But who was she? And why did he know things about her that he was certain she would not like him knowing? He wondered if she'd get mad if he let it slip? Maybe. Her red hair was more vibrant than he could tell before meeting her. He'd heard redheads had tempers.
* * *
Drew's sat on the porch of his grandmother's house, watching the ocean and contemplating how to get Ellie to go sightseeing with him.
"Drew."
He turned to find Blythe rushing toward him and rose to greet her.
"Good morning, Blythe," he said when they both stopped at the fence made of flowers and shrubs that separated their two properties.
"The manor has new guests tonight. Instead of serving breakfast only, we'll be having dinner tonight to welcome them. I'd like to count on you to round out our numbers. Could you come?"
"I would love to," Drew said, thanking fate for handing him the perfect opportunity to see more of the enticing Ellie.
"Dinner is at 7:00, but you can come a little early and meet them."
"I'll be there," Drew agreed. He didn't tell Blythe that he'd already met Ellie Sloan. That he'd met her before she arrived at the Vineyard. And now he had another reason to join her and maybe find out why she'd stepped out of the past to come to the Cove as a real live person.
Nothing like this had ever happened to Drew. He was a practical person, logical, good at business. He would have balked at anyone who even mentioned premonitions or paranormal activity. That kind of fantasy belonged on television and in the movies. But three weeks ago something changed. He was at home in Chicago, when a sudden desire to walk through a park overtook him. Like magic, he was there—at the Cove. The Manor was visible from the beach. And that's when he saw her. Ellie stood at the window facing the sea. The sun streaked through her red hair. Copper highlights formed a halo around her head.
She stood still, cast like a statue to the sun. Drew couldn't drag his eyes from her. He had no idea how long he stood watching her or how long the apparition stayed in place. The sound of the sea and a sudden burst of sunlight broke the vision. Drew blinked against the light, raising his hand to shade his eyes. She was gone. The island wasn't there. There was no sea, no manor. He was standing in Chicago outside his house, in a park not far from where he lived, with no idea how he got there.
Or where the stone that burned his hand had come from.
2
The stone lay on a bed of white velvet inside the top bureau drawer. Ellie had held it several times, each time producing the same result. This manor, the sea and the room where she would now spend a week, were all part of the dream that played out whenever she allowed it to make contact with her skin. She needed to be here. She looked down at the stone again, but feared taking it into her hand. She was unsure what would happen if she picked it up with unprotected hands in the very place the visions brought her.
Yet the desire to know was overwhelming. Her hand hovered over the smooth black surface. Her fingers nearly skimmed the cool stone before she slammed the drawer closed and stepped back. There were too many people in the Manor. She wished Samara had been able to come to the Cove with her.
Ellie turned away from the dresser. Walking to the open doors, she looked at the sea. Everything outside was beautiful and calm. Nothing out there told her a single thing about why she was driven to be here. Maybe it was the Manor. Turning back, she examined the room. Since returning from the beach, she'd gone through every inch of it, removed drawers, checked under the furniture, in the closet, perused the walls for any imperfections. She'd even tested the floorboards to see if any one of them was loose and hiding something.
She found nothing.
Giving up, Ellie quickly showered and put on a clean dress. Tonight was the only dinner the Bed and Breakfast offered. It was a get-to-know-you meal for the new arrivals. All the other meals were breakfasts. Ellie didn't want to miss it since one or more of the people might lead her to the reason she was there. Drew's image jumped into her mind. She wondered if it was him.
Muffled laughter greeted her when she opened her bedroom door. Entering the living room, Ellie found several people already gathered. A little apprehensive about meeting strangers, Ellie smiled when Drew's familiar face came into view. Holding a wine glass and standing across the room, he spotted her, excused himself and came forward.
"Funny meeting you again," Ellie said.
"It's an unexpected pleasure," Drew said, giving her an exaggerated bow.
Ellie smiled at that. He made her both nervous and excited. She liked the feeling, but it also scared her. To cover her nervousness, she said, "We'd better join the others."
"Not just yet." Drew stopped her. Then in a lower voice added, "I can't remember their names."
"That's all right," she told him. I'm used to introducing myself." Ellie didn't mention her self-introductions were usually to college students.
"All right." He reached for her hand. Ellie looked down and slipped hers into his, unprepared for the wash of sensation that came over her as the now familiar vision started. Immediately her head came up and she stared at him. Yanking her hand free, she stumbled back.
"What was that?" she asked.
"Static electricity."
Ellie had been shocked by the current before and this was not it. She knew either he'd sparked a vision or she had. But why? He'd caught her on the beach and nothing like that had happened.
"Maybe we should just go join the others," Drew suggested.
Blythe came in the room and Ellie felt she was the neutral presence she needed. Nodding and without touching, she and Drew walked across the room. The manor guests were made up of two couples and three women who appeared to know each other. Ellie searched the faces of those present, but they weren't the one she'd seen in the fog-like dreamscape.
"What brings you to the Vineyard?" Drew asked her as everyone else appeared engaged in conversation.
"I've never been here before and it just seemed as if it called to me," she said. Ellie wanted to be as truthful as possible without giving anything away. The truth was, providence had been her seeker. At least she thought it was.
"Called to you?"
Drew picked up on the one phrase she didn't want to emphasize.
"I was looking at places to vacation and this seemed like the one I kept coming back to. So I called and made a reservation."
"What do you plan to do on your vacation?"
"I thought I'd check out the history of the island." She'd told him she was a history professor.
He nodded as if it was a given.
"H do you like our island so far?"
"It's beautiful. I haven't seen any vineyards. Why is it called Martha's Vineyard?"
"That's a mystery," Drew said. "As most things that have come down through the centuries, no one is sure of the origin of the name. There was an English explorer name Bartholomew Gosnold. The island could be named after either his mother-in-law or one of his children. Both were named Martha."
"The cat is also named Martha," she said.
Drew looked down, then around the room. Ellie followed his gaze.
"She's usually lurking somewhere close."
"I don't think she likes me," Ellie whispered. "Anyway go on with the story. The explorer must have been very influential. Did either Martha have a vineyard?"
"Not that anyone has ever mentioned. But there is a wine tour if you care to take it."
"I might. I plan to explore the island while I'm here."
"Gathering personal insights to take back to your students?"
"That, too," Ellie said. "I might be able to work this into American History, but it would only be a footnote and not on any test."
Before Drew could respond, Blythe tapped her wine glass. All eyes turned to their hostess. "I'd like to welcome you all to Blythe Cove Manor," she began. "To answer one of your questions, the Manor is not named after me."
A trickle of laughter followed her comment. She went on to give a brief history of th
e Manor, then gave the facts of the Manor's breakfast times and what the guests could expect to find around the island. She asked for questions and a few were asked and answered.
"I thought you weren’t a guest here," Ellie said when Blythe finished and conversations resumed between the guests. "Is the house behind this one part of the Manor?" Although he'd told her his grandmother once owned it, that didn't mean he or some other family member hadn't sold it to the Manor.
Drew shook his head. "It's still in my family. Blythe invited me since this is the only dinner and we've known each other since I was a boy."
Ellie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. That had to be why she didn't see him in her vision. He wasn't part of the Manor. Yet that touch at the doorway, the vision that she cut short, told her Drew was no innocent bystander. He had something to do with why she was here. She would have to find out what it was without asking him. At least not yet.
"Ellie, glad you could join us." Blythe stood in front of them. She reached out with both her hands. It was a welcome gesture. Ellie automatically took them, unmindful that something might happen when their hands connected. Nothing other than the warmth of Blythe's personality came through. Quickly, the older woman dropped Ellie's hands as she turned and looked at the other guests. "Come, let me introduce you."
Both she and Drew walked to the group in the center of the room.
"Everyone, if you haven't met Ellie, this is Eleanora Sloan. She's from Tennessee. So I don't get your names wrong, why don't you tell Ellie who you are?"
There were two couples and three women friends.
"We're the Sullivan’s, Ann and Joseph," a woman with long gray hair said. "We came here years ago, but haven't been back for decades."
"Our kids are grown and gone, so we're doing all the things we put off for years," the husband said. He looked at his wife and the two of them smiled. Ellie felt their love was evident. She smiled to herself, hoping one day someone would love her like that.
"We're Guy and Mary Beth Bethany," a young clean, cut man said.
"My husband won this trip. He works in sales for a computer company," Mary Beth explained.
She offered her hand and Ellie shook both hers and her husband's. Again nothing out of the ordinary occurred. No one looked familiar and she recognized none of them from any of the visions she'd had in the past few months.
"I'm Amy, from New York." Ellie shook hands with her.
"I'm Joanna, also from New York."
I'm Julianne, and I'm a Jersey girl."
None of them were girls, but they were all friendly and Ellie liked them immediately. She introduced herself, letting them know she was from Tennessee and on vacation.
Dinner was apparently ready and they all entered the dining room. The room was beautifully appointed. Blythe had set a beautiful table with linens and crystal in a dining room that was dominated by a huge crystal chandelier. Light reflected around the room.
They all seemed to take seats that were not assigned but showed they knew where to go. Ellie sat in the middle of the table and Drew took the seat next to her. She was grateful for his presence. Ellie wasn't afraid to walk into a room where she knew no one, but she preferred having someone she connected with beside her.
And she connected with Drew.
She wasn't here to find a man or even a date for the evening. She had another purpose and getting sidetracked by a man wasn't on the agenda. Yet, she was grateful to be next to him. She felt warm, a little nervous, and it was due to his proximity.
Ellie forced herself to concentrate on her plate. The food was simple, nothing exotic or fancy, just filling and tasty. Ellie found she was very hungry. She'd eaten something light for lunch, but that was hours ago.
"You're going to be here a week. Any plans?"
Ellie didn't ask him how he knew that.
"Other than sunbathing, I'll see what the island has to offer."
"Maybe I could help you with that."
"Don't you have work to do? I thought you were here about something related to business."
"Not totally. I'm sure I can find time to help you out."
"I'd like that." She didn't know why she said it. What she was looking for was insane. She couldn't even explain her reason for being on the Vineyard, at least not so anyone rational would believe her.
Drew posed a problem, yet the flash of vision his touch produced gave her hope that he would help her piece together this puzzle from the past.
Bicycles were a popular way of getting around the Vineyard. Ellie rented one and spent a couple of hours touring. She stopped at many of the avenues and looked over the buildings. Nothing came to her. She had no visions, and nothing about the places she saw reminded her of anything nor called to her as the Manor had. What brought her here, she surmised, must be at the Manor.
Pulling into the local library as Blythe had suggested, Ellie locked her bicycle and went inside. The librarian accompanied her to a section in the non-fiction area to point out the local history books. Ellie thanked her and found several books on the island, but only one on Blythe Cove Manor.
Excited, Ellie pulled the book down and headed for a table to study it. Half an hour later, she was disappointed. The book was published ten years ago and was mainly a coffee table book containing photos of the major points of interest on the Vineyard.
Snapping it closed, she sighed.
"Didn't find what you were looking for?" Drew asked.
Her head jerked around at the whispered question close to her ear. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I saw you come in and thought I'd see what you were interested in."
He smiled at her and Ellie was completely disarmed. "Should I be concerned about a stalker?" she asked.
He shook his head. "But I think if we're going to talk, we should do it outside."
The two went out into a courtyard. It was enclosed, but there was a gate with ‘exit’ written on it. She walked to a bench and took a seat. Drew came over and looked down at her.
"I have a question," she said.
Drew took a seat next to her. Maybe the tone of her voice reached him because the expression on his face changed from smiling to serious.
Ellie shifted to face him. Although their bodies were close, they did not touch each other.
"Last night," she began. "Just before Blythe joined us, you touched my hand." Taking a moment, she looked at her hands which were folded in her lap. "We…" She looked at him. "We said the spark between us was static electricity."
He nodded. "Wasn't it?"
Ellie searched his face for a long moment. She had to trust someone. There was no one back in Tennessee whom she'd shared her story. Ellie assumed they'd think she'd lost her mind. And truthfully, she wasn't sure she hadn't. Samara lived in D.C. She knew part of it, but not all.
Why she should trust this stranger, she didn't know. Maybe because he was a stranger. But also because something had happened between them that had not happened with anyone else and she was on the Vineyard now.
"I don't think so," she finally answered. She knew static electricity didn't explain anything.
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't have a name for it," Ellie said. "But it wasn't static electricity."
Drew stared at her. "You mean the vision that started before you dropped my hand?"
"You did see it," Ellie said in surprised. For a moment she was unable to speak. "Was that the first time?"
She was unprepared for him shaking his head. Ellie stood up and took a few steps across the lawn. Turning back, she asked, "When did it happen before?"
"It's happened three times, not including last night."
"What did you see?" Ellie asked.
Drew looked at her so long she didn't think he was going to answer. Finally he said. "I saw you."
"Me?"
He nodded. "When you fell off that step to the beach, I almost didn't catch you. I knew you were coming, but I didn't know when."
"
You'd been waiting for me to arrive?"
He nodded.
"I saw the Manor. I knew what room you would stay in, but other than that, I knew nothing, not even your name. What did you see?"
Ellie stared at the courtyard wall as if she could see through it. "I saw the Manor. I saw Blythe. I knew the room was the Cove View Room. I could see the water and the flowers through the French doors. That's it. I didn't know about anything else." She stopped and gazed at him, not knowing if he understood that she was oblivious to his presence in her visions. "I knew I had to come here, but I don't know why."
"I don't either. I've been here before, many times. This was the first time I felt as if I had to come."
There was something else, but Ellie was holding that back for a while. "What started the visions? Do you know? I mean what happened just before you had the first one?"
"Nothing that I can remember."
"What were you doing when it happened?" she prompted.
He thought a moment. "I'd just come in from work. It was about six o'clock on a Friday. I did the normal things, changing clothes, going to the kitchen for something to drink. I got a bottle of water and drank almost all of it. Then I sat down, picked up the remote to turn on the television and there it was. I could see myself here, on the Vineyard. I was on the beach and you fell into my arms, although..." he stopped.
"What?"
"You weren't dressed the same and your hair was different, down, longer, darker." He used his hands to demonstrate.
He didn't add anything sexual to the description. As if he were an uninvolved reporter, he presented her with the facts. Ellie walked about the courtyard. She looked at the flowers growing there, the benches that were strategically placed as if for lovers. Moving back to where she'd left him, she sat back down, careful to not touch him.
"Like from a different decade?" She didn't want to say a different century.
"Exactly."
"For me it was different," Ellie started her tale. "The time was about the same, six o'clock on a Friday. I bought several houses in a redeveloping area of Bern. That's where I live in Tennessee. They were all around an empty family house. In between teaching at the university, I've been working with contractors to remodel the houses. I live in one of them and that's the place I was working when it happened. I'd just torn out a wall when the vision came."
Summer Magic Page 6