Lust in Time

by Amarinda Jones

  "Look, Garrett, we had sex and it was great but that's it.” She slapped his hand from her arse and moved away from his side needing some distance between them. She smoothed down her skirt feeling the wrinkles. “How am I going to explain what happened to my corset and blouse?” Her blouse was disheveled and the corset had been tossed into the long grass on the hope it would never be worn again. Her breasts were clearly bare under what was left of the torn fabric.

  "The Raineys are pretty open-minded ladies."

  Arabella raised her eyebrows skeptically.

  "To unmarried women having sex?"

  Garrett grinned down at her.

  "You could always marry me, honey."

  "Oh you have not compromised my virtue as I had none to start with so that's never going to happen.” She would never get out of 1888 if she was tied to him like that. But aren't you already? Shut up, subconscious. “What about your sister?” That's right. Concentrate on the task at hand. Maybe if she helped Amy Louisa she could go home.

  "Amy Louisa would be thrilled if I got married."

  Arabella could see the man was not going to make this easy for her.

  "I believe Amy Louisa is in some kind of trouble.” She had felt it in her dream.

  "None that I know of.” Garrett looked at Arabella puzzled. “Though she has been fretting over something she will not talk about."

  "It would be a bloody man for sure. All you men are trouble.” They stopped in front of the Rainey house. Arabella wasn't sure if walking the streets looking rumpled with an equally rumpled man was good for your reputation in 1888 but she did not care about what people thought of her in 1888 or 2008. It was the Raineys she was concerned about. “You are not coming inside with me.” Arabella had a feeling it was going to be hard enough explaining her absence without Garrett standing beside her smiling in amusement.

  "I plan on seeing you very soon, honey."

  "And I don't plan on being here any longer than I have to."

  Garrett brushed a piece of grass from her hair.

  "How do you figure that?” His voice gave no doubt that he knew Arabella's plans were not necessarily going to work as she wanted.

  "All I know is that somehow I am here to help Amy Louisa. As soon as I do I will be able to go home.” She pushed open the wire gate to the Rainey front yard and closed it before Garrett could join her.

  He leaned his elbows on the metal frame and smiled as if he knew her thoughts and was amused by them.

  "'Figured out how you are going to do that?"

  "Well, Mr. Smarty pants, you supposedly willed me here so I believe I should be able to will myself out.” Said she who did not have enough will power to even stick to a diet.

  "Give in, Arabella,” Garrett urged her in soft amusement. “You know the reason you are here and it has nothing to do with my sister."

  "Think what you want but I know what I have to do.” And at that moment it was to put some space between herself and Garrett. As she turned and walked away from him she tried to ignore the indulgent laughter that followed her up the stairs. “Bloody man,” Arabella muttered under her breath.

  Arabella let herself into the Rainey house. She was not surprised to find there were no locks on the door. People appeared to trust each other in 1888. It was a better and more polite time where people did not take what was not theirs. Funny about that. As she walked through the house she was struck once again by the interior. She had only glanced at it quickly on her way out but it was like something out of a time warp—but then time had indeed warped when it threw her back to 1888. The house was neat and quaint and looked like two spinsters lived in it. From her quick glimpses of the wooden interior, Arabella suspected the house probably had three bedrooms, a kitchen and what could only be called a parlor. From the mahogany piano in the sitting room to the solid oak armoires in the bedrooms the house bespoke age and grace. The sort of grace that was from a long forgotten era where people cared about good furniture and did not follow fads.

  Arabella wandered her way to the kitchen and found the Rainey sisters and the beautiful blonde-haired woman in the light blue dress from the general store. The woman jumped to her feet, rushed forward and grasped Arabella's hands with excitement. Her smile held genuine delight as her eyes swept over Arabella, making her feel like an exhibit in a museum.

  "This is Angelene King,” announced Maud as she and Aggie watched the contemporaries meet.

  "I was usually called Angie in my own time,” the woman said, the suppressed excitement bubbling out.

  Arabella wondered what there was about herself that fascinated this complete stranger.

  "Your own time?” she asked as she noted the only feature out of place on her otherwise perfect looking face was a strangely crooked nose.

  "In 2007. I lived in Sydney."

  Arabella's hands clutched the other woman's in shock.2007? She felt her head spin. She let go of her and sat down with an unladylike thump on a nearby chair. Good god it was all really true.

  "You're a time traveler?” Even as she said the words she felt ridiculous saying them. But Angelene King just nodded and proceeded to tell Arabella about her life in Sydney and how she came to meet up with the sisters. “One minute I'm home trying to decide whether to marry a man I did not love and the next I had fallen through time, breaking my nose as I landed in Maud and Aggie's parlor. It's bizarre isn't it?"

  "Certainly weird that's for sure,” Arabella agreed as the four women sat at the table and enjoyed this strange moment in their lives. “Are you trapped in this time?” That was the question that scared Arabella most. Yes, she now accepted she was in 1888. However she had been here barely a day and she had had sex twice with a man she might or might not love but that did not mean she wanted to stay. It wasn't as if she had a lot to go back to in 2008 but it was a life and a time she knew and understood.

  Angelene threw back her blonde head and laughed merrily as if the idea of being trapped was funny to her.

  "I chose to stay."

  The Raineys had said one traveler had found a destiny. So it wasn't laudanum induced theory after all. Destiny found . It had a nice ring to it.

  "But you could have left.” Arabella needed to hear there was an opt-out clause to this adventure. Arabella liked to make her own choices in life. She did not want to be trapped in 1888 when she was used to being in 2008. Could she even get used to the nineteenth century? She doubted it. She had nothing against the nineteenth century but it was all a little too weird for her.

  "Yes, I suppose I could have.” Angelene said it as if that thought had not occurred to her. “But I wanted to stay when I realized the reason I had been sent back to this time."

  "And what was that?” Arabella felt if she had a hint she could work out quickly what she had to do and go.

  Angelene smiled knowingly at the sisters.

  "It's different for everyone, Arabella. I was meant to come here and marry my husband, Stuart."

  Bugger. This was not the purpose Arabella wanted to hear.

  "Well I'm sure that's not why I am here. I'm not marrying anyone."

  "You never know.” Angelene's tone was light and teasing.

  "I did not come to 1888 to get married and if that is my fate I will prevent it.” So spoke the determined mistress of her own destiny. Tell me my destiny. Show me the bloody path and let me get on with it.

  "Garrett Robillard seemed quite taken with you and you were gone an awfully long time.” Maud looked at Arabella significantly.

  "And you are not wearing your corset,” Aggie added with a giggle.

  Angelene reached over and plucked a blade of grass out of Arabella's hair.

  "Been ‘resting’ in the grass have we?"

  Arabella blew out a bemused sigh. Women were the best spies. They noticed everything and generally knew the reason behind every action.

  "Mr. Robillard and I chatted about stuff."

  "Uh-huh.” Angelene looked at her skeptically. “You had sex with Garrett Robi
llard didn't you and it was good."

  It was beyond good. It was award winning.

  "How do you know?” Dumb question but Arabella still felt she had to ask it. She knew she looked disheveled and sated and in need of a piece of baked cheesecake to round the day off with triumph.

  "You have that satisfied look in your eye."

  "You don't even know me, Angelene."

  "But I know that look."

  "Anyway,” said Arabella, wanting to get off the topic of sex and Garrett as she wasn't sure what the answer was when it came to him. “I'm pretty sure I'm here in 1888 because I have some connection to Amy Louisa.” She had the book, she needed to find the woman and then get back to her own time.

  "Yes, Maud and Aggie told me about the book.” Angelene nodded her head thoughtfully. “You know Garrett is her brother."

  "It was just hot, sweaty sex, Angelene. I'm not interested in Garrett for anything but his cock.” Arabella stopped dead when she realized what she had just said. She looked at the Rainey sisters apologetically. “I'm sorry, ladies, I should not have said that.” How embarrassing.

  "I think your relationship with Garrett has less to do with body parts then you are letting on, Arabella,” Maud suggested with a smile and Aggie giggled.

  "I have been here barely a day. Do not think of marrying me off. I just want to go down whatever mystical path I have to go down to sort out this destiny crap so I can go home.” So there.

  "Well the church social is the place to start. You can meet Amy Louisa there.” Maud passed Arabella's book over to Angelene.

  "We're coming to the church social now,” reported Aggie in excitement.

  Angelene raised an eyebrow in query as she looked at the book and read the newspaper clipping.

  "Well, there I am in print.” Angelene smiled in bemusement. “What an interesting time we are going to have."

  "Does your husband know about you?” Arabella wondered how you went about explaining to normal people that you were from another century. The Rainey sisters were different. They were clearly not your normal run of the mill nineteenth century women what with time travelers popping in on them.

  "Oh yes Stuart knows.” Angelene's eyes brightened at the thought of the man she loved. “He loves me as I am and I am content. True love does that to you, Arabella. You drop everything to be with the one you long for."

  Arabella saw Garrett's face flash into her mind. Why was she even thinking about him in the same context? They had enjoyed great sex together but that was it. Maybe it could be love, maybe not. Saying it was one thing, living it was another. The thing was she now believed she had a mission. Find the reason for being there and then go home to 2008. Garrett was not part of the plan despite his beliefs to the contrary.

  "Do you know the other traveler that came last month?” Arabella felt a change of subject was quickly needed. She had a feeling these women had her all but married off to Garrett Robillard.

  The sisters and Angelene exchanged knowing glances.

  "Yes but we are not going to tell you, Arabella. You have to work it out for yourself. There is always more than one reason for the things that happen in your life.” Angelene smiled at the sisters.

  Well bugger. I only want to look for one reason not several.

  "How did you know I was from the future?” Arabella assumed, dressed as she was, she looked like everyone else. “Did Maud and Aggie tell you?"

  "No, I guessed it. You have a look about you,” replied Angelene with a smile. “It's almost like an aura of freshness that drew my attention to you. That and the fact that you looked like a woman who was wearing a corset for the first time in her life."

  Chapter Five

  "They say the bustle will be a thing of the past soon,” Maud murmured as she watched the throng of people at the church social. It was held at Angelene's home as her house was the biggest and closest to Glendenholme.

  "Pish, it gives a woman form,” the formless Aggie declared.

  "It gives a woman a big arse that sticks out.” The idea of a lump of padding stuck to your butt seemed ludicrous to Arabella. She, Maud and Aggie were holed up like wallflowers against one wall. This suited Arabella as she wanted to scope out the crowd, find Amy Louisa, sort out her problem and go home.

  "Arabella, you are scandalous.” Aggie giggled behind her hand in glee as if she was enjoying the moment.

  "Well it does and it's only done to attract a man, and a man would be pretty dumb to think a woman's arse sticks out that much.” She had of course heard of a bustle but she never imagined she would ever have to wear one. “You know women actually ask in the twenty-first century if their arse looks big and yet you people go out of your way to make it a feature.” Arabella shook her head at the insanity of it all.

  "You're only cranky because we insisted you wear a corset,” Maud replied as if aware of her guest's discomfort and how she was reacting to it.

  "Damn straight! I can't possibly sit in this instrument of torture, Maud,” whined Arabella for the third time that hour. She hated people who whined. She did not want to be classed as one of them but the corset was agony to her. She was scared to breathe in case she expanded her lungs too fully and broke a rib in the process. Besides that her thirty-eight inch bust seemed to be pushed up to an alarming level. She had always thought corsets minimized breasts but apparently not. Arabella felt most conspicuous as if every one was staring at the thrust of her breast. Granted it was covered by a lovely cream silk dress with a full skirt and lace at the collar and wrist but it just wasn't her. Give her a pair of jeans and a sloppy shirt any day and Arabella would have been much happier if a lot less stylish. The need to breathe was more important to Arabella than looking good.

  "Then just stand still, dear. We are more than aware of your discomfort,” Maud murmured in amusement. “However, you look lovely by the way."

  "I feel like an overstuffed sausage ready to explode,” muttered Arabella. Aggie and Maud laughed at her words. It was good that someone was amused at her expense. Maud was right. She was tired and crotchety and she just wanted to go home—to 2008. She was uncomfortable and on edge. She was waiting for two things to happen. To find out the reason she was in 2008 and for Garrett Robillard to arrive. Not that she cared about him—much. Arabella just knew he would be here. He had been listed in the newspaper cutting. She wasn't sure how she would feel when she saw him. Arabella wanted to have no feelings towards Garrett but she knew that was not likely. He attracted her like no other man. She wanted him. Whether it was just sexually or something more significant she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wanted to see him and yet she was dreading it. She knew her control was shot around him.

  Arabella looked at the people in the room. They were a mixed bunch. The old, the young and the pious. Not the sort of shindig Arabella would ever have attended in 2008 but then this was 1888 and people's needs and ideals were different. Fascinating all the same, thought Arabella. She had met a lot of the townspeople. The whole sixty-two of them seemed to be crammed in Angelene's home. Being introduced as the Raineys’ cousin had elicited all sorts of interest especially as most small country towns knew everything about everyone and their families. They were surprised the Raineys’ had another cousin they did not know as Maud and Aggie had introduced Angelene as a cousin as well. Maud had covered that by saying they had cousins scattered all around Australia. When Arabella asked if the previous traveler to her had also been called a ‘cousin', Maud had just said “that had been a different situation” and would not elaborate further.

  Arabella watched as a young woman and older man approached them. The man was in his late fifties and wearing clothes that suited his distinguished stature. The young woman had light brown hair, a sweet smile and gentle eyes. Arabella's heart pounded wildly. She knew who this was. This was Miss Amy Louisa Robillard.

  "Amy Louisa,” Aggie whispered in Arabella's ear.

  "Arabella, I would like to introduce to you Mr. William Robillard and his daughter
Amy Louisa."

  As Arabella shook hands with them she did not fail to notice the significant look the two sisters exchanged with each other. This was more than just the excitement of her and Amy Louisa meeting. There was something more and she had the distinct feeling it had to do with Mr. Robillard. She could see nothing special in the tall, grey bearded gentleman who was around the same age as the sisters. However there was something buzzing in the air between the three older people. It wasn't long before they had left Arabella and Amy Louisa alone.