Victoria

by Cheryl Wright

Mrs Baker came out not long after them – she’d been chatting to some of the auxiliary ladies. “Shall we get a cup of coffee?” she asked, not waiting for an answer.

  Jesse glanced at her, and they both grinned. They were beginning to get used to Mrs Baker’s antics. At least Victoria knew she was, and it seemed Jesse was too.

  The ladies both sat at the back of the hall, and Jesse brought them a hot drink. He returned soon after with one of his own, and a small plate of refreshments to share.

  “Grand Falls is a friendly sort of place,” Jesse said. “Not too big and not too small.”

  “It’s expanding all the time,” Mrs Baker said, then sighed. “I loved it when it was just a tiny dot on the map, but it’s almost getting too big for me. Not that I should complain, business is better than ever.”

  “It always seems busy when I’ve been there,” Jesse said.

  Mrs Baker nodded. “You haven’t been there Saturday nights. I have to take bookings.”

  Jesse shook his head and was about to answer when the Mercantile owner interrupted them to introduce himself. “Cecil Delbert from the Mercantile,” he said, shaking Jesse’s hand.

  “Pleased to meet you. I’m am Dr Jesse Pendleberry, from the Apothecary, and this is Miss Victoria Hudson,” Jesse told him. “The new schoolmarm.”

  They chatted for a while, Mr Delbert thanking Jesse for looking after young Maude the way he did. “It’s nice to know you’re available in an emergency,” he said. “Doc Spencer lives too far out of town to help sometimes.”

  It was a sentiment she’d heard before.

  It wasn’t long and it was time to go home for lunch. Mrs Baker said they were having a roast dinner, which was already in the oven, and invited Jesse to join them.

  Victoria wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. She was become far to enamored with the new apothecarist.

  Chapter Six

  Victoria pulled her shawl up around her shoulders. “It’s a might chilly out this afternoon,” she told Jesse, and he agreed.

  “Do you want to go back for your coat?”

  She shook her head.

  He still wore his Sunday best suit, not having been back home after church. It was very nice of Mrs Baker to have invited him to lunch, and he made sure to tell her.

  She stared at him momentarily as if to send a message. That message being don’t get too close to our schoolmarm. He was more than certain of it.

  Her warning earlier in the week had forced him to keep his distance, but Jesse wasn’t sure how long he could keep up the charade.

  He had found himself more than once wanting to pull Victoria into an embrace. He wanted to hold her close, and he really wanted to kiss her. She had such a pull on him, and it was hard to ignore it.

  It wasn’t just her beauty, though that was hard to miss. And it wasn’t just her personality, which was big and enticing. There was far more to it. He’d been watching – everyone who met her seemed captivated by her.

  She was also smart, and he thought perhaps that attracted him more than anything. He was certain they could make beautiful babies together.

  Jesse stopped in his tracks. Where on earth had that come from?

  “Is everything alright, Jesse?” she asked, as he stood there like a fool with no idea where he was going. “Jesse?”

  He adored the way his name rolled off her tongue.

  “What?” He glanced across at her. “Oh, sorry. My mind went blank for a minute there.” There was no way he could tell her what he’d been thinking. He would have his face slapped for sure this time.

  The thought made him smile. She was a feisty little lady, this schoolmarm, and he didn’t dislike it. He rather enjoyed her antics. At least most of the time he did.

  The hardest thing was keeping his distance. He hated the thought of not seeing her at all, but if Mrs Baker had her way, that’s exactly what would happen.

  “I’ve been thinking about Johnny Ambrewster,” she said out of the blue. “I decided to give him some responsibility, let him help the younger children with their reading.”

  “How will that help?” It seemed rather back-to-front to him.

  They continued to stroll along the boardwalk, arms hooked. “I’ve been doing it already. I thought it would make him want to become more proficient to help the others, while helping himself.”

  “Sounds feasible.”

  “It’s definitely feasible,” she said. “And it’s already working.”

  “I don’t doubt you,” he said, glancing across at her. “Shall we venture out toward the livery? We might see a little more of the area.”

  Victoria nodded. He was certain she was as eager as he was to see the scenery surrounding Grand Falls.

  As they arrived at the livery an older teenage boy loitered out the front. “Want to hire a buggy, Sir? Take the Missus for a ride?”

  He glanced at Victoria. “What do you say?”

  “It would be far too expensive,” she said, so he turned to the boy.

  “How much?”

  “Two dollars for you, Sir, provided you’re back before five. Otherwise me pa will have me hide.”

  Jesse reached into his wallet. “Make it three dollars and you have a deal.”

  They boy grinned. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir,” he said, then turned to prepare the buggy.

  It was far too late by the time Jesse realized this was not him keeping his distance from the enchanting schoolmarm.

  ~*~

  The buggy didn’t allow much space between them, and Victoria found herself in close proximity to her riding companion.

  When he’d helped her up onto the buggy, her body had near sizzled. When he’d sat next to her, an absolute thrill ran through her.

  She took a long, calming breath. She may only have another six months out here, perhaps even less if a male teacher took a liking to her posting in Grand Falls.

  “It’s really beautiful here.”

  Jesse’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and had her looking around. “Yes, it really is. From town, the mountains look beautiful, but from up here, they are even more so.”

  He pulled into a clearing, and brought the buggy to a standstill. “Would you like to take a stroll?”

  His eyes almost begged him, and she couldn’t say no. “Absolutely. There’s no point coming all this way unless we check it out properly.”

  He climbed down and hitched the horses to a nearby bush, then came around to help her down. Victoria braced herself. After her experience when he helped her up, she was certain it would happen again.

  She looked down into his face as his arms outstretched. He looked far more serious than she felt he should be.

  It was Sunday after all – their day off to do what they pleased.

  She began to stand, but lost her balance and toppled toward him. She couldn’t help herself – Victoria squealed.

  He grabbed her around the waist and halted her fall. “You’re safe,” he said. “I won’t let you fall.” His eyes pierced hers, and she couldn’t stop staring.

  He slowly lifted her down to the ground, but she was still shaky, and again lost her balance. The uneven ground beneath her feet didn’t help. He pulled her into his arms, no doubt to help her get her balance again.

  It was nice, and everything she’d ever imagined it would be. She glanced up at him, and his eyes sparkled. “Are you alright?” His voice was soft but husky.

  She leaned her head against his chest and rested there, trying to force her heartrate to calm down. Without thinking, she snaked her arms up around his back and held him tight.

  He tightened his grip on her in response. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispered. Since they were the only people there, Victoria had no idea why he spoke so softly.

  “It is nice, though,” she told him, her voice just as quiet.

  He sighed. “Mrs Baker will be most unhappy.”

  His words confused her. What did Mrs Baker have to do with anything? “Mrs Baker?” She glanced up at h
im again. He looked far too concerned for her liking.

  “Dear Mrs Baker warned me off you. Said it is far too hard to get school teachers out this way.” Now he was grinning, as though it was a huge joke.

  She pulled back and slapped his chest. “So the two of you have been plotting behind my back? How dare you!”

  Victoria backed off and watched him continue to grin. “It is not funny,” she said, heading for the buggy. She was a twenty-four year old woman who could make her own choices. No one else had the right to do that on her behalf. Not even Mrs Baker.

  “Victoria,” he called after her, but she was not in the mood for explanations. All she wanted to do now was go back home.

  She stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her back to him. “How long have the two of you been plotting this?” She still didn’t want to look at him, she was beyond angry.

  He reached out and touched her shoulder. “There was no plot. It was a directive I was given.” When she didn’t pull away, he moved closer. Close enough he was able to wrap his arms around her.

  As angry as she was right now, she enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. His body heat was comforting too. “It’s none of her business,” Victoria said under her breath.

  He turned her around in his arms and pulled her closer. She molded into him. “What are we going to do,” she asked quietly.

  She glanced up at him, and a smile formed on his lips. “I know exactly what I’m going to do,” he said, then leaned down and kissed her.

  ~*~

  The chalkboard made a huge difference to the classroom and to the students. It now felt like a real classroom.

  Of course it would be better if there was a dedicated school, but Victoria had taught in far less. One town had rallied her into the unused storeroom of a saloon, which was not exactly pleasant, but they’d made do. They had no choice.

  She glanced up to survey her students. Johnny Ambrewster sat in the corner listening to Maude read. It was an early learner book, and one she was certain he could manage. She longed for more books for the children to learn from, but for now, had to make do with what she had.

  Walter sat quietly, not writing as he was meant to do, and she went over to help him. “Do you need help?”

  He nodded. “I am practicing my name, but it doesn’t look right.”

  “Here, let me write it for you again.” She wrote his name legibly, and he copied it. Not perfectly, but he was getting there. Warmth filled her.

  “Try that word again, Maude.” Johnny’s voice drifted across to her ears. “Sound it out if you need to.”

  She listened and didn’t interrupt.

  “A-p-p-l-e. Apple.”

  “Perfect,” he said and smiled at her. Maude grinned at him.

  Getting Johnny to help in the classroom was working. It was improving his own reading and writing. Working for Jesse was the encouragement he needed, and he was doing great.

  He’d even helped her set up a reading corner with a bunch of cushions, to make it more comfortable. The whole class had helped decorate the room to make it more like a schoolroom, and they were finally settling in. They’d even had a few new students join them.

  Victoria returned to her desk, and continued to work on her current project. She was creating banners that would be attached around the room. The set she worked on now were alphabet banners.

  Each had a letter and a hand-drawn picture of an item that corresponded to that letter. She hoped the pastor didn’t mind her putting them around the room.

  When she’d finished these, she would make some with additions on them – easy sums, like one plus one equals two, two plus two equals four, and so on.

  She smiled. Victoria was determined to give these children the education they deserved.

  She waited until Maude had finished reading her book then stood. “It’s lunch-time children. Grab your lunch-pails and take a break.”

  It was such a lovely day, she decided to go outside as well. She sat on the church steps and ate her sandwich, while she enjoyed a mug of tea. The children had all been working hard these past days, but none so much as Johnny Ambrewster. The boy was determined to win that apprenticeship Jesse had promised him if he could meet the conditions.

  He was so determined that Victoria was certain he would.

  She enjoyed the sun streaming down on her face as the children played. Another ten minutes and it would be time to go back inside.

  As she enjoyed the sun, she heard a commotion and looked up. Jesse Pendleberry made his way toward her. “Is everything alright,” she asked as she stood to greet him.

  “Everything is perfect,” he said. “I missed you, so decided to visit in the lunch-break.”

  She grinned, but knew she shouldn’t. He stood beside her and put an arm around her shoulder.

  “Ooooh, Miss Hudson has a boyfriend!”

  They began chanting, and Jesse stood there grinning at her. He obviously thought it funny. She did not. Despite all that, she longed for his kiss. Was it really only yesterday since he’d first kissed her?

  It was hard to believe, but it really was only one day earlier. They stood there for what seemed an eternity, until it was time for school to resume. The children all ran past them into the classroom.

  Jesse turned to her. “I have to get back to work, and so do you.” He looked none too pleased, but they both had work to do. He leaned in and kissed her. Right there, and on the lips.

  That alone could cause a scandal if any of the children saw them.

  The ruckus that followed confirmed they had. Victoria was certain she would never live it down.

  Chapter Seven

  The kiss they’d shared would be the beginning of something wonderful, Victoria knew it would.

  She wasn’t exactly pleased her students had witnessed Jesse kissing her, but it was what it was.

  As they strolled around town that evening, she felt something she’d never felt before. It was happiness like no other she’d experienced before. She’d seen it with her parents so would recognize it anywhere.

  The mere fact of being together brought sunshine into the other person’s life. That’s how she felt right now, walking beside Jesse, her arm hooked through his.

  “Are you alright? You’re very quiet,” he said gently.

  She nodded. “I’m more than alright. My happiness is overwhelming.”

  He stepped in front of her and pulled her into his embrace. “Jesse! Someone might see us,” she said, but still rested her head on his chest. She felt safe in his arms, and never wanted to leave his embrace, but knew she had to.

  It was not right to be standing here like this in the middle of town. The last thing she wanted was to set tongues wagging in Grand Falls. She was after all the schoolmarm. Under the conditions of her contract she had an image to uphold.

  She wasn’t even supposed to step out, not ever. It saddened her that she felt guilty every time she spent time with Jesse, because their relationship was beautiful, and innocent, and they shouldn’t be made to feel this way.

  At least this time of night was quiet. It was rare to come across other people, so they were relatively safe. Sneaking around like this made Victoria feel tainted, like she’d done something terribly wrong and had to hide it from the world.

  It was horrid she was made to feel this way.

  His hand gently caressed her cheek and she glanced up at him. “I have feelings for you, Victoria,” he said quietly, his words caressing her as much as his fingers had touched her cheek just moments ago. “You are beautiful inside and out, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

  She pulled out of his arms. “That’s out of the question and we both know it.” She stared at him. “You knew it even before you kissed me. There is nothing I can do about it.”

  He pulled her close to him again and hugged her tight. “I know, but it doesn’t mean I’m happy about it,” he said, then leaned in and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

  ~*~
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  “Are you going to marry Miss Hudson?”

  It was close to five weeks since the students witnessed their kiss. Since then he’d accompanied Victoria to dinner each night, and they’d strolled together each evening ever since. He’d even accompanied her to church and taken buggy rides after church each week.

  He’d held her close and kissed her whenever the opportunity arose.

  Still, he hadn’t expected the words that seemed to come out of the blue. “Excuse me? Did you really ask that question, Mr Ambrewster?” Jesse near glared at the boy.

  Johnny glanced up from his current project – stacking glass bottles the way Jesse preferred. He’d had a new shipment and no time to store them. It was something the boy needed to learn, so it was a good opportunity for them both.

  He watched amused as heat crept up his protégé’s neck and face. “Sorry, Sir.” He ducked his head and went back to the task at hand.

  “Are you enjoying your work, Mr Ambrewster?” Jesse continued to stir the potion in the pestle.

  The boy stood. “Yes, Sir, I am. And I appreciate the opportunity.”

  “Then perhaps keep your mind on the job and not my love life. Understand?”

  Johnny nodded. “Yes, Sir…” he said, but it was apparent he had more to say.

  Jesse stopped what he was doing and addressed the boy again. “Out with it. This is your one and only opportunity to have your say, then it’s back to work.”

  “Miss Hudson is a great teacher. None of us students want to lose her. If you marry her, she has to leave.”

  These were not the words of a thirteen year old. At least Jesse didn’t think they were, so the boy’s parents had been talking.

  “Did you tell your parents I’d kissed Miss Hudson?”

  Johnny’s eyes opened wide. “No, Sir! I did not. There’s talk around town ‘bout you two steppin’ out.”

  Great. Just what they needed – to be the butt of town gossip. Jesse sighed. “I like Miss Hudson, but as you know, she has to leave her job if she marries, so it can’t happen.”

  Johnny didn’t look happy. “But she likes you.”

  “I like her too, but I won’t jeopardize her job, and I won’t leave the students without a teacher. Now get back to work, Mr Ambrewster.”