Along the Way Home is a historical fiction about the 1843 Oregon Trail.
Chapter One
Charlottesville, Virginia
Wednesday, April 5, 1843
Every week Kate stood on the same front porch, her hand poised inches from the door, willing herself to finally do the unthinkable—walk away without knocking. However, during this moment of hesitation her courage inevitably fled.
Wednesdays were a long-standing tradition, and one she wouldn’t disrupt.
Stiffening her spine and her resolve, Kate rapped her knuckles on the wood. Familiar footsteps clicked toward the other side of the entry, and she forced a smile as the door opened to reveal an overdressed, overfed, overbearing woman.
“Katherine Davis, how dare you appear at my doorstep looking like some commoner? Get that bonnet on your head this instant!”
Her smile faded. “Yes, Aunt Victoria.”
Kate pulled the velvet cage over the mass of auburn hair secured in a knot at the nape of her neck, knowing full well she’d only remove it after stepping across the threshold. Under the guise of propriety, her aunt had tortured her for years.
From etiquette during afternoon tea to running a household, Aunt Victoria enforced her opinions over Kate’s every move. Recently she’d expanded her teachings to include the fine art of manipulating men. Snaring a husband was the ultimate goal.
Kate followed the perfume cloud into the parlor. Cream and gold wallpaper, the best her father’s money could buy, adorned each wall. Marble-topped tables stood between overstuffed chairs and a matching sofa. Polished mahogany frames held paintings of stern men and sweeping mountain ranges. A buffet displayed a china tea set adorned with red roses.
Taking a seat on the sole wooden chair in the room, Kate prepared for the upcoming interrogation. The bitter spinster didn’t disappoint.
“I assume your servants are behaving better after my lecture last week?”
After discovering muddy footprints on the front porch during an unannounced visit, her aunt had lined up the household staff and disparaged each and every one. Three left the room in tears, and one quit on the spot.
Kate merely nodded.
“Good. They have to learn to serve their betters with more respect.”
Kate poured herself a cup of tea and reached to add a small pastry to her plate. It was early morning, but she’d already been up for hours without breakfast.
“Don’t take too many sweets. They’ll ruin your figure.” Ignoring her own advice, Aunt Victoria placed three on her own plate and then settled back against the upholstered sofa. “Did you enjoy the Ladies Society meeting about the new library?”
“I didn’t attend.”
At this, her aunt’s tone hardened. “Securing an invitation required delicate negotiations among the most influential women of this town. Your position in society is not guaranteed, Katherine, so I trust you have a good reason for embarrassing me—again.”
Undaunted, Kate met the narrowed eyes with ease. “I needed to review a contract and finalize the monthly profits and losses.”
Wrinkled hands flew into the air with dramatic frustration; a gesture that would have been far more impressive had Kate not seen it nearly every week. The familiar rant began, as always, with an exaggerated sigh.
“It’s a wonder I even bother with you anymore. As for your father, he should have hired a bookkeeper long ago instead of forcing the task upon his only daughter.”
Due to a previous betrayal by a business partner, Kate’s father, Elijah, trusted only family with the financials of his store. Her aunt had tried countless times, all unsuccessful, to convince him to stop the practice.
“Father doesn’t force me,” Kate said cheerfully. “I rather enjoy it.”
In truth, working in the store was the highlight of her day. Numbers were logical and consistent; little else in her life was as uncomplicated.
“The intricacies of a business are useless knowledge to a woman,” her aunt declared with a haughty sniff. “They only litter your mind with nonsense and take time away from more ladylike pursuits.”
“Fine then.” Kate returned the plate to the table hard enough to garner a wince from her aunt. “I want to learn to sew.”
Aunt Victoria dismissed the long-standing request with a wave of her hand. “You will always have servants for such menial tasks. At twenty-two years old it’s best you concentrate on improving yourself to attract a husband.” Pinched lips gave way to a taunting smile. “Unless Crandall proposed recently?”
Kate met her aunt’s hard stare with her own. “No, ma’am.”
Alicia Davis said,
September 9, 2009 at 1:01 am
After having the opportunity to read a portion of Christi’s upcoming novel, Along the Way Home, I must say I was left waiting for more! The description and detail wrapped within each line creates a sense so deep you feel as if you were there – as if you can actually feel the velvet softness of the main character’s dress, see the carvings within the banister of her home. It will be a great addition to any readers collection and I cannot wait to read it in full!
catherine shellabarger said,
December 20, 2009 at 11:22 am
This sounds like a very interesting book. The tidbit leaves you yearning for more. Can’t wait to read the book.
A. Grey said,
December 23, 2009 at 8:33 am
Soooo I’m not much for historical fiction but I can promise you I’ll be buying this as soon as it hits shelves! Just that tidbit has me totally intrigued! I’ll be stalking you (in the best way) to follow your progress through publishing so I can snap up a copy!
Angela said,
December 28, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I was honored to have the opportunity to read a taste of Christi’s first novel and cannot wait for more! I’ve already fallen in love with the main character and am excited for the adventure that lies ahead. I will definetly be recommending this book to my book club!
Ashley said,
January 8, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Cant wait to read more! This has captured my attention and I deffinatly want to read the rest of this story. Thank you for sharing.
Eva said,
March 31, 2010 at 7:31 am
This is very interesting! I look forward to reading the whole story. Thank you for sharing this!
Liath MacTire said,
April 5, 2010 at 11:16 am
Nice work Christi. I’ll be looking for your novel when it is published. I do expect an autographed copy you know.
Winona Cross said,
June 15, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Christi–This is simply amazing. You have a way of painting pictures with your words. I’ve seen the trailer and read the blurb, now I want so much more. I want the whole thing. “Along the Way Home” is a home run. If the manuscript is ready it’s time to query. I don’t know where you’ve considered or if you have an agent but get ready for big things. I am so glad you found me on Seekerville.
It seems your Kate and my Rebecca are a bit stubborn and more interested in doing things outside the traditional female roles of the era.k
A. Grey said,
September 9, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I LOVE it! I’m already rooting for Kate! I want her to kick Aunt Victoria’s overstuffed tuchus!
Lindsey said,
January 23, 2011 at 1:16 pm
This is excellent, Christi. After reading the first 500 words, I was definitely intrigued; now I’m just floored. I love that Kate is unafraid of Aunt Victoria and is confident enough to say what she thinks, even if it’s outside the norm. And your descriptions of Aunt Victoria’s mannerisms are awesome! I would love to have this book in my hands right this minute!
vickisourdry said,
March 11, 2011 at 11:43 pm
Having heard several parts of this book in our writers group, and followed Kate on her adventure, I can assure everyone that the rest of the book is every bit as good as this beginning! It will be well worth the read.
David N. Walker said,
November 18, 2011 at 9:17 am
Waiting for publication, Christi
tamararokicki said,
February 15, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Very nice! Dialogue is smooth and flowing. I can feel the tension between the two, something that is hard to build sometimes in short paragraphs. I look forward to reading more!