The Orphan Girl and Her Search for the Truth

By Xlibris US

Olivia Abigail Eastcote, at the age of 17 decides to set out on journey to search for the truth about her parents. During her time at the Orphanage for Girls, located in London, England, she learns from her high mistress, Mrs. Grace Van Loon, through a letter and receiving a locket that her parents were killed. Olivia refuses to believe this...
She takes her best friend, and soon to be lover, Thomas De Wilde with her to find her parents. They journey to Paris, France and Olivia ends up staying with the Prince at his palace during a time where Olivia and Thomas are separated.
When Olivia meets up with Thomas again, it is there that Olivia learns about her parents, and she finds out her worst nightmare coming true. This causes her to make a choice of whether to live or not. Prince James and Thomas begin to fight for Olivia, but in the end Olivia and Thomas return to London to start their lives together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499047677

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Crystaldawn Earl.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014912139

ISBN:      Hardcover           978-1-4990-4768-4

                Softcover            978-1-4990-4769-1

                eBook                 978-1-4990-4767-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/13/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

620709

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter One Ella Ville’s Invitation

Chapter Two The Library

Chapter Three The Big Dinner

Chapter Four The Runaway

Chapter Five A Horrible Winter And The Stranger

Chapter Six Christmas In The Mountains

Chapter Seven Prince James

Chapter Eight The Unexpected

Chapter Nine The Twenty-First Birthday Ball

Chapter Ten The Return

Chapter Eleven The News Revealed And Her Worst Nightmare Comes To Past

Chapter Twelve A New Personality

Chapter Thirteen Prince James Returns

Chapter Fourteen Prince Vs. Pauper

Chapter Fifteen Olivia’s Choice

Chapter Sixteen The Returning Journey

Chapter Seventeen Olivia’s Amends

This book is

dedicated to my family and friends

who believed in me, and encouraged me to publish this long awaited book.

INTRODUCTION

I t was a cold, dark winter night of December 9, 1798 that a happy couple of the French Court were sitting in their warm little house in Paris, France, with a warm fire burning. Mr. Dmitri Edward Eastcote was sitting on the small wooden rocking chair near the fireplace reading a passage from the bible. While he was reading out loud the story of Christ’s birth, his dear wife, Sophia Marie Eastcote, was sitting on the other rocking chair. She was holding their year old baby girl, and rocking her to sleep.

It was the first night that there was silence outside their house. For that this time there had been many, many attacks on families in Paris. Reasons why the attacks were happening were unknown to even the king and queen. Who have since sent guards after the attackers, each time a new family had been killed. When Dmitri finished the passage from the bible, he turned to his wife, Sophia and asked, Sophia?

Sophia, was looking lovingly down on Olivia, then looked up at Dmitri and answered, Yes Dmitri?

Dmitri then continued, Tonight is the first night in over a number of months that it has been quiet outside. Why do you think that is?

Sophia pondered for a moment, before answering, I don’t know dear. But I noticed the silence also. It’s almost as though the mysterious attackers have given up on killing families; especially with our majesties having their guards chasing them outside of France.

Dmitri nodded and remained silent as he stared into the fireplace. He was trying to feel just as content as Sophia was feeling. Then thoughts of his little girl, and how she looks so much like his dear wife, from the moment he met her, calmed him out of his worries.

For Sophia, from the first moment he met her…she has had him hypnotized with her beauty. She has dark beautiful hair, and gorgeous brown eyes with such fair skin that almost looked like it was as soft as a baby’s skin. Dmitri smiled to himself knowing that his daughter inherited that beauty, but he was even more proud to know that she inherited his nose, and even a hint of his chocolate eyes.

When the baby girl was fast asleep, Sophia carried her into her small bedroom and laid her in her crib. Her bedroom was surrounded with colors of browns, reds, blues and greens. There was one teddy bear that Sophia made for her that she put by her daughter every night. So that she could sleep with it. Then Sophia left her daughter to sleep and returned to Dmitri in their living room.

Well, our little girl is now put to bend and is sleeping like one sweet little angel. Sophia assured Dmitri as she returned to the rocking chair.

That’s because she is an angel. She takes after you. Dmitri complimented his wife and she smiled with a blush, and he continued with such pride, And tomorrow she will be taken to the Cathedral and the Priest will baptize her, giving her our title of Courtier.

Yes, and then she could have every chance to marry anyone of nobility…and if she’s lucky, thanks to her beauty, she could marry the new prince! Sophia agreed in excitement.

Oh, what a beautiful daughter we have! All because of how much love we have for each other! I love you my dear Sophia.

I love you too Dmitri.

They leaned into each other and gave a most beautiful, even innocent, kiss only a couple could give. Just then, a torch of fire was thrown through their window, and they both jumped off their chairs and moved to the corner of the fireplace. Dmitri was in front of Sophia, keeping a defensive position around her. He urged Sophia to go get their daughter and make sure she was safe. Sophia obeyed.

He walked slowly to the window and remained hidden by the window and took the chance to peek out the window. It was then that he moved again to avoid another torch thrown through the window. The house was on fire now, and Sophia ran out to Dmitri, their baby in her arms wrapped in a blanket. Dmitri ran out of the house, pulling Sophia with him. He had some possible hope that they could escape the danger in the front of the house, by escaping through the back.

To their dismay, and shock, there was no way to escape; for they were surrounded around the whole house. So Dmitri, using his rights as a Courtier, shouted in hopes to make peace, As Courtier Dmitri Edward Eastcote, I demand to speak to your leader!

There was a raspy male voice that answered, I am the leader! I am here to sentence you and your family to death, unless you agree to give up your titles of nobility!

It was dark and the only thing that Dmitri could make out of the leader was that he was dirty from head to toe, and he had a thick mustache along his upper lip. He was carrying a rifle in his right hand and was sitting on a black horse. Just like him, all his followers were also on horses and wearing hats and bandanas to cover their faces.

Dmitri looked at Sophia in shock. How could they refuse their title for some stranger? Only the king and queen can take that from them. If they refused, the only other option, however unfair it seemed, was death. He turned to the stranger and pleaded, Look sir, I don’t know who you are and why you think you can demand such a thing of my family and me. So I ask, can there be a way that death would not be the other option, and we come up with a compromise?

The stranger was not even silent for a moment; he yelled in demand, There will be no compromise you fool! Either you remove your title or your family will die tonight!!!

This time it was Sophia that spoke, Sir, please, we don’t know who you are, but you have no right to order us around this way…

"Silence woman!!!"

The stranger shot his gun, but missed Sophia and Dmitri by a foot.

Now, I’m afraid I can see you won’t give up your noble titles, so I am going to sentence you both to death. How about the lady first? It will be good to silence that mouth of hers.

"No!!" Dmitri yelled, and pulled his wife away from him. At that very moment, there was the demand of ‘FIRE!’ and bullets were flying everywhere as men were shooting at them. Dmitri kept running with his wife and child right behind him, and when he was near the little river, near their house, he stopped his wife. With a demanding and pleading voice, he yelled over the continuing gunshots coming their way saying, Sophia!! You have to take the baby and save yourselves! You two are all that I have left, and I must stay and fight! Take her before you are both killed!

Sophia, being shocked and tears flowing down her face, fought, "No Dmitri! I won’t leave you, I CAN’T! I love you and I need you!"

The house was burning completely now, gunshots were being fired from the east and they were hiding behind the long weeded grass by the river. Dmitri took one last look at his wife, kissed her on the cheek and said, I love you Sophia.

Then he leaned down and kissed his precious daughter one last time on her soft face and whispered, I love you.

Sophia, still determined to stay with her husband during the attack, took a necklace from her neck…a locket…and placed it inside the blanket with her daughter. Then she took her and placed her hidden by the river under some thick bushes. She kissed her daughter and hugged her with all of her heart, and then she knelt down and began to pray from the heavens to help give her strength.

Afterwards, she said her farewells to her baby, knowing that somehow she could hear her and said, I love you my sweet angel. Don’t forget us!"

CHAPTER ONE

Ella Ville’s Invitation

O n the morning of September 13, 1815, a young seventeen year old girl by the name of Olivia Abigail Eastcote was lying awake in her flat, hard feather bed at The Orphanage for Girls located in London, England.

Olivia has long, brown hair with loose curls, and chocolate brown eyes. Her face is fair, but rather dirty from the chores she is made to do each day. In town, however, she is said to be one of the most attractive girls. Her only problem is…she’s an Orphan, and that fact is not appealing to strangers who pass through town.

She wears only three outfits each day. Not by choice, but because of living at the Orphanage since she was a young baby, three outfits was all she was ever given. One of which is a ragged dress with rips along the skirt area and the shoulder straps. This is the dress that she wears everyday with her only pair of old black shoes. The other two outfits she wears are a long white night dress with buttoned sleeves and a nice dress for the governor, that occurs only once a year in November at the Orphanage.

She changed into her ragged dress before she slowly made her way downstairs to join some of the other girls for breakfast. It was then that she saw there was an envelope with her name on it. She was surprised! There are hardly ever any days where she receives letters in her life, in fact, never has she. But all the same, she opened the letter and begun to read it silently,

Olivia,

You are invited to my birthday party this afternoon. The party is set to begin at twelve-thirty pm. I hope that it would be alright if you came. Before coming, I think that you should ask Mrs. Van Loon for permission…I don’t want you to get into trouble again. I apologize for the short notice and I hope you can make it.

Ella Ville

P.S. Please don’t come without permission!

In the excitement of being invited to Ella’s party, she began to eat her breakfast of porridge, toast and drinking her glass of milk in a hurry. Some of the girls, seeing this, were one by one staring at her in wonder and whispering to the other if they knew why Olivia was eating her breakfast so fast.

When finished, she ran back upstairs to look for some money, but to her disappointment, she only found one single coin under her bed. She figured that this coin was going to have to be enough to possibly, but doubt filled her, buy a gift for Ella.

She returned downstairs to ask permission, but remembered that Mrs. Grace Van Loon, the Orphanage owner, and headmistress, was still returning from her business trip in Paris with the governor. So, Olivia figured that the only other person she could ask permission from would be Miss Ruby Vine.

Miss Vine is a short, young lady about thirty-two years old. She takes care of the girls while Mrs. Van Loon is gone. Compared to Van Loon, she is one of the nicest women that the Orphan girls know. Another one who is just as kind to the girls is Miss Lila Girdwood, who also works for Mrs. Van Loon.

Miss Vine was in the living room, dusting furniture when Olivia came down the stairs. Olivia stopped in her steps near the stairs by Miss Vine. She noticed this, looked up at Olivia and asked, Yes? What is it dear?

Olivia answered hesitantly, Miss Vine? I have received an invitation to Ella’s birthday party that is set to happen this afternoon…and…and I was wondering if I could go…?

Miss Vine stopped dusting by this point—and looked up at Olivia seriously for a moment before answering in a stern, and you-know-the-answer voice, Miss Eastcote, you do realize that Mrs. Grace Van Loon is returning this afternoon…?

Without thinking, Olivia answered, Yes…

Then Miss Vine continued, as though Olivia said nothing, You also remember that when she left, she ordered that you…especially you…were not to leave the Orphanage for anything.

Becoming saddened by this reminder, Olivia responded, Yes.

Also, I might add, if she was to find you gone again when she returned…you above all, would be punished!

Right,

Then I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go. No! I’m afraid you have to stay here.

She returned to her dusting, leaving Olivia standing in silence. Only then did Olivia immediately decide that she wasn’t going to let it end here. She was going to go, rather than stay cooped up inside for another moment. If that meant punishment, then she would do whatever it took to go. She had an idea, and decided to try it, Miss Vine?

Miss Vine looked up yet again, and Olivia continued hopeful, If you let me go…I promise, that the headmistress will not find out that I was out. I will return before she does. Then no such punishment will be made.

Miss Vine didn’t like the sound of the plan, for just like in the past with Olivia, nothing went according to plans. Olivia was always caught by Van Loon no matter the promises made, Miss Vine had noticed over the last sixteen years. In the end, Miss Vine agreed to Olivia’s plan. She beckoned her over and reached into her pocket. Taking Olivia’s hand, she handed her two coins saying, Here, take these. See what you can buy for your friend.

Olivia was beginning to pull her hand away, but was firmly stopped. She looked up at Miss Vine, confused. Miss Vine sternly looked at Olivia, and with a hard, cautious voice continued, But please, be careful with the headmistress! You know she isn’t fond of you disobeying her all the time. She won’t take this one very kindly if she finds out you are gone. You do know that right?

All Olivia could do was smile at her achievement, and answered Miss Vine, Yes. I do.

She turned away from Miss Vine, but stopped in her steps, faced Miss Vine again saying, Miss Vine?

Miss Vine patiently looked up again, showing that she was listening, and then Olivia cleared her throat and continued, Thanks. And don’t worry, I promise to be back before the headmistress returns. She won’t even know that I had even left.

She turned once more and left Miss Vine alone praying that this would all go well. Praying that the headmistress wouldn’t find Olivia gone…again!

Olivia hurried to the front door, opened it, and before making a run for it, she checked if it was all clear of Mrs. Van Loon. It was! She ran away from the Orphanage, and only changed to a walking pace as she headed closer to the market.

The day was sunny and warm for a September day. Olivia could smell the breeze while she walked up the street. She was enjoying this moment of being out of the Orphanage and going to Ella’s party. She decided that the first thing she would do was to go to the market and buy her friend a gift with the coins that Miss Vine added to her single coin.

On the way there, she walked by a park that was full of children playing everywhere. There were also people walking their dogs along the lake in the middle of the park. Sometimes someone along the way would ask her directions to the library and she would easily tell them where to go and how to find it. If there was one place that she loved the most to be in London…it would be the library. For the library, she could find and read hundreds of books filled with adventures and imaginations. She would often read just to escape the life she lives at the Orphanage, and most of all with Mrs. Van Loon. For the headmistress has never been the kindest person to Olivia…and Olivia has never known or cared why; and in the end has learned to hate the headmistress.

At the market, Olivia is well known. Because she was sent mostly every week by the mistresses to buy items needed at the Orphanage. As she passed each shop, people would try stopping her to sell their products. Often times she would buy, but today she told them, Sorry. I’m just here to buy a gift for my friend. It’s her eighteenth birthday today.

When she found a shop filled with all kinds of jewelry, she walked over to see if there was something she could buy for Ella.

She found it!

It was a simple, silver locket with flowers engraved on the front. She reached for the coins in her pocket and asked the seller for the price of the necklace. The seller told her,

That locket there is just three coins Miss Eastcote.

She felt lucky! Thanks to Miss Vine, she had just the right amount and bought the necklace. Then she placed it in her pocket and left the market, passing the library, and turned into a small neighborhood to make her way to Ella’s house. She turned on the street she needed and by doing so, she bumped into someone, and fell to the ground.

She looked up to see who it was. It was Thomas De Wilde. Thomas is an Orphan boy like herself, only he no longer belongs to an Orphan home anymore because he is eighteen and of age. That makes it so that he no longer needs to be taken care of by anyone but himself. Though an Orphan, he’s also very popular wherever he went—especially places that were flocked with girls who fancied him. Everyone in town knew him.

When she fell to the ground, she looked up at his beautiful, smiling face. He is a tall, young man, with brown eyes and golden brown hair that came a little past his shoulders—which he kept in a headband. His face was perfectly clean and his chin was strong…at least that’s what some people in town said when they laid eyes on him. He was wearing a blue, baggy shirt that he kept tucked loose into some black pants and black boots that came a little under his knees; he also was wearing a small, red bandana he had tied around his neck.

Now Thomas and Olivia had known each other since they both met in the market in their early teenage years. Since then, Thomas has had a fancy for Olivia, and not just for her all-around beauty, but for the kind of person she is—independent and, at times, stubborn.

Noticing she was on the ground, he helped her up. Afterwards, when he saw she was up and alright, he asked in a happy and yet curious voice, Olivia? What are you doing here? Why are you not at the Orphanage?

He pointed ahead of him.

Olivia answered stubbornly, but in a teasing manner, Thomas! It’s Ella’s birthday today. She’s invited me to her birthday party, and well…here I am!

She posed like she just ended a grand speech and Thomas was her audience that would be soon applauding her. Soon after the moment of pause, she continued with a proud, achieving smile on her face, Actually, I wouldn’t be here if my headmistress, Mrs. Van Loon, was back with the governor. But Miss Vine, after some persuasion—gave me permission.

He took that as a reasonable answer. For if he knew Olivia as much as he had hoped, he knew that this wasn’t something to argue about. He knew that when Olivia had made a decision to do something, she went to all ends…even trouble…to accomplish it.

Instead of arguing the matter, he started a different conversation, How have you been Olivia?

I’ve been okay. She lied, but still continued, I just can’t wait until I can leave the Orphanage! My headmistress is unbearable and I can’t stand her!

This answer made much more sense to Thomas. He actually was waiting for this more truthful answer, other than just an ‘I’m okay’ one.

My headmistress is always finding ways to punish me…even if I do the smallest things wrong. But if she does somehow find out about what I’m doing now, by leaving the Orphanage, when she ordered me to go nowhere while she’s gone on business, who knows what she’ll do? I don’t care anymore though! I will be rid of her soon enough!

Then she turned to Thomas and asked, How about you? How are you doing?

He smiled at her question and answered, I’ve been well. I found a job working at the fish market for a decent pay, and now I am living in town in an extra room near the market for a reasonable price.

Olivia was excited to hear how her friend, Thomas, was doing. However, she was still slightly jealous of how much he could do without finding himself in trouble. All the same she