Steam Over Stephensport: Steam Through Time Series - Book 2

by Carolyn Bond

  “Oh, I’m sure it won’t be a bother. And we will have such a delightful time! We will actually be staying in Versailles not far from Lexington. We can visit my dear friend Suzanne. I haven’t seen her since I spent two years at Sayre Female Institute as a young lady. You will love her.”

  “Sayre, you say?” Lily said, wondering if it’s the same school in Lexington in the current time.

  “Oh, yes. Those were the days. Teas and dresses and giggles. The days of girlhood. So different from today. For me, at least. I’m sure it’s all the same for Susanne. Marrying William changed my life a great deal, but I’d have it no other way.”

  ***

  The train pulled up slowly at the station. The deafening cha cha chushhh of the steam escaping the powerful engine made Lily’s ears ring. She had been on historic train rides where refurbished engines pulled weathered train cars to give you a taste of the past. Those train rides didn’t compare to the real thing. The bright blue velvet seats, the wood trim gleaming from layers of polish, even the engine which seemed just a little more powerful as it ate up track like a lion bounding across a field, it all gave her goosebumps. She sat next to Bettie who worked on needlepoint all the way there. William sat across from them in the bench seat. They faced each other as a grouping. Lily watched out the window and marveled at the neatly painted homes that dotted the hillsides as they came into town. Finally, the train stopped with a jolt that sent them swaying in their seats.

  The conductor hollered out, “Versailles station!” He quickly strode down the center aisle to make his way to the next car.

  “That is us, my dear,” said William as he rose and offered her his hand to help her up. Bettie stowed her needlework in a tapestry bag which she slung over her arm before taking his hand.

  “Are you ready, dear Lily?” Bettie offered, looking over her shoulder as she turned away from the window. Lily followed them to disembark.

  On the platform, William tipped the conductor for getting their bags out of the storage compartment and carried them to the ladies. Bettie scoured the crowd for a glimpse of Suzanne.

  “Bettie! Bettie! Is that you?” They heard a holler near them. Turning, they saw a woman hurrying along the rail with a gentleman following behind her.

  “Suzanne! Look at you! It’s been so long. Has it been six years?” The ladies hugged and then held each other’s arms as they looked at each other.

  “Yes, I believe it has. It was just after little Carlton was born. Now he is a half-grown little man!”

  “Oh, I’d love to see him. Come to the inn for some refreshment and you can rest.”

  “That sounds lovely. Oh, Suzanne, I would like for you to meet our,” she hesitated, “our cousin. This is Lily Wallingsford. She is staying with us a while.”

  Susannah looked her up and down and smiled. “Well, aren’t you a pretty thing.” She turned to Bettie, “Your cousin, you say?”

  “Yes, it’s a bit complicated, but yes. She is now engaged to our Mr. McEwen back at the farm. Do you remember him from my letters?”

  “Yes! How wonderful! I surely can’t wait to hear all the details. Let’s make our way to the inn.”

  The group of five made their way to the carriage waiting in front of the station. Suzanne’s husband, Edward climbed into the driver’s seat and gave the reins a snap. The carriage pulled away and the clopping sounds of the horse’s hooves filled her ears.

  Lily had been to Versailles many times. It was just a short drive from Frankfort. She always enjoyed the lush green rolling hills of horse farms along US 60 that connected Frankfort to Versailles. The town seemed like a movie set with characters roaming around a movie-perfect, fake landscape of shops and businesses. A law office, a dry goods store, a post office all had their place. Several nice homes lined the street. They turned off the main street and an inn came into view. It was two stories with a large porch that wrapped around to the side. The side porch was screened in.

  She felt an energy here. A warm tickling of excitement washed over her arms and up her neck. It felt magical but she couldn’t figure out why.

  William helped them out of the carriage and they stepped up onto the porch.

  “Welcome to the Versailles Inn, ladies. I hope your stay is good,” said Edward. He ushered them into the front room. “I will speak to the kitchen about some light refreshment, if you will make yourselves at home.” He disappeared down a hallway behind a staircase in the foyer.

  They all sat and gave a sigh of relief that the journey was done. Suzanne discreetly looked over Lily when Lily was looking the other way. Lily could feel her eyes taking inventory. She wondered if there was something wrong with her clothes or whether Suzanne was just snobby.

  “Suzanne, Lily and I were hoping to do some shopping in Lexington while we are here. Lily’s bags were lost in an accident when she arrived. I have helped her with her wardrobe but she really needs a few things. Perhaps you could go with us? It would be fun!”

  “An accident? Dear child, were you hurt? Was it awful?” Suzanne directed her questions to Lily.

  The hairs on Lily’s neck pricked up and she quickly reached to massage the back of her neck. “No, thank goodness. My carriage got swept away in the river. I’m not sure how it happened,” she paused to think about the accident again, “but Bettie’s farm hand, Mr. McEwen, pulled me out.”

  “How terrifying!” Suzanne kept staring at her. “I’m sorry to stare. You just, well, for some reason you remind me of my dear friend Everleigh. Perhaps you’ll meet her while you are here.”

  “Oh, do I look like her?”

  “Sort of, yes, but, it’s the way you talk, really. Your casual lilt in your speech. And I suppose how you carry yourself.”

  Bettie watched Suzanne with curiosity. “Interesting. Yes, she does have a slightly different accent. Where is your friend Everleigh from?

  “Charleston, actually.” She gave an amused laugh. “I suppose her accent is very different. It’s more the words she says.”

  “Suzanne, tell me how is your life? What have you and Edward been doing these days?” said Bettie.

  “We run the inn. It does well. There are always customers. I have been helping my friend Everleigh with her school. She has a school for lunatics and retarded souls.”

  Lily cringed when she said retarded.

  Suzanne noticed the discreet facial change, “Why you are just like her. She does the same thing. -Says that we should not call them lunatics. I don’t know what else to call them, but Everleigh says they are,” she paused thinking, “challenged. That’s it.”

  Lily froze. Only a person from the modern time would use that word. “Challenged, you say?”

  “Yes. Odd, isn’t it?” said Suzanne.

  “Certainly. I’d like to meet your friend. Could we visit her? Maybe I could see her school.”

  Bettie added, “Suzanne, Lily is a school teacher,” nodding.

  “How wonderful is that?” Suzanne’s eyes lit up.

  “Yes! She has been taking over at our Stephensport school while she is visiting. We were in the lurch when our last teacher ran for the hills.”

  Lily chuckled to herself. There have been many times over the last few years she wanted to just ‘run for the hills.’

  “Well, I’m certain we will see her soon,” said Suzanne.

  “See who, Suzanne? Are my ears ringing?” A delicate blond woman stepped into the parlor. She had a broad smile and an easy demeanor. Lily noticed right away this woman did not carry herself like the women of this time. Suzanne jumped up and reached for the woman’s hands before pulling her in for a kiss on the cheek.

  “Why, you, darlin’. You’re always the talk of the town, aren’t you?” Both woman laughed at that.

  “Well, that’s just great. What have I done now?”

  Lily rose to her feet, transfixed by this woman. Suzanne introduced her, “Everleigh, please meet my dear friend Bettie and her cousin Lily. Lily is her guest for a while and seems to think you and sh
e would have a great deal in common.”

  Everleigh turned to Lily now with interest. She looked into her eyes, “Do I know you?”

  “I don’t think so, but we may have been to the same place once.” Lily was careful to tiptoe around the conversation until she was certain.

  “And where is that?”

  “Oh, it’s hard to get there. Or rather, it’s hard to get here when you’ve been there.”

  “Is that so? And,” she paused, “how did you get here from there?”

  “A car accident.” Lily threw the word car in there hoping to get her point across. If Everleigh was not a time traveler, her next question would be to ask what a car was.

  “A car accident?” She now stared into Lily’s eyes. “Were you hurt?”

  “No, ma’am, but my car, I mean carriage, was swept away into the river. It was very confusing. I must have blacked out. I never felt the impact.”

  “I see. Well, we must talk more. Perhaps after tea we can take a walk in the garden. I would love to get to know you better.”

  ***

  They didn’t say a word as they walked along the garden path. Lily stole a glance back toward the inn and turned to Everleigh. Everleigh put a finger to her lips to silently prompt her to stay quiet. They reached a bench near a pond where sprouts of grass hugged the edge.

  “Okay,” said Everleigh, “I think we are alone now.” She looked intently at Lily as though answers would show through her skin.

  “I’m from 2018,” Lily whispered.

  Everleigh’s eyes opened a bit wider. “I,” she started but then broke off.

  “Are you a time traveler, too?”

  “Yes, but,” she broke off again.

  “So, can we get back? When are you from?” Lily scrunched her mouth at her mangled grammar. “I mean, from what year are you?”

  “I came from 2016, but it’s complicated. This is not my body.”

  “Not your body? So you, too?” Lily took a step back.

  Everleigh looked at her stunned. “Yes. I was in my thirties. I had a career in business consulting. My mother gave me a gift, a bar of soap that has a spell on it. When I bathed with it, it transported me back and in this body.” She gestured to herself with her hand.

  “Hm. Well, I was a teacher in 2018, in my thirties. I have no idea what caused the time travel. I careened off a bridge in my car and somewhere before hitting the water, I think the time and body change happened. My car sunk to the bottom of the Ohio River after I managed to get to the creek bank.”

  “Well, then. I guess there is more than one way to do it. I still have the bar of soap that has a spell on it. It caused me to travel back in time to this body. I always assumed I could use it again and go back, but I didn’t want to. I love my life here.”

  “I see.” Lily stopped breathing for a moment. “The only thing I can think of was that I had a sprig of a cedar branch tucked in my hair. I’ve mulled it around and I remember there was a legend about cedar trees being the tree of life and housing the spirits of ancestors. Maybe there is something to that. I really have no idea. So, are our bodies still back there? In the future?”

  “I don’t know. I guess since I don’t need it anymore, I don’t care. Maybe it died without my spirit. Maybe it’s in a hospital somewhere being taken care of. I really don’t know.”

  “Do you think it would work for me? The soap? I don’t know how it all worked to get me here. One minute I was driving. I must have driven off the road. I hit a curb near the bridge. I remember the car careening through mid-air and then nothing. The car with me in it was sinking in the water. No boom. No splash. It’s like that time in between was cut out or maybe I was in between.”

  “Fascinating. So, you want to go back? I mean, there is nothing here that holds your heart?”

  Lily mulled her words in her mind. Her parents were back in 2018. How could she leave them, she wondered? She would never see them again. But, if she left this time period, how could she live without Evan? Their images blurred together making her head hurt.

  “My parents,” she paused, “they are the only family I have. But,” she continued, “there’s someone here that I’ve met. I love him.”

  A tear swelled and spilled. She couldn’t choose. What kind of unfair God would make her choose this? Perhaps it was all beyond her control anyway and she was stuck here.

  “Oh, sweetie, don’t cry. We will figure this out. For now just enjoy your time here. That can’t hurt anything, right?”

  Lily nodded. “I’m so glad to have met you. I don’t feel as alone.”

  “That’s right. You’re not alone. One thing I do know is that you aren’t here by accident.” Everleigh gave her a quick hug. “You and your friends must come to dinner at my house. We can visit more then. I’d love for you to meet my mom and dad. Dad is a whole other story that I will tell you about later.”

  “Your mom and dad? They time traveled, too?”

  “Like I said, that’s a whole other story.”

  “Well, that sounds great, Everleigh. Thanks so much. Meeting you has made me feel so much better.”

  Chapter 8 - Turn of the Century Church

  William spent several days on his business and Lily and Bettie rarely saw him. They enjoyed shopping in Versailles and spending time at Suzanne’s Inn.

  William and Bettie were having coffee on the porch. The golden morning light poked through the white trellis, highlighting indigo blue morning glories.

  “A letter came this morning that was penned by the elder of the church in Stephensport, Mr. Ames. Do you know of him?” said William.

  “Yes. His wife is a dreadful woman. I know her from the quilting bee.”

  “Apparently, he is becoming ever more vociferous about Lily teaching the girls to read. He would like a full review of her curriculum as soon as we return.”

  “I’m not surprised. His own wife can’t sneeze without getting prior permission. What’s worse is she seems to think herself fortunate to the point of being holier than anyone else because she is married to the domineering deacon.” Bettie pushed out her lips into a pucker and rolled her eyes.

  “Whatever Mrs. Ames thinks, it matters not. Mr. Ames could make it very difficult for Lily. He has a great deal of authority over the town. Many feel that if the lower class women learn to read, our whole way of life will be jeopardized. They fear that women won’t be satisfied to raise a family and keep a home.”

  Lily had stepped onto the veranda just in time to hear his comment.

  She interjected, “And is it better for a woman to never realize her full potential? What if all men were saddled like oxen to pull a plow all their life. Would not the men who are good at law or preaching miss their calling? Lumping a whole group of people into one pot is not utilizing their God-given abilities.”

  “Oh, Lily!” He stood out of respect as she approached the table. “Please join us.” He stepped around the table to pull out her chair. I’ll have another place setting brought out. Excuse me.” He went inside the inn.

  “So how did this conversation come up?” Lily asked.

  “Well, the town council is getting their dander up because you are teaching the girls to read. Apparently you are going to have all those girls running off and taking men’s jobs next.” Bettie smiled at her.

  “I see. If they are more qualified then maybe the men should move over.”

  “You and I know that, but you may be messing with very old ways of thinking.” Bettie winked at her.

  They both sat in silence a minute before Bettie continued, “It’s not that you aren’t doing the right thing. It’s all about how you can present it so that the men think it was their idea.”

  “That’s a tall order, Bettie.”

  “It is, but it’s not impossible.”

  “I’m curious as to how much of this is coming from Brian Everbright, as well.”

  William returned with a server in tow. The server placed a coffee cup on a saucer and poured her fresh coffe
e.

  Bettie turned to William, “What do you think Lily should do?”

  “I’m not sure. There was a time when I had no issue with the way our school taught all the children. As I have been around Lily more, I’m not sure I’m comfortable anymore. Perhaps we are doing a disservice to the young ladies of Stephensport.”

  “William! It pleases me greatly to hear you say that. I was worried about what you would say about my plans for today, but now I am more certain than ever. I would like to take Lily shopping in Lexington and to visit some of my old friends from Sayre. I’ve heard that some are making groundbreaking headway at settlement schools in the mountains.”

  William’s forehead creased. “Be careful, darling. While I agree with the direction Lily is going, I also know that change doesn’t come easy.” He looked at Lily with a clenched jaw. “There will be resistance.”

  “Now, William, we are just going visiting. We won’t stir up too much trouble.”

  “Visiting is fine. I just know what the ramification of the visits can be.”

  Bettie smiled at him innocently and batted her eyelashes. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”

  He pulled her hand closer so that he could kiss her cheek. “Still darling, use caution.”

  ***

  After breakfast, Bettie and Lily boarded a carriage that took them to Lexington.

  “Lily, we have been invited to tea at my friend Eileen’s home. I haven’t seen her in years since we were in school together at Sayre. I really think you’ll adore her. She’s smart as a whip. She’s friends with Mary Desha and, my word, that woman can get a bee in her bonnet! Apparently she is in a tizzy about how the government is letting people live in Alaska with little to nothing. She’s been teaching there for about a year.”

  “She ran a school didn’t she?” Lily remembered from a DAR meeting presentation.

  “Yes. You’ve heard of her, then. She and her mother had a fine school. Then she worked for the schools in Lexington. She was supposed to be back from Alaska soon, but I don’t know if she is yet.”