Changed by Time

by Zoe Matthews

  “Well, I am not going to argue with you,” Daniel said with a grin. Then he turned to Barbara. “When do you want to leave?”

  “I will be ready after breakfast.”

  “Excellent. We will leave then.”

  They finished their breakfast quickly, and after they ensured that Laura would have everything she needed for the day, they set out in Barbara’s car. She wanted Daniel to experience everything in her time, so she decided to drive to the nearest train station, and take the train all the way down to the farmer’s market.

  She pulled into the parking lot, and Daniel hopped out of his seat in excitement. “That was very fast! It is hard to believe we are here already.”

  Barbara chuckled as she locked her car. “We are only at the train station. We are taking the train down.”

  “The train?” She could see Daniel get a little nervous at the thought. “Will it take us there faster than your car?”

  “Probably not, but I thought it would be a fun experience for you. You haven’t been on a train before, have you?”

  Daniel wrinkled his nose. “No.”

  “Well, you will like it. I promise.”

  They went up to the ticket kiosk, and Barbara paid for the tickets. They didn’t have to wait much longer before a train pulled up in front of them. Daniel was amazed.

  “This is what trains look like in your time? How do they move so fast without all the coal?” Questions kept pouring from his mouth faster than Barbara could answer them. The train came to a stop, and people started pouring out of the automatic doors.

  “Come on, let’s go.” Barbara laughed as the flow of people slowed. She led the way onto the train and to an open seat.

  She let Daniel sit next to the window, and he watched out the window excitedly as the train started to move. The steady stream of questions never stopped. “Do you know how fast this train goes? How far can it take us?” The train started to slow down, and Daniel started to stand. “Are we there already?”

  Barbara laughed again. His curiosity and excitement reminded her of a little boy. “Sit back down. We still have a ways to go.”

  Daniel sat. “How many times will the train stop?”

  Barbara waited to see if he had another question before trying to answer. When she could see that he was waiting for the answer this time, she said, “I’m not sure exactly how many times it will stop, but it usually stops every three to five minutes.”

  “That often? It is amazing that it doesn’t take a very long time to travel anywhere you need to go.”

  Daniel finally seemed to calm down enough to hold a conversation, so she started explaining what she knew about how the train worked. She kept an eye out for their stop and motioned for Daniel to stand once they the train pulled up in front of the station. “This is us.”

  Daniel stood before the train completely stopped and was thrown slightly off balance at the jerkiness of the train once it stopped. A smile lit up his face. “What a marvelous machine. That was one of the best things I have ever experienced.”

  Barbara couldn’t help but smile back at his enthusiasm. “And that is just the beginning.”

  She led the way down the block to the large park that held the Farmers Market every Saturday and Sunday.

  The park was full of people, food carts, and art tents. Daniel looked around excitedly, and they stopped at every tent and kiosk so Daniel could get a thorough look at everything there.

  They walked past all of the food carts before Daniel could decide on what he wanted. He finally settled on a taco cart, and they thoroughly enjoyed their authentic spicy pork tacos.

  Barbara bought a few things while they were there, like locally collected honey, and a nice piece of art she thought would look good in the foyer of her shop. She also bought herself and Daniel a pastry puff for them to enjoy. The flaky crust had to be her biggest weakness.

  They walked past the last fruit stand, and Barbara couldn’t stop herself from buying a bag of oranges that looked perfectly sweet and juicy. She added it to the canvas bag that she had brought with her for all of their purchases.

  Daniel smiled with satisfaction. “What a fantastic day. Thank you, Barbara, for giving me the opportunity to experience this with you.”

  Barbara smiled and blushed a little at his sincerity. “It was my pleasure.”

  They started walking back to the railway station. Daniel stopped when they passed a homeless shelter. On the front read a sign that said Volunteers Welcome.

  Daniel looked at her curiously. “What do volunteers do here?”

  “They usually will help serve meals to those that are sheltered here.”

  “What do you need to do to qualify?”

  Barbara smiled. She really loved the way he was always so eager to help those around him. “Why don’t we go inside and ask?”

  Daniel nodded and led the way with confidence. His excited child-like demeanor changed to one that was more serious, empathetic.

  A frazzled woman looked up at them as they entered. “Can I help you?”

  “We wanted to get more information about volunteering for your establishment,” Daniel said formally.

  Relief flooded her face. “Thank goodness. We had three volunteers set up for tonight, and each one of them has called to cancel. I didn’t know how we were going to get everyone fed while the food was still warm. My name is Stacy. Follow me, and I will explain everything along the way.”

  Barbara noted that they had never said they wanted to volunteer that night, but she figured the woman must have needed them. She talked in a rush the whole way down to a kitchen that had large tin pails full of green beans, potatoes, and what looked like shredded pork or beef. Two men were in one corner of the kitchen still cooking. The smell of dinner was strong and delicious.

  “You will both have to wear gloves and hair nets to keep the food sanitary. Dinner hour starts in about thirty minutes, so you two came just in time.” She proceeded to explain where everyone would line up, how much food to put on each plate, and tips on how to keep the line moving quickly.

  Before Barbara knew how the time had passed, they were serving the men in line. Stacy had explained that this shelter was for men only, while there was another shelter for women and children down the street. The line moved quickly, and the atmosphere was upbeat. She had expected the men to be discouraged, tired and quiet, but they were all quite the opposite. Each man would smile and graciously thank them for the food, then sit down and talk with everyone around them, swapping stories.

  Barbara couldn’t help but admire the men who were no doubt going through the biggest trials of their lives, but still found a way to find enjoyment in their lives and in each other. There are a lot of people who could learn from them, she thought as she remembered herself feeling discouraged and frustrated over things that were trivial compared to not having a home to call your own.

  Daniel chatted with the men easily as the line moved, clearly in his element. He laughed at jokes and snuck an extra roll to those who asked. Barbara watched him while she worked, admiring his generous spirit. She was falling harder for this man by the minute.

  Dinner had been served before they knew it, and they were given the opportunity to fill their own plates with whatever they wanted. They ate quickly, then helped the cooks clean all the pans. By the time they had finished everything up, it was dark outside.

  Barbara was exhausted but fulfilled. She had never volunteered for work like that, and she wished that she had thought of it sooner. It felt good to help those who needed it more than she did, and it gave her a fresh perspective on everything she had to be grateful about.

  Daniel was quiet for a while after leaving the shelter. Barbara finally broke the silence. “I hope you had a good day experiencing the future.”

  He glanced over and smiled at her, but his eyes were troubled. “I did. It was all so great to experience.”

  He looked away again, and Barbara could tell there was something on his mind. She gave hi
m a few minutes of quiet again and was rewarded for her patience when he started talking again.

  “In my time, people without homes are shunned. People of my status aren’t even supposed to acknowledge them. How backward is it that the people who have the money to set up shelters such as that one would be scorned if they chose to do such a thing?” He looked at her. “I am so grateful for the experience. I would never have known what it was like to truly help someone else.”

  “I am grateful you had the idea to volunteer. I suppose I can be selfish at times and haven’t ever considered taking this opportunity. I am glad we did tonight,” Barbara responded, slightly embarrassed.

  “As am I.” Daniel smiled at her and took her hand as they continued walking down the street. Barbara smiled, and her heart swelled. This man was the best thing to ever happen to her.

  ****

  Barbara couldn’t move or talk as she stared at the dead roses laid at her front door.

  “Barbara, are you all right? What is wrong?” Daniel prodded her, but she wasn’t able to answer. She finally reached down to pick up the dead flowers, and it felt as though every joint creaked with the effort.

  It had been only a little over a week since George had sent her anything, but she had almost forgotten that he was still a threat to her. She wanted to enjoy the rest of the time she had with Daniel. Now that she saw the flowers, something that he had never sent before, she could see that he was only getting bolder. There was a small envelope tied to the roses with black ribbon.

  “Barbara? Where did the dead roses come from?” Daniel demanded next to her, and she shook her head.

  “It’s nothing. It just surprised me, that’s all.” The lie was obvious to her own ears, but she didn’t know how to explain George Manning to Daniel. She didn’t have a clue where to begin the story.

  “Are you certain? Your face has lost all color. Can we please get you inside?”

  Barbara unlocked the door, her hands shaking as she still held the dead roses.

  Laura was inside, all alone. And George had been here.

  She suddenly started rushing at getting the door open. Once they were inside, she quickly excused herself and ran up the stairs. She slowed herself down enough to remain quiet, but her heart beat so loudly in her ears, she could hardly tell how much noise she was actually making. Barbara peeked into Laura’s room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Laura sleeping soundly in her bed.

  She made her way back down the stairs to where a perplexed Daniel was waiting for her. “Are you sure you are alright?” he asked hesitantly.

  Barbara nodded. “I thought I might have lost something, but it is still safe.”

  Daniel looked at her, and she could see that he knew she was lying. He stared at her, as if debating whether or not he should push the issue before he sighed, and walked forward to kiss her on the forehead. “I suppose we are both quite exhausted. What do you say to a good night's sleep?”

  Barbara nodded, even as she knew she wouldn’t sleep well. “I think that is a great idea.”

  They walked up the stairs together, and each went into their own rooms. She placed the roses on a desk in the corner of her room and stared at the envelope. She would have to open it, but she didn’t want to.

  After what felt like an eternity, she yanked the envelope off the ribbon, and tore it open.

  Pictures fell out; each one was from earlier that day. She and Daniel were in each one, and if the situation was different, she would have smiled at how happy the couple in the picture was.

  However, understanding how and why these pictures were taken changed everything. She turned over one of the photos, and there was an angry message scrawled across it. As she turned over the rest of them, she saw there was a different message across each one.

  You promised yourself to me. G.M.

  You think you are safe? G.M.

  He will never have you. G.M.

  You are mine! G.M.

  Do you think he actually likes you? HA! HA!

  Barbara’s arms were covered in goosebumps, and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She knew she should save these pictures to add to the file on George she had at the police station, but she couldn't stop herself from shoving them and the flowers into the garbage. She couldn’t stand to look at them a moment longer.

  He was clearly angrier than she had ever seen him. She only hoped it didn’t mean he was more dangerous as well.

  She stayed up all night, pacing her room, staring lifelessly out the window, and imagining everything George could possibly be planning.

  Chapter 17

  Early the next morning, Barbara decided she’d had enough pacing, so she went down to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast. She didn’t usually put a lot of effort into breakfast; pancake mix and eggs were usually her go-to. This morning, however, she had about two hours before she expected Daniel and Laura to get up. She figured she had plenty of time to try something new, so she was going to try her hand at homemade biscuits and gravy.

  Laura and Daniel had plans to go home today.

  Between that knowledge and the roses that George had left the night before, she hadn’t slept a wink.

  She had thought about all the worst-case scenarios she could imagine, and she was done rehashing it over and over in her mind. She opened up her computer and found a couple of recipes that seemed easy enough. She started with the biscuit dough. Because she didn’t cook much, she had to focus intently on what she was doing. For that, she was grateful.

  Daniel entered the kitchen about an hour earlier than Barbara had thought to expect him. “It smells good in here,” he commented. His voice lacked the enthusiasm he usually carried everywhere with him.

  Barbara looked over and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope it tastes good, too.” How much longer did she have with him before he left?

  Daniel sat and watched her cook in silence. She could tell he was thinking about something, because usually when she was in the kitchen, he offered to help right away.

  He finally spoke. “I need to take Laura back to 1816, but I don’t want to stay there.”

  Barbara stopped what she was doing, and looked over at him with hope in her eyes. “You don’t?” was all she could think to say.

  “No, I don’t. There is so much to learn in this era, and everything is so accessible to everybody. I have had the best days of my life with you these last few days, and if I am to be honest with you, I don’t want it to end.”

  Barbara’s heart soared at his words. “You are always welcome here, if you want to stay.”

  “I want to stay forever, if you are okay with that.”

  She longed to tell him just how much she had enjoyed the time she’d had with him, and how she wanted him to stay with her forever, but she hesitated. She hadn’t ever thought she would be in a long-term relationship. After her first and only relationship with Megan’s dad, if she could even call it that, she didn’t even know if she was capable of having another one.

  He seemed a little disappointed as he noticed her hesitation, but he smiled. Then, his eyebrows furrowed. “Do you have any idea how I should tell my sister about my choice to come back to your time?”

  Barbara chuckled. “That will be a difficult conversation. The best thing you can do is just be honest and open with her. What about your responsibilities with your estate?”

  “Edward will be perfectly happy to take over in my place. He’s always wanted to be in charge since we were small boys. He deserves it more than I do.”

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  “I’m going to tell him that I fell in love with a woman who happens to live far away from England, too far to write letters or visit. He will need to declare me dead, which shouldn’t be too hard to do since I won’t be living in 1810.”

  Barbara knew that she needed to let him know how pleased she was that he wanted to stay. “I feel that I need to tell you that if you stay, there are things that you need to know about m
e.”

  “Are you involved with another man?”

  Barbara shook her head vigorously. “Of course not.”

  “What about the dead roses?”

  “That is one of the things I need to tell you.”

  Daniel nodded. “I will go talk to Laura now, before breakfast is ready. As far as what you need to tell me, let’s talk about it when I return.”

  It was Barbara’s turn to nod. Daniel gave her a brief kiss before leaving the room to find his sister.

  Barbara smiled at him as he left, and her smile grew wider. She did a little gig, and couldn’t help but let out a short squeal.