by Bess McBride
“But it needs a witness! Like a notary or just someone else to witness the signature. Besides, without the book, where are you going?”
The doorbell jangled, and Rachel nodded.
“That, whoever it is, is our witness!”
Hickstrom sauntered up to the counter, still dressed jauntily in her island dress.
“Hickstrom!” Rachel cried out
“Oh, it’s the lady! With the book of fairy tales!” Sally exclaimed.
“Quite, my dear. Miss Hermione Hickstrom!”
Rachel jumped up from the desk.
“I can’t find the book, Hickstrom! Somebody bought it, and we don’t know whom. Send me back without it!”
“I cannot, my dear. My powers are not limitless.”
Rachel’s heart dropped to her stomach. “They seem pretty potent.”
“What is this paper?” Hickstrom asked.
“Would you sign it as a witness?” Rachel said dully. “In case I manage to fall off the face of the earth?”
“So dramatic, Rachel,” Hickstrom said. “Really. But yes, I would be pleased to sign your paper.”
Sally sprang into action and handed Hickstrom a pen. Hickstrom stared at the ballpoint pen and then signed, her signature as flamboyant as she.
“Why are you here, Hickstrom?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I did say that I could not send you back without Hickstrom’s Book of Fairy Tales.”
The doorbell jangled again, and Rachel ignored it.
“Yes, several times,” Rachel said.
A plump middle-aged woman with short reddish hair, a blousy blue top and white knee-length shorts approached the counter. “Excuse me?” said the customer.
“Sally, could you help her, please?” Rachel asked. She returned her attention to Hickstrom, who stared at the lady with interest.
“Yes, ma’am, can I help you?” Sally asked.
“Hickstrom, why are you here then?” Rachel whispered.
Hickstrom held up an imperious finger and listened to the customer.
“I bought this book of fairy tales, and it’s not what I thought. I thought it was—”
“By those brothers?” Hickstrom asked.
The woman pulled Hickstrom’s Book of Fairy Tales from a recyclable shopping bag and set it on the counter.
“Yes, you know, Cinderella and stuff like that. My eight-year-old granddaughter doesn’t know what a viz-count is, and neither do I.”
“Vai-count,” Hickstrom said. “Vai-count!” She snatched the book from the customer.
Tears poured down Rachel’s face, and she sagged onto the counter.
The customer looked utterly confused. “Could I just get a refund?” she asked.
Sally dug in the register and thrust money at the woman.
“Is she all right?” the customer asked, staring at Rachel bent over the counter, sobbing into her folded arms.
“Yes, she will be fine once she is reunited with her vai-count!” Hickstrom retorted.
The customer nodded and hurried out of the store. Hickstrom pushed the paper she had signed toward Sally.
“I believe this is yours, Miss Carr.”
“How did you know my name?” Sally croaked.
“I am a fairy godmother. I know everything, and it is written on the document. Really, Rachel, you must stop sobbing! It is time to go.”
Rachel lifted her head, wiped at her face and nodded. She stepped over to Sally and hugged her.
“Goodbye, Sally. Take care of everything for me!”
“I don’t understand. Are you going to vanish again? How did that lady happen to return the book at just the time Miss Hickstrom came into the store?”
“Fairy godmother stuff. That’s what she does.”
Rachel smiled at Hickstrom. “What do I do? Touch the book?”
“You must read, dear.”
Rachel opened the book and began to read the first page.
A very long time ago in a land far, far away there lived a fairy godmother with little to do but concern herself overly much with notions of love and lonely hearts and the lives of others. No solitary heart was safe where she was concerned. She must do everything within her power to ensure that love conquered all.
What follows is the tale of two such lonely hearts.
Rachel stopped reading, fully expecting the world to go dark, as it had done twice before. Sally stared at her expectantly. Miss Hickstrom pursed her lips.
“No, not that section. Where is the viscount’s story? You must read that!”
Rachel’s heart started beating again, and she breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought it wasn’t working! Okay, let me look for Halwell’s story.”
“I think it was called The Viscount Finds Love!” Sally offered.
“Yes, that is the one,” Hickstrom said. Hickstrom leafed through the pages to find the correct story. She took Rachel’s hand and placed it flat on one page.
“Read.”
In a shaking voice, Rachel read.
“‘The Viscount Finds Love
“‘Viscount Halwell opened his eyes to yet another dreary day at Alton House. He should have removed to London some time ago but could not face the onslaught of invitations and social activities that no doubt awaited him at his town house.
“‘A crack in the curtains revealed that the gray skies outside matched his mood. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, the tightness in his chest unrelieved by the motion.
“‘The wedding had come and gone over a month ago. The happy couple had traveled to the continent and returned yesterday. Despite Halwell’s melancholy, his mother, Lady Georgianna, insisted they call upon the newlyweds as a courtesy. He had protested but had known his mother was correct. Had he gone to London, he could have avoided seeing Lady Mary St. John so soon. Yet...had he gone to London, he would have missed seeing her upon her return.’”
Rachel stopped reading, her throat closing over in fear and grief.
“I’m still here, Hickstrom, and I’m reading about how much Halwell loved Mary! How is this going to work?”
Hickstrom placed her hand on top of Rachel’s.
“It is only a fairy tale, my dear. They almost always have happy endings. Read on!” She pressed Rachel’s hand, and Rachel continued reading.
“‘Such a dilemma. She was lost to him. The better man had won. He had no moral right to long for her, yet he did. Though he had met many fine young misses and potential brides, none had stirred his imagination, his heart, as had Mary. Something about her had been particularly unique, refreshing, perhaps even mysterious, and she had no equal.
“‘He had offered her his heart and name, and she had rejected him.’”
The world went dark, and Rachel’s legs weakened. Sally and Hickstrom’s faces faded.
Chapter Twenty-One
Halwell rode home disconsolately. For all that he was enlightened as to the truth of Rachel, she was still gone, and he had no idea if she ever planned to return, or if she could.
He thought to call upon Miss Hickstrom himself but feared doing so. It appeared as if the fairy godmother was powerful but also capricious and unpredictable. If he were to upset her, might she not absolutely forbid him seeing Rachel again? He could not know and wanted to consider the matter further.
He arrived at Alton House to discover the household in a frenzy of activity. The butler, Bower, announced that Lady Georgianna was removing to London that very day.
“My mother is moving to London? Today?”
“Yes, your lordship. She is packing all her clothing and means to stay there indefinitely.”
Halwell smiled. He turned and surveyed the foyer, imagining the solitude that he would soon experience as the sole resident of Alton House. He might do as he wished, when he wished. If he wanted to walk in the garden alone to dwell on memories of Rachel, he would do so. If he wanted to wander about the library in his nightshirt and recall memories of Rachel, he would do so.
He spread his arms w
ide, as if he were a bird, and smiled broadly.
“Do you need anything, your lordship?” Bower asked.
“Nothing at all, Bower. Nothing at all!”
Halwell retired to the library to await the departure of his parents. He helped himself to a brandy and settled into a chair, picking up Rachel’s handwritten list and studying her penmanship with a new eye.
The door flew open, and his mother entered, her cheeks bright, a fetching bonnet on her head.
“You have heard the news then! I move to London with your father!”
Halwell set down his drink and the paper and stood.
“I have heard, Mother. I think this is a wonderful idea.”
“I am so very nervous,” she said.
“I imagine that you might be, but again, I do encourage you to share your concerns with Father.”
“Yes, of course you are right. You have for so long been my confidant...”
“Perhaps to the detriment of your marriage. Be happy, Mother!” Halwell moved toward his mother and kissed her on the cheek.
She laid a hand on his cheek. “I love you, son. I wish for your every happiness.”
“Thank you.”
“Does that happiness include Miss Lee?”
Halwell looked into his mother’s eyes. “If possible, yes.”
She drew in a sharp breath and released it slowly. “You must do as you think best, George. You are my son, and I will honor your decisions.”
Halwell’s smile felt bittersweet. His “decisions” had come too late.
“Please write to us and let us know how you go on, George! I must hasten. The carriage is leaving.”
“Give Father my regards. I will see you in London sometime in the future.”
“I will.”
She left the room, and Halwell crossed over to the window to watch the departure. His father held the carriage open for his mother. He turned and looked over his shoulder toward Halwell and raised a hand in farewell. Halwell waved back, and his father climbed into the carriage, and they moved away.
Halwell turned and faced the library.
“Miss Hickstrom!” he called out. “Miss Hickstrom! Can I request your presence?”
Halwell waited, but the lady did not appear.
“Miss Hickstrom?” he called out again.
Still, she did not come. He walked to the door and pulled it open to check the front entrance. The footmen stood by, the house settling into calm after the flurry of his parents’ departure. He closed the door again and returned to the center of the room to pick up Rachel’s list. He lifted his head and spoke aloud.
“Rachel? Can you come back to me? Would you come back to me if you could?”
Heaviness returned to Halwell’s chest, to his heart. If he could not even summon the fairy godmother, how could Rachel, over two centuries into the future, hear him call out to her?
Restless, Halwell left the library and went to his room to remove his dusty riding boots. With a certain amount of freedom to dress as he pleased now that his mother had left the house, he discarded his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves.
He picked up Rachel’s shoe and stared at it. Looking up at the ceiling, he whispered, “Come back. Come back to me.”
He sighed heavily and surveyed his room, at a loss for what to do to pass the time. He had breakfasted, had ridden, had called upon neighbors, had said goodbye to his parents. Surely a full day, and yet it was just going on noon. Light from the window beckoned, and he crossed the room to look out. Sun shone down upon the roses.
A figure appeared in the garden, a small woman in an emerald-green dress from a bygone era. She sauntered toward a bench and seated herself.
“Miss Hickstrom!”
Halwell pushed the latch open and called out. “Miss Hickstrom! Wait there for me!”
Still in his shirtsleeves, he turned and hurried from the room. He bounded down the stairs and hurried past the footmen to leave the house. Rounding the corner of the building, he slowed his pace to catch his breath and preserve some small element of decorum.
Miss Hickstrom did indeed still sit in the garden. Halwell stopped before her.
“George, you appear to be half-dressed!”
He looked down at his shirtsleeves.
“Is that Rachel’s shoe in your hand?”
Sheepishly, George held up the athletic shoe. “It is. I was holding it when I saw you. Forgive my appearance. Did you hear me call out to you? Thank you for coming!”
“Yes, of course I heard you, dear boy. What can I do for you?”
“May I sit?”
“Certainly.”
He sat beside the fairy godmother. “Have you heard from Rachel? Is she safe? Is she well? Is she happy to be home? Tell me what you know.”
“I have seen Rachel, George. She is safely at home. I do not believe she has been happy though. What else can I tell you?”
“Why is she unhappy?”
“Why do you believe she would be unhappy?”
“I cannot say. Please do not toy with me, Miss Hickstrom. Why has she been unhappy? Can you do anything to help her?”
“Of course I can help her, George. I am a fairy godmother.”
“Then I implore you to help her find joy!”
“That is precisely what I have been doing these past few weeks. It would be helpful if you and she were willing to do your share.”
“Our share?”
“No, George, really? Are we to rehash this again? I brought you together to ease the loneliness from which you both suffered, to find the love for that you mutually yearned.”
“You did, Miss Hickstrom. I am fully aware of what you did for me and that I failed you miserably. I do not care if you choose to curse me to a life without love, without marriage, but you must know how bitterly I regret that I discarded my chance at happiness with Rachel. You must know, but I wish that she knew. If nothing else, I wish that Rachel knew how dear she was to me. That is all.”
“Perhaps you should tell her yourself, George.”
“How? She is gone...two hundred years into the future. How shall I tell her?”
“Yes, you are right. She did return to her time. You were too late to stop her from returning.”
“Please, Miss Hickstrom,” Halwell said faintly. “Please tell me that she will find happiness someday, that you did not curse her as well to a life of loneliness.”
“Not at all, George. If anything, Rachel has been much more receptive to the notion of love than you.”
Halwell dropped his head, staring at the shoe in his hand. “To my shame, I believe you are right. So enamored was I with my role as thwarted suitor for Mary’s hand that I did not see the love that was before me. I insulted her and suggested that I could never love her. But I was wrong. I did love her. I do love her.”
“And I love you,” Rachel said.
Halwell drew in a sharp breath and looked up. Rachel, a vision in ivory silk and rose lace, stood before him. Hickstrom had vanished. Halwell jumped to his feet and bowed.
“Rachel! Miss Lee! Rachel!” he said in a hoarse voice. “You have come back!”
“Is that my shoe in your hand?”
Halwell looked down at the shoe. “It is all I had of you. I thought I had lost you forever! Please tell me that you are not a figment of my imagination.”
Rachel smiled, her brown eyes sparkling. “No, I’m here. I’m back to stay...if you’re interested.”
“Interested? Oh, my dear girl, I love you beyond reason. I shall be interested all the days of my life.” Halwell dropped the shoe and pulled Rachel into his arms. He bent his head to her lips and felt her hands cradle his neck. Loneliness ebbed away as he kissed the true love of his life.
Sometime later, he lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. “Please say that you will marry me.”
“Please say you will marry me!”
“I want no other.”
“The viscount finds love?” Rachel said with a grin.
Viscount Halwell tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand her reference, but he nodded.
“The viscount has found his love,” he said as he bent to kiss her again.
****
Hickstrom, smiling upon her charges, watched from the window of the library, where she contemplated her next case.
Books by Bess McBride
Time Travel Romance
The Earl Finds a Bride
(Book One of the Fairy Tales Across Time series)
A Ship Through Time
The Highlander’s Stronghold
(Book One of the Searching for a Highlander series)
The Highlander’s Keep
(Book Two of the Searching for a Highlander series)
The Highlander’s Home
(Book Three of the Searching for a Highlander series)
My Laird’s Castle
(Book One of the My Laird’s Castle series)
My Laird’s Love
(Book Two of the My Laird’s Castle series)
My Laird’s Heart
(Book Three of the My Laird’s Castle series)
Caving in to You
(Book One of the Love in the Old West series)
A Home in Your Heart
(Book Two of the Love in the Old West series)
Forever Beside You in Time
Moonlight Wishes in Time
(Book One of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
Under an English Moon
(Book Two of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
Following You Through Time
(Book Three of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
A Train Through Time
(Book One of the Train Through Time series)
Together Forever Across Time
(Book Two of the Train Through Time series)
A Smile in Time
(Book Three of the Train Through Time series)
Finding You in Time
(Book Four of the Train Through Time series)
A Fall in Time
(Book Five of the Train Through Time series)
A Summer in Time
(Book Six of the Train Through Time series)