Introduction/Rules | Prologue Part 2

Spring 1888

in the parlour of the Tangle family home, Brindleton Bay

"For the final time, Stefan, I will not pay for any more schooling for you! Your brothers never needed any, so why should you? They're all doing just fine as salesmen for the Lumber Mill. There's no shame in a hard day's work - I've been doing it all my life, and so shall you!"

"But - Father - I don't want to join the business as a junior sales associate. You know I've never been good at sales." Stefan tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but he was quickly losing patience with his elderly father.

"Balderdash. There is no such thing as being bad at sales. It just means you have to work harder. You've always been too lazy for your own good. A steady job would do you a world of good." Newton Tangle adjusted his tie and went to the sideboard to get a drink before he continued, "What you need is to find yourself a nice woman from a respectable family and start a family. I need more grandchildren. There's plenty of room in this house for you to bring in a wife and start on your heir."

"A wife? But I'm barely eighteen!"

"That's when your brothers got married! Why do you think you're better than they are?" Newton threw his arm in the air and took a bracing drink of whiskey. "All your life you've been contrary - why should I have thought you would be any different now!"

"I'm not! I'm ... " Stefan reached for some semblance of control on his anger. He was tired of his father putting him down and comparing him to his perfect brothers. "I won't do it, Father - I won't be your lackey at the Mill like my brothers!"

"Then you'll be forfeiting your inheritance! I'm not giving you a choice, here, son. You'll join the workforce and the Mill, and find yourself a respectable wife. Or you'll be finding yourself a new place to live. Now begone!"

Livid, Stefan stormed out of the parlor, grabbed his hat, and continued straight out the door of the house. He'd never considered that his father would be so opposed to him returning to school and becoming a lawyer - but to threaten losing his inheritance was extreme, even for his father.

After a long walk around Brindleton Bay to cool off, Stefan headed home, only to find his mother waiting in the Foyer for him.

"Why must you always fight with your Father, Stefan? He only means the best for you!" she asked before he could say anything.

"It's not my fault. He always expects things from me that I'm simply not going to do!" Stefan replied, trying to keep a rein on his temper.

"What are you going to do instead, then? You know there's no one in town that will hire you on if you're not working for your Father!"

"I'm going to look, anyway. It's not fair that the entire town always seems to be on his side! Next thing you know, he'll be arranging my marriage because I'm 'taking too long'!"

A guilty look from his mother was all he needed in reply to that. "Don't you even think on it. I'll find my own wife - in my own time!"

"Of course you will, sweetie." His mother took his shoulders in her frail hands and patted them as if to comfort him. "But while you're looking for that job you want - and a wife -perhaps it would be easier on everyone if you just reported to the Mill first thing in the morning. You know how hard Father is on me when you won't cooperate...." She looked at him beseechingly, letting her sentence trail off.

Sighing, Stefan looked away and replied, "Fine." Breaking his mother's hold of him, he turned and headed up the stairs to his room, his mind whirling. Surely someone in town would hire him and he could quit working at the Mill for his father.... the entire town couldn't be in his pocket, could they?

Fall 1888

in an upstairs bedroom at the Bates family home, BRINDLETON BAY

Juliet stared out the window, watching her little brother playing without a care in the world in the front yard. Wryly, she wondered if she'd ever been given time like that in her entire life. Maybe when she was small, before her father died. Before Mother remarried. ... But even then, Juliet doubted it. She had never been the boy that her parents had wanted, and if felt like she'd paid for it dearly with all the daily chores she was expected to do. Wash the clothes, the dishes, the linens, the floor. It seemed like something was always dirty - and it was always her job to fix it. Never Mary. Poor, poor Mary.

Juliet rolled her eyes and walked over to her wall mirror. Her step-sister's husband had died shortly after the marriage, and, bereft, Mary had run home to her father for solace. Not only did he comfort her, but he gave her the best room in the house, making Juliet sleep in the kitchen on a cot. He claimed it was so Juliet could be closer to where her chores were, but that didn't exactly make her feel better.

Wild giggling outside brought her thoughts back to her brother. If only he hadn't been born. He had been a late surprise for her mother, who had thought she would never have an heir, and he had been the apple of his parent's eyes ever since. He could do no wrong - and he certainly wasn't expected to do any chores. He had school, after all. He was destined to be a well-respected teacher, like his father. .. Or that's what everyone expected.

Juliet didn't plan on staying around long enough to find out. Surely she could find a husband before she ended up a spinster maid, always caring for a family she hated. She examined her figure in the mirror, smiled, and smoothed her blonde hair back. Somehow, she had to convince her mother and step-father to start letting her run the errands into town so she could see and be seen. She was never going to find a husband to take her away from here if she couldn't actually get out of the house to meet the bachelor in question.

Spring 1889

Behind the Deadgrass Discoveries Museum, Brindleton Bay

Juliet stood off to the side, watching Stefan Tangle quietly. He was a hard man to figure out. She knew of his rumored temper, but she'd certainly never seen any evidence of it since he'd begun courting her. They'd met in town when he'd practically stumbled over her in the town General Store, and she had done her best to flutter her eyelashes and simper like the town girls who always had beaus. He had been attentive ever since, taking her for Sunday drives after church - when the weather in this cursed town cooperated - and, while he had never been the most talkative and affectionate of men, time with him had been enjoyable. At least while she was with him she wasn't having to wash something else at home.

Her step-father had been reluctant to allow Stefan to court her at first, and it had taken the Tangle family reputation and all of Juliet's powers of persuasion to convince him that this was a good idea. After all, getting on the good side of one of the more powerful men in the county couldn't hurt his precious son's prospects later in life. Or - at least, that's what she'd told her step-father. He didn't need to know that Stefan had already confessed to hating this town as much as she did. He worked for his father at the Mill, but all he talked about when he did talk was finding a new place to work and live. .. Which worked out just fine for Juliet. Getting out of this town sounded like the perfect opportunity to her.

She glanced under her lashes at other couples walking past, heading for the beach below. Perhaps she could convince Stefan to make their arrangement more permanent, to take her away from here. She was doing her best to be exactly what he wanted - or what she figured every man wanted - a respectable society wife.

She took him by the arm, and steered him away from all the other people on the shore. Maybe she could get them a more private area up by the lighthouse, and get him to pay attention to her and not the water below.

By the end of the evening, she had - hopefully - snared even more of his affections. She had even let him steal a private kiss when no-one was around, and with any luck, that would start pushing him towards proposing. She had no idea what men actually looked for in a woman, but certainly a girl who hinted at so much more than a kiss but never gave it would spark a man's interest. No way would she allow more than a kiss - because she knew that was a quick way to be a mistress instead of a wife - but the kiss had seemed harmless enough.

Stefan escorted her back to her family's home, and they said goodnight at the door under the watchful eyes of her mother in the window. She turned to watch him go in the dim glow of the street lamps, marveling at the fine figure he cut in his tailored suit. Then, before her mother could find something else to complain about, she hurried inside to take care of the evening chores.

Introduction/Rules | Prologue Part 2