Forever Young: Time Travel Romance

by Gloria Gay

  Rivulets of sweat streamed down the sides of his face. Beyond a mist that was around him he searched for the face he had come to love with his heart and soul. But he couldn’t find Kate in the swirling clouds. Was he dreaming? He tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth.

  Had Kate found the way to leave?

  The image of the green monkey tattoo danced before his eyes, mocking him. The green monkey had come to take Kate back to the future and Michael would never see her again. This thought filled him with sudden anguish and he cursed the green monkey who would be the cause of him losing Kate.

  The green monkey continued to dance before his eyes and Michael slapped out at him trying to grab him.

  “No!” he yelled out the word but no word came out of his mouth, it was only in his mind.

  Kate would never leave without saying goodbye. Of that he was certain.

  But why couldn’t he see her and why couldn’t he sit or walk rather than float in this way that made him incapacitated, devoid of free will? And why, if he was dreaming, did he feel? He felt dizzy and weak while a searing pain stabbed him again and again on the left side of his chest, above his heart.

  He could withstand this pain if only he could see Kate’s dear face one more time. If he was dying, all he wished was to hold her in his arms just one more time.

  Please, Lord, just one more time!

  He drifted again into unconsciousness and left his troubled thoughts behind.

  ***

  Sitting by Michael, Kate’s tears slid down her cheeks as she gazed at him. She recalled when they had first met and smiled.

  She stood up when he seemed restless and said soothing words to him as she held his hand. He seemed to be having a bad dream, for he had snapped at the air with his free hand and his face held anguish.

  As she gazed at his dear face she realized there were tears in his eyes. Was he crying in his sleep over a dream or a nightmare or was he actually experiencing real pain? Kate knew that Michael had been injured while he served as an officer in the war. She was certain he would not cry over pain. It was something in his sleep that had made him sad. What could it be? She knew so little about him.

  Did his thoughts cause him pain?

  Doctor Hendrick had said that he could not give Michael laudanum while he was unconscious because it would delay his recovery. Michael had to come back to consciousness before Hendrick could give him pain medicine. Except, he had said, if Michael appeared to be in extreme pain. Then he would allow a small dose of laudanum to be given to him.

  Kate rose as she saw him slap at the air before him as if something was actually there as he yelled out ‘No!’

  It must be a very intense nightmare, she thought as she saw the look of anguish in his eyes.

  She measured a small dose of laudanum and dripped it into his mouth.

  Kate then sat by his bed, held his hand within hers and softly pressed it to her cheek. She said soothing words to his ear, whispering endearments so that he would separate from the nightmare he was having. She was elated when he calmed down and again drifted into unconsciousness.

  For a long time, she sat with him, holding his warm hand within hers.

  He continued to struggle a little but after a while his breathing was not labored anymore and he was finally still. He fell asleep again or what could pass as sleep.

  How she wished Hendrick would return. It was only one day and it was not yet over. But it felt like an eternity.

  Hendrick had pressed on her the importance and urgency that he must obtain the new medicine he and his colleague had developed, for Michael stood a better chance of recovery if he was brought out of unconsciousness.

  Kate had observed how Hendrick had applied the wad of plantain leaves on Michael’s wound. Although she was eager to do this as it was what the doctor had said sucked out the infection, her hands trembled as she handled Michael’s deep wound. Tears slid down her cheeks.She rang for Demby. They should replace his bandage while he was resting peacefully.

  Demby held Michael in a sit up position while Kate changed his bandage. As she sopped up the pus that had collected with a folded clean bandage that had been boiled in water, she then applied the new wad of plantain leaves she had prepared.

  When she had finished cleaning the wound and had covered it, Demby helped her place a new bandage over Michael’s shoulder and across his chest to keep it in place. Once this was done Demby helped her to again recline Michael against the fluffed-up cushions in a comfortable position.

  Demby then left, taking the soiled bandages with him.

  Kate sat beside Michael and held his hand again. She had noticed that having his hand held calmed him and he would then fall asleep. She stroked his hand softly as she held it and whispered soothing words into his ear, once in a while kissing his hand softly.

  Kate sighed, content that his wound was now clear of the awful dark yellow pus but knew with a sinking of her heart that that they were running out of time.

  She pulled up the covers over his arms and went to sit by the window.

  How long could she and Demby hold off the pus before it turned into gangrene?

  Demby came back to the room with clean underwear for Michael and a pile of clean bandages.

  While Demby freshened Michael, Kate stood up and went to the window of the sitting-room adjoining. She was shaking all over as she glanced down at the neat formal gardens below and beyond, the edge of Hawkwing Forest.

  She realized she would become frantic if she didn’t stop thinking about what could happen to Michael. She took up her book again and tried to concentrate on reading. But after she had read the same paragraph five times without it registering in her brain, she stood up to pace in the large sitting room.

  Demby left the bedroom and Kate sat by the window and gazed down at the gardens. As the long day advanced Kate was surprised as Romy came to the room with a tray that contained Kate’s luncheon.

  “Stay a while, Romy,” Kate said, and motioned for her to lock the bedroom door and sit on the chair opposite hers in the sitting room.

  “You must eat your luncheon while it’s hot, miss, you haven’t been eating right.”

  “I will,” Kate agreed, realizing Romy was right. She forced a mouthful of the potatoes in white sauce that looked the easiest to tackle and looked up at Romy.

  “Tell me what has been going on,” she said as she glanced at the clock on the small mantle in Michael’s sitting-room.

  “Lady Bunright has invited some friends for tea, mum.”

  “She’s got some nerve,” Kate said, “going about as though Lord Lanquest wasn’t hovering between life and death!”

  “Her footman, Walt, ma’am, he talked to me secret-like on account he likes me sommat.”

  “How old is he?

  “Too young, not even eighteen!”

  “So, what did he say to you?

  “He told me to keep it secret, made me promise, Miss.”

  “Yes, what?” Kate’s anxiety made her voice tremble.

  “That Lady Bunright, Miss, she was finally able to locate Mr. Cortland, and he’s bringing a doctor from Lunnon!”

  Kate breathed out the breath she had been holding. So, the danger that was her nightmare would soon invade their lives.

  “I hope Doctor Hendrick returns from London before Cort brings that doctor here,” said Kate, almost in a whisper.

  That Kate could trust Demby but not Cappy, the butler, was proof of how she walked over a taut wire in the household. Michael had told her she could trust his valet but had not mentioned the butler. Why? Was he just not sure of Cappy or had he just forgotten to mention him as trustworthy? Kate sighed in exasperation.

  She forced herself to a few mouthfuls of the beef medallions, the potatoes au gratin, and half of the sweet vanilla pudding, enough of the meal that would give her some energy. She then took a few sips of the tea to wash it all down and pushed the tray away.

  What would happen if Cortland arrived before Hen
drick did?

  She shivered at the thought.

  While Romy tidied up the room Kate took up the gothic novel she had been reading, one that couldn’t compete with the scary present. The thought of what could happen was making her tremble all over even as she tried to make sense of words that just bounced around each page.

  After a while, she gave up on the gothic novel and instead, when Romy came back to the sitting-room she asked her to sit with Michael while she went out back to take a long walk around the garden.

  As she followed the meandering path along flower beds and fountains, she felt suspended in mid-air, unable to enjoy the moment because Cortland was headed to Arcadia and she could do nothing to stop him, stop him from murdering Michael under the guise of trying to help him.

  But although her time in the garden was taken up with worry, she did exercise her tired muscles as she spent an hour walking.

  CHAPTER 28

  It was time to change Michael’s bandages, a favorite chore for Kate, for it was when she felt she was making a difference, what she did would help draw Michael out of his fevered infection. She wished with all her heart that the pack of plantain leaves she had placed over Michael’s wound had drawn out some of the pus and infection.

  “Lock the door, Romy,” she directed. She didn’t want any interruptions while she did the delicate work of removing the pus-soiled plantain packet of leaves and the bandage and replaced both.

  She washed her hands several times with the powdered castile soap in the dish and rinsed her hands after each wash in the bowl Romy had brought for her.

  Her heart felt a jolt on seeing that along with a great amount of pus, the plantain leaves were also soaked in blood. The blood had seeped to the edges of the folded patch and the bandage she had placed that morning.

  Dr. Hendrick had told her to change the bandage twice a day, but more often if it was needed, so she decided to do it four times instead of two.

  She felt that if the doctor were here he would agree with her because the wound was releasing pus and blood at a faster rate.

  After she cleaned out the yellow pus and blood thoroughly and with Romy’s help ran the bandage over Michael’s shoulder to keep it in place, she sighed with relief that at least Dr. Hendrick might return today from the Inns of Court and take over.

  Although she was doing exactly what Hendrick had directed her to do Kate felt that he alone would know how serious the changes in the wound were. She could note the change, but not being a doctor could not know what they implied.

  How she wished she could get a bottle of penicillin tablets and one of sulfa powder.

  The next bandage she replaced would be around two in the afternoon and the last one would be when she prepared Michael for the night ahead, as she had doubled the change of bandages. That was when for the second time she would also give him the laudanum for the pain that the doctor had left with her. Hendrick had said to give him the pain medicine only as a last resort.

  Sadly, Kate felt Michael was feeling extreme pain now, judging from the twisting and writhing in the bed and the grimaces he made, so she had decided to give him the laudanum to ease it and had Demby bring ice from the kitchen, to lessen his temperature with pouches of it on his forehead and neck.

  In mid-afternoon, after her afternoon walk, Kate sat with Michael and rang for the beef broth to be brought. She and Romy, holding Lanquest in sitting position, tried to spoon-feed the broth. Although a lot of the broth spilled to the bib, he did swallow a little of it.

  Doctor Hendrick had told Kate that Michael should be forced to drink at least some of the broth and liquid.

  Once they had removed the bib and Romy left, Kate settled down by Michael’s side to again read her lurid gothic tale.

  She glanced at the clock. Just two or three hours and Hendrick would return. They were running against time.

  Kate sighed wishing for time to go faster and Hendrick arrive. Once Hendrick gave Michael the new medicine and took over Michael’s treatment, Michael would be in more capable hands than hers.

  Unable to concentrate anymore on reading, Kate instead rang for Romy and asked her to sit with his lordship so that Kate could exercise her tired muscles with a short walk. She needed to distract herself so that time would go faster, for she realized she was becoming frantic, hoping Hendrick would arrive.

  She told Romy she was going to take a stroll in the garden and instructed her to spoon his lordship small amounts of either the water or the broth. She pressed on her the importance that even a spoonful or two of each were of great benefit to him.

  As Kate strolled about in the garden, she wondered what Augusta had been doing all morning and into the luncheon hour, which Kate had skipped. She had made a request for her meal to be brought to Michael’s room, instead.

  The usually excellent food now tasted like cardboard, so worried she was that Michael did not appear to be improving under her care. But she forced herself to eat because she needed her strength in order to take care of him.

  What had Lady Bunright been up to? Kate wondered if she had located Cortland.

  Just the thought of Cortland forcing his way into the estate send shivers up and down her spine. Would Cappy be able to forbid him entrance as the standing order was?

  Just as she was about to sit at a bench at the small roundabout of a fountain, Kate heard running footsteps and saw Romy heading toward her. Romy never ran!

  She stood up and ran toward Romy, to meet her halfway.

  “What is it, Romy? What has happened?”

  “Oh, Miss,” Romy gasped out the words, “Mister Cortland has forced his way into the estate and he and Lady Bunright insist they must see Lord Lanquest.

  “Get Demby, quick, Romy!”

  “He’s on his way here, Miss. I just run up ahead—see, there he is!”

  Kate gasped with relief when she saw Demby running toward her. Beside him was Doctor Hendrick’s valet, Sam.

  “I’m so glad, Demby,” Kate said and greeted Sam.

  “Mr. Malky has forced his way past the two grooms that were guarding the front door, Miss Shallot,” Demby said when he reached Kate.

  “Let’s go there, Demby,” Kate said, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice. She held her hands together, and forced them not to tremble. How were they to handle Cortland?

  ***

  When she and Demby entered the drawing-room, Kate’s eyes fell on the tall and robust figure of Cortland. There was a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as he glanced up and down her figure in an insulting way.

  “So, this is the new addition to the household,” he said.

  “I would like an explanation of why you have forced your way into the estate, Mr. Malky.”

  “I owe you no explanation, Miss—uh—” he turned toward his mother.

  “Shallot,” Lady Bunright provided with a short laugh of dismissal.

  “Miss Shallot,” Cortland said, “I am taking over the estate, as it is my right, since my cousin is, according to my mother, completely incapacitated.”

  “You have been barred entrance to the estate, Mr. Malky,” Kate responded. “There was no specification in that order that it would be lifted if Lord Lanquest was temporarily ill. He instructed me to refuse you entrance to the estate should he be unable to do so.”

  Cortland laughed, loud and crassly.

  “I would say it is you, ‘Miss’ Shallot, who is from this moment barred from my cousin’s bedroom. Should you break this rule I will have your possessions packed and ready for you to leave faster than you can imagine and you will find yourself out on the street.

  “I suggest you stay out of what is clearly a family matter that does not concern you and leave my cousin’s treatment to me. I have brought my physician, Doctor Senton and he will take over from whoever has been treating my cousin.”

  Kate glanced at Demby. Demby motioned for her to leave the room with him.

  “I have not dismissed you, Demby,” said Cortland.

  “I
only have one employer, Mr. Malky,” Demby replied. “I answer only to Lord Lanquest and to Lady Donney”

  “We’ll see about that,” Cortland replied, but did not make a move to stop either Demby or Sam, who had joined Demby, from leaving the room.

  ***

  Kate realized how difficult her position in the house had become, It would remain so until Doctor Hendrick returned from London. She was glad at least that Cortland had not barred her from the estate. So long as she was still in the house she could help Michael.

  She was certain Lady Donney would object if Kate was forced from the house. But what could the dear old lady do? It appeared Cortland had all the cards—for now.

  When they were out of earshot Kate told Demby and Sam to meet with her in the priest’s secret room, a room that had been built in to hide a Catholic priest centuries ago. The access to it was from Kate’s sitting room, which had a door to the servants’ back stairs. They could talk there without being spied on.

  Once inside the small room Kate asked Demby to lock the door.The room had a small settee, two chairs and a small table in the middle Once they were all seated Kate turned to Demby.

  Her voice trembled as she addressed the small group:

  “I was so afraid Cortland was going to kick—I mean I was afraid Cortland was going to force me to leave the estate.”

  “Sam and me, we would not have allowed it Miss Shallot. Before he left for the north, on the tenant’s business, his lordship had a meeting with us and entrusted us with your safety. In particular, he ordered me to prevent Mr. Cortland from forcing you out of the estate. There are others in the stables his lordship talked to. He told them to obey my orders if Mr. Cortland tried to remove you from the estate. We would prevent it, Miss.”

  “Thank you, Demby.”

  “ However,” Demby added, “if he obtains an order from the local Magistrate, there will be nothing we can do to prevent him from forcing you out, Miss, because the Magistrate will enforce the order.”

  “Yes,” Kate sighed. Let’s hope Doctor Hendrick returns soon, for he has an order of his own.”