Now and Forevermore

by Minx Charmer

  Malcolm ignored her question and focused on her speech. “From where do you come that your speech is so vexing to me? Is it from one of the colonies?”

  Summer laughed content that he seemed stronger. “And how is my speech ‘vexing’ to you and what colonies are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense at all. Now I am sorry you are sick, but I brought you some tea to drink. Its herbal so don’t worry that it’s not good for you. You do know what tea is, don’t you?”

  He did not look pleased with her attempt to belittle him. “Yes madam, I do know what tea is.”

  Summer stepped back and put her hands on her hips “So, I am madam now am I? First I think you said my lady and then enchantress? What happened to all that ‘gentlemanlike’ charm?”

  He groaned and put his hand over his eyes. “Please give me some refreshment. I can no longer bear the feeling of thirst.”

  Summer felt sorry immediately for teasing him. She got a glass of cold water and gave him as much as she could, careful not to overdo it. Then she managed to get some tea down his throat before he lost consciousness again. For over an hour she watched him with a thoughtful expression on her face.

  In the list of things she had ever done in her life, this had to be the most daring, but she would think about the repercussions later. At the moment, she needed to run. She had to wash up after dinner and the sooner she got back, the better. With deft movements, she cleaned up the area and removed Malcolm’s dirty shirt and the tie thing around his throat. Then she covered him with a small sheet and ran back to the house. Hopefully Aunt Vivian would be in a good mood.

  ~~~~~~~0~~~~~~

  Vivian’s lips thinned as she observed the empty plates littered on the table. They stood out as a sore thumb and reminder that Summer was late. A flash of rage shot through her and she turned to Matthew with venom in her eyes “You should do something about that daughter of yours. Don’t you see how unruly she is? Did you know I asked her to peel the potatoes in a certain way and she didn’t want to do it? Can you believe the audacity of that kind of behavior? I made sure she scrubbed the upstairs and downstairs floors to teach her proper respect, but this is unheard of. We clear the table immediately after we eat. You know it’s been done that way for years, and your daughter is not here to do her work. This is too much to bear, do you hear me Matthew?”

  Matthew struggled to understand through the fog of drunken stupor, but he couldn’t make out the details. Something about Summer and the potatoes. Rousing himself as best he could, he mumbled “She will, I mean she has to learn…you teach…good manners….you teach…good Vivian. Good Vivian.”

  Vivian muttered in disgust and ignored the drunken sop at the table. His crumpled shirt, skewed tie and bits of food at sides of his mouth made her skin crawl. And the half drunk bottle of rum testified to his dissolute lifestyle. It had been years of the same unbearable behavior which had gotten old over time. Matthew just seemed to pass from one drunken stupor after another, aimlessly wandering about to give her cause for disgrace. The neighbors couldn’t get wind of the situation, so Vivian confined him to the house and the grounds. But she blamed Summer for the entire affair. When Matthew lost his wife in childbirth, his life fell into a void and he couldn’t bear to look at the child. A child that resembled her mother more and more with each passing year.

  “Mother just ignore him. You know how he gets when he’s drinking that thing. Besides I want cherry jubilee and I shall die if I don’t get served soon.”

  Edith’s petulant cry did not fall on deaf ears. Vivian pushed back her chair and rose to her feet, when Summer flew into the room with a bright, cheerful face. Vivian sat back down and glared at her niece “Summer, this is highly irregular and I must say completely uncalled for. How dare you leave us in this manner? You know my rules around the household and you should—”

  “I’m sorry Aunt Viv.” Summer blurted out cutting her off midsentence “I had to change my clothes and I got a little later than planned, but I’m here now. Please don’t worry. I’ll have this cleared away in no time.”

  Vivian tilted her head and observed Summer in silence. With a critical gaze she noted the sleeveless dress with ruffles along the neckline. Its A-line cut flattered the girls figure with its graceful curves and Vivian caught her breath. Where had the time gone? Shocked to see how much Summer had grown into a stunning beauty that far surpassed Edith, she snarled “Tardiness is a most unattractive quality in a woman Summer, and a change of clothes is not an adequate explanation. Explain to me why I keep you under my roof if your rummaging about means the desert will not be served right after dinner?”

  Summer mumbled her apologies and picked up the plates with deft fingers. Her father did not acknowledge her presence, and when she picked up Edith’s plate, her cousin wrinkled her nose in distaste. With a petulant tone, she screeched “You smell like the sea and that scent is nauseous. Why didn’t you wipe away that horrid scent, or at least clean yourself up a bit better? That dress is tacky and cheap. ”

  Summer groaned in silence and bit her tongue. She didn’t need this, and she had to get back to Malcolm. “I’m sorry for the scent cousin Edith. I’ll bring your desert in just a moment.”

  As she balanced the plates, cutlery and wine glasses on a big serving tray, Summer tried to move as fast as she could without appearing to be in a rush. She hoped to finish in time, and get Malcolm something to eat without her aunt’s knowledge. That desire proved more complicated when Vivian murmured “Where have you been today Summer? I could not find you this morning just after breakfast.”

  I helped a man that fell out, not out, from behind a mirror. “I’m sorry aunt, I ran over to the library to help Mr. Neely. You know he needs someone to help him clean the books and the shelves get so dirty.”

  “Really? It seems that I don’t give you enough to do around here. Well then, tomorrow that will change. I want you up bright and early and I will give you specific instructions as to what needs to be done around here. Besides, you know Charles is coming in two days and I want this house to be spotless. As a matter of fact, you should start tonight. You get entirely too much sleep as it is.”

  Summer blanched in distress. The unfair comment cut deep. “But Aunt Vivian, it’s eight o clock already and I have to—”

  “How dare you speak back to me in that tone young lady? How dare you? Do I not give you enough around here? Is your home not the best on this island? Your clothing the most that money can buy?”

  Summer glanced away in distress. Her aunt hadn’t bought anything for her in years. All of her clothes belonged to her mother that she adjusted with a sewing machine. But if that is what her aunt wanted to believe so be it. With a weary sigh she tried to appease her by softening her tone “Dear Aunt, I will do whatever you ask of me, but please I need—”

  “I will not hear another word. There are two bedrooms that need to be cleaned on the upper level and the quicker you get started the better. You know Charles loves the blue room and he always puts his luggage in the red room, so both need to be dusted out and cleaned again.”

  Summer felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. Those rooms had just been cleaned, and Charles lived and breathed for others to pick up after him. “Aunt I just cleaned them…and you know that I…”

  Vivian’s pinched face brought Summer’s faltering words to a halt and she bowed her head. What was the point? “Yes, Aunt Vivian. I will take care of it. I’ll be right back with your desert.”

  ~~~~~~0~~~~~~

  It took Summer another two hours to serve desert, wait patiently for her aunt, father and cousin to finish and clean up the kitchen. The staff always retired in the early evening and Summer handled all housework from that time on. Not one of them cared for her and none ever offered their help. They bowed to her aunt and her aunt alone. So it remained Summer’s responsibility to clean each plate, glass, spoon and fork by herself. And after that, it took another hour to rush through the blue room and r
ed room with the appearance of cleaning it yet again.

  She managed to make her way down to the cave in the dead of the night and found Malcolm crouched at the corner of the bed with his head in his palms. When he heard her footsteps, he stood up and spouted poetry in a slurred voice “Dear enchantress, where have you been on this lonesome night? I am lost without you and my heart is shallow and empty.”

  Summer put her hand on his forehead. It burned under her touch and she groaned. She didn’t have much medication in her cave, but there were some pain killers and fever reducers. They would have to do and she hoped he reacted well. She managed to get two of them down his throat, put him on the bed and laid him back gently. Reluctant to leave him, she watched him for while. He thrashed from side to side and mumbled things about Lady Beatriz and the knight that ran around the kingdom picking roses for her hand. Whatever that meant. Then a Sedgwick someone with a nasty game in the dungeon.

  Other ramblings were hard to understand, but Summer shushed him as best she could, bathing his brow and neck with a cool washcloth. After twenty minutes he calmed down and fell into a fitful slumber. She breathed a sigh of relief and made sure he was as comfortable as possible. She hoped he would sleep for the rest of the night, but for the moment she would have to leave him. In the morning, she would decide what to do.

  ~~~~~~0~~~~~~

  Malcolm opened his eyes and saw the stone ceiling above him. He leapt to his feet only to have his feet crumbled under him, when his head swerved in an unnerving way. Struggling to his feet, he glanced around and tried to locate his whereabouts. Nothing was familiar to him and he felt the need to escape. He reviewed his attire and scowled. His cravat was gone and so was his shirt. The maiden must have taken it because he could not see it anywhere. It was unseemly for him to leave without formal attire, but he would have to try. He did not understand what Sedgwick had done, but he wanted no part of it.

  He ambled towards what seemed like a doorway, and it took several turns before he found the outdoors. The pain in his eyes blinded him, and he struggled to adjust to the light. It took a few moments before he saw where he was. Beautiful and vibrant, the sea rolled away on a white path along the coast. Confused as to how he ended up near the water, he turned to the stone wall built next to the path that led down to the sea. Perhaps he could find someone in there that would help him. With that resolve he made his way up the. It was then that the enchantress appeared and walked towards him. His clothing lay in her hands, and his thoughts struggled to make sense of it all. Did she really bring him to the land of the sea? He needed to know. With a strong voice he called out “Greetings.”

  ~~~~~~0~~~~~~

  Summer plodded along lost in thoughts. She didn’t realize Malcolm stood on the pathway until she ran right into him. When he reached out to steady her, she noted with apprehension that he walked towards the house. She couldn’t handle that can of fish right now. He had to get back inside and the sooner, the better. Without a word she pulled him back down the trail. He resisted her attempts to take him back by planting his feet on the ground. No matter how much she pushed she couldn’t budge him.

  Frustrated she glared at him and pointed towards the cave. “What are you doing out of bed hmmm? Talk to me now and get back inside before someone sees you.”

  He frowned and responded “Enchantress, your words are vexing, but I have decided to be amused at your tone. Now tell me, where have you brought me and which place is this? I have never been here before. Are we still in England?”

  Summer needed him to cooperate so she played along “You fell out from behind a mirror. That is precisely what happened and I want to know what you were doing in Mr. Neely’s library, and how you got here in the first place. Tell me now quickly before I chuck you somewhere else.”

  His lips tilted in a smile that did not reach his eyes “This game no longer amuses me. What is ‘chuck’ and where will you ‘chuck’ me?”

  She raised her eyes to the sky and stamped her feet “All right enough. Where are you from? How about that? You tell me exactly where you’re from and then we will go from there.”

  He did and Summer laughed so hard, tears ran down the sides of her face. Malcolm waited until she finished before he murmured “The truth does not sit well with you enchantress?”

  With breathless laughter, she shook her head “No, and please stop calling me enchantress; I am nothing of the sort. I am just a girl. So now that you have told me where you are from, I will tell you where I am from. My name is Summer, I am twenty years old and I live on an island called Cyrianne. Oh and the year is 1987 by the way since you said you are from 1820, which is frankly ridiculous and a total bold face lie.”

  Her words had the strangest effect on him. First he became amused, then incredulous, then shocked and finally lost for words. He stood there for a long time, until she shifted in uncomfortable silence. When he reached out she fought the urge to run away, until he traced the curve of her face with a gentle touch. Her nerve endings lit on fire, but she stayed as still as possible. Once satisfied he removed his hand and sat down on the ground, staring out to the sea.

  Summer felt her heart would break at the lost look in his deep blue eyes, but she sat beside him and held his hand. He squeezed it in return and whispered “You do not jest with me?”

  “Jest, uh I don’t really know what that means, but uh, I guess no?”

  He shook his head as though trying to clear his mind “This is really this year that you speak of?”

  She nodded and smiled “Yes of course. And now you finish with the games and tell me where you are really from.”

  He exhaled deeply and repeated “The year 1820 of our lord.”

  Summer blinked at his serious expression “You are really good, but you have to tell me. When you did you get here to the island? I mean the population is about forty five thousand and I don’t know each and everyone, but I do know quite a bit and since my Aunt likes to pretend that she is the lady of the manor and all that ,I am aware of those who—”

  His hands over her mouth stemmed her words and he murmured softly “My honor precedes me and declares that I tell not an untruth.”

  His quiet response made more of an impact that a shout at the top of his voice, and Summer stared at him in shock. “Puh-lease, do you expect me to believe that? Now tell me where you came from. I want to know.”

  He shook his head and put his hand over his heart “I do not lie. What I have told you is the truth.”

  No quick response came to mind, and she struggled to make heads or tails of his words. Then her sense of reason kicked in and she jumped up angry at his attempt make fun of her. “Listen here buster; I don’t like people laughing at me, and since you stayed in my cave last night- and that is not something just anyone does- I don’t like your lies even more. And I do not care where you came from, but I want you to go back right now, do you understand? You will go right back and stop this ridiculous game, because that fever has gone to your head. Now you are going back to my cave, you will get dressed and you will skedaddle out of here. No questions about it, all right? I mean I indulged in the fantasy that you could have come from some faraway place, but not the 1800’s. Come on now. What do you take me for? A fool? I don’t think so. Now come with me, you are going back right now.”

  He did not object to her fury and allowed her to lead him back to the cave. She gave him his clothing, more like thrust into his hands, and told him to dress in icy tones. Then he followed her out to the road curious to see where she led him. The path along the way seemed well traveled, but it was narrow and full of small rocks. However the edges were covered in green grass and small purple flowers as far as the eye could see. When Summer came to a full stop and pointed to the contraption, Malcolm’s reeled back in amazement. What in the king’s ransom could it be?

  ~~~~~~0~~~~~~

  Summer wanted him gone. Her first thrill of discovering a handsome stranger quickly faded into the realization that she had no idea where he came fro
m, much less how she he would return. She had no money to her name, and she couldn’t reveal a man out of the blue. And she didn’t want to rock her relationship with the family especially after the night before. Most thought of her as crazy for staying around people who treated her like a slave. But her sense of duty to her father was strong, and the promise to her dear departed mother remained clear. She also held out a faint glimmer of hope that one day her father would declare some kind of love for her.

  So where to go for help? Old Ben would try, but he had no money to speak of. On top of that he would eventually rat her out to her father, which was tantamount to telling her aunt and that wouldn’t do. And now that Malcolm was out and about, someone might notice and begin to ask questions. Questions she couldn’t answer. So that left one thing to do. He had to go back and if she had to stuff him into that mirror to make that happen, so be it.

  With that firm resolution, Summer opened the car door and told Malcolm to jump in. A quick glance around revealed him as missing in action and Summer gasped. He had vanished. She jumped back out prepared to run in every direction to find him, when she stumbled upon his body half hidden under the car. Stunned, she fell to her knees and cried “What in the world are you doing under there? Get out before you get hurt or something.”