Read Online Upon a Mystic Tide by Vicki Hinze - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vicki Hinze
Ads: Link
cloth.
“I’m confused,” Bess admitted. “How could what happened be both?”
Miss Hattie explained. “Lester told his family that, despite their opposition, he and Dora had decided to take a leap of faith and open the yard anyway. They sank all their money into the venture, not realizing they’d have a hard time getting people to come here to work.”
“Why?” Bess couldn’t bear the thought of Lester and Dora trying so hard only to fail.
“Roads weren’t as good in 1892 as they are now, Bess.” Lucy plunked down a bottle of ketchup. “Commuting back then was work—in mud season, impossible. There wasn’t anywhere close for the workers to live.”
“Major obstacle,” Bess mumbled. “How did they get past it?” Had they? She hadn’t seen a shipyard here and Miss Hattie had said that it was where Fisherman’s Co-op is now . . .
Miss Hattie tisked. “The poor dears were struggling something fierce to just keep their heads above water. And then Dora got an idea—enterprising woman, Dora—to sell off some of the land so that the workers could live here.”
“No commuting.” Bess smiled. “Works for me.”
“It did for them, too.”
Lucy let out a heavy sigh that worried Bess into looking at the woman. “Well, it worked for Lester and Dora until they made that train ride up to Lester’s family’s.”
Frowning, Bess looked to Miss Hattie to clarify. “To heal the rift, dear.”
“Oh.” She glanced back at Lucy. “Well, what happened on the train?”
“It crashed and they died. Bad tracks.”
“They died?” Bess stopped. “No, they .couldn’t have died.”
Miss Hattie patted Bess’s hand atop the table. “I’m afraid they did, dear.”
“But all those people moved here. What happened to the shipyard?”
“Lester’s family shut it down.”
Bess stifled another groan, but just barely. “Miss Hattie, no. He couldn’t put all those people out of work.”
“He sure did, sweetie.” Lucy cracked her gum. “That’s when folks turned to the sea.”
“Ah, so that’s how Sea Haven became a fishing village.” Bess lifted her napkin to the table, again figuring the story had ended, and feeling better because the sea had provided for the villagers. They were still here, right? So it must have.
“But that’s not the best part.” Lucy pulled out the chair beside Bess, then sat down.
Bess lifted a brow. “Oh?”
Lucy looked at Miss Hattie, whose kind green eyes twinkled. “Go ahead, Lucy. I know how you love talking about the legend.”
Maggie had told Bess about it, but Lucy looked as if she’d bust if she didn’t get to relay the telling. Bess couldn’t deny her the pleasure. “What legend?”
“The Seascape legend.” Lucy tut-tutted. “It’s wonderfully romantic.”
“I enjoy legends.” Clearly, Lucy enjoyed being romantic. Bess wasn’t at all sure she believed in romance anymore. Once she had, with John. But that was over now.
“You’ll love this one.” Lucy bent her elbows and leaned against the table. “It actually started before Seascape existed. Back when Lester’s brother Charles inherited the land. See, Lester and Dora didn’t have kids so when they died, the land went back to his dad. Charles eventually inherited it. He’s how Miss Millie came to own it. Anyway, Collin and Cecelia Freeport were newlyweds, and Cecelia loved the hill where Seascape Inn is now. She’d sit there for hours and hours. Collin tried to buy it, but Charles was a land hog and—”
“Be gentle, dear.” Miss Hattie pulled her white lace hankie from her pocket then dabbed at her temple.
“I wasn’t being harsh, Miss Hattie. He was a land hog, truly.” Lucy looked back at Bess. “But then Charles saw Cecelia and Collin on the hill. And he saw how much she loved it.”
“So,” Bess said. “He sold it to them.”
“No, it was something Collin told Cecelia and Charles overheard that convinced him to sell the land to them.”
Bess couldn’t imagine.
“I’m confused,” Bess admitted. “How could what happened be both?”
Miss Hattie explained. “Lester told his family that, despite their opposition, he and Dora had decided to take a leap of faith and open the yard anyway. They sank all their money into the venture, not realizing they’d have a hard time getting people to come here to work.”
“Why?” Bess couldn’t bear the thought of Lester and Dora trying so hard only to fail.
“Roads weren’t as good in 1892 as they are now, Bess.” Lucy plunked down a bottle of ketchup. “Commuting back then was work—in mud season, impossible. There wasn’t anywhere close for the workers to live.”
“Major obstacle,” Bess mumbled. “How did they get past it?” Had they? She hadn’t seen a shipyard here and Miss Hattie had said that it was where Fisherman’s Co-op is now . . .
Miss Hattie tisked. “The poor dears were struggling something fierce to just keep their heads above water. And then Dora got an idea—enterprising woman, Dora—to sell off some of the land so that the workers could live here.”
“No commuting.” Bess smiled. “Works for me.”
“It did for them, too.”
Lucy let out a heavy sigh that worried Bess into looking at the woman. “Well, it worked for Lester and Dora until they made that train ride up to Lester’s family’s.”
Frowning, Bess looked to Miss Hattie to clarify. “To heal the rift, dear.”
“Oh.” She glanced back at Lucy. “Well, what happened on the train?”
“It crashed and they died. Bad tracks.”
“They died?” Bess stopped. “No, they .couldn’t have died.”
Miss Hattie patted Bess’s hand atop the table. “I’m afraid they did, dear.”
“But all those people moved here. What happened to the shipyard?”
“Lester’s family shut it down.”
Bess stifled another groan, but just barely. “Miss Hattie, no. He couldn’t put all those people out of work.”
“He sure did, sweetie.” Lucy cracked her gum. “That’s when folks turned to the sea.”
“Ah, so that’s how Sea Haven became a fishing village.” Bess lifted her napkin to the table, again figuring the story had ended, and feeling better because the sea had provided for the villagers. They were still here, right? So it must have.
“But that’s not the best part.” Lucy pulled out the chair beside Bess, then sat down.
Bess lifted a brow. “Oh?”
Lucy looked at Miss Hattie, whose kind green eyes twinkled. “Go ahead, Lucy. I know how you love talking about the legend.”
Maggie had told Bess about it, but Lucy looked as if she’d bust if she didn’t get to relay the telling. Bess couldn’t deny her the pleasure. “What legend?”
“The Seascape legend.” Lucy tut-tutted. “It’s wonderfully romantic.”
“I enjoy legends.” Clearly, Lucy enjoyed being romantic. Bess wasn’t at all sure she believed in romance anymore. Once she had, with John. But that was over now.
“You’ll love this one.” Lucy bent her elbows and leaned against the table. “It actually started before Seascape existed. Back when Lester’s brother Charles inherited the land. See, Lester and Dora didn’t have kids so when they died, the land went back to his dad. Charles eventually inherited it. He’s how Miss Millie came to own it. Anyway, Collin and Cecelia Freeport were newlyweds, and Cecelia loved the hill where Seascape Inn is now. She’d sit there for hours and hours. Collin tried to buy it, but Charles was a land hog and—”
“Be gentle, dear.” Miss Hattie pulled her white lace hankie from her pocket then dabbed at her temple.
“I wasn’t being harsh, Miss Hattie. He was a land hog, truly.” Lucy looked back at Bess. “But then Charles saw Cecelia and Collin on the hill. And he saw how much she loved it.”
“So,” Bess said. “He sold it to them.”
“No, it was something Collin told Cecelia and Charles overheard that convinced him to sell the land to them.”
Bess couldn’t imagine.
Similar Books
