Free Punish Me With Roses - a Victorian Historical Romance by Juliet Moore

wild primroses. They were all beautiful, heavenly scented, and so different from what she was used to. Somehow it made her feel out of place. It was strange that even something of beauty could make her feel like the outsider. But that was her life. She'd done something terrible; she'd run away from it, and now she had to live with herself, surrounded by people she hardly knew.
    Continuing her trek, she--at long last--came upon a small lake. It was at the edge of a copse of trees. She was struck with the urge to sit down and spared only a small thought for the old dress she wore. She made herself comfortable on the grass.
    She hadn't been seated long when she heard the tinkling laughter of a young child. Was there a cottage nearby? Victoria looked toward the sound and saw nothing. She shivered, wondering what kind of spirits might haunt lonely copses and still waters. Then she heard it again and felt sure that the joyful intruder was very much alive.
    Thinking that she should have heard an adult's voice as well, she didn't feel comfortable ignoring it. She would take a look...just to be safe. She stood up and entered the copse.
    She was soon glad she did. Chasing a butterfly was a little boy who couldn't have been more than two years old. There was no one else to be seen.
    "Hello," she said, waiting to be noticed.
    The child had light brown hair and was dressed well. Where was his nanny ? She wondered. He had probably escaped her somehow, caught up in his own world. He still hadn't noticed her and was running around in random circles.
    She moved closer. "Where is your nanny?"
    Finally, she got his attention and he proceeded to behave like any other boy of his age. He stared at her with wide eyes and a bemused expression.
    There was only one thing to do. "Why don't we find your nanny?" She offered her hand, but he only stared.
    He looked around. "Mommy?"
    Her heart broke. "We can go see mommy, if you like."
    The little boy started to cry and plunged to the ground.
    Victoria wished she'd had more experience with children, but she could only work with what she had. She approached him cautiously, thankful that he didn't bolt. She wished he would stop crying. "Let's go see Mommy," she said and grabbed for his hand. He pulled his chubby fingers from her grasp and continued to sob.
    "Okay, we'll have to do this the difficult way." She picked him up, straining at his surprising weight, and balanced him on her hip. He struggled a little bit, but he actually cried less. It was something.
    She walked deeper into the copse, knowing that if the boy hadn't come from her direction, he must have come from the opposite. Desperately hoping she would find someone soon before her arms gave out, she gloried in the sound of a woman's voice.
    "I don't care what other important things you have to do; this is my son we're talking about! I've been looking for a half-hour and I just can't--" the woman finished with a sob, muffling her companion's response to Victoria's ears.
    The little boy squirmed in her arms, trying to move in the direction of the voice, and whimpered, "Mommy."
    "I told you we'd find her."
    The cottage came into view, as did the frantic mother. She saw the man she must have been arguing with, but their conversation had become less heated. Victoria let go and the boy ran to his mother.
    It was a joyous reunion. She approached slowly, giving the woman space to cry and rejoice.
    The man tipped his hat. "I guess you won't be needing me after all." He looked at Victoria. "Thank you for finding Mary's boy and saving me the trouble."
    Mary sneered at him and didn't seem sad to see him go. After he'd left, she approached Victoria. "I don't know how I can thank you."
    "There's no need. I found him by the lake and I wondered where his nanny was."
    "He doesn't have one." She gripped her son's hand tightly, smiling down at him as she spoke. "I don't know if I could trust anyone else to watch him. He's quite a handful."
    She smiled, admiring