have to make sure that he only acted and nothing else.
Chapter 10
The angry grumbling in Victoria’s stomach woke her. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a spider crawling across a cracked ceiling.
With a start, she sat up. Where was she?
At the sight of the light blue walls and lacy curtains, the memories from yesterday came rushing back. She was at Race Point Lighthouse in a quaint keeper’s house with Tom’s parents. She smiled at the memory of their hugs and sweet welcome. She hadn’t spent much time with them, but she’d immediately sensed their warmth and kindness.
With a lazy yawn, she stood and stretched. Her corset pinched her ribs, reminding her that she’d slept with it on. She patted her head and realized that she’d also slept with her hair coiled into the same knot her maids had arranged for her wedding. Large swaths had fallen out and now hung in disarray.
She must have been exhausted from the day’s travel to sleep in her clothes all night. But it didn’t matter. She’d start the day with a bath and perhaps have the maid wash her hair. It certainly was dusty after all the traveling.
Scratching her head and extracting a loose pin, she crossed to the window. She pulled back the curtain to see that the sun was already high in the sky. From the way the light shimmered above the ocean, she could tell that the day would be a warm one.
She would have to don one of her light cotton garments.
With a sinking heart, she spun to find her lone bag sitting on a cedar chest in the corner. She’d only packed two additional dresses—one traveling suit and one everyday dress. She’d assumed she’d have access to a seamstress and be able to enhance her wardrobe with pretty new outfits and accessories.
But now… What would she do?
She lowered herself to the sofa. Its braided edge was frayed and the blue faded to almost white. She nibbled her lip and stared at her bag. The tip of her wooden driftwood cross poked out, her cross of hope, reminding her to have hope and to find the best in every situation, which she clearly needed to do now.
Perhaps she could send Tom over to Provincetown to locate a seamstress there. Even better, he could telegram one of the well-known seamstresses in Boston and have her visit the lighthouse and create her wardrobe.
In the meantime, she’d have to get by with the two dresses she’d packed. Certainly she could survive a few days. After all, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of her friends seeing her.
Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she pressed her fist against her middle to dull the ache. First, however, she needed food. As she searched the room looking for some way to call the maid, it dawned on her that there might not be a maid. This was a small house and wouldn’t require the number of staff that one of her father’s homes needed. The Cushmans probably had a single housekeeper who attended to all of the duties.
Victoria sighed. She supposed she would have to get dressed on her own. She’d had to do so in the past when she’d taken the trip to the Midwest with her father. She hadn’t relished the experience. But she could do it if she had to.
For several minutes she worked at extricating herself from her dirty traveling gown. When she was down to her corset, she rubbed at the chafed skin on her stomach where the whale bones had dug into her. She wanted to loosen the tight-fitting stays, but she couldn’t reach her arms around the back far enough to find the laces. The more she reached, the more the whale bones poked into her.
Finally, with a sigh, she gave up. She’d have to find the housekeeper later and ask her to come up and assist her. For now, she was stuck.
By the time Victoria finished putting on a fresh gown and buttoning and lacing all of the layers, she was over-heated with the effort. She was appalled at how wrinkled the garment was and decided that the housekeeper would have to iron it, perhaps while she was having her bath.
The open window allowed in a breeze, but it was clearly growing warmer and more uncomfortable in the upstairs room. She was too hungry and hot to take the time to do her hair properly. So instead of styling it in the usual