“Ashford—”
Duncan, Ashford’s beleaguered valet, appeared at the door before she could get another word out. “Yes, sir?” he asked before nodding politely at her. She nodded back, feeling as if she were getting caught up in a whirlwind.
“We’re leaving straight away on a long trip, Duncan,” Ashford started. “Have a seat. I’ll make you a list of instructions.”
“Where are we going?” Tilly demanded.
Ashford blinked at her, surprised she was still there. The gleam in his eyes was stronger than before. “To where it all began, my love. Home to Scotland, where the very ground is steeped in magic. Now shoo, I want us to be off at first light tomorrow.”
***
Tilly pulled her head out of Nathan’s wardrobe, arms loaded with clothing. She dumped it on his bed where Farrah sat tidily rolling everything and transferring them to yet another packed trunk. They and every other house servant had been working nonstop since Ashford had made his decree that they were leaving, and Tilly finally sat down in a heap of wooden soldiers and plush animals, wiping the sweat from her hairline.
“This is going to be a caravan,” she said, scooping the soldiers into their hinged box. “But Ashford won’t say how long we’ll be gone, other than ‘a good long time,’ so I hate the idea of the boys being without their favorite things.”
Farrah smiled at Tilly’s imitation of Ashford’s stern voice. She didn’t pause in her diligent packing, catching a wooly elephant with one hand and dropping it onto the clothes in the trunk.
“He had Thomas locked up behind closed doors for hours,” she said. “And no matter how much I badgered him, he refused to tell me anything.” She stared at Tilly, worry in her eyes. She had taken care of Ariana since birth and had always been a faithful friend to Tilly since they had first met when both of them were stranded in the wrong time. “Except that he wants Thomas to head for Castle on Hill when we get to Scotland.”
“What? Why?” Tilly recalled with a jolt and answered her own question. “There’s that other portal there.”
Farrah nodded. “He was meant to slip away secretly but I think he knew I’d never marry him if he pulled such a stunt.”
Tilly pushed aside the age-old argument of why Farrah refused to marry poor Thomas when they had been head over heels in love for eighteen years. She suspected that since Farrah was from a freer time, they had been enjoying the perks of marriage most of those years, but Thomas wanted nothing more than to have her all to himself in their own home. Tilly figured Farrah would let him off the hook when the boys were grown and no longer needed her care. Selfishly, she was glad her friend was so fiercely independent because she didn’t think she could handle those three imps on her own.
She put aside thoughts of her governess and Ashford’s longtime assistant and grew heated at the idea that Ashford was trying to slip something past her.
“Why in secret? If he thinks that portal is a viable option to finding Ariana, why shouldn’t we all go?”
“I don’t think he does think it’s a viable option. It’s more of a desperate last resort and he doesn’t want your hopes to get up or for you to worry more.”
“Don’t defend him after he tried to get Thomas to lie to you,” Tilly sputtered.
Farrah only calmly shrugged and started packing a new trunk. “Don’t get too angry. I told him I was going to tell you and that if he went to Castle on Hill, I’d be going as well.”
“Are you sure you want to risk getting lost in time again?” Tilly hugged a battered toy giraffe to her chest. She had made one for each of the twins when they were first born, and this one had survived to be loved by her youngest.
“If I thought this was anything other than a last resort, or that the portal up there would happen to open at the very moment we arrive, then I’d be scared.” Farrah frowned, probably thinking of the first time she’d been pulled through the Belmary House portal. It ended up being for the better, and she was happy now. “Actually, I suppose I’m a bit scared. But according to that ratty old book Thomas still has, there won’t be any openings for months. I think Ashford just wants eyes on it in case.”
“In case? Does he think Ariana might travel through it?”
Farrah looked away, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Like I said, I think he’s desperate.”
They all were. Before Tilly could start up a fresh round of crying, which she really didn’t have time for, a maid stuck her head in the room.
“Lady Ashford, if you’ll unlock your jewelry box for me, I can get your baubles packed up nice and safe for the journey.”
Tilly slumped, not having started on her own packing yet. “That’s all right, Edith. We’re only going up to the farm. I won’t need any jewelry.”
The young girl bit her lip. “I beg your pardon, but Lord Ashford has just now told me to pack up every last trinket. All your fine gowns as well.”
Every last trinket and gown? “How long are we going to be gone?” she asked. No one bothered to answer her and she didn’t want to waste time arguing. She’d been married to Ashford long enough to pick her battles. Perhaps he anticipated getting one of the time travel spells to work and wanted her to have appropriate costuming in case they needed to blend in.
“I can finish up the boys’ things by myself,” Farrah said.
Tilly sighed and hauled herself to standing, following Edith to her own chamber so she could help pack up every last trinket and gown.
***
They rode in silence for most of a day. Tilly leaned her head against the padded window frame, watching the rolling green landscape pass by maddeningly slowly. It had been ages since she’d missed something from her own time but she would have loved a direct flight from London or even a fast train. Hell, being stuck in traffic would beat the plodding pace of their caravan. There was one carriage for the boys and Farrah, three huge carts laden with their luggage, the carriage she rode in with Serena and Kostya, and six armed men on horses to make sure they weren’t bothered by anyone who felt the need to waylay them and partake of every damn thing Ashford had insisted they bring. It was ridiculous and embarrassing.
One thing she couldn’t complain about though was how little time it had taken to pack everything up. Every servant they’d ever had was pressed into duty and she herself had been up until four in the morning trying to wrangle the boys and their things, getting in a quick breakfast before they set off at first light, just as Ashford had wished.
“It will be lovely to be home again,” Serena murmured, just as Tilly was drifting off to sleep. She decided to pretend she hadn’t heard and let the gentle sway of the carriage continue to carry her off to a much needed nap. “Why isn’t Ashford with us?” Serena persisted. “Wasn’t this his idea? The rush to be off, I mean?”
Tilly sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “Who knows. He wouldn’t say a word directly to me since he set his mind on leaving. He ran around muttering under his breath or shouting at the servants all night. I’m sure he’ll catch up to us eventually.”
“Yes, he said he’d meet us at the inn tonight,” Kostya said. “I’m not sorry he’s not riding with us,” he continued unabashedly. “I’m sure we’d come to blows after how…”
“Irritating he’s been,” Tilly finished for him.
The truce they’d made before Ashford got a bee in his bonnet to race to Scotland was on shaky ground. She still wasn’t convinced it was a good idea to leave Belmary House. If there was the least chance Ariana returned there for any reason, she wanted to be able to grab her and hold on tight.
“Yes, a bit,” Kostya said, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. “But I do believe we’ll have much better luck in Scotland. One, it should be safe since we know the land surrounding the estate was much the same in your time as it is now. And two, we won’t have that malevolent curse fighting everything I do.”
Tilly nodded, her spirits lifting despite the jab about the curse. “Yes, it looked almost exactly the same when we visited t
he area in my own time. A little less forest, perhaps.” She slumped against the side of the carriage. “I just wish it wasn’t taking so long. Every day that goes by is another day Ariana is in danger.”
“Or not in danger,” Serena encouraged. “We don’t know she’s with Nicholas Kerr. For all we know he’s still in Italy where you sent him all those years ago.”
Kostya clapped his hands together. “That’s it. It’s been under our noses and we never thought of it. Too simple I suppose.” He looked gleefully at them until Serena poked him to continue. “All we have to do is verify that the scoundrel is still in Italy. It’s as simple as asking his brother.” He pounded excitedly on the roof to get the driver to stop. “I’ll send one of the riders off to the Kerr estate to invite Jeremy for a visit. He won’t think anything odd of it since Ashford will be there. All we have to do is casually ask after his brother. The answer will certainly be that he’s safely in Italy, which will at least assure us that he’s not in another time with Ariana.”
Tilly gaped at him. It really was incredibly simple. Their panic must have kept them from thinking straight. “And we’ve done so much to change things, it’s likely he will be there.”
“Yes, of course he will,” Serena said, gripping Tilly’s hand. “We’ll still need to look for Ariana, but we can rest easy she’s not with him.”
Tilly nodded, not sure she could rest easy until she heard the words out of Jeremy Kerr’s mouth. Not until Ariana was safely back with her. But a very small amount of tension eased in her shoulders and neck and she prayed with all her might that Nick was nowhere near her daughter.
Chapter 9
Nick paced restlessly while Milo prepared the time travel spell behind an abandoned warehouse. Nick thought of Ariana’s fears of ending up in the middle of a crowd or worse, underwater or entombed in stone. He shuddered and ran his fingers through his hair.
“We should have done the traveling spell back at the mansion,” he muttered. “Not in this godforsaken place. We could stumble upon any sort of trouble doing it in the middle of the docks like this.”
Milo paused his preparations and gave him a mildly amused look, then swept his gaze to the left and right. There was no one about save a few curious rats. Even the old building was clearly empty, its boards so loose and ramshackle Nick could see clear from one side to the other from where they stood outside.
“Don’t fret yourself to bits,” Milo said in a condescending tone. It made Nick want to kick the man in the middle of his shiny, bald head as he knelt on the ground mixing herbs. “This warehouse still stands empty in 1814, though it’s quite a bit sturdier back then. We’ll not be seen.”
To Nick’s relief, Milo was right. They arrived in his original time without a hitch. Nick saw the gleam of satisfaction in Milo’s eyes and almost wished they had caused some sort of ruckus, just to have something over the self-righteous buffoon.
They ambled toward the shipyards, looking for the ship Nick was meant to take to Italy. He kept his cloak pulled up close around his chin and his head down, not wanting to run into someone from his own time. The chances of meeting someone he knew at the docks should have been slim, but once he’d been banned from all the gentlemen’s clubs and gaming halls, he’d ended up losing even more money at the seedier establishments nearby.
He didn’t know what drew him to cards and dice so voraciously that he’d go without food or the company of a beautiful woman in order to test his luck. His luck the last year had been horribly bad. He should have stopped when his brother reluctantly agreed to pay off his debts to society, but then he’d run up a whole new batch with people who could do a lot worse than snub him at parties. Jeremy had washed his hands of him. They had five sisters after all, and they needed dowries more than he needed his reputation in London mended. Nick wrung his hands as he shuffled after Milo in search of the proper dock, remembering the shame of having to admit how low he’d sunk. Not only did he fear for his safety if one of his creditors found him here, the thought of Milo’s reaction to his utter disgrace made his insides churn.
They finally found the right ship, only to learn it was to be delayed until the next morning. Nick turned away from Milo to hide his horror. Where could he go? How could he ask Milo to take him back to 1889 where he’d be safe until morning? His pride warred with his common sense, trying to decide what to do.
“Shall we have a drink while we figure this out?” Milo asked, pointing to a pub Nick had been to before. Had lost more than one game of cards there. “What’s wrong?” Milo prodded when he didn’t answer right away. “You look as green about the gills as if you were already on the high seas.” His eyes narrowed with ruthless glee. “Afraid you’ll meet an acquaintance of yours around here?”
Nick’s pride won the battle. “Nonsense. Just irritated at the delay.”
“Come along, then.”
Nick tucked his chin further into his collar and hurried past the small crowd of people to the farthest available table in the back of the pub. He pushed down his disgust at the thin sheen of grime on the chipped wooden table, tried to block out the clogged, greasy smell emanating from the fireplace that looked as if it hadn’t been swept in months. This place had suited him fine when he’d been hungry to win back his lost fortune not so long ago.
“I’ll go place our order, since it seems you want your privacy,” Milo said, dropping his travel bag onto the seat next to Nick.
He hurried off to the bar, but not before Nick saw the knowing look on his face. How he hated that man! Only a few more hours, he told himself. Get him to secure you a room, have him be on his way, and hide out until morning.
He knew when he returned from Italy with the funds from his investment, he could make everything right. He’d fix things up in this time, then be on even footing with Ariana. Perhaps he could work it so that they’d be able to visit his brother and sisters one day, have a normal life.
These comforting thoughts got him to somewhat relax his shoulders. He was facing the wall, his cloak covering most of his face, his woolen cap covering his easily recognizable golden hair. The odds were against anyone knowing him. His luck couldn’t be bad all the time.
As Milo returned with two mugs of ale, a rowdy group of men pushed their way through the door. Their jovial voices made Nick shrink further into the corner, stealing away his moment of peace. He could tell by their accents they were from the gentry, slumming and looking for a bit of gambling and rough revelry.
“Friends of yours?” Milo asked, his voice sounding overly loud to Nick’s ears. He stood there openly gawping at the group as if he were waiting for an introduction.
“Sit down and lower your voice,” Nick hissed, shrinking further into the corner. He was trapped now. There was no way he could leave without being seen. He’d have to ride it out and put up with Milo’s infernal mockery. He peeked over his shoulder and his stomach sank. “Yes, they are actually friends of mine,” he said bitterly. “They were once, at least. I doubt they’d be pleased to see me now.”
“Then we won’t invite them to join us,” Milo said. “I ordered us pork and potatoes, which was the only choice I was given. I’m certain we can stay hidden from their view while we dine.” He waved his hand and whispered a few words. “There. As good as invisible to all but the serving wench.”
Nick refused to show outright gratitude, but shrugged out of his heavy cloak with a grim smile. It was stifling so close to the fireplace and now that Milo had cast some sort of spell around them, he could safely take it off and be as comfortable as possible. Not that he would feel truly safe or comfortable until he was well on his way to Italy. If any of his debtors caught up with him, he’d end up in prison or bleeding in an alley. He cursed the delay of the ship.
“Do they have a room available for me?” Nick asked.
“Yes, but I doubt it will be near what you’re accustomed to.”
Nick sighed and sipped his ale, wincing when the group of revelers barked with laughter and settled only
one table away from them. He instinctively ducked his head when Giles Brimley stared straight at him. He owed the man a considerable amount. But Milo’s spell held fast and Giles’ gaze skated past him as if he weren’t there. Nick relaxed again, wishing for the thousandth time he had the abilities Milo had.
“What will it be tonight?” Giles boomed as he waved over the serving girl. She looked put upon but dutifully came and took the rowdy gang’s order. Nick was somewhat ashamed. They were really no better than common thugs, and he had once been happy to run with them.
Nick watched as one of the group pulled out a pack of cards and held it up for the rest of the patrons to see. “Who will join us and try their luck?” he called.
A few men looked up and scowled at them, only wanting to have a drink after their long day at the docks. The highborn men were undeterred and began dealing amongst themselves. Nick felt the siren call as the cards flew across the table and landed in front of each man in an enticing pile. What would each hand hold? Fortune or ruin. Sweat beaded at his brow and he forced himself to look away.
“Nasty habit,” Milo said, shaking his head at the gamblers. “But you already know that. Else you wouldn’t be racing off to foreign shores.”
“It’s a sound investment. I’d go even if…” Nick stopped, his ears perking up. Had he heard one of the men say his name?
“Bloody bounder’s been missing for weeks. No one’s seen hide nor hair of the scoundrel.”
“Jeremy’s beside himself, thinks the bastard’s probably been murdered.”
Nick flinched. Yes, they had to be talking about him. His brother thought he was dead? It had never occurred to him that Jeremy would give him a second thought when he ran off with Ariana. He leaned closer even though they were speaking loud enough for anyone in the place to hear.
“It’d be nice to find him if only to get the reward Jeremy’s offering,” Giles said bitterly as he inspected his cards. “God knows it will be the only way I’ll ever be paid what I’m owed.”
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