When the Moon Falls

by Kathryn Kaleigh

  “What is it?”

  She opened her hand showed him a piece of broken glass.

  It was clear glass. The clearest he’d ever seen.

  “May I?” he asked, holding out a hand.

  She shrugged and handed him the piece of broken glass.

  Samuel already knew before he held it in his hand that he was holding something that was from another era.

  But Samuel was nothing if not quick on his feet.

  “What year do you think this was made?” he asked.

  Ella shrugged. “Recently, I guess.”

  Well, maybe not so quick after all.

  “Estimate?” he asked, knowing she wasn’t going to bite.

  Her brows creased, she took the shard of glass back from him.

  “Daniel was always interested in astronomy.” She slipped the glass back into pocket. “I didn’t know him all that well, but that’s the one thing I remember about him.”

  She looked down. And Samuel wished he hadn’t asked her about this.

  There was something about it that made her look unhappy. And he did not like her looking unhappy. Especially not when he had something to do with it.

  15

  Ella would always think of that Christmas eight years ago as the Christmas from hell.

  And probably because of that. Because it was a Christmas like no other, she remembered it clearly.

  It was the year her father had the brilliant idea that both of his families would spend Christmas together.

  Ella was there with her mother who hadn’t been currently dating anyone. And Daniel had been there with Father.

  Ella was a sophomore in high school and her new boyfriend Thomas spent Christmas eve with them.

  That evening Daniel had brought out his telescope and the three of them had gone out behind the house to look at the stars.

  What Ella remembered the most, though, was that was the first time Thomas had kissed her.

  There under the stars on a magical Christmas Eve, Thomas had kissed her.

  So that’s how Daniel’s telescope had become such a strong bittersweet memory for Ella.

  But she shook it off, like she’d learned so long ago to do and looked into Samuel’s eyes.

  His mesmerizingly blue eyes. He had happy eyes that crinkled at the corners. Yet, even though his eyes were smiling, he was looking at her with such a serious, concerned expression.

  “Ella,” he said. Then took a deep breath.

  He pressed his fingers gently against her forehead.

  “What?” she asked. “I’m not sick.”

  He nodded. “I know. Ella. What year is it?”

  “2021,” she said without hesitation.

  Samuel sat back. His expression stunned.

  “Why would you ask me that?”

  “Because it’s actually 1861.”

  Now she felt as stunned as he looked.

  She stared at him a moment.

  “1861,” she said. “So you guys are reenacting the Civil War? Or something?”

  “Reenacting,” Samuel repeated. “You seem to think it’s already happen…ing.”

  She looked at him sideways. “More like already happened. Nearly two hundred years ago. Almost.

  Now he was looking at her with disbelief.

  He slowly nodded his head.

  “I knew something didn’t add up.”

  “What do you mean?” Ella was starting to get a headache from trying to keep up with this conversation. “What doesn’t add up?”

  But there was a knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach.

  He was right.

  Something didn’t add up.

  And no matter what explanations she came up with in her head, he had the one that added up the most. Even if it didn’t make any sense.

  She’d gone back in time.

  16

  After Samuel heard his brother John come in the back door and make his way into the kitchen, he herded Ella upstairs.

  With the stunned look on her face, dealing with his brother and his excitement about the Confederate army would not be a good combination.

  Opening her bedroom door, he ushered her inside and closed the door behind him.

  She walked to the window and looked out.

  He kept his back pressed against the door. Though it wasn’t proper for him to be in her bedroom, he could hardly leave her to process this information on her own.

  Darkness was settling into the room, leaving no more than a glimmer of evening sunlight.

  Seconds later, when she turned and faced him, her eyes were red rimmed, but otherwise her expression was blank.

  “What do I do?” she asked.

  He wanted to help her. Wished he had an answer.

  But he had absolutely no clue what to do in this situation.

  He wouldn’t tell her that though.

  Samuel was known for his confidence and level-headed decisions.

  His brother John was rash and sometimes hot-headed. Their father was distant, using escape as a method of coping with life.

  But Samuel was the one everyone looked to when there were problems.

  Ella deserved no less.

  Yet how was he supposed to know how to help a woman who found herself in the past?

  There was no answer for that.

  No precedent to draw from.

  The only precedent that even came close to preparing him for this was his meeting with Vaughn all those years ago.

  When Vaughn had appeared in his garçonnière and then promptly vanished that night long ago, his young mind was opened to unfathomable possibilities.

  Looking back, he could see how his ideas had changed. How he’d become more responsible and serious, yet also open to other, unusual possibilities.

  As he looked at Ella, he had the fleeting thought that he might be the only person who could see her.

  He would have to think about that later.

  Right now, she needed his reassurance.

  He looked at her blouse with the… buffalo painting plastered on it. It looked like something a child would draw. He’d never seen anything quite like it. Hopefully it wasn’t a new fashion trend.

  Then he reminded himself that she was from the future. This was hard to wrap his head around.

  A fashion trend in the future.

  But she was watching him with questions in her eyes. He pulled his attention back to the problem at hand.

  The first thing, it seemed to him, was that a woman needed to fit in, no matter where she was from.

  A woman would be judged for her appearance in a heartbeat.

  “The first thing we have to do is get you in some proper clothes,” he said. “But it’s late. Get some rest—”

  She was shaking her head. “I rested all day. I really don’t want to stay in here until morning.”

  She wasn’t making things easy.

  She may not know it, but she was asking to spend the evening with his family. To have dinner with them.

  But he couldn’t keep her prisoner here.

  He went over to the wardrobe and flipped through the dresses. He pulled out a light blue gown that he decided would fit her.

  He handed it to her. “Put this on,” he said. “and we’ll go downstairs. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving,” she said with a little smile.

  Of course she was. Samuel had been so distracted it hadn’t occurred to him to feed her.

  “I’ll wait outside the door while you get dressed,” he said.

  17

  Ella laid the light blue dress out on the bed.

  So he wanted her to wear this.

  And if she was indeed in the past, then it made sense that she’d wear the appropriate dress.

  After a glance over her shoulder at the closed door, she pulled off her t-shirt and stepped out of the dress.

  The blue one was a little more difficult to get into and she could only reach so many buttons.

  She went to the little dresser, picked up a
brush, and ran it through her long hair. It would have to do.

  She put her shoes back on and crossed the room to the door. It had gotten dark during the short time it had taken her to change clothes.

  She opened the door and peeked out, holding her dress together in the back with her other hand.

  Samuel was true to his word. But he, too, had changed clothes.

  He was wearing a formal jacket and matching pants.

  He could easily pass for a fashion model. In her world.

  When he turned and looked at her, her heart skipped a beat.

  In this time period, he’d be called dashing. She didn’t know where that thought came from, but he was perfect, standing there in the candlelight.

  He closed the distance between them.

  “You look beautiful,” he said.

  Oh my.

  She was developing a crush on a man from the past.

  “I um…” She turned her back to him. “I couldn’t reach all the buttons.”

  “We should step inside,” he said.

  Once inside, she swept her hair aside and he began to button her dress.

  He seemed to take his time. And at first, he didn’t touch her skin, but then his knuckles brushed against her bare skin, sending tingles up and down her spine.

  She shivered and he stopped for just the briefest moment.

  Then he finished up the buttons.

  “All finished,” he said.

  His voice was a little rough, but she may have imagined it.

  “Thank you,” she said, turning with a smile.

  Their eyes locked and neither one of them moved as the seconds ticked past.

  She licked her lips and her smile trembled, then faded.

  His gaze dipped to her lips, then back to her eyes.

  Then footsteps coming down the hallway, jarred her out of what felt like a trance.

  “You get to meet my sister,” Samuel said. “And my parents.”

  “Oh,” she said, suddenly nervous.

  She was having dinner with his family.

  She’d met his brother and she’d seen his other family members, but hadn’t had an interaction with them.

  She shook herself. There was no need to be nervous.

  It wasn’t like she was in a relationship with this man.

  No need to be nervous.

  18

  Samuel escorted Ella downstairs toward the dining room.

  His parents already knew about her and she’d met his brother that morning.

  Still… he had no explanation to give them about why he was keeping her here. It wasn’t normal for them to have strangers here.

  If family visited, they normally stayed in the guest room where he had Ella. On the rare occasion when they had acquaintances visit, they would house them in the garçonnière.

  But having a complete stranger here was outside the norm.

  An idea had been forming in the back of his mind.

  He heard his family in the dining room, preparing for supper as they walked through the foyer.

  He put a hand on Ella’s elbow to stop her, then turned to face her.

  “I’m going to tell them that you don’t remember who you are,” he said, making a decision.

  Ella looked at him sideways. “You already told them,” she said.

  “Your name,” he said, keeping one eye on the hallway leading to the dining room. “As far as they know that’s all you remember.”

  She followed his gaze down the hallway.

  “I guess considering everything, that’s the best explanation.”

  She sounded uncertain. But as she said, considering everything, she had every right to be uncertain.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “They don’t bite. Much.”

  She smiled. “I have more to worry about than dinner with your family.”

  He turned and steered her toward the dining room.

  “Let’s go then,” he said.

  Poor girl. She had no idea what she was getting into.

  “Okay,” she walked along beside him.

  “O.K.,” he said, repeating her word.

  She may not be worried, but Samuel was a little apprehensive.

  He wanted everything to go well with Ella. Including supper with his family.

  Father and Beatrice were already sitting at the table. John was standing at the window, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

  When Samuel stepped into the room with Ella, Father nodded in greeting.

  John turned around. “Hello again,” he said.

  “Good evening,” Ella said.

  Samuel pulled out a chair and held it for Ella. “Everyone, this is Miss Ella Sinclair,” he said.

  Beatrice stood up. “Good evening,” she said. “Please excuse me. I have to see if Mother is coming down for dinner.”

  Father stood up. “I’ll go with you.” He nodded toward Ella. “Please. Make yourself at home.”

  Samuel sat next to Ella.

  John slid into the seat across from them.

  “I guess it’s just the three of us then,” he said.

  Samuel stared at his brother.

  John didn’t make things easy.

  Perhaps bringing Ella to supper with his family hadn’t been the best idea after all.

  19

  Ella watched as an older man dressed in formal attire brought in a large platter of food. Baked chicken. Biscuits. Green beans.

  He came right back with a plate of fried green tomatoes.

  “Thank you, Raoul.” Samuel said.

  Raoul stood back. “My pleasure. Anything else I get for you? Miss Ella?”

  Startled, Ella just shook her head.

  After Raoul left the room, she turned to Samuel.

  “How did he know my name?”

  “Nothing goes on around here without Raoul knowing about it,” Samuel said.

  “First,” John started filling his plate.

  “True,” Samuel said, filling a plate and placing it in front of Ella. “He does know things before anyone else. Course he’s worked here forever.”

  “So,” John said, looking at Ella. “Where are you from?”

  Ella glanced at Samuel. Shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  Samuel jumped to her defense. “She was in an accident and bumped her head.”

  Ella didn’t say anything. The story was getting deeper.

  First they were saying she was in an accident. Which she wasn’t. And now the story was that she’d bumped her head.

  Which she hadn’t.

  But all in all, it was better than telling anyone that she’d traveled from the future.

  They’d put her in an insane asylum for sure.

  Mental health treatment during the 1800’s was not anything to play around with.

  She supposed amnesia was harmless enough though.

  She couldn’t remember any instances of anyone being put in the asylum for amnesia.

  John set down his fork. “Is that so? You really can’t remember anything?”

  Ella tried not to squirm in her seat.

  “I remember some things,” she said. “I remember my name and well…” she glanced at his plate. “I remember that I hate the taste of green beans.”

  John looked at her blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter.

  He looked at Samuel. “Maybe you should have let her make her own plate.”

  Ella just smiled and shrugged. Picked up her fork and took a bite of fried green tomato.

  They all ate in silence for a few minutes.

  “Did you send for Doc?” John asked.

  Samuel scowled at his brother. “Doc can’t do anything for amnesia.”

  “You don’t know,” John said. “You’re not a doctor.”

  “Don’t have to be.” He shoved his plate back.

  Ella set down her fork.

  She had the distinct feeling that Samuel did not want to be sitting here with his brother, but was too polite to pull her away from her food. />
  Since she’d eaten all she wanted, she pushed her plate back, too.

  And she didn’t miss the look of relief that crossed Samuel’s features.

  “Ready to go to your room?” Samuel asked.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Next time she’d listen to Samuel when he suggested she stay away from his family.

  It was true, she had rested all day, but now she needed sleep.

  20

  “Just leave her alone,” Samuel said, thirty minutes later.

  He’d walked Ella to her room, then instead of taking his own advice to turn in, he’d gone back downstairs to have a glass of whiskey.

  Of course, John was there.

  And for some reason John seemed to think he was the expert on things he had no knowledge about.

  Like Ella.

  John tipped back his drink, then set his empty glass on the mantle.

  “But it makes no sense,” he said. “Why don’t you just send for Doc? If she can’t remember anything, there’s something wrong.”

  Samuel ran a hand through his hair. “There’s nothing that can be done for that.”

  He sat on the sofa and stretched out his legs.

  John rarely concerned himself with anything other than the impending war. And himself.

  Now here he was thinking he was the voice of reason. Sticking his nose into Ella’s business.

  His brother had no way of suspecting the truth.

  Just leave her alone. She’s from the future.

  “Shouldn’t you be concerned with your troop meeting?” Samuel asked.

  John waved his hand. “The meeting was worthless.” He grabbed his empty glass and took off to the cabinet for a refill.

  “What happened?” Samuel asked. He was going to regret asking this question. But he had to do something to get his brother off Ella.

  “Damn fools,” John said, filling his glass with whiskey and coming to stand in front of Samuel.

  “They spent the whole time ranting and raving about how they’re going to send the Yankees running with their tails between their legs.”

  Samuel looked at his brother. That sounded exactly like what he’d been hearing from John for months.

  But he refrained, as hard as it was, from pointing that out.