Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Twenty-one.”

  Aldous frowned as if concentrating for a moment. “That means you would be about her age.”

  “What was her name?”

  “Elsie.”

  Chapter 12

  Could this be possible? Could this man really be her father? Elsie didn’t want to get her hopes up. “Did you have a cousin named Dolina?”

  “Yes, I did. Do you know her? Do you know Elsie?”

  “Sir, I am Elsie, the daughter of Dolina’s cousin Alder, but my mother’s name was Jocelyn, not Jo. Not only that, my father died only nineteen years ago and my mother eleven years ago. You can’t be my parents.”

  “Oh, my sweet girl, time travel doesn’t work that way. Things aren’t equal. Your mother joined me eight years after I left, but I had been here for thirteen years. Time isn’t linear, and it only seems to connect at certain points. Nineteen years have passed for you since I left, but I have been here for fifty-eight years. I was Alder, and Jo was my nickname for your mother, Jocelyn.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “You’re really my father?”

  His eyes were bright as well. “I really am.” He stood and opened his arms.

  Completely bewildered, Elsie stepped into the embrace, returning it. She could no longer suppress her tears.

  “Oh, my darling girl, please don’t cry. I am so very sorry I abandoned you. I was young and the opportunities this world offered…but I never should have stayed.”

  “You’re wrong. Mama was able to come here because you stayed. Illness would have taken her from both of us had she not accepted the watch. Not to mention all the other lives who would have been affected.”

  “But you were left alone.”

  “I wasn’t alone. I had Dolina. I can understand your choice. Things here are truly wonderful. You said it a moment ago. In our time, commoners have no power, no voice, and no opportunity to advance. You have used your gift to do great things. If Elizabeth hadn’t changed souls with me, I would have been beaten to death by my Laird simply because I wouldn’t perpetuate a cruel lie. Da, I understand your choice.”

  His arms tightened around her and she felt him tremble, tears spilling down his cheeks. “Your mother and I have always loved you, Elsie.”

  After a moment, he released her. They sat back down, but he took one of her hands in his. “To honor you, we started a charity here to provide college tuition to young women in need. For years, your mother attended the college graduation of every girl who received the scholarship. There are simply too many now.”

  “Mama is still here? I thought maybe since you came alone…”

  “No, your mother is very much alive. However, I’ve never told her of my attempts to find out what happened to you. She doesn’t know I have met so many time travelers. I never wanted to raise her hopes only to dash them—it has been hard enough for me.”

  “Can I see her? Will you take me to her?”

  “Of course you can see her, my darling. I would take you to her now, but I wouldn’t want to take you away without Dr. Soldani knowing where you were. I imagine he calls to check on you when he can, and he would worry if you weren’t here. Does he know? Can you call and tell him?”

  “No, I haven’t told him about the pocket watch, and you’re right, he does call often.”

  “So it would be nearly impossible to explain to him why you were going anywhere with me.”

  “I suppose it would be, but I may not have much time here. I want to spend as much as I can with you both.”

  Her father’s face fell. “I had just assumed you would want to stay.”

  She smiled sadly. “It’s not my sole decision to make.”

  “Ah, that’s right. I’d forgotten about Elizabeth.”

  Elsie’s heart ached. “I doubt she will want to stay in the past. You know what it’s like there. She is a modern woman and a doctor. She belongs here. Besides, I think my mission is to repair the relationship between Gabe and Elizabeth. The feelings I have…well, I’m certain we, or rather they, belong together. There is also someone in my time who is important to me.”

  Her father nodded. “I understand. The blessing your mother and I have been given by your presence here is priceless. We will accept what we have and rejoice in it rather than mourn what we cannot have.”

  She squeezed his hand. Elizabeth’s parents had been such a disappointment; Elsie had felt sorry for her. She had lived most of her life without parents, but somehow having parents who were so detached seemed worse. Being given valuable time with her parents now, no matter how brief, was a gift beyond anything she could have ever hoped for. But it also hardened her resolve to help repair the relationship with Elizabeth’s parents. She had the opportunity to give the same gift she had been given.

  “I agree with all my heart.” She smiled broadly. “So when can I see my mama?”

  “I understand Gabe is working twelve-hour days this week. Is that correct?”

  “How do you know that?”

  He cocked his head and smiled. “I am a very wealthy man. I have contacts.”

  “Well then, you know it’s correct.”

  “Cheeky lass.”

  She laughed. “It is one of the wonderful things about the twenty-first century. I don’t always need to hold my tongue.”

  “Then enjoy it while you’re here. God knows you’ll have to mind it well when you return. I know Gabe will be at the hospital every day until late in the evening, so I will tell Jo about you this evening. I expect she’ll be here at the crack of dawn to see you, and I won’t be able to get a word in edgewise. So, unless you have other plans, I’d like to spend the rest of the afternoon getting to know you.”

  “I’d like nothing more.”

  Aldous did indeed spend hours with her. She learned that since he had been here for so many years, he had long since stopped thinking of himself as Alder. On the other hand, Jocelyn found it harder to think of herself as Judith. Since Jo was a pet name anyway, and Judith’s first and middle initials were J.O., she started going by that name and it stuck.

  She also learned that they had four children. Caroline was their oldest daughter. She was thirty-eight, married, and had three children. Three years younger than Caroline was Jennifer, who also was married and had two children. Xavier, their oldest son, was thirty-two, and David was their youngest at thirty.

  As Aldous told her about his other children, he became thoughtful. “I want you to meet them, but we need to think about how best to handle this. Biologically, they are the children of Aldous and Judith Sinclair, and thus certainly not Elizabeth Quinn’s siblings. But from a spiritual, philosophical standpoint, all five of you are the children of Alder and Jocelyn.”

  “I assume none of them know?”

  Aldous shook his head. “No one knows that I traveled here from the past except Dr. Rose and the other travelers I’ve met. Dr. Rose alone knows about Jocelyn. As advanced as things are in this century, there is no room for mysticism. Modern people believe in science. Every phenomenon must have a sound, logical explanation. Very few people are willing to accept anything on faith. Thus, if the story of our experiences with the pocket watch were to get out, your mother and I might be written off as lunatics.”

  “David is a friend of Elizabeth’s, maybe you can use the accident as an excuse. After all, both you and Mama have experienced amnesia.”

  “Actually, no one knows that about me. My parents kept it very quiet to avoid any sensationalism. I was young, and it was easy enough. It would have been impossible to keep Jo’s accident a secret. Although it was so many years ago, much of the buzz died down before our children were born. It isn’t a secret, but we never really discussed it with them. You’re right though, that may be just the thing. But first, let’s deal with Gabe. You can tell him that David informed me about your amnesia and I thought it might be helpful for you to speak with Jo but being cautious about my family, I wanted to meet you first. That will give you and excuse to spend time with your mother.”
>
  “That a good plan and it makes me feel better. I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell him, but I didn’t want to hide it from him, either.”

  “Then you can come to our home to visit. That way I wouldn’t have to leave members of my security team standing in the hall for ages.”

  “Oh, good heavens, I forgot. Dixon has been out there for hours.”

  “No, he hasn’t. I’m certain when it became clear that I was going to be a while, he sent for backup and they have been switching out. But it is getting late, and I should be going. Has Gabe taught you how to read numbers and use a telephone?”

  “Yes, and I’m learning letters, too.” She couldn’t keep the note of pride out of her voice. Only a commoner from her own time could appreciate the wonder of that.

  He smiled warmly. “Excellent.” He took out a small card and wrote a number on the back. “This is my business card. If you call any of the numbers on the front, someone will answer, but it will not be me. In most cases, they can find me or take a message. However, if it is urgent, call this number on the back. It is my private cell phone number. Only a handful of people have this, and I always answer it personally.”

  “Why would I need to call you urgently?”

  He smiled sadly. “We don’t know when Gertrude will come and tell you it’s time to exchange souls again. I don’t want you to leave without telling me. I want to be able to hug you one last time and say goodbye, and I know your mother will as well. Promise me.”

  Again, the idea of her time here ending caused her heart to ache, but she nodded. “I promise.”

  He hugged her. “And if you just want to talk to your da, call. That’s urgent enough for me.” He kissed the top of her head.

  She sighed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Da.”

  He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Yes, my sweet girl, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When she shut the door behind him, she leaned against it for a moment, swallowing at the lump in her throat. She had been given a tremendous blessing: time with a parent who she had thought was dead. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but now the thought of saying goodbye forever in a few weeks was almost too much to bear. Thoughts of Geordie and the family they would have together were the only things that kept her from breaking down.

  Chapter 13

  Although a twelve-hour shift was supposed to be seven to seven, Gabe rarely finished before eight or later. He arrived home at a quarter to nine that evening to find Elizabeth sitting at the table, doing pages in her workbook. He kissed her. “I missed you today.”

  “I missed you too.”

  “How did you spend your day?”

  “I worked in this book a lot this morning, but I had a visitor this afternoon.”

  Gabe was instantly wary. “A visitor? You let someone in?”

  “Yes. It was David’s father, Aldous Sinclair.”

  “Why on earth would David’s father visit you?”

  “It seems that many years ago, David’s mother had a serious head injury and suffered permanent amnesia.”

  “Why didn’t David mention that?”

  “I think it was so long ago—when his parents were still in college—it wasn’t really something they talked about much. And even then, their children didn’t fully understand the extent of it. He said memories sort of get filled in. People tell you so many of the important things that it feels like a memory eventually.”

  “I guess I understand that. But why did he come instead of David’s mother?”

  “He’s…cautious. He wanted to talk to me first. If it is alright with you, he is going to bring her to visit tomorrow.”

  “That’s fine. It’s a good idea actually, talking to someone who has experienced what you’re going through.”

  “I’m glad you agree. How was your day?”

  “Busy. I’m tired. I’m going to take a forty-five minute power nap and then a quick shower.”

  “If you’re tired, why not just shower and go to bed for the night?”

  “I would, but tomorrow’s Sunday. I missed Mass last week because of the snowstorm and I can’t go to a regular Mass working seven am to seven pm tomorrow. But there is one church in the city, St. Malachy’s, which has a very late Mass on Saturday nights. I usually go there on the weeks I work days.”

  “I can’t imagine many people go that late to Mass.”

  “Actually, there are quite a few. The church is in the theatre district. It’s also called the Actors’ Chapel. Mass is late so that performers and theatre patrons can go after shows are over.”

  “Can I go with you?”

  “To Mass? This late?”

  “You’re going.”

  “Yes, but you aren’t even Catholic.”

  “What do you mean? If I’m not Catholic, what am I?” She looked horrified.

  “You’re Episcopal, but you didn’t practice much of anything when we were in med school.”

  “What’s Episcopal?”

  “It’s a Protestant religion.”

  “No,” she said vehemently. “I’m Christian. I know I am.”

  “Sweetheart, Protestants are Christians, too.” This was another odd hole in her semantic memory. “It’s just…well, it’s really kind of a long story—too long for me to explain now. I would love for you to come to Mass with me if that’s what you want.”

  She nodded, but her brows were drawn together.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’ll like St. Malachy’s.” He kissed her before heading to bed.

  Gabe was too tired to think much more about it, but the power nap and shower revived him sufficiently. Normally, he would have taken the subway, but he wasn’t sure Elizabeth was up to that this late on a Saturday night, so he hailed a cab.

  Elizabeth was enchanted by the gothic revival church, dwarfed by the high-rise buildings surrounding it. Upon entering the church, she seemed to be a little surprised.

  “Is something wrong?” Gabe whispered.

  She shook her head. “No, it just isn’t quite what I expected.”

  He guided her into a pew. She didn’t genuflect on entering the pew and glanced curiously at him when he did. Her insistence that she was Catholic confused him. Maybe she had become Catholic in the last few years. He guessed that she might remember her new faith and still have forgotten some of the rubrics.

  He lowered the kneeler, and Elizabeth knelt to pray beside him. But what she did next absolutely floored him.

  She made the sign of the cross and whispered, “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.” Then she continued her whispered Latin prayers with the Our Father.

  Pater noster qui es en caelis sanctificetur nomen tuum adveniat regnum tuum fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo et in terra panem nostrun quotidianem da nobis hodie et dimmitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimmitimus debitoribus nostris et ne nos inducas in tentationem sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

  And she ended with the Hail Mary.

  Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui. Sancta Maria, Mater Domini nostri, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

  Gabe was nearly too stunned to say his own prayers. She can’t read, she didn’t remember being Protestant, and yet she prayed in Latin. Maybe she became Catholic and worshipped at a church that offered a Latin Mass. Honestly, it was the kind of thing the girl genius would do. He could almost hear her saying that if one was going to switch religions, one may as well learn another language at the same time. He thought he would ask her about it after Mass, but changed his mind. There was no getting around it: the things she remembered and didn’t remember were bizarre, and pointing them out often distressed her. This was confirmed by the fact that she became confused at several points during the Mass, and it flustered her. It was better to just let it drop.

  In the cab on the way home, Gabe put his arm around Elsie and she snuggled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. This felt so right. It was even b
etter than it had been in medical school. The idea that this could be his future, his forever, filled him with warmth. He kissed the top of her head and she sighed.

  “How are your ribs feeling?”

  “They hurt a little tonight.”

  He frowned. He had ensured that she iced them several times a day and took a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory whether she had pain or not. “Did you use ice and take the medicine I gave you?”

  “I did in the morning, but I forgot to while Mr. Sinclair was visiting.”

  “And you didn’t take the medicine and use ice after he left?”

  “No. I didn’t think about it because I wasn’t very uncomfortable.”

  “Elizabeth, you weren’t uncomfortable because you had been icing and taking the medicine regularly to keep the pain away. It takes four to six weeks for broken ribs to heal, and they can be quite painful for a while.”

  “It isn’t bad. I can stand it.”

  “That isn’t the point. When your ribs hurt, you move less, and you breathe less deeply. Those two things can result in other illnesses developing. Also, if you are already in pain, it may take stronger medicine to relieve the pain. And you don’t like the way that medicine makes you feel.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”

  “I know, and I should have explained it better. We’ll take care of it when we get home. You should feel better by morning, and tomorrow you can get back on a schedule again. But if you are still hurting by noon, I want you to call me.”

  “I will.”

  “I mean it, Elizabeth. Even if the Sinclairs are visiting, you need to do it. They’ll understand.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “Speaking of the Sinclairs, your social schedule is filling up. They’ll be here tomorrow, you and Dr. Rose are meeting your mother for lunch Monday, and you have your regular appointment with Dr. Rose on Wednesday.”

  She laughed, looking up at him. “Three appointments in otherwise empty days is hardly a full schedule.”

  “Well, just in case you get any more invitations, I want you to keep Saturday free for me.”