Free A Sordid Situation by Vivian Kees

A Sordid Situation

     
    Vivian Kees

     
    Copyright © 2010

     

     
    Chapter One

     

     
    London
,
1890

     
    “You’re penniless, my dear.”
    Eugenia Wareham leaned forward in her chair, not believing the
words she’d just heard. “Come again? Surely I haven’t heard you correctly. Can
you repeat that?”
    Randell Botsworth handed her a paper. “It’s all right there in
ink. I’ve known this for some time, but given the circumstances, we thought it
was in your best interest to delay telling you.”
    Eugenia scanned the document. Debt, and so much of it. “How? When
did this happen? You’ll have to excuse me, Mr. Botsworth, but this is very
shocking to say the least. I wasn’t aware of any of this.”
    Mr. Botsworth nodded his head. “Of course. I didn’t think you
were. William was a master at keeping secrets. It appears he had a penchant for
gambling and in particular, the many halls located in the west end of the city.
If you put two and two together, well…you can guess the rest.”
    “And the house?”
    “Gone.”
    “The rest?” Her heart began to race.
    “It’s all gone.” Mr. Botsworth let out a sigh. “I wish I could
offer you some words of comfort.”
    Comfort? There is no
comfort in being penniless. What am I to do? Where will I go? So many
questions bustled through her mind.
    “How much time do I have? When do I have to vacate?” She had no
family to speak of and she doubted that she would be able to look to William’s
side. They had strongly opposed their marriage, given the vast age difference
between her and William. He was old enough to be her father.
    “That’s not for me to decide. The new owner, a Mr. Cal Hawthorne,
I assume will be in touch with you. Everything is perfectly legal, and though
it may not seem right, Mr. Hawthorne has every right to come collecting. You
know I was fond of William, Eugenia, and I hate to speak ill of him and the
dead in general, but he should have told you all of this.”
    Blame. It was too late to
lay blame.

    “However, if Mr. Hawthorne is any sort of a gentleman, you should
be able to make an arrangement with him, to give you time to get your affairs
together. The word is he’s not an unreasonable man.”
    “Perhaps,” she replied, her voice shaky.
    “My dear,” Mr. Botsworth said, grasping her hand. “If only I
could do more...”
    She nodded and then bid him farewell.
    “I will leave you the papers. They are of no further use to me.
Expect a visit from Mr. Hawthorne soon.”
    Eugenia saw him to the door, and when she closed it behind him,
the prickle of tears overwhelmed her. Emotions rushed abound. Hurt and
frustration wafted over her in one gargantuan wave. How could William have
betrayed her? They’d formed a marriage built on trust, and now this? Was
everything a lie? She couldn’t help but imagine what other secrets he kept
during the past two years of their marriage.
    Penniless. She said the
word over and over until it echoed in her mind. This was a dream, a nightmare,
and at any moment she’d open her eyes. Everything would return to normal, and
she could just pretend none of it ever happened.
    But this wasn’t a dream. It was reality. Her new found reality.
    Eugenia raced up the staircase, mindful of her skirts until she
reached her bedroom, and slammed the door behind her. She needed to be alone,
needed time to think, to devise some sort of plan. Her future was precarious,
and there was no way she was going back to….
    Never again. I’ll die before
I let it come down to that.

    Eugenia worked hard for everything she had. William, the money,
the social status, none of it came without a struggle. And no one, not even Mr.
Cal Hawthorne himself would take it from her. Not now. Not ever!

     
    * * * *

     
    Cal Hawthorne smiled with pleasure. Thumbing through his ledgers,
he mulled over the numbers. He did well this month, in fact, excellent. It had
been the best month yet, gaining his greatest acquisition, Collingwood