Regency Romance: Fallen Duchess (A Historical Victorian Murder Mystery Love Regency Romance)

by Tracey D Morgan

“Daddy, you look really nervous,” Melinda said with a smile.

  Wayne’s eyes darted down to her before looking back up at the slowing train. “I am. Can’t help it, darling,” he answered honestly.

  “Do you think I did a good job on Elisabeth’s hair?” she asked, looking for his approval.

  Wayne looked down with a gentle smile and squeezed her hand. “You sure did. She looks like a million bucks. So do you,” he said.

  Before long, however, the people poured off of the train. Wayne tried to get an idea of who the girl might be. He wasn’t sure why he was so curious about how she looked, especially because whatever woman he was seeing was his business, but he was curious. He hadn’t deemed himself ready to get into another relationship yet, so he wasn’t really in the market.

  He quickly forgot all of this when he saw a woman standing there and looking somewhat aimless. He knew she was it, but it was very hard to believe.

  The woman had long blond hair that fell in gentle waves and the longest lashes he’d ever seen. Her features were bright and kind looking, and he was eager to speak with her. He felt a lump in his throat thinking about it but finally put his hand up to signal to her. “Mrs. Sharpton!” he called out to her.

  Chelsea’s eyes quickly moved to examine the family, and a kind smile settled on her features. It looked appropriate for her to smile this way, and it made Wayne grin back just as sincerely.

  She moved over and grinned at him and the children, but before Wayne could even speak, Charlie was cutting in. “You’re really pretty miss,” he said with a big grin plastered on his face.

  Chelsea giggled and bent down to his level. “Well, that’s a really nice thing for a gentleman to say to a lady. Thank you for the compliment.”

  Charlie nodded and seemed like he wanted to say more, but Wayne spoke up. “Mrs. Sharpton, it’s so good to finally meet you in person,” he said. His whole body felt like it was on fire at this point. Standing in front of her like this was working some kind of magic on him. All the composure and canned lines he’d drummed up were no longer going to help him.

  “You can call me Chelsea. I’m sure we’ll be more familiar than that in time, and I’d like to start off that way. That is, if you don’t mind,” she said.

  “Of course not. I much prefer it this way. Well, let me correct myself then. It’s nice to meet you, Chelsea.”

  “Same to you. And what is your name?” she asked, redirecting her attention to Charlie.

  “I’m Charlie, and this is Melinda and Elisabeth,” he said gesturing to them. “But when Dad’s gone, I’m the man of the house—no matter what Melinda says.”

  Chelsea giggled at his profession. “Then I’ll keep that in mind. Hi there Melinda, Elisabeth,” she said softly.

  Melinda had a frown on her face unlike the two younger ones. “I don’t care what Daddy says, you’re not going to be anything like my mama. You don’t even look like her,” she blurted out.

  Wayne was caught off guard by her reaction and hurried to make her stop. “Melinda! That is very rude. Apologize,” he said.

  Chelsea seemed to handle the situation with poise, however. Instead of being offended or upset, she smiled at Melinda and nodded. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t look like your mama, nor am I anything like her. She was one-of-a-kind,” she said.

  For a moment, Wayne was confused. She didn’t know anything about Betsy, and he hadn’t even told her he was widowed. He was quiet as he watched it all play out.

  “I could never replace her, and I won’t try to. In time, if you come to like me, then I think that would be wonderful, but I won’t rush you,” she said gently.

  Melinda continued to look at her as if she were sizing her up but finally decided she was in the clear. “Fine. I’m sorry I said that stuff,” she said kicking her foot.

  Chelsea nodded. “It’s perfectly fine, Melinda. Well, I guess you all are going to be seeing me to the house then?” she asked.

  “Yes, though I was curious why you didn’t choose boarding. It isn’t as if I mind, but most people I would assume would,” he said.

  “I guess I’m just not most people,” she answered simply.

  It was strange. Chelsea came in like a force of nature, yet she was gentle. Something about her subtle power was intoxicating, and he enjoyed it. He wished just for a moment that he could have met her alone.

  The group proceeded back to their wagon, and Wayne took a moment to observe Chelsea again. The kids, all except for Melinda, seemed to be taking to her very well. She seemed to have a way with them, and that made it hard to deny that she was the best one for the job. Wayne couldn’t help but see her as more than that though. She had an infectious energy that he was drawn to.

  Eventually the wagon pulled back to the home, and the kids quickly went about their daily chores around the house, and it gave him time to spend with her alone. “So what made you decide to answer the ad?” he began as they sat down at the dining table.

  “Well, recently I lost my dad. He got very sick, and my mom just couldn’t take it. She went shortly after him. They left me alone, and I just wanted to start my life somewhere anew, a place where people weren’t reminding me constantly about what a tragedy my parent’s demise was,” she said.

  Wayne sighed. “I can relate to that. My wife passed away a few months ago.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about that,” she said softly, but then she backtracked. “Guess I kind of did what I was just complaining about, didn’t I?” she said with a sheepish smile.

  Wayne chuckled. “Yeah, but it’s all right. People make honest mistakes. That’s probably what was happening back home. People were genuinely worried about you, but they just don’t know what it’s like to be in that kind of pain. It just comes across wrong,” he said with a shrug.

  Chelsea smiled. “I think that’s a good way to put it,” she said, but then curious expression crossed her face. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your wife?”

  Wayne was quiet when she brought that up. He normally didn’t like talking about what happened to her because it was very painful. “Well,” he began, but then stopped again.

  Chelsea looked worried. “If I said something wrong, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer,” she said looking down into her lap.

  Wayne looked up at her and saw how remorseful she was for having asked. Truthfully, he didn’t mind telling her for some reason or bringing it up. Seeing her with that gentle expression of guilt on her face had an effect on him, however. “Well, she drowned,” he said simply.

  “That’s awful to hear, Wayne.”

  “The kids were playing, but Melinda ended up getting swept up by the water. I wasn’t there in time because I was working the ranch, but Elisabeth and Charlie were calling out to Betsy. She told Elisabeth to come get me, and she went on and tried to save Melinda. She succeeded, but when I finally got there it was too late for her. Can’t stand anything having to do with rivers, streams or any kind of water for that matter now,” he said.

  There was an unsettling silence in the dining room as the kid’s voices could be heard in the background. Chelsea didn’t look up from her lap.

  “Melinda blames herself a lot for what happened. After Betsy passed away, she started trying to be more like her mama. It’s part of the reason why things might be a little odd between you two at first, so I apologize for that,” he said.

  Chelsea nodded. “I can understand her grief. I wouldn’t like it if someone came in and tried to act like my mom or dad. It’s normal for a girl to have those feelings. In any case, I just wanted to know what happened since I’ll be here with you,” she said smiling and placing a hand on his. “We can leave that conversation behind now.”

  Wayne looked her in the eyes and then looked off, rubbing his hair back somewhat uneasily. “About that, Chelsea, this entire thing is temporary you know?” he said.

  Chelsea blinked. “What?”

  “I’m in the middle of a custody battle with my in
-laws. They don’t want to have anything to do with me, but they want the kids. It’s a long, ugly history with them as it is. There’s really no repairing it, and I don’t care to, so at this point it’s all about making sure I don’t lose my kids,” he said, returninghis gaze to her.

  “Oh,” Chelsea said quietly. The disappointment could be seen clearly on her face. “I guess I just missed that then,” she said as she stood up.

  Wayne stood, too. “Wait, I don’t want you to think that’s just it. I mean I didn’t really think these things through at first,” he said trying to find a way to explain it.

  Chelsea shook her head. “You don’t have to try to make it something it’s not. Where might my room be then, Mr. Thurgood?” she asked him.

  Wayne disliked how she reverted to addressing him by his proper name. “You can call me Wayne,” he urged.

  “Well, I’m more like a caretaker than a wife so it feels more appropriate,” she said.

  “But you’ll be acting as a wife, so I think it’s best that you still call me by my name,” he said. After he said that, he realized how bad it really sounded.

  “You don’t have to say it twice. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going to my room now,” she said and walked off.

  Wayne wanted to stop her. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, that none of this was true. The glow she once had just seemed to fade. “Chelsea,” he said, but she didn’t stop. He was left standing by himself, and he felt more alone than ever.

  . . .

  The next morning, Wayne sat with the kids at the dining table. Chelsea was up, dressed as gorgeous as always, as she worked the stove and filled the house with intoxicating aromas. “Smells great,” he said, trying to bring that smiling face back again.

  She did smile back at him, but it seemed like it was only for the sake of the kids. It was empty unlike before. Wayne’s own grin faded, and he looked back to his paper.

  “Miss, why are you here? Are you going to be our new mommy?” Charlie asked suddenly as he placed his chin in his palms.

  Both Chelsea and Wayne were caught off guard and bolted upright from their tasks. Noticing this, they looked at each other.

  “Uh, well, you see that’s a complicated question, Charlie,” Wayne said to spare Chelsea. “How do you like the biscuits?”

  “Taste better than yours,” he said taking another huge bite.

  Wayne cleared his throat in embarrassment. “I’m not the best cook.”

  Chelsea giggled. “That’s why you need help around here.”

  “She’s just here to keep grandma and grandpa from taking us away,” Melinda answered in a sure tone. “I wouldn’t look much into it.”

  Wayne glared in her direction once more. “Melinda, that mouth of yours is going to get you in a world of trouble. Excuse yourself.”

  “Why!? It isn’t fair. You know it’s true. She’s not going to be our new mama,” she yelled.

  Wayne was about to explode, but Chelsea stopped him. “Melinda, I know you don’t like me very much, but for your dad’s sake, you should be more respectful. What he’s trying to do for you is a really hard thing to do. Have you thought maybe your dad doesn’t want to lose you?” she asked gently.

  Melinda frowned. “Grandma and Grandpa wouldn’t keep us from Daddy,” she protested.

  Chelsea shook her head. “You never know what will happen. You should apologize to him and do as he says for the time being. I promise it won’t be so bad,” she said.

  Melinda was quiet and then looked at her daddy, “Sorry,” she mumbled before excusing herself like she was told.

  Wayne was astonished. “Just like that, huh?” he asked.

  “Well, there’s more to raising children than just getting angry. You have to understand their point of view sometimes,” she said with a bright smile. “You’re a sweet man, Wayne, but kids do need balance.”

  Wayne contemplated her words, but soon breakfast was finished up, and just as quickly as it seemed like she was warming back up, she coldly vanished again to attend household duties. He wondered for a brief moment if maybe she was coming around or if she was still just acting like he said she would be. She might have been young, but the well of knowledge and experience she seemed to have with people in general was the light in Wayne’s darkness.

  He sat at the empty dining table before one of his workers hollered in to him. With his mind still clouded and full of questions about what it was he was starting to feel for the fair and gentle woman, he reluctantly resigned himself to a day of work where he couldn’t get her out of his head.

  Chapter 3:

  A couple of weeks passed, but eventually, the dreaded court date had come. Wayne and Chelsea had a rhythm with the kids now, and both did their fair share with tending to them. He couldn’t help but think about how easy it had all become since Chelsea came into his life though. When she was around, he got more work done. Dinner was on the table like it always used to be, and though it wasn’t Betsy’s, it had its own flare to it that gave him something similar but different.

  The kids had warmed up considerably to Chelsea, even Melinda. It was shocking to Wayne how she had won over the stubborn girl, but now they would read books together, and Chelsea was helping Melinda sew one of her dolls a dress. He liked to come in at night and hear the two girls giggling with Chelsea and loved how Charlie had taken to her and was always trying to help her out. It felt more like a normal home now.

  He could never deny that he did think about Betsy from time to time, and he still missed her terribly, but Chelsea was creating something new in him that was hard to ignore. When he’d watch her move about the home so full of vigor and drive, something in him stirred. When she would lift her hair up just slightly and expose her slender neck to pin it up for household tasks, he couldn’t help but stare. The entire time she’d been a difficult tease, and today was no exception.

  He stood in the doorway as she was adjusting her dress and watched her for a time. He could tell she knew he was there, and a smile broke out on his face. “This is going to be a hard day. Think you’re up to the challenge?” he asked her.

  Chelsea smiled that same sweet smile he had grown used to over the past couple of weeks. “I’m more than ready. It’s just sad that I’m already halfway through this,” she said.

  Wayne raised an eyebrow, though he knew what she meant—or at least he thought he did. “What do you mean by that?” he asked.

  “Well, I’m not going to be here much longer, am I Mr. Thurgood?” she asked.

  “Stop calling me that, Chelsea.”

  “Why? It’s only proper,” she said with a light shrug.

  Wayne closed the space between them and wrapped an arm around her waist. “What does that mean, Chelsea?” he asked as he looked at their reflection in the full-length mirror. “What is only proper? Why are we being so proper?”

  Chelsea was quiet for a moment, but he could feel her body trying to melt into his, though it tensed right back up. “I don’t know what we are,” she said. “What are we, Wayne? Why are you pulling me around like this?”

  It had been hard to deny that there was tension. Occasionally, Chelsea would intentionally flirt, and Wayne would do things to impress her. It was a no-brainer that his prior plans were slowly becoming less and less important. “Wayne, I can’t do this,” she said, “I think it’s best that we call this off sooner because … ”

  “Because you’re in love with me just like I’m in love with you?” Wayne asked, smiling at her through the mirror.

  Chelsea blushed visibly and then looked down, “Well, yes,” she said.

  Wayne turned her around to face him. “Then why are you going to leave? We can do this, Chelsea. It was a mail-order bride ad, and you did respond to it. We’ve had more than enough time to work this all out,” he said. “We can get married at the church. I know you haven’t gone there with me yet, but I think you ought to.”

  Chelsea smiled brightly. “Then I will. I’ll go with you Wayne, but are you pro
posing to me?” she asked hopefully.

  Seeing those gleaming blue eyes was driving him crazy. He loved how she would get so chipper. It meshed well against his gruffness and felt right. He was just about to answer her, but the kids all ran in single file, with Melinda leading the group. “Daddy, we’re ready, and you guys are taking forever,” she said.

  Wayne and Chelsea looked at each other and then laughed.

  . . .

  The courthouse was full. It was big news to everyone that Wayne’s children might be taken away. With not much going on in the small town, people were always keenly aware of events like this. Many watched as the family moved across the lawn to the court. Eyes settled on Chelsea, the young bombshell that no one really knew too well. Rumors and whispers started up immediately. Some people spoke about how they’d seen her around town before, and others made up more elaborate stories about how Wayne might have done away with Betsy when he fell in love with the woman on his arm.

  Wayne tensed a bit, and Chelsea felt this. “Are you nervous?” she asked him in a hushed tone.

  Wayne didn’t answer immediately but finally shook his head. “Nope. God is watching over me, and that’s all the reassurance I need,” he said.

  Chelsea smiled, and they proceeded inside. When they got in, the first ones to greet them were Sheryl and James.

  Sheryl looked Chelsea up and down and then scoffed. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Wayne. I know you’re desperate, but anybody can look at this woman and tell that she’s just for show. You couldn’t have picked someone more realistic?” she asked with a laugh.

  Wayne didn’t buy into her attempt at getting an emotional response. “Anybody who will look at a complete stranger and let that be the first thing that comes out of their mouth has no business raising children,” Wayne said before walking past her with his family.

  Sheryl just watched them go inside. James said nothing at all. Even he was thinking what a doll Chelsea was in the back of his mind.

  As the family got inside, the judge sat staunchly and waited for the entire party to come in. “I’m calling this court to order,” He said when both parties were in their places. The children sat further back with Chelsea, and Wayne stood up front adjacent to the Carsons.