by Monica Burns
Her body grew warm as she remembered how he’d caressed and stroked her with his hands and mouth. Equally memorable had been the way she’d fallen asleep in his arms. The quiet tenderness of his embrace made her heart ache as the truth chilled her. She was in love with a man who had lived and died long before she was born. No matter how real her life here felt, it wasn’t her reality.
Victoria pushed herself away from the door to cross the floor and sink down onto the lounge sofa. From her seat, she could see where the lawn met pasture land, which stretched out as far as she could see. Even on this gloomy, fall day, Brentwood Park was still beautiful. She could easily come to love it here just as much as she loved its owner. The silent admission tugged at her like the undertow of a strong wave.
The longer she remained in the past with Nicholas, the more devastating her heartbreak when she returned to her own time. The thought of leaving Nicholas twisted painfully in Victoria’s chest. It was unlike any pain she’d experience before. It was as if someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart in a fierce, agonizing grip. Instinctively she knew the longer she remained here the pain would grow exponentially until it would be unbearable when she returned to the future.
Tears pushed against her eyelids, and she bowed her head. If she went home now she was certain it would be easier to forget. A nerve ending in her head fired off a protest. Did her way home lie in the mist? Could it be that simple? In a bizarre sort of way it made sense. The only time she had a headache was when she thought about how she got here from her own time. Another nerve ending pulsed viciously in her head signaling for her to stop.
If she could remember what happened before the explosion—a ripple of excruciating pain slammed into her head. She gasped at the strength of it. Valiantly, she struggled to hold back the nausea threatening to overcome her. If this was what it took to—the mist enveloped her, but this time it was nothing but cold, damp and frightening. Heavy and dense, the fog was as ominous as the silence surrounding her.
Unlike her other experiences, she felt nothing but fear. It spiraled through her until it became a blind panic. In the faint light, she sensed someone close by. She crept toward the presence then stopped as two shadowy figures came into view. Dirt scraped across a shovel and heightened her fear. The sound was just as insidious now as it was in her nightmares.
Her heart pounding like a drum in her ears, she wanted to find her way out of this hell she’d entered. But she couldn’t move. In a split second, she realized she was lying on her back with dirt hitting her face. Paralyzed, her limbs were stiff, and it was impossible to keep the soil from slowly covering her body. Terror filled her as she tried to scream. Soon she’d be buried beneath the earth. The depth of her fear clawed its way through her as she struggled to breathe. Dirt continued to clog her nose and mouth. The air slowly disappeared from her lungs leaving in its place a fiery pain. The abrupt sensation of being shaken pierced through the veil of dark mist, and she drank in deep, gasping breaths of air. The wild pounding of her heart slowly ebbed away to a softer rhythm as she stared up into Molly’s worried gaze.
“Good heavens, my lady. You gave me a fright. I need to fetch his lordship. He’ll want to know you’re ill.”
“No,” Victoria whispered hoarsely. “You’re not to mention this to his lordship. Is that clear, Molly.”
The maid studied Victoria with a pensive expression for a long moment before she slowly nodded. Victoria dragged in several more deep breaths as she fought to regain her bearings. Her gaze met Molly’s worried one, and Victoria waved a hand in a gesture of reassurance.
“I’ll be fine. It was nothing more than a headache.”
“Yes, my lady.” Molly’s response was quiet, but Victoria heard the disbelief in the maid’s answer. One hand rubbing her temple, she met the girl’s worried gaze.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered with exasperation. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you certain, my lady?” Molly’s hand touched Victoria’s shoulder. “You still look a trifle pale.”
“I promise you, Molly. I’m fine,” Victoria said firmly as she stood up and walked to the window. “And not a word to Lord Guildford. Is that understood?”
“Yes, my lady.” Molly looked unhappy, but Victoria was certain the maid would obey her order. The young woman picked up some towels off the bed. “I’ll just put these up and leave you be, my lady.”
Victoria nodded then turned toward the window. The rain had stopped, but dark clouds still hovered over the landscape. She rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers, carefully avoiding the cut that hadn’t healed yet. She’d not admitted it to Molly, but her head hurt like hell. It had been a mistake to try and go back into the mist. She didn’t understand how or why, but the fog represented life-and-death. The thought of experiencing those horrible moments again made Victoria’s stomach churn.
Determined to think of something else, she pressed her hand against the cool glass pane. Winter wasn’t far off. Even in cold weather she was certain Brentwood Park would be beautiful. What would it look like in the spring and summer? The image of a warm spring day spent with Nicholas and Edmund lifted her spirits slightly. It was a lovely thought, and she could only hope it would come true.
How was it possible to have fallen in love with Nicholas in such a short time? She tried to put it down to a fabulous night of sex, but she knew differently. There was a sense of knowing that came with her feelings for him. This wasn’t the first time their destinies had been entwined so closely.
“Can I fetch you anything at all, my lady?” Molly’s voice interrupted Victoria’s brooding. She turned toward the maid who was standing near the door with a look of concern on her face.
“No thank you, Molly.” She forced a smile to her lips then turned back to the window. “I think I’ll read for a bit. Edmund brought me one of his mother’s books.”
“Very well, my lady.”
Victoria heard the soft click of the door closing behind the maid. She closed her eyes as an image of Nicholas filled her head. Beyond logic or reason she’d found the love of her life in the past. It made no sense whatsoever, but she accepted it for the truth it was. Falling in love with Nicholas in such a brief amount of time was far more believable than the idea she was from the future. The sudden need to pour her heart out to someone gripped her, but the only person she could talk to was Anna.
She remembered the diary she’d begun. It would give her the outlet she needed. Victoria sat down at the secretaire and pulled out the journal she had started. The words came slowly at first before her pen raced across the page in an effort to get all of her thoughts on paper. Every word was written evidence of her life here no matter how short a time it was. She wasn’t sure if it was a way to make things real, or an attempt to leave evidence that she’d existed here for a short time. Evidence she could find in her own time to prove she wasn’t insane.
The more she wrote, the more cathartic the experience became. The linen parchment brushed softly against her fingers as she wrote until the emotions seething inside her became nothing more than a quiet murmur. Exhausted, she closed the journal and buried it in the far corner of the desk. As she closed the desk lid, a tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away. Victoria turned her head to look out the window. The sky had lightened considerably with a hint of sunshine trying to push through the clouds.
Victoria’s gaze swept across the pasture land, and a sudden urge to go riding swept through her. The cold air would help clear her head and help her work off the restlessness inside her. No sooner had the idea swept through her head than it died. There was only one habit in her wardrobe, which she had to wear tomorrow for her portrait. A slow smile curled her lips. She didn’t have to wear the habit at all. Anticipation made her ring for Molly. When the maid arrived, Victoria smiled at the younger woman.
“I need you to do me a favor. Bring me a shirt, coat, breeches, and a pair of boots from Edmund’s room,” Victoria said firmly. “N
o questions or arguments.”
With a compliant nod, the maid hurried out of the room. Victoria paced the floor with growing excitement. When Molly returned, Victoria quickly accepted the clothing and proceeded to dress. As she pulled on Edmund’s black boots, the maid hurried forward to help.
“It’s all right, Molly.” Victoria said with a smile. “I’ve worn boots like these before.”
The heels of her footwear rang out loudly on the wood floor, as she hurried to the dressing table and retrieved a dark ribbon out of one of the small drawers. Eager to be on her way, Victoria quickly tied her hair back into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. When she whipped around, she met the younger girl’s look of concerned dismay. As she passed Molly on her way out the door, she squeezed the girl’s shoulder.
“If anyone asks, I went for a ride,” she said with a smile.
Chapter 23
A sense of freedom filled Victoria as she ran down the back stairs and out of the manor. Even in the short time span she’d been here, she had missed her freedom do as she pleased. Longing to escape, if even for just a half hour or so, Victoria headed toward the stables. When she walked through the open doors of the long building, several stable hands did a double take at her strange appearance. She didn’t think it was the fact that the countess had never shown up in the stables before. In all probability, it was the way she was dressed. An older man approached her with a wary expression on his features.
“May I help ye, my lady?”
“Please saddle Zeus for me, I wish to go for a ride,” she said firmly.
“Zeus? Does ‘is Lordship know about this, my lady?” the old veteran asked in surprise. Victoria was certain Nicholas wouldn’t approve, but he’d only said she couldn’t ride Mischief. She ignored the man’s question.
“If you’re short-handed, I can saddle him myself,” she said with a smile, determined to charm her way onto Zeus’ back. “I’ve been cooped up for so long, and a ride will be refreshing. I’m sure you know what that’s like.”
“Aye, that I do, my lady,” the older man replied with a grin. He looked over her shoulder. “Mickey saddle Zeus for her ladyship.”
“Zeus, my lady?” Apprehension turned Mickey’s mouth downward.
“Yes,” she said with a wink. “His lordship said I couldn’t ride Mischief. He said nothing about Zeus.”
With a conspiratorial grin, the young stable hand ran off to saddle the stallion. Beside her the old man ordered another of the grooms to saddle a horse to go with her. She immediately shook her head.
“There’s no need for someone to go with me. I’ll only be gone for a short time.”
“But, my lady, his lordship—”
“His lordship worries unnecessarily. I’ll be perfectly fine. If I’m not back in an hour, send out a search party. But I don’t want an escort. Besides, Zeus will leave them behind anyway.”
Moments later, Mickey led the black stallion out to her. Without fear, she stepped forward and stroked the animal’s corded neck. Checking the cinch on the saddle, she placed her foot in the stirrup and hoisted her body up into the leather seat. Without another word, she trotted the animal out of the building toward the open pasture. It only took a slight squeeze of her knees to make the stallion spring forward into a smooth canter and then a gallop.
She gave Zeus his head, and the horse ate up the ground with his surefooted stride. With no sense of purpose or direction, she just rode. She simply allowed herself to let her mind rest and think of nothing but the joy of riding. She wasn’t sure how far she’d gone before Zeus slowed on his own to a walk.
White foam frothed Zeus’s coat from the workout. Judging by the animal’s appearance, Victoria knew she’d ridden four or five miles. She turned in her saddle to look back at the stables. The building was almost a miniature of itself. Victoria drank in a deep breath and suddenly realized her cheeks were wet with tears. God, what on earth was she crying for? She never cried. With her coat sleeve, she wiped the tears from her eyes and brought the stallion to a halt. She dismounted and stroked the horse’s cheek.
“All right big fellow, we’ll just walk for a little while, so you can cool off,” she murmured.
As if understanding, the horse tossed his head. Shifting the reins over his head, she turned around and started back toward the stables with Zeus following her. The ride had helped to clear her thoughts, and put things into perspective. She’d been wrong to try and force her way back to her time. That day would come soon enough. She was certain of that. She needed to make the most of her time here, and if that meant humbling herself by allowing Nicholas’ forgiveness for her past then that’s what she’d do. She was in his world, and she had to make accommodations for that. She loved him, and she refused to spend another precious hour here locked in combat with him. When she eventually returned to the future, she wanted to take only happy memories with her. They would keep her warm on those cold, lonely nights when she would lay awake longing for Nicholas.
Time seemed endless and it was only when she stumbled over an unseen stone that she realized the sun had sunk almost completely beneath the horizon. She’d been out a lot longer than she’d said she’d be. That meant Nicholas had probably been told she was out on Zeus. There would be hell to pay for that infraction alone. The sooner she got back the less angry he’d be.
Behind her, Zeus snorted softly, and she glanced over her shoulder to see the animal’s ears were pricked forward as if he’d heard something. Suddenly, in the distance she heard another horse answer Zeus’s soft cry. She heard the whicker again. It came from behind her, which meant it wasn’t someone from Brentwood Park stables. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as Anna’s warning popped into her head.
Without thinking Victoria quickly mounted the horse and urged him into a fast trot back towards the stables. As she rode back, her heart sank at the way the purple and orange streaks in the sky were slowly fading into twilight. The sensation of someone watching her made the hair on the back of her neck rise, and she shivered. Unsettled by the feeling, she reined the stallion to a halt. Victoria twisted in her saddle to study the landscape behind her. Nothing seemed out of place, but another shiver slid down her spine. She was letting Anna’s warnings get to her.
Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. She pressed her knee into Zeus and continued trotting back to the stables. Less than a mile later, a razor-edged frisson skimmed over her skin. Without stopping, she glanced over her shoulder. A chill ran through her as she saw two riders heading in her direction at a fast pace. Instinctively, she dug her knees into Zeus’s sides. Startled, the horse leaped forward into a gallop.
In the distance, she saw the roof of the stables against the darkening sky. Her heart sank. It was still almost two miles away. Victoria glanced over her shoulder. The riders chasing her were quickly gaining on her. Although Zeus’ stride was still strong, she knew the animal was tired. There was the very real possibility he might not be able to out run her pursuers.
With the sun now below the horizon, the temperature had dropped, and Victoria’s hands were stiff with cold. She was an idiot. She should have worn gloves. No, she shouldn’t have stayed out so long. Behind her, the sound of hoof beats echoed louder in her ears, and she pressed her knees into Zeus’ side to make him charge up a hill. As she crested the slope, Victoria saw a small party of riders with lanterns headed her way.
Seconds later, Victoria was surrounded by Nicholas and several of his men. Relief washed over her as she wheeled Zeus around to stare up at the top of the hill. It was impossible to see anyone in the darkness at the top of the slope, but she knew they were there. She could feel them.
If Nicholas and the others had not come when they had, Zeus would not have been able to out distance whoever had been chasing her. The animal had a huge heart, but he was exhausted. Rough hands jerked her out of the stallion’s saddle, and she cried out as Nicholas set her on the ground in front of him.
“What the hell were you thinkin
g to ride past dark and then down a hill like that?” he growled fiercely.
“I’m sorry…”
Reaction setting in, Victoria choked back tears and shivered violently. She looked over her shoulder again. Were they still there? Watching her? She couldn’t feel them anymore. Nicholas’ anger was still evident as he grasped her chin in his fingers. But something else flickered in his gaze as he tilted her face toward the lantern light then abruptly released her.
Leaving her side, he issued several soft commands to one of his men. Unable to hear his low words, Victoria watched as the man called out two names and mounted his horse. The three men rode up the hill, the light from their lanterns disappearing over the top of the hill. Nicholas returned to her side, and lifted her back into the saddle.
“We’re going home.” His voice was devoid of emotion, but she knew he was still angry.
Victoria didn’t argue. Tired, cold, and shaken, all she wanted at the moment was a hot bath to wash away the dirt and soothe the ache settling into her muscles. The ride to the stable was short, and as Zeus walked into the stable yard, Mickey ran out to meet her.
“I’ll take him for you, my lady,” he said with a relieved smile on his cheerful features.
“Thank you, Mickey. He ran hard, so take good care of him.”
“That I will, my lady.” He took the reins from her as she dismounted. “And I’m glad yer home safe, ma’am.”
Wearily, she acknowledged his statement with a nod before she headed toward the manor. Behind her, she heard Nicholas issuing instructions to Mickey. Hoping to avoid the confrontation she knew was coming, she hurried toward the house. In spite of her quick stride, Nicholas caught up with her as she reached the back door of the manor. The instant he caught her arm, she knew not to try and break free. His grip unyielding, he guided her into the house then up the back stairs to her bedroom. Nicholas threw open the door to her bedroom then slammed it shut behind them.