Tidepool by Nicole Willson

Author:Nicole Willson [Willson, Nicole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781953539885
Publisher: The Parliament House

Chapter Fifteen

SIMEON OLIVER TAKES A WIFE

Mrs. Ada Oliver

1817-1851

* * *

I always hated being by the water, even before I drowned in 1851.

My fear of water began when my mother, intending a brief swim, was swept away in a river by our Virginia home shortly after Quentin was born. After her death, my father, who worked long hours to maintain the wealth he had built up as a banker, entrusted us to a succession of governesses. Although we still lived close to the river, I struggled and screamed whenever anyone attempted to take me there, and they eventually gave up trying.

And then my father was thrown from a carriage and died of his injuries in my sixteenth year. Quentin, only ten at the time, and I were alone in the world.

But not for long.

My father, who had been young and healthy, had made no provisions for our care. He had dismissed our governesses when I turned fifteen. And neither of our parents had any living relatives who were in any position to take us.

I believed that I would be raising Quentin and myself with Father’s money, but that changed when one of Father’s friends, Mr. Simeon Oliver, began paying us regular visits. His wife had died of consumption some years before, and he had spent many hours with Father, Quentin and me since that sad day.

He showed up at our door bringing meals and other provisions for us, and he claimed to be quite concerned about how the two of us would get on without Father or any other sort of parental figure in the house.

I always found Mr. Oliver quite handsome. He had long wavy black hair he wore swept back from his face, and very intense dark eyes. I had known him since I was a child, but his attentions to me after my father’s death felt different. The way he looked at me made me feel both bashful and beautiful.

He came to us one Christmas morning laden down with gifts: a beautiful red dress and jewelry for me and wooden toys for Quentin, who showed no interest in them. Quentin had always been odd around other people; no matter how many times Father chastised him for his poor manners, he simply did not understand how to behave in public company. He and I doted on each other, especially after Father’s death, but he wanted little to do with anyone else.

Mr. Oliver, who had become used to this behavior from Quentin, seemed to pay it no mind. He watched us open our gifts and then asked us to sit with him.

“Ada? Quentin? I have been speaking with my sister Ellen, and we were hoping that perhaps you would come live with us. We know we cannot replace your parents, and we would never try, but I believe your father would have wanted us watching out for you.”

A new family for Christmas? I warmed to the idea immediately. I had been feeling quite lonely and sad in our large house and liked the idea of moving in with the kind, handsome Mr.

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