“I am leaving, Robert. I told you I cannot control this...this phenomenon. I’ll be gone before you know it.”
“Ah, yes, back to your parents in Chicago. You told me you were an orphan. Another fabrication, Ellie?”
She blinked and stared at him. “Oh dear, I did say that, didn’t I? That’s actually the truth. My parents are both dead.” She quirked an eyebrow. “You certainly have quite the way with lies yourself, don’t you? Wenatchee? On my way to visit a favorite aunt?”
Robert grinned. “I was only trying to help you out in an awkward situation...and very successfully, I might add.”
Ellie chuckled. “Yes, very successfully. Thank you.”
“Come, Ellie, come with me in the carriage. Let’s drive around the city. I will take you to the waterfront this time, if you like.” His dimples were irresistible.
Ellie hesitated. Under the hypnotic gaze of Robert’s eyes, all her reasons for running from him seemed insubstantial and wispy. Why had she left, anyway?
With a smile, she put her hand in his, and he lifted her up into the carriage. Ellie put her fears aside for the afternoon as Robert set out to entertain and enthrall her with the sights and sounds of the city. He could have simply read a newspaper and she would have sat at his feet equally captivated by his charm. She kept her eyes on him as he described the city he loved, pointing out various lakes, parks, buildings and mountains. The afternoon passed all too quickly.
Robert left Ellie at her door just before dinner with a chaste kiss to her cheek, given that several pairs of feminine eyes peeked through the glass to observe them.
“I will come for you tomorrow, Ellie, in the morning.” Robert turned and walked away. Ellie stared after him. Come for her? What did that mean, exactly? Were they going somewhere? Obviously Robert had not seen the latest horror films. “Come for you” meant something totally different to someone in a darkened theater clutching a bag of popcorn with an unsteady hand.
She entered the house and joined the women for another lively dinner, fielding questions as best she could about her morning visitors as reported by Mrs. McGuire, and about her afternoon outing. She studied the girls with affection. Was this the rest of her life? No matter how many times she said she was leaving or how many times she said she would wake up, she remained in the year 1901. Would she marry Robert? Was that even possible? Of course, he hadn’t asked her. And children? Could she bear to have children, never knowing if she would wake up to lose them or leave them in time? Ellie shuddered. No, she could not bear that.
After dinner, she dragged herself up the stairs for bed, wishing for a moment that she had the solace of television to block her chaotic thoughts. As she undressed and climbed into bed, she wondered whether Robert was thinking of her as she now thought of him. She turned on her side to look out the window and gaze at the bright white moon, high in the sky. Her eyelids drooped and she slept.
****
Bright sunlight slipped through Ellie’s half-closed eyelids. She turned over on her side to avoid the light. Her clock said 6:00 a.m. Clock? Ellie jerked and sat up. She was back in her bed in Chicago, the modern furnishings in the room all too sickeningly familiar.
“Honey, are you awake?” Kyle poked his head in from the bathroom, his blonde hair freshly washed and uncombed, a white towel draped loosely around his waist. Ellie had a sudden, wistful thought that she would never see Robert with a towel around his waist. Was it possible? Was her dream over?
Kyle moved toward the bed and bent to kiss her lips. “Good morning, Ellie. I think you overslept this morning.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his own.
Ellie stared at him in mute silence. Wasn’t he gone? Hadn’t he moved out? When had he returned?
“Kyle. I-I thought you left.”
He looked at the clock and then back to her. “Nope, not me. I don’t leave till 6:30. You know that.” He patted her hand and stood up to return to the bathroom. He returned with a cup of coffee. “Made my own coffee this morning. Are you proud of me?”
Ellie nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest. “I mean I thought you moved out.”
Kyle turned a startled face to her. “What? What are you talking about?”
“I... Didn’t you tell me that you were leaving? That you’d met someone? Was that a dream?”
Kyle eyed her like she’d lost her mind. And she had, there was no doubt of it. Where was Robert? He always seemed to understand her insanity. He wasn’t the dream, was he? Surely this was the dream! Ellie felt a searing knife-like pain in her chest. She was afraid she knew the answer.
“Wow, that was some dream! Yeah, I left, but I came back, remember?”
“I thought...” Ellie grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her aching chest.
“Come to think of it, you were dreaming last night. A lot. You kicked a lot and talked and moaned and all sorts of things. I have to admit I finally moved to the couch to get some sleep.” He jumped up and headed back to the bathroom.
Ellie bit back a sob. “What did I say?” she asked his retreating back.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he yelled from the bathroom. “Hard to make some of it out. Let’s see. I heard Seattle, train, Victorian and a few names...Roger or Robert. You must have had quite the trip to Seattle last week.”
“Last week?” she croaked.
He poked his head back out and stared at her. “Yeah, last week, remember? Seattle, the conference? The one you just got back from?”
Ellie rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. Real life had suddenly become a nightmare.
“Are you okay? Got a headache?” Kyle removed his towel and moved toward his closet to grab some clothes. Ellie looked up. She would never see Robert without clothes, would she? They would never live together. It was all a dream. She remembered waking up from dreams in the past and trying to recapture the moment. It never happened.
“No,” she muttered. Ellie watched Kyle dressing, realizing with an aching finality that she could never marry him. He had never entranced her as Robert had with a look from his green eyes or a flash of his dimples. She suspected no living man ever could. Were she and Kyle even engaged any more? The idea seemed suddenly so foreign to her.
“Kyle?” she hesitated.
He turned from the closet. “Yes, Ellie?”
“I-I don’t think I can marry you.” She winced as she watched him. His reaction was unexpected in its lack of reaction. He turned away to pull on his trousers.
“I know, honey. You don’t have to remind me. We talked about that already. You said after I came back that you weren’t going to be able to marry me, and I told you that was okay. I’m obviously not the most faithful guy in the world, am I?” He gave her a sheepish grin and turned to the mirror to knot his tie.
“I’m sorry, Kyle.” What she really longed to do was go back to sleep and find Robert.
He turned around and crossed over to the bed, bending to kiss the top of her head. “It’s okay, Ellie. We’ve been through all this.” He picked up her hand and studied it.
“Where’s your ring? Did you put it away?”
Ellie stared at her hand. Had there been a ring? Really?
“I-I don’t know. Didn’t I give it back to you?”
Kyle shook his head and returned to the closet to grab his jacket. “Nope. I told you to keep it. I mean you’ve had it for what...two years now? It’s definitely yours.”
Ellie stared at her left hand. Where was the ring?
Kyle turned at the door and waved. “Better get up, Ellie. You’re already late. I’ll see you tonight.”
As soon as the front door shut, Ellie jumped up and ran to her jewelry box. She rummaged through it, looking for her ring, but the shining diamond did not materialize from the clutter of costume jewelry. She retraced her steps and climbed back into bed, closing her eyes tight and burying her head under the covers. She tried deep breathing and counting sheep, but sleep eluded her. She pressed the pillow over her head and w
illed herself to sleep, to slip back into her dream, but the real world maintained its choking hold on her. She turned over. Hot tears poured from her eyes and ran down the sides of her face.
Please, please, please let me go back to sleep! Robert, you said you would come for me. Please come for me!
An hour passed and still her inability to sleep kept the man of her dreams from her. Ellie pulled herself up in bed and sobbed into her hands. How could life hand her a magical romance and then take him away? She dragged herself out of bed and paced the apartment, pulling shades down to darken the rooms. She flopped into an easy chair and squeezed her eyes shut. She jumped up in seconds and went into the bathroom to search the cabinets for sleeping pills. There were none, of course. Sleep had never before been an issue.
Robert! Can you hear me? Robert!
Ellie returned to the bedroom and lay down on the floor, resting her burning face against the carpet, rubbing her face against the roughness. She thought she must be going insane. The world had gone quiet. Only the rumble of the El disturbed the dead silence.
The El! The train! Was it possible? Ellie jumped up and flew to the living room to flick on a lamp. She grabbed the phone book and phone and dialed the number for the train station, waiting with bated breath through an endless, painful series of recorded telephonic menus while she sought for her answer.
At one point, she banged the phone against the arm of her easy chair while she begged the recorded tinny voice on the other end to treat her like a human being. She had real questions, and she needed real answers. At last, the proper menu monotoned its arrival, and she waited forever to hear the information she wanted. With a quick glance at her watch, she jumped into some jeans, a sweater and tennis shoes, grabbed the cash from the cookie jar and flew down the stairs. Ellie had no idea where her purse and cell phone were, but she had no time to look for them. If she’d lost them in a dream, then where were they?
Ellie ran down the street for the El and raced onto the next train. She refused a seat as she paced from pole to pole waiting for the subway to reach the train station. She wanted to scream at the constant stops and starts, but she bit her lip and willed the El to move faster...if that were possible.
They arrived at the train station, and Ellie jumped off the El and ran into the station. She hustled through the throngs of people and popped up to the ticket window, thanking her lucky stars she’d found one without a line. She paid for her ticket and ran down the concourse as she headed for the train that would leave in five minutes. Where was the gate? Where was the gate? Ellie’s chest ached as she gasped for air. She felt lightheaded, as if she might pass out. Anxiety robbed her of oxygen. She stepped outside onto the platform and beheld her dear, beloved, gleaming silver train. There it was! The train that would take her once again to Seattle! Ellie knew it was a long shot, but it was all she had. She couldn’t sleep. Perhaps Robert hadn’t been a dream!
Chapter Sixteen
Ellie waved her ticket in the conductor’s face and sped past him to hop aboard the train.
“31B, 31B,” she muttered as if possessed while she hurriedly scanned the seat numbers. “Where is it?”
“Aha!” she exclaimed to no one in particular when she located the seat she wanted. Luckily for someone else, it was empty, because Ellie had every intention of sitting in that seat. She slid into it and nestled against the window, hoping for a miracle.
Nothing happened. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited.
Still nothing. Ellie tried to regulate her erratic breathing. Her heart paused and skipped beats like Morse code. She willed herself to calm down.
“Not yet. Just wait,” she murmured to herself. Passengers continued to board the train, and Ellie tapped her foot impatiently, hoping to see the last of them onboard and safely stowed in their seats so the train could leave.
Finally, the train began its stealthy movement, so unlike the jerking and whistle-blowing fanfare of the Victorian train in her dreams. She pressed her head against the cool glass and watched as the train tracks of Chicago fell away into the distance. Once they were out of the city, the train picked up its pace and Ellie closed her eyes, waiting for sleep.
Nothing happened. No sleep. No time travel. A single hot tear slid down Ellie’s face and she brushed it away. She wouldn’t give up hope. There was still time. Reluctant though she was to leave her seat in case it happened, she had to use the bathroom. She hurried down the stairs and washed up, returning to her seat within minutes. As she settled in once again, Ellie wondered, had that been the moment? Had she missed the “window” by going to the bathroom?
The hours passed slowly as the train made its way through Wisconsin. By the time they reached Minnesota, she knew Kyle would be home from work and wondering where she was. She’d left no note for him. He might assume she’d stayed late at work. She often did. In fact, she realized she herself had been a workaholic—grading papers, preparing lectures, working on articles for publication. Just like Robert. The last week...or last night...had been one of the most restful of her life in terms of leisure time, though the stress of falling in love had been incredibly tense.
Ellie took a break from her vigil around eight that night and went down to the snack bar for a bite to eat. She returned to her seat with a sandwich and a surprisingly unexpected cup of tea and stared out the window at the passing lights. The tea wasn’t nearly as tasty as that which she’d shared with Robert, but she had somehow grown fond of the ubiquitous beverage.
She closed her eyes as the train rolled out of St. Paul, Minnesota, and drowsed with her head lolling back and forth in the corner of her seat. She dreamed of a handsome silver-haired man with green eyes who visited his children in Washington, D.C. She awoke with a start and looked around. It was dark, but the rumbling sound of the tracks and a loud whistle revealed she was still on the train. What time was it? Where was her cell phone? Her purse?
She reached out to the empty seat next to her. The sterile roughness indicated a polyester blend, not luxurious velvet. She squeezed her eyes shut against the burning tears, but they slid down her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them in the dark. Who would see?
She turned a miserable face to the window. Her grand idea to recreate the trip on the train was an abysmal failure. She was still here, on a modern train in her own time. Robert did not smile at her or take her hand under his arm. Melinda didn’t ogle her in curiosity. Mrs. Chamberlain didn’t disapprove. By Grand Forks, North Dakota, Ellie was numb. Nothing mattered. She thought she might as well get off the train, but she lacked the energy to do even that. She’d already paid the fare to Seattle, and she found it easier to sit in misery than to get off the train and call Kyle to send her money for a return trip home.
When the sun came up over North Dakota, Ellie stared at the Great Plains as the train rolled through wheat fields brightened to gold by the first rays of dawn. She blinked at the beauty of nature, and her spirits lifted...a little. The dark night had passed, and although Robert had not come for her, she felt better in the light of a new day.
“How are you doing, miss? Do you need anything?” The tall, young conductor leaned over to check her ticket. “Seattle, huh? Visiting family there?”
“Ummm...yes,” Ellie murmured with a yawn. She stretched and wished her silver-haired gentlemen had joined her on this trip. She recalled dreaming about him the night before. What was his name? Edward? His eyes...so green...like Robert’s.
The young conductor in wheel hat, dark blue jacket and vest consulted his wristwatch. “Well, the snack bar opens in a half hour, at 6 a.m. We reach Minot, North Dakota at 8:54 a.m. You can get off the train and stretch your legs there, if you like.”
“Thank you,” Ellie murmured. Did she want to stretch her legs in Minot, North Dakota? She had no earthly idea. On a modern train, she could stretch her legs by virtually running from car to car. Since the conductor had given her the idea, she stood at that moment and worked out the kinks in her knees. Another cup of tea and some
breakfast might be in order.
Ellie spent the day wandering from car to car, studying the people on board. She wondered about their lives, who they visited, who they loved, whether they’d left anyone behind or were on their way to meet their true love. She hung around in the lounge car and stared out the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows at the rolling fields of eastern Montana, a continuation of the Great Plains of North Dakota. She counted her money. Dangerously low on funds, she grabbed an inexpensive snack for lunch. She would be lucky to make it to Seattle before she ran out of money. Once there, she would call Kyle to book a hotel room for her and reserve her return fare...by airplane. She had no idea how she would explain her mad dash on the train, but she resolved to worry about that another time.
By evening, she dozed in her seat once again as they crossed into the Rocky Mountains.
“Mom, look, look! Up there! Look at those mountain goats!”
Ellie’s eyes popped open at the young boy’s shout from the seat behind. She peered out the window, and craned her neck to see three mountain goats hugging the side of a steep hill above the tracks. Well, to her, they seemed to be “hugging” the mountainside. She suspected that, for mountain goats, they merely lazed about as a sunbather might do at a beach.
“Aw, Mom, why can’t we stay here in Montana? I want to go to the Park.”
The conductor strolled down the aisle intoning the next stop. “Essex, Montana. Essex, Montana. Glacier National Park.” He didn’t shout. He didn’t have to. The modern train muted much of the rumbling along the tracks.
A woman’s voice shushed the boy. “Quiet, Patrick. You’ll wake the other passengers. Maybe we will go to the Park one day. Get some sleep now. We’ll be in Seattle in the morning, and Grandma will be there to meet us.”
The view of the mountain goats receded into the blue-gray dusk behind tall pine trees, and Ellie leaned her forehead against the cool window with her eyes closed. For a moment, she thought that it had actually happened. She’d traveled back in time! Young Patrick’s voice sounded exactly like the little boy she’d heard just last week on the train...before she met her seat companion, Edward...and before she fell asleep to awaken to Robert.
10 Timeless Heroes; A Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Page 204