by Mari Carr
“He can’t arrest me. He has no evidence.”
“Be that as it may,” Alex replied, “he is better suited for Bedlam than the Homestead and we both know what he is capable of when angry. If he thinks you have taken something of his, I have little doubt he’ll come after you with sword drawn to retrieve it.” Alex paused before adding, “Will you do something for me?”
“What?”
“Don’t lose your temper and provoke him. I have a wife to protect and I’d prefer to keep the coming Campbell battle from erupting into a full-blown war in my home.” Having grown up in the area, Alex was well aware of the long-standing feud between the Campbell men.
“I promise,” Jack said, thinking of Hayley. “Things won’t get out of control here. I’d never provoke him at the Grange.”
“Thank you.” If Alex noticed the careful wording of Jack’s promise, he gave no indication.
Chapter 10
“I borrowed some dresses from Katie’s closet for you to wear until we can have a few made for you. She’s much closer to your size than I am.” Hayley laughed at the idea of trying to wear one of Erin’s dresses. Hayley’s five foot seven inch frame was more of an hourglass, while Erin, just shy of six feet, was super model thin.
“Who’s Katie again?”
“Alex’s cousin,” Erin replied. “And Simon’s sister.”
Hayley had met Simon last night at dinner. The young man, who worked as Alex’s secretary, kept the two couples entertained at dinner with his witty stories about the nobility in London.
“Oh, he’s cute. It’s a shame he’s so young. How old is he? Eighteen? Nineteen?” Hayley asked.
“He’s twenty, which is not that much younger than us,” Erin replied.
“Yes, but for some reason, my twenty-two years feel like so much more in this time period. But maybe you’re right. He’s not that young. He might make life interesting.”
“Don’t bother. You aren’t fooling me a bit by pretending to have the hots for Simon. You forget I’ve seen you with Jack.”
“Jack? You must be joking. He is the exact opposite of my type. My God, Erin, he’s practically a Neanderthal with his ideas of women and their place in the world. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to club me over the head and pull me around by my hair yet. It’s all I can do to be in the same room with him.”
“Save it. I may not have been with you this past year, but I still know you better than anyone, save Tori, and you are definitely attracted to Jack Campbell. The heat that rolls off the two of you when you’re in the same room is scorching.” Erin made a sizzling sound and touched her finger to Hayley’s arm.
Hayley was appalled by the idea. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Jack Campbell is the most insufferable man I have ever met, short of my father, and I can assure you I am not attracted to him. Besides, from the way you and Alex talked last night, I got a sense he’s a womanizer as well. Why would you try to hook me up with someone like that?”
Over dinner, Alex had made a joke about Jack’s latest conquests—an earl’s much-ignored wife, an opera singer and an Italian countess, who’d recently become a wealthy widow.
Erin shook her head. “Jack is not a womanizer. He’s just never found the right woman. He says he’s a confirmed bachelor, but I don’t think he’s happy being on his own. Alex is worried about him, too. He says he’s lonely. Jack lives in his parents’ old townhouse near the docks and works from early morning to late night at that shipping company he inherited from his grandfather. When he gets bored, he hops on one of his ships and sails away for months on end. He travels to London when business takes him there, but according to Alex, he doesn’t keep a permanent mistress and he doesn’t seduce innocent young women. He’s restless, Hayley. Wandering around, filling in time, waiting for something…or someone.”
As Erin finished her brief biography of Jack, Hayley burst into laughter. “Well, I can assure you the only waiting Jack’s doing in regards to yours truly is for that tree to split open again, so he can wave bye-bye as I leave, never to return. Restless or not, I’m not curing his loneliness. At best, I’m raising his blood pressure, making him a prime candidate for a heart attack. In case you’ve failed to notice, he’s always furious with me.”
“Which just proves my point. He wouldn’t get so angry if he didn’t care about you.”
Hayley giggled. “Interesting theory, but wrong, nonetheless. What do you know about Jack and his uncle?”
“Not a whole lot really. Jack doesn’t talk about it much. He lived with his uncle for a couple years after his parents died. I’m not sure what it was like for him there, but Alex said he never saw an angrier boy than Jack Campbell when he started school at Eton. Apparently, even though Alex’s estate borders the earl’s property, Alex never saw Jack when he lived there. Alex said it was like he went into the house and didn’t come out again until his grandfather brought him to school. After that, whenever he returned home on holidays, he always stayed at his grandfather’s house.
“This earl sounds like a nasty piece of work. What’s he like?”
“He’s a slimy one, that’s for sure. I’ve only met him a couple of times and I’ve never spoken to him for more than a minute or two. Alex always finds an excuse to drag me away from him and I’ve never minded. He gives me the heebie-jeebies.”
“How so?” Hayley was fascinated to hear Erin, who liked everyone, admit to being uncomfortable in the earl’s presence.
“You’ll think I’m crazy when I say this, but the air surrounding Lord Wilshire actually feels colder. There is something very dark and evil in him. The stories I’ve heard about his cruel treatment of his servants and tenants would straighten your curls. He’s a villain, plain and simple.”
“Jack told me to stay away when his uncle shows up here.”
“I happen to agree with him,” Erin added seriously and then a smile crossed her lips. “See, I told you he liked you.”
Hayley hit Erin with a pillow from her bed. “Oh, please. Not that again. I’ve told you there is nothing between me and Jack.”
Erin hit Hayley back with a pillow of her own. “Say what you will. I know better than to disagree with you about anything. Let’s just say time will tell on this particular discussion.”
“Ugh.” Hayley groaned, swatting Erin with the pillow again. “Were you always this smug? I don’t remember.”
“Oh, you remember and yes I was and still am very smug when I’m right about something, as well as incredibly talented, humorous, creative, glamorous.” With each adjective, she hit Hayley again with the pillow.
“Humble.” Hayley giggled and returned the swat. The dress she’d donned hung open at the back, trapping her arms so she couldn’t continue the pillow fight properly. “Okay, I give. Here, button me up.” She turned her back to Erin for help. “You’re sure Katie won’t mind me running around in her clothes?”
Erin stood behind Hayley and began to button her dress. “Katie won’t mind you wearing her clothes. I can’t wait for you to meet her. She’s absolutely wonderful. As is Alex’s Aunt Sarah who played a big role in getting Alex and I together. She’s quite the matchmaker when she puts her mind to it. Maybe you’ll find out firsthand when she and Katie return from London.”
“Oh God, no more of the Jack attraction thing. It isn’t going to happen. You know, the more I think about it, twenty isn’t so young and Simon is cute,” Hayley replied with an equally devious smile. “And he’s such a great guy.”
Erin continued hooking all the buttons on Hayley’s borrowed dress. “Nice try, but you aren’t fooling me and I’m not listening anymore. Besides, I suspect Simon is nursing a broken heart. I’m pretty sure he had a girlfriend, although he won’t admit it. He used to spend his afternoon off gone for hours and when he returned he wore the most adorable grin for days afterward.”
“Not anymore?”
“Not in a few weeks, but you know how it goes. Gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince, or
in Simon’s case, princess. There.” She patted the back of the dress. “All done. Do you need any more help getting dressed?”
“No, thanks.” Hayley shook her head. “I’ve been dressing myself successfully for over twenty years now, but these dresses will defeat me. Why are they made so it’s impossible to put them on by yourself?”
Erin shrugged. “I wondered the same thing when I first got here, but it’s amazing how quickly I got used to someone else helping me. I was uncomfortable with having a maid at the beginning. And it’s not just the clothes. I ran a brush through my hair once a day back home to pull it up into a ponytail. I could never do my hair in the styles of this time on my own. The fact of the matter is most of the clothes and hairstyles women wear nowadays are impossible to put on or do alone. As Tori would say, we must suffer for fashion.”
They shared a laugh. “Good thing you and I had plenty of experience adjusting to different surroundings. You in a different city every night, playing with the band, living on a bus, while Marian and I moved from one run-down dump to the next until they all started to look the same. This house is one of the most luxurious places I’ve ever been in. Now that I think about it, I’ve been living in the nineteenth century my whole life—no water and no electricity.”
“I never thought of it like that, Hayley, but you may be right. Growing up like we did was training for this experience. You know what my childhood was like. I was cooking and cleaning for my father as soon as I could walk. The true test of this place would be to plop Tori down in the middle of it.”
“Oh, no.” Hayley shuddered. “The original modern girl would wither up and die in this early rendition of Fernwood Grange.” She quickly sobered at the thought of Tori suffering in this same house, devastated over her sudden and unexplainable disappearance.
“Don’t.” Erin noticed her distressed look. “There is nothing you can do, believe me. I drove myself crazy last summer trying to figure out a way to get word to you that I was okay. I carved my name in the trees on the border of the property along with the year 1817. I’ve written messages in more books in the library than I care to admit. I’ve hidden scraps of paper with coded explanations all over this house. The servants keep finding them and bringing them back to me. I’m sure they think I’m borderline insane. Did you find anything when you were staying at the Grange?”
Hayley shook her head.
“No, you didn’t, so listen to me. You found your way here and you will find your way back. When you do, Tori will be waiting. Besides, she’s stronger than you give her credit for. I know you were her savior when we were at camp those first few years, defending her from all the bullies, but we were just kids then and she stopped needing your protection a long time ago. She’ll be fine.”
Hayley simply nodded, remembering the night she slipped through the oak tree, Tori crying about Erin and claiming she was stronger with Hayley around. She couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt at having left her friend behind. She should have woken Tori up and asked her to walk with her, then both of them would be here with Erin. The June girls together again. As soon as the thought popped into her head, she dismissed it. Tori was twenty-first century, through and through. Hayley started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I was trying to picture Tori here. Can you see her without her hair dryer, curling iron, hot showers and fully-stocked kitchen, complete with microwave, coffee maker and Kitchen Aid mixer?”
Erin laughed. “Oh my God, no. You’re right. She’d go into serious culture-shock.”
“Besides, if she did come, she’d be tearing the place up looking for a pirate like the ones in her romance books.”
“Well, it seems to me, you’ve claimed the pirate, so it’s just as well she’s still safely tucked away in 2008.” Erin headed for the door. “I need to go check on some things with the housekeeper, Mrs. Scott. Will you be okay?”
“Of course, I will. I’ll just put these dresses away and rest for a little while.”
“You—rest? Ha! I’d love to see that.” Erin laughed as she shut the door behind her.
Hayley decided that no matter how long she stayed in the past, she would not get used to all the servants around the house and she wondered how Erin adjusted to it so well. Hayley had made her own bed and tidied her room this morning only to be firmly scolded by the overbearing Mrs. Scott.
Hayley walked over to the mirror and checked out her new—actually, old—self. “I look ridiculous,” she mused. “Now I look like Laura Ingalls.”
She needed to find some way to entertain herself. She’d never been a big reader like Tori. She couldn’t play an instrument like Erin and she was not about to take up embroidery. “Erin was right,” she mumbled to herself. “I can’t rest.”
Feeling cooped up in the small room, she decided to explore the house and grounds. She also hoped to catch a glimpse of Jack’s uncle if he arrived. Her curiosity about the earl was getting the better of her.
Chapter 11
Upon leaving her room, Hayley looked down the wide hallway. Seeing a smaller staircase at the end of the hall, opposite the main stairway, Hayley decided to see where it led. This staircase must have been boarded up at some point in the future as she had never seen it before. At the bottom, she came to two doors. One led to the kitchen, so she chose the other, delighted when it took her to a lovely, small garden in the rear of the house.
As she walked among the herbs and flowers, Hayley considered Jack’s earlier comments. He would have helped Julia escape if he’d known her plans. What could cause a woman to want to leave her guardian? No doubt whatever the earl had done—and Hayley shuddered to think about what it could be—had to be serious enough for Julia to strike out on her own in the middle of the night.
What bothered Hayley the most—much to her annoyance—was Jack’s concern about Julia. Was he in love with the woman and if so, why was he kissing and flirting with her? At least, it felt like flirting. Hayley’s experience in the boyfriend department was extremely limited. She didn’t trust any man as far as she could throw him.
Jack seemed to be the exception to that. She trusted him and actually looked forward to the time they spent together, even if they were always arguing. The idea that Jack might possibly be in love with someone else left Hayley with a nagging stomachache she didn’t want to acknowledge. Hayley had intended to ask Erin about Jack’s relationship with Julia, but changed her mind after her friend’s teasing. That question would only add more fuel to Erin’s suspicions that she was interested in Jack romantically.
Chiding herself for her foolish feelings, Hayley continued walking. She’d only known the man two days for pity’s sake. Yet, she felt this incredible pull whenever she was around him, much like the tide pulling the ocean. She couldn’t help but think that being trapped in the past wouldn’t be nearly as exciting if Jack weren’t around.
While she was thrilled to be with Erin again, Jack’s presence challenged her and actually left her feeling slightly breathless most of the time. The fact that he was overbearing stimulated her mischievous side. She loved sparring with him, loved making him see her not as a woman from this time, but as a woman of the future. She was in charge of her destiny and she didn’t need a man to take care of her or tell her how to spend her days. It was fun testing Jack’s preconceived notions about women.
While Hayley’s knowledge of this time period was limited, she knew women were still basically at the mercy of men. The poor treatment of women made Hayley furious, although when she considered Alex and Erin’s relationship, it would be a stereotype to accuse all nineteenth century men of considering women inferior beings. Alex treated Erin as an equal and their relationship was actually better than many she had seen in the future.
Then she realized things hadn’t changed much in the last hundred and ninety years. Hayley spent day after day working at a job where she tried to help women break free from abusive relationships. There was something deeply ingrained in some women that mad
e them only feel valuable if they had a man in their lives.
Lost in her thoughts, Hayley didn’t notice the small woman hiding behind the arbor until she nearly tripped over her.
“Oh,” Hayley exclaimed, trying to keep herself from falling.
The young woman didn’t appear to notice Hayley’s arrival. She simply sat hunched down amid the flowering bushes. She pulled her legs up to her body, wrapping her arms around them tightly and resting her chin on her knees.
“Hello,” Hayley said softly, bending down. “Are you okay?”
The woman didn’t reply, though she indicated she knew Hayley was there when she curled into an even tighter ball.
Hayley was familiar with the haunted look on the woman’s face. She’d seen the same fear in the eyes of many of her clients at the shelter.
“My name is Hayley.” She lowered her head down, so her face was level with the woman’s. “I’m staying here with Lord and Lady Dorset as a guest. Are you a friend of the McCormicks as well?”
The woman’s unblinking eyes turned to look at Hayley, and it was then Hayley saw the cuts and bruises. She had been beaten very badly and just recently. One eye was swollen completely shut and her lower lip was puffy and severely bruised. Although the woman seemed to have heard Hayley, she made no effort to respond. Her lovely blonde hair hung limp and unkempt about her shoulders. The woman hadn’t bathed in days.
“Are you alright?” Hayley reached out gently to touch the woman’s face. Panicking, the woman flinched away from Hayley’s outstretched hand.
Hayley froze. “I won’t hurt you. I just want to help. I have some experience with cuts and bruises like these. Will you let me look at them?” Hayley hoped her soft tone would set the woman’s mind at ease.
The look of intense fear and pain on the pretty woman’s face tore at her heart. “I’ve only been here a couple of days, so I realize you may not know who I am. I’m a friend of Erin Delancy, I mean, McCormick. I traveled from America to visit her and I’ll be staying here for a while.” Hayley sensed the woman was struggling to speak.