“It will be odd to be back in 1645, when I have experienced the wonders of your world.” He finally gave in to the need to touch her hair. “No poo—”
“Shampoo,” she corrected with a grin.
”Right. No webpages, either. No cars. No lemon bars.”
She patted his knee. “If all goes well, you’ll get to see your baby right after it’s born. See his or her face for the first time.”
“Yes,” he whispered. He did want that. Very much.
Luna busied herself in the kitchen to keep her mind off of what would happen in just a couple of hours—Colin would likely disappear from her life. Pulling a bunch of dry ingredients out of the cabinet, she ticked off ideas for new cupcakes. “Maybe I’ll try a maple-bourbon cupcake, or a rhubarb and raspberry one.”
Colin sat at the breakfast bar. “Both sound delicious.”
She turned her back to him as she set up her mixer. Better not to look at him right now. In time, she hoped to forget that handsome face—that strong jaw, and those amazing brown eyes.
“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you,” he said.
Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let him see. Making Colin feel guilty for wanting to go back where he’d come from would be selfish of her. “You haven’t done anything wrong.” She whisked flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large metal bowl.
He came into the kitchen and lifted her chin, so she was forced to look up at him. “That doesn’t mean either of us will walk away from this unscathed, though.”
Luna clenched her jaw to keep her emotions in check. “Our feelings pale compared to your child’s needs. And your wife’s. I grew up without a father, and I’d never inflict that upon anyone, not if there’s a way to avoid it.”
“How did you lose your father?”
“He left us when Leo and I were just toddlers.” She winced at the painful memories. “Another woman was involved.”
“Your father was a scoundrel then.”
She couldn’t help her smirk. “Definitely.”
“Mine wasn’t much better,” he said. “Gambling was his undoing. After his death, I was saddled with his debts. My father’s debtors refused to even negotiate with me. Had I stayed, they’d have ruined me, and I wouldn’t have been able to support my family. I had no choice but to leave England.”
A lump lodged in the back of her throat. “That’s awful. I’m sorry.”
Colin shrugged off her sympathy. “It’s all in the past.”
She had to smile at the irony of his statement. “You can say that again.”
Their gazes locked, and they both laughed, which lightened the moment.
Colin took her hands. “Somehow, in just a few days, I’ve grown to care about you, Luna. If my situation were different, I’d stay.”
Nope, she refused to give voice to her feelings. She couldn’t be falling for him. Heck, he didn’t even really exist in the twenty-first century. Twisting away from him, she went back to her mixing bowl.
“I feel like an awful wretch for dragging you into my…mess.”
She hated for him to blame himself for fate’s folly. “You didn’t ask to be thrust into the future, ripped out of your own time.”
“If it wasn’t for my responsibilities there….” He exhaled loudly. “Staying here is quite tempting. You and I…. Well, who knows what could have been?”
She swallowed hard. There was no sense in both of them being miserable. Also, if he had any reservations about returning to the seventeenth century, he might back out. And his child would never know him.
Besides, if Colin did stay in the twenty-first century, he’d surely regret leaving his wife to fend for herself and their child. That would be an even more difficult task back then than it was now.
Lying was the kindest thing she could do for him. “Nothing could have happened between us, Colin. I…have someone in my life.”
Disappointment flickered over Colin’s face but swiftly vanished. Straightening, he nodded. “I see.”
“The guy who brought over that casserole last night, Chuck, he and I…. We’re dating.”
“Oh.” Without another word, Colin left the room.
Her heart ached, but she had to hold her emotions in check, at least until Colin was gone.
At last, Luna coaxed Hecate into a bag-like cat carrier, and they got into the car. Colin linked his hands in his lap and stared out the window at the passing streets he’d never see again in his lifetime.
Better than looking at Luna. It pained him, more than he’d thought possible, that shortly, they’d be parted forever. She’d be no more to him than the ghost of a memory…but it was the way things had to be.
Luna parked at the waterfront. Despite the overcast sky, the area was crowded with folk enjoying the ongoing festivities. A plump, gray-haired woman waited at the bottom of the roped-off walkway that led to the museum entrance. Seeing Luna, she waved.
“You brought your cat?” Roberta asked as they approached.
“I just picked up Hecate from an appointment,” Luna said. “I didn’t want to leave her in the hot car.” Careful not to bump the cat carrier, Luna hugged the older woman. “Roberta, this is Colin Wilshire. Colin, Roberta Millingham. She manages the archives of the Historical Society.”
“A pleasure to meet you.” He took Roberta’s hand and kissed the backs of her age-spotted fingers.
Roberta blushed. “Goodness. A proper seventeenth-century greeting.”
“Aye.” Smiling, he released her hand.
“You know, you look just as I imagined the original Colin Wilshire to look. He was, from all I’ve read about him, quite handsome and a bit of a rogue.”
Colin’s brows rose. “A rogue?”
“Oh, yes. He got caught up in a scandal and had to leave England in a hurry. Whisked his pregnant wife away in the dead of night, and off they sailed.”
Good God. Her account—not entirely accurate—made him sound like an idiot. He wouldn’t stand for it. “I’m a bit of an expert on Colin Wilshire, and—”
“You are? You must give a talk for our group sometime.”
“I’d be happy to, but—”
“My goodness, you’re even wearing historically accurate clothes. They’re some of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen quite a few costumes in the twenty-two years I’ve volunteered for the society.”
“Well, thank you—”
“Are you a historical re-enactor? Did someone in your organization make your clothes? I’d love to get the contact information from you.”
He’d love to get in a word in edgewise.
“Luna, wherever did you find this charming man?”
“I found him on the beach.” Luna smiled at him. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, he’d missed the reception and—”
The woman tapped her hand to her brow. “I do apologize. I get a bit carried away sometimes. I’m sorry you weren’t able to join us that evening, Mr. Wilshire, because it was a splendid occasion, but I’ll make sure you have plenty of time to look around the museum.”
“I am most grateful,” he said.
Beaming, she opened the rope barrier to let them through. “This way.”
Roberta toddled ahead up the walkway while Colin followed a few paces behind, Luna in the rear. The water either side of the wooden walk grew increasingly blue-black in color. A memory scratched at the back of his mind: the vast ocean darkening to murky hues as the tempest in 1645 rolled in.
A shudder rippled through him.
Just before he boarded the ship, Luna caught his hand. Pausing, he glanced back. Her gaze solemn, she squeezed his fingers. “I know this must be difficult for you.”
His throat tightened again. He nodded.
“I’m here for you. I will always….” She cleared her throat. “Well, you know.”
He wasn’t sure how to answer her. So, he said nothing, merely pressed her hand in return before pulling his free and stepp
ing down onto the deck…which had been streaming with water and splitting apart the last time he’d been on it.
“I’ll wait here,” Roberta said, sitting on a plastic chair beside a sign that provided some information on the Guinevere. She squinted up at the sky. “The weatherman said we’re in for a storm, but hopefully, it will hold off for a little while longer.”
Colin walked to the opposite side of the boat, to the rail where he’d stood with the captain, and curled his fingers on the smooth section. While it had obviously been repaired, it fitted seamlessly with the rest of the rail. How glad he was that the Guinevere had been restored with care.
A raindrop landed on the back of his hand. The whisper of the breeze through the ship’s new sails stirred up images of the wind ravaging the vessel long-ago; the enormous waves crashing down on the deck; the urgent shouts of the crew.
He shut his eyes, mentally wrenched back to when he’d been trying to loosen the knotted rope of the tender. He’d been terrified, but trying to act calm, because the women and children would have no chance of surviving if the men panicked—
“Colin.”
He glanced over his shoulder. Luna stood near the captain’s quarters. “There’s a display in here. Paintings, artifacts—”
“Thanks. I’ll be there in a moment.”
His attention shifted to Roberta, talking in a loud voice with a man who must be down on the boardwalk. Colin’s gaze slid to the doorway to the passenger cabins. A vision of Evelyn standing at the threshold, of the young girl holding her doll, flashed through his mind.
The door was closed.
He’d rather not interrupt Roberta to ask permission to go down into that part of the ship. She might say no. He couldn’t be denied now.
Anticipation burning in his gut, he crossed the deck. When he tried the handle, the door opened.
Still holding the cat carrier, Luna hurried to him. “Where are you going?”
Without a word, he headed down the stairs. Once again, he heard the frightened cries and moans of the passengers. Sweat cooled on his palms, but he pressed onward, down the stuffy, shadowed hallway that smelled of beeswax polish.
A rope barred the entrance to his and Evelyn’s cabin. He slipped under it and into the room that seemed smaller than he remembered. The furnishings weren’t in the right places, either.
Luna stood at the rail. “Hey. Colin?”
“Let me know if Roberta comes down the stairs, will you?”
“What are you going to do?”
“If it’s still here, I need to get something from this room.”
“The restoration team would surely have found—”
“I still have to check.”
He went to the wall and ran his fingers over the crown molding.
Luna made a sound of distress. “Colin!”
“I have to check,” he growled.
His fingertips found the small lever, skillfully made to look like it was a natural part of the molding’s design.
He pressed it.
With a muffled click, the molding snapped a fraction out of alignment.
He caught his breath. If his sketches weren’t there….
His hand trembled. He felt a little dizzy, but he pulled the molding aside and peered into the cavity.
Inside was the wooden tube.
Chapter Seven
Luna couldn’t imagine how the restoration team hadn’t discovered the cylindrical container that Colin had removed from behind some molding, although this area of the ship hadn’t yet been fully restored. “What is that?”
Colin held the faded wooden tube to his chest. “It was supposed to be my family’s future.” He carefully opened the top and pulled out a rolled-up, yellowed scroll. Meeting her gaze, he slipped it back inside.
Hecate meowed in her carrier.
Luna’s heart pounded. “Do you think I should let her out here?”
“I don’t know how this opening portals thing works.”
Above their heads, the boards creaked. Then something thudded on the upper deck.
Luna could have sworn that she heard a woman’s muffled shout. “What was that?” Luna tightened her grip on the cat carrier.
Colin frowned, clearly uneasy. “Roberta didn’t say anything about anyone else coming on board”
Luna’s witch senses ramped up. “No, she didn’t.”
Thunder roared in the distance.
Luna shook her head. “I feel a weird energy now, something….” She searched for the right descriptive words. “It’s anxious…and evil.”
Another boom of thunder.
“Stay here,” Colin ordered. “I’m going up on deck to see what’s happened.”
“Oh no you don’t.” Luna squared her shoulders. “I’m no seventeenth-century damsel in distress.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m well aware of the formidable woman you are. And because I care deeply about you, I don’t want anything to harm you.”
A pleasant ache settled low in her belly. “Thank you. I feel the same way about you, so I’m coming with you.”
A warm smile settled on his lips only for a moment. The worry returned to his expression just as quickly. “Stay behind me.”
Luna set the carrier down, took out Hecate, and picked her up. “Just in case she has to help you get through the portal in a hurry.”
Colin tucked the tube under his arm as he left the cabin. Wind howled, and the distinctive pitter-patter of rain ramped up.
Luna quickly cast a spell to protect all three of them. At the top of the narrow stairs, Luna heard a soft whimper. At the far side of the deck, she glimpsed a black shoe. Roberta’s shoe.
Elbowing Colin’s arm, she pointed to it.
Colin tucked Luna behind him and took a few steps toward Roberta.
Hecate vibrated with a low growl.
Suddenly, something hard and cold poked into Luna’s back. Hot breath landed on her neck, making her skin crawl.
“Give me the tube,” a man barked from behind her. “Unless you want me to shoot her right here.”
Colin spun around, eyes blazing, rain dripping from his hair.
Hecate leaped from Luna’s arms then took off across the deck and disappeared behind a display.
Hot-cold shivers racked Luna’s entire body.
Goddess, protect us.
“Who are you?” Colin demanded.
“Someone with more right to that treasure than you.” The man jabbed his gun against her.
One hand fisted at his side, and the other holding the tube, Colin looked at Luna before his gaze shifted beyond her. “Let her go, and we can talk about this.”
The man sneered. “You’re hardly in a position to negotiate, pal.”
Tiny muscles around Colin’s jaw ticked. “I’ll give you what you want, as soon as you let her walk away.”
Her legs felt weak, as if they’d buckle at any moment, but she couldn’t give in to her fear. “I’ve already phoned the sheriff,” she said. “When we were below deck. He’s on his way here.” Maybe the lie would give the man second thoughts about harming them.
“You’re lying,” he hissed. “Give me that tube.” The man moved next to Luna and pointed the gun at her side.
Gulping, she looked at him. There was something familiar about him—the red hair, the mirrored sunglasses. Then it hit her—she’d seen him at her vendor booth on Founders’ Day. He’d been wearing a pirate costume, with those same glasses.
The man wiped rain from his face. “Just give it to me.” He cocked the trigger. “Or I give it to your girlfriend.”
Colin would rather be back in the churning ocean, almost drowning, than obey the bastard threatening Luna. But, he’d never before faced a weapon like the one the man held pressed against her.
Back in England, Colin had seen flintlock pistols for sale. While the inventor in him had wanted to see how the firing mechanism worked, he hadn’t bought
a pistol, and not just because they were costly. He’d heard what could happen if the gunpowder and flame weren’t combined properly. He wouldn’t have been able to support Evelyn if he’d lost a hand, or arm, or died.
The weapon the man held somewhat resembled a pistol, but was smaller and more angular. Flintlocks only fired one shot, but weapons had changed a lot since 1645. At least, they had judging by the few programs he’d seen bits of after Luna had taught him how to use the TV remote.
To save her and poor Roberta, he must get the gun away from the man.
Not easily done.
Luna obviously understood the peril; he’d never seen her so pale.
The man snarled. “I said—”
“Don’t hurt her. Please.” Colin raised his free hand in what he hoped would be a sign of yielding.
“Hand over the tube.”
“I will,” Colin said. “But, if you let her go first—”
“No.”
Luna visibly shivered.
“Put the tube on the deck. Roll it to me.”
“All right. But, honestly, why do you care about this old container?”
The man glowered. “I could care less about the tube. I want what’s inside.”
How did he even know what was inside? “Is that what you believe you have a right to?” Colin asked as he slowly crouched.
“I don’t just believe I have a right to it. I know I do.”
Bastard. How dare he insist he had a claim to Colin’s work?
Colin must delay passing over the tube. He had to figure out what the hell was going on. “Forgive me for not understanding.” He looked up at the man. “How would you have such right? You weren’t on the ship in 1645.”
“My relatives were.”
“Relatives?”
“Colin and Evelyn Wilshire.”
Colin met Luna’s shocked gaze. He barely managed to catch an oath before it could leave his lips. “You’re a descendant of theirs?”
“I’m related to Colin’s cousin, Matthew.”
“That doesn’t entitle you—”
“Yeah, it does. I have the original letters.”
A Witch in Time Page 8
