Minerva's Journey

By Dot P. Sticht

Minervas Journey is the story of a woman in the late 1800s who discovers too late that she has married the wrong man but suffers through indignities he outs on her for more than a decade. She is conscientious about keeping her home clean and neat and loves animals to a fault. Eventually she is told to leave her home that they shared because he doesnt want to be married to her anymore. Her journey continues as she flees for her life to her dear, older friends Maud and Ralph Cochran. There shes given an opportunity to live at her wealthy cousins mansion as a personal seamstress.

In the meantime, throughout many years, the towns constable has loved Minerva from afar but knows that he cant have her because she was married already. He finds the opportunity after her divorce to pursue her. The winter cotillion has him stationed as an officer at the bottom of the main stairs of Col. Homes home, and when Minerva starts down those stairs in her dark-green taffeta dress, the constables breath is taken away. From there, the romance blooms. Minerva still has hard times, but with her new love, she makes it through. She eventually marries the constable, and not long after, she is expecting a child, although they end up with twins

In this story you will see and feel all the emotions of the characters. Readers will cheer for Minerva as she deals with all her trials, as well as her heartfelt tender moments. And there is her love for the constable, Iain McGregor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514403969

Dot P. Sticht

After publishing her first book, Dot has written a sequel, Clan MacGregor, which is full of wonderful characters and situations. It is a story about Minerva's family—her two children and the perils they face with their family, as well as their issues with growing up. They are the main characters. Readers can certainly identify with what's happening in their lives and that things do happen to people whether they wish them to happen or not. Clan MacGregor is a heartwarming adventure that readers will love. Dot and her husband are retired and are living in the rural community of Saulsbury, Tennessee. They have five grown sons and ten grandchildren. Dot also loves to sew and enjoys crocheting, hand embroidery, quilting, as well as crafting, gardening, and spoiling her cats and dogs. She is an avid reader and has been writing short stories since the age of ten. She is also an accomplished poet and enjoys writing about children, animals, and nature.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

How it All Began

‘…Catherine Adele Smith and William Petrie Douglas, united in marriage on this eighteen day of August, 18—…’

M INERVA ADELE DOUGLAS Grum mused over the marriage certificate she held in her hands. Her parents were both dead now. Her mother was born in America, in the state of Virginia, while her father was British-born. Minerva, like her mother, was born in Virginia, and when she was a small child her father decided he wanted to go back to his home country, taking his family with him.

In the beginning her father was a young emigrant working at a pub in Richmond, sleeping in a closet upstairs for free, as a good gesture from the pub’s owner, Mr. Cubbwood. The young man kept his wages in a small box, stowing it in a large chink in the wall of his closet. He had come to America to seek his fortune, but quickly found it hard to do because of thousands of others seeking to do the same thing. Everyone was scrambling to get work somewhere, no matter how little the pay. Then one day, as William was sweeping under a table in the pub, a young brown-eyed beauty came into the pub and spoke to Mr. Cubbwood about a job as barmaid. William noticed her eyes right away, with their extremely long lashes. He marveled at her golden-brown hair. He traced her shapely form from top to bottom as she conversed with the pub owner. Suddenly he realized how he was looking at her as if she were a piece of savory meat on a platter. Cursing himself for his thoughts, he turned to continue sweeping the floor. He was resigned to the fact that he probably would never see her again. Fortunately for him she was hired that very day as a barmaid.

Their relationship took a slow start, but after about a year William could stand it no longer; he had to marry her. With both of them working, they figured they could save enough money to live on. They eventually secured a small studio apartment above the theater across the street from the pub where they worked. One thing they didn’t reckon on was having children. Their little girl, Minerva, was born eleven months later, with the help of the local midwife. Soon the apartment began to feel crowded, so William decided right then to take his little family back to England to live. He knew he could get help from family members. Minerva was three years old when William and Catherine sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and settled into a tiny cottage in the English countryside. Seven years later he suffered a serious bout of pneumonia and died, leaving Catherine to raise Minerva all by herself.

When Minerva was twelve years old, Catherine married a man having a goodly inheritance, but he also died a few years later, leaving her mother once again to do the best she could to raise her. Minerva didn’t remember her natural father very much, but often looked at his face in the few pictures her mother had of him. This was the only father she ever knew—just some pictures. Her memory of him had leaked out of her mind for years. Her step-father had never been very attentive to either her mother or herself, and had squandered most of their money, leaving very little for Catherine to run her meager household. However, he was able to send Minerva to a school for girls in London when she was fifteen. After the step-father died, Catherine wasted away and finally died while Minerva was at school. The woman had given up any hope of being better off. By the time she was eighteen Minerva was without her mother and penniless. Some older friends she met in London helped her along with a little money, a roof over her head, and moral support. Then she met Nigel Grum…

Still holding the marriage certificate in her lap, Minerva sighed heavily and reached back into her more recent memory: she and Nigel met at a dance in the small town of Willingsford. A school-friend invited her to go, convincing her that she would meet the man of her dreams. At the time, Nigel seemed to be a very nice and impressionable young man, but Minerva soon learned he had put on an act for her. He caroused more often than not, getting drunk with his friends and leaving Minerva standing around to wait for him to take her home. This lasted for more than a year.

In one of his giddy moments, he asked her to marry him. She accepted, and was determined to change the direction in which he was going. They were both in their early twenties at that time, and, unfortunately, the marriage only lasted eleven years and they produced no children, although Minerva wanted to have one or two. Nigel and Minerva were as different as daylight and dark: she being a dedicated individual, frugal and meticulous in her dealings, especially how she ran her household to the point of obsession. Nigel on the other hand, was the opposite, with his care-free attitude and obsession with things of his own. He wanted everything to go his way 100% of the time, controlling all and everyone around him. He was also an only child, raised in a dysfunctional household where he was left to fend for himself. He inherited a cottage and five acres of land when his parents died ten years before. After he married Minerva, unfortunately, Nigel continued drinking and took to gambling in the town pub. Minerva did all she could to persuade him to stay at home, but he refused to listen to her. The truth was he regretted getting married at all. He preferred to stay in the company of certain friends in town who cared about nothing but themselves.

One evening as he sat playing cards with his cronies, Nigel won the game and began to gloat over his victory and went around collecting his winnings. One of the men who lost at the gambling table had a red and white English setter sleeping at his feet. Finding that he had no money to pay up on the game, the man offered to give Nigel the Setter as payment. Nigel accepted and took the dog home with him.

In the course of the next four or five years, Minerva and Nigel felt the strain of the disconnection in their lives as husband and wife. He never kept a decent job, and had already spent what little inheritance he received from his parents. He worked his five acres and raised meager crops to feed them on. If it weren’t for Minerva’s frugal and resourceful nature, they wouldn’t have had anything to eat. He was tired of being tied to his wife and wanted to be rid of her. He knew he would have to get the divorce, because she would never leave him because of her own commitments.

Minerva held high hopes of their lives eventually blending together, but realized after a few years she couldn’t change him. There were times when she became so frustrated, yet still picked up after her husband as she plodded along behind him. She also suffered indignation and shame every time the Constable threw Nigel in jail because of public drunkenness. Their lives grew more and more estranged and difficult. Minerva felt she only hung onto the marriage by a hair-thread that threatened to break at any moment, so afraid to let go of it for fear of being all alone and nowhere to go. She had no one or anything to fall back on for support, because everything was his, except for her personal belongings.

Several miles away to the west of them, Sir Wilhem Breckenridge and his fashion-conscious wife, Sarah, lived in more luxury than Nigel and Minerva. The Breckenridge family settled on inherited acreage near the Grum’s. Minerva and Wilhem were distantly related and had never come in contact over the years. They each knew about the other. Minerva found out he was a cousin through information from her mother; besides, he was wealthy and seemed unapproachable to her. The brother of Wilhem’s father was once married to Minerva’s mother. When his uncle died and the father died as well in a hunting accident, Wilhem, being the only male left, inherited the enormous fortune.

Sarah Breckenridge, Wilhem’s wife, also hailed from a wealthy family. She was the daughter of the Stewart of Luttins Hall in a bustling town of Grimesford, and she was a young debutant when Wilhem met her. He was infatuated by Sarah’s demure looks as she sashayed around in her beautiful dresses. Determined to marry her as soon as he could, Wilhem sought out her father on the very night of a Gala Ball, which was given in honor of Sarah’s mother. Wilhem promptly asked the father for Sarah’s hand in marriage, and, after setting a year-long engagement, they were finally married in a small church in Grimesford. Mr. and Mrs. Wilhem Alexander Breckenridge moved into the home referred to by many as The Castle and began to start a family. They were both in their mid-twenties when the first child, Martha, was born. Emily followed three years later. Sarah, having a difficult birth with Emily, was warned by the doctor that having more children might endanger her or the baby’s health.

Sparingham Towne, where Minerva and Nigel lived, had one man they called the Constable: Iain McGregor. He was born in a humble village a few miles outside of Edinburgh, where he was educated, studying law enforcement and serving in the military, eventually becoming a product of Scotland Yard. For the first five or six years in the town he had been the only police officer, but had since acquired two Deputies, Mike O’Roark and Alfred Harkniss. Before Iain became Constable he previously served in the Highland Light Infantry and learned to be a Piper. He was an inch or so above six feet tall, and stocky built. He had a gentle disposition peppered with mirth, but could become a formidable adversary with his physical strength and a quick temper. He had an amusing Scottish accent, short and wavy red hair and a perfect bar-handle mustache that twitched as a telltale sign of annoyance.

He had chosen his career over getting a wife, although there were plenty of women in town who would love to have his children, but he simply was not interested. He secretly had his heart set on a certain woman: Minerva Grum. For a long time he watched her from afar, knowing she was already spoken for. He often thought, at his present age of forty, that he should be getting married as time was running away from him.

Ralph and Maud Cochrane, Minerva’s neighbors and closest friends, were in their sixties. They helped Minerva through all her ills, giving her the moral support she needed from time to time. Their land was three miles away from hers and Nigel’s, which was in Sparingham Towne. Minerva walked those miles many times to visit her friends. Sometimes they loaned a wagon and pony to make things easier for her.

Maud wore the pants most of the time, or at least she thought so, and Ralph usually slipped back to let her have her way. Everyone in town thought he was a dolt, but inwardly Ralph really was a courteous and genteel soul. He dubbed his hat to everyone at every occasion. Maud was stern with him but that was all put-on. They fit like two spoons in their relationship. They were so in love with each other, and by the end of the day all the harsh tones and silliness were gone and the couple ended up like a pair of lovebirds.

CHAPTER TWO

Poor Girl

T HE RED AND white dog was about to whelp her puppies in the early morning hours of this warm summer day in July. She was tired already from laboring, having panted so much with the weight of the pups in her belly for the last month. She knew she had to settle down and have them. It was her only option.

She was termed as a Red Setter in English society. A white blaze down her forehead and muzzle were characteristics for this breed of dog. She hunted with her master on many occasions, retrieving the quail or pheasants he would shoot. That was what she was bred for. Her master, Nigel Grum, wasn’t a kind man, but he loved the dog enough for her to go on a hunt with him. She had to do well or he would kick her around, not realizing how he bruised her legs or sides. She tried not to cry out or whimper, for fear of him losing his confidence in her as a hunting partner, and knew he would get rid of her either by selling her or shooting her out of rage and disappointment. He was the type of person who didn’t care about those sorts of things and would see that she suffered in the end. He was not a gentle or forgiving man.

As the puppies started coming during the whelping process, Girl groaned and panted, rolling her eyes around at the old drafty barn she was in. She had chosen a pile of straw in a corner of an empty stall by the door. The straw was not very clean, but it was soft enough to lie on to whelp her puppies.

Nigel knew Girl had been in season those couple of months ago, but chose to ignore it. He knew his dog had gone off somewhere for a short period of time, and she would come back to wait it out with the pups growing in her belly. He kicked the poor animal whenever she got close enough to him, when she only wanted him to show some affection for her. He needed to dominate her, to make her grovel for his inconvenience no matter what. He was the master.

The man never really named his dog. He called her Girl. Not good Girl or my Girl. He believed in absolutes, like yes, no, boy, Girl. He had no affection for anything or anyone, including his tired wife, who was always telling him how cruel he was with the animals. Minerva was the one who cleaned the stalls for the horse, mule, and cow, as well as making sure all the animals were fed properly.

She always milked the old cow, squirting fresh milk into the meowing mouths of the cats in the barn. She loved tending to all the animals because she knew her husband didn’t care about any of them. Somebody had to. Minerva would not let the animals do without and it was obvious they all responded to her with their gratitude. Girl loved Minerva, and could always depend on her Mistress for support, especially now. Maybe it was this lady who had dumped that little pile of straw for her to whelp her puppies on.

Girl was very grateful for that straw right now. Her labor had started. She settled down on the straw after scratching around in it to get the right spot the way she wanted it. There was some pain and discomfort involved with whelping, but she bore it without showing it. She knew in the end that she would have her babies to nurse.

For Nigel, the day didn’t start out well. He was upset and angry because Girl couldn’t go out to the fields with him. It was in the middle of a hot summer, and the birds would be plentiful as they scratched on the ground trying to discover bugs and such to eat. Needless to say the grasshoppers were ravenous and eating up the corn crop that Nigel hadn’t harvested yet. He claimed he was waiting for it to over-ripen and become ready enough for his horse, mule and cow to eat in the coming winter months. As the truth is known he was too lazy to harvest it.

Not only was he angry about not having Girl available, but Bessie the cow wasn’t giving milk like she should. The veterinarian, Dr. Strain, had come out just that morning to give her a check-up, declaring she needed to be in a clean, dry stall for a couple of days. He informed Nigel that the cow was stressed and needed a quiet place to recuperate. Nigel didn’t like for folks to tell him how to run his business, so he grumbled over that little bit of news. And his wife, especially, was giving him fits with her worrying about cleanliness around the house.

Minerva was always onto him for various things, and tried to keep him in line most of the time as she cleaned what he messed up. She was known for her meticulousness and would be upset when anything in her domain was out of place. Her husband never cared to leave things tidy after himself, and this drove her crazy.

Nigel was wishing he could pack his meager belongings and be done with everything and everyone, including his wife. He didn’t know exactly where he’d go, but he was so tired of her badgering him all the time. Besides, his dog was temporarily down and the cow wouldn’t give milk. The horse was cantankerous, as well, and wouldn’t behave around him. One day Nigel had taken an oak club and batted the horse on the forehead, trying to knock some sense into it. The horse reared up and landed a hoof on Nigel’s right forearm as a result. This created more havoc and now the man was in physical pain, making matters even worse. Nothing was going right! Even the plow mule ran away from him now. The man had no choice but to be patient and grit his teeth. This was very hard for him.

Nigel, said Minerva. She approached him as he stood just inside the doorway of the barn. Bessie will never give anymore milk unless you give her proper care. Remember what Dr. Strain said?

Oh, hush, woman! he said, scowling at her. I know what he said. Don’t you go bossing me, for pity’s sake!

And this poor dog, Mister, she replied, as she ignored what he said. Can’t you at least see she is about to have her babies? She strolled over to Girl and knelt in the corner with her, and started stroking the dog’s head. She moved further across to the dog’s belly to pat it gently and felt a slight movement there.

Poor Girl, she said softly to the dog. I’ll try to make you as comfortable as possible, sweetie! She stood up and turned to face her husband. He was trying to retrieve a pitchfork from a tangled pile of tools. He jerked the fork out, causing a clamor in the process. In the next stall beside the one where Girl was laying, the cow rolled her bulging eyes towards him and stifled a moo. Girl tried to rise up in response to the noise, too, with her ears up. She nervously sniffed the air.

Nigel, please! Minerva pleaded. This is exactly the reason the animals are in fear of you! You make us all so nervous! You don’t even care, do you?

Oh, shut up, Minerva! he shouted. He threw the pitchfork down and kicked it across the barn floor, skidding close to the spot where Girl was laying. He clenched his fists in the air.

Don’t you dare, Mister! she glowered, backing away from him. You better not raise a fist to me, or try to injure these animals, either, for that matter!

For her to say that to him in those tones set up his madness. He took a step towards her.

Yeah, and what do ya think ya’ll do about it? Huh? Go and leave me, wifey? He taunted her with a wild look to his eyes. He was very angry and Minerva knew it, but she stood her ground. He had been drinking and she knew nothing was going right for him that day. He wasn’t happy that his animals weren’t in their best form to be at his every beck and call. Even she was getting to him. He wanted to shut her up for good.

"Mr. Grum, she came back defiantly. I cook, clean and do for you under the most unpleasant times! The least you could do was to pay me a little more respect! She waited a second, then drew in a quick breath and huffed it out. Stepping towards him she added, Furthermore, sir, I will report you to the Constable if you abuse these good animals any longer. They at least deserve better from you!" She started to turn around to leave.

Nigel had the last straw. He lunged towards her, grabbed the bun on the back of her head with one hand, spinning her around.