by Sky Winters
From the moment that she began, she felt as though her hands were on fire, burning with an electricity that she had never felt before. Usually when she played, she was in absolute control, every move calculated to best serve both the song and her audience. This piece though, took all control away from her. It transformed her, making her one with the music. She felt it in every inch of her body and it was glorious. It reminded her of why she had fallen in love with music as a child.
When she played the last note, the room began to spin. She tried to stand but she could not take her fingers off the keys. Instead, everything around her went dark. It felt as though she was weightless, floating. The air whipped around her, but there was nothing there for her to hold on to.
What she felt next was a crushing pain as she landed, hard, on stone. She looked up to see two women staring down at her, in finely dressed clothing from a past era. She tried to focus, to understand what was happening to her, but the pain was too intense and she lost consciousness again.
Chapter 2
When Jill next opened her eyes, she was no longer on the cold stone upon which she had landed. Instead, she was in one of the most lavish rooms she had ever seen. When she toured, she usually stayed in five star accommodations, but none of them compared to this room. The walls were covered in intricate carvings of flowers, as was the bed. The headboard towered over her. The linens were beautiful and so soft she felt as though she was wrapped in a cloud. The rest of the furniture in the room was equally luxurious. Several high back chairs were placed about, as was the most beautiful vanity she had ever seen.
As she continued to survey her surroundings, she was startled to see a man sitting in the corner, glaring at her. She jumped when she saw him at the electricity she felt in his gaze. His clothing was old fashioned too, much like the women she had seen when she fell. It was then that it began to dawn on her that all of the antiques surrounding her looked remarkably new. Either she had stumble upon some theme hotel, she thought, or somehow she had ended up in Regency era England. Both explanations, she knew, were unlikely considering that only moments before she had been in her little country cottage, simply playing her piano.
“Where am I?” she asked guardedly of the man who glared at her from the corner.
“You do not know?” he asked skeptically as he rose to come closer to the bed. He stood over her, staring down at her with an anger that she did not at all understand.
“Everything is such a blur,” she muttered, placing her hand on her aching head. As she came more and more awake, she became more aware of just how much her body hurt. At least, she knew, the fall that she remembered taking was real.
“You are in London, in my townhouse,” he replied, his eyes locked on face as though he was studying it for a deception.
“What am I doing here?” she asked, truly uncomfortable now with his presence in her room. She could feel the negative energy spewing off of him. It was true, he was a handsome man. His black hair made his strong features all the more appealing. His blue eyes would have been beautiful if they were not looking at her with such annoyance.
“My sister and mother found you on the street,” he said, pacing around her like a predator.
“On the street?” she asked, not at all sure how that was possible.
“Quite unconscious. They thought though, from your clothing, that you must be a lady. They could not in good conscious have just left you there,” he explained. His words were plain enough, but his tone told her that he did not at all believe that his mother and sister finding her was a coincidence.
At his mention of her appearance, she looked down to see that she was wearing a green day dress. She might have thought that they dressed her in it when they found her, but it fit her too perfectly for that to be possible. Jill could see how they might think she was a lady, though she could not think for the life of her how she had come to be wearing it.
“My head throbs,” she said as she rubbed her temples. Nothing made sense and the harder she tried to concentrate on all that had happened, the more her head hurt.
“Yes, the doctor speculates that you had a nasty fall,” he responded, looking as though he did not believe that for a minute.
“That does not make any sense,” she said, trying to focus on everything that had happened. Everything felt so real, but it was impossible. She vividly remembered the feeling of her fingers on the keys of her piano only moments before and now, somehow, she was in another land and another time.
“No, it does not,” he muttered, a calculating look on his face. It was clear that he was not happy with her presence, she just had no idea why.
“Are we here alone?” she asked, realizing just how inappropriate that was for the time that it appeared that they were in. Perhaps she was dreaming after all.
“Yes,” he answered, smirking. There was no sign that he was even the least bit embarrassed by their current circumstance. Oh course, it did not truly bother her either but she was from a different time in which it was not at all odd for men and women to be alone together. Here, it was an entirely different matter.
“Is that not improper?” she asked, though she already knew the answer. She thought perhaps if she could draw him out a bit then he might be able to give her some clues as to what had happened to her.
“It would be if you were a lady, but I have my doubts. I wanted to see if you spoke any words in your sleep that would betray who you really are,” he explained, looking as though he would gladly have thrown her out on the streets while she was still unconscious. Something about her bothered him on a deep, emotional level, and she had no idea why.
“Well if you figure it out, do let me know. I have not the foggiest idea,” she retorted, knowing that the cover of amnesia was safer for her than trying to explain to him that she had traveled through time. The man was already skeptical of her and telling him something like that would give him enough cause to turn her over to a sanitarium.
The one thing she was certain of what that there must be a way back to her own time somewhere. There had to be if there was something in her own time that had sent her backwards. She just needed to find it and she would not find it in a sanitarium. She needed to remain free to explore and find her way home.
“Oh do not worry. I will,” he growled.
Just as he finished speaking, she heard footsteps rushing down the hall. Suddenly, the door to the room burst open. There, stood a lovely older woman. She was short, with bright eyes and a sweet smile that put Jill completely at ease from the moment that she saw her.
“Oh good, you are awake,” the woman cried as she crossed the room quickly and took a seat on Jill’s bed.
“Yes, I am terribly sorry but I do not remember you,” Jill answered apologetically, not sure what on earth to say to the woman.
“Oh you were out like a light my dear, no need to worry,” she said with a smile as she placed her hand gently on Jill’s shoulder. It was only then that she seemed to sense that they were not alone. She turned to face the man who Jill had found in the room with her when she awoke and the older woman did not at all seem happy to see him there. “Gareth, were you closeted in here alone with this young lady?” she demanded, clearly his mother by the tone in which he allowed her to speak to him.
“Yes mother. I thought I heard something. I thought she might be in distress,” was his answer as he feigned innocence. Things began to make more sense to her. The lady of the house had found her and rescued her. This Gareth gentleman had had no say in the matter, and he clearly was not in favor of bringing her in to their home.
“Were you my dear?” the woman asked, looking concerned that perhaps she had some sort of health scare. She could have exposed his lie to his mother, but she did not think that tattling on him to his mother would make him any less suspicious of her presence in their lives.
“No my lady. I was just shocked to wake up in a strange place,” she said, which was not in itself a lie, though that had not been what brought him i
n to her room.
“I am sure it was quite a shock,” she said, taking her hand and squeezing it encouragingly. Then, she rose and walked to the door and called out, “Gabby, come here. She is awake.”
Then, Jill heard a flurry of footsteps and quickly, a young girl rushed in to the room. She was perhaps fourteen, with her mother’s eyes and lovely blond hair that made her look like an angel. Her cheeks were rosy from rushing and her smile was sweet and genuine when she saw for herself that Jill was indeed awake and well.
“Oh Miss, I am so happy you are alright. The doctor looked so grave when he left here we were afraid we might lose you,” Gabby cried with glee as she rushed to her mother’s side.
“The lady does not seem to have any memory of who she is,” Gareth added, the acid in his voice ignored by his mother and his sister who were used to his suspicious ways.
“That is simply terrible,” Gabby said, looking horrified. She gave Jill a look full of such sympathy that it made her feel terrible for lying to them, but she could not think of a way to tell them the truth without sounding mad.
“Yes, my girl. You must stay with us until your memory returns,” the older woman said in a tone that left no question that she meant each word she said.
“I could not impose,” Jill said, hating the thought of putting them out but not entirely sure what she would do if she left their home. They were, after all, the only people in that time that she knew.
“I will not hear of you leaving until you are well and can be restored to your family,” the older woman said, shaking her head and ending all debate on the matter. Though her son, standing behind her, clearly was not in agreement with her decree.
“Yes, you must stay,” the young girl said, looking excited at the possibility of having a new friend under her family’s roof, even if that friend was a bit of a mystery.
“Alright. Would it be terribly rude of me to ask who you all are?” she said, embarrassed to be taking advantage of their kindness without even knowing their names.
“Oh, aren't I a ninny! I am so sorry my dear. This is my daughter gabby. I am Patrice, the dowager Duchess of Kimble and this is my son Gareth. He is the Duke of Kimble,” she said, brushing past their titles as though they were little more than formalities, but they filled Jill with dread. These were powerful people, and that made it more important than ever that she keep her secret from them.
“Thank you all for your kindness,” she remarked as the pounding in her head grew worse.
“Think nothing of it. I will send in a maid to help you get cleaned up and perhaps you can join us for afternoon tea,” the Duchess said with an inviting smile. Jill looked at the window and realized it was still quite early in the day. Perhaps if she rested a bit, she could take tea with them and try to learn all she could about what had happened to her and how she had managed to end up in their time.
“I would like that very much. Thank you,” she said as confidently as she could manage. The smiles on the two women’s faces told her that she had chosen the correct answer, though the Duke was clearly displeased at the thought of her growing closer to his mother and sister.
With that, though, they all left her to rest a bit before tea time. Once she was in the silence of the empty room, she could not help her curiosity. She jumped from the bed and ran to the window. What she saw outside truly took her breath away. There was no denying that she was in Regency era London, the real questions were how and why.
Chapter 3
Once the maid arrived at her room, she was so pleased to be able to take a warm bath and begin to pull herself together. The absolute shock was beginning to wear off and she felt much more like herself by the time the woman returned to help her dress. She brought with her a spare day dress that belonged to the Duchess. It was a lovely shade of light green, and it was finer than even the gowns she wore during her own performances across the country. The maid worked quickly to get her hair pinned up in the fashion on the day. As she watched her work in the mirror, she saw herself truly transform in to a woman of the era and it was a bit terrifying.
While the woman worked, Jill was able to ask her a few questions. The most important information that she gained was the location of the clothing that she had been found in. The Duke had made reference to her being dressed as a lady, but that seemed impossible. Her last memory of her own time had been a moment where she had been wearing simply jeans and a blouse. There was no way that anyone would see a woman dressed like that in this era and assume she was a lady.
Though the maid left only moments before she was expected to go downstairs for tea, she could not help but search for her things. In the wardrobe that the maid had mentioned, she found a plain grey dress that was clearly of the time, torn as though the wearer had had a bad fall. She also found a necklace, which she recognized instantly. It was a silver pendant that had been a gift from her mother when she began her first major tour as a concert pianist. She was so relieved to see it that she could feel tears of relief welling in her eyes. At least she had something to connect her to her own time and her true self. She had lost her mother not long after that tour, and she rarely took the necklace off. It was a part of her identity as much as her own heartbeat. She had just finished clasping it around her neck when she heard a knock at the door and Gabby entered.
“Miss, I am so glad you feel well enough to join us,” Gabby said, clearly so relieved to see Jill dressed and moving about. The young girl clearly had a tender heart and had worried deeply about her wellbeing.
“Thank you. Please call me Jillian. I found it enshrined on the back of my necklace,” she said as she clutched the pendant in her hand. It was not a lie. Her mother had inscribed on the back, “To my Jillian, may your heart always lead you.” She thought it best to have them call her by her full, given name. She was not sure how common a name Jill was in this time and the Duke was already suspicious enough of her.
“Well, that is a wonderful start,” Gabby said warmly as she took her arm and guided her to the solarium where they took their tea. As soon as they arrived in the room, the young girl recounted the tale of Jillian realizing what her name was to her mother and brother with sheer joy and amazement, at which her mother nodded happily and her brother scowled suspiciously.
“Yes, very convenient,” Gareth seethed when his sister had finished her story. His mother and sister ignored him entirely and Jill decided to follow their example.
“Thank you for the lone of the dress,” she said to the duchess, hoping to change the topic of conversation.
“Yours was quite torn from your fall. Can I offer you a cup of tea?” the older woman asked warmly, looking at her quite dotingly as her mother once had when she worried she was ill.
“I would like that very much,” she said with a smile, trying to show the Duchess that she did not need to worry for her health.
“You seem quite well,” the Duke said, more as an accusation than an observation.
“Yes, I feel much better. The ringing in my ears seems to have quieted,” she replied, choosing to respond to his words rather than the tone in which he said them.
“Lucky for you,” he growled, looking as though he would like nothing more than to throw her out on the street.
“Do not behave like a petulant child Gareth,” his mother warned. The steely tone of her words made Jill wary, but he seemed not to be bothered at all by his mother’s warning.
“Yes brother, do behave,” Gabby said with the kind of sigh that can only be managed by younger sisters who are quite annoyed with their older brothers.
“You know I am incapable of behaving in polite society,” he said, though his tone did seem to lighten and there was a glint in his eye that made him even more handsome than he had initially appeared.
“Yes, perhaps it is a blessing that you hide yourself away like a hermit,” his sister remarked, earning herself a deep, warm chuckle from him. Clearly, he was a very doting brother.
“If you cannot make polite conversatio
n, why don't we move to the music room? We can take our tea and you can fiddle with your new piano,” his mother offered, unwilling to allow his attitude to ruin her afternoon.
“I do not fiddle with my piano. I am a serious musician, not one to play at your command to entertain you,” he said broodingly.
“Would you rather stay here and talk?” the Duchess asked with a calculating expression on her face.
“Let's move to the music room,” he said, rising immediately and leading the way.
The servants, who had been close at hand, gathered everything and relocated it as quickly as possible. Jill walked slowly with Gabby, worried that she might get dizzy again if she rushed.
When they arrived in the music room, her breath was taken away. It was a lovely room, relatively small for a house of that size, but cozy. There were shelves lined with volume after volume of music and the biographies of great musicians and there, in the corner, stood her very own piano. Here, though, it looked brand new. There was no denying that it was the same one, there could not have been two identical pianos in all of England with such unique details. For a moment, she thought she might faint.
