I've been working steadily on this story, and I think it's finally coming along. YEAH! However, I don't have a title for it, so I need your help.
If you have a suggestion, let me know by leaving a comment. If I pick your title, I'll name you in my dedication page, and I'll send you a free copy of the book when it's published.
This is how I picture my hero and heroine. So romantic!!
Here is the very
rough draft of my first chapter. What do you think of my Victorian romance??
ONE
I must save the boy!
Madison
Haywood breathed deeper and squeezed her eyes closed as she clutched the lost
little boy’s boot to her chest. She ran the pad of her finger over the laces
and onto the rough brown leather. He’d been wearing this boot before he
disappeared, and she was anxious to find him. But if someone told her to try harder one more time, her head would
explode. Indeed! One did not merely ask a woman with her type of gift for assistance and then continue to
push them until they received answers.
She
tried to block out Inspector Johnson’s high-pitched, frantic voice, in order to
concentrate on the missing child. Madison focused on clearing her head of any
other image besides the lad’s boot. She couldn’t think about how she stood
inside the inspector’s office while two other men helping with the
investigation stared at her with judgmental eyes. Madison realized that not everyone
would believe in her visions. Most people called her an impostor, in fact. She
was used to that treatment from other people.
Pushing
all of her negative thoughts aside, she concentrated harder. The deeper she
breathed the more her body and mind calmed. Slowly, the images faded from her
mind of Mr. Clarkston’s middle-aged pocked blanched face, and his son who was
perhaps in his late twenties wearing a white lawn shirt that stretched tight
against his wide chest.
A
strong scent of coffee drifted around her, and she even pushed that from her
thoughts. The elder Mr. Clarkston noisily sipped at his coffee while his son
drummed his fingers on the desk, but Madison tried not to focus on their
distracting presence. Those unbelievers drove her insane sometimes. Thankfully,
she knew how to block them out of her mind.
Just
as she was finally able to put everything aside, the boy’s face grew clearer in
her head. Scratches marred his ten-year-old body, and dirt smudged his face.
His reddish-blonde hair matted all over his head. A small amount of dried blood
stained his ear. He wore one boot, and it was wet, as were the bottom of his trousers.
But
he was alive. At least for now.
She
couldn’t hear any sounds around him, but not very often did her visions allow
the sound to come through. From what she could tell, he was outside in the
woods. He sat on a fallen tree, eating… She breathed deeper, trying to focus on
the food going into his mouth, but her vision wasn’t visible enough for her to
determine the object. All around him were trees that were lying on the ground
instead of rising toward the sky. However, the lad was alone. She couldn’t see
anyone around him.
The
boy’s frightened eyes darted all around him. His chest rose and fell with quick
breaths. Finally, her vision opened up a little sound, but it was only his
heartbeat, hammering out of control. His mouth moved, but Madison heard no words,
but she recognized his lips forming the words Ma and Pa. It helped that
Madison had learned to read lips as a child.
“I
see him,” Madison whispered. Still blocking out the sounds in the room, she
continued to describe her vision to the detectives. “He’s in the woods. Fallen
trees are all around him. He’s scratched, but he’s fine.”
“Do
you see who kidnapped him?” Inspector Johnson asked in a tight voice.
“No.
He’s alone.”
Madison
zeroed in on the trees. That might help her decide what part of the woods the
boy was in. After all, there were only a few glades like this around London. At
first she couldn’t see anything that would give her a clue, but then the boy
leaned over and scooped up a handful of some kind of rusty, orange-colored
shavings. Next to his hand was an axe.
Realization
hit her, and she gasped, taking a step back. It was then when someone’s large
hand grasped her arm. She kept her eyes closed and muttered, “Woodcutters.”
In
a split second, the vision disappeared. Blinking, she tried to regain her
senses as she entered the real world again. Inspector Johnson’s brown eyes were
wide and his mouth hung agape. Mr. Clarkston’s face was even paler—if that was
possible. And his son…well, some people would never believe in her gift no
matter how many times she had proven them wrong. The younger Clarkston released
Madison’s arm, folded his arms across his chest, and arched a judgmental
eyebrow.
“Woodcutters?”
The inspector scratched his long, bushy brown sideburns. “I say, Miss Haywood,
I’m not certain what you mean by that. Judge Gruber is not acquainted with any
woodcutters that I know about. Why would they have taken his grandson?”
The
younger Mr. Clarkston snorted a laugh. “Did I not tell you she was deceitful?
This is all an act. I’ll stake my career as a barrister upon it.” He rolled his
eyes.
Madison
sat on the edge of the desk. Her visions had always weakened her for a few
moments. She’d never figured out why, but those unbelievers thought this was
part of her performance. She was exhausted with trying to convince them otherwise.
“We
have to trust her,” Inspector Johnson snapped, aiming a scowl at the younger
man. “We have no other leads.”
The
younger Clarkston grumbled. “This is all hogwash.” He motioned his hand toward
Madison. “I cannot believe a word that comes out of her mouth. The next thing
you’ll tell us is that she speaks to dead people as well.”
Madison
couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. “Actually,” she began as she tapped her
booted heel on the floor, “I can talk to dead people, but only if they allow
it. If you’d like, I could ask that ghost standing behind you now…”
The
man hitched a breath and swung around, looking behind him. Madison held back
the laugh ready to spring from her throat. However, she couldn’t stop the grin
stretching her mouth.
The
man growled and turned back to face her. He laughed slowly and forcefully. “You
are not very humorous, Miss Haywood.”
Madison
shrugged as her mouth still twitched into a grin. “I disagree. I think I was
rather funny just then.”
“Augh!”
The inspector shoved past the large man, and moved closer to Madison. “Harry,
leave her be. She has gotten more from her vision than the three of us together
have been about to find, so give her a chance.” Inspector Jonson met Madison’s
gaze. “You said Woodcutter. Why?”
Madison
swallowed the dryness in her throat, looking from the man’s desperate gaze to
the way he wrung his fingers against his middle. “In my vision, the boy scooped
up wood shavings. They looked to be fresh. Fallen trees were all around him,
which tells me he’s somewhere in the woods where woodcutters have been. And
there was an axe by his feet. The bottom of his trousers were wet, as well.”
“Hmm…”
The inspector paced the small area in the room. “Woods and water.” He stopped
and switched his gaze to Madison. “Is it possible that the boy is in Bromley?”
The
elder Mr. Clarkston choked on his coffee, and placed the mug on the desk. “My
cousin is a Woodcutter. He and his crew have been working in that area.”
Madison
swung her hand toward the door. “Then gentleman, I suggest you leave
immediately and investigate this further before you lose anymore sunlight.
Judge Gruber’s grandson appeared weak. His face was—” she peered at the
middle-aged man and stopped herself before she added paler than yours, “extremely white, and his eyes appeared sunken
in.”
The
inspector dashed around the desk and grabbed a pistol. “Let us go now.”
“You
cannot be serious,” Harry Clarkston whined as he shook his head.
Inspector
Johnson scowled at the younger man and shoved a pointed finger into his wide
chest. “I’m very serious. I’d rather look into this lead than have to tell the
judge that the boy is dead. And if, by chance, the boy is in the woods and we don’t look into the matter and he dies, I
don’t want to see his parents’ sad expressions, or see the accusing scowl from
the judge. I particularly don’t want the guilt of knowing that I could have
perhaps stopped this boy’s death, but I didn’t because you had reservations about the woman’s visions.”
“As
you wish.” Harry held up his hands in surrender. “We shall go, but if the boy
is not there—”
“Then
you will hear my apology.” The inspector nodded. He straightened and plopped
his hat on his head. His gaze met Madison’s. “I would like you to stay here. We
shall return before nightfall.”
Madison
bit her tongue. Should she argue? What could she possibly do in the inspector’s
office for that long? There was literally nothing for her to do. Twiddling her
thumbs wasn’t a very productive activity. For certain, she would go insane with
boredom during the long wait.
Slowly,
she released a frustrated breath and nodded. She must do what the inspector
asked of her. This boy needed to be found soon. The sun would be descending
within four hours, and once darkness covered the land, it would be impossible
to find the missing lad.
“I
shall wait,” she muttered.
Inspector
Johnson led the way out of the room, and the other two men followed without
saying another word. Madison meandered out into the large main room and found
an empty chair. As she glanced at the other policemen working for Scotland
Yard, it was hard not to notice their distrustful stares aimed right at her as
though she’d grown two heads. Or horns. Or even a tail. Most people didn’t
believe she was human because of what she was able to do.
She
should be used to this kind of silent treatment, but she wasn’t.
Since
she was in her seventh year, she knew something was different about her. Over
the years, it had become very difficult to convince people of her abilities.
And now, almost twenty years later, her situation hadn’t improved much. In
fact, the only thing that had improved was her acceptance with her gift.
Because
she was different than the other children in school, Madison had lived a lonely
life. She had a handful of close friends, and that was all she needed to make
her happy.
Sadly,
though…she wasn’t truly happy. Then
again. Was anyone?
She
slumped in the uncomfortable chair and stretched her legs out in front of her.
The tips of her boots peeked from underneath the brown and green gingham dress
she wore. With brown-gloved hands, she smoothed a few of the wrinkles that had
gathered since she’d arrived not too long ago.
Strange
how her day had progressed so far. After breakfast, a rider came to see her.
Madison had been staying with her best friend, Josephine and her husband on an
extended visit. The visitor from the Post let her know that Inspector Johnson
needed to see her on important business. Madison suspected her friend had
something to do with it, because of the bright spots of pink brightening on her
cheeks.
Josephine
had been friends with Madison since they were in their tenth year. She was the
first girl to accept Madison’s gift without judging her or thinking she was a
fraud. About a week ago, Josie told Madison that she should be assisting
Scotland Yard…that these men needed her.
Madison had never pushed her gift on anyone, and she wasn’t going to start
doing it now.
She
lifted her gaze and slowly took in everything—and everyone—in the room. Two men
wearing uniforms stood against the other wall, talking in low voices. They had
mud on their boots, which told Madison they had previously been out on a case.
One
older, gray-haired woman sat at the desk of one of the other officers, pleading
with heartfelt sobs for someone to help her find her lost dog. She clutched the
brown rope, turning it over and over in her hands. The officer assisting her
definitely didn’t appear as if they truly wanted to help the old woman.
A
young woman, perhaps in her very early twenties, sat by the two officers near
the wall. The woman’s swollen eyes were filled with tears and she dabbed a
white handkerchief to her cheeks as the tears rolled down her face.
Occasionally, the woman peered Madison’s way, but then quickly dropped her gaze
to her lap.
Madison
closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. This was going to be a very long day.
Already it had seemed like she’d been here for hours, and yet it had probably
only been forty-five minutes. A good fifteen minutes of that time was spent
trying to convince Mr. Clarkston and his pompous son, that maybe she could
actually be of some use to their case. For some reason, the inspector had
previously been convinced that Madison could help. She still had yet to find
out just why he knew—and accepted—her gift.
The
older woman’s sobs had Madison opening her eyes to look at the lady.
“Please,
Officer,” the woman begged as she leaned forward on the desk, “I know someone
has stolen my husband’s prized Labrador. Tobias is the best there is.”
“Uh…Tobias?”
The officer tilted his head and narrowed his gaze on the older woman. “Is that
your husband or your dog?”
The
old woman huffed. “That’s my dog, of course.”
Madison
held back a grin.
“Well
you see, Mrs. Inman,” the man strummed his beefy fingers on the desk. The lack
of sympathy in his tone let Madison know he didn’t plan on doing anything to
help the woman. “We are Scotland Yard Officers. We don’t help with missing dogs
cases.”
“But
don’t you see?” She twisted the rope in her hands. “I think someone has
kidnapped him, and…what if they want a ransom? Tobias is worth a lot of money.”
Madison
placed her hand over her mouth to keep from smiling. Although the situation was
far from being humorous to the old woman, Madison couldn’t help but smile over
the concern the woman had for her prized Labrador.
Mrs.
Inman held up the leash. “I don’t usually have Tobias on a rope, but this
morning, he had seemed jumpy, so I decided to tie him up so I could travel into
town to visit my grandchildren. When I returned, Tobias was gone.”
Madison
studied the leash. She wasn’t very far from the old woman, and so it was easy
to glance over the object. Immediately, she noticed something that obviously,
the other woman had overlooked. Should Madison say something? Yet, she had
always helped people in need anyway she could.
She
stood and cleared her throat. “Excuse me for interrupting,” she stepped beside
the older woman, “but I think I might know what happened to your dog.”
The
officer’s skeptical expression with the curled up lip irritated Madison more
than the older woman’s curious eyes.
“Miss
Haywood.” Irritation laced the officer’s voice. “I have this handled, but I
thank you for trying to assist.”
Madison
shrugged. “Yes, I can clearly see you have this handled, however, I just
thought I’d let the woman know her dog wasn’t stolen.” She turned to move back
to her chair, but the old woman touched Madison’s shoulder. She met the woman’s
gaze.
“What
do you know about Tobias?” the lady asked in a shaky voice.
Madison
didn’t wait to get permission from the officer, and instead, pointed at the
leash. “Do you see where your dog has chewed the rope? This tells me that your
dog freed himself from the leash.”
The
woman sucked in a breath as her hand flew to her throat. “Oh, my. I didn’t even
realize it had been chewed.”
“I’m
certain your dog didn’t go very far,” Madison assured her as she reached out to
place her fingers on the rope. The moment her skin made contact, a scene
flashed in her head. The Labrador was someplace dark and damp…and enclosed. The
light brown fur of the animal had turned nearly black from mud, and clumps of
twigs matted in the animal’s fur. The dog’s paws were wet, and Tobias shivered
as he whined.
“Mrs.
Inman?” Madison asked the old woman. “Do you know if there is a canal near your
home?”
The
woman’s face paled. “Y-yes there is. Why do you ask?”
“I
believe that’s where you can find your dog. He’s trapped in the canal.”
“How…how
do you know?” she asked warily.
The
officer snorted and flipped a beefy hand in the air. “Miss Haywood thinks she has visions.”
“Indeed?”
The woman’s eyes widened even more, of that were possible. “I’ve never heard of
such a thing.”
“Well,
Ma’am, I’ve been having visions since I was a young girl.” Madison folded her
arms. “When I touched the dog’s rope, I pictured him inside a dark, damp, hole
that resembled a canal.” She released a deep breath. “If you like, I shall go
with you to find him.”
Gratitude
danced in the woman’s brown eyes. “Oh, yes—”
“That
won’t be necessary,” the officer cut in. “I’ll have one of the officers assist
Mrs. Inman.”
Madison
held up her hands in surrender. “You will? I thought you just told Mrs. Inman
that Scotland Yard—”
“I
know what I told her,” the officer snapped. The man moved his gaze to the men
standing by the other wall, and he motioned for one to come over. “Escort Mrs.
Inman back to her home and the search the canal for her dog.”
“Uh…her
dog, Sir?” the other officer asked.
“You
heard me.” He pointed to the older woman. “Get on it immediately.”
“Of
course, Sir.” The officer assisted the older woman out of her chair.
Mrs.
Inman smiled at Madison. “Thank you so much. You’re a Godsend.”
Grinning,
Madison walked back to her chair and sat. She couldn’t count how many people
she had helped over the years. But in all of those times, she’d only been wrong
twice. She enjoyed seeing the smile of gratitude on their face. Their joy
brought happiness to Madison. And it also made it easier to dismiss people like
Mr. Clarkston and his pretentious son.
She
released a sigh and traced her gloved finger along a white stripe on her dress.
Stillness had settled over the room, but she didn’t look up this time. Knowing
she’d helped that old lady out made her content.
At
least for now.
Within
minutes, the floor creaked nearby Madison, accompanied by the rustling of a
woman’s dress. She lifted her attention. Standing right in front of her was the
younger woman who’d been crying.
“I
would like to hire you,” she said softly. “I couldn’t help but overhear what
you did with Mrs. Inman,” she pointed toward the door, “and I need your special
type of help.” She sat on the empty chair beside Madison. “I have the funds to
pay, I assure you.”
Shock
washed over Madison. This certainly had never happened before. “What…do you
need me to do?”
“My
younger sister has been missing for two days. My brother is an officer for
Scotland Yard, as was our father before him, God rest his soul. My brother is
at his wit’s end trying to find dear little Rosie, but I fear that he will sink
into the same melancholy as our father had when one of his missing persons
cases went unsolved.”
Madison’s
chest tightened. How could she turn the girl down now? And yet, she really
didn’t want to. Something inside of her leapt at the chance to show another
officer with Scotland Yard just exactly what she could do. Men like Harry Clarkston
needed to be brought down a notch or two.
“Do
you live here in London?” Madison asked, hoping she didn’t have to travel very
far. After all, her belongings were still at Josephine’s house.
The
girl shook her head. “We live in Illford.”
The
name of the town struck her like frigid water being dumped over her. It nearly
froze her body and her mind. She couldn’t go there! Her parents had died in that horrid town when she was just a
child in her sixth year. For years afterward, her uncle and aunt’s
nightmarish-type stories about her parents death—and how the town was to
blame—had brought fear to her as if the same fate would come upon her if she
returned.
No.
She couldn’t go there. Not even to help a missing girl. Taking a deep breath,
Madison prepared to give the young woman a plausible excuse why she couldn’t
help. But as she opened her mouth, the young woman grasped Madison’s hands
tightly. Her green eyes pleaded with desperation.
“Please,
Miss. You are our only hope. If you cannot help us, I fear not only my sister
will die, but so will my brother.” A tear leaked out of her red, puffy eyes to
travel down her moist cheek.
Silently,
Madison groaned. But she must turn away the request. Although she’d vowed to
help anyone she could…this just couldn’t be done. Not when she was so
frightened to step foot inside the town.
Once
again, she opened her mouth to refuse, but a memory intruded. She’d assisted a
dying man to reunite him with his children. So grateful for what Madison had
done, he made her promise on his deathbed, that she would never hide her gift.
His words echoed in her head, God has
given you this talent, which means you must share it with others. If you don’t,
what is the use of having a gift from the Lord?
Her
heart sank. Returning to Illford would certainly be an unbearable obstacle, but
it was one she would have to face, nonetheless. Hadn’t she been able to accept
her visions even though she’d been ridiculed and tormented? So if she could
hurdle that obstacle, she could get through anything!
Putting
on her best smile, she nodded. “I hope I don’t disappoint. I shall try to find
your sister.”
Relief
poured over the young woman’s expression and more tears streamed down her face.
“Oh, thank you Miss Haywood.” Sniffing, she wiped her cheeks. “My name is Alice
Wentworth.”
“It’s
nice to meet you.” She breathed slower, hoping it could calm her racing heart.
“So are you meeting your brother here?”
Alice
shook her head. “He doesn’t know I’m here. When I arrived, he was out on a
case.”
The
door to the office swung open so fast, it smacked the wall. A gush of wind blew
in leaves and debris, followed by a tall man with heavy boot-steps. The young
woman sucked in a quick breath and swung toward the man talking long strides
toward them.
“Alice
Louise Wentworth? What are you doing here?” The man’s deep voice boomed through
the room like a canon blast.
When
Madison got her first look at the man storming in the building, she lost her
breath. He was impressive, not only in height but in his looks. His powerful
shoulders that filled out his uniform were almost as eye-catching as his
handsome face. He removed his tall hat with the Scotland Yard badge on the
front, and his dirty-blonde hair had a slight wave to the fullness. When he
neared, his eyes blazed as green as she’d ever seen.
He
glanced her way briefly before turning his attention to his sister. His scowl
would make anyone hold their tongue for fear of being reprimanded.
“I…I
was waiting for you to return,” Alice spoke softly.
His
chest rose and fell slowly and his body relaxed as he folded his arms. “Did I
not instruct you to wait for me at home?”
Thankfully,
his tone had mellowed a little. But he continued to appear very upset at his
sister.
“You
did, but…I can’t sit at home and do nothing. I want to help find Rosie.”
His
square jaw hardened. “There’s nothing you can do,” he clipped.
“Perhaps,
but,” Alice turned and clasped Madison’s hand, “I truly believe she is the answer to our prayers.”
Finally,
Madison received the man’s full attention as his gaze skimmed over her from her
ringlet-styled hair that flowed over her shoulders and down her back, over her
gingham dress, and to her brown, leather ladies’ boots. When his gaze jumped up
to meet her eyes, he arched an eyebrow.
“Indeed?”
he said with a hint of sarcasm to his voice. “You believe a woman is the answer to our prayers?” He
shook his head. “I think not, sister dear.”
Irritation
boiled inside of Madison like water in a kettle hanging over a blazing fire.
How dare he insult her merely because she was a woman! If she hadn’t already
decided to assist Alice, this man’s attitude had made the decision for her.
She’d always been a little stubborn, and this man made it easier for Madison to
show her true colors.
Straightening
her shoulders, she lifted her chin and looked at Alice. “When do you wish me to
start?”
She
sneaked a peek at Alice’s brother. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.
Priceless. It was worth every second,
even if she feared she’d be arguing up a storm with this particular man.