‘Visions,’ she wrote, ‘mirror – walking stick – DuQuelle, Alice, James. Tempus – Occidit – Fugit – Verus – Malum – Lucia – Belzen – Grace – corset – Angel – fleas – Felix – Florence – Seacole – Russell – salve – charge – Jack – Jack – Jack. Was DuQuelle right? Would Jack live again? She wanted to write his name a hundred times, so she wouldn’t forget. The door buzzer rang but she continued to scribble.
‘Well!’ came a loud brisk voice, and Katie jumped. Dolores was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. ‘You are a strange one, Katie,’ she exclaimed. ‘I know you are worried sick about your mama. We have to go to the hospital. The taxi is downstairs, and you are a-sitting there scribbling in your diary!’
Katie looked up, and the tears finally fell. ‘I’m sorry, Dolores,’ she whispered. ‘It’s just that . . .’
Dolores’ face softened. ‘That’s all right, honey,’ she said soothingly. ‘It’s just the hospital called. Mimi’s regained consciousness. And the first thing she asked for was you.’
Katie took the wet washcloth and quickly rubbed her face and behind her neck. It turned dark grey. Snatching her winter coat, she threw it over the pyjamas. ‘I’ll be fine like this,’ Katie said as Dolores started to protest. ‘Honestly, I’ve worn worse things than this.’ She smiled slightly as she thought of the horrid nurse’s uniform and the grey worsted jacket.
‘Katie,’ Dolores said, as they headed for the elevator, ‘sometimes I think you’re on a different planet.’
‘No, Dolores,’ Katie said, ‘not a different planet. A different place, a different time – but not a different planet.’
Dear Reader,
I received a really wonderful email from one of you recently. He said, ‘I consider myself a great authority on time travel and you are the first person I have encountered who actually knows how time travel works.’ Flattering, yes – but I think every single one of us is an authority on time travel. Who hasn’t imagined what it would be like to live in another time? Or wondered about the real lives of those we learn about in history?
It’s fun to mix fact with fiction. Some of my characters, like Princess Alice, are real. James, though entirely made up, is based on someone I know and love well. Both Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole are important figures in history. I’ve drawn their personalities from their own letters and memoirs; though I can provide no proof for the more magical elements of their personalities.
I did want to get things right, so I spent a lot of time researching The Queen at War. Much of what I needed was right on my doorstep in London. If you are interested in the Victorians and the 1800s, the Victoria & Albert Museum is a good place to start. The Florence Nightingale Museum is a hidden gem, chock full of Florence memorabilia. The National Army Museum has information and artefacts on the Crimean War.
Next year, the third book in the Chronicles of the Tempus trilogy will come out. The Queen Alone brings Katie, James and Princess Alice together again. War, intrigue, madness and murder are all on the menu. Be prepared.
Respectfully yours,
K. A. S. Quinn
Follow K.A.S. Quinn on Facebook, Twitter or contact her by email ([email protected])
The Queen at War Page 24