Read Online Hope for Tomorrow by Catherine Winchester - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Winchester
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week.
When she finally had three pounds saved, she asked Gus to change the coins for notes and sent them to Mrs Lassiter, her original two pounds plus interest, and included a very brief note of thanks. She didn't want to go into too much detail about her life because she didn't want Lucien to find her again. If Gus ever discovered the truth, that Hope was her daughter and not her sister, she would surely be out on the street again.
From that point on she began to send a little money home once a month. She sent it care of one of her mother's neighbours who could read, which was rare among the working classes. She sent it in such a roundabout fashion so that her father didn't take the money and waste it.
She had been in Gus's home for nine months when she finally felt comfortable enough to ask what had happened to his family and she regretted asking the question almost instantly as his features took on a ghastly grey shade.
“ I married late in life and I was more concerned with my business than love. Felicity was beautiful, far too good for the likes of me but she said 'yes' anyway. We were never very close though,” he explained. “I truly loved her but Felicity was very frail, prone to illness and bouts of melancholy. We did have two children, Thomas and Gideon. She loved the boys and seemed to come out of her shell a little; she doted on them.”
He stopped talking for a while then and Martha waited patiently for him to continue.
“ Thomas, the eldest, succumbed to measles when he was thirteen. We were both devastated but Felicity took it very hard indeed. She became very melancholic and no one, not even Gideon could reach her. She finally improved after about a year but she was never the same. Gideon went off to school and then university before he entered the business. He was sharp as a tack, that boy. He negotiated deals with merchants in Europe and America, increasing our turnover three fold! He was on his way back from a trip to America when his boat hit a squall. The ship went down and all aboard perished.
“ Felicity was inconsolable. She blamed me since Gideon had been on a business trip. The things she said...”
Now Martha was feeling awful about asking but his next words shocked her to the core.
“ Finally she jumped off of Masons Bridge, the one you met me on.”
“ I'm so sorry.”
“ She left a note behind for me in my desk drawer. She said that she wanted to die a watery death, as Gideon had and that she had never loved me and she held me entirely responsible for his death. I never had the courage to show anyone the note because I feared that they would blame me too.”
“ And that night I found you?” Martha asked.
“ I was considering joining her,” he admitted. “I often used to go and stand there but that night, after being robbed, I was truly at my wits end.”
He looked away from the fire and smiled at her.
“ And then you found me and rescued me.”
On impulse, Martha reached over and held his hand.
“ I would say that you rescued me.”
“ Then we rescued each other,” he smiled. “I'm so glad that you and Hope found me.” He squeezed her hand, then released it.
“ We're very glad too.” Martha assured him.
Sometimes she wondered how long this life would last, for surely reality must come crashing back in soon, but eventually she decided not to question it too much and try to enjoy it while it lasted.
When Hope's first birthday came around, Gus insisted that they have a small, private party; just the three of them. Hope was too young to know what was going on but they put a paper hat on her head and Martha baked a cake for her. She was too young to blow out the candle so Gus and Martha did that for her.
Gus bought Hope a selection of outfits that Martha thought wouldn't look out of place on the Earl of Marchwood's child, then she realised that in fact this was his grandchild and gave a wry smile.
“ What?” Gus asked.
“ Nothing,” Martha assured him.
When she finally had three pounds saved, she asked Gus to change the coins for notes and sent them to Mrs Lassiter, her original two pounds plus interest, and included a very brief note of thanks. She didn't want to go into too much detail about her life because she didn't want Lucien to find her again. If Gus ever discovered the truth, that Hope was her daughter and not her sister, she would surely be out on the street again.
From that point on she began to send a little money home once a month. She sent it care of one of her mother's neighbours who could read, which was rare among the working classes. She sent it in such a roundabout fashion so that her father didn't take the money and waste it.
She had been in Gus's home for nine months when she finally felt comfortable enough to ask what had happened to his family and she regretted asking the question almost instantly as his features took on a ghastly grey shade.
“ I married late in life and I was more concerned with my business than love. Felicity was beautiful, far too good for the likes of me but she said 'yes' anyway. We were never very close though,” he explained. “I truly loved her but Felicity was very frail, prone to illness and bouts of melancholy. We did have two children, Thomas and Gideon. She loved the boys and seemed to come out of her shell a little; she doted on them.”
He stopped talking for a while then and Martha waited patiently for him to continue.
“ Thomas, the eldest, succumbed to measles when he was thirteen. We were both devastated but Felicity took it very hard indeed. She became very melancholic and no one, not even Gideon could reach her. She finally improved after about a year but she was never the same. Gideon went off to school and then university before he entered the business. He was sharp as a tack, that boy. He negotiated deals with merchants in Europe and America, increasing our turnover three fold! He was on his way back from a trip to America when his boat hit a squall. The ship went down and all aboard perished.
“ Felicity was inconsolable. She blamed me since Gideon had been on a business trip. The things she said...”
Now Martha was feeling awful about asking but his next words shocked her to the core.
“ Finally she jumped off of Masons Bridge, the one you met me on.”
“ I'm so sorry.”
“ She left a note behind for me in my desk drawer. She said that she wanted to die a watery death, as Gideon had and that she had never loved me and she held me entirely responsible for his death. I never had the courage to show anyone the note because I feared that they would blame me too.”
“ And that night I found you?” Martha asked.
“ I was considering joining her,” he admitted. “I often used to go and stand there but that night, after being robbed, I was truly at my wits end.”
He looked away from the fire and smiled at her.
“ And then you found me and rescued me.”
On impulse, Martha reached over and held his hand.
“ I would say that you rescued me.”
“ Then we rescued each other,” he smiled. “I'm so glad that you and Hope found me.” He squeezed her hand, then released it.
“ We're very glad too.” Martha assured him.
Sometimes she wondered how long this life would last, for surely reality must come crashing back in soon, but eventually she decided not to question it too much and try to enjoy it while it lasted.
When Hope's first birthday came around, Gus insisted that they have a small, private party; just the three of them. Hope was too young to know what was going on but they put a paper hat on her head and Martha baked a cake for her. She was too young to blow out the candle so Gus and Martha did that for her.
Gus bought Hope a selection of outfits that Martha thought wouldn't look out of place on the Earl of Marchwood's child, then she realised that in fact this was his grandchild and gave a wry smile.
“ What?” Gus asked.
“ Nothing,” Martha assured him.
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