HIS UNFORGETTABLE brIDE | brIDE SHIPS NEW VOYAGES #4
CHAPTER 1
To be truly polite, remember you must be
polite at all times and under all circumstances.
Victoria, Vancouver Island
Monday, November 1863
Juliet Dash knew how to spot a thief. Once upon a time, she’d been one.
Standing in the doorway of her attic bedroom and staring at her roommate, Juliet’s heart thumped in a wild clip. “You stole from the Firths?”
The cold November wind rattled the rafters as Ruby O’Reilly crouched to scoop up what sparkled like an emerald ring from the chilly floor. Juliet’s roommate stood, hiding the gem inside the folds of her dingy navy cape. “I don’t know what you’re yammering about.”
And yet Juliet had spied the ring with her own two eyes—the ring that Mrs. Firth hadn’t been able to find today. “I disagree.”
“Says you.”
Wasn’t that obvious?
A flickering tallow candle cast shadows on the unpainted walls and meager furnishings—a wooden bed, a two-drawer bureau, and a wash basin. She’d grown accustomed to the musty scent and had no quarrel with her living arrangement for the last ten months.
Other than the person who shared the space.
She and Ruby had little in common except for their employment and perhaps a thievery tie. But Juliet hadn’t swiped as much as an apple since she was ten.
They certainly looked nothing alike. She was average height and had fair hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. Ruby, small-boned and red-headed, had dark, knowing eyes that appeared older than the mighty ocean on the edge of Victoria. The purplish-green bruising around her left eye had nearly faded.
Juliet undid the cuff buttons on her black chambermaid dress and glared at Ruby, who stared back. The missing emerald wasn’t the first disappearing jewel in the house. A pearl-trimmed hatpin and an expensive brooch that had once belonged to the Queen’s daughter and awarded to the Firth family had also gone missing over recent weeks.
There had been unannounced inspections of the servants’ rooms ever since. Would another happen before bed tonight? “If you took the ring, give it back.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Miss High and Mighty. You walk around with your nose tipped toward the sky day after day.”
“Huh?” The opposite was true, and for good reason. The only thing Juliet had done with her nose was shove it against the grindstone. Never had she deemed herself better than anyone else because she knew deep in her heart she wasn’t.
“If you must know, I dropped a trinket from my beau. That’s what you seen on the floor.” Ruby tossed her cape’s hood over her head and stomped out of the room. A moment later, the servants’ back staircase creaked as she descended.
Juliet raised her eyes to the ceiling. The slanted walls peaked like the letter A. Where was Ruby sneaking off to on the brink of bedtime? To meet her man or for another reason? A troubling reason?
What could Juliet do about it? The easiest option was to crawl into bed and pray for a better day tomorrow. This wasn’t her business. She didn’t need to get involved. She wasn’t at fault.
After all, what if she’d been mistaken about what she’d seen Ruby drop? What if it was just a trinket? Yet Juliet’s experience and gut told her no. The stone on the bedroom floor had glinted like a priceless emerald, something she’d held and seen firsthand long ago.
The truth was that thievery was wrong. Juliet had learned that lesson the hard way. If Ruby had stolen the jewels from the Firths, especially the priceless heirloom from the Queen, she needed to return them. Now.
Besides, Juliet couldn’t sit back and do nothing, not when the Firths had been so kind to her over the past months of working for them. The least she could do was investigate where Ruby had wandered.
Juliet grabbed her black shawl from her drawer, tossed it over her shoulders, and tied her headscarf under her chin. Then she quietly crept down two narrow staircases to reach the bottom level and cracked open the door to a small back entrance hall without making a sound. Good or bad, she had a knack for sneaking around and doubted anyone would see her tonight.
Light shone underneath Mrs. Quinborow’s office door down the hallway, and Juliet hesitated. What if the strict housekeeper was about to do one of her surprise searches? There would be countless questions if she found Juliet and Ruby missing.
One more reason to return to the attic and not get involved.
Yet, if she didn’t do something now, Ruby might keep stealing. And Juliet would be just as guilty for allowing the crimes to continue.
Straightening her shoulders with resolve, she slipped from the servants’ entrance and into the starry night. The moon offered a heavenly glow—perfect for catching a thief. An owl hooted a greeting. Or perhaps a warning.
With no time to lose, she dashed across the loose-stone lane used for deliveries, then hid behind an evergreen tree in case anyone else stepped outside.
If she were Ruby, what would she do next? Hide the ring to get it out of the house, but conceal it where?
Juliet narrowed her eyes to study her surroundings. The sprawling manicured gardens spread out in a maze behind the mansion. She’d seen Ruby disappear into the gardens on other occasions and had assumed the maid met her man there. But what if she’d gone out to hide the jewels instead?
Juliet crept along the pathway. At times, she had to feel her way forward in the darkness of the tall shrubs. Ahead in the moonlight, she glimpsed the fancy wrought iron fence separating the Firths’ property from the neighbors’—the Lennox family—which meant she neared the back gate.
She halted at the clink of metal against rock and strained to listen. Was someone digging?
Was Ruby hiding the jewels? What if Juliet caught her in the act? Then she couldn’t deny the stealing any longer, and Juliet would have the upper hand. Maybe she’d threaten to report her to the police if Ruby refused to return the jewels to the Firths.
She stepped out into the open without giving herself a chance to second-guess her plan.
Ruby was kneeling, gripping a garden trowel, and stabbing the earth.
“What are you doing?” Juliet asked, even though it was apparent.
Ruby gasped and raised her head, her face hidden in the folds of her hood. “Why did you follow me?”
“To see if you would bury the goods. Looks like you are.”
“It’s not your business.”
Well, that wasn’t true. “If you put Mrs. Firth’s jewelry back where it belongs tonight and promise not to steal again, this ends here and now. No one needs to know anything more.”
Ruby leaned back on her haunches. “You can’t prove nothing. Where’s your evidence?”
In her roommate’s pocket, or maybe already in the ground?
After shooting Juliet a glare, Ruby continued to spear the earth with the garden tool. “Go ahead and tell them what I’m doing. I’ll be long gone before you get back.”
Juliet had seldom snitched in all her nineteen years, but if Ruby refused to cooperate, what choice did she have? None, other than to tell Mrs. Quinborow before Ruby got away.
What if someone linked her to the thievery? Shivers streaked over her skin at the mere thought.
Juliet turned and began returning to the house, winding through the shrubs, past raised beds and elegant fountains. It was impossible to know how the next few minutes would unfold. But one thing was certain. She had no intention of losing her position because of an upstart named Ruby O’Reilly. Or anyone else. No, ma’am.
Besides, she couldn’t allow Ruby to hurt the Firths any longer.
Juliet loved the stability of working for the family and the routine of domestic service—the schedule of rising at dawn and cleaning the same rooms day after day. She ate every meal in the same chair and table in the servants’ common room. After supper, she often completed mending or polishing and chatted with some of the other staff.
The rhythm had grown familiar and close to perfect, and Juliet wanted life to stay the same. Every day, she silently thanked Mrs. Morseby from the Immigration Committee for finding her this position when the bride ship arrived at Vancouver Island last January. Such an opportunity wouldn’t have been available to a nobody orphan like her back in Manchester. Now she lived in a house with lacy white curtains, embossed velvet wallpaper, and lush carpets.
“No!” Ruby’s distressed cry in the distance broke through the night. Had Ruby changed her mind? Was she telling Juliet to stop?
Juliet slowed her pace and waited once she reached the servants’ entrance.
Ruby caught up with her a moment later, panting and carrying a small cigar box. “Tell the truth, did you follow me out to the back fence once before?”
“No, why would I have done that?” And why was Ruby back at the house? Hadn’t she been planning to run away with the jewels?
The contents rattled as Ruby reached for the door latch. “You did so tonight, so it’s not much of a stretch.”
“Well, I didn’t.”
Ruby huffed and stepped inside, with Juliet trailing behind her. Instead of moving toward the staircase, Ruby veered down the hallway toward the housekeeper’s office. Was she seeking out Mrs. Quinborow? If so, why?
They passed by the kitchen, and the dark, empty room cast shadows. Beyond the kitchen, they reached Mrs. Quinborow’s door, which was tightly shut, with the light still glowing from the gap underneath.
Ruby lowered her hood and knocked.
“Enter,” Mrs. Quinborow called. The woman disliked drama, particularly with her staff, but tonight she’d receive a handful, whether she wanted it or not.
Ruby opened the squeaky door, and they both stepped inside the cramped little room and were greeted by the scent of honey. Only a framed needlepoint of the Lord’s Prayer adorned the walls, and a small table held a silver tea service and the honey pot. Two empty, straight-backed chairs rounded out the furniture.
Even on a good day, the housekeeper’s lined face appeared strained. Now it had scrunched like a leftover winter apple. She’d piled her gray hair in a tight bun atop her head, and not a single wisp had escaped.
“Whyever are you two out of your room?” She rose behind her wooden desk, wearing her everyday blue uniform with white cuffs and collar. A thick collection of keys dangled from her generous waist.
Ruby lifted her chin. “I have something to say.” A wall hook held a lit lantern, the flame matching Ruby’s locks—a blend of red, yellow, and orange. Even though her roommate looked like an innocent angel, she wasn’t.
“I need to tell you something too,” Juliet said. “Something important.”
The housekeeper crossed her arms. “Can’t this wait until morning?”
“No, ma’am,” Juliet said simultaneously with Ruby.
“Then proceed, and don’t dawdle.”
Ruby glanced at Juliet before releasing a rapid-fire spew of words. “She dropped a fancy ring on the floor in our room. I wager it’s the missing jewel that belongs to the mistress.”
Juliet’s breath caught in her chest. “That’s a dad-blamed lie.”
Mrs. Quinborow’s brow wrinkled. “What’s this?”
“What Ruby described is what she did, ma’am. Afterward, she went outside. I followed and found her digging in the yard, but I didn’t stay to learn if she was collecting something or hiding the ring.”
“Juliet unburied a box, then I grabbed it to show you.” Ruby opened the front of her cape and withdrew the cigar box, which she set on the desk next to a stack of papers. Then she raised the lid to display a handful of stones. “Don’t know the reason for the rocks, but thinking Juliet planned to hide the ring inside here.” She tapped the container. “She probably snatched the mistress’s other jewels too.”
Juliet thumped a hand on her waist as anger shot through her. “Another lie. I followed you outside, and…you retrieved the box, not me. When I said I was leaving to tell Mrs. Quinborow, you charged after me, cooking up this…twisted version of what happened.”
Ruby burst into tears.
What? Not only was Ruby a good thief but also a top-notch actress.
The housekeeper withdrew a neatly folded white handkerchief from her desk drawer and passed the cloth to the weeping woman. “Do either of you have physical proof that the other stole the jewels?”
“Ruby has the ring on her person, I believe.”
Mrs. Quinborow’s expression grew more severe—if that were possible. “Remove your cape and empty your pockets, Miss O’Reilly. You do the same, Miss Dash.”
Juliet followed the instructions, and Ruby also heeded the order. Mrs. Quinborow thoroughly examined them from head to foot and found nothing suspicious.
Where had Ruby stashed the ring?
Juliet’s mind raced, trying to piece together a solution to her predicament. All she’d hoped to do was the right thing and protect the Firths. But nothing was going according to her plans.
“I’ve been employed here for ten months and have a clean record.” What else could she say to convince the housekeeper she’d done nothing wrong? “The stealing didn’t start until after Ruby arrived months back.”
“Maybe you was waiting to get comfortable.” Ruby sniffled. “Then you figured you could pin the blame on me since I’m newer.”
When Mrs. Quinborow pursed her thin lips, they nearly disappeared. “If clear-cut evidence existed, I’d immediately send for the constable. Instead, I only have a box of rocks and two differing tales.”
The housekeeper sighed deeply as if she’d stored the breath in her chest all day. “These insinuations now cast doubts on your characters. Therefore, pack your things, both of you. You’re fired, and I shall not give you letters of recommendation.”
Juliet huffed out a breath of exasperation. How was this happening? “But I’m innocent.”
“I can’t take the chance.” Mrs. Quinborow stepped around her and Ruby before opening the door. “I’ll escort you upstairs to gather your personal things. Naturally, I’ll report this incident to Mrs. Firth in the morning.”
The world was tipping out of control, and Juliet placed her hand against the wall to steady herself. Where would she go? Her two friends from the bride ship, Willow and Daisy, had married and lived a boat ride away. Willow’s sister Sage lived next door but had left town with her employers, the Lennox family. And Juliet didn’t know why.
Would Mrs. Moresby help her find a new job despite the accusation? All the other women who had arrived on the bride ship from Manchester had either wed or resided with their employers. Nobody lived at the marine barracks, their first home on the island, anymore.
The housekeeper left the room as her charges filed behind her, silently parading to the attic. In the bedroom, Juliet quickly crossed to the dresser, opened one drawer, and retrieved her empty flour sack before stuffing her belongings inside—tattered shoes, scant clothing, Grandfather’s precious journal, and other small items. The uniform on her back belonged to her, the cost removed from her wages.
Ruby packed as well, grumbling as she did.
Afterward, they retraced their steps to the back service door before the housekeeper dismissed the women outside. The wind cried in the trees, and Juliet swallowed her tears of frustration. The stars shone dimmer than before. Or did she only imagine the lack of luster?
Ruby slung her bag over her shoulder and glared at Juliet.
Emotions whirled inside her, with anger and desperation near the top of the heap. “This isn’t my fault. You stole the jewelry.”
Ruby’s shoulders sank. “You can’t imagine how much trouble I’ll be in for this.”
“Losing your job?”
“Losing everything.”
“Trouble with who?”
When Ruby failed to reply, Juliet turned and strode down the service lane, her feet as heavy as her heart. She had better things to do than worry about Ruby, starting with where she might lay her head tonight. The wind gusted, and she tightened her shawl over her shoulders. Several paces later, she rounded the brick house and a rosebush hedge, moving toward the main road and cutting through the grass.
Losing her job wasn’t fair. But dwelling on what was just and what wasn’t had never done her a speck of good.
Ruby caught up with her in a few steps, and they walked side by side in the house’s shadows. “My man, that’s who. He wanted the Queen’s brooch.”
The rare heirloom was probably worth thousands of pounds, if not more. Losing it was undoubtedly a giant failure.
Would Ruby pay the price? Another black eye? Or worse?
Juliet’s chest tightened. As mad as she was at her former roommate, Ruby didn’t deserve someone hurting her or pressuring her to commit crimes.
“You still shouldn’t have stolen it or any of the jewelry, Ruby.” Undoubtedly, she sounded self-righteous, but maybe she had earned the right tonight.
“And you shouldn’t have interfered.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then how did the rocks get in the box?” Ruby’s voice turned threatening.
Juliet sidled sideways a pace, her heart clamoring. “I have no idea.”
“I think you know more than you’re letting on.” Ruby started to lunge at Juliet’s neck, her empty hand like a claw. “Maybe you’ve stowed the brooch somewhere and plan to keep it yourself.”
Juliet blocked Ruby’s arm and quickly unsheathed the small knife tied to her calf. She’d carried it with her since her orphan days of living on Manchester’s streets. “You keep to yourself.” She pointed the knife at Ruby and let menace fill her voice. “And I’ll do the same.”
Ruby backed up several steps. “Tell anybody about what happened tonight, and you’ll regret it.”
A bluff? Probably not.
She watched as Ruby disappeared into the night’s shadows. With the weapon still in her fist, Juliet moved west toward downtown. A woman never knew what to expect on the streets alone at night, but Juliet was accustomed to caring for herself. She’d had lots of practice.
It was too late to bother Mrs. Moresby. She’d have to wait until morning to explain tonight’s disaster and ask for help finding a new position.
Fortunately, Mrs. Moresby was a good woman, and Juliet could use one of those now. She hadn’t known many in her lifetime. There was Willow, Daisy, and Sage. And Molly, her friend from the orphanage.
She shifted her gaze toward the starry night sky and pictured God somewhat like her grandfather who’d raised her for a while—trustworthy, wise, kind, and loving. But after his death, God had disappeared too. Still, she paused and squeezed her eyes shut. “Dear God…” A minute passed, then two. “I’m still sorry for all the mistakes I’ve made.”
Quick as a pickpocket, a heaviness pressed against her chest, almost stealing her breath. “What will become of me?” she whispered to the night.
Although Juliet no longer believed in fairy tales, she wished she did.
Instead, a hard reality stared back at her. She was homeless again.