Up, Back, and Away

by K. Velk

  She pressed her leaking face into the hanky and he was relieved that she made no move to hand it back. “I’m so glad that you came! No one else would’ve. Oh Miles, he isn’t going to be able to find us, is he?”

  “No, I’m sure no one could have overheard our plan in all that noise - but we’ll be double sure of being safe if we go to Roger’s for the night. You’ll like Roger. He’s engaged to be married to Daphne Lightfoot. Do you remember her, from Sessions?”

  Ada twisted the hanky. “I remember – that posh girl with the professor father. Oh they’ll hate me! I’ve been such a fool and I put you in such danger. I am so sorry. Thank you. Miles. Oh thank God.”

  “Stop that now!” he commanded. “It’s none of it your fault.” As he said this Miles was thinking that it actually was her fault, but he had no heart for recriminations. “Do you want to come with me while I run up to my room to get a few things? Roger and Professor Lightfoot are waiting for us in the lobby.”

  “You’re not leavin’ me here!” She replaced the broken shoe and gimped down the long hallway beside him. “I wonder if Lady Fisher would ‘ave me back?” she murmured.

  “You’re not going to be a housemaid Ada,” Miles said. “Or a piano teacher, or anything like that. You’re coming with me, to the future where you belong, to become the great singer and songwriter that you’re meant to be.”

  She rolled her eyes but this wasn’t the time or place for an argument. The future held plenty of time for that too.

  67. Safe Harbor

  Carlisle House was one in an elegant row of white town houses in Belgrave Square. Even with just the light of the street lamps to show it off, the house looked beautiful. It seemed to Miles like something out of a dream; like four stories carved from sugar frosting.

  Millions was waiting for them at the glossy black door. He ushered them all into the marble-tiled entry hall and took Roger’s hat and coat.

  “There are refreshments in the drawing room, Sir.”

  “Thank you, Millions. I’ll leave them to Ada and Miles. I’m all in. And we don’t want to keep you up.” Roger opened a tall door off the entry way, revealing a beautiful sitting room, lit by a cheerful fire. The Professor also declined the offer of cocoa, saying he wanted nothing but sleep.

  “Are Ada and Miles to have the garden rooms?” Roger asked the butler. “I’ll show them now where they are, in case they want to sit up for a bit.”

  “Your mother asked that you consult her about their accommodations, Sir,” Millions replied dryly.

  “At this hour?”

  “She was quite specific.”

  “All right,” Roger sighed. “You two make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.”

  Miles and Ada fell gratefully onto a sofa in front of a glowing coal fire. The dancing firelight and the beeswax clean smell of the place put some heart into them both.

  “God, what a night,” Miles said, exhaling a long sigh.

  “”ave a beaker of cocoa.” Ada poured the hot chocolate from a tall silver pot. They both took long swigs and sat back in dazed silence. It took a moment for the realization to hit Miles that he was, at last, alone with Ada. He took the iPod out of his pocket. “Now, I can show you this.”

  Ada wrinkled her brow. “What is that?”

  “It’s a music player. From my time. Believe me when I tell you there is not another one anywhere in the world in 1928. I am hoping, please God, that it has enough battery power left to play you a few songs – songs also from my time, or near enough. This is what I wanted to show you back at Sessions. I couldn’t risk anyone else seeing it. That’s why I needed to meet you alone, as Jack tried to tell you.”

  “You know I’m sorry about runnin’ away from there. I’ve said so, ‘aven’t I?” In fact, Ada had hardly said anything else since they had collected her from the hotel. In the cab she had apologized repeatedly to “the Gentlemen” and to Miles about all the trouble she had caused them.

  She turned the iPod over in her hands. “Really, Miles, where on earth did you get this?”

  “I got it in Austin, Texas in the year 2012. Like I said. I came from there to get you. Like I told you before.” He heard footsteps by the door and snatched the iPod back and shoved into his pocket as the butler entered.

  “If that will be all, Mr. McTavish?”

  “Thanks Millions, for everything. I don’t like to think what would have happened if you hadn’t given Roger my message right away.”

  “You’re welcome.” He nodded at Ada. “Good night Miss. I believe Mr. Carlisle will be showing you to your rooms.” He closed the door gently.

  Miles fell back on the couch. “Phew. I’ve got to be more careful. Part of the deal on this crazy trip is that no one is supposed to know that I’m from the future. You really shouldn’t have said anything to Jack about that by the way!”

  “Miles, you can’t honestly expect that anyone is going to believe a story like that. I figured he was in on whatever joke you were playin’.”

  “It’s no joke, it’s true. If this thing is still working, you’ll see what I mean.” He looked at the door. “I’ve got to wait til Roger’s gone to bed. No one can know about this – about any of what I have told you – except you and me, OK. Promise me you won’t tell anyone or show this if I leave it with you?”

  “All right. I’ll promise.” She crossed her heart.

  “You still don’t believe me?

  “I’m beginning to believe that you believe you, so I suppose that’s a start.” She looked around the room, as if noticing it for the first time.

  “This place is lovely, innit?”

  Miles agreed and then for some reason, Ada started to cry.

  “What’s wrong now?”

  “Oh Miles. You should see the place he took me, where he kept me. He was such a gentleman before.”

  “I was wondering what happened…”

  “Oh, he met me at the train all right, like we had planned. I was so happy to see him! He said he had arranged lodging for me with some jolly girls who also worked at his theaters but he took me to this awful house, I’m not even sure where it was. Someplace ‘orrible. There was three other girls there all right, but none you could call ‘jolly.’ As soon as I walked in, one of them, this Carrie, starts complaining. ‘Who’s she? What’s she doing here? What about me?’ He told her, to shut it. He said that I could actually sing and I was to make my debut that evening. Then he asked this other one, a little older, called Ivy, to look after me. What he meant was that she wasn’t to let me leave, but I didn’t catch on right then. There was this one other girl there, Sue. Oh, that was the worst. The worst thing I ever seen.”

  “Why? What was wrong with Sue?”

  “I never found out exactly – though I can guess. She was this terrible little bag of bones. The smell of her! My God. He saw her sittin’ there and asked if she would be workin’ that night. She lifted her head and she had these sores on her face. He just turned away like he’d be sick. Carrie shouted something about how Sue was rotting away and he yelled at her again to shut up or she wouldn’t get her share – whatever that was. Then he handed a packet of something to Ivy and said ‘You know what to do.’”

  “What? What was she supposed to do?”

  “I asked Sue about that myself, a bit later. She told that she was sure they were going to give her heroin and dump her in the Thames. She didn’t even care. She said she couldn’t live with it, the heroin that is, nor could she live without it. Something had gone wrong with her innards. Poor girl. She said Carrie was a stupid pig, but she was right about that bit about her rotting away.”

  “God. How awful.”

  “It was Sue that warned me about him that first day. She told me about the drugs he would give me and the things he would try to make me do. But this Ivy heard her talkin’ like that to me and told me not to listen. Ivy said Mr. Diamond had done everything for Sue and here she was blamin’ all her misfortunes on him.

  “I wanted to be
lieve Ivy and not Sue, of course. It was only my first day. I mean, I could see the place was a horror, but I couldn’t stand to believe I’d been tricked. And then I did go on stage that night, like he said I would, and it was so wonderful. I thought, well maybe you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth. But the next night he said I would be entertaining at a ‘private party.’ He sent me into a room full of men who told me to take my clothes off!”

  “Ada. I am really sorry.”

  Her face wrinkled at the memory and she looked away. “It was the worst moment of my life and that’s saying somethin'.” She laughed a little. “I refused, of course, and those men called Mr. Diamond in and complained. He came and fetched me out, lookin’ like thunder. I could see he wanted to hit me. Honestly, I think he didn’t only because he didn’t want to bruise me, bad for business that would be. So instead he had some of his men drive me back to that horrible house and Ivy locked me in for all the next day. I did rehearse, that’s true, but when I asked to go out for a bit of air Ivy said I had to ‘rest for my performance.’ And then, that night they let me out to sing at the Pavilion, if I promised to behave. That’s when I saw you.”

  “God, you were so good! How could you manage to sing like that with all them breathing down your neck?”

  “I just wanted so badly to do it, I suppose. It sounds strange, I know, but it was what I’ve been livin’ for these last years. When I stood in the wings and heard the orchestra and saw the crowd, it’s like the rest of it just melted away – ‘til I spotted you. That brought me up short. Not that I wasn’t glad to see you, mind.”

  “What about the Ginger Jar? Why’d they let you out again? I was worried that they were going to do something terrible after what happened at the Pavilion.”

  “Oh, that was a near thing! They dragged me out of the Pavilion kickin’ and screamin’. When they told me I couldn’t see you, I knew I was in real trouble and I panicked like. I could see after a bit that I had gone too far, that I wasn’t going to help myself losing control like that. I just started apologizin’ and begged him to let me try again. I promised I’d be good…” She broke down again. “I was afraid if I weren’t serving in some way they’d just do whatever they wanted with me. And then, tonight, I’m sure that Ivy slipped something into my tea this afternoon. I felt so strange – I couldn’t think straight.”

  At that moment Roger came back in. “Sorry kids. They’ve been hanging paper or painting today in the guest rooms so Miles, you’re to bunk in with me – which will make it easier for me to keep on eye on your poor head – and Ada, I’m afraid the only ladies’ accommodation tonight is up under the eaves. Shall I show you now?”

  “Yes Sir. Thank you Sir.”

  It was amazing to see how quickly Ada could slip into her serving-girl demeanor.

  Roger conducted them upstairs to a room on the fourth floor in the servants’ quarters. It was barely more than a cupboard, with a single iron bed and a tiny window that looked out over sleeping Belgrave Square. Still, it was safe and clean. There was a nightgown laid out on the bed and the jug was full in the basin. Miles suspected Ada was better contented with this than she would have been with one of Carlilsle House’s grand guest rooms.

  “Miles, I think we’d best turn in as well,” Roger said, suppressing a yawn. “Perhaps you two can continue your conversation in the morning?” This was so obviously a plea that Miles had to agree, as much as he would have liked to sit up with Ada for the rest of the night. He followed Roger back down to his room, but after Roger identified the door, Miles said he had something he forgot to give Ada.

  “It’s perfectly fine with me, Miles, for you to go creeping back up her room,” Roger said wearily, “but don’t let my mother see you, and don’t be long, will you?”

  Miles vaulted as quietly as he could back up the stairs. Without a word he drew out the iPod. She put the earbuds in and he turned it on – the battery icon showed a sliver of red. The screen told him that Ada was hearing Etta James, singing her signature song, “At Last!”

  As soon as Etta let go the first syllable, Ada spun and looked behind her. Then she turned the iPod over in her hand. “It’s not possible!” she shouted.

  He shushed her and took the ear buds out.

  “You’re yelling. You’ve got to watch that when you’re listening to music through earbuds. You’re right – It’s not possible here, in 1928. But it is possible in 2012. It’s commonplace.”

  “Earbuds?” She sat down hard on the little iron bed. “Like rosebuds?

  He laughed. “Sort of, I guess. Now, look, this is how you work it. Just listen until the battery goes. I don’t know how much time you’ve got. That song you’re listening to is by a great jazz singer – it’s from the 1960s – so it was already old by my time. There’s stuff on here from the 1950s to right before I left. The name of the songs and the artists will come up on the screen as it plays. The battery will last longer if you aren’t always lighting up the screen, but if you make a note or remember which songs you hear tonight, we can talk more about them tomorrow. OK?”

  She nodded as though in a trance. “Can I hear that again?” She asked meekly. He laughed and backed it up for her and then mouthed, “good night.”

  68. Looking Ahead

  The next morning started slowly for Miles. Roger had dutifully awakened him several times during the remains of the night and it was deep into mid morning before Miles came up from his troubled sleep. In Roger’s bathroom mirror he saw that his cheek had a nasty scrape over a darkening bruise. His head throbbed.

  The Burleigh’s suit had been brushed and pressed and was hung neatly from a silver hook on the bathroom door. His regular clothes, which had been packed in a crumpled mess in the haversack, had been laundered and were waiting for him in a tidy pile on the dresser. Roger was nowhere to be seen. Miles washed and dressed then crept into the hallway. The house was as silent as Quarter Sessions had always been, and while not nearly so large, it was big enough to confuse him. He wandered downstairs where he surprised a housemaid brushing up the entryway.

  “Mr. Carlisle and the young lady is in kitchen, Sir.” There was that “Sir” again. She showed him downstairs deferentially.

  Ada, in her stocking feet and wearing last night’s dress, was enjoying a companionable cup of tea with Roger at the big kitchen table. He heard her cackling laugh before he saw her.

  “Well, good morning at last, Miles,” Roger said, still smiling at whatever joke had just passed between him and Ada. “This is Mrs. Baddely,” Roger said, gesturing to a lady holding a frying pan.

  “Will you have some eggs and toast, Sir?” Mrs. Baddely asked.

  “Yes, please.” Miles let this “Sir” slide over him, and he had learned not to make comments about English names, even about a cook named “badly.”

  “How’d you sleep?” Miles asked Ada, with a meaningful look.

  “Oh, quite well, eventually,” she answered, sharing the code. “I was up for about another hour and a half after you turned in. But after that I was dead to the world.”

  “Amazing, considering what you had been through,” Roger shook his head.

  “I’ve been telling Mr. Carlisle – I mean Roger – all that happened.”

  “Yes. And I’m afraid I’m duty bound to report this operation of Diamond’s to the authorities. I suppose I’ll understand if you two don’t want to be involved further…”

  “I would love to be here to see him get what’s coming to him,” Miles said, gulping a cup of hot tea set before him by Mrs. Baddely. “But we really can’t stay. I bought passage back to the States for Ada and me yesterday, and the boat leaves from Liverpool tomorrow.”

  “Have you? I didn’t realize. Jolly confident of you.” Roger said.

  “I wanted to make sure that there were no loose ends or hang ups once I found her. I’m kind of in a hurry now.” Miles looked at Ada with the big question on his face.

  “Yes.” She said, setting her teacup down slowly. “And I�
��ve decided to take Miles up on his offer, to help me into the music business, in America.”

  They beamed at one another.

  “Smashing!” Roger said.

  Another young woman in an apron and cap appeared carrying a pair of scuffed old shoes and a plain, dark dress. She curtsied in the direction of Roger and Miles.

  “I’ve found a few things that might suit the young lady,” she said, looking doubtfully at Ada. “They might need to be let out a bit….”

  “Well, thanks for that,” said Ada, good-naturedly. “As I’ve got nothing but what I stand up in, and since this dress is really the property of Jon Diamond, I’ll take what I can get - so long as it covers me decent.”

  “We’ve got to do just a little shopping before we leave town today anyway,” Miles said tucking into his eggs, which were scrambled just as he liked them. “We’ll pick up what you need for our trip at Harrods.”

  69. Goodbye…

  The train trip from London back to Tipton, in a first-class coach and all alone, allowed Miles and Ada a quiet interval which they both desperately needed. Ada, although she looked stylish and smart with her new clothes and fashionable haircut, was exhausted and anxious.

  “I was so tired, I had to sleep,” she said. “Though it must’ve been nearly dawn before I closed my eyes. The music thrilled me so, and then that bed was like a plank.” She yawned. “Roger was so kind…. A shame his mother was such a cow.”

  “What do you mean? We never laid eyes on her. She was ill.”

  Ada rolled her eyes. “Miles, you’re good fellah, but you can be dense. Did you believe that story about the guest bedrooms being papered, or whatever it was that meant we weren’t to sleep in them?”

  “Oh. I see. I think.”

  “The old lady obviously got enough of the story from Roger to know that I was a cabaret singer or a housemaid – I’m not sure which she would count worse – and that you were a footman. She put poor Roger right on the spot, didn’t she, since he’d invited us to stay?