An Earl In Time

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “The poor man. He must have felt all alone. He knew something but couldn’t tell anyone.”

  “The last journal has no maps in it. There’s only words. I’m going to start on it tomorrow since it’s late.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’m too tired to read anything else. Nothing I’ve reread has told me how to get a fairy out of a cage. I don’t know how we’re going to get her out of there.”

  “If my grandfather found a fairy like we think, maybe he brought it here. Maybe that fairy can release her.”

  “I hope so.”

  Since there was nothing else to do for the evening, he blew out the candle on his desk and closed the journal. All at once, his exhaustion began to catch up to him. It’d been a long day, and while he found some answers, there were still more questions.

  There never seemed to be a lack of questions. The more he and Willow sought answers, the more questions there seemed to be.

  He went to the candelabra on the table next to the place she’d been sitting and picked it up. Then he turned to face her. He took a moment to let his gaze sweep over her. It wasn’t the first time he’d done so, but it was the first time he considered what it might be like if she was Lady Blackwell. She certainly looked the part in the gowns the maid had altered so that they fit her perfectly. Then there was the fact that the maid styled her hair in a manner befitting this century.

  He recalled the strange clothes and hair style Willow had had when she crossed over into his time, and that image of her just didn’t fit here. But she fit here now.

  Perhaps they could change the future for the better. Already, he had done everything he could to warn Francis not to come here. That meant Francis should go on to live and marry Lady Kimberly. Maybe that meant Julian could go on to marry, too. A marriage with Willow would be very pleasant. Even if they always remained unable to leave the property, they could still make a life here together.

  “Julian, are you okay?” Willow asked.

  Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Julian forced his attention back to the present. He took a good look at her and noted the curious expression on her face. She really was lovely to look at. He’d like to have the pleasure of looking at her every day for the rest of his life.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m fine.” He took her by the arm and led her out of the room. “It’s been a long day. We need to get a good night’s sleep.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. We do. I was starting to fall asleep while reading.”

  “Then it’s good we stopped when we did.”

  They reached the stairs, and he noticed the way she leaned into him. If they were more comfortable with each other, he wondered if she would rest her head on his shoulder. He’d once spotted a lady doing that with her husband when a footman had opened the door of a carriage and thought it was a sweet gesture of affection. It was supposed to be private, of course. The lady hadn’t intended for him to be passing by at the moment to see it. And he had thought that was all the more reason why the gentleman was fortunate.

  He knew so little of his parents’ marriage. His mother and father never said anything to make him think they didn’t get along, but there had been a shadow that hovered over their marriage. Perhaps it had something to do with the duel his mother had called a foolish event in his father’s life.

  A senseless thing, were his mother’s exact words.

  Had it been senseless, or had it been necessary?

  The thought startled him, and he paused on the steps.

  Willow stopped, too, and turned to look at him. “What is it? Did you forget something in the library?”

  “No. I was just thinking about that duel my father was in. What if my father had to do it? What if he had no choice?”

  “Well, you said a gentleman has to go into a duel when his reputation is at stake.”

  “Yes, but what if there was more than his reputation he was worried about?”

  “Your father never spoke to you about the duel though, right?”

  “Right, he didn’t. It was only my mother who did, and she didn’t tell me anything except it was senseless.” He paused. “What if it only seemed senseless to her because he knew something she didn’t? Maybe he couldn’t say anything to her because she wouldn’t have believed him. It’s not like I’m about to go around this place and tell the servants there’s a fairy trapped in the gazebo, that I can’t leave this property because of an invisible barrier, or that you’re from the future. They’d never believe any of it.”

  “But the butler did see us at the bridge.”

  “He saw us at the bridge, but he didn’t see the colors we did, and he didn’t feel the barrier we felt.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Yes, that’s true. He probably thinks we just don’t want to leave.”

  He nodded. “Yes, that’s how it would seem to him. And to the servants, it seems like no one was ever stuck in time for two centuries. They would think we’ve gone mad if we said anything to them about it. What if my father couldn’t tell me or my mother what happened because we wouldn’t be able to understand his reason for being in the duel?” Recalling the missive he’d received all those years ago, he added, “That duel had something to do with this curse we’re in. Remember the pieces of the missive we found in the fireplace?”

  “Yes, I remember.” She bit her lower lip then said, “Fairies have magic. Even a caged fairy can do something, despite her limitations. I wonder if the fairy can recreate the message.”

  “You really think that’s possible?”

  “Fairies can do many things. They’re important magical creatures. Leprechauns can grant wishes and hide gold at the end of rainbows, but fairies can do much more.”

  That would explain his grandfather’s obsession with finding a fairy as opposed to a creature like a leprechaun. “Tomorrow we’ll go back to the gazebo and see if the fairy will help us restore that missive.”

  “If she’ll help us, maybe we can use the information to help her somehow.”

  His excitement over the possibility dimmed a bit when he considered she might not want to stay if she was able to leave the property. He debated whether he should voice his concerns as they continued up the stairs.

  He couldn’t allow the curse to continue just to keep her with him. That would be wrong. She had to have the freedom to leave if that’s what she wanted.

  When they reached her bedchamber, he gently stopped her before she went into her room.

  “Willow,” he began, his voice soft, “I want you to know that having you here has been the best thing that’s happened to me. It’s not just because it made time move forward for me again. I mean that I’ve enjoyed your company immensely. Even if there wasn’t a barrier keeping us here, being with you would be wonderful.” Hoping to ease some of the awkwardness he was feeling at admitting his feelings, he playfully added, “And I’m not just saying that because you’re the first lady I’ve spent time with in over two centuries.”

  As he hoped, she chuckled, and he felt much better. He hadn’t appreciated just how difficult it must have been for Francis to ask Lady Kimberly if he could be her suitor. He recalled telling Francis to just come out and say what he wanted. Now he understood it was much easier to tell someone to go up to a lady and tell her how he felt than to actually do it.

  “I like spending time with you, too,” Willow said. “If I had to be stuck with anyone, you’d be my first choice.”

  Taking that as a hopeful comment, he asked, “If we figure out a way to break the curse holding us here, would you be willing to stay with me?”

  “Yes, I would.”

  Her answer came out as almost a whisper, and he caught the tint of pink in her cheeks that told him while she was pleased with the topic, she experienced the same uncertainty about where things were going that he did. That made him feel more at ease, and this sense of ease emboldened him to take the next logical step.

  He brought his hand up to her face and took a moment to caress her cheek. Her ski
n was as soft as it looked. He cupped the side of her face in the palm of his hand then lowered his head so his lips could brush hers. She didn’t back away, nor did she tell him to stop. Encouraged, he kissed her again, and his heartbeat sped up when he felt her respond to him. He brought his hand down to her waist and drew her closer to him. She, in turn, put her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss.

  Now there was no doubt in his mind. She felt the same way he did. They would make a good match. While they needed to figure out the details of what to do about the curse, at least he was assured they would be together regardless of the outcome.

  When the kiss ended, he whispered, “I suppose it’s too soon to ask you to marry me?” Before she could answer, he added, “I thought I should take advantage of the moment since things are going my way.”

  “When you know you’re with the person you’re meant to be with, I see no point in waiting.”

  “Then if I send for a vicar first thing in the morning, you’ll say yes when he performs the ceremony?”

  The flush of shyness returned to her cheeks, but she answered, “I’ll say yes.”

  This was going much better than he had hoped. He parted from her and pinched his arm.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in surprise.

  “Making sure this isn’t a dream.

  She laughed. “If it was a dream, I’d tell you.”

  “That wouldn’t work if you were part of the dream.”

  He could tell his response had taken her by surprise.

  “You said you’ll marry me, and since we’re not dreaming, you have to follow through with your word,” he said.

  Amused by his joke, she laughed again. “I’m not going to change my mind. There are some things you just know, and I know I want to be with you.”

  This time when he brought her into his arms, he didn’t feel quite so awkward. He gave her another kiss. He would have lingered forever at her lips had he not been pestered by a certain part of him that wanted to do more than kiss her. She was a lady. More than that, she was to be his wife. He would do right by her and wait until they wed before going further.

  “I look forward to seeing you in the morning,” he whispered.

  “I look forward to seeing you, too.”

  Daring to risk tempting the male part of him a bit more, he gave her another kiss. But he had to keep it short. He might have noble intentions, but he was only human. He wished her a good night and waited for her to go to her bedchamber before he retired for the night.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Willow barely got any sleep. She had been exhausted when she and Julian left the library that evening, but finding out he felt the same way she did made her far too excited to sleep. She spent most of the night staring up at the ceiling and thinking of how wonderful it was going to be to wake up each morning with Julian.

  They would have breakfast then go outside if it was nice. They would take rides on some days. Perhaps she could talk him into taking walks on others. Sure, it wasn’t as comfortable to walk on the dirt road as it was on pavement, especially in the boots ladies wore in this time, but if the road was dry enough, it would be manageable.

  After they returned and had something light to eat, they might read in the library. Perhaps she’d give one of those old books a try. It might not be so bad if he would read them to her. She could close her eyes and imagine the book playing out in her mind like a movie. Just hearing his voice would make the old literature more interesting.

  Then they would have dinner, and maybe they would stare up at the stars while he held her. It’d been a long time since she’d looked at the stars. When she was a little girl, she used to look at them and pretend her future husband was staring up at them, too. Now she realized such hadn’t been the case since Julian used to be stuck with rainy nights.

  They’d end the day by making love. Given how much information there had been in her time explaining everything, she knew what to expect. But even so, she had to admit that a tiny part of her was a bit apprehensive since she hadn’t been with anyone the way she was going to be with him. She was looking forward to it, though. She thoroughly enjoyed being touched and kissed by him. Her skin still tingled in the most pleasant way from being with him in the hall. She bet it would be much better to go all the way.

  She finally managed to drift off to sleep at some point past midnight.

  Though her original intention was to sleep in until nine or ten, she was up at dawn. She tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use.

  She summoned the maid to bring up a bath. As much as she hated to make the servants carry up those buckets of hot water, she needed to bathe. There might be magic on the property, but none of it removed the need for bathing. Since a shower was out of the question, this was her only option. She could only hope that thanking them was enough to make up for the hassle she was putting them through.

  She took more care in getting dressed on this particular day. Knowing Julian wanted to marry her made her want to look her best. Not that she hadn’t been trying to be attractive before, but there was something about being a bride that made a woman want to put a little more effort into her appearance. Fortunately, Julian’s mother had left behind some lovely gowns and jewelry. Today she chose a peach gown with jewelry made out of white pearls. It was a bit dressy for breakfast, but it wasn’t too out of place from the outfits the lady’s maid had helped her pick out on the other mornings.

  When she left the room, she thought about knocking on Julian’s bedchamber door, but after recalling how late they had stayed up last night, she decided to wait for him downstairs. The butler passed the staircase and offered her a greeting. To her relief, he didn’t seem to be as wary of her as he was before. Maybe the servants were starting to accept her.

  She originally intended to go to the drawing room because that was where she and Julian had been meeting in the mornings, but it was only seven and she didn’t feel like sitting idly by a window for an hour.

  She turned on her heel and went to the library. Maybe she would try reading one of the books in the bookcase. Or maybe she would skim through one of the journals Julian’s grandfather had left behind.

  To her surprise, Julian was already there. The candle was lit, though the sun offered plenty of light. He was reading his grandfather’s journal.

  For a moment, she recalled the day Mr. Thompson had brought her to this estate. He had emphasized how vintage the whole place was. He’d said it was like stepping back in time, except for the modern conveniences that had been added like bathrooms and electricity. She also recalled looking at Julian’s portrait for the first time. Little did she know she was going to actually meet him. And she never would have believed someone so attractive in a portrait would be much more breathtaking in real life. Julian was a perfect fit here. She hoped her coming back here had changed the future for the better. She hoped his title would never go extinct. Someone so kind and noble should be able to preserve his legacy.

  He glanced up from the journal and gave her a smile that sent a thrill right through her. “I couldn’t sleep. I think I managed four hours last night. I thought I’d come down here and make good use of my time.”

  “I had trouble sleeping, too,” she replied as she shut the door. She didn’t think servants made it a habit of eavesdropping, but she preferred her privacy.

  “I sent the footman out around six to get the vicar. I thought it best to send for him before you changed your mind about marrying me.”

  She grinned at the teasing tone in his voice and went over to him. “I didn’t change my mind. I still want to be your wife.”

  “In that case…” He moved back from the desk and patted his lap. “Care to be a bit wicked?”

  “Sitting on someone’s lap is wicked in this time?”

  His eyes grew wide. “Are you saying that ladies sit on gentlemen’s laps all the time in the future?”

  “Actually, it’s fine if a lady does that. No one thinks anything is wrong w
ith it. But then, it’s normal for ladies to wear pants and ride horses like gentlemen do.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “Ladies can also wear shorts.”

  “What are shorts?”

  “They’re like pants that go up to here.” She put her hand at her mid-thigh. “Some go up higher than that, but I never felt comfortable showing that much of my legs.”

  “What do you wear on your legs to cover what the shorts don’t?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? You mean, you just let the rest of your legs go bare?”

  “Yes. We wear shorts on hot days in order to keep cool.”

  His eyebrows rose and he scanned her in a way that made her skin warm. “I’m having trouble imagining what shorts are like,” he said. “Would you lift the gown so I can get a better idea of what you’re talking about?”

  She gasped and bent forward to cover her legs even though he couldn’t possibly see them through the gown. “No! We’re not married yet.”

  “Oh. Then don’t show me your legs. You can just stay in that position.”

  It took her a moment to realize she had, unwittingly, given him a generous view of her cleavage when she bent forward. She jerked back up and shook her head at him. “I thought you were a gentleman, what with you being from the 1800s and all. It turns out you’re not all that gentlemanly. You’re…you’re being a…” She struggled to find the word, but it eluded her.

  With a smile, he reached out and pulled her onto his lap. “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘cad’. I have kept myself for my wife, and now that I’ve found her, I see no reason not to indulge in a little scandal.”

  “You can indulge after we marry.” Even as she said it, she was tempted to give in, at least a little. She put her arms around his shoulders and settled against him. “It won’t be that long of a wait since you sent for a vicar this morning. Then we can do all sorts of things that are scandalous.”

  “What we’re doing right now is already scandalous. If someone caught us in London, we’d be forced to marry.”