Victoria

by Cheryl Wright

  Jesse ran his hands over the doorframes. The craftmanship was excellent. He couldn’t fault any of the work.

  He walked through to his new store via the lockable adjoining door and checked the layout. It was exactly the way he’d requested. Soon his delivery would arrive, and he’d be busy for the rest of the day.

  Tomorrow he would open the doors and wait for the customers to come. For a town that had never had an apothecary, it will be interesting to see what sort of response he got. If Mrs Baker’s reaction was an indication, his day could be quite busy.

  Jesse stood back and envisioned his new store. He’d spent many years training for this under the best apothecarist – his Uncle Joshua.

  After he’d died suddenly the store was sold from under him. Jesse would have paid a reasonable price, but his cousin Samson hiked up the price so far, it was out of reach.

  Samson had been lazy from early childhood, and despite his father’s attempts to teach him, refused to learn the trade. Wanting to pass the family business on, he’d taught Jesse all he knew. The pity of it was his uncle had not allowed for it in his will.

  After all, one never expected to be trampled by horses pulling a runaway wagon, especially at such a young age.

  He sighed. Jesse really missed his uncle. After his parents had died in a stage coach accident, he’d taken Jesse in. Samson had despised him ever since, vowing to get back at him one day. He was true to his word.

  The knock at the door brought him out of his dark thoughts. He smiled as he opened the door. It was time to set up his shop.

  ~*~

  “Oh, this is lovely, Mrs Baker. Thank you for accommodating me.”

  The other woman beamed. “I’m happy to have you, my dear. I’m used to putting up strays. There is one condition though…”

  Victoria’s heart thudded. What was she expected to do in exchange for her lodgings? “Of course I’m willing to pay.”

  Mrs Baker waved her concerns aside. “I’m more than happy for you to stay here for as long as it takes. No payment necessary.”

  Her heart pounded. It was worse than she originally thought.

  She swallowed… hard.

  “I…”

  Mrs Baker stepped toward her and held her hands. “My dear girl, I didn’t mean to scare you! No, my condition is very simple. Allow me to teach you to cook.”

  Victoria’s heart settled down and she felt suddenly better.

  “Young women these days are useless in the kitchen. Our men need someone who can cook for them.” She quirked an eyebrow at Victoria. “Or can you cook already?”

  “No, no I can’t,” she said quickly. “There are no plans to marry either.”

  She stepped back at the astonished expression that met her words. “Not marry? My goodness.” She snatched up a newspaper from the table and began to fan herself. “Your generation rebel far too much against convention.” She slipped onto a chair and stared at Victoria.

  “I… I have aspirations,” she said firmly. “I have wanted to teach school since I was ten.” She squared her shoulders and stared back. “The rules of teaching state once a woman marries she can no longer teach.”

  She pursed her lips in defiance, then recalled her mother’s harsh words. She shrugged her shoulders into relaxing, then relaxed her whole face. “I decided long ago not to marry.”

  A slight smile curved the lips of her hostess. “That very well may change.” She fanned her face again, then put down the newspaper. “That Mr Pendleberry – he’s taken a liking to you.” This time she grinned.

  Victoria frowned. “He is so infuriating, and I don’t like him one little bit.” That caused Mrs Baker to laugh out loud.

  “Oh, so you really like him then?”

  Her eyes opened wide at the woman’s words. “I most certainly do not.” She flicked her skirts as though that put an end to the discussion. “Now Mrs Baker, would you like me to put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea?”

  ~*~

  The day had finally come.

  Today was to be the first day of school. Mrs Baker warned her not to expect too much. Many of the parents wouldn’t allow their children to attend school as they were needed to help out. The majority would be coming from out of town, and lived on ranches where they were required to assist with the daily chores.

  She felt disheartened, but knew there was a possibility Mrs Baker was wrong.

  At least she hoped she was.

  Victoria made her bed and dressed. She pulled her long hair into a chignon and would place a bonnet on her head before she made her way to the makeshift school. She’d already set up the chairs the day before.

  Proper desks would be far better, but what choice did she have? She had to work with what she was given. Luckily she had brought some supplies with her. She’d been caught out before with these small town schools, and wasn’t willing to be unprepared again.

  She sat opposite Mrs Baker in the large kitchen and sipped her tea. “What are they like?” she asked, glancing across at her most generous hostess.

  “The children?” She laughed. “That wholly depends on who turns up today.” She put down her newspaper and applied all her attention to Victoria.

  “I doubt Johnny Ambrewster will be there. He’s one of the older children and his father will likely keep him home.”

  Victoria stiffened. She’d seen it time and again. Children needed educating, but their parents, usually the father, deemed to need them more.

  Mrs Baker continued. “Thomas Walker is another of the older boys. He’s a strong lad, and is a hard worker, according to his mother.”

  How could she teach children who weren’t allowed to attend? She was fighting a lost cause, and she hadn’t even started work yet.

  She finished up her breakfast without another word, then prepared to leave. Why did she even bother? It was the same story in every town she’d attempted to teach at. Numbers constantly dwindled, and supplies were often not available.

  Victoria thought about all the other occupations she could have taken up, and wondered why this one appealed so much.

  “Have a lovely day, Victoria,” Mrs Baker said as she opened the front door. “Don’t be too disheartened. I’m sure you’ll do your best.” She nodded, forced a smile, and headed toward the makeshift school.

  ~*~

  Victoria turned the corner and was confronted by a small crowd of children and adults alike. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  She had arrived early to prepare her first lesson in peace, but it wasn’t to be. “Good morning,” she said to the crowd. “I am Miss Victoria Hudson. I will be teaching your children.”

  “This is Mary,” one mother said, pushing her daughter forward. “She can count but she can’t read or write.”

  Another child was shoved toward her. “Johnny can read some and write a little. I’ve done the best I can with the time I have available.”

  “Of course,” Victoria said, guiding the teenage boy inside. What else could she say?

  The words all became one massive gaggle as everyone suddenly spoke at once. She stood on the steps to the makeshift school and addressed all the parents at once. “I promise to look after your children, and teach them well.”

  “We ain’t had a teacher here before,” one woman said. “I hope you’re gonna stay long enough to learn ‘em good.”

  Victoria winced inside. She hated to think what she would be dealing with, but it was good to be here. Grand Falls seemed like a wonderful place to live and to bring up a family. It was a terrible shame the children had not been granted an education before this.

  But that would all change now. She would make sure of it.

  “Thank you for bringing your children along. Please return this afternoon to collect them.” She nodded, then turned and entered the school.

  Taking a deep breath as she closed the door behind her, Victoria felt as though she’d been confronted by an angry mob. She knew the parents all meant well, but it was not how she t
hought her morning would progress.

  She spun around and faced the children who had each found a seat.

  “Good morning, children.” She smiled as best she could given the circumstances of a few minutes ago – she felt thoroughly rung out. “I am Miss Hudson, and I am your teacher.”

  “Good morning, Miss Hudson,” they all chanted together.

  Today was the beginning of a new day, and a new adventure. She would teach these children to read and write if it was the last thing she did.

  The first day was always the hardest, she knew that from past experience. Having no knowledge of her new pupils had always proved challenging.

  With the introduction out of the way she could relax.

  “Please tell me your names, starting with you.” She pointed to the teenage boy sitting at the back.

  He stood. “Johnny Ambrewster, Miss.”

  She was glad to see he’d made it, despite Mrs Baker’s prediction.

  “Mary Higgins.”

  “Anna Meyer.”

  They continued until every child had given their name. They were a small group of only seven and ranged in ages. She wondered how much each child had previously learned. That would be a task in itself, and a challenge for her as their teacher. “Thank you everyone. I will learn your names quickly, I promise.”

  She pulled out seven slates and handed them out with a piece of chalk and a rag for each child. “I would like you to write your name on the top, then solve a simple sum.” The children looked up in expectation, but Victoria noticed not one of them had written their name.

  “Please write your name before we begin.” Except for two boys, the students all wriggled in their seats and glanced at each other. It was rather perplexing.

  “Please Miss Hudson,” Johnny said, his words uncertain. “This is our first day of school.”

  “Oh,” she said rather deflated. “You’ve not been to school all year? That’s disappointing.”

  “No, Miss.” Roy O’Hara stood this time. “It’s our first day of school ever.” He looked down at his feet. “Most of us don’t know how to write our names.”

  So what the mother had said was true. She had hoped the woman had been stretching the truth.

  “Roy and me, we can write our names and read a little, but not the others,” Johnny Ambrewster added.

  This was going to be more challenging than she’d ever imagined. Not only were most of her students illiterate, but according to Mrs Baker, they likely wouldn’t attend school on a regular basis.

  She wanted to run, to take the train back from where she’d come, but that would be quitting. She might be a lot of things, but Victoria Hudson was no quitter.

  Challenge accepted.

  Chapter Three

  Jesse stood back and stared at his handiwork. The store looked pretty good, if he did say so himself.

  He’d done his very best to replicate the layout of Uncle Joshua’s store. He figured it would make it far easier to find his supplies that way.

  He certainly didn’t want to keep customers waiting while he tried to recall where everything was. This way it would be seconds rather than minutes to locate necessary items.

  The bell over the door jingled and he looked up. His first customer.

  “Oh.” It was Mrs Baker. He smiled – he wasn’t unhappy to see her.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you,” she said, mirth in her voice. “I did come to buy something if that counts.”

  He brightened up. “That most certainly counts,” he said, and straightened his tie. He didn’t want to appear sloppy.

  She glanced around the room. “Very impressive, Mr Pendleberry. One would assume you are a trained apothecarist?”

  She meant nothing by it, he was certain. Mrs Baker was one of those people who needed to know facts.

  “Of course. I trained under my uncle – Joshua Pendleberry. I completed my four-year apprenticeship under him, trained for an additional five years, then successfully sat all my exams. I’ve been fully qualified for many years now.” He pointed to a certificate hanging on the wall. “That’s my certificate of qualification if you would like to check.”

  He watched as she nodded her approval. “Wonderful!” she said, rubbing her hands together. “You wouldn’t happen to have an ointment I could use for burns? I’m forever burning myself at the diner.”

  He reached into a glass cabinet and pulled out two jars. “This is the one I recommend for burns, Mrs Baker. I have a large or small size, as you can see.”

  “I’ll take the larger size, thank you.”

  He pulled the lid off the ceramic jar and offered it to his customer. She leaned closer and breathed in the fragrance. “It doesn’t smell too ghastly,” she said.

  He grinned. “I mostly make my own potions. I added lavender oil to this one to mask the dreadful smell.”

  His very first customer handed over payment, and he opened the door for her. “Thank you, Mrs Baker. I hope to see you again soon.”

  “Oh you will, young man. I can assure you of that.”

  She waved as she strolled down the boardwalk toward the diner. He closed the door and began to whistle. Perhaps this move was worthwhile after all.

  ~*~

  Jesse hadn’t found time to visit the Mercantile, so planned to eat at the diner. Not that he felt like cooking – he was still quite exhausted from his trip here as well as preparing the store for its opening.

  The few customers he’d had that day all recommended it mostly highly.

  His mouth watered just thinking about it. Alas, he needed to get food out of his mind. His working day was not yet over. He reached for his pestle and mortar, left to him in Uncle Joshua’s will. He was also left his uncle’s formularies, which contained all of his recipes, and a substantial amount of cash. It was as though his uncle knew Samson wouldn’t allow him to take over the family business.

  The fact left his cousin bristling, but there was nothing he could do about it. Jesse smiled at the thought. His smile soon left him at the thought of his dear uncle and his shocking death.

  The bell over the door tinkled. “Good afternoon,” he said as he glanced up. “I am Doctor Jesse Pendleberry. How may I help you?”

  The older woman looked him up and down, and glanced around the store. “You look to be well stocked, young man.” She stepped forward. “I am Mrs Esther Davis. You can call me Mrs Davis.”

  He grinned.

  “Edna, that is, Mrs Baker recommended you and your store, so I decided to come and take a look.”

  He stood a few steps closer, but not so many to overwhelm the woman. “Does something ail you, Mrs Davis?”

  “My husband has terrible pain in his back.” She pointed to the area. “Doc Spencer suggested Laudanum, but my Ralph rejected it. He still wants to function, after all.”

  “How bad is the injury, Mrs Davis? Do you think perhaps Mr Davis might come and see me?”

  “Oh goodness no. He is in far too much pain to travel.” Her face stiffened. The woman was obviously upset at the situation her husband found himself in. “He’s done heavy lifting most his life. Well, at least he did – I convinced him to employ someone this last summer.”

  She fiddled with her gloves. “We don’t need the money, but we do need the business to continue running smoothly. We can’t have it going to ruin after all these years.”

  He thought for a moment. “I could give you a liniment, Mrs Davis, but I think mustard plasters would work far better.”

  Her face brightened. “Oh, that would be marvelous.”

  He pulled out a drawer, and reached for his pestle and mortar. “It will take about half an hour, maybe a little longer. Do you have somewhere you can wait?”

  This was the sort of thing he enjoyed. To be able to help people with their individual ailments gave him such satisfaction.

  “I’ll wait at the diner, and come back later.” She turned to leave. “I really do appreciate your help, Doctor Pendleberry.”

  He opened
the door, and she was gone.

  Jesse had a good feeling about this town. The people were nice, lovely in fact, and business was already brisk.

  The long journey was already proving to be worthwhile. And then there was Miss Victoria Hudson…

  ~*~

  Deep in thought, Victoria strolled along the boardwalk.

  Her first day at school had been more than a little distressing. How could parents allow their children to remain illiterate? To not even teach them to spell their own names was shameful.

  Then she remembered what Mrs Baker had told her – children were expected to help their parents work the land. With the majority of parents illiterate themselves, how could they teach their children?

  Victoria groaned.

  She would have to start from scratch – teach each child the alphabet, then once they’d mastered that, how to spell their name.

  Tears forced their way through. Not for herself and the additional work involved, but for those dear children who had been forced to work for their parents and live the life of adults.

  She dearly wished she had been warned of the situation – she could have brought appropriate text books with her.

  She praised The Lord she’d had the forethought to bring a set of the Elementary Spelling Book with her. She had enough copies for every child to have their own, and then some.

  Perhaps a large chalkboard attached to the wall would help. Her hope was the preacher wouldn’t object. These dear children needed visuals. Something to remind them of the daily teachings.

  Victoria startled as she heard her name being called. “Miss Hudson. Oh, Miss Hudson.” She glanced around to find the source.

  Across the street Mr Pendleberry stood outside his store. “I trust you enjoyed your first day, Miss Hudson?”

  There was so much she could tell him, but she chose not to engage with the man. “Yes, thank you,” she said, a false smile on her face, then continued to her destination.

  “I’m pleased to hear it,” he called, as she disappeared down the street and toward the diner. Mrs Baker had informed Victoria she would be eating at the diner each night. Since her hostess would be there most nights, it made sense.

  She did of course object, saying she could cook for herself, but the older lady would have none of it. Besides, what else was she to do with her ‘spare’ time? She had already spent over an hour at the makeshift school preparing lessons for the following day.