Charlotte's Challenge

Charlotte’s Challenge
The Golden Legacy Series
By
Caroline Clemmons
Cover by Michelle Hauf
Copyright © 2020 by Caroline Clemmons
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental.


 
Table of Contents
Series Background
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Try Another Book
About Caroline Clemmons


Series Background
The Golden Legacy
In 1734 a pirate brigantine attacked a merchant ship, The Golden Fleece, in the Caribbean. Although smaller, the merchant ship bested the pirate craft that contained a treasure trove of gold and jewels. A dying pirate claimed the Incas had cursed anyone who misused the treasure - hence the reason the merchant crew was victorious. The treasure would also bless anyone who used it for good. The greedy merchant captain, James Carlson, was killed during the battle, but his eighteen-year-old daughter, Sarah, survived in her cabin.
Mindful of the curse and to thank God for their salvation, she asked the crew members to split the treasure equally, but to make a binding pledge that they would keep only twenty percent for their own use, and give ten percent to help others. With the rest, each was to buy something of great value that could be passed down to their descendants, with the curse passing on to anyone who broke the line and used it selfishly. If used selfishly, the treasure would be lost, but reappear in some form after skipping a generation.
John Craig was one of The Golden Fleece’s crew.


Chapter One
Fort Worth, Texas 1885
Bret Craig filled his saddlebags for his upcoming trip. He wished his sister would stop pestering him about money. Her nagging made his pounding headache worse. As the eldest sibling and only son, he had inherited the family’s money.
“I know what I’m doing. I’ll be like the pioneers. Fresh air, the outdoors, and living off the land will be a grand adventure.”
His sister Phyllis’ skirts swished back and forth as she paced the room. “You must listen to reason. The curse will destroy you if you use the money for yourself. Don’t you think about your future and that of your descendants?”
“For most of my life I’ve thought about being carefree and having this great adventure. You make it sound like I’m selfish but this is something I have to do.”
“Aren’t you concerned about Aunt Martha and me?”
He left the saddlebags on his bed and went to his sister. He grasped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “You know I love you, dear sister. I would never leave you if I doubted you’d be all right with Aunt Martha to act as your chaperone.”
She hissed, “Thanks a lot, Bret. You know how she is.”
“But you need her presence and she has nowhere else she can go.”
He released her and returned to his packing. “I made sure you have enough money so you can live here comfortably for the rest of your life whether or not you marry. If you want to wed, you’ll have a large dowry and can take your pick of men. You’re an intelligent woman, Phyllis, and I expect you’re capable of managing your life.”
“I certainly am,” she snapped.
He sent her a triumphant smile. “There, you see, I knew it. If you have any questions, you’ve only to ask Mr. Van Zandt. He assured me he would be available to advise you should you need help, whether or not it regards the law.”
A sheen of tears shone in her eyes. “I don’t need that sort of support, Bret. I may need advice sometime but I’ll always need my family with me. You should be running our father’s company instead of putting Jeffery Campbell in charge. How will I know if he’s cheating?”
“You’ve no need to concern yourself about such things. Mr. Van Zandt is a clever attorney. He’s promised to keep an eye on Campbell and will know if he’s taking advantage.”
He threw up his hands. “Please, stop haranguing me. I’m heading west and I don’t know when or if I’ll be back. If I settle somewhere, you have my promise I’ll let you know.”
Fearing he’d sounded too harsh, he softened his tone, “Phyllis, I promise I’ll write occasionally to let you know where I am and what I’ve seen and done.”
Appearing at the doorway to his room, Aunt Martha’s sour expression conveyed her usual negative outlook. “Bret Craig, you’re making several terrible mistakes. Life isn’t like the dime novels you’re so fond of reading. Dressing like one of those western heroes you’ve read about doesn’t make you one. You’ll be living on your own for the first time in your life. You’ve never even prepared coffee. How will you cook for yourself? How will you manage setting