by Bess McBride
“Do they always arrive in the same place?” he asked.
Leigh shook her head. “I think I’m starting to see a pattern, but I might be wrong. I know that Katherine showed up near the church, and John found her. I found myself at the base of Jeremiah’s house, and here I am. Emily showed up at the school, and you found her.”
“What are you suggesting?” Luke asked.
“What?” Emily repeated.
“Oh, nothing!” Leigh said with a broad smile. “Just a theory I was toying with. Don’t pay me any attention. Now! Are you hungry, Emily? I know for a fact that Mrs. Jackson has some wonderful carrot soup left over from dinner. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind heating some up.”
Emily nodded. “Actually, I am.”
“How about you, Luke? If you found Emily near the school this late, you probably missed dinner, didn’t you? You board at Martha’s house, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. I had hoped she might have something left over for me when I arrived, but I did not realize I would be so late.”
Leigh rose. “I’ll just go tell Mrs. Jackson to lay out two bowls and some bread. As for tonight, why don’t you stay with us, Emily? You can stay as long as you like. Think about it while I go talk to Mrs. Jackson.”
She left the room and left Emily reeling. Emily turned to stare at Luke.
Chapter Four
Luke dabbed at his mouth with a napkin following the savory carrot soup prepared by Mrs. Jackson. Given the gnawing discomfort in his abdomen, however, he wondered if he should have declined the food. He had promised Emily that he would not leave her, yet the time had come for him to leave. The hour was late, and he had to rise early for school, but the truth was that he wished himself well away from the nightmare in which he found himself ensnared.
He could have lived out the rest of his life in Kaskade without knowing that visitors from the future descended upon them on an annual basis. Yet before him were two women from the twenty-first century. If that were not enough to take in, Katherine Ludlow was some sort of time traveler as well, and he had not detected anything particularly out of the ordinary about her.
Further worsening the matter was an unanticipated sense of guilt that gnawed at him. As a man of education, he should have been open to new ideas, new concepts, perhaps even the mysteries of the universe, but Luke could not access the logic that had always stood him in good stead. He felt as if he walked on ice and could not find his footing.
How was he to rise in the morning, go to work and teach students mathematics, history and science? The world had shifted to the left, or perhaps to the right, but it no longer felt stable and predictable.
Luke dropped his eyes to study the folds of his napkin. He had not previously imagined himself to be afraid of the unknown, but his heart raced when he looked at Emily—the time traveler. He struggled to take deep breaths. He fared little better when he regarded Leigh, but her mannerisms seemed more in keeping with the women he had known.
No, despite his promise not to abandon Emily, he need have no compunction in leaving her with the doctor and his wife. Having no home of his own, Luke could not assist her in any meaningful way with housing or food. She was where she belonged given that she wasn’t where she belonged at all.
“Luke, I know that you must be struggling with what has happened,” Leigh said. “Are you all right? Do you have any questions you’d like to ask?”
Luke looked up to see three people at the table staring at him. He focused his gaze on the speaker.
“Yes, I am struggling, as you say, but this has little to do with me. I do hope that Emily enjoys her stay here. I really must be going though. I have school in the morning.”
Tamping down his guilt, he rose abruptly. Without looking at Emily directly, he spoke.
“Do enjoy your visit to Kaskade, Emily. I am certain we will meet again. Thank you, Jeremiah and Leigh, for the enjoyable meal. Please give my thanks to Mrs. Jackson. Good night.”
Luke turned for the dining room door, fighting the urge to thank the Cooks for helping Emily on his behalf. He would no longer take responsibility for her.
Jeremiah rose quickly. “I will see you to the door.”
“Thank you,” Luke said.
He followed Jeremiah down the hall to the front door. Expecting the doctor to open the door, he stopped as Jeremiah turned to him, effectively blocking his departure. Both men stood well over six feet, and Luke raised his head to look into the doctor’s eyes. Jeremiah laid a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
“You are in shock, Luke. That is all. Your dismissive farewell of Emily was cruel, but you will have an opportunity to make amends when you feel more yourself. You are not the first person to learn of Kaskade’s peculiarity, and you will not be the last. We have all suffered shock, perhaps most of all the traveler. Good night, Luke.” Jeremiah pulled open the door.
Luke gritted his teeth but stifled a reply. He heard Jeremiah’s words, but he could not imagine that he wished to see Emily again to offer a personal apology. There was likely no need to see her at all. He stiffened his spine.
“Yes, of course, the shock. Do please extend my apologies. Good night, Dr. Cook.”
He walked out of the house and strode as fast as he could in the direction of the boardinghouse, reaching it in fifteen minutes—too soon in his opinion. He had hoped the fast walk would relieve some of the tension he felt, but it had not. He looked up at the two-story house, hoping that everyone had gone to bed and that he might go straight to his room without encountering any inquisitive people.
His hopes were dashed when he opened the door and found Martha Lundrum in the foyer, seemingly on her way up the stairs. A beautiful woman with flaxen hair and crystal blue eyes, she ran the boardinghouse left to her by her parents.
“Luke!” she exclaimed in a hushed voice given the lateness of the hour. “I did not know you were still out. Is everything all right? You look distressed.”
“No, I am fine, thank you.” He closed the door softly behind him so as not to awaken anyone else.
“I do not think you are. Something seems amiss. We missed you at dinner.”
“Yes, I was working late.”
“Can I get you something from the kitchen?”
“No, thank you. I ate.”
Luke wanted nothing more than to go upstairs to his room, but he could not very well push past Martha. To his dismay, she stepped off the stairs and came to his side.
“What has happened, Luke?”
“Nothing at all,” he said.
She tilted her head. “It is the summer solstice.”
Luke closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He opened them again to look into Martha’s eyes.
“So I have been told.”
To his surprise, Martha took his hand. “Come, let me at least make you a cup of tea.”
Lulled by the warm reassurance of Martha’s hand, Luke was just on the point of allowing her to lead him to the kitchen, when he jerked. He pulled his hand from hers.
“Not you too!”
Martha’s lips curved in a soft smile. “So you know.”
“You too, Martha?”
She looked at the staircase and pressed a finger to her lips.
“Come to the kitchen, and we can talk. The teapot is still warm.”
He resisted. “No! I do not want to speak to any more time travelers, not at the moment. I have not had time to organize my thoughts.”
Martha’s smile broadened. “Oh, no, not I, Luke! Jefferson and I are from this time.”
Relief swept through him. “Thank goodness! I am confused and concerned about what is to become of the world if people run willy nilly back and forth through time.”
“They will not hurt you, Luke.”
“Well, of course not. I am not afraid in that way.” He followed Martha down the hall. “I meant only that I worry about the normal order of things given this chaotic turn of events.”
Suddenly exhausted, Luke dropped down onto a kitchen cha
ir while Martha moved to the stove.
“How long have you known of this aberration, Martha? I grow tired of hearing it referred to as a phenomenon.”
Martha poured water into two cups and set them on the table. She sat down before responding.
“For as long as they have been coming—eight of them so far.”
“You cannot have met the newest arrival, so I presume that number has increased to nine.”
Martha smiled brightly, and Luke saw the welcome in her eyes. He could not feel the same way, and for that, he was ashamed.
“You were the one to encounter our new guest?” she asked. “Tell me everything! Is it a man or a woman?”
“It is a woman,” Luke said. “Her name is Emily Alexander. I know little more about her than that. To her credit, she is as confused about what happened as I.”
“To her credit, Luke? What do you mean by that?”
He shook his head and toyed with his teacup, having drunk more than enough that evening.
“Nothing in particular, only that she was confused, as was I.”
Martha tilted her head and regarded him, and Luke shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“It is perfectly natural for me to be baffled at this turn of events, Martha, is it not? Am I unnatural?”
“No, Luke, I do not think you are unnatural. Tell me more of Emily Alexander. Where is she now? Does she need quarters? I do have a small room that was vacated today. I could certainly put her up for as long as she needs. These poor travelers have no idea what has happened to them. They have no money, no idea how to live, no assurances that they can go home. They potentially lose everything when they come here. Tell me, is Emily married? Did she leave a husband behind? Children? I truly hope not!”
“I feel as if you are lecturing me, Martha, and I wish you would not. That has already been attended to once. I am tired, discouraged, concerned, and befuddled. The world as I understood it this morning does not exist but is instead something out of a fairy tale. To answer your question, no, Emily is not married and did not leave children behind.”
“I apologize if you feel I am lecturing you. I only meant to urge you to share the compassion I know you to be capable of. I too remember being frightened when I first met a time traveler—Matthew. But he was such a dear young man, and he was just as frightened as we were. As for Emily, it is possible that she has left a sweetheart behind or her parents or loving siblings, perhaps employment that she enjoyed. I do not pretend to understand why Kaskade steals these poor souls from their time, but it does, and I pity them. Still, they appear to be a resilient bunch, as most learn to adapt.”
“And most return, I was given to understand.”
“But I forgot! Where is Emily now? Who told you of Kaskade’s quirk? How did you encounter her? It is the summer solstice, of course.”
“Of curse, you mean,” he said dryly. “Yes, phenomenon and summer solstice. I have heard those terms many times tonight. I found Emily unconscious at the base of the school tonight. She was confused and disoriented. I thought her unwell, and I convinced her to accompany me to Dr. Cook’s house. Where, I might add, I met Mrs. Leigh Cook, another time traveler. I suppose you knew about her? And Katherine Ludlow, of all people?”
Martha nodded. “Jefferson and I are among the few who know, and that is only because a few of our guests have stayed with us.”
Luke tapped on the side of his cup without purpose. He truly did not know if he could think straight any longer that evening.
“Forgive me, Martha. I need to sleep. Perhaps when the sun comes up, I will see things differently. For now, I am too bewildered to understand the phenomenon that is Emily Alexander...or anyone else.”
He rose on leaden legs. Martha stood as well.
“She is a person, Luke, not a phenomenon. The phenomenon is Kaskade, not the poor woman. She did not cause this, and she is one of many who have come before. I pray you find it in your heart to sympathize with her.”
He dipped his head.
“I sympathize with her, Martha. I simply do not wish to become involved with her. Good night.”
Chapter Five
A soft knocking on the door awakened Emily, and she bolted upright. Light filtered in through a crack in the rose-colored muslin curtains at the window, and she scanned the room in confusion. Where was she? The door opened, and she turned in that direction. Leigh! Leigh entered the room and shut the door behind her.
“Don’t be frightened,” she said. “It’s me. How do you feel today?”
Emily blinked and rubbed her eyes. Leigh looked the part of a turn-of-the-century doctor’s wife, dressed as she was in a high-necked lavender sateen blouse with puff-top sleeves tucked into a purple taffeta silk skirt in a flowered pattern. Her wide black belt came to a point at her waist, giving the impression of a tiny waist and curvy hips. Though Emily hadn’t seen Leigh’s two-month-old baby yet, she marveled at how she had recovered her figure.
“You look beautiful,” Emily said.
“Thank you!” Leigh said, smoothing her skirt. “I’m still not really used to wearing these skirts, but there ya go!”
“And you just had a baby?” Emily asked.
“I did. Her name is Jeri, after Jeremiah, of course. She was up early this morning and just went back down again. I’m on my way down to Jeremiah’s office—well, the dining room actually—to do some paperwork. I have a phobia about doctors, if you can believe that, and I don’t really ever go into Jeremiah’s office. Breakfast will be ready soon. We have to get you dressed before then. Your yoga pants won’t fly here, which I’m sure you already know.”
Emily stared at Leigh, trying to figure out which comment to address.
Leigh laughed, her cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry. I’m actually nervous this morning. I want to do this right, and I don’t want to scare you, but I’m babbling, aren’t I?”
She moved over to the window and pushed the curtains aside before returning to sit on the edge of the bed. She took a deep breath.
“Okay, first things first. How do you feel?”
“Disoriented,” Emily replied, taking a moment to scan the room in the soft light. The window reflected soft gray skies, as was typical for Washington, no matter what century they were in. The walls of the room were wallpapered with an antique-looking wallpaper of red roses and blue stripes on white. The quilt she held up to her neck shared similar colors. A bureau, wardrobe, nightstand, small dressing table, lamps and a chair completed the furnishings. The atmosphere was very warm and country chic.
“This is a beautiful room,” Emily repeated, having said so the previous evening.
“It is, isn’t it? I love the view of the lake from here. Our bedroom faces the lake as well.”
“Oh, I didn’t get to see that last night.” She climbed out of bed and went to look out the window. Leigh joined her there.
“That’s a lot of logs in there!” Emily said. “Are those canoes?”
“Yes, they’re fishing. They sell the catch to the market up in Orting. They float the logs here until they load them onto the train and take them out to the ships in Commencement Bay.”
“Wow, Dorothy!” Emily said. “We’re really not in Kansas anymore.”
“Nope, we’re definitely not.”
“I really appreciate you putting me up,” Emily said, turning from the window. “I’m guessing Luke couldn’t handle the news. He certainly went running out into the night, didn’t he? I feel like a freak.”
“I’m sorry he struggled with the idea of time travel, Emily. He didn’t know. You’re not a freak! I’m not a freak. It’s just something that has happened to us, and I for one am glad that it happened to me.”
Weak kneed, Emily returned to the bed, and Leigh followed her. Emily pulled up the hem of the long muslin nightgown Leigh had loaned her and crawled back onto the mattress.
“Okay, so what all were you saying when you came in?” Emily asked. “You were going to work in the dining room. You have a phobi
a about doctors, which is way weird since you married one. Breakfast will be ready soon. And I have to get dressed but not in yoga pants. Did I get all that?”
“Kudos to you if you did! I think that was about the gist of it. We should get you dressed. As you can imagine, they wear a lot of clothes here, and yes, before you ask, you have to wear a corset. You’re slender, but you’d have to be a stick figure to wear some of these dresses. You’re even shorter than me, but we can make some of my stuff work.”
“That’s fine,” Emily said. “I really appreciate the loan of the clothing.”
“I’m glad you’re taking this well. I can see that you’re in a bit of a daze, but just put one foot in front of the other, keep your skirts out of the dust and you’ll be fine.”
“Ah! Wisdom from the turn of the century,” Emily said with a smile.
“I laid some things out in my room, but I didn’t want to scare you first thing this morning, so I didn’t bring them. I’ll run and get them now.”
Leigh left the room, and Emily went down the hallway to use the bathroom and wash up before returning to meet her in the bedroom. Leigh helped Emily into an array of clothing that boggled the mind. When Leigh pronounced Emily fully dressed, Emily knew for certain that she wore at least eight or nine pieces of clothing, not counting shoes. Leigh brought a cute little pair of heeled shoes that fit, thankfully, and Emily studied her reflection in the dressing table mirror while Leigh pulled her hair up off her shoulders.
Leigh had loaned her a sateen high-necked ivory blouse with puffy sleeves that gathered at the wrist. She had called it a shirtwaist. A small black webbed belt with a decorative brass buckle accompanied a chocolate-brown sateen skirt.
“You look wonderful!” Leigh said, braiding Emily’s hair and twisting it up into a chignon.
Emily smoothed the skirt. “This is much more elaborate than I would wear at home.”
“Me too,” Leigh said. “Honestly, I’d be fine with cotton and percale, but the saleslady convinced me that I should wear satin and silk, and I think she guilted me a little because I’m the doctor’s wife and he could afford it. So she ordered a bunch of expensive stuff for me, and here I am!”