He kissed her on the cheek. “The string of numbers… They’re RAF, aren’t they?”
Nodding, she softly repeated Jonnie’s military I.D. number from memory, “Three, six, two, seven, triple five.”
“A forger, even a great forger, would not know that,” Arthur said.
Catherine thought back, recalling how Jonnie told her about fading in and out, his senses getting clearer with each episode. She needed time to think, to gather her thoughts. How did this letter connect to his vanishing? Despite what Clive said about forgery, she had little doubt it was in Jonnie’s handwriting. Plus, her entire maiden name and her parents’ address were in the heading. Why would anyone go to the trouble of forging such a document? Jonnie had no real fame, no money, and neither did she. This wasn’t a ransom note. A cruel jest, perhaps, but the how and why did not make any sense.
She looked back at the letter.
“1559. And the handwriting, Arthur,” she said. “I’m certain it’s Jonnie’s.”
Arthur nodded. “However strange, the evidence is compelling.”
Not wanting to voice her thoughts, she said, “And the evidence points to…?”
“Bloody hell.” Arthur stared straight into her eyes. “Bloody, bloody hell. It boggles the mind.”
At that moment, she guessed the truth, but without research she could never put this to rest. She resolved to investigate, to prove what happened to Jonnie. If she didn’t, it would plague her to the end of her days.
…
Four weeks later, Catherine rocked her newborn son, Reginald Nigel Howard, named in remembrance of two wonderful men: Arthur’s father and Jonnie’s dad.
She cooed to him as he snuggled against her. Little Reggie was a happy baby, sweet of temperament and quite bright. The way his gaze searched her face made her feel as if he were an old soul come back to life.
She turned and stared at the framed letter resting on the mantle, a message sent across the years from another soul, lost to her forever.
Time travel! How? The question nagged at her. Clive and Scotland Yard had compared Jonnie’s earlier letters with this one and determined what she’d already felt to be true; the letter was authentic, written in Jonnie’s own hand. 1559? Time travel? The possibility of such a thing happening seemed beyond belief. Yet somehow, despite the strangeness, she sensed it was true.
“Where are you, love?” Arthur called from the foyer, before walking into the room. He smiled at her and Reggie.
With an answering smile, Catherine placed the baby into her husband’s sheltering arms. Arthur kissed his son on the brow, then studied her face. “What is it?” he asked.
She glanced at the letter and shook her head. “I have such happiness, but what of him? I wish I could know what happened to Jonnie.”
“He’ll make it, darling. He’s a brave man, resourceful. We’ll look for other letters. There must be something more. As for the time travel question, Clive is still on the fence, but said he planned, in an official capacity, to contact Albert Einstein in Princeton, New Jersey, to ask for his opinion. I would very much like to hear what Einstein has to say on the matter.”
Einstein? Arthur and Clive continued to surprise her, two ingenious men who were determined to carry on in their search for answers, despite the vast odds against solving the mystery. She smiled at her husband, glad they stood together in this and all things. Her mood changed, and she sensed that someday, with a bit of luck, they might find the answers, or at least some of them.
I love you, she thought, watching Arthur hold their son. You have ever been my champion. And you are Jonnie’s as well. You’ve never been jealous of him, never questioned my need to continue my quest as to what happened to him. You are secure in the knowledge that I adore you. I owe you the world, my dearest husband, and I’ll be yours for all time.
Time. She suddenly realized how it had affected her, how her journey with Arthur was begun by time itself.
Begun by time. Yes. And always meant to be.
Did you love this Entangled Select Historical? Check out more of our titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Authors’ Note
The idea for Begun By Time came to us as we pondered the backstory of Catherine Hastings, Jonathan Brandon, and Arthur Howard. What were the circumstances of their lives in the 1940s? How did they cope during the war years and beyond? What happened after Brandon vanished? The first novel of our Elizabethan time travel series, The Thornless Rose, describes some of this by using character flashbacks and descriptive dialogue, but we felt our readers would enjoy the story firsthand.
This prequel has been crafted so that it can be read before The Thornless Rose or afterward, without spoiling the mystery of what happened to Brandon, the drama of how the people who loved him coped with his disappearance, or the circumstances of Catherine and Arthur Howard’s love affair and subsequent marriage. Either way, readers can experience the unfolding tale, which will continue in the sequel to The Thornless Rose, a third novel titled Ever Crave the Rose, which will bring everything full circle, in a love story for all time.
About the Author
Two authors writing as one, Cary Morgan Frates and Deborah O’Neill Cordes specialize in recreating pivotal moments in history, epic adventure, and romance—with a time travel twist. Begun by Time is the second novel in their Elizabethan time travel series and the prequel to The Thornless Rose, which was published by Entangled/Macmillan in 2014. They are also the authors of the medieval Italian time travel series—The Other Side of Heaven and Time Enough for Love, and the Roman time travel trilogy—Love, Eternally, After the Fall, and Return to Me.
Please visit Morgan O’Neill at www.morganoneill.com
Sign up for our Steals & Deals newsletter and be the first to hear about 99¢ releases from Morgan O’Neill and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Also by Morgan O’Neill
The Thornless Rose
In 1945, Dr. Jonathan Brandon disappeared out of thin air. Seventy years later, Anne Howard isn’t just haunted by the story of her grandmother’s fiancé. She experiences inexplicable hallucinations straight out of Elizabethan England, including a man whose eyes seem to touch her very soul. Is it possible that Jonathan disappeared into the England’s dark past? Because now, she too feels the inexorable pull of the past. And it’s just a matter of time before Anne will step back into history, and face a destiny--and a love--beyond imagining...
Discover more Select Historical titles…
A Haunting Desire
by Julie Mulhern
For madam Trula Boudreaux, having a killer roam the streets of New Orleans is bad for business. But Zeke Barnes, the charming, would-be savior, might be worse. Caught between his duty to protect the city and his clear-as-day desire for Trula, Zeke sets about capturing Trula’s heart—or at least a place in her bed. Now the investigation into the haunted city doesn’t just threaten their hearts...it threatens their lives.
Dark Secrets, Deep Bayous
by Meg Hennessy
Jordan Kincaid must marry the Creole beauty Aurélie Fentonot or face arrest as a pirate. Aurélie, a wealthy woman of mixed blood, carries the burden of breaking a curse on the land of her ancestors. But Jordan’s dark secrets will threaten Aurélie’s plans and could shatter her heart. While he’ll risk everything for revenge, Aurèlie’s soothing and seductive ways remind him there’s more to life than vengeance. As Aurèlie learns that Jordan is not as he pretends and when danger closes in on them, Jordan soon learns that Aurèlie has secrets of her own.
Dark Angel
by TJ Bennett
After a violent shipwreck, young widow Catherine Briton is rescued by a shadowy stranger a
nd healed with suspicious, almost magical speed. As she begins to investigate, her discoveries only bring more questions. It seems Gerard isn’t the only one on the island keeping secrets. The small town is full of strange mysteries and townspeople who know more than they should about her. And when a hulking beast that stalks the nearby hills and valleys catches up to her, Catherine must figure out what’s going on before it’s too late.
The Unforgiven: Athos
by Michele Hauf
Musketeer Athos is ready to lay down his sword. Yet he’s been charged with one final mission—to apprehend a dangerous enemy of the king, the Belle Dame Sans Merci. The same villainess with whom he had been locked in a passionate, sensual moment. Circumstances have placed Emmanuelle Vazet at the scene of a murder. Her reputation has preceded her, even if she is innocent. Now her nameless lover is the enemy. A musketeer who could be her undoing...unless she becomes his undoing first.
Begun by Time Page 17