Once Found: The Pocket Watch Chronicles

by Ceci Giltenan

  “Tell me, Elsie, did you contact or visit him?”

  As soon as Gertrude said it, Elsie felt like a prime idiot. She shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”

  Gertrude patted her on the arm. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Simply becoming accustomed to life here was a monumental task. If Elizabeth were coming back, connecting with her mother in the short-term would have been sufficient. But now that you have elected to stay, you must reach out to him as well.”

  Gabe stiffened. “You don’t mean to tell him about the pocket watch? He will be convinced that we are all crazy.”

  Gertrude laughed merrily. “Nay, of course not. But ye must help him face the fact that Elizabeth’s memories, other than her love for Gabe, have not returned and may never return. Only after he accepts that will he be ready to be a father to Elizabeth as she is now.”

  “I’m not sure he can be convinced,” said Gabe. “Fugues nearly always resolve.”

  “The operative word being nearly,” said Gertrude. “The fact is fugues don’t always resolve, and while both Dr. Rose and Dr. Levi have agreed on a diagnosis of fugue, in the absence of a documentable physical cause, they also both agree Elizabeth’s condition is extremely atypical. James is a doctor, so use science. Jo may be an asset there.”

  Gabe nodded. “That could work.”

  “There is one last thing. Do you remember the return word? The word I told you not to say when you woke in the hospital?”

  “The return word?” asked Elsie. “I’m sorry, I don’t think so. It was a terribly odd word. Why do I need to know it now? We’ve both decided to stay.”

  “Yes, and while I am certain neither of ye will change yer mind, ye continue to have freewill, so ye could theoretically still change places for the next twenty-two days while the return word remains active.”

  The color drained from Gabe’s face. “Dear God, I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “There isn’t much cause for worry. As Elsie said, it’s an odd word, and she was never likely to say it accidentally, but we cannot risk it. So, Elsie, the word ye must not say is nintendocore.

  Elsie nodded. “I didn’t ask before, but just out of curiosity, what is it?”

  “It’s a music genre,” said Gertrude.

  Gabe shook his head. “I’ve never heard of it. How on earth did Elizabeth decide on that as the return word?”

  “That’s another story altogether. The important thing is that Elsie must not say it in the next twenty-two days.”

  “My lips are sealed.”

  “And with that, my work here is done. However, I will offer ye one last bit of advice. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: love is a marathon, not a sprint. Ye are soulmates, but that doesn’t mean yer life will always be perfect. Ye will hit rough patches as everyone does. Be steadfast. Remember yer love for each other and aim for that finish line many miles down the road, not the fast, easy solution.” She smiled broadly at them both and opened her arms. “Now, give me a hug. I must be going.”

  They hugged her, and Elsie said, “Won’t you stay long enough to see my parents? I know they’d love it.”

  “And they might, but they have no need to see me. I am needed elsewhere.”

  With that, she dissolved into mist.

  Elsie looked at Gabe. “I wonder if we’ll ever need to see her again.”

  “Part of me hopes not. I think in this case, no news is good news. Speaking of good news, let’s go tell your parents.”

  The Sinclairs were as overjoyed as they were relieved.

  Elsie’s mother took her hand. “When I found out you had come forward, I was ecstatic. It was a miracle I’d never dared hope for. When I learned you would probably have to leave again, I vowed to make the most of our time together. And yet, I knew it would never be enough. I prayed fervently that Elizabeth would elect to stay in the past.”

  “But I was the one who would have to say the word.”

  “Oh my precious child, I know you. You would not have said the word until Elizabeth completed her task, and I doubted you could be convinced to force her to stay in the past if she wanted to come back.”

  “I fear I’d almost decided to do that just before Gertrude told us it wasn’t necessary.”

  Her mother hugged her. “You are a good woman, and thanks be to God that you didn’t have to make that choice.”

  Her father put his arms around them both, kissing Elsie’s head. “Our little lost bird is returned.”

  Chapter 28

  Charlotte Quinn stood staring out her office window. She was not one to given to tears. Ever. Not even as a child. She couldn’t remember the last time she cried, but tears slipped silently down her cheeks now.

  Her daughter was gone.

  Elsie had called a little while ago. “Hi. Would you have a little time later? I need to talk with you.”

  “I’m a bit busy today. Maybe we can have dinner tomorrow?”

  There was a pregnant pause before Elsie said, “I’d love to have dinner with you tomorrow, but this can’t wait.”

  “We could have a late dinner this evening.”

  “It would be better if we had privacy.”

  Charlotte’s hopes had soared. If Elsie needed to talk privately and the issue couldn’t wait, perhaps it meant she and Elizabeth would be switching places soon. “All right. Come to my office. The address is on the card I gave you. I’ll make time for you when you get here.”

  Elsie arrived with Gabriel Soldani within the hour. Charlotte finished the telephone conference she was on before her assistant showed them in.

  But Elsie had not brought news of when Elizabeth would be returning because Elizabeth would never be returning.

  Charlotte had wanted to rail at Elsie and Gabe. She wanted this to be their fault. Elizabeth had made the independent decision to stay in the past. Yes, Elsie and Gabe were happy about it, but it seemed Elizabeth hadn’t known that when she elected to stay.

  Elsie had said something about wanting to stay in Charlotte’s life.

  Charlotte hadn’t really processed it. “Yes, I’m sure we’ll see each other again. Now, I’m terribly sorry to rush you out, but as I mentioned on the phone, my schedule is overbooked this afternoon. I’ll have my assistant call and set up some time to chat next week.”

  “But—”

  “I said I’m busy. We’ll discuss this some other time.”

  The words had appeared to crush Elsie, but Charlotte was feeling too crushed herself to say any more.

  Gabriel Soldani stood and took Elsie’s hand. “Come, Elsie. There will be time.”

  When they were gone, Charlotte called her assistant. “Clear my schedule. I’m not feeling well.”

  Charlotte wasn’t sure how long ago that was. She was still trying to process the fact that her daughter was lost to her forever when her intercom buzzed.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Quinn. There is a woman here insisting on seeing you. I’ve told her there’s no time in your schedule, but she is adamant that you will see her. She says her name is Gertrude.”

  Charlotte swiped the tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath, trying to regain control. “Yes, I’ll see her. Send her in.”

  “Good afternoon, Charlotte. I hope I’m not disrupting yer afternoon overmuch. Thank ye for squeezing me in.”

  “I’m fairly certain you are aware that I cleared my schedule. But if I hadn’t, I certainly would have made time to see the woman who lured my daughter away from me.” Charlotte found it nearly impossible to keep the bitterness from her tone.

  Gertrude tsked as she sat in one of the visitors’ chairs without being invited. “I did nothing of the sort. I offered Elizabeth an opportunity. The choice was completely hers—as was the choice to stay in the thirteenth century.”

  “Are you saying my daughter, my only child, chose to leave us forever?”

  “Charlotte, leaving ye was not the choice. It was only a consequence. She discovered her true destiny and chose to follow it.”

&
nbsp; “That doesn’t change the fact that Elizabeth is lost to me forever.” Charlotte’s heart ached unbearably.

  “I see. Ye spent a lot of time with Elizabeth? The two of ye were very close?”

  “Yes, we were close. Well, not terribly close, I guess. We both have careers.”

  “But ye were close when she was younger?”

  “She has always been a bright, driven young woman, focused on her future.”

  “So ye were there at her side, cheering her on?”

  “She didn’t need that. She was self-motivated.”

  “Self-motivated? My, that sounds impressive. But I suspect the truth is more that ye and yer husband were absentee parents.”

  Gertrude’s words hit hard. “How dare you suggest that? Elizabeth had the absolute best of everything.”

  “I didn’t suggest ye were negligent. I said ye were absent. Those are two very different things, and if ye’re truly honest with yerself, ye’ll agree. Ye and Dr. Quinn were very busy. Nannies, housekeepers, and teachers cared for Elizabeth. She did have the absolute best of everything…except her parents’ time.”

  Charlotte opened her mouth to defend her choices, but she simply couldn’t when she looked into Gertrude’s eyes. She looked away. “I know it’s true.”

  “The fact is, as I told ye when we first met, Elizabeth had been unhappy and floundering for some time. Ask David Sinclair if ye don’t believe me. She was searching for purpose in her life and has not only found it, but she has also found the love she craved.”

  “Could you talk to her for me? Could you tell her I love her and I want her to come home? She still has time to come home, doesn’t she?”

  “Mrs. Quinn, ye’re not listening. I know ye love yer daughter but until she took the pocket watch, ye barely had a relationship with her. I have just told ye that not only has she found her destiny, but she’s blissfully happy. Do ye really want her to return to a life where she felt adrift? Do ye want her to turn away from a love that completes her? Shall I tell ye what will happen if she does?”

  Charlotte didn’t want to hear this, but she didn’t stop Gertrude.

  “If she comes home, she will return to her life as a doctor. She might rekindle her affection for Gabe or find someone else, but any relationship in the future will pale in comparison to the love she knows now. For the most part, yer lives will all return to the way they were, and ye’ll forget ye almost lost her eventually. Other things will become more important once again. ‘Twas already beginning to happen. When Elsie called earlier, ye intended to put her off until tomorrow. And as for Elizabeth, after a glimpse of pure happiness, life here will become a sad, mundane existence. Is that what ye want?”

  “No, but I don’t want to lose my daughter.”

  “Choices like this are seldom easy. But for every sad consequence, there are multiple blessings. There’s still more to this story. The skills Elizabeth passed on with such joy ensured that the MacKenzie women delivered healthier children for generations. In fact, ye’re here today because of her. In the fourteenth century, one of Elizabeth’s heirs married the leader of Clan Matheson—from whom ye’re descended.”

  “Are you saying that my daughter is my great, great, however-many-times-great-grandmother?”

  “Nay, of course I’m not saying that. Yer daughter’s physical body and DNA are still here in Manhattan. A Macrae lass named Elsie was yer great, great, however-many-times-great-grandmother. But yer daughter’s heart and mind and soul brought knowledge and skills to the clan from whom yer forbearers came. Had it not been for Elizabeth’s legacy, her youngest great-granddaughter would probably never have been born. That sweet lass married Laird Matheson, becoming yer ancestor. But there are other blessings. Blessings here for ye.”

  “What possible blessing could come from losing my daughter?”

  “Elsie is a fine lass with a gentle heart. It was because of Elsie’s goodness and sense of honor that she’s here and Elizabeth’s body didn’t die. Her noble choice changed the way things usually work. She, like Elizabeth, has found her soul mate. Elsie and Gabriel Soldani were meant to be together. And don’t forget that she resides in your daughter’s body. Her children will be yer grandchildren, and if ye allow her to, she’ll embrace ye and ensure that they are a part of yer life. What’s more, as painful as it may occasionally be, she’ll be a living, loving reminder of what should always come first.”

  Charlotte nodded sadly. “You’re right. The night the police arrived to tell us about the accident, I realized how very close we’d come to losing her, but we had already all but lost her.” She looked at Gertrude again. “My husband was furious that it took so long to inform us, but the officers said she hadn’t listed us as emergency contacts. They only found us as quickly as they did because someone at the hospital recognized her.”

  “Gabriel.”

  Charlotte nodded. “It’s a terrible thing to realize you have grown so distant from your child. When we arrived, she seemed so fragile and afraid, but she clung to Gabe instead of turning to us. James meant well—he just wanted to ensure she had the very best possible care—but he only made things worse.”

  A lump rose in her throat, and she swallowed hard against it. “When I learned about Elsie, it somehow made Elizabeth’s rejection sting less. After all, it wasn’t really her who refused to go home with us. But now Elizabeth has turned from us again, only this time it’s forever.”

  “Charlotte, ye’re missing the point. She didn’t turn away from ye. She turned toward her true purpose, toward the life she longed for. Would ye want anything less for her?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then rejoice in her happiness, and accept the gift that Elsie will be in your life. Love her. Let her love ye in return. Celebrate the grandchildren she’ll give ye. Can ye do that?”

  Charlotte considered Gertrude’s words. The truth in them was undeniable. Eventually, she nodded. “I can.”

  “And don’t lose sight of the fact that part of Elizabeth lives on in her, just as part of her remains with Elizabeth. They are, essentially, two sides of the same coin.”

  Charlotte considered that for a moment. “I guess you’re saying that my daughter has changed, but she is still my daughter.”

  “Exactly.”

  Remorse filled Charlotte. “I sent her away. She came to talk to me, and in my grief, I sent her away.”

  Gertrude smiled. “She is a loving, forgiving woman. Reach out and she’ll return.”

  Chapter 29

  Elsie was thrilled when, after recovering from her initial shock, Charlotte reached out to her that evening.

  “I’m sorry I hurt you this afternoon, darling. It was hard news to hear. But she is living a life she chose with a man she loves. I could not wish more for her than that.” Charlotte sighed. “Is living? I guess I should say lived. Her life ended centuries ago.”

  “I don’t think of it that way,” said Elsie. “If I’ve learned nothing else, it’s that time is not linear. After all, Gertrude can pop back and forth between us. Maybe it’s easier to think of her as just being somewhere else.”

  She and Gabe had dinner with Charlotte the next evening to discuss the best way to handle Elizabeth’s father.

  “Maybe we should all go to Baltimore this weekend,” said Charlotte.

  Gabe’s brows drew together. “We could, but I think if we hope to have him accept that Elizabeth may never recover her memories, perhaps he should come here. That way, we can set up a meeting with Dr. Rose and perhaps Mrs. Sinclair.”

  “A meeting with Jo Sinclair? Why?”

  While Aldous Sinclair preferred that no one ever knew he had used the pocket watch, they agreed that if necessary, Elsie could tell Charlotte that Jo had. The fact that Jo was Elsie’s mother would remain a secret—at least for now.

  “Were you aware that Mrs. Sinclair once suffered profound retrograde amnesia?”

  Charlotte nodded absently. “Vaguely. But that was from a head injury not a fugue. I u
nderstand that fugues generally resolve. I think James would see these as two entirely different situations.”

  Elsie looked at her pointedly.

  “You don’t mean…are you saying Jo Sinclair…?”

  Her point made, Elsie smiled. “I’m saying she once suffered profound retrograde amnesia from which she never recovered.”

  Gabe nodded. “If the goal is to help Dr. Quinn accept that Elizabeth’s memories will not return, we may have an easier time of it with both Dr. Rose and Mrs. Sinclair available. I fear the harder part will be telling him Elsie and I are engaged.”

  Charlotte nodded. “You’re right on both counts, but it must be done. I’ll call him this evening.”

  Elsie took a deep breath. “I think I should call him.”

  “Are you sure, darling?”

  “I’m sure…Mom.” Elsie had avoided ever calling Charlotte Mom, but she and Gabe had discussed it and agreed that had to change. In private, the Sinclairs were Mama and Da. Elsie needed to begin thinking of Charlotte and James Quinn as Mom and Dad.

  Charlotte took her hand and simply said, “Thank you.”

  When Elsie and Gabe returned to the apartment, Elsie sat at the table staring at the phone trying to gather her courage.

  “Elsie, you can’t just sit there. The phone isn’t going to dial itself.”

  “I know.” Still, she didn’t reach for it.

  “Charlotte said she would call him.”

  “I know, but it’s better if I do.”

  “Then you have to put on your big girl panties and do it.”

  “My big girl panties?”

  “It means to find your courage and do the mature, adult thing. Call your dad.”

  “Okay,” Elsie said resolutely.

  “Good,” he said, before leaning down to her ear and whispering, “And when you’re done, I’ll take off your panties and do another mature, adult thing.”

  “That’s certainly incentive.”