Always and Forever

by L. A. Fiore

  "We're going to have to handle this very carefully." Thaddeus said what Quinn, herself, was thinking and then she added, "We need to tell Archer."

  "Agreed."

  The tremble in Lady Scarcliff's voice had both Quinn and Thaddeus turning to her. "How are we going to save my son?"

  Quinn had been pondering that particular question for quite a while now and hadn't found an answer.

  She looked to Lady Scarcliff and sighed, "I have no idea."

  Later that day, Quinn and Thaddeus decided to visit a detective recommended to them by Lady Scarcliff. Quinn was convinced that in the future Archer and Nickie met with foul play from the Danvers so now they needed to stop it from happening. They needed information. And Quinn also wanted to learn more about Archer's wife; more specifically, how she died. On the coach ride Quinn noticed Thaddeus was unaccountably quiet.

  "What's troubling you, Thaddeus?"

  There was confusion and a touch of fear marring his features when he turned his head to her. "Why now?" he asked. "Why were you sent back now, to this specific time? I don't think Arch is anywhere near ready to actually marry Katherine. He's been procrastinating for years. So what's driving this? What is so important that you were sent back now to correct it? You're not telling me everything," he concluded.

  Quinn took his hands into hers. "You're right. In the future, there is nothing, absolutely nothing about Whispering Winds. The place is like a tomb, abandoned by everyone, but the furnishings that remain are Archer's. It is sad and empty with none of the grandeur it deserves. My theory is that Katherine and Edwyn are working a con and the ones who stand in the way of them getting what they want are Archer and Nickie. I think that they kill them in such a manner as to put a black cloud of suspicion over the place that lingers into the future."

  Thaddeus looked almost ill with trepidation and when he spoke, his voice cracked, "That's really rather disturbing. So you think that you were sent here to stop this?"

  "It's all I've got so far, but the more we learn about the Danvers, the more I think I'm right."

  Thaddeus wiped at a tear, "Thank you for telling me."

  The detective looked a lot like Sherlock Holmes with his black cape and funky little hat; he even smoked a pipe. He was just a bit taller than Quinn and very non-descript but his dark brown eyes were sharp and astute. In fact, he had the perfect cover since no one would look twice at him and Quinn bet he used that to his advantage to get close to people and hear their dirty little secrets with no one being the wiser.

  His office was small, his desk completely cluttered with papers, a small fire burned in the grate of his fireplace. The place needed a good cleaning but Quinn knew, in her gut, if anyone could find out about Archer's wife it would be this man, Douglas Grant.

  "So she died just over three years ago?" he began.

  "Yes," Thaddeus replied.

  "And her family?"

  "I'm not sure that they are still around. I believe they may have moved after her death."

  "Interesting," Douglas jotted notes in his notepad before he looked up at Thaddeus and Quinn. "Lord Scarcliff was not home at the time of her death, is that right?"

  "Yes, that's correct," Thaddeus supplied.

  "Is it fair to say that Lord Scarcliff and his wife did not care for one another?"

  "She was a cold fish. I don't know of a single person who cared for her," Thaddeus bit out.

  "I apologize; I just am trying to get an accurate picture. It helps me in my work when I understand all the nuances of those I investigate."

  "Fair enough," Thaddeus replied.

  "There is a son?"

  "Yes, but Nicholas was too young to remember anything. He doesn't even remember his mother," Thaddeus countered.

  "Strange that a mother would willingly leave her child though I have heard of stories where the mother is so overcome with depression after the birth that they bring harm onto themselves or their baby. I suppose if this is a case such as that, we should count it lucky that she didn't hurt the boy too."

  A shiver went through Quinn at the thought of harm coming to Nickie. Postpartum depression, was it possible? She was pulled from that thought when Douglas Grant offered, "I'll be in touch within the week."

  "Thank you," Quinn replied.

  Quinn rose and Thaddeus followed. Mr. Grant walked them to the door and shook Thaddeus' hand before turning to Quinn and bowing his head in farewell. When they were alone on the street just outside his office, Quinn asked, "What now?"

  "We need to tell Archer but we can't send a letter. It's too risky so we'll just have to summon him to London," Thaddeus announced. Quinn didn't miss his calculated look which prompted her to ask, "What are you up to?"

  "Oh, nothing I just have a fool proof way of getting Archer here as quickly as humanly possible."

  "And that would be?"

  Thaddeus' smile was positively wicked. "Why spoil the fun? You'll learn soon enough. Shall we go for tea? I'm famished."

  Quinn had the sense that the other shoe was about to drop but she took Thaddeus' offered arm and replied, "Tea sounds great."

  Quinn's first ball was overwhelming to say the least. Her gown was a gorgeous confection of silver silk that shimmered when she moved. The square cut neckline and capped sleeves tapered to a tight bodice and a skirt that, for the time, scandalously hugged her figure. Mrs. Beaufort was particularly pleased with this gown and when Quinn saw herself in it, she understood why.

  Sara had twisted Quinn's curly locks into an intricate knot on the top of her head but left a few tendrils hang to frame her face. Lady Scarcliff lent Quinn a necklace of pale gold and diamonds in so delicate a pattern that it looked like a dazzling spider web gracing her neck. Diamond drop earrings hung from her ears and silver slippers covered her feet. Long silver gloves reached up past her elbows and her silver beaded handbag sparkled with diamonds. It was all very decadent but Quinn couldn't deny she felt like a princess.

  At the front door, Thaddeus, Lady Scarcliff, Rosalind and Cecilia awaited her. Thaddeus was dressed in a black silk overcoat and long breeches that hugged the muscles of his thighs. In contrast to the black was his crisp white shirt and silver waistcoat with aquamarine buttons. His long blond hair was pulled back into a queue and that combined with the devilish grin on his face, he looked like a refined pirate.

  Lady Scarcliff was dressed in emerald-green silk, her full skirt embroidered with a vine pattern along the hem. Rosalind wore a wine satin gown with a gold embroidered stomacher, tight sleeves and a full skirt. Cecilia looked stunning in white silk, her hair piled high on her head. She looked so much like an angel that Quinn could barely control the burst of anger towards the Danvers thinking of what they attempted to do to this girl when she was just a child.

  Thaddeus must have noticed the look when he stepped forward with a concerned expression. "Sorry, just had a thought. I'm fine. You all look so beautiful."

  Lady Scarcliff took Quinn's arm. "Are you ready for this?"

  Quinn answered honestly, "Ready as I'll ever be."

  Lady Scarcliff laughed and said, "Good. Anything can and does happen at these balls so it's best to be on your toes."

  Chapter Six

  Quinn took a break from the dance floor drinking lemonade, which didn't taste at all how she imagined it when she read about ladies doing the same very thing in her romance novels. It wasn't nearly as sweet as modern lemonade and the tartness was actually quite refreshing, especially when one was dancing the night away, which was exactly what Quinn was doing.

  Her dance card -- oh yes, she had a dance card -- was completely full. The little book wrapped around her wrist with a silk cord was filled with names of gentlemen who wished to lead her in a dance. She really didn't know any of the dances of the time but she was excellent at allowing her partner to lead so she hoped she didn't look as silly as she felt.

  Another practice in this time that she had read about in her romance novels that she was able to witness was the announcing of
guests. She was almost unable to hold her laughter when the butler announced her as Miss Quinn Shaughnessy of Tattoonie but the quizzical looks of those she walked passed certainly helped to stifle her merriment.

  What were even more surprising were the mothers. They really were vapid creatures, like soccer and cheerleader moms on steroids. It was with a single-minded determination that they sought to get their daughters married to the most eligible bachelor available. It didn't matter if the man looked like a toad, or had too much flesh stuffed into his ridiculously expensive attire, had the personality of a hubcap. All that mattered was that their daughters married well and "well" meant as high up on the nobility ladder as possible.

  There were no thoughts at all for happiness in the marriages, and in fact, Quinn had overheard a few mothers in the resting room explaining to their daughters that once they were married they could always look for whatever their marriage was lacking outside of it. Actually promoting adultery. Who knew?

  And the men were definitely romanticized in her books because outside of Archer and Thaddeus, she had yet to see a wickedly handsome man. Most were bloated from too much alcohol and overweight due to the belief that men of society shouldn't work. Hell, they even had valets that dressed them in the morning.

  Another observation Quinn quickly made was that they did not like her at all. The unveiled looks of animosity that were leveled at her all night long were startling. They knew nothing about Quinn but she was seen as competition and that was reason enough to dislike her. Having a parent like Lady Scarcliff, who was more interested in her children's happiness, was very rare and the Scarcliff children were lucky to have her.

  Quinn took a much-needed break from dancing because her feet felt as if they were going to fall off at any moment. It was because she was standing on the sidelines, watching, that she heard the commotion coming from the direction of the entrance.

  There was definitely a situation brewing and then, quite suddenly, Archer appeared at the top of the stairs. His long, hard body was dressed in all black except for the white of his shirt and his hair was down framing his magnificent face. It was his green eyes though that held Quinn's gaze because they were almost glowing from the emotion that was burning in them, an emotion that Quinn easily identified: the man was livid.

  Thaddeus stepped up next to her and reached for her hand before he whispered, "I underestimated him."

  Quinn looked to the man at her side. "What did you do?"

  He looked sheepish before he replied, "I may have sent him a note telling him that you were getting betrothed."

  "What?!" she practically screeched which brought the attention of not only those around them, but of the furious male who was currently stalking toward her like a predator hunting his prey.

  "He's going to kill me," she whispered nervously.

  Thaddeus couldn't help the grin. "No, he's not going to kill you."

  "I'm glad you find this all amusing. And what about Katherine?"

  "Taken care of," Thaddeus responded proudly.

  "What does that mean?" she asked.

  "Lady Scarcliff and the girls returned home to retire for the evening and so naturally the Danvers followed suit."

  The idea of having Archer to herself for the night, of dancing with him as she had with the other gentlemen, made Quinn almost lightheaded.

  "It's your first ball, Quinn. It should be special," Thaddeus said warmly.

  At that moment, Archer appeared before them and he was so mad that a muscle tick had started under one eye. He was conscious that he had gained the attention of everyone in the room so he turned to Thaddeus and greeted him with far more civility than he was feeling. He wasn't quite as successful in hiding his fury when he regarded Quinn before he lowered his head and bowed deeply at her. She curtsied as was proper but it was the expression on her face that almost had him lifting her up over his shoulder and taking her some place private so he could bellow at her; then kiss her senseless.

  She leaned into him and he couldn't help but lower his head to her as she whispered, "He lied."

  Quinn watched with interest as Archer's anger changed directions and he turned on Thaddeus.

  "I should…" he looked back at Quinn, "what was it? Beat him to within an inch of his life?"

  "Yup, I wholeheartedly agree." Quinn said all the while smiling at Thaddeus.

  Quinn turned to look into emerald-green eyes that were showing an entirely different emotion now. "I knew nothing about it," she promised. "I found out as you were stalking toward us."

  Clearly amused by his friend's white lie, Archer offered, "They don't have to find the body."

  "Oh, I so agree."

  It was then that Thaddeus spoke up, "Yes, plot my murder but now you have an entire evening in which to share, alone. You can thank me later."

  He started away when both Quinn and Archer's voices stopped him. "Thank you," they said in unison.

  He turned and grinned. "My pleasure."

  Quinn watched Thaddeus disappear into the crowd and turned back to find Archer watching her. He put his hand out to her and whispered, "Dance with me."

  Quinn's hand slipped into his as he led her onto the dance floor. He turned her to face him, as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. It was effortless the way their bodies moved together, twirling around the dance floor, almost as if they were one soul sharing two bodies. No others joined the dance since they were all held spellbound looking upon the very rare instance of true love.

  It was scandalous, their conduct, but later when the guests retired to the privacy of their homes, it wouldn't be the scandal that they remembered but the beauty of that one dance. The glimpse into that one perfect moment. And though there would be talk in the morning, it wouldn't be fed by disgust or anger but instead envy.

  Quinn lay on her stomach as she plucked the petals off a rose from an arrangement that had magically appeared in her room left for her by a secret admirer. Her face hurt from smiling so much but she couldn't help it. She was being completely swept off her feet by an 18th century Lord. It was a mistake to let her heart get so involved but how could she not? Shouldn't she have memories when she returned to the future, like the magical dance Archer and she had shared the night before? Oh yes, she should.

  "He loves me, he loves me not." Quinn continued until the last petal and it wasn't a surprise that it was he loved her. They hadn't spoken the words but there was no denying that they both felt it. She didn't know how she could love him so completely when she hardly knew him, but she definitely did.

  Sara entered the room and smiled at her happy Lady knowing full well who the flowers were from. Although it had never been spoken, their dance last night was all the news this morning. So Sara even knew all about that too. Katherine was going to burst a gasket when she learned of it. Oh well. Had it been anyone else, Quinn would have felt shame over her conduct but it was Katherine and she just couldn't make herself feel badly.

  "Miss Danvers has requested that you join her for tea this morning," Sara told her with trepidation.

  "I bet." Quinn exhaled and climbed from bed. "Might as well get it over with."

  Katherine was already in the music room when Quinn entered, and she was alone, which had Quinn wondering how the ice princess pulled that off. This wasn't even her house. Of course, if she married Archer she would be mistress of this place as well. She certainly liked taking liberties.

  "Please join me?" Katherine offered graciously but there was no denying the fury behind the words.

  Quinn took a seat but declined tea since she wouldn't put it past a woman scorned to poison it. Quinn watched as Katherine went through the steps of pouring herself tea, adding a touch of sugar and stirring it with a little spoon, before she rested the spoon on the saucer and took her first delicate sip. All the while, Katherine's focus was fixed on Quinn.

  "How was the ball?" Katherine asked.

  "Lovely, my first," Quinn replied innocently.

  "Yes. Was i
t everything you hoped it would be?"

  "Excuse me, but I'm not much for beating around the bush. What is it you want, Katherine?"

  All pretense of civility faded as Katherine's lips curved into a sneer. "Stay away from him," she warned.

  Quinn leaned back in her chair. Katherine was seething and Quinn wondered if she poked at her enough would she slip and say more than she intended? There was only one way to find out.

  "You aren't married yet, Katherine, he can still cry off you know."

  Oh, yes, if possible those almost color-less eyes turned even colder. "He's mine," she seethed.

  "I'm not sure he is aware of that because last night he wasn't thinking about you at all," Quinn tormented.

  The dainty cup and saucer sailed over Quinn's head to crash loudly against the door. Lucky for her, Katherine had finished drinking the tea. She was shaking with rage which only egged Quinn on further.

  "That's quite a temper you have. Does Archer know of it?"

  "Let me make this very clear to you. He's mine. I always get want I want and I want him. I've gone through so much to get here that I'm not going to let you stand in my way. Do yourself a favor and stay away from him. If you haven't noticed, Archer doesn't have the best of luck with women."

  A chill went through Quinn but she pushed a little harder. "What does that mean?"

  Katherine's smile had the hair at the nape of Quinn's neck standing on end before she replied, "It never seems to end well for the women who link themselves to him. And you, your past is so very sketchy, one wonders what might be learned if someone knew where to look?"

  Even though her threat hit its mark Quinn kept her face expressionless as she stood and stared down at the beast disguised as a beauty. "Interesting idea, looking into the past. Wonder what one would discover about you if one looked closely enough into your past. Thanks for the idea."

  Quinn didn't wait to hear Katherine's reply as she turned and left the room.

  Later, Quinn was summoned to Archer's drawing room and when she arrived Thaddeus and Archer were already there waiting. Still brewing from her morning bout with Katherine, she strode over to Archer and stabbed him in the chest with her finger.