The Wayfarer: A Time Travel Romance (The Wayfarer Series Book 1)

by Jennifer L. Hayes

  The store clerk behind the counter was finishing up with a little old lady who wore her gray hair in a tight bun underneath a black hat. Her dress was black and made with beautiful lace and bead trim. I wondered if she was hot in such dark colors this time of year. My dress, on the other hand, was a pale blue and quite light. What I wouldn’t give to slide into a pair of jeans and a tank.

  “I’ll be right with you,” the clerk called out to me. That was when I realized I’d been staring at them as they finished their business.

  “Oh, thanks. Take your time. I’m just looking.” I picked up the first thing in front of me and found that I was reading the remedies for flatulence when the old woman startled me.

  “I don’t think that’s your problem, dear.”

  When I looked up, I noticed that the woman was completely blind. Both her eyes were cloudy. The shock of it gave me a scare.

  “You’ve lost your way and have fallen down the rabbit hole, I see.”

  My knees went weak and I felt paralyzed to do or say anything. What did she mean? Did she know? And was she really referring to Alice in Wonderland? That book wouldn’t even come out until 1865, eleven years from now.

  “Poor dear.” She sounded sincere as she clucked under her breath.

  “Miss, what may I help you with today?” The clerk had come to my rescue. His brown beard was thick, unlike the hair on his head, which was receding and sparse. Despite his hair loss, his face looked youthful. He was possibly in his thirties. “Thank you, Miss Crabtree, I’ll see you the day after next.”

  That momentarily removed her focus from me to the man. She smiled at him like he’d just given her a lollipop before turning her attention back to me.

  “Nothing here will help you, my lost little one, except…” She seemed to be changing her mind. “Try this on that arm of yours, it will help with the scarring.” She was holding a small jar of cream that read: Heal Thy Salve. It was a blend of plantain, calendula, comfrey, coconut oil and lavender.

  “If you’ll excuse us, Miss Crabtree.” The man was politely trying to move her along. “Good day.” He guided her towards the door. Clearly he thought she was mad.

  Just as I found my voice, the bell of the door rang and Lord Henry held it open for the old lady as she walked out. He was holding a large heavy package in one hand and struggled with the door in the other. She whispered something unintelligible to him and he looked my way and then bade her farewell.

  “I do apologize for that, miss. She really is a sweet old woman. I hope she didn’t frighten you. We all just sort of take what she says with a grain of salt.” The clerk rubbed his hands together now in anticipation of a new sale. “What can I get for you?”

  “Uh…” It was hard to erase what had just happened. If this woman did know something, maybe she could help me. I panicked as she disappeared from view completely. Should I run after her? No, I would look as crazy as she did. But I needed to figure out a way to meet her again. In two days she was meant to return to the apothecary. That was what the man had said—“the day after next”. I needed to find my way back here.

  I realized that the man was waiting for my response. “I will take the cream Miss Crabtree suggested and something to moisturize my face.” I had been missing my usual bedtime routine.

  “Certainly, madame.” And off the man went to wrap up my parcel.

  Lord Henry joined me. “Miss Emma, whatever did you buy?” He was holding up the large package in question with some amusement. “The bookseller handed it to me when I inquired about you. Are you planning on starting a library?” His presence had already started to calm my nerves.

  “Oh, you’ll see. Do you think it will fit in one of those saddle bags you brought?” I hadn’t thought about the transportation of it back to the house. Oops.

  “We may be able to squeeze it in.” He looked doubtful.

  The store clerk was back with my tiny parcel. Lord Henry insisted on paying even though the money in the change purse was his money anyway. The wheels in my head were still spinning so I didn’t bother to protest. Were those just the words of a crazy old woman or did she know something? I needed to find a way back here. I needed to find out what the woman meant. I needed to find a way back home.

  Chapter 14

  A Gift

  With our errands out of the way, we decided to go for lunch at one of the two pubs in town. While nothing came of our visits to the train station and inns, as expected, bumping into Miss Crabtree had been a promising turn of events. Finally, something that gave me a surge of hope. Maybe I would discover that she was batshit crazy, but I had nothing to lose. Soon I would become a burden to my hosts and what then? Tracking the woman down would be my best chance. The challenge was going to be getting back here, but I had a day to come up with a plan.

  We had settled into a table by the window at the Good Intent on College Street. The pungent smell of pipe and cigar smoke hung in the air. Beamed ceilings hung low and the wood floors were uneven, as the building had probably shifted around over the century since it had been built. It was only half past eleven and the place was already bustling. Walking in, I hadn’t thought we’d find a place to sit, but on seeing Lord Henry the owner had cleared someone out and given us their table. Under normal circumstances I would probably object but my knees still felt weak from my bizarre encounter and all I could think about was a pint of beer.

  A robust female cleared a path through the throngs of patrons towards us.

  “All right then, today we’ve got a fish pie or bangers and mash, what will it be?” She was clearly very busy and hadn’t taken the time to look up, but when she did she instantly registered who she was talking to and her color changed to a scarlet red. “Oh, Lord Pembrooke, I’m… obviously anything you’d like, sir, we can make it.”

  “That sounds fine to me.” He looked to me for approval and I nodded.

  As usual I was already starving. My friends always puzzled over how I managed to stay so thin given my appetite. Looking around the pub, I took in the average size of the few female patrons, making me feel like a freakish giant.

  “We’ll have one of each, please, and two pints of ale as well,” Lord Henry said to the waitress.

  When the food came, I started with the fish pie, but halfway through Lord Henry offered me some of his bangers and mash and we swapped plates. Here, no one seemed to take notice of us.

  “What did that old woman say to you anyway?” My curiosity had been killing me since leaving the apothecary. He looked at me with confusion. “You know, Miss Crabtree from the apothecary.”

  “Oh, of course. The old woman. That poor thing. Someone ought not let her roam about unaccompanied.” He laughed.

  I didn’t want to press him but I couldn’t help but wonder what she knew. She might appear crazy to most, but I couldn’t dismiss her as easily. How did she know about my arm? Was she really referring to Alice in Wonderland or was that just some sort of English expression—’falling down the rabbit hole’?

  “I’m sorry we didn’t have more success.” Once again, Lord Henry looked at me apologetically and for an instant I wanted to tell him the truth. But what was the truth? Anything I said would sound as crazy as Miss Crabtree’s ramblings and I didn’t want to find myself locked up with the insane. No, thanks.

  “Thank you for trying. Dr. Bainbridge seems to think my memory should start to come back by the end of the week,” I said with hesitation. That gives me very little time to sort things out.

  “Perhaps you’re right, Miss Emma,” he said, touching my arm. “Perhaps you are right.” With a glance at his pocket watch, he stood. “I should have the grooms bring our horses around. Excuse me.”

  He returned to the table with the parcel tucked under his arm.

  “So will you tell me what the mysterious package contains?” he asked with raised eyebrows as he settled back in his chair.

  “You should open it.” I swallowed my nerves. “The small books I picked up to read, but the big on
e is for you. I saw it in the book store and thought you might like it. Hopefully it’s not one you already have.”

  Small butterflies fluttered around in my belly. I hadn’t expected to feel so nervous about giving it to him. If I’d thought more about it I might have convinced myself not to get it in the first place. Oh, well, it was done and now I watched as he carefully undid the packaging.

  “I certainly approve of your choice in literature. However, I would caution you to keep this one in your chambers,” he said, holding up Jane Eyre and arching one dark brow for effect. Lord Henry’s attention shifted to the large anatomy book.

  My heart sank when he stared at it without any expression. He opened the book and scrutinized each page. I couldn’t tell if he was unimpressed or simply indifferent. After an agonizing minute or two he looked at me.

  “This is a most exquisite book, Miss Emma, but I cannot accept it.” He had closed the book and was attempting to hand it back.

  “Oh? I just thought…” I stammered. His refusal surprised me. And if I had to be honest with myself, it hurt.

  “That’s just it. I don’t think you did. You seem to think that we have the ability to simply change our destiny because we will it so, but I can no more change mine than you can yours.”

  “I’m not trying to change your destiny.” His reaction had taken me off guard. “I was just trying to do something nice. I saw the book and thought you might like it. That’s it. Obviously I was wrong.” My cheeks burned and I knew that I was turning crimson.

  “It doesn’t matter what I like or want, as I’ve told you before. I have allowed these foolish fantasies to go on long enough. My responsibilities are larger than you can imagine and I shouldn’t be wasting my time indulging these frivolous pastimes.”

  “It seems to me that your life is in control of you instead of the other way around.” As the words tumbled out of my mouth, I realized that I might have overstepped once again.

  “I think you have a very strange way of looking at the world, Miss Emma.” There was a coolness in his expression.

  “I didn’t mean…” My attempt at recovery was sloppy.

  “While at times it may be charming, it is also very naive. Are you not bound by anything? Are you free to follow the wind wherever it might blow you? I think not.” He finished his beer in one gulp and rose to leave.

  As much as I didn’t want to concede, he had a point. I was not free to choose. For now, I was stuck here, but somewhere else I had obligations, like a fiancé, and needed to get back.

  “Well, I suppose you’ve got me there.” But it was just a book. His refusal of my gift stung. The alcohol helped to numb some of that. These nineteenth-century men were impossible. From polite and proper to proud and stubborn in no time flat.

  Moments later, I was waiting outside for Lord Henry and the groom to come out with our horses. If I’d been in my own time, I would simply have left the pub and found my own way home. I wanted to be alone to sulk.

  Once we were both mounted he looked up to the sky. “We’d better move quickly if we don’t want to get stuck in the rain.”

  Not at all what I wanted to hear. Sure enough, the patches of sunshine had now turned to doom and gloom.

  “Bloody hell!” I said with irritation. Lord Henry had obviously grown accustomed to my potty mouth as he barely even flinched this time.

  “My sentiments exactly,” he said without humor. “We have about a thirty-minute ride if we hurry and go through the fields rather than take the main roads.”

  We rode on at a quick trot. Every now and then I’d look up to make sure the heavens weren’t about to open. There was nothing worse than riding in the rain. Obviously growing up in L.A. I’d seldom had to consider the weather. On the rare occasion when it did rain, it poured. The entire city shut down, traffic at a standstill and every canyon with a flash flood warning. English rain was different. Most of the time it was just a constant drizzle.

  Lord Henry broke into a slow canter and Angus followed suit. I gave him a little more rein and let him do as he pleased. Ten minutes in, just as I was beginning to think we’d make it, I felt the first big drop on my forehead, followed by another and another. Within seconds it was hammering down on us so hard that Angus closed his eyes to avoid the water.

  “Open your eyes, you daft horse!” I scolded. Obviously he was not a fan of water.

  His canter was getting stronger and stronger. Pretty soon we were in a full gallop for home with his eyes shut tight.

  Oh, great.

  “Emma, pull Angus up a bit!” Lord Henry shouted over the rain. The reins in my hands were slick with water and I wished in that moment I’d thought to wear my gloves.

  The beer had dulled my instincts and now I simply clung to the horse’s mane and hoped he knew what he was doing. The ground had turned to mud, making the footing slippery. Angus took an awkward step and started to go down.

  “Emma, sit back!” bellowed Lord Henry with a mix of irritation and concern.

  I sat back in the saddle and pulled hard on the reins. My horse’s hindquarters came skidding under his body while his front legs struggled to find their footing. He lurched forward in an attempt to right himself. I lost my balance and slid right up his neck when he came to a sudden stop.

  “Easy, boy, easy.” Lord Henry had dismounted and was holding Angus’ reins. With all my strength I managed to shimmy back into the saddle.

  “Are you all right?” Lord Henry asked, but he looked less than amused.

  “Yep. Thanks.” Nothing like a slightly bruised ego to sober you up.

  “Can you ride on?” He was shielding his face from the rain to avoid getting hit in the eyes as he looked up. His top hat had been lost somewhere along the way.

  “I think so. Is it much farther?”

  “I’m afraid it is. The White Hart is a mile away. We could wait out the rain there. Please try to keep Angus steady.” His coat looked nearly soaked through and he squinted from the constant beads of water running into his eyes. If I wasn’t still upset with him, I’d be able to fully appreciate how incredibly hot he looked all wet and disheveled.

  “Right. Let’s go.” I was eager to get indoors.

  Once he was mounted, I used a gentle leg to coax Angus into a walk. I knew right away something was wrong. His walk felt uneven and it wasn’t because of the ground. Lord Henry noticed it too.

  Chapter 15

  Electricity

  “It looks like he’s lost a shoe.” Lord Henry jumped off his mount once again and took hold of Angus. “You can ride my horse.” It came out more like an order rather than an offer.

  His horse was bulkier than Angus, which made straddling him difficult with my sore, tired legs. Leading both horses, Lord Henry walked briskly through the grassy field. Angus hobbled on account of his missing shoe.

  The gloom outside mimicked the growing melancholy that I found myself in. As a result of being soaked to the skin, my thighs had started to chafe against the saddle, leaving them raw and tender. By the time we arrived at the White Hart, the rain had almost stopped completely. A stable boy rushed out to take our horses. Lord Henry relayed a few quick instructions before we were inside drying off by a large fire.

  “Okay, now we are taking the pub crawl to a whole new level.” I didn’t want to act childish about Lord Henry’s refusal of my gift, nor his indifference to me since then. If only April were here. She always knew how to talk me off the ledge. My eyes started to sting at the thought that I might never see her again.

  “Are you in the habit of crawling to pubs then?” Lord Henry looked confused and perhaps slightly mortified.

  “It’s more of an expression.” Not something I wished to elaborate on.

  He shook off his coat and laid it out by the fire, getting ready to go order at the bar.

  “Would you care for refreshments?” As if on cue, Mrs. Greasly homed in on his presence, bustling through the throngs of patrons who had either been caught out in the bad weather or had
come because of it. “Oh, Lord Henry, so nice to see you back so soon,” she purred. She gave me the quick up-and-down. “The earl was here for lunch, you know. It seems your mother is due.”

  “Stepmother,” Henry corrected curtly.

  “Oh, yes, of course, my apologies. Your stepmother the countess is due in today. Oh, what exciting news he did have. I suppose congratulations are in order.” She gave him the equivalent of the wink-slash-elbow jab.

  I looked to Lord Henry but his face gave away nothing. His expression turned to stone.

  “My Sarah has left to go back to London, you know. She would have liked to give you her best wishes as well,” she continued without even taking a breath.

  “Ah… very well, Mrs. Greasly. May we order a drink?” He was annoyed with the woman now.

  “Oh, yes, of course, of course. What can I get you, miss?” Reluctantly, she diverted her attention to me.

  “Just tea, please.” Definitely no more drinking.

  “Brandy,” Lord Henry answered before Mrs. Greasly could turn her adoration on him again. “Thank you.” He sat down and looked towards the fire.

  A cloud had gathered around him and it wasn’t from the weather outside. Something poor Mrs. Greasly had said triggered this mood and it was growing darker by the moment.

  Relieved to have the fire as a focal point, I let my own thoughts drift. The day had not been a complete waste. Meeting Miss Crabtree had given me a small ray of hope.

  Mrs. Greasly returned with our drinks, humming with compliments and kind wishes. Lord Henry could no longer even bear to be civil. He stared at the fire, deep in his own misery.

  For a long while we sat in silence until the young stable boy swooped in to inform us that the blacksmith had managed to fix Angus’ shoe. The boy was rewarded with a shilling and after giving his profuse gratitude he walked out of the pub a little bigger in his breeches.