Perfectly Timed

by Jamie Campbell

  My stomach grumbles, those around me turn to stare. I just smile, pretending it wasn’t me. At least, I hope that’s why they are looking at me. I have the right dress on, what more do they want from me?

  Is it my hair? Should I pull it back into a ponytail instead of keeping it loose? I think back to the movies, all the women had their hair intricately pulled back into an elaborate bun or something equally complicated. I’m never going to be able to do that, especially considering I don’t even have a brush—or mirror. They’ll just have to assume I’m a commoner or something.

  I try to ignore the others as I walk, remembering to fake fitting in. I need food and it seems my best chances are the small stores along the street. I don’t have any money so I’m going to have to get better at stealing. Either the shop owner or my guilt will get to me, I just don’t know which one will be first.

  The smell of the bakery wins and keeps my attention. Fresh bread and pastries sit along the counter. A few women are talking to the attendant, hopefully enthralling him in a deep conversation. I linger by the door, pretending I’m perusing the goods.

  With one look over my shoulder, I quickly nab a loaf of bread and walk out. At least they don’t have security cameras and alarms in this time, it’s a small mercy.

  As soon as I’m outside, I hurry away as fast as I can without running and attracting attention. The village looks small enough for everyone to know everyone else. It would only take one person to be curious about me to raise the alarm. Considering I’m carrying stolen goods, I would probably be stoned to death or something.

  I leave the street in the opposite direction in which I came in. I don’t stop until I find the banks of a river. It’s shaded by tall trees, they’ll give me some coverage from anyone passing by.

  It’s difficult to sit in the dress, I can’t slump over at all. It’s probably doing wonders for my posture but nothing for my comfort level. How do the women here wear these things all the time? I can’t imagine being this bound all day, every day. No wonder they always just sat around doing needlepoint in the movies. Any more would require too much movement.

  I tear off a piece of the bread, my mouth watering with the anticipation. It tastes just as good as it smells. The outside crust is crunchy and the inside is as soft as a cloud. Even without any butter or spread, it’s a satisfying meal. Or perhaps it is just my hunger, I don’t know.

  The loaf is only small, probably about half the size of the bread back home. I easily finish it and top it off with a drink from the river. The water doesn’t taste so good, but it’s wet so it does the trick.

  I’m going to need to find a place to sleep tonight, maybe somewhere I can stay for a while. The people here don’t seem so friendly so I don’t feel like mingling with them to try and make some friends. I don’t know how sound Noah’s theory is so I don’t know whether I have to help someone or not before I am taken away again. Right now, I’m more interested in my welfare than others.

  I start walking, knowing I can’t stay by the river all day. I need to find somewhere quiet and safe, preferably indoors. The houses here are few and far between, but they also have outbuildings—like barns—on their fields. They probably keep their farm equipment or horses in them. I don’t care, as long as it’s quiet.

  I pass the first three I see, they are all too close to the houses they share the land with. The fourth one, however, is nestled across the yard from the main house. It’s a big one too, the house is three stories and completely square. It’s an impressive manor house. I skirt around it and head straight for the outbuilding.

  The door is unlocked. I get the feeling they might leave everything unlocked in this time. I guess people like me that want to take advantage of what they’ve got don’t exist around here. It must be nice to live in a world with little or no crime. I wonder how that changed over the years? We locked everything at home, every window, door, or access point we had.

  The building is made of brick and holds some rusty equipment. I have no idea what they are, but I guess they could be field plows or diggers. They are large, rusty, and heavy, that’s all I know for sure.

  They also make good hiding places. I make a bed for myself in between two of the particularly large pieces of equipment. It’s quiet in here and I doubt anybody uses them regularly. A layer of dirt and dust coats everything. There aren’t any footprints on the floor besides my own.

  I wait out the afternoon and watch the sun go down through the windows on the sides of the building. I wish I had taken more food but at least I have a full water bottle. I loop my arms through my backpack and cradle my head on it.

  I sleep soundly all night, only harassed by a few of my recurring bad dreams.

  It’s snug in the building, it cocoons around me like a safe little shell. It’s not exactly the luxury hotel from the future I stayed in, but I wasn’t awoken by a blazing inferno in the middle of the night either.

  I sleep so soundly that I don’t hear the door open. The first sign of someone discovering me is the kick I receive to my shin.

  Chapter 13

  “What are you doing here?” he demands. The guy is young but not much older than myself. I would guess around nineteen or twenty if I had to take a stab at it. His clothes look more functional than showy so he probably works here. I quickly assess this information while I grapple for an answer.

  “I’m lost,” I reply. “I don’t know where I am.” I doubt whether he will buy it, but it’s the best I can come up with. Especially considering I was asleep less than a minute ago.

  “Well how did you get here then?”

  “I walked.” I discreetly cover up my sneakers with the edge of my dress. Hopefully he didn’t see them.

  He looks at me suspiciously, I would too. But this is a different time, they aren’t as naturally suspicious as people are in my era. He finally relaxes and smiles. “I guess you’re probably hungry then?”

  “I could use some food.”

  “Wait here.” He turns to leave and then stops, adding, “Don’t go anywhere.”

  “I won’t, I promise.” I don’t know how true that is but I say it anyway. I don’t know if I should trust him to just return with food or the police. He might bring both.

  I stand and wait, keeping my eyes out for any signs of his return. If he’s not alone, I might have a chance to run for it. But a few minutes later I spot him on his way back—alone and carrying something. Perhaps I shouldn’t be as suspicious either. I quickly sit back down, pretending I had never moved.

  “I’ve got cheese and some meat. I hope you like those?” He lays out a cloth with the small food items on them. I won’t be able to overindulge on the tiny portions, but it’s more than I could find for myself.

  “Thank you, it’s very kind,” I say politely. My accent suddenly bothers me, should I sound more British? Will he think I’m strange with my American accent? I hope not, I’m terrible at faking it. I could communicate with the little girls in India in their own language, I wonder if that translates to accents too? I hope so, otherwise I might be stuffed.

  He sits on the ground in front of me, studying me like I’m a science project. He reminds me of Alex in Antarctica. Yet somehow I think if I told him I was a time traveler, he would probably freak out, not find it fascinating.

  “So how did you get lost?” he finally asks.

  “I went for a walk in the forest and must have gotten spun around.” I smile, hoping that might distract him from the lie. “Do you work here?”

  “I do, I look after the fields. We’re close to tilling the soil so we can start planting soon for the season.” His perfect dialect is endearing. He can say anything and he would sound right. “Where do you live and I will help you get back there?”

  Why did he have to ask all the questions I couldn’t answer? I know he’s only being helpful, but can’t he just get to work or something? “I’ll be able to find my own way back. It’s light and all now so I can make it.”

  “But not on your o
wn.”

  “Why not?”

  He laughs, a hearty belly laugh. “You don’t have a chaperone. You can’t be walking through the village without someone to accompany you. Anything could happen.”

  I’m somewhere between insulted and touched that he cares. I think I’m leaning more toward insulted though. It isn’t enough for the women to have to wear these horrible dresses, but they have to be caged up too. The poor things.

  “I’ll be fine on my own, trust me.”

  “I can’t just let you—” He doesn’t get to finish his sentence as the building door creaks open. A girl stands there, watching us.

  “Edward, what are you doing?” she asks, looking between us, back and forth. She is dressed much better than he is, she can’t be part of the staff.

  He instantly stands as if he was caught doing something wrong. I feel a stab of guilt for getting him into trouble. I have to say something. “He was just helping me because I was lost.”

  “Lost?” she parrots, as if she doesn’t understand the word.

  “She went walking in the forest and lost her way,” Edward says quickly before I can. I’m glad he did, I was going to explain the entire concept of the word lost.

  She turns her attention back to me. “Where do you live? I haven’t seen you around before.”

  “I’m just visiting my… cousin. I should be going though.” I stand up and go to leave but she stops me, standing directly in the doorway to block my hasty exit. I can probably knock her over but I don’t think it would do me any good. Edward would probably be a more formidable opponent.

  “Don’t be silly, you’re here now. I’ll have someone take you home.”

  “No, no, I can’t intrude. Really, I can find my own way.”

  She takes my hand resolutely. “Come on, I’ll show you around the house while we wait for everyone to get up. I want to know all about you. My name is Georgina, in case you were wondering.”

  “I’m Ella.” It’s no good protesting, I get the feeling this girl gets everything she wants.

  “Ooh, that’s such a pretty name. Are you named after someone?”

  “I don’t think so, my mother just liked the name. How about you?” I ask, purely to be polite. She has a mean grip on my hand, I think I underestimated her strength earlier.

  “My grandmother was named Georgina too. She was a strong woman so my mother hoped I would be too.” The tugging on my arm ensures I don’t doubt her.

  We enter the house, or should I say mansion, through a side door. It opens into a large sitting room, full of bookcases and chairs. It’s bigger than the library at my old school. Finally, Georgina lets go of my hand, trusting me to just follow her.

  Once we go down a few corridors and through a few more rooms, I don’t think running away is an option any more. I won’t be able to find my way out of this house even if I had a map.

  Everything is amazingly beautiful. The wallpaper is floral and bright, the bottom half of the walls lined with wood. Ornate velvet chairs are in every room, as are large portrait paintings that have austere looking people staring back hauntingly. It’s everything I could imagine in an English manor.

  “Come on, I want to show you my room,” Georgina urges when I slow down to look at everything. I hurry after her, dying to see what her bedroom is like.

  We climb the grand staircase, it sweeps through the foyer in both directions. I can’t imagine living in a house like this, I wonder if it would feel like a home or if you just lived in a hotel? I guess I’ll always wonder.

  Georgina leads me into her room, It’s bigger than my entire house back home. A wooden four-poster bed sits in the middle, surrounded by gilt furniture with scrolls and flutes all over them. “Is this like your room?”

  “I, uh, it’s bigger.” I picture my bedroom, well what used to be my bedroom, it had a single bed and a desk. The floor was always covered in clothes and I had to step over the mess to get anywhere. My room was the exact opposite of this place.

  She twirls around, delighting in what she has. “This isn’t the best part, look in here.” She throws open her closet and rows upon rows of dresses are neatly lined up. It’s beyond ridiculous that this one girl has so many dresses. And they’re all so beautiful.

  I walk toward them like they’re a light and I’m a moth. They draw me in, I run the material of a pink dress through my fingers. It’s as soft and smooth as silk, luxurious in every sense. I can imagine a princess wearing this, dancing all night at a masquerade ball with a dashing prince. A girl with no cares in the world and all of life’s wealth and happiness at her fingertips. The kind of girl who is standing right beside me.

  “These are magnificent. Do you wear them all?”

  She nods and grins, from ear to ear. I would too. “Some are new, but the others have all been worn. I’m saving this one for the ball tonight.” Georgina pulls out a mint green dress, the skirt long and flowing. It will look gorgeous on her, a perfect match for her long blonde hair.

  “You’ll look beautiful,” I concede. She beams at my compliment. In her smile, I can see through her bravado and realize she isn’t much different to me. Perhaps she isn’t the spoilt princess I thought she was. She’s just a girl who likes pretty dresses. “Can I ask how old you are?”

  “Sixteen. How old are you?”

  “Sixteen.” We giggle together, realizing we are the same age. “Are you a lady or dame or something?”

  “My title is Lady Georgina, my father is the lord of this district. Do you have a title?”

  I consider lying but then I would have to pretend to know what I’m talking about. That’s never going to happen. “No, I don’t. I’m just Ella.”

  “Well, just Ella, please tell me you’re going to the ball tonight. It’s the social event of the season, everyone will be there.”

  “I can’t, sorry.” As I say the words, it occurs to me how much I would love to go to the ball. I imagine dancing all night with Noah, wearing Georgina’s green dress. It would be magical.

  “But you have to! I’m not allowing you to say no.” I think she’s joking but I also suspect she’s being serious too. I doubt many people say no to Georgina.

  “I don’t have anything to wear, I wasn’t expecting to go to a ball. I should be leaving.” I take a few steps toward the door, determined to get through it and be on my way. Unfortunately, my new friend has other plans. She grabs my arm, refusing to let me get any further.

  “I will lend you a dress and my maid can do your hair. You have to go with me, you just have to,” she pleads. “You will look so beautiful, you’ll see.”

  I look over her shoulder at all her dresses hanging in her wardrobe. They are enticing to say the least. Even if I was pulled away, just wearing one would be amazing. I guess I don’t have any other plans. “Okay, I’ll come with you.” I grin, it feels good to give in.

  Georgina claps her hands in delight and jumps up and down. “We have much to do.”

  For the entire day, I allow Lady Georgina to primp and preen me. Her lady’s maid runs us each a bath of hot water with rose petals floating on top. The aroma is wonderful, I could still smell the scent on my skin for hours afterwards.

  Next was hair and make-up, done by another maid. She brushes my hair and secures it on top of my head with pins that were kind of like bobby pins. I don’t know how many it takes for her to make it stay in place, but I’m pretty sure my head now weighs twice its normal weight.

  The dress is last, brought to us after we have eaten a meal in Georgina’s bedroom. She picks out a pale yellow dress for me, it’s edged with cream lace. The maid pulls the corset tight, ensuring I won’t be able to breathe again for quite some time. When she tells me I’m ready, I look in the mirror and barely recognize myself. I look like I belong here, that I’m not different from any of the other girls. It’s been a very long time since I have fitted in anywhere.

  I swish the dress, watching the long skirt sway with the effort. I can already imagine dancing at the bal
l and how I will float across the floor. Of course, I have no idea how they dance here but that’s a problem for later. Right now, this dress is awesome and that’s all that matters.

  “What do you think?” Georgina pulls me away from my daydream. I turn to look at her in her green dress. She looks gorgeous, from head to foot perfection. I would never think she was the same young girl I have spent all day with. We both look older and more mature.

  “You look perfect,” I reply, meaning it. “What about me?” I strike a pose which makes her laugh. I desperately hope I’m not pulled away anytime soon, I want to stay here so badly.

  “You’re a perfect lady, Ella.” She smiles back.

  “The carriage is here,” the maid announces. All of a sudden we are in a hurry. Georgina grabs my hand and pulls me downstairs. We bid goodbye to her maids and are ushered into the carriage. It’s horse drawn, just like Cinderella would take to the ball. I feel like I’m in a fairy tale, who else gets to do this? I’ve never had this much fun before while time travelling.

  The closer we get to our destination, the more nervous I feel. All those worries I had pushed aside earlier were now creeping back. I’m not going to know anyone at the ball, I don’t know how to dance, and they’re going to think I’m crazy because I don’t talk like they do. Plus, I’m going to have to make up a cousin I’m staying with. Perhaps it will be best if I just don’t talk, that might help.

  We pull up at a building so big and regal that I would normally assume it’s a palace. However, we are in the countryside so I seriously doubt it is. “What is this place?” I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

  “It’s the Earl’s house,” Georgina answers simply, like that should explain everything. Whoever this Earl is, he must be completely loaded with money. You could easily get lost in this place.

  The carriage driver helps us down. I have to lean on him as my shoe slips. Georgina’s shoes are beautiful and covered in beading, but they are so uncomfortable that I’ll probably be crippled within the hour. I try to ignore the pain already coming from my toes.