by Bess McBride
“How would you know this isn’t a dream?”
“Well, I’m certain I would know. How could I not know?” Robert’s steady gaze faltered. He stared down at the ground for a brief second before returning his gaze to Ellie’s face. His voice was grave. He shook his head again.
“No, this is not a dream, Ellie.”
Ellie gave him a serene smile. All was right with the world at last.
“You would never know, Robert. Besides, this is my dream, but I’ll tell you what I’m prepared to do.” She pushed the blanket away, swung her legs over the edge of the seat and leaned forward. “I’m prepared to let you choreograph the dream, as it seems you’ve already been doing. I’ll just sit back and let the dream take its course. How about that?”
She crossed her arms and leaned back against the seat once again, watching him from under veiled lashes. A myriad of emotions crossed his face—surprise, disbelief, a flash of something soft she did not recognize, and finally amusement.
Robert drew in breath to speak, and then closed his mouth. He turned away to stare at nothing in particular for just a moment. When he returned his gaze to her face, the twinkle sparkled in his eyes.
“So, you are saying that you are putting yourself in my hands in this dream of yours. Is that correct, Miss Standish?”
Suddenly full of the confidence only a dream could give her, she gave him a half-smile and a benign nod.
“Yes, Mr. Chamberlain, do with me what you will.” Ellie grinned, suddenly emboldened. “Within reason, of course.”
Robert’s dark eyebrows shot up for a moment before he responded.
“Excellent. I am prepared for the challenge of...choreographing your dream, as you say. Since your dream has left you with no seat at your disposal and no visible income, you will come to my house, where my grandmother and sister reside, to stay with us until you wake up.”
Ellie wasn’t sure about the nature of dreams, but this one seemed to be taking a turn for the better. She took a deep breath.
“Sure, Robert. That sounds fine. I warn you, though. If you turn into some sort of murderer or monster, I’ll do my best to wake up.”
Robert’s green eyes softened. “I am no monster, Ellie. I promise you that.”
Ellie reached out to shake his hand. Robert stared at her hand for a moment and took it in his own. She gave it a good tug.
“Deal!” she said.
“Deal,” he murmured, making no move to release her hand. She pulled away from his warmth reluctantly and leaned back against her seat.
“So, what’s the plan?” she asked with interest.
Robert threw back his head and laughed—a hearty, happy sound that charmed her with its utter masculinity.
“You certainly are an enigma, Ellie. I think I had better let the ladies know you will be staying with us. There will be some concerns from Grandmother, no doubt. I suspect Melinda will be delighted to have such...an unusual houseguest.
Ellie grinned.
“I’m looking forward to the stay, Robert. I always did want to know what life was like at the turn of the century.”
“You promise to be quite an adventure, my dear Miss Standish.” The sparkling challenge in Robert’s eyes shook her bravado for a moment, but she recovered.
He rose slowly and gazed down at her briefly.
“Just remember, Ellie. It is my belief that you have traveled back in time, although I do not know why.”
Ellie stared into the emerald depths of his eyes, afraid to lose herself in them.
“And I think this is all just a dream, Robert. One that could end at any moment.”
His eyes darkened, and he reached down to trace the line of her left cheek with his index finger before straightening.
“Let us hope not...not too soon.” He cleared his throat and ran a finger along the inside of his high collar. “I think you had better wait here until the questions are out of the way. You might find my grandmother...outspoken.” He grinned.
“I noticed,” Ellie murmured with a twitch of her lips. He chuckled and moved away.
Ellie pulled her feet back up onto the seat and stretched out with the blanket, suddenly weary. Did people feel tired in dreams? Did they sleep? That seemed redundant. Had she ever even boarded the train in Chicago? When did the dream begin? She swallowed hard against a sudden knot in her throat. When would it end?
Please, not too soon, she thought drowsily. Not too soon.
Chapter Six
“Ellie? Ellie, wake up.” A gentle hand shook Ellie’s shoulder. She awakened to her dream. Robert bent over her, his face close to hers. Melinda hovered behind, trying to peer over his shoulder.
“Robert, you’re still here,” Ellie murmured. “I feel like I’m dreaming within a dream.” She rubbed her eyes and attempted to sit up. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder at Melinda and put a cautionary finger to his lips.
“And you are still here as well, Miss Standish. Melinda and my grandmother are looking forward to your visit with us.”
Ellie’s eyes shot open, and she focused on the warning message in Robert’s eyes.
“Oh, my visit. Yes, thank you very much.” Uncertain what he had told them, she faltered. “I-I look forward to staying with your family.” She exchanged a quick conspiratorial glance with Robert who nodded and straightened.
“Well, we were wondering if you wanted to have a light supper with us. It will be served here in the observation car.” Robert pulled out a lovely gold watch from a pocket in his gray vest. “We will arrive in Seattle in approximately two hours, at 11:30 p.m.”
Her stomach growled at the thought of food, and she bobbed her head enthusiastically.
“Yes, I’d love to eat. How long have I been asleep?”
“About five hours, Miss Standish. You must have been exhausted.” Melinda had finally managed to get around Robert to peer at Ellie.
Ellie’s eyes flew to Robert’s face.
“Five hours? I-I’m lucky I managed to wake up at all. Why aren’t we in Seattle yet? How long is the trip from Wenatchee?”
Robert gave a short laugh, which did not reach his eyes.
“I wasn’t certain if you were going to wake up. You seemed dead to the world. The journey is nine hours.”
“He has been very worried, Miss Standish,” Melinda offered. “He has been back here about twenty times, checking on you as you continued to sleep. We told him you probably just needed some rest and to leave you alone, but Robert insisted he must check your breathing.”
Ellie’s face flamed and she found it hard to meet Robert’s eyes.
“Shall we dine then, Miss Standish?” He held out an elegant arm, and Ellie rose to take it self-consciously. He led her toward the back of the carriage with Melinda following closely behind.
Soft lights now glowed overhead in brass and tulip chandeliers and cast a golden radiance over the teak walls and red velvet furnishings. Shades, pulled low against the night sky, lent the carriage an intimate atmosphere.
The women turned curious eyes on Ellie once again, and she gave them a pleasant smile and sank into the chair Robert indicated. She did not miss the speculative eyes that studied both Robert and her, but she chose to ignore them.
Several of the younger women had removed their hats, revealing hairstyles similar to Melinda’s—the upswept Gibson—albeit with a few limp, dangling curls and wayward wisps from the long traveling day. Ellie put a hand to her own curly brown hair to see how much of it had escaped her braid. Some tendrils hung around her face, and she stuck them behind her ears, though they instantly popped forward once again.
Samuel served from a tray of odd-looking food. Ellie thought she recognized slices of roast beef and ham, but the rest of the food was unfamiliar to her.
Robert took a vacant seat across the room next to his grandmother, who eyed Ellie with an inscrutable expression. Luckily, Samuel distracted her attention by handing the older woman a plate.
Samuel crossed the room to appr
oach Ellie.
“What would you like to eat, miss?” He stood aside to let her study the food on the large silver tray in the middle of the room.
Ellie shook her head with dismay.
“Gosh, I don’t know. So much meat. Do you have anything that isn’t meat?”
Samuel’s eyes widened. “Pardon, miss?”
“I’m a vegetarian.” Ellie wrinkled her nose and gave Samuel a sheepish grin. “You know, I don’t eat meat? Do you have a baked potato or something?”
“Robert, do go over and see what you can do to help Miss Standish. She seems to be having trouble communicating.” Mrs. Chamberlain’s voice rang out, bringing all eyes back to Ellie...again.
Robert rose and crossed the narrow space between them.
“Is something wrong, Samuel?”
“Sir, I’m afraid...I don’t know what she wants.”
Samuel’s eyes flickered nervously. Ellie hated to make him ill at ease. If she had truly awakened at the turn of the century...before the civil rights movement and lack of union representation, his subservient behavior made a great deal of sense. The man was afraid of losing his job at the whim of a cantankerous passenger.
“It’s no problem, Robert. I’m afraid I’m giving Samuel a hard time. I don’t eat meat, so I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to avoid starving to death while I’m here.”
Robert blinked and drew his brows together. He turned to Samuel.
“Please wait on my sister and her guests, Samuel. I must consult with Miss Standish for a moment.”
He held out his arm for Ellie, and she sighed and rose to take it, knowing all eyes continued to stare at her. Robert led her a few feet away, out of hearing, toward the front of the carriage.
“A vegetarian, is it?” The irresistible twitch of his lips returned, and Ellie stared helplessly at the deep dimples in his cheeks.
She nodded mutely.
“Well, since this is your dream, can’t you just change that? I fear you’ll become very hungry if you don’t eat.”
Ellie shook her head. “No, I don’t think I can change it. Besides, we decided that you would choreograph the dream.” She crossed her arms. “I’m just along for the ride.”
He fixed her with a challenging eye.
“Very well, then. I command you to eat meat.”
Ellie shook her head with exasperation and suppressed a gurgle of laughter.
“Ummm...no, Robert. I don’t respond to commands, and I’m not going to eat meat...not even in my dream. Then it would become a nightmare.”
He tightened his lips and leaned close to her face.
“So, I am to be the director of this dream, but am powerless, is that correct?”
Ellie smirked. “Well, I don’t know how it’s going to work, Robert. This is the first time I’ve been in this situation. I’m pretty sure I’m not in control of the dream, or I’d be lying on a sunny beach somewhere in a tropical paradise.
“Alone?” He quirked a teasing eyebrow.
“Most definitely not!” She waggled her brows suggestively.
Robert threw back his head and laughed, and Ellie responded with some nervous giggles of her own. She refused to turn around, knowing everyone was watching. When would they stop staring?
“If I could control the dream, Robert, I’d make everyone stop staring at me.” She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
He caught his breath and looked past her to the room beyond.
“I’m afraid they will be watching for a while. Most of these young ladies are friends of Melinda. We took a trip to Spokane to celebrate her eighteenth birthday—a long and arduous journey which I’m not likely to repeat any time soon.”
Ellie glanced over her shoulder. Most of the women had returned their attention to their food. She caught Constance staring at her...at Robert.
“Well, Ellie, what do you eat?”
“I think I’ll just have some bread and cheese for now. I can’t bear to see the worry in Samuel’s eyes.”
Robert nodded. “The working classes are at the whim and mercy of their employers. The system is changing, but it will take time. You and I must have a long discussion about the future. In the meantime, let us return to find some food for you to eat. I must remember to instruct our cook to prepare dishes of vegetables for you.”
“Thanks, Robert. I hate to be so much trouble, but I can’t seem to avoid it.”
“Trouble, indeed,” Robert laughed softly. “I think I can manage to cope.”
Ellie glanced at him in confusion for a moment before she turned away. She faltered when she felt his hand on the small of her back. If she were really in control of the dream, she and Robert would... She quashed the thought.
Kyle, she remembered with a wince. Her dreams would never hurt him. He would never know.
****
Dinner over and most of the women dozing in their chairs, Robert stared at the fascinating creature that was Ellie. She rested her shining brown head of hair against the velvet drapes in the corner of the observation carriage, her feet crossed at the ankles in front of her like a child, her full-lipped mouth slightly parted, dark lashes against her pale cheeks.
He had no doubt that Ellie had magically descended on them for a reason, and he hoped he was that reason. That she’d given herself over to him in need was a sign, and he was honored to have the care of the strange woman who had traveled through time. Though Ellie believed she was in a dream, Robert knew different. Ellie had come for him. She was the woman for whom he’d waited all these years.
He turned to look at his grandmother, who gently snored next to him. He hated to shock the older woman, and he hoped her heart could survive the news, but he was determined to have Ellie for his own—if she stayed. He did not yet understand how she had ended up in his time, but he fervently hoped she would stay. He couldn’t wait to discover what wondrous things she would reveal about life in the twenty-first century.
When she had fainted and fallen to the ground at the train depot, his heart had seized and he’d raced to her side, picking her up tenderly and brushing the dust from her soft brown hair. He had brushed off Mr. Bingham’s entreaties to leave her to the care of the stationmaster. Impossible. He might never have seen her again. Ellie was no immigrant in the original sense of the word. She came from another place, that seemed certain, but that place was the future, and she had come to him.
He tilted his head and regarded her with a frown. She did not seem to realize that yet. How would he convince her?
He blinked and felt warmth rush to his face when he realized Ellie had opened her eyes to catch him staring at her. She straightened in her chair and flashed him a shaky smile.
Poor girl! So lost. He knew an overwhelming desire to cross the carriage and settle into a chair beside her, to hold her hand and study the hazel mix of her eyes. But there was no chair nearby, and he understood the need to move slowly. He did not want to frighten her away...back in time...or back into her dream.
“She is an interesting woman, isn’t she, Robert?” Constance, apparently having followed his eyes, whispered next to him.
He turned to her with a start and looked back at Ellie, who studiously smoothed wrinkles from her skirt.
“Yes, she is, Constance. Poor thing. She seems so lost. I feel compelled to assist.”
“Why, Robert, if I may ask? She is a stranger. What drove you to bring her back to the carriage when the conductor offered to see to her?”
Robert dragged his eyes from Ellie. Her nonchalant fussing with her skirt suggested she knew she was the subject of discussion. He looked at Constance. “I cannot explain it. I thought she would be safer with us. I do not think she is from the immigrant car, nor do I think she is mentally unstable. I intend to bring her to the house and see if she recovers her...”
“Wits?” Constance smiled.
“Constance,” Robert reproved. He bit his tongue against an acerbic retort. “Recovers her bearings.”
“Oh, I see,�
� she murmured. “Take care, Robert.”
Robert turned startled eyes to her. “Care of what, Constance?”
“Yourself.” She smiled, but her eyes were veiled.
“Nonsense, Constance.” He grinned, hoping to throw her off the scent. Was he that obvious?
****
The train pulled into Seattle’s Union Station at midnight. Having slept for the final two hours of the journey, Melinda and her friends quickly tidied their hair and donned their hats, jackets and shawls.
Robert stood and helped his grandmother to her feet. He signaled for Melanie to assist the exhausted and pale woman while he crossed the room and bent his head near Ellie.
“Just follow me.”
Ellie nodded, fascinated by the hustle and bustle accompanying the arrival of the train. As Robert moved away to supervise their disembarkation in an orderly fashion, she caught Constance’s eye again from across the room. For the past few hours, Ellie had been acutely aware of the dark-haired beauty sitting next to Robert, conversing with him in low tones...much to her chagrin. The intimacy of their conversation suggested a close relationship.
Had Robert forgotten to mention that he had a girlfriend, a lady love or whatever they called them in 1901? Had she bothered to ask? Could she awaken from this dream if it became unbearable?
“Ladies, shall we?” Robert took the lead and descended the steps, followed by his grandmother and Melinda, whom he assisted. The young women followed, and Constance brought up the rear. Ellie lingered a moment to study the Victorian carriage one last time, committing its details to memory. Constance paused at the door.
“Miss Standish, are you coming?”
Ellie turned bemused eyes on her. “Yes, I am. I’m right behind you.”
Constance gave Ellie a friendly smile and descended the steps. Ellie hesitated at the top of the stairs for a moment, gripping the handrail tightly. The last time she’d stepped off this train, she had passed out. What would happen this time?
