Chained Hearts

By Kelly Jones

Eloise never had an easy life. Rejected by her mother and hated by her grandmother, she had never known what it was like to have a family. After a hazardous bike ride through the woods near her house, she was sent back in time, to Victorian England.
All of a sudden, she wasn't alone, she had a family to take care of, one she would do anything to protect. And when she said anything, she actually meant it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kelly Jones
• Release date: Feb 26, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005502584

Kelly Jones

Middle-aged mother of three, for whom writing is second nature. I started writing stories as soon as I learned how. At seven romance was definitely not my style, but since then I have been building stories in my mind until the day I decided it was time to put them in paper. Haven't stopped yet, but this is the first time I post here, under this pen name.Find me in Instagram: kellyjones.1944

Book preview

chained hearts

Fate took me through time to find the owner of my heart

Copyright © 2022 by Kelly Jones

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Chained Hearts /Kelly Jones -- 1st ed.

Chapter 1

Eloise

The dark, heavy clouds came up from nowhere.

When I left the house earlier, the day was sunny, slightly windy and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I hadn’t foreseen the storm that was on top of me when I decided to go biking for a while.

Now, I was struggling to see something other than my nose, lost in a thick fog and pouring rain. I could hear the thunder echoing in the valley but the lightning wasn’t powerful enough to cut through the fog, which made the whole situation even scarier.

I had never seen anything like it.

Tucking my long dark hair inside my soaked t-shirt, to keep it away from my face, I continued pedaling down the trail, praying the thunders would stay away from the woods. The last thing I needed was to be on the path of a tree hit by lightning. I needed to get out of the woods but I was starting to think I was utterly lost.

It had been a hellish week, with my grandmother’s passing and funeral and all the events that had preceded her death, but the letter I had received that morning had been the final drop.

I had always known just how much the old woman hated me, but I had never imagined she would go so far to turn my life into a living hell.

My mother had gotten pregnant with me when she was eighteen years old. She was away from home studying to become an executive secretary and had fallen for her married teacher. When he found out she was pregnant, he had made sure she dropped the course and paid her enough money for her to disappear. With no one else to turn to, she had come back home, and her mother only received her because she claimed to be a good Christian and her duty was to forgive the sinners.

Or so she kept saying, but the truth, hidden behind closed doors, was that she was a bitter woman, that hated her daughter for putting her in such a position, but she hated her granddaughter even more because she was the evidence of her daughter’s sin.

My mother had escaped the woman’s yoke as soon as I was born. She had packed her bags and disappeared, never to be heard of. I had no idea if she was still alive or not and frankly at this point of my life, I couldn’t care less.

For eighteen years I had put up with every humiliation, every insult, every punishment my grandmother had put me through, while I counted the days until I was old enough to walk away. I had worked as a slave, saving as much money as I could for that moment, just to find out Mrs. Ophelia Smithson had destroyed all of my dreams.

The night before my eighteenth birthday, the old woman had put a receipt in front of me, at dinner time. They were both sitting at the table when she did it.

Suspicious, I picked it up and read it. It was a receipt for a donation to my grandmother’s church. The amount donated was exactly the same I had saved up until that day.

With a terrible feeling about it, I faced my grandmother. What’s the meaning of this? I asked, keeping a calm tone, as much as I could.

I thought you should have the receipt of the money you’ve donated to the church. It’s the fair thing to do, don’t you think so? the woman said, in her usual cold tone.

Trembling, I jumped up and ran to my tiny bedroom, to the place where I had been hiding my money, a loose panel of wood on the floor under the thin mattress I used as a bed, just to find the small metal box empty.

My heart cringed painfully and I let out a cry of disbelief and rage.

There’s no need for the neighbors to know the kind of vulgar woman you are, don’t you think? Ophelia said, from the doorway, a scornful grin adorning her wrinkled face.

I jumped to my feet and faced the older woman, waving the box. Where’s my money? I asked, through gritted teeth.

You know exactly where it is, so why ask? Ophelia said, in a disdainful tone.

You had no right to touch my money… I yelled at her, but Ophelia interrupted me.

Nothing inside these walls is yours. Especially, not the money you have been keeping from me, which I’m sure you’ve been stealing from my purse and God knows from whom else, she said in a cold tone. So, I put it to good use and gave it to the church. I’m sure the Reverend will find a more suitable use for it.

I hate you, I yelled at her. If you think this will stop me from leaving this god-forsaken place, you have no idea what I’m capable of.

The older woman crossed my face with a powerful slap that threw me to the floor. Feeling the pain radiating across my cheek, I looked up to face the other woman, letting out all the hate and fury I was feeling.

I’ve invested in you too much money for you to simply walk out on me, Ophelia snarled at me. Now that you can pay me back, you’re not going anywhere. Don’t even try, or you’ll find out exactly what I’m capable of.

With those ominous words, she left the room, locking the door behind her.

It wasn’t the first time Ophelia had locked me up in her room, but I promised myself it would be the last one. I was leaving Winchcombe as soon as I could, even if I had to ask for a ride to the first car I found on my way.

I rubbed my cheek and wiped the tears of frustration away from my eyes. This time, nothing would stop me from getting what I had been dreaming about for so long: my freedom.

Ophelia kept me locked up in my room for two days. It wasn’t the first time she did that to me, so I had learned to keep water and some food hidden, so I wouldn’t starve to death.

She showed up in my room the day after my birthday, with a victorious smile on her face. I’m sure you have learned your lesson by now, haven’t you? she asked, flattening an inexistent wrinkle on her black skirt.

She always dressed in black, with her gray hair stretched on a tight bun on her nape, because according to her, it was the proper way for a widow to dress.

I have no interest in learning any of your lessons, I snapped at her, walking towards the door.

I knew this was my chance to escape and I had to take it.

The Reverend is here to thank you personally for your generous donation, Ophelia said, grabbing me by my arm and tightening her grip.

You have to be kidding me, I ranted, tugging at my arm.

The woman slapped me in the face again. You’ll go downstairs with me and you’ll say some kind words to the reverend, or I’ll make you regret the day you were born, the woman threatened with an ice-cold tone.

You have been doing that all my life, I replied, angry.

Legally, Ophelia couldn’t stop me now and that was all that mattered.

You haven’t seen anything, girl, Ophelia snarled at me, as she dragged me out of the room.

Let me go, or I’ll tell the Reverend exactly how that money reached his church, I said, trying to free myself from the older woman’s grip.

You wouldn’t dare, she said, with her damn arrogance.

But this time Ophelia was going to see what I was capable of.

Here she is, Reverend, Ophelia said, in her slimiest tone, pushing me to the living room where the man was waiting.

Ah, Eloise, how are you? the man said, in a cautious tone, sensing things weren’t quite right.

She’s fine, as you can see, Ophelia said, preventing me from answering.

But the man wanted to hear the answer from my lips, so other than a quick glance at the older woman, he kept his eyes on me.

I’m fine, Reverend, as you can see, I replied, and I wasn’t lying.

In fact, I had never been better. Freedom waited for me.

Your grandmother brought me yesterday a bank deposit she claims you did in benefit of our church and I wanted to say thank you to you personally, the man explained, still looking straight at me.

We both know, Reverend, that I didn’t make that deposit, I told him, in a cold tone, dropping any pretense.

Of course not, you asked me to do it for you, Ophelia interrupted, gritting her teeth, as she tightened her grip around my arm.

I was saving that money to finally leave this place and you know that Reverend since I told you about it several times, I pointed out to the man standing in front of me.

After all, he had been one of the people hiring me to do some errands. I was done playing Ophelia’s games.

The man paled and Ophelia pulled me by the arm. How can you lie that way? Haven’t I taught you any better? she yelled at me.

You stole that money from me, I yelled back. But that was the last time you’ve tried to ruin my life. I’m free now, and even if I have to beg on the streets to survive, I’m leaving this town and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. Not anymore, I added, a bit calmer, tugging at my arm to free myself.

You won’t leave me… not after all I’ve done for you… the older woman ranted, her face red as a beet, as she jostled my arm.

You can’t stop me. Not anymore, I repeated, as she tugged my arm with all my strength, managing to free myself from the old woman’s grip before I ran out of the room.

This was my chance to escape and I planned to take it.

I was reaching the main door when I heard a loud thud right before the Reverend's shout. Eloise… call 911.

Ophelia Somerset was dead. A fulminant stroke killed her in just a couple of seconds. At the age of seventy-six, she looked younger than she was and her death surprised many people in the small town, but other than a few polite messages of condolence, no one seemed to feel sorry for her passing. The bitter woman didn’t have any friends in the small community of Winchcombe.

Alone for the first time in my life, I felt a bit lost at first, until I realized I didn’t have to leave right away. There was no rush now that I didn’t have to put up with Ophelia.

But I should have known things were never that easy for me. The letter I received that morning confirmed it.

It had been sent by a lawyer’s firm, letting me know I had to leave the house before the end of the month, since my grandmother had donated the house with all of its contents, to the town’s church.

At first, I couldn’t believe what I was reading, but then it dawned on me it was just the kind of thing Ophelia would do.

Even from the grave, she had the power to ruin all of my plans, but not for long.

Furious, I had picked up my bike and had headed to the woods. Nothing calmed me more than riding my bike through the woods. It had always been my escape and that day it was exactly what I needed.

Of course, that had been before the storm’s arrival. Now, I was struggling to survive, trying to leave the woods, but the fog was so thick I had no idea where I was. Thick, ice-cold raindrops poured on me and I growled out loud my frustration.

I was in deep trouble and no one knew where I was. How the hell was I going to get out of this one?

The deafening roar of thunder startled me and I tripped with a fallen tree in front of me. Before I could do anything, I was falling down a hill until I fell into the water of what seemed a good size creek. Though I was a good swimmer, the fall and the cold water prevented me from coming up quickly and soon I was trapped at the bottom of the stream, tangled in some water plants I couldn’t break.

My lungs were burning and I needed to go up for air, but no matter how hard I tried, I kept being pulled down.

Exhausted, with no air left, I finally surrendered.

Chapter 2

I closed my eyes for a moment, relaxing my body and accepting my destiny. Right then, when I thought all was lost, I was pushed out of the water, with such force, I landed on the muddy shore, face down.

Coughing hard as I struggled to breathe, I pulled myself out of the water, feeling disoriented and with no idea where I was.

Sitting in the mud, I looked around, trying to figure out where the hell I was. Nothing looked familiar.

It was nighttime which, by itself, was weird, since I had gone into the woods early in the afternoon, but at least, the silvery light of a full moon allowed me to see the creek flowing right in front of me.

Feeling completely exhausted and more confused than ever, I simply stayed there, sitting in the mud, ignoring my shuddering body as I tried to catch my breath.

Eloise… Eloise… I thought you had died… a little girl’s shaky voice sounded next to me, and I opened my eyes, trying to find the voice’s owner.

I’m alright, I assured the girl, though the girl’s voice didn’t sound familiar.

Why did you jump? You know you cannot swim, the little girl asked, kneeling next to me, and allowing me to finally see her.

What are you talking about? Of course, I can swim, I retorted, brushing my muddy hair away from my face.

The girl threw herself into my arms sobbing. I thought you had died… that you had left us… all alone… she mumbled through her sobs, tightening her embrace around me.

Not sure what to do, I hugged the little girl back. Sweetie, I think you have the wrong Eloise, I murmured, with a frown.

The last thing I needed was a hysterical little girl to deal with, but nothing she was saying made any sense to me.

Please, Eloise, I swear I’ll behave, we’ll all behave, the little one sobbed louder, with so much despair my frown deepened.

Something was very wrong here, but I had no idea what, and it was obvious the girl was confused.

You know what? Let’s take you home, I suggested. It’s too late for you to be out here, I added, breaking the embrace, and clumsily getting on my feet.

Perhaps the girl’s parents would be able to explain what the hell was going on and who the hell was the Eloise the girl was talking about.

Yes… let’s go home, the girl finally stopped crying and smiled as she wiped the tears away from her lovely face.

I shuddered as the cold breeze enveloped my body and I took another look at the little girl to make sure she was alright.

They were both covered in mud from the creek’s shore, something else that puzzled me. I couldn’t remember the existence of any creek on those woods, but perhaps I had ridden my bike further than I thought, into a part of the woods I had never been to.

The little girl guided me up a small hill and across a stone bridge, with a cobbled floor. The road crossed a small town, with no more than a few houses and other than a few lighted windows, the place looked deserted.

I was sure I had never seen this place before, but I walked along the cobbled road with the girl, without saying a word until we reached a small house, with a cute, thatched roof, just outside the village.

Smiling, the little girl opened the wooden door and entered.

I stopped at the door not sure what to do. The girl turned around and motioned me to come in.

Katherine, what happened to your dress? What were you doing out all alone? another girl, this one a bit older, was asking the younger one, but she stopped immediately when she saw me standing at the door. What happened? Why are you wearing those strange clothes? she asked me, with a deep frown.

I looked at my soaked t-shirt and jeans and frowned. I believe you’re mistaking me for someone else, I ventured, puzzled with the girl's attitude and with everything around them, for that matter, including the way the girls were dressed and the candles that lit the tiny hallway.

I saw her jump off the bridge over the creek, the little girl said, sobbing, as she hugged the other girl.

Startled, the other one looked at me with so much hurt in her eyes, my heart cringed.

You can’t swim, the older girl muttered.

Yes, I can. I’m here, am I not? I replied, not sure what was going on, but feeling compelled to defend the other Eloise, whoever she was.

Then, why did you jump off the bridge? she asked me, with a challenging tone in her voice that did nothing to hide all of the hurt.

I slipped. And I must have hit my head with something because everything is incoherent right now, I replied, as I rubbed my head, deciding I needed to get more information from the girls on my whereabouts before I revealed more about myself.

Perhaps I had run into a Bruderhof community or something. That would explain the weird clothes the girls wore and the candlelight.

The expression on the other girl’s face changed completely when she heard me. Are you alright? You must be freezing with those wet clothes, she said, as she guided me inside the house and closed the door behind them.

A bit, yes… but I need to know where I am, I said, rubbing my face.

I was tired and my head was pounding.

You are home, the girl replied, frowning.

Where is home? I insisted, starting to get a horrible feeling about the whole thing.

We live in Red River Road, at Belgrave Valley, Katherine, the little one, recited, proudly. Even I know that, she said, teasing me, her accent more obvious in her teasing tone.

I’m guessing by your accent that we’re in England, right? I asked, my headache quickly turning into excruciating. What the hell was going on?

Of course, the older girl confirmed. How is it possible you don’t remember these things? she asked, suspicious,