A Window in Time

by Carolyn Lampman

  “You don’t have to pretend with me, Miz Daniels. I can see you and Lucas ain’t exactly thrilled with each other.”

  Brianna set the iodine down and rolled up her sleeves. “Actually, I think he’ll make a wonderful husband,” she lied as she studied the bandage. One piece of adhesive tape was stuck to his chest hair, and the skin was puckered around the rest. It was going to hurt like the devil when she took it off.

  “Lucas ain’t no lady’s man.”

  Brianna tried to pry up one corner of the tape with the edge of her fingernail. “Then I won’t have to worry about him being unfaithful.”

  “Reckon you’ll get mighty lonely out here with Lucas spendin’ all his time at his tinkerin’.”

  “I’m not too worried about it. Seth seems nice enough, and I’m sure Lucas will thaw.” Brianna bit her lip. The tape wasn’t coming loose.

  “A woman needs more’n friends.” Bart shifted slightly so his hand fell against her thigh. “Reckon you and I could be real close.”

  Brianna took a step back. “I seriously doubt that.”

  “Think about it,” he continued as his hand wandered up her hip to her waist. “All them nights together before we get to Fort Bridger...”

  “I have no intention of going anywhere with you, Mr. Kelly. Now, get your hands off me.”

  With amazingly quick reflexes, he reached up and grabbed her wrist. “I know you came west to find a man,” he said, pulling her closer. “Reckon I’m as good a man as Lucas Daniels, you just don’t realize it.”

  “What the hell is going on here?” Lucas’s voice thundered through the room just as Bart’s fingers made contact with her breast.

  Equally startled by both, Brianna suddenly realized how she could hide the bandage from Lucas and get rid of Bart’s unwanted attentions at the same time. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed the edge of the gauze and gave a sharp jerk upward.

  Bart’s agonized scream stopped Lucas in his tracks. He looked from Bart to Brianna and back again in utter astonishment.

  “That’s the problem with this new bandage,” Brianna said, calmly rolling it up and tossing it into the fire before Lucas could get a closer look. “It stings a bit when you take it off.”

  CHAPTER 8

  “When is Billy supposed to get here?” Brianna asked as she watched Seth saddle his horse.

  “No way of knowing. I get ready first thing in the morning and wait.”

  That suited Brianna just fine. It sounded like Seth and Lucas would be busy here for a while. She’d been trying to find a time when she could sneak down to the river and take a much-needed bath ever since Bart Kelly left. “How long does it take you and Billy to switch?”

  “According to company rules, we have two minutes,” he said. “We’re working on being able to pass the mochila while both horses are running.”

  “Mochila?”

  “The mail pouch. It’s a piece of leather cut to fit right over the saddle. There’s four pockets called cantinas for the mail, two in the front and two in the back.”

  “Like saddle bags?”

  “Well...not really. They’re only about this big,” he said tracing a rectangle about the size of a business envelope in the air.

  “You’re kidding. How do you fit all the mail in there?”

  Seth shook his head. “I don’t. It’s already in the mochila before I get it.”

  “What about the new letters you pick up?”

  “New letters?”

  “You know, the ones people mail at Fort Laramie or even here.”

  “St. Jo and Sacramento are the only places mail goes into the pouch and pretty much the only places it comes out, too.”

  “Pretty much?”

  “The three locked cantinas can be opened at the forts, but I’ve never actually had that happen.”

  “They’re locked? What for?”

  “I don’t know.” Seth rubbed his upper lip. “Military secrets maybe. Only the highest officer at the forts has the key.”

  “Then what’s in the one that isn’t locked?”

  “Business letters.”

  “What, no private mail?”

  He shrugged. “Who can afford five dollars an ounce?”

  Brianna was disappointed. “No love letters then?”

  “Nope.”

  “Or urgent messages summoning a wayward son to his father’s death bed?”

  “I doubt it.”

  “I don’t suppose you ever carried medicine that saved a whole town either.”

  Seth grinned. “Definitely not. Where did you get such crazy ideas anyway?”

  “Stories I heard here and there,” Brianna said vaguely. All her romantic illusions of the Pony Express had been stripped away in a few short minutes! She should have known better than to believe anything she saw on TV. “I suppose the next thing you’re going to tell me is that it isn’t all that dangerous either.”

  “No, it’s dangerous enough. Most threats we can outrun, though. The Pony Express has the fastest horses in the country.”

  “What if you were ambushed?”

  He patted the leather sheath at his side. “That’s why I carry my bowie knife.”

  Brianna eyed it skeptically. “How is that going to help you on horseback?”

  Seth’s hand was almost a blur as he whipped the knife out of the sheath and sent it flying through the air. It hit one of the corral posts with a solid thwock and stuck there, quivering slightly in the bright morning sunlight.

  “Oh,” she said faintly.

  “Some riders carry pistols, but my knife is faster.”

  “How did you learn that?”

  “Practice. Not much else to do around here between rides.”

  “Do you think you could teach me?”

  “I don’t know. I guess so. Why?”

  “A woman never knows when she’s going to need protection out here. Look at Bart Kelly.”

  Seth chuckled. “I don’t know what you did, but I doubt he’ll ever bother you again. He lit out of here like he had a pack of wolves on his tail.”

  “Maybe not, but I’d like to be ready just in case he forgets. Besides, I have a feeling there are a lot more like him around.”

  “That’s true enough. Do you want to start now?”

  “No, I have something else I have to do this morning. We’ll have plenty of time when you come back on the next run. If I don’t see you again before you leave, have a safe trip.”

  “Thanks.” He flashed her a smile. “But don’t worry about me. I’m riding Lucas’s fastest horse. Nothing can catch De Vinci.”

  “Funny, last I heard he was a turtle,” Brianna murmured.

  “What?”

  “Never mind. Just remember what you promised to bring me.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”

  “If you do, I’m going to tell Lucas it was all your fault!” Brianna flashed him a grin then headed back to the cabin.

  Collecting what she needed for her bath only took a few minutes. Deciding how to carry it took much longer. She’d rather neither Lucas or Seth knew where she was going. Bathing in the open was a little daunting anyway without worrying about unwelcome company. Besides, she didn’t want either of the men to see the plastic soap dish, shampoo bottle or tube of toothpaste. They might be a trifle difficult to explain.

  As she looked around the room, her eyes suddenly focused on the empty cornmeal sack. The perfect solution! It took less than a minute to stow her bathing supplies and hairbrush inside. As an added precaution, she dropped the bag into the wooden water bucket. Neither Lucas nor Seth would give her a second glance if she walked by with it. Heaven knows she made the trip down to the river for water often enough.

  Brianna was filled with anticipation. The thought of being clean again was nearly intoxicating. One more item to add to the growing list of things she wouldn’t take for granted if she ever got home again.

  Seth paused in his whittling to wave when she walked by. Lucas didn’t even loo
k up as she passed the door of his workshop on the backside of the barn. Brianna felt a tiny sting of irritation. The only time he noticed her at all was when he found something to criticize.

  If only she felt the same about him. Unfortunately, she was all too aware of the man. He was what her friend Linda would call eye candy. She might not enjoy his irascible personality, but he was definitely nice to look at. He seemed oblivious of his attractiveness. So far, his lack of conceit was about his only redeeming quality.

  At least he hadn’t said any more about her leaving. Of course, Bart Kelly would have refused to take her with him. Brianna tried to feel some remorse for the pain she’d caused him but couldn’t quite manage it somehow. At least his cut had looked clean and healthy.

  Brianna dismissed Bart from her mind as she reached the river. Several large clumps of willows grew along the bank effectively screening her from the station. She set her bucket down near the thickest of these and checked to make sure no one could see her. Satisfied the seven-foot-high screen was adequate, she unbraided her hair before taking off her clothes and hanging them over a bush. A bend in the river formed a natural pool, its crystalline depths so clear Brianna could practically count the pebbles on the sandy bottom.

  As a kid, she’d learned there was only one way to do this, fast. Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the stream and came up gasping for air. Holy hell but the water was cold! Either her teeth would start chattering, or she’d get used to it.

  Determined to get clean no matter what, she grabbed her shampoo off the bank. By the time she’d washed her hair, Brianna had adjusted to the water and found it quite pleasant. She loved to swim, and the urge to indulge herself was irresistible. Though it was her first time skinny-dipping, and she wasn’t used to such cold water or a current, paddling about the small pool was rather fun.

  It was on the third time around doing the backstroke that she thought she saw a small cloud of blue mist out of the corner of her eye. But when she jerked herself upright, there was no sign of it. Could it have been something to do with whatever force had brought her here? Brianna treaded water for several minutes as she gazed hopefully toward the spot where the apparition had appeared. There was nothing to see.

  With a surge of disappointment, she swam to the shore and climbed out. Stupid overactive imagination. For a few blissful moments she’d forgotten the mess she was in. Now, all the joy was gone from her swim.

  As she dressed, Brianna couldn’t help pondering the possibility that the blue mist hadn’t been her imagination, after all. If Tom Shaffer had survived whatever had happened to her, he’d surely realize a switch had been made. His brain wouldn’t be clouded by alcohol fumes like Bart Kelly’s. If nothing else, Anna’s clothes would tip him off, not to mention Anna herself.

  Of course, there probably wasn’t much Tom could do unless he could figure out what had happened to them. The chances of that were pretty slim. No, the mist had been wishful thinking on her part.

  Brianna finished buttoning her blouse and sat down to put on her shoes. No one had questioned her sneakers, but she’d seen Lucas eye them on more than one occasion. Not that she could do much about it.

  Even if Anna hadn’t been wearing her only pair of shoes, they probably wouldn’t have fit. Unlike the drawers, which had turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and very convenient, nineteenth century shoes were bound to be more constricting than their later counterpart. All in all, Brianna was glad Anna had taken her shoes and corset with her.

  By the time Brianna had secured her hair in a French braid and filled the bucket with water, the morning was well advanced. Tucking the top of the cornmeal sack into the waistband of her skirt, she set out for the cabin. The heavy bucket of water hadn’t become any lighter over the last three days, but she was starting to get used to it.

  She was about halfway there when she heard Seth yell, “Rider coming in!”

  Sure enough, a fast-moving speck was approaching from the west. With a surge of excitement, Brianna hurried up the hill. Imagine, she was about to see the famous Pony Express in action!

  Even from this distance, she could sense Seth’s anticipation as he paced back and forth across the yard leading his horse. His slight body seemed to vibrate with suppressed energy as he watched the rider coming down the road in a cloud of dust. Prancing about with her head high and her ears forward, De Vinci seemed just as impatient to be off. Seth was right; the horse was a magnificent animal.

  “Stay out of the way.”

  Brianna jumped as Lucas strode past her. She hadn’t even seen him come out of the barn. How like him to assume she wouldn’t know enough to stay back. One of these days she was going to stuff that superior attitude of his right down his throat.

  Brianna’s annoyance was forgotten a moment later. The sound of pounding hooves filled the air as rider and horse thundered into the yard. In the blink of an eye, Billy was out of the saddle and jerking the leather mochila off the back of his horse before the animal even stopped.

  De Vinci was already moving when Seth threw the mailbag over his own mount and vaulted into the saddle. The horse took off at a high lope with Seth leaning out over her neck like a jockey.

  Brianna watched them disappear down the road with a satisfied smile. In spite of her earlier disillusionment, the Pony Express clearly deserved the mystique that surrounded it in her time. Not even television could do justice to the incredible scene she had just witnessed.

  Her faith in the legend fully restored, she turned to Lucas and Billy with her eyes shining. “That was wonderful.”

  Neither man paid any attention to her as Lucas snapped his watch shut and slipped it back into his pocket. “A little slow today. Took almost a minute and a half.”

  “I know. I’m afraid Copernicus is going lame.” Billy’s voice was an interesting combination of Southern drawl and Western twang. “The last mile or so he’s been favoring his left front leg.”

  “Let’s have a look.” Lucas knelt down and ran his hands expertly down the slender foreleg. Then he picked up the hoof and closely examined the bottom of it. “Looks like he bruised the frog,” Lucas said, studying the soft center part of the foot. “Better get him cooled down before we worry about it, though.” He took the reins from Billy and led the animal around waiting for its sides to stop heaving with each labored breath and the lather to disappear from its hide. “How was your trip?”

  “Not bad. Saw a Sioux hunting party between South Pass and Rock Creek, but they were pretty easy to out run.”

  Brianna waited patiently, thinking Lucas would eventually get around to introducing her to Billy. It wasn’t until he took Copernicus into the barn for a rubdown, and Billy disappeared into the cabin that she realized he wasn’t going to.

  Ohhhh, that man was aggravating. Hefting the bucket of water again, she followed Billy into the cabin. He was small like Seth but dark-haired and stocky rather than slender and blond. Right now he was staring around in apparent amazement. Good, it was about time someone noticed all the house cleaning she’d done. “Hello,” she said, “I’m Brianna Daniels.”

  “That’s what I figured. Where’s all my gear?”

  “Lucas moved it out to the barn.”

  He gave her an unfriendly look. “What for?”

  “I think it had something to do with me being here. He wasn’t too pleased.”

  “I didn’t expect him to be, but you’ve had three days to change his mind.”

  “How was I supposed to do that?”

  “That’s your problem.”

  “Seth didn’t seem to think so,” she snapped.

  “Probably not, but then Seth is a sucker for a pretty face.”

  “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

  Billy shrugged. “If you want to take it as one. Lucas hasn’t sent you on your way, so I suppose you can cook.”

  “He hasn’t complained.” Not much anyway, she added to herself.

  “Good. Getting you here cost me nearly a month�
��s pay.”

  “I’ll do my best to make sure you aren’t disappointed,” Brianna said sarcastically.

  “I hope so.” He turned and stalked out the door. “I hate to throw money away.”

  Brianna glared after him. What a jerk! He was asking for a swift kick in the backside, and if the little pipsqueak wasn’t careful, she’d give it to him.

  Shaking her head with disgust, she put the cornmeal sack in her trunk and turned her attention to fixing lunch. One thing for sure, compared to Billy, Lucas was a peach!

  CHAPTER 9

  (Present day)

  “I still can’t believe I actually brought you forward in time!” Scott said, as the pickup bounced along the rutted dirt road.

  Anna gripped the seat nervously. “I have a little trouble accepting it myself.”

  “Let’s just hope you can figure out how to send her back.” Tom pointed out the window to the south. “There’s the balloon over there. You can just see the gondola.”

  “Yeah, I see it. Hang on.”

  Anna gasped and grabbed Tom’s arm as Scott guided the pick-up out across the sagebrush. Tom covered her hand with his and gave her a reassuring smile. He couldn’t blame her for being scared to death. Everything must be terrifyingly strange. There wasn’t much he could do about it except stay with her until she got back where she belonged. He owed her that much at least.

  “DNA!” Scott said suddenly, as he pulled up next to the deflated balloon and stopped the pickup.

  “What?”

  “Anna and Brianna, their DNA has to be nearly the same.”

  “They do look a lot alike,” Tom said doubtfully.

  “Genetically they must be almost identical, you know, like twins. That’s how they got caught in the time warp. It formed a magnetic field on both sides, and they were pulled in like two halves of the same person. I’m not real sure why they switched places, but the power surge when they passed through each other is what blew all the circuitry.”

  “They passed through each other?”

  “Well, I think so, anyway.” Scott glanced at Anna. “You do have all your own parts, don’t you?”