The Curse of Time

by Andreea Pryde

  I chased away all the negative thoughts from my mind and tried to enjoy the ride. It was quite relaxing; the hooves’ rhythmic sound, the wind, the crickets’ song, the fireflies floating between the trees, Chance’s voice . . .

  “How many times have you travelled here so far?”

  “This would be the third time, I think,” I answered, jumping a little in surprise.

  Feeling my reaction, he pulled me even closer, and laughing, he continued.

  “So, Jubilee was right after all . . .”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

  “She told me I would meet, through Leah, a young woman; very different from all the others. When she first told me, I didn't understand much, but then she clarified. I was well aware of her talent, but even so, it found it hard to believe. That was at least until Leah ran away; or rather, you did.”

  “Speaking of running away; do you think she'll be in trouble? This Earl of yours, what kind of person is he? Do you think he will forgive her?”

  “I don't know. Up until now, Lord Conwell was that person who helped everyone without expecting anything in return, warm, and understanding. But Jubilee warned me that with her death, that man would disappear. So, I don't know what's going to happen from here on.”

  “Leah, maybe you want to reconsider returning to the manor. Leah?”

  Utter silence. I put my hand on my chest and closing my eyes, I tried to find her, to feel her, and I did. Hiding deeply, still sighing from time to time, she’d fallen asleep.

  “How’s Leah?” he asked, concerned.

  “She’s sleeping.”

  “Good. She’ll need plenty of rest for what’s to come.”

  “Meaning?”

  “There’s a lot of work at the manor, and now with Lady Jubilee gone, a lot of things need to be prepared for the funeral and mourning.”

  I frowned at his answer. All he said was true, indeed, buy why did it feel as if there was more than that?

  Chapter 10

  Chance kept Moonlight to a languid pace, and he didn’t seem to like it at all; snorting and neighing every time Chance tempered his pace. He was going so slow that I could’ve kept up with him on foot, but he probably did it, so I wouldn’t get scared. I began to feel comfortable on the saddle, but I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to ride by myself.

  By the time we got back to the manor, it had already dawned.

  In front of the back door, the same one we’d left through, a woman in a black dress with a grim expression on her face was waiting for us. I recognised her as Emma, the woman who was made responsible for Leah after her parents left her here.

  Chance stopped the horse near her and helped me get off, but as soon as my feet touched the ground, I woke up with a heavy palm across my face.

  “You stupid child!” she barked at me. “How dare you show such disrespect to this family?”

  “Stop it, Emma!” Chance demanded, stretching an arm between the revolted woman and me.

  Puffing her chest out and pressing her lips together tightly, she turned on her heels and stomped off back into the house.

  I covered my burning cheek with a hand, and looking at Chance, who still had his arm protectively in front of me, and his eyes fixed on Emma’s back, I whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you, My Lady,” he said with half a smile. “Now try to wake up Leah; I’m rather sure the Earl will want to see her.”

  “Let me try. Leah?”

  Nothing.

  “Leah, we are back at the manor.”

  Quiet.

  “You can’t hide forever. It’s time for me to go home.”

  “Please don’t!” she pleaded. “Please stay a bit longer. Don’t leave me alone; not now.”

  “Leah, I can’t meet the Earl.”

  “Neither can I . . .”

  “I think we have a problem,” I told Chance, biting my lip.

  “What happened?” he frowned.

  “She won’t come out.” I turned livid. “She doesn’t want to meet the Earl.”

  “Then this doesn’t give us any other option. You will have to replace her.”

  “Me?” I shouted. “Are you out of your mind? I can’t do that. I don’t know how I’m supposed to act, and the last thing I want is to cause Leah even more trouble.”

  “Shut up and listen to me.” he grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look into his amber eyes. “All you have to do is to keep your eyes on the floor and don’t raise them for anything in the world. Understood?” he tried to ease my tension.

  “But what if he asks me something, and I have to answer?” I asked agitated. “I know nothing about this place or about the people here . . . nothing.” I felt hopeless.

  “Calm down and leave the talking to me. You just focus on a spot on the floor.”

  ***

  My heart climbed into the middle of my throat as I came face to face with the doors behind which the Earl was expecting Leah.

  “Everything will be fine; just remember what you must do and leave the rest to me,” Chance tried to encourage me.

  Without waiting for any sort of confirmation from me, he knocked on the door and went in, with me following closely.

  “Never. Never in my life have I’ve been disrespected to such extent.”

  I was tempted to raise my eyes, hearing the cold, gruff voice coming from somewhere from my right, but I didn’t. The Earl came near me, and even with my head bent, I could see him up to his chest. He seemed quite tall; dressed in black from head to toe; the exception being a white shirt. He held a cane in his hand, for the sake of fashion as he did not seem to need it to move around.

  “You need to learn respect, and I will teach it to you myself.”

  It didn't take me long to understand what he meant as he raised his cane. I closed my eyes and tightened my body. I heard the sound of the strike but didn't feel a thing. Opening my eyes, I saw the cane a few fingers away from my abdomen; in Chance's hand.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Colton?” the Earl thundered.

  “Forgive me, My Lord, but the story is much more complicated than it might seem at first. Contrary to what might have reached your ears, that Leah ran away, the truth is that she was kidnapped.”

  Seriously?

  “I managed to catch them just in time. Otherwise, who knows to what horrors the poor girl would have been subjected to.”

  “Kidnapped you say? By whom?” the Earl asked unconvinced.

  “Two men with a history of such behaviour. They used to capture young girls and sell them to pleasure houses.” Chance kept his stance.

  “Is that so? And where would those two be as we speak?”

  “Properly tied in the wooden hut, and if I may, I would like as soon as we finish here to personally hand them over to the Scotland Yard detectives.”

  “Impressive, but I can’t say I expected any less from you. I wasn’t wrong when I offered you the job; you are genuinely a promising young man.

  “Thank you, My Lord.” Chance bowed his head, and we left the room, closing the doors behind us.

  That was more stressful than expected. I opened my mouth, but Chance got ahead of me.

  “We can’t talk here. Follow me,” he whispered.

  I followed him, more running than walking, trying not to fall behind until we reached a side room.

  “As I said, everything turned out alright,” he said, shutting the door, but not before he checked if we’d been seen.

  “Fine?” I shouted at him. “Are you joking right now? What about your hand?”

  He must’ve expected me to be forever grateful because my backlash caught him off-guard.

  “It’s nothing.”

  He tried to hide the hurt palm, but I was faster. I seized his sleeve and lifted his hand. With gentle touches, I felt the affected area, which had begun to swell.

  “It’s not—”

  “Don’t talk!”

  I kept palpating his hand until I was satisf
ied. I looked him in the eye, touching the red-hot area again; no reaction; no twitch, no jolt, but it was impossible for him to not feel anything.

  “Nothing feels broken, but I recommend you put something cold on it.”

  “Are you worried about me?” he asked, pleased.

  “Certainly not!” I said, still holding his hand in mine, “But, that hit you took was meant for me, so. . .” I bit my lower lip, averting my eyes.

  “Don't think about it.” He raised my face. “I did only what any gentleman would've done. A woman shouldn't be touched not even with a flower; let alone a cane.”

  “Said the one who sent two hoodlums after me and tied me to a hook,” I raised an eyebrow, and a playful smile bloomed on my lips.

  “As it’s said, everything is permitted in love and war.”

  “Are we at war?” I slightly tilted my head innocently.

  “Not at all.” Chance showed a smug smile.

  “Speaking of those two . . . did you plan this kidnapping story from the beginning?”

  “Yes, but there was an unpredicted element.”

  “What?”

  “You, overpowering those two. I was supposed to do that, that way winning your trust.”

  “So, you wanted to be the knight in shining armour, but ended up being the villain.”

  “Am I still the villain?” he asked slightly concerned.

  With a finger, I tapped my chin, weighing all the facts. “Well . . . Leah trusts you, you defended me in front of Emma and took a blow for me, so I presume that kind of saves you.”

  “There is one more thing I need to do.” With a step back and a deep bow, he continued, reaching his hand for mine. “Chance Colton, Lord Conwell’s Secretary, at your service, My Lady.”

  Playing his game, I offered him my hand, and with a clumsy reverence, I introduced myself.

  “Scarlett Aubyn, a nosey woman from the future. It’s a real pleasure, good Sir.”

  He turned my hand, and softly kissed the interior of my wrist, making my blood pressure rise, and looking deep into my eyes, he pushed a rebel strand of hair behind my ear, caressing my cheek with the tip of his finger when he pulled back his hand.

  “Aubyn? The Aubyn’s domain is at a short distance from here. Perhaps you are their descendant?”

  “I couldn’t tell,” I said, trying to focus back on our conversation. “I’m not even too sure where I am at the moment.”

  With a hand on the middle of my back, Chance led me to a window from where I could see the main road.

  “If you follow that road,” he showed me, “you’ll reach London in about an hour.”

  “London–”

  My words got interrupted by a strong wave of dizziness, and a mist settled over my eyes. Supporting my waist, Chance sat me down on one of the chairs nearby.

  “Scarlett!” Leah’s voice echoed in my mind.

  “Leah, what’s happening?” My eyelids were getting heavier, and I could hardly keep my eyes open.

  “Forgive me, this is all my fault,” she said remorsefully. “You’re exhausted. You need to rest.”

  “But what about you? Will you be alright?” I was falling asleep.

  “You don’t need to worry about me anymore. I’ll be fine now. I’m not alone. Thank you, dear friend.”

  “Goodbye, My Lady,” Chance said softly, kissing my hand again. “We shall meet again soon.”

  Soon. . .

  Chapter 11

  I woke up to Bon Jovi rocking “Living on a Prayer” in my ears. I was back in my comfortable bed, with the pillow over my head. The storm I’d hid from was now just light rain. Glancing at my phone, I was surprised to see it had only been a little over three hours since I fell asleep. Three hours here and almost twenty-four on the other side. I didn’t want to leave my bed; I wanted to go back.

  Turning from one side to another in the big bed, I got tangled in my own hair, which still had some rosy tints. I recalled Laura’s advice; I had to experiment. Jumping from the bed, I headed for the bathroom’s mirror. Who cared about clothes anymore? Since there was no one else in the house, I might as well spend the day naked.

  In the few seconds it took me to get to the mirror, my hair turned black completely. I tried to concentrate, to make it red again, but it didn’t work. I tried to think of the past, of its architecture, music, atmosphere, and of Leah, but that didn’t work, either. Putting my hand on my chest, I felt my heartbeat. Maybe instead of thinking about Leah as a person, I should think about the sensation I had when we were together; when the connection between us was at its peak, and I could sense all her fears and feelings.

  “Leah?” I tried calling her name, but when I got no answer in return, I began to feel ridiculous, like I was summoning spirits.

  Leaning over the sink, I pressed my forehead against the cold mirror and sighed from the bottom of my heart.

  Maybe I really should get some rest before trying again.

  A ruby glitter slipped through the front of my eyes when a strand of hair slid off my shoulder, and a heartfelt sensation blossomed in my chest. Stepping back from the mirror, my eyes widened. Hair by hair, my thick straight locks, turned from black to scarlet.

  “Leah!” I called her again.

  “Hello, Scarlett. I missed you.”

  Her voice was calm and livelier. I could feel her smiling. I fought the impulse of closing my eyes; I had to do this awake and learn how to control it.

  “How long has it been?”

  “Almost two months.”

  “Two months!”

  But that’s ridiculous; I returned less than half an hour ago.

  “Is something wrong?” Leah asked.

  “Um? No, sorry, I was just thinking about something. Leah, can you see what I see right now?”

  “No, I can only hear your voice, but it feels different from before; as if you are somewhere far away.”

  “I see. So, I am the only one who can cross back and forth.”

  I looked at my mirrored image and at my red hair, reaching down to my hips; incontestable confirmation of my abilities, of my talent. A proof which I needed away from people’s eyes.

  “Leah?”

  “Yes, Scarlett?”

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine; we all are. We knew we were going to lose Lady Jubilee sooner or later and that somehow helped us get over it a bit easier, but . . .”

  “But . . .?”

  “It’s the Earl, h-he acts differently. He often locks himself in his study for days in a row, and when he finally comes out, he’s always scowling at everyone around him, and he became violent. Before he didn’t believe in corporal punishments, but now he’s applying them himself.”

  “But that’s terrible! Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Leah, you need to get out of there. I think this is what Jubilee was talking about when she told you to leave.”

  “But I can’t do that. I’m the one who chose this life the moment I returned. No matter what, I can’t leave.”

  “I’m sorry I can’t be there for you.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Even if you’re not here, I can always count on Chance.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  The connection broke imperceptibly, my hair suddenly changing colour.

  I was relieved knowing that Leah was better, but the count's behavioural changes were worrying. And there was also Chance. . .

  I hope his hand is alright.

  And not only that. Leah, the one that first appeared in my dreams; the one who made me believe and asked for my help; I still didn't know what she wanted from me, and I wasn't too sure how to find out.

  That’s it; I had to get back to bed.

  I didn’t take more than two steps before I heard the noisy protests of my neglected stomach. Maybe it would be a good idea to eat something first.

  The night seemed too short, and although I hadn’t woken up earlier than lunchtime, I still felt tired.
Two hours later, I had sunk again in the comfort of my pillows and didn't wake up until the following morning.

  Chapter 12

  It was nice to have some time for myself, but also unbelievably dull. As weird as it may sound, I didn’t want to be there, but in the past, with Leah.

  Reluctantly, I turned on the TV and started changing channels without being particularly attracted to anything. The irony made me stop at a historical movie: Emma–a Victorian romance. A love story between a maid and a young man with a good status, in a period full of social restrictions. A taboo tale, which after my opinion should’ve been called a drama rather a romance. I’d seen the movie before, so I knew how it ended. The two lovers are getting separated by the times' rigidity, by family and all those around them. He ends up marrying for status and fortune, and Emma gets to a house where she’s physically and mentally abused until the end of her life. Somehow this whole story made me think of Leah and her situation. Maybe there wasn’t a rich, handsome heir in the picture, but the Earl’s behaviour and Jubilee’s warnings didn’t give me peace.

  By her words, the Earl would try to break the seals and use the Watch's powers, but she overlooked telling me how he would do it; and especially what I could do about it. The most logical answer would be for me to stop him. But how? First, I didn't even know where the clock was, and then I was dependent on Leah and her body.

  I let my head fall on the back of the couch while listening to the movie’s soundtrack.

  “Leah, what do you want from me? What do you want me to do?” I asked out loud, not expecting an answer.

  I had to figure out what I had to do next; how I could help her. I lacked pieces of information, but I had to work with what I had. Apparently, I couldn't get to Leah anytime I wanted, which made my ability untrustworthy. Also, to be able to get in her time, I had to have my eyes closed and implicitly fall asleep, which could not happen in public places or at work. Not to mention the changing hair.