He merely shook his head as he continued to walk and eat his tamale. Munching on her own, she asked between bites, "What kind of name is Ang-hell? What's it mean?"
"It's a very common Mexican name. It's pronounced different than it's spelled."
"Okay, how's it spelled then?"
"A-n-g-e-l."
"Angel," she repeated, picturing the adorable infant in his mother's arms. "Yes… that's a good name." She would never forget that little angel and the miracle she had witnessed.
Luke simply nodded.
Casey noticed the people they passed were all dressed like peasants, and it didn't look like there was any electricity in this part of town. They really must be poor, she thought again with compassion, as she tagged along after Luke. Several people stared, some even nodding at Luke, and Casey couldn't really blame them. He was something. What, she hadn't figured out yet.
She began to hear faint strains of lively piano music filtering through the dimly lit and crooked dirt streets. "How much farther into town?" she asked as she looked around and saw it was now more crowded with people.
"Not much farther," Luke said as he grabbed her arm, pulling her away from walking directly into a large pile on the ground.
"Oh, jeez," she gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes," he said, and continued walking. "Be careful where you step, there's more of it."
"Thanks," she muttered as she looked down and pranced over another dark blob.
Casey couldn't figure out why her sister was so in love with this place. Even in the dark it all looked kind of backward… as if time hadn't— She stopped that thought from continuing. Just get to the plaza and find a place to call Amy, she told herself. She was not about to entertain Luke's crazy concepts of time travel.
"The plaza is just a little more than a block ahead."
She looked around at the low, flat-roofed houses. The masses of rectangular walls and small windows made the houses appear to be much nicer than the ones from where they'd just come, but the area still didn't look too promising. She would have thought that by now they'd have come to a paved road, or something modern.
Suddenly Casey's attention was drawn toward the sound of clopping and grinding from behind them. She turned to see a large white horse and dark carriage with a driver and two passengers gracefully pass by. It reminded her of the time she'd been to New York and ridden in a carriage through Central Park. How quaint, she marveled. Why doesn't every city in America keep such time-honored traditions?
They walked on for a few more minutes, then Luke stopped and waved his hand before them. "La plaza pública, señorita."
Stepping forward without a word, Casey scanned the area. A white picket fence surrounded the small square, with paths laid out like a spoked wheel from the center to the edges. There were a few trees and some rough park benches. A bandstand stood off to the left of the monument in the center, which looked simply like a one-story-high spike.
Her shoulders sagged with disappointment. Where were the stores, the restaurants? Why no lights? "This can't be it," she protested.
"But I tell you, it is, Casey."
She looked around again as fear built up inside of her. "My sister said it was a busy place… lots of shops and galleries and… stuff. There must be another…"
"In your sister's time, she is correct. Santa Fe is one of the largest art centers in the country, but now, as you can see, it is less busy… with less stuff, as you so charmingly put it."
She glanced at him with annoyance. "Then is there a hotel in this place? I need to find somewhere to spend the night." She'd also find a phone at a hotel for sure.
"There is, La Fonda. But there is no need, Casey. I have friends here. Don Felipe d'Montoya will welcome us. He is a very generous host."
"You're kidding!" Her mouth dropped open with shock. "You think I'm about to go with you to a stranger's house and spend the night when my sister is someplace nearby? Show me the hotel." She stuck out her hand. "And I'd like my wallet now, please."
Again he seemed amused by her, and that only irritated her more. He handed over her wallet and she clutched it in her hand. "Okay, now, where's this hotel?"
He pointed across the plaza to the left. "You must accept what has happened to you, Casey. You are not going to be able to find your sister now. She doesn't exist here."
She felt tears of frustration well up in her eyes, and blinked rapidly to banish them. No sense in crying now. "Just show me," she muttered, determined to get away from this maddening man and find some semblance of sanity… somewhere.
He shrugged his shoulders and began walking across the plaza. Casey followed, blinking her tired eyes and commanding her body not to give out on her now. She had to find her sister.
"For strength, perhaps you could get something to eat in one of the many local saloons," he stated invitingly, and spun around with his hands in the air. "It might help you see things more clearly, señorita."
His glib attitude was now grating on her last nerve. "This tour is over, and I don't appreciate your sarcasm. I can see the hotel sign up ahead. I'll manage from here, thanks."
Her eyes remained fixed on the words la fonda as they turned left into the cross street.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she ran smack-dab into an Indian who was leaning against the corner building. The Indian adjusted his blanket around himself and mumbled something as Casey stood frozen face-to-face with the stoic man. "Ex-excuse me, I'm so sorry. Oh jeez, I really didn't see you there, please—"
Luke immediately rushed to her side and began leading her across the street to the hotel. After he finished apologizing in the Indian's language, he turned to her with that grin again. "Yes, I'm sure you'll manage just fine."
"Well, it's dark! How do they expect anyone to see when there aren't any streetlights in this town?" she rambled as they stepped up onto the wooden sidewalk.
They walked into the small lobby of the hotel, and Casey approached the front desk. A small Hispanic man wearing wire-framed glasses and an old-fashioned suit put aside his newspaper when she caught his attention.
"Hello," Casey greeted him, and added with a tired smile, "Do you have a telephone I might use?"
"Perdóname?" The man's returning smile was mixed with confusion.
Okay, so he only speaks Spanish, she figured, but she wasn't about to give up by letting her tour guide do the translating again.
"You know, a telephone?" She mimed using one, feeling a bit foolish as she saw from the corner of her eye that Luke was grinning at her effort to communicate.
"I am sorry, madam," the man said with an accent as he pulled the small oval spectacles down his nose while taking in her clothing. "If you wish to use the telegraph, I'm sorry, the office is closed for the night… but I could arrange it for you in the morning."
She sighed with frustration. "You mean you run a hotel without any telephones? Not even in the rooms?"
The man looked at Luke as if he might help him understand her. Luke merely shrugged, allowing her to run the show.
"Okay, I would like a room then. How much?" No sense arguing with either of them. She was exhausted, and the sooner she got into a bed, the better. She would figure it all out in the morning.
"With or without a private bath, señorita?"
Sheesh, this must be like a bed-and-breakfast. "With a private bath." Yes, she could almost see herself soaking in a hot tub. The glass of wine and lengthy chat with her sister would have to wait. She opened her wallet.
"Three dollars… American dollars." The man swung a large book around and she could see it was a guest register.
"Three dollars?" she asked in disbelief. She glanced at Luke and saw he was still grinning, as though throughly enjoying the exchange. "Fine." Taking the bills out of her wallet, she slid them across the desk.
The hotel clerk took her money and examined it. She could see his eyes narrow with confusion. He turned them over and over, as though looking to see if they were counterfeit.
She'd had that happen with larger bills, but not—
Suddenly he slapped the bills back on the counter and slipped them across to her. "I'm sorry, I cannot accept these as payment, señorita."
"And why not?" she demanded. "They are perfectly good!"
He shook his head. "I have never seen such dollars. Have you nothing else? Pesos are accepted," he added encouragingly.
"Pesos?" She looked at Luke for help. Again he shrugged his shoulders. "This is the United States, isn't it?"
"Since 1846, señorita," the desk clerk answered with a patriotic smile.
She was too tired to argue any further. "Okay, what about American Express?" she asked, pulling out her credit card and slapping it on the desk.
The man shook his head with confusion and started to apologize.
"Visa?" Another card hit the desk and was rejected. "MasterCard? Okay, how about a bank card? Got an ATM close by?"
The clerk said nothing, only looked even more bewildered at both of them.
Luke touched her arm. "It is useless Casey, come. We are both weary now."
She could see his amusement had subsided. Now he, too, looked tired. Turning back to the clerk, he asked if he could see his newspaper, and the man folded it before handing it to him. "Look at the date, Casey."
Fear gripped her stomach muscles and she felt faint as she read "August 21, 1878" under the heading The Santa Fe Republican. She grabbed up her credit cards and stuffed them into her wallet. "This can't be happening," she muttered.
Luke said something in Spanish to the man and then turned her toward the door. "Is it becoming clearer to you now, Casey?" he whispered as they went outside. "You are going to have to accept this."
She pulled her arm away and couldn't stop the tears this time. "Understand? That I'm as crazy as you are? Where am I? I feel like Alice after she's fallen down the rabbit hole! None of this makes any sense. People can't time-travel! I haven't time-traveled!"
"Casey, explain the newspaper."
She stared at him through the film of tears and wanted to scream out her fear. "I… I can't," she murmured. "Maybe this is a festival or something, and everyone is dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and to keep everything authentic, everyone even—"
"Shh…" he interrupted with a sympathetic smile and soft touch of his fingers to her quivering chin. "We need to rest. We've both had quite an evening. Come with me," he said, resting his strong hand on her shoulder for assurance. "My friend Don Felipe will provide us with rooms and food, and tomorrow you and I can tackle your disbeliefs again. But right now we are both weary." He slid his warm hand down her arm and into her hand. "Can you trust me on this?"
She wiped her wet cheeks with the sleeve of her sweater and nodded. "Okay, I surrender, Luke," she muttered, sniffling back her distress. "For tonight anyway. I'm too tired to fight you and a whole town that seems to have forgotten modern civilization. But tomorrow's another day, and I will find my sister."
"Come," he said, wrapping his huge coat around her again. "It isn't far from here. Everything will become more clear tomorrow after you rest."
She grabbed the sides of the coat to keep the hem off the ground and allowed him to put his arm around her shoulders. What did she care anymore? She was too weary to protest… No longer could she wage this inner war between the idea of time travel and the peace she felt when this man wrapped his arm around her. All she wanted to do was collapse in a bed. Any bed. In any time.
As she walked next to Luke, her mind replayed the moment she saw him emerging from that incredible bolt of lightning, walking toward her. Something had happened to her that was beyond belief… but time travel?
She had a nagging feeling she was going to find out soon.
She just couldn't believe she was going along with this…
Absentmindedly Casey ran her hand along the thick, high adobe wall, feeling the sun's warmth still radiating outward. Fragrant blossoms from vines crawling through small wooden grilled windows in the wall flashed before her dulling senses, giving her a hint of the secluded inner garden.
Suddenly Luke stopped and pulled a rope on the side of two huge wooden doors. She couldn't make out the oval plaque that was embedded over the entrance where the wall had been heightened in an ornate arch. A bell rang in the quiet courtyard beyond, and within seconds a man came and greeted them through the wooden grilles.
Luke said something in Spanish, and Casey was able to make out his name and Don Felipe's as he announced their arrival at his friend's home. The man nodded and quickly ran back toward the house. She was too tired to pay more attention. All she could think about was putting her head down and resting.
Another man rushed to the gate. The doors swung wide open and within moments Luke and the other man were smiling and hugging each other, speaking in Spanish, and laughing. Don Felipe pulled Luke toward the house, when Luke turned to her.
"Don Felipe d'Montoya, may I present my new friend, señorita Casey O'Reilly. She is originally from the East and was separated from her family. She is now under my protection until she can be reunited."
Don Felipe appeared to be around fifty years old and was handsomely attired in a burgundy silk dressing robe with velvet lapels. His eyes remained friendly as he stepped rigidly forward and held out his hand. Casey found herself putting her own into his and was shocked as the man formally bowed over it. "I am wholly at your disposal, señorita," he said in pleasantly accented English. "Consider this your home."
"Thank you," she whispered, as the man straightened again, smiling widely. She felt Luke watching her and, wanting to make a decent impression, added, "You are very gracious, Señor d'Montoya."
"You may address me as Don Felipe," the man answered, extending his hand toward his home. "Come, Señorita Casey," he said, holding out his arm for her to take. "I see you are both in need of attention, and my household is at your command."
"That's very kind of you… Don Felipe." She said the man's name with hesitancy. It sounded so old-fashioned. "A bed and a bath is all I ask."
"And you shall have it," he declared, leading her and Luke into his magnificent home.
Although she was tired, she couldn't help but notice the serene ambience of the villa. Shading the incredibly bright moonlight from the inlaid stone path they walked on, a huge cottonwood tree stood in the center of the patio garden. She could make out brightly colored wooden benches, a couple of statues, and a large water fountain placed carefully around the private sanctuary. Thinking it must be even more beautiful in daylight, she then turned her attention to the portal of this grand home.
Walking under the wraparound patio roof supported by wide stucco pillars, they watched Don Felipe push open the thick wooden double doors, unveiling their gracious host's abode. "Bienvenidos, amigos mío… Vaya a mi casa real," Don Felipe said in a proud tone.
"It is, most certainly, one of the finest 'royal houses' in all of Santa Fe, caballero," Luke replied with a big smile and slight bow.
Casey and Luke stepped over the wide stone threshold and into the warm amber glow of two huge, stamped tin lanterns adorning opposite walls of the foyer. More candles were being lit and placed into niches in the walls by the man who first greeted them at the gate.
Two small three-tiered fountains framed the broad, iron-railed, sweeping staircase at the back of the room. Glancing up the saltillo-tiled stairs to a mid-level landing, Casey spotted a large niche that displayed a painted statue of the Madonna. The landing split the stairs, which led to separate balconies under the massive cathedral ceiling. She could see dark, paneled doors lining the open-air balconies and figured they must be bedrooms.
Don Felipe latched the elaborately carved, tall wooden front doors behind them.
An older woman in a dark gown that swept the floor entered the foyer and, with her hands clasped together at her waist, bowed slightly before them. Casey thought she looked very proper with her braided hair drawn up into a coronet and a black lace mantilla attached. Don Felipe spoke to her
in Spanish and the woman nodded, trying to avert her gaze from the heavy man's coat Casey was still wearing.
Luke, appearing to be quite at home in his surroundings, smiled at her. "I shall say good night to you here, Casey. Follow this woman and you will have your bath and your bed and something to eat. Tomorrow we shall again speak, but for this night, rest as if in the arms of angels."
They were being separated? Wait… what was she thinking? That they would spend the night in the same room together? Mentally shaking herself, Casey began taking off his coat to hand back to him when his fingers touched and lingered on hers.
"Keep it until you are in your room. Marcella will bring it to me later."
Confused, she merely nodded. "Okay… well, good night then. And… thank you again."
Luke's smile was sincere yet brief as he turned back to their beaming host. Casey watched the two old friends walk away from her and the woman who was left to chaperone. As she heard them again begin to speak rapidly in Spanish, she thought Don Felipe was very excited to see Luke.
"Adelante, Señorita Casey." The woman's voice broke Casey's gaze from the two men, who were passing through another set of tall, paneled wooden doors against the right wall of the foyer.
She picked up the hem of Luke's coat and meekly smiled. The woman nodded politely and motioned with her hand to follow her.
They ascended the magnificent staircase and turned to the left. Halfway down the length of the balcony, her escort opened a door and motioned for Casey to stop.
"Espérate una momento, por favor," the woman said.
Casey stared at her and smiled her confusion. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. I don't, umm, I speak… I speak… muy poquito Spanish." There. That about said it all.
The woman nodded and pointed to the earth-colored tiles of the balcony floor. "Espérate. Ah, wait. Sí, wait."
"Oh… okay," Casey answered, relieved that they could communicate now. "I'll wait."
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