Date: Sun, 07 Nov 1999 11:30:13 PST
From: Robert J. Cutter <cutter57@hotmail.com>
Subject: "A VICTORIAN ROMANCE - Chapter 3"  (Man/Man)

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. All of the characters are
fictitious, as are the locales.  If any aspect of male/male relationships
offends you or if you are averse to anything gay, please leave now.

			   A  VICTORIAN  ROMANCE
		   ------------------------------------
	 Copyright 1999 by Robert J. Cutter - All Rights Reserved

The author retains all rights to this story. It is not permissible to
distribute it to any newsgroups and/or other web sites without the express
written consent and permission of the author.


		      Chapter 3 - The Victorian Crown


"This is absolutely the best one yet?" Wally was saying after tasting the
roast chicken with mango chutney and honey glazed pecans.  "Definitely the
best!"

"Don't say anything, Wally!  Please!  Just write down your comments on the
sheet!" Cara said rather loudly.

"Okay, okay!" Wally said with a smile.  "But it is good!"

It was the middle of July.  Cara and Hart had us tasting new dishes every
single day, sometimes as many as eight or ten a day; this included salads,
appetizers, main courses, cheese courses, desserts, post-desserts, coffees,
teas and anything else they could dream up.  It was an education in eating
and we all loved doing it.  The "we" included Wally, Chris, Rudy, Rudy's
girlfriend Cheryl, Cara's children, Sheriff Carmichael, Judge Collinsworth,
their wives and an occasional guest.

"Do you think you'll make your opening date?" Judge Collinsworth asked
between mouths full of food.

"I certainly hope so!" I replied.  "A lot depends on how soon we can get
our liquor license."  I looked pointedly at him.  "Then there's so much
more to do before we can really begin to operate."

"We're going to start with dinners only, five nights a week, Wednesday to
Sunday," Hart interjected.  "Gradually we'll expand to seven nights and add
lunches.  Of course we're going to have full gourmet breakfasts every
morning, otherwise it wouldn't be a bed and breakfast, would it?."  The
kids laughed and Hart smiled.

"We're going to open with six, maybe up to eight guest rooms?" Wally noted.
"Most on the main floor will be about fifty percent furnished.  There're
TVs to buy, telephones to install and lots of other stuff.  Oh Christ!
Laundry!  I'd better get on that tomorrow?"

The last two weeks had been a purchasing and logistical nightmare.  The
supplies we need were almost endless - everything from beds to pens.  We
required tons of furniture - literally.  Enough was needed to furnish at
least six bedrooms, rooms on the main floor (especially the dining room),
not to mention Cara and Hart's apartment over the garages and Chris' room
in the turret.  We were toting furniture every day.  The general plan was
to begin taking lodgers toward the end of July and initiate restaurant
service on August 1st.

Our strenuous and immense work was definitely beginning to pay off, though.
Five of the eight guest rooms were completely furnished and a sixth nearing
completion.  In addition four additional bedrooms were partially furnished
and the dining room, sitting room and conservatory on the first floor were
about 75% done.  Chris finally had some real furniture in his turret.
Rudy, and a few of his friends (yes, the parolees from his "escapade") were
of tremendous help.  Whenever Wally had his days off, the four of them
would go out scouring surrounding counties for furniture and other fixtures
and amenities for the house.  They had been very successful, especially in
towns that had at one time been resorts.

A general contractor was busy finishing the rooms above the kitchen.  These
would be used, if necessary, to house kitchen/restaurant staff.  They were
to be simple and utilitarian, not furnished in the style of the rest of the
house.

I had hired Rudy as a groundskeeper and general handyman.  He was an
excellent worker.  Wally had convinced me to hire him despite his bad
police record; he was sure that the event was merely an aberration and that
Rudy was really a very good kid.  So far the results had borne out Wally's
assessment.

The house was shaping up beautifully, and so was our young charge, Chris.
Judge Collinsworth had declared Chris' mother an unfit parent (in absentia)
and had awarded me guardianship of that great kid.  His grandmother had
been committed to a state asylum.  However, through help of the judge and
various others, we were able to place her in a private sanitarium where she
was given proper treatment and care.  We made sure that Chris visited her
at least once a week; sometimes she recognized him, sometimes she didn't.

Chris was so happy when the Judge gave his ruling that he just cried for
about five minutes, right there in the courtroom.  He was almost in a state
of shock when we returned home and I carried him into his official new
home.  Wally and the others were waiting for us; they had prepared a
wonderful surprise luncheon for all.

He was such a great kid and looked really great since he had gained some
weight.  He also had been incredibly helpful around the house setting up
furniture and acting as a general handyman and sous-chef in the kitchen.

Wally had continued his job as deputy, working seven-day shifts and then
having four days off.  When he worked he stayed at his own apartment,
living at the house only on his days off.  I missed him tremendously
whenever he wasn't here.  My bed was so lonely without my beautiful Deputy
Wally.  He was a very loving man and I felt wonderful and proud to have him
as a partner.

We had placed advertisements in local newspapers weeks before the date of
our opening.  It was too late to get advertisements into programs for the
local festivals, so we decided to run a few local cable television spots in
large metropolitan areas.  They were thirty seconds long and were a little
amateurish, but seemed to work.  We established a web site (designed by
Cara, with help from John) and it proved to be quite popular.  The
800-number we established began to ring steadily and a few days before
officially welcoming our first guest we were 75% booked for the month of
August, and over 80% booked for September and October, the fall foliage
season.

We advertised the establishment as a luxury bed and breakfast, with all
amenities available and a gourmet breakfast served every morning.  We
welcomed families and made special provisions for kids.  Having four kids
in residence made this part much easier.

The local kids who had gone to camp had returned - the camp was only for
two weeks.  And it appeared to me that Chris seemed to have become their
leader.  At first I thought it was because he lived in the best house for
miles around and that carried a certain cache.  Then I realized that it was
because he seemed to have developed a real take charge attitude and a new
seriousness.  He was asserting himself not only with his friends but also
within his new family.  The kid was really growing up and I was proud of
him and his accomplishments.

During those hot July days, the large swimming pool at the rear of the
property was the focal point of much of the activities taking place.  After
a long day of work, everyone changed into bathing suits and jumped into the
refreshing water.  It was great!  It was always such great fun with the
kids playing, Rudy and his friends trying to impress the girls, and, when
he was available, my beautiful, hunky Wally wowing everyone in sight.  The
kids loved the way he played with them; he was so much like a big kid
himself.

Cara had always home-schooled her children, and after moving into the
apartment over the garages she set up a schoolroom in one of the small
rooms there.  She had three computers and immediately began with lessons
every day for the kids.  I spoke to her about Chris and his obviously poor
education and schooling.  She said she would talk to him in detail and
hoped to do some testing.  Cara was, among other things, a licensed
elementary school teacher; she changed professions as often as most of us
change our underwear.

Three days later we spoke in detail about Chris.  "He is probably
handicapped with attention deficit disorder.  He can learn, but with ADD we
need to take an entirely different track and he'll probably need
medication.  For that you will have to take him to a qualified child
psychiatrist.  Also, daddy, you'll be very happy to hear that he isn't
stupid - in fact, he's actually rather bright.  But he seemed to be
extremely undernourished in the past and this definitely prevented him from
learning properly.  He always fretted about the dire poverty in which he
lived.  While in school he was subjected to derision and abuse from other
kids.  This too prevented him from learning properly.  I think he was too
weak to fight back even though he was bigger than most kids."

I shook my head.  "Poor kid," I said in an exasperated voice.  "What that
poor kid had to endure.  Can you help him, Cara?" I asked anxiously.  "It'd
be great if he could be schooled along with your kids and I'd be so very
grateful."

"Sure, I suppose so, daddy.  I don't see why not.  But we'll need another
computer and probably more room and maybe some other items."

"What about the construction of some kind of schoolroom and computer
facility in the basement of the house?"

"Would you be willing to do that?  It would be great!  It'll cost plenty of
money, though."

"Of course I'd do it; what the hell is a few thousand dollars more going to
matter?  Especially if it's for my grandchildren and Chris."

She smiled at my seeming indifference to money.  "I wonder if there're any
other kids in the area who would be interested in this type of schooling?
It certainly would be optimum if we had six or seven kids attending."

"Does grade matter?"

"Not really.  We can swing most anything.  John, Lily and Avi are all at
different grade levels and things work fine with them."

"Let's find out.  I'll ask Chris if there are any kids he'd like to attend
school with."

			--------------------------------------------

We accepted our first guests on the scheduled opening day of The Victorian
Crown.  The newly installed signs out front read,

					The
				 VICTORIAN CROWN

				 A Luxury Family
				Bed and Breakfast

					Wayne Franklin

A second sign hung underneath:


				  The ALEXANDRIA

			 Creative Modern American Cuisine
			     In An Old World Setting

					Cara Franklin
					Hart Strauss

Both signs were very discrete and were illuminated by small halogen
spotlights.  Everything about The Victorian Crown was to bespeak quiet
elegance.

We all worked up to the opening minute of The Victorian Crown.  There were
literally thousands of small details to attend to.  And one and all were
completely helpful and just wonderful; every person worked for the
betterment of the new establishment and left personal choices and
preferences on a back burner.  Wally and Chris were super and so
wonderfully caring about me and supportive of me.  They made sure I did not
get over tired and that I rested when I need it.  Of course, having Wally
in bed with me made the rests more relaxing and much more fun.

Cara, her kids and Hart were busy with the new kitchen staff and creating
schedules for the operations of the kitchen.  They had stocked the
refrigerators, freezers and pantries with all kinds of wonderful foodstuffs
and created sample menus for our approval.  By the end of each workday we
all had just enough strength to crawl into our beds.

There was quite a crew helping.  Besides Wally, Chris and me, and Cara and
Hart and Cara's kids, there were Rudy and three of his friends, plus Rudy's
current girlfriend Cheryl, and two more young women who were acquaintances
of Cheryl's.  They were from nearby towns and were pleasant young women.
They would eventually be the beginning of the wait staff for the dining
room/restaurant while Cheryl (who was nineteen, three years older than
Rudy) would become the hostess.  It was a young staff, with no preconceived
notions of what a bed and breakfast or a restaurant should look like or how
it was to be operated.  The housekeeping crews consisted of older women and
men from the immediate areas.  These would be expanded as requirements
necessitated.

I tried to convince Wally to leave his job in the sheriff's department, but
he didn't want to.  I think it was that he wanted to be...how shall I put
this...I think he wanted to be free, to feel that he was in control of his
life and destiny.  I supposed he wanted to be on his own, that the fear of
committing to another person (or persons since there was both Chris and me
involved) was scaring him.  I believe the feeling of responsibility
overwhelmed him.

The opening day was a Thursday and it found The Victorian Crown to be quiet
and stately, as befitted the shining opulence of the building itself.  At
precisely 12:47 PM our first guest arrived.  They were an elderly couple,
the Garrisons, who were staying for four nights and would be attending the
opera season at Glimmerglass.  I was behind the magnificent front desk,
which was really a desk.  The guests would sit down in front of the desk
while I sat behind it and registered them.  The reservation system was
completely computerized and functioned beautifully.  I would then stand and
lead them back to the main entrance hall where Connie (one of Rudy's
buddies) would assist them to their room.  Everything was done to preserve
the quality of the house as a home, because it was a home.  It was my home,
Chris' home and home to Cara and her extended family.

That first day, all six of our rooms ready for occupancy were taken.  Two
rooms were occupied by elderly couples, two by yuppie couples and two by
families with small children.  The room fees were reduced from what we
ultimately expected to charge because of the unfinished state of the
dwelling and because of the learning experiences of the staff.

Unfortunately for me, Wally did not consider The Victorian Crown to be his
home.  Even though he stayed here and slept in my bed when he was off duty,
Wally did not want to resign his job and/or move in with me on a permanent
basis.  I found this to be very, very disturbing.  Wally was very loving
and very wonderful in bed; the sex continued to be great and we both seemed
to enjoy it very much.  However, at times, when we were together, I had the
distinct feeling that he was off in another world and I felt disconnected
from him.  For some reason, he also did not seem completely happy.he
exhibited an air of aloofness and standoffishness.  I thought I detected a
feeling of boredom on Wally's part.

I first attributed it to a letdown after so much work had been done getting
the business running.  I subsequently began to think that there was someone
else - something much more disturbing.  I thought that Wally had found
another man.  But this didn't make sense because I called him regularly
when he was away and I was always able to reach him.  Yet I was sure that
something was bothering him and it was having a profound effect on me.

On the business side, our guests seemed very pleased with the
accommodations and service at The Victorian Crown.  The comments about the
breakfasts were particularly strong and shining.  Cara and Hart were
incredibly happy, even though the opening of The Alexandria had to be
rescheduled to August 10th because of a problem getting an important piece
of kitchen equipment.  We were also planning on opening four more guest
rooms on the same date.

The furniture kept arriving and the rooms were slowly being furnished and
finished.  Cara was working on the dining room and the conservatory, which
would become an adjunct to the dining room.  She even had the grand scheme
of eventually having weddings here; she thought it to be so unbelievably
romantic.

Two days before the opening of the restaurant, I was registering new guests
when I received a call from Wally.  I was excited to hear from him because
he had four days off and would be staying as we opened the additional rooms
and the restaurant.

"Wayne, I won't...won't be coming over tonight.  Something's come up."

"What is it Wally?"

"Can't say, but it's real important.  I'll call tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, if you say so."  I turned away from the registering guest and
whispered, "I love you, Wally" into the phone.  But he had already hung up.
I was devastated.

Now I was definitely convinced that there was someone else in Wally's life.
This realization soured the rest of my day and I was in a real bitchy mood.
I yelled at Rudy when he did something I had not authorized, which was
really not like me.  With the restaurant opening only two days away, with
the place completely booked for the first dinner (and for days afterward),
I was terribly stressed.

That night, in bed, I could not fall asleep.  I could not concentrate on
anything except Wally.  My mind kept playing possible scenarios over and
over and over.  Who was it?  Someone from the department?  Someone here?
Who?

"I'll bet it's Rudy!  Of course!  It must be Rudy!  Who else?  He's good
looking, has a great body - parading around at the pool like he does.  And
I know he has great equipment.  I could see that goddamned large basket he
sports - everybody could.  Rudy!  That's why Wally wanted him hired!"  I
began to take out my frustrations at Rudy; I was livid!  Then reason, and a
semblance of sanity began to take shape in my mind.  "Of course, come to
think of it, Rudy seems to be completely heterosexual.  And that girl,
Cheryl, clings to him like a lichen on a tree.  Maybe it's not Rudy.  Maybe
it's someone in the department.  Of course, someone he sees all the time
and can be with at any time."  I tried remembering the men from the
department who had, on occasion, helped Wally procure some furniture and
other objects for The Victorian Crown.  I was working myself into an
incredible rage and beat my fists into the mattress.

I noticed the door to my upstairs office open and Chris came slowly down
the stairs.  He walked over to my bed and got under the covers with me.  He
gave me a big smile and I managed to smile back at him.  He was so cute.
He had gotten taller in the weeks he lived here, gained some much needed
weight and became more handsome and attractive.  He still wore his hair in
the long ponytail first done by Wally.  He was developing into one really
adorable and sweet kid.  I was so lucky to have him with me.

He was naked under the bedcovers, as was I.  He snuggled close to me and
put his arm around my neck.  "I know ya miss Wally."

"I do, Chris.  I really miss him.  I just don't understand why he won't be
here with us when the restaurant opens and what is so important to keep him
away."

"It mus' really be somethin' very important, Wayne.  Ya know that?  I know
Wally won't be away unless it's somethin' really important."

"You're right.  It must be something really, really important."

I held Chris close to my body and soothingly stroked his back.  "This feels
so great!" he said softly.  He did the same to me.  It felt so comforting
and reassuring holding my boy like this.  My tensions eased, my mind
relaxed, as did my body.  We were fast asleep in a matter of minutes, each
cradled lovingly in the arms of the other.

			--------------------------------------------

Three days passed and still I had no word or messages from Wally.  I was
extremely upset and almost beside myself with worry.  I made inquiries of
the sheriff and his fellow officers, but everything came up a blank.

The opening of The Alexandria Restaurant was a great success with almost
everybody lavishing praise on the quality of the food, the service and the
decor.  Of course, there were a few slipups, but that was only to be
expected.  Thankfully there was nothing serious, nothing that either the
kitchen staff or the dining room staff could not handle.

Chris and I continued to sleep together every night that Wally was gone.
It was also comforting to me and I know it was a help to Chris.  He was
equally upset with Wally's apparent disappearance.or was it abandonment?

Early the next morning my private telephone line rang.  I scampered out of
bed to answer it.  I was stunned to hear Wally's voice.  I was so happy I
cried.

"Where are you, Wally?  I need to know!"

"Wayne, gonna put someone else on the line.  Please talk to him and listen
to what he has to say.  Okay?"

Here it comes; here's Wally's new lover.  A terrible sinking feeling began
to develop in the pit of my stomach and a wave of nausea swept over me.
Chris had awakened when he heard me mention Wally's name.  He stood next to
me and I put an arm around his waist.

"Mr. Franklin?  My name is George Hammersmith.  I'm an oncologist and I'm
treating your friend Wallace Travers here at University Hospital in
Albany."

I was speechless.  I sat down slowly, almost dropping the phone.  I could
only berate myself for my rush to judgment about Wally's behavior.  "Oh,
God!  Wally's in the hospital - in a cancer ward.  He's being treated for
cancer and he I was ready to put him in some other man's bed.  What a
shithead, what an unthinking, unloving, fucking shithead I am!"

"Yes, doctor.  What is it?" I spoke slowly into the phone.

"Mr. Franklin, I would like you come to the hospital as soon as possible.
I'd like to speak with you personally, privately and candidly."

I was absolutely stunned!  "Y-y-yes doctor," I stammered.  "I'll be there
as soon as possible."

"Will it be within the next few hours?"

My head was spinning.  The doctor's voice seemed so far away.so
distant.like on another planet.  "Yes, I'll be there in under two hours."

"Good.  When you get to the hospital, go to the main entrance information
area and ask them to page me.  Dr. George Hammersmith."

Wally got back on the telephone.  "Wayne?  Are you okay Wayne?"

"Oh, Wally.  Are you all right?  I was so worried when we didn't hear from
you.  I am still so worried.  Tell me that you're all right, Wally.  Please
tell me that."

Wally was hesitant.  "Can't honestly say that Wayne.  Please come soon?
Okay?"

"Okay Wally."  I hung up the phone and began to cry hard.  Chris put his
arms around me and held me tightly.  I cried on his shoulder while he
soothing rubbed my back.  I told him that I had to go to Albany because
Wally was very sick and in the hospital.  He wanted to come along with me
but I told him he needed to stay here.

I felt awful thinking about Wally, alone in a hospital bed.  I felt even
worse when I thought of all the terrible things I had envisioned when Wally
was away form me.  Wally was alone, while I had Chris here taking care of
me and comforting me.  Wally was alone in a cancer ward of some cold,
impersonal hospital.  I was here, comfortable and happy, surrounded by
those I loved...and those who loved me.  I cried harder.

			--------------------------------------------

Wallace Kenneth Travers died in mid-November, six weeks before his
twenty-fourth birthday.  The cause was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  Wally -
beautiful, sexy, magnificent Deputy Wally - my love, my lover and my
partner.

The funeral was in Canandaigua, the county seat.  The day was cold and
clear, the sun shining brightly.  The turnout was very high, including
sheriff's department personnel from four counties, local residents and
county workers.  Practically every resident of Shadow Springs was there.
Wally's sisters had flown here earlier in the week from Montana; they were
able to see him before he died.  The services, which were non-sectarian,
kept with Wally's wishes.  His coffin was carried on the back of
horse-drawn 1880's fire pumper.  He was cremated, his ashes placed in a
black urn and given to me.  I was charged with the disposition of them as I
saw fit.

At times, Wally's suffering was truly terrible. There were harrowing times
during those three months since his first hospitalization.  The
chemotherapy and drugs administered had devastating effects on his
beautiful body.  He lost weight, his hair fell out and he was weak most of
the time.  After each hospital session, Wally returned to The Victorian
Crown.  He seemed to love it here.  He liked the quite stateliness yet
friendly atmosphere of the big house.  He liked sitting in the gardens and
playing and talking with Chris and with Cara's kids, and sometimes even
with guest children.  It always seemed to brighten his day when there were
kids around.

I realized that Wally's seeming estrangement and aloofness from us, and his
unwillingness to leave his job, indicated to me that Wally had realized his
cancer had returned.  He did not want to be a burden on me with high
medical bills.  It was a very generous action on his part.

The Victorian Crown and the Alexandria restaurant closed for the season on
October 31st.  We had a big Halloween party in the restaurant for the town
kids and a final dinner for the staff, friends and family.  Wally was able
to attend and he seemed to have a grand time.

Cara, Hart and the kids had decided to stay the entire winter at the house.
They felt it would be cozy and would give them time to recharge their
inspiration and to try new and different recipes.  The kids would continue
their schooling (along with Chris and three local kids) while we all tended
to Wally.  I would certainly be staying with Wally - there was never a
question of that.

Wally's last stay at The Victorian Crown was difficult and yet had happier
moments.  We set up a hospital room for him in the alcove of my bedroom,
complete with all the requisite equipment.  We took turns caring for him.
He was generally with it and we spoke of future plans for the establishment
including the restaurant and the possibility of offering package deals
during the winter months.

Wally was very much aware of what was going on.  He was lucid and fun to be
with most of the time, with the exception of times when he had to take
powerful painkillers or immediately after the administration of a certain
drug used in the chemotherapy.

I remember so very clearly my last time with Wally.  It was late at night
and Chris was already asleep in my bed.

"Noticed that Chris is already taking my place, Wayne?"

"That's not true Wally, and you know it.  You are my man - and only you.
Nobody needs to take your place; and I don't want anyone but you."

He looked at me and spoke in a hushed, hoarse voice.  "Remember that first
night, Wayne?"

"I most certainly do, sweetheart."

"We were both so scared.  You about never having done it with a man before
and me.me because of my one ball and small cock.  Jeez, we were quite a
pair."

"A very loving pair, I may add."

"Yeah," he said in a very breathy voice.  "A very loving pair."

He smiled at me.  He was so painfully thin I barely recognized him.  That
manly chest and his wonderfully chiseled features were now a thing of the
past, yet his eyes - those marvelous, luminous eyes - still sparkled with
mischief and joy and love.  He lifted his hand and I grasped it tightly.

'You will need lots of people in the future," he whispered.  "Everyone here
is really so good.and so helpful.  And Chris is so loving and caring.  He's
become such a handsome young guy.  It makes me a little jealous."

"You have nothing to be jealous about, my love.  Nothing at all."  I
squeezed his hand and he smiled.  "I love you so much, my precious Wally.
So very, very much."

"I love you too, Wayne.  Your love and devotion...these last months
we've...we've been together...have made this the...the best time in...my
life.  The absolute best...the best..."  He then drifted off into a
drug-induced sleep - from which he never awoke.

Wally's passing had a devastating effect on me - and on Chris.  The doctor
put me on an anti- depressant medication and sleeping pills for my
increasing insomnia.  I also considered seeing a psychiatrist on a regular
basis, but there was no one qualified for almost 50 miles around.

Chris became slightly more hyperactive and his medication was increased.
We continued to sleep together, to comfort each other and to ease the
terrible pain were we both experiencing.

Chris had viewed Wally as a big brother and was deeply attached to him.
They had gone fishing together and even hunted some.  Chris' schoolwork
began to suffer because of the emotional trauma.

I finally decided that the best thing for the two of us would be to get
away from Shadow Springs, at least for the remainder of the winter.  Chris
could study (via computer) wherever we went.  I planned on being home by
the end of March.  This would give us time to get The Victorian Crown fully
operational for its first full season as a bed and breakfast.

Cara and Hart were in agreement.  Lily and Avi wanted to come with us, but
Cara knew that Chris and I had to be alone together.  I re-outfitted my big
SUV with various luxury appointments (TV, futon, portable stove, etc.) and
on the Saturday after Thanksgiving the two of us set out for sunshine,
warmer climes and maybe even some tranquility.

We hoped to find a reason; we hoped to understand why Wally had been taken
from us.  We were two people who needed to find the inner strength and
serenity that comes with the acceptance of loss.  Chris and I needed, above
all, to find the ability to grow with our love.

The afternoon of the day before we left, we gathered for small family
ceremony in the gardens behind the house - the gardens that my beloved
Wally had adored so much.  Of course, nothing was in bloom; nothing was
growing.  Everything was bare and brown and dormant, awaiting the rebirth
that comes with spring.

Chris and I carefully spread Wally's ashes around the rose bushes, the
azaleas and the hydrangeas.  All was done in total silence.  That silence
was punctuated only by the occasional noise of the birds, busily eating
from the feeders that Wally had insisted we install, and the distant sounds
of children playing.


				  The End


This is the last chapter of "A Victorian Romance".  However, the author
reserves the right to continue the story at a future time.  Thank you for
your time and I hope you have enjoyed this tale.  I appreciate anything
that you, the readers, have to say.  Please e-mail any comments to:
rjcutter57@yahoo.com