introductions. “Mother, this is Victoria Clement.” Victoria took a deep breath as she reached out to accept the hand extended to her. “Nice to meet you Victoria, I am Clara Jones. I should have warned you to take smaller bites but….” Clara covered her mouth with her hand to hide a chuckle. “Dear, your face was priceless.” Once again they all began to laugh and did not notice the young man who came through the kitchen door. He noticed that a new customer had entered the diner and made hurried to take the order. When he was finished, Clara motioned for him to come over to their group. “Troy, come over here and meet Marie’s friend.”

Troy smiled politely in response but did not speak a word. Marie’s last “friend” was still very much a part of his memory and he wanted no part of this new friendship. “What’s the face for son?”

Troy realized that he had been scowling and shook his head back and forth to signal that it was nothing to worry about. Clara shrugged her shoulders and tossed a cloth napkin over Troy’s shoulder. “Hold the counter for me for a little bit.” Then just before she snuck disappeared behind the kitchen door she whispered into his ear. “You can’t run from girls your whole life.” Troy rolled his eyes and began scrubbing the counter down with vigor. “Mom keeping you busy, Troy?” Marie asked her brother only to receive a slight nod. Silence fell among the group like a thick fog and Victoria pretended to be distracted by her ice cream. The silence remained until Clara came back through the kitchen. “Did you all get aquatinted?” Marie rolled her eyes and then looked from Clara to Troy as if that was all that was needed to explain. Clara perched her lips and shook her head back and forth. “Well, you girls have a good day and try not to freeze out there.” Marie stood from the bar and turned to look at Victoria who hurriedly finished off her last bite before dropping her spoon into the empty glass and moved to follow Marie’s hurried footsteps out the door. The bell rang loudly as the door slammed behind them. Victoria stole a glance through the window and saw that Clara was confronting her son and he did not like it at all. His face turned to a scowl as he tossed the towel onto the counter and stormed into the kitchen. Marie was already a good distance in front of Victoria before she realized she was alone and turned around. “Sorry you had to be in the middle of all that.” She dramatically gestured to at the café. “Troy has had a difficult time of things lately.” Victoria squinted her eyes in question before looking at Marie who turned around and began walking. “Come on and I will tell you about it on the way back to school.” That was an excellent idea since the wind had picked up a little and there was no sign of a surprise ride.

Marie took a deep breath as if she was about to tell a terrible secret. “Well, I came to school my freshman year with my best friend. We would often visit the café and my mom invited us both for dinner on many nights. It wasn’t long before my brother became fascinated with my friend and I was positive the feeling was mutual. But about a year ago she told me she was leaving to marry someone she had met over the summer. When my brother found out I thought he would never smile again.” Marie stopped and turned to face Victoria. “You should have seen how much it hurt him, Victoria, it would help you understand why he acted the way he did today. I really think he was going to ask her to marry him.” The school was in site and neither girl spoke as they finished their walk and parted at their doors.

~ ~ ~

That evening Victoria flopped on her bed and allowed her mind to sift through the day’s events. She soon found herself comparing the Philip and Troy. There just was hardly any comparison; Troy let his pain dictate his actions while Philip was a perfect gentleman. Her mind succumbed to weariness as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. She had not been asleep for long before a noise startled her awake. She saw a dark figure slowly move toward the other bed and she knew it must be Alice returning from one of her Sunday excursions. She studied Alice and noticed that her shoulders were stopped more than usual and she didn’t even bother to change before lying down in her bed. “Is everything ok Alice?” Alice jumped slightly at the question and then turned indignantly turned her head toward the wall. Victoria decided to repeat the question. “Leave me alone”, Came the muffled reply. “Hey, if there is something wrong…” “You can’t do anything so leave me be!” Alice’s voice cracked with every word. Victoria threw her covers off and moved over to the other side of the room. A few moments more of silence passed between the two and then Victoria timidly lowered herself to the side of the bed and gently touched Alice’s shoulder. A quiet sob came from her still form and as Victoria began to caress her hair.

It was quite some time before Alice took a deep breath and turned to look at Victoria. Her face was splotchy and red and her eyes held the look of someone who was lost and in despair; a look that she remembered coming from a hurt horse she had taken care of last summer. “Thank you.” Her simple words warmed Victoria’s heart and she nodded and offered a gentle smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Alice momentarily averted her eyes to the wall before speaking. “You know, I go there every week hoping to see him and never finding him.”

“Going to see who, Alice?” The question left the room silent leaving Victoria to feel like she should not have asked, but her fears were soon proved false. “My pa left me here as soon as I got old enough and I have not seen him since.” Her body rocked with another heavy sob before she continued. “One day on our way to mass I thought I caught a glimpse of him. I was so excited to see him that I hurried to follow him until he stopped at a saloon and looked back. I immediately knew that it was him and he looked me straight in the eye but he turned around and entered the building before I could say anything. I followed him into the saloon but only found a room filled with foul smelling, rude men.” The last words trailed off as if she could not bear to speak them. At that moment Victoria had no words to speak as the guilt of her thoughts from the past few weeks hit her so hard that she began to cry. She had supposed the worst of Alice when in fact she just needed to be a friend. Her pa would have been ashamed of her for judging a person by first appearance.

Alice eyed Victoria with genuine surprise at having someone care. “Today I went to my same table and waited for hours and then I saw him walk in the door.” Her breath caught in her throat and it seemed like she would start to cry all over again, but she managed to continue. “You know what he did?” She did not pause for Victoria to guess. “He stopped right at my table and said ‘girl, you get out of here and don’t come back!’ You should have seen his eyes. They were… I could tell he never wanted to see me again.” Alice slammed her fist against the wall which made something come loose from behind the wall and clatter to the floor. “I hate him!” She hissed with genuine pain in her eyes. Victoria did felt that no words would be the correct words to speak but she laid her hand on Alice’s knee and said. “I am sorry.” Apparently the words were enough for Alice as she moved closer to Victoria and grasped her in a tight hug. The flood of tears came again and did not stop until Alice began to sink heavier against Victoria who realized that Alice had drifted off to sleep. Victoria gently laid her friend down on the bed and pulled the covers over her shoulders. “Sleep well, Alice.” She then made her way across the room and silently slipped into her own covers with a new respect for her roommate.

~ May 17, 2012

The Monday morning bell rang too early the next morning and as Victoria made her way to the dining hall she couldn’t help giving in to the sudden yawns that racked her body. As she entered the dining area and made her way to a vacant table, she noticed a corner table where several girls were huddled together. The whispers hissed through their teeth and bounce off the cement walls with clarity that Victoria knew they were talking about her. She was half determined to confront them but decided against it when she saw Marie enter the room and make her way to the table. The cruelty of youth did not take long and one of the girls from the corner table turned her head and pointed at Victoria. “I see Marie got you to go to the fire preacher.” Her words slurred to emphasize her distain for the idea and then she led the group in a chorus of taunting laughs. The teasing became more pronounced as the other girls in the dining room decided to join the others. Victoria couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable and focused her attention on the plate set in front of her by the servant. Nothing sounded appetizing at this point but she was determined to bear the ridicule and let the moment pass. At some point during this time, Alice had made her way into the room and grabbed a vacant seat at the table where Victoria and Marie were sitting. The action was startling enough but then she pivoted on her chair toward the girls who were laughing. “Just give them a break!” Her voice was horse from crying the night before but it was loud enough to get the attention of everyone in the room.” Alice held her lips firmly together while she surveyed the room as if daring someone to challenge her words. The girl who had started the entire problem glared back at Alice for some time and then slowly stood and left the room. Several other girls followed her lead while others simply turned back to their food. “Thank you” Victoria whispered over the table to Alice who only corrected her posture in the chair and began eating. Marie looked at Victoria with a very puzzled expression but Victoria smiled as if to say “I will tell you later.” She knew Marie would hold her to that promise.

~ ~ ~

Later in the week a telegram arrived for Victoria with an invitation to the Garnet’s home for dinner on Saturday. Without thinking, she had requested if she could bring two friends along to which they had readily agreed to. After receiving the confirmation of bringing two friends, Victoria hurried up to her room and barged into the room. “Alice, you have got to come to the party!” She was energized and Alice couldn’t help but catch on to the excitement. Victoria shoved the invitation into her hand before moving to open the small closet that the girls shared. As Alice read through the invitation, Victoria rummaged through the outfits that were hanging in the closet. “Oh, we will have to wear something exciting but also not too extravagant. When we were living in the city my mother would attend parties every week and she was always particular about which outfit to wear to each party.” By this time Victoria had removed several dresses and draped them over the bed. She finally paused from her hurried search and turned to look at Alice who wore the look of a young girl who had just been told to kiss a frog. “What?” Victoria asked.

Alice did not reply directly but dropped the invitation on Victoria’s bed when she passed it and walked toward the window. “Parties might be your thing Victoria but they’re not mine.” Victoria waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss the comment and began shuffling through her dresses again. “Humph! You are no more a party person than I am and it will be fun.”

“Yes, but these are your friends and I would not want to barge in on a party that I was not really welcome to.” Alice was very adamant but Victoria was not so easily dissuaded. “You have to come to the party, Alice; it just wouldn’t be as fun without you.” She then held up the green dress that she had worn on her trip to the school. “And this is the dress you will wear.” No verbal protest was made although there was a visible battle going on in Alice’s mind. The dress was gorgeous; in fact she had never seen anything so lovely in her life. She took a couple steps forward and Victoria, encouraged, quickly removed the remaining distance between them and placed the dress in her friend’s arms. It did not take much more persuading than that. Marie did not need to be swayed to accept the invitation and had her outfit picked out before the end of the hour.

May 20,2012

Saturday evening came around and all three girls were dressed long before the designated time and waiting in the sitting room for their ride. The telegram had stated that a ride would be provided to escort the girls to the Garnet home which elevated the concerns of the principal who had found the entire situation rather disturbing. Even after Victoria had explained that the Garnet boys had helped to rescue her on her journey to the school, he still fidgeted and suggested that it might be best to contact their parents before allowing this outing to take place. Marie’s mother had come to the rescue by vouching for the Garnet family and promising to hold all responsibility for anything that might happen. So it was that the Garnet's driver pulled up in front of the school at exactly six o’clock. With little expression the driver helped all three girls into the open carriage which was lined with fine wine colored leather. “Mr. Garnet said to apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort of the carriage. His closed carriage is currently under repair.” The girls looked in astonishment at the man before them as if he had just lost all sense of reason. “Oh, this is quite comfortable, thank you.” Marie said while she rubbed her gloved hand along the back of her seat.

“I had no idea that the Garnet brothers were so wealthy.” Victoria whispered as the driver motioned the horses forward. As they pulled away Victoria saw a movement in one of the front windows of the school building. The person tried to pull the curtain back into place but not before Victoria realized that it was the chancellor, Mr. Roberts, peaking out after them with a very peculiar look. If Victoria didn’t know better she would have guessed that he looked almost angry. She shrugged the idea off and focused her attention on the evening ahead.

Many eyes followed the carriage as it drove through town and it wasn’t until they had passed the last building in town that the girls were able to relax and focus on staying warm in the cold evening air. The Garnet plantation was a distance from town but they eventually came to beautiful wooden arch with the Garnet name engraved across the top. It was another several miles of road before the girls even caught a glimpse of the plantation. Several cowboys passed the carriage and one man called out to the driver. “Going into town, Jake, but looks like the excitement is at the big house tonight!” He eyed the girls with a toothy smile and then tipped his hat before following the other cow hands. Jake shook his head and continued on his way. “Don’t mind him ladies. Saturday night often brings the worst out in the men.”

There was not time to reply because they had finally arrived at the house. Alice glanced up at the three story brick home and whistled loudly. “Now that is what I call a house!” Her chin was positioned upward as she took in all the beauty until Victoria gently nudged her and indiscreetly pointed toward the porch. Alice could feel her cheeks flame red when she saw the finely dressed, middle aged man starring down at her. She wanted to kick herself for being such a dunce. How many times had people warned her that her not- so- feminine whistle would be the cause of her embarrassment one day? The driver helped each girl out and then up the steps of the large porch. “Welcome ladies to our home. My name is Tom Garrett, the boys’ father.” He opened the door to allow them to enter the house. Before closing the door he turned to the driver. “Jake, you can put the carriage away and then you are free to relax until I call you to take the ladies home.” Jake nodded and hurried to finish the task. Closing the door behind him, Tom Garrett motioned toward a large room to the left of the hallway. “Won’t you all wait in there while I go find the rest of my family?” He waited long enough to see that they were seated comfortably and then he was gone giving the girls time to bask in the magnificent of the room. A large fire place covered most of one wall while large portraits covered another. A grand piano glowed from a corner of the room and complimented the leather furniture which was positioned around a large bear rug. The fire flickered against the walls, which were covered with soft red velvet wallpaper, and gave the entire room a warm welcoming feeling. Absent mindedly, Alice began to twist her skirt in her hands. Victoria noticed the motion and nudged her friend once again.” Stop trying to choke your dress.” She whispered. Alice straightened her dress just in time to see two young men walk into the room. “Good evening ladies.” They both said and bowed as if they had rehearsed the act together. Victoria and Marie nodded slightly with a smile but Alice had not been instructed on the proper etiquette of introductions. “Howdy gentlemen.” It was too late for the other girls do anything as Alice stood and made her way toward the two young men with her outstretched hand. The look of surprise could not be mistaken on either face but Jonathan recovered beautifully and reached for her hand.

“Howdy, my name is Jonathan.” Alice returned the introduction with a smile. There was a moment of awkward silence before a tiny bell echoed down the hall. “We were to come escort you ladies to dinner.” Jonathan extended his arm for Alice to hold and Peter moved to do the same for Marie and Victoria. They entered the dining room and gawked at the stained oak table that stretched the length of the room. A large chandelier hung above the middle of the table and lit up the room. Tom Garnet was standing by a woman who the girls guessed correctly to be his wife. “Let me introduce my wife, Anne.” The women looked like the house must have been made for her. Although her hair was showing signs of silver, Anne was still a beauty. Jonathan led Alice to a nearby chair and Peter walked to the other two to the opposite side of the table. Anne had placed the food on the table which Victoria found unique for a family with such wealth. The dinner was delicious and Victoria was quick to complement the hostess. “She made all on her own.” Jonathan was quick to inject as he began to butter a roll.

June 8,2012

Anne reprovingly slapped him on the arm when she walked by, making his butter knife run across the thumb that was holding the roll. He looked up at her with a smirk on his face that revealed his irritation and love for her all at the same time. “Well it is the truth.”

Marie whipped her hands delicately on her napkin. “You did a wonderful job and your home is beautiful. I know many people who would not know how to handle all of this on their own.” Anne ducked her head in politeness but did not speak as she made her way toward the kitchen. She soon returned with a tray of dessert. Victoria watched as Alice’s eyes grew wide with excitement. It did not take long to clear the tray of dessert which consisted of apple pie and blackberry cobbler. As the small talk continued around the table Victoria ate her food in silence. The Garnett brothers had taken an interest in her friends and she couldn’t seem to squelch the ting of jealousy. After all she was the one invited to the party and here she sat with her pie in silence. Of course she was happy her friends were having fun but the situation presented enough negative feeling to make her want to leave. After supper the group retired to the first room where they had begun the evening. Anne entertained them with piano pieces that she had mastered as a young child. Polite conversation was exchanged among the group and it was dark by the time the girls decided it was time to head back to the school. “It was wonderful to have all three of you. I will let the boys walk you out while I go clean up the dining room.” The girls had already helped to offer but Anne insisted that they were guests and should enjoy their evening. Tom Garnett excused himself to follow his wife while the party moved outside. The night had become extremely cold and the moon was covered by some heavy clouds. At the bottom of the stairs, Jake was perched on the driver’s seat of the carriage. By the time they had reached the carriage Victoria’s nose was freezing. Jonathan must have noticed the cold and a concerned look crossed his face. “I wish that we had warmer accommodations for your ride home.” Peter nodded his head in agreement and then snapped his fingers. “Wait! Why don’t we grab the bricks off the fireplace? They can use them to warm their feet at least.” Victoria was about to turn down the offer but both Jonathan and Peter were in the house before another word could be said. Marie looked at Alice and Victoria with a big smile. “Aren’t they sweet?” Alice nodded but Victoria shook her head. “By now we could have been on our way back to our warm beds.” She then rubbed her hands together for emphasis. “Oh don’t be so sour about it, Victoria. We won’t freeze.” Marie said reprovingly and then pointed at the porch. “Here they are now.” Victoria looked surprisingly at the two as they made their way toward the carriage. Both were carrying a silver platter loaded with bricks. Victoria put a hand over her mouth in time to stifle the laugh that had threatened to escape. She wanted to ask how they had acquired such fine brick carriers with their mother’s permission but she held her tongue as they placed the bricks in the bottom of the carriage. “Mother wanted us to invite you to attend services with us tomorrow morning.” Jonathan addressed the question to all but his eyes settled a little longer on Alice. “That would be wonderful!” Alice answered without waiting for the approval of the other girls. “Great! We will be by to pick you up at six.” Jonathan and Peter stepped back and waved while the carriage moved down the road. The ride home was quiet as each girl was focused on staying warm and keeping her teeth from chattering. The town lights were a welcome site.

The next morning the girls Alice and Marie were ready to go before breakfast but Victoria had informed them that she would not be accompanying them. The statement had been returned with looks of puzzlement but they were too excited to let it become a major concern. “Where will you be going?” Marie asked before heading out the door. “The church we attended last week.” Victoria was surprised by her answer because she had no desire to be preached at but she didn’t feel like being a third wheel to the couples. Marie shrugged “Have fun and let me know what I missed.” As the door closed behind them Victoria sat on her bed and let her self-pity take over. She explained the feeling away as homesickness but she knew that she was being selfish. Sometimes it just felt good to be a little angry and selfish. Her attitude did not change as she stomped her way through the snow. Philip did not appear this time to rescue her from the dreadful walk which only added to her pitiful mood. She was late arriving to the services but several people smiled warmly at her while she slipped into the back row. Victoria braced herself for the message but was relieved that the preacher spoke in a soothing voice rather than spitting and yelling at her. She could feel herself feeling the guilt of the way she had been acting. Her layers of depression and self-pity were so thick that she could not seem to find anything positive in her life. When the pastor called the congregation to follow the Holy Spirit and move to the front, Victoria refused the tug on her heart and gripped the pew so hard that her fingers knuckles were white. As soon as the final amen was said, she was out the door and headed back to the school. She passed the small cafe that Marie’s mom owned and then decided that a hot cocoa would be just the thing. She checked her coat pocket and realized that she had enough change before entering the warm cafe. Clara greeted Victoria with a wide smile. “I was hoping you would stop by today!” Victoria couldn’t help but smile in return and she had to swallow a lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. Crying was not an option, especially where she would have to explain herself. “ So what can I get you.”

“Well, I thought I would try something warm today.”

Clara smiled and slapped the counter. “Hot coco you shall have”! She hurried back into the kitchen and brought back a coffee pot to fill one of the customer’s mugs with coffee and then turned back to Victoria. “I am surprised that Marie is not here with you.” Before Victoria could articulate a response, an elderly man came hustling into the café with a large dog and moved to sit at a nearby table. Clara put a hand on her hip; her face wore the look of someone who had just been slapped with no cause. “Really, do people think I run a pet store here?” She mumbled as she made her way to the new arrival’s table.

“Hot coco?” The words came from the kitchen door. Victoria raised her hand in response and couldn’t help but notice the rather surprised look on Troy’s face. He walked slowly over and placed the steaming cup on the counter. When he turned to leave without even a smile, Victoria could not help the feeling of frustration. She lifted the steaming cup to her mouth, but before the liquid could touch her lips Troy had turned around and leaned in close. “Now listen, I am not sure what game you are playing, but…” His words ended as abruptly as they had begun and he made his way back into the kitchen. Moments later he returned with his shoulders drooped. “I am sorry. It is not like me to be so…well, I am sorry.” Victoria nodded and gave him a quick glance before taking a drink. He was watching her, pleading for her to respond. “I understand. Marie shared with me about her friend and you.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Victoria knew that they were a poor choice. His face scrunched up in an awkward position.

“My sister trusts everybody!” He said while bending his head forward and rubbing his neck. Victoria should have felt sorry for him, but something about the way he said “everybody” brought all the week’s frustrations to a peak. She took a quick glance at the black board above the counter to see what she owed for the coco, dug the change from her pocket, and dropped it on the counter. He looked up at her in surprise as if registering for the first time that his words may have been hurtful. Victoria leaned in close at that point so the other customers could not hear her words. “Maybe you should learn to give those “everybody” a chance to prove themselves trustworthy before throwing accusations in their face.”

She turned in a hurry and rushed past the argument occurring between Clara and the customer with the dog, and stormed out of the café. All she needed was to have a smart mouthed boy whining at her about his romance problems.

The feeling of loneliness was becoming unbearable and it did not surprise Victoria that she felt herself folding into a shell of isolation. Nobody seemed to notice because of the busy schedules at the school. After classes dismissed, she would go to her room and not appear until the dinner bell rang. Depressed and saddened, she tried to avoid any unnecessary interaction. Home looked more appealing to her every minute of the day.

Thursday night came around and she became so depressed that she confined herself to her bed. Marie and Alice tried on multiple occasions to engage her in activities; but after a few days, they decided to leave her to her own thoughts and feelings. This particular evening, Victoria had no appetite. About sunset, a knock was heard at the door. Victoria willed herself to sit up and dry her swollen eyes. “Come in.” Her voice cracked as she attempted to straighten her disheveled hair.

The door slowly creaked open and a small hand appeared. “Um… Miss?” Victoria recognized the tentative voice of the servant girl she had met upon her arrival. Her arms were loaded with a tray of food. She ambled clumsily into the room and set the tray on Victoria’s lap. “This is for you miss. Cook don’t allow no one to starve themselves.”

Victoria offered a slight smile at the girl. “I am not really hungry but thank you for the effort.”

A sudden look of fear crossed the servant’s face, and her eyes shifted nervously from the tray to the door. “Cook told me I can’t return until the tray is empty.” Victoria opened her mind of pity enough to realize the obvious consequences that the servant would face if she did not do as she was instructed. A sudden energy came over Victoria as she got out of bed and opened the window. A cold breeze flooded into the room sending a chill through her body. She took one sip of the soup and then dumped the rest to the ground below. She returned the empty bowl to the tray and then handed the buttered roll to the servant. “You eat the roll and you can tell the cook that I ate my soup.” Her eyes were wide with fear as she took large bites of the roll. Victoria noticed how very thin the girl was and felt sorry that she had dumped the soup to the ground rather than giving it to the girl.

October 16, 2012

Miss Lydia had been standing near the door as if afraid to come any nearer to the bed. As the doctor stood to leave, Miss Lydia made one step forward. “What is wrong with her, Doctor? Bed rest must be serious?”

The doctor put a finger to his lips to silence any more questions, and then motioned for Miss Lydia to follow him out of the room. Victoria turned her head to the wall and sighed. There was no telling what the doctor would report to the school, but she knew he would not be able to give a false diagnosis. She knew she was becoming overly upset about nothing but she knew that she was almost enjoying feeling sorry for herself. She fell asleep with those very thoughts on her mind.

Victoria was startled out her sleep by a sudden burst of light and a hard slap on the arm. “Time to get up and out of that bed.”

Victoria tried to focus her eyes and block out all of the sounds of banging dresser drawers and the clanging water pitcher on the wash bowl. Her bones refused to move and she turned over to ignore all of the business in the room. She could tell that whoever was in the room had walked over to the bed and stopped. Victoria chose to ignore the persistent silence until she was suddenly drenched in a flood of ice cold water. All the lazy ones in her body could not speak out against the screaming goose bumps on her skin. Victoria jumped from her bed ready to throw her fists at her assaulter, but stopped short when she saw Miss Lydia standing there with pitcher in hand.

Victoria stood with her mouth gaping and water dripping from her face. Miss Lydia had a certain look on her face that suggested that she had found great pleasure in what she had just done. “Good! I was beginning to worry that you were glued to that bed." Without another word, Miss Lydia moved to set the water pitcher back on the dresser and then hurled a towel at Victoria which landed on her shoulder and slipped to the floor. “You had better find yourself in a nice dress by two this afternoon. Many of the girls have been invited to a gathering at the Garnett ranch. Personally, I do not care how you decide to dress or how you feel about it, but I do not give you the choice to fail to attend.” With one final look, Miss Lydia left the room shutting the door with a firm thud. Victoria slowly bent to retrieve the towel as she began to process the event that had just startled her out of a restful sleep.

Several coaches were hitched and waiting near the entrance of the school to transport the students to the Garnett’s ranch. Victoria felt less than half-way presentable. Her days in bed had only served to give her a ghastly pallor and dark circles under her eyes. She despised being forced to a party and decided that she really had no one to impress. She chose one of her simple gowns to wear for the party. She did allow Marie to fashion her hair in a Chignon with curls cascading down her cheeks. It was not the most fashionable look, but it did well to enhance her rather disheveled appearance.

Miss Lydia waited by the front door of the dorm when the girls made their way out of their rooms. She gave Victoria an appraising glance before turning to the other girls. Victoria remained silent in the carriage and only occasionally glanced out the window at the melting snow.

The ranch porch was lit with candles, and Tom and Anne Garnett stood at the entrance to greet the guests. Anne looked exquisite in a light blue, silk gown. The scent of evergreen wafted through the air and music could be heard coming from somewhere in the house. Victoria followed the group to a large room which she had not previously seen.

After the last crumb was swallowed, the girl picked up the tray and hurried toward the door. “Wait!” Victoria’s sharp command made the girl jump, and the tray almost toppled to the floor. “What is your name?”

“It is Andrea, miss.” Her head was ducked in a humble way as she left and quietly latched the door.

Victoria settled back into her bed and thought a little about the servant girl before drifting off to sleep again.

After several days of complete bed rest, the doctor was called to the school. After a short examination, the doctor folded his stethoscope, put it in his bag, and looked at Victoria with a stern expression. “So what really is going on here?”

Victoria should have known that the doctor could not be fooled by her antics, but she could not bring herself to bear her heart. “I just need some rest is all.” The doctor nodded and did not attempt to push the conversation further. He left the room after leaving instruction for rest. Victoria knew he was only appeasing the school board.

Victoria was startled out her sleep by a sudden burst of light and a hard slap on the arm. “Time to get up and out of that bed.”

December 18, 2012

However, all of the beauty did little to lift Victoria’s mood. As soon as she walked through the immaculately carved doors, she found herself swept in to the bright colors of gowns and decorations. Laughter and voices mingled with the orchestra of music. Jonathan and Peter were waiting with their parents in what looked like a welcoming line. “I am so glad that you ladies could join us this evening.” Victoria had to strain her ear to hear the pleasantries exchanged. Following Marie’s lead, she smiled politely and gave a short curtsy. Alice apparently still preferred a hand shake for a greeting. ‘We will be starting momentarily. Feel free to acquaint yourself with the refreshment table.”

Jonathan and Peter took their father’s comment as a cue to escort the new arrivals to the large table that was positioned near a window. “Mother had a large cake made for this occasion. You will notice that a large section has already been eaten, and no doubt by these hungry ranch hands.” Jonathan smiled at Victoria as if she should understand his joke more than the others. As if to prove Jonathan’s statement, a large man, probably near Jonathan’s age, came up to the tale and placed three large slices of cake on his plate. Just as he shoved a bite in his mouth he seemed to notice that he had and audience. His full mouth and wide eyes made a very hilarious picture, and Victoria had a difficult time keeping the smile off of her face. She distracted herself by grabbing the glass of punch that Peter handed her. She had no sooner taken a drink when the large man moved away from the table toward the other side of the room and called for everyone’s attention. His voice was loud enough to silence the room. “Tom is going to come say a few words, but before he does I want to say thanks to his lovely wife for putting this wing-ding together. Applause erupted in the room and Victoria saw Anne standing near the door entrance smiling appreciatively at her guests. “Of course,” The attention returned to the big man. “I don’t know why she insists on cutting the cake pieces so small!” Laughter filled the room as Tom made his way toward through the crowd. “Well not everyone has the large mouth that you have, Lucas.” He fondly slapped the large man on the shoulder and turned to face the crowd.

“Welcome everyone! We are pleased that you all have come for this annual Christmas party. Our wonderful musicians will begin to play some of our favorite dances and waltzes. So without any further ado, grab a partner and enjoy the evening.” Applause followed Tom as he made his way back to his wife and twirled her onto the dance floor. Everyone quickly began to choose partners and follow their host’s lead. Victoria made her way to a chair that sat against the wall. She soon realized that the dancing was more chaotic than beautiful. Each couple seemed to be dancing their own style and there were more than a few collisions. She began to feel her mood lighten even more as she listened to the laughter. Several young men asked her to dance but she politely declined. It seemed to her that this disordered sort of dancing would only serve to frustrate her. She preferred rather to grab some more refreshments and stay hidden in a corner.

She was nearly to the table when the music to the song ended. Some couples moved toward the refreshment table but quickly changed their minds when a gentle sound came from a single fiddle. Victoria had not heard the fiddle before this song, but she was fascinated by the clear and precise notes. Victoria moved along the wall so that she could avoid the couples and still see the front of the room. She was shocked to see Philip was the one playing the fiddle. He wore a suit which was completely different from the outfit he had worn when he had picked Marie and her up to take them to church that one Sunday. Victoria felt herself drawn to the music and began to sway back and forth.

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Front Porch Tales

~ May 17, 2012

June 8,2012

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