Tides of Passion-Chapter 1

Chapter One - Manchester, England 1802

​Walter Desmond woke with a start for the three-hundred-sixty-second night in a row. Every night, for almost a year now, Walter had had the same dream, or nightmare, that always woke him with a sudden, heart attack invoking start. He lay in his soft, expensive, too-big-for-one-person bed, letting his heart return to a normal, even pace. He wiped the sweat off his wrinkled forehead and blinked his cocoa brown eyes before rolling to the edge of the bed and climbing out. He put on his night slippers and slipped into his silk robe, then walked out to the balcony.

​The dream woke me earlier than usual this time, Walter noted as he watched the moon go down behind the tall buildings dotted across the great expanse of Manchester, England. Usually, Walter's dream would last the whole night, or at least wake him up at the crack of dawn, but judging from the moon's low position, there was still four hours until the sun came up. No matter, Walter knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep tonight.

​He stood at the edge of the balcony and felt the night. He felt the cool, crisp air seep into his robe, then past his nightclothes and onto his body, chilling the clammy sweat still oozing from his pores. Walter felt, not heard, the city clock tower strike two o'clock in the morning, and he marveled that anyone could sleep through the loud bongs and clangs. He felt, not tasted, the smoke still rising out of chimneys from dying fires in his neighbors' house's, and he felt the rust and grime of age on his balcony's railing when he placed his hands on it. Walter was happiest when he woke up and he felt. He felt happy because a little less than a year ago, he thought he would never feel anything again.

​He had thought the same thing when his wife, Eudora, died in her sleep twelve years ago. He woke up one morning and noticed the smile on Eudora's sleeping face. He had smiled, also, and then patted his hand lightly against her cheek to wake her, but Eudora had not woken up. Walter had not been able to sleep in the same bed for several months. Instead, he tried sleeping on the main parlor's sofa, but could only doze off for a few minutes at a time before he had to change his position so that he could take some pressure off his aching back.

One night, while he was trying to force his brain to shut down, his eight-year-old daughter Dianna tapped his meaty shoulder to wake him. He had stared at her for a minute, seeing so much of Eudora in her young, bright face before asking why she was up.

"I had a bad dream," she whispered, as if there were other sleeping people in the room and she didn't want to wake them. Walter had sat up and placed her on his lap.

"Why was it bad, dear?" He stroked her hair back from her face.

"I dreamed of angels in a garden. I dreamed they invited Mother to the garden, and she started walking with them," Dianna responded. Walter's heart pat-patted lightly but quickly against his rib-cage.

"But angels are good people. Why was it bad that Mother joined them?"

"Because I didn't want Mother to join them. I wanted her to walk with me in our garden. But she left, anyway." Dianna looked down and her lower lip stuck out. Walter squeezed her tightly in his arms and blinked back tears.

"I know, darling, I know. I wanted Mother to walk with us, too."

"I wanted to ask if I can sleep with you tonight, because I was afraid the dream would come back and Mother would say no to me all over again. But..." Dianna looked around the parlor, realizing for the first time that Walter wasn't sleeping in his own bed. He stood up and carried Dianna in his arms.

"Alright, dear, let's go sleep in my bed." He carried her up to his bedroom and took a shaky breath before opening the door. When he glanced into the large room, he felt the tears threatening to spill again, but he contained himself as he made it over to the giant bed. He placed Dianna in it gently, and she crawled underneath the thick covers. He walked around to the other side and got in as well.

When he lay down on his soft, feathery bed, his sore back was instantly relieved of pain. He sighed in contentment. Dianna snuggled up to him and whispered a Good night, Father. He kissed the top of her head in response.

The next morning, Walter had woken up to see Dianna, snoring lightly and had a little smirk on her tiny, pink lips. And when Walter had patted her cheek, she had woken up, blinked her chocolate colored eyes that were the only feature she shared with her father, and had given him a big smile, with some of her teeth missing.

That's when Walter had decided to straighten himself up. He paid more attention to his shipping and packaging business, and improved some things in the transportation and delivery sector of the business. He complimented his servants and help and gave them extra holidays when they deserved it. He made sure his house remained to be the most modern and fashionable mansion in all of England. But most importantly, he paid attention to his daughter. He spoiled her, but also taught her important lessons and made sure she didn't grow up being pig-headed. He spent more time with her and kept track of her life, always asking how her day was and listening and commenting on her long explanations. He gave her needed advice, but also made sure he gave her space to grow on her own as well.

And then less than a year ago, a day after her nineteenth birthday, she was kidnapped and Walter lost all feeling.

***

"Thank you, Klara." Walter said to the house-keeper as she placed his breakfast before him. He had been right when he thought he would not get any more sleep last night, so his eyes were a little dark and baggy and he was already on his second cup of coffee. He looked down at his egg-whites, fist-sized grilled chicken breast, and his cup of sliced fruit and berries, and he sighed sadly. Dianna had started him on a heart-healthy diet when he had turned forty-five a few years ago. She had been sixteen at the time, and there was still three more happy years before she would be kidnapped.

"Sir?" Klara asked, obviously not the first time she had called for his attention.

"Yes?" He asked then started slicing his chicken.

"Mister Tobias Franklin is here to see you," Klara said and waited for his instructions.

"Send him in, and make some more coffee, please." Klara scuttled off. Tobias was Walter's lawyer and also his best friend of many years. They had always joked about growing old together, and that they had done as they were now both almost fifty and Tobias was balding and Walter had an old man's soft, round belly and grey hair. But they still acted like two mischievous college boys together.

"Walter! I've done it!" Tobias strode in, his thin, wrinkled hands pulling out a chair and placing it quickly next to Walter before sitting down on it and pulling himself close to the table. Walter could see a sheen of sweat on Tobias' bald head and his blue eyes glinted with excitement.

"Done what, old man?" Walter asked after swallowing a forkful of egg-whites.

"Don't you 'old man' me, you cod! I've found the man who can rescue your daughter!" Tobias practically shouted, making Klara jump as she poured them both coffee. Walter's heart quickened its pace.

"You found her?" He put down his fork and leaned in towards Tobias.

"I found the gypsies who took her away," Tobias replied, his volume still too loud.

"And?" Walter demanded.

"Apparently, no one can get near the bloody gypsies, but I know someone who can," Tobias leaned forward as well, his voice finally reaching normal volume. "He's a tough one, a pirate. I heard your steamboat delivery men talking about him. He's the roughest, toughest, and most bull-headed and intimidating man out there. If anyone can sneak into a gypsy camp and take what they want, it'll be him." Tobias' face wrinkled as he grinned widely at Walter.

"Are you sure about this? You know gypsies are protective and well-organized about their things. Can he really get her?" Walter did not want to get excited only to be let down later. They had tried many rescue missions, but the gypsies would either disappear or they wouldn't be able to get in and get Dianna.

"Yes, man!" Tobias responded, then his voice took on a more serious tone as he said, "We have to try, friend. It's the best chance we'd have. We need to bring home your daughter. And you know, I love her like my own as well! We all miss her so much, especially you and my boy, Arnold. He's been waiting a year to marry her! We've all been waiting a year to see her again, and this is our chance to do just that!"

Walter nodded and sat back in his seat, and all of a sudden, a memory from the last year played in his mind.

~