Chapter Ten
IN THE PAST THREE WEEKS, I hadn’t stepped foot outside of Howell Home or its stone-walled courtyard. I was used to jogging, shopping, and going out on a whim. True, I’d never had many friends and was too much of a loner, but sometimes, adult interaction was needed. I wasn’t usually reckless or stupid, so there was no excuse for my next actions.
Walking around in the courtyard, making my rounds close to the stone wall late in the afternoon, I came across an iron gate hidden by overgrown vines. I cleared away as much of the overgrowth as possible to get a better look. There was an old, rusty handle, and I gave it a single, quick jerk to see if would open. With a loud, metallic screech, it swung open.
I glanced around quickly, thinking the whole city must have heard the racket I was making. When no sirens blared and no one came running to jerk me back within the perimeter, I hesitated only another second before squeezing through the opening and making my way to the main street in front of Howell Home. I kept looking over my shoulder nervously as I walked, feeling like a naughty child caught with her hand in a cookie jar. I hadn’t been out and about in 1904 Charleston, so I felt a little conspicuous. But I wasn’t a prisoner, and I wasn’t a weakling, so I squared my shoulders and continued on.
A few moments later, I stopped dead in my tracks. Carriages went by on the street, and several men and women walked leisurely down the sidewalk. I felt the strangest sensation of disconnectedness, of being in 1904 but not belonging, like I was walking in a dream and at any moment I would morph back into my modern self. I gave a start at that thought and glanced down in alarm. My long, cream-colored walking dress was covered by a calf-length, cream-colored coat, trimmed with intricate black embroidery down the front edges and around the neckline. A single button at my waist closed the coat. On top of my dark auburn tresses, sitting a little off-kilter, was a straw hat trimmed in black roses, ribbon, and tulle. A huge, stupid grin split my face. I looked like any other lady taking an afternoon stroll! With a spring in my step and a whole lot more confidence, I continued on.
Charleston looked the same, and yet completely different. Some of the buildings were almost identical to those in my time. I walked several blocks, taking in the familiar sights and hoping I’d be able to see the city as I remembered it again someday. Eventually, I came upon a little street market and immediately wished I had a few coins in my pocket. My stomach rumbled, agreeing with me. I meandered through the tables and stalls, enthralled by all the people bartering and selling fresh food and other handmade items.
I was admiring a handmade silk scarf when I felt someone’s eyes on me. While I scanned the crowd, I felt a small tug on my sleeve. I looked down into the face of a dirty little boy with adorable dimples.
“Excuse me, Miss. The gentleman asked me to give this to you.”
I looked at the folded piece of paper like it was a viper. Who would be sending me a note? I didn’t know anyone outside of Howell Home.
“He said he wouldn’t pay me if you didn’t take it, Miss.”
The little boy’s lip began to quiver, obviously concerned that I wasn’t going to let him finish his job, so I smiled at the child and took the note.
He didn’t waste any time once his mission was accomplished, running expertly through the throng of people at the market. Even though I walked quickly after him, I couldn’t catch a glimpse of either him or his employer. Without lifting my skirts and causing a scene by flat-out running after the child, I had no chance to track him down with so many people milling about. I cursed under my breath, and then cursed some more at my immediate relapse into unladylike behavior.
It was getting late, and I wasn’t sure how long I could be gone without being missed, so I shoved the note into my skirt pocket and headed back to my temporary home. Luckily, I made it back to Howell Home in pretty good time. I darted into the alley and squeezed through my hidden gate, running quickly to the back door and letting myself in. When I found no one waiting for me, I let out a shaky breath and headed to my room.
I was puzzling over the note in my pocket when I ran smack into Travis Connely. Dang it, running into people is starting to get old. I laughed nervously.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going… again.”
He fidgeted a bit, running his fingers through his hair, and didn’t quite look me in the eye. “No harm done, Sage. I hope you had a pleasant day?”
I cocked my head, searching his face for any accusations there. He seemed to be genuine, maybe a little more nervous and twitchy than normal, but I couldn’t find any sign that he knew of my impromptu day out.
“Yes, it was lovely outside today. I’ll see you at dinner, Travis. I’m on my way to freshen up, if you’ll excuse me?”
“Of course,” he said with a relieved breath and a tiny bow.
I didn’t have time to think about his sketchy behavior; my hand curled around the note in my pocket, and I quickened my pace, ready to get to the privacy of my room to read it. My stomach churned. Whatever was written in the note… well, it couldn’t be good.
When I got to my room, I bolted the door. My heart was pounding in my ears. Tossing my hat and jacket on a chair, I sat on the edge of my bed, pulled the note out of my pocket, unclenched the fist I had made around it, and smoothed it out on the coverlet. With trembling fingers, I unfolded the note to read its contents.
Dear Madame,
You cannot stop what has already been set into motion. I will kill you if I have to.
I was still puzzling over the note at dinner that night, barely noticing what I ate. Who could the sender have been? Only a handful of people knew of my existence, and that was what concerned me the most. It would mean that someone I had come to know, someone I trusted, was as fake as Tammy Faye Baker’s eyelashes. I wondered if it were possible for some kind of preternatural creature, or maybe a witch, to have sensed or foreseen my time travel. I made a mental note to ask Travis the next day.
If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with my own troubled thoughts, I might have noticed the tension in the dining room—the unusual silence might have tipped me off as well. Mrs. Howell’s voice cut through my thoughts, startling me.
“How was your day, Sage? Uneventful?”
Her eyes pierced me to my seat, and her tone sent up a red warning flag. I glanced around the table, finally noticing the tension rolling off everyone. No one’s gaze would meet mine.
I set my fork down and slowly returned her accusing gaze. “It was a pretty good day,” I replied carefully.
“Was it now?” she asked, a little too sweetly. “Anything you wish to discuss with us?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. Was she referring to my escape today, or was she alluding to the note I had received? Could she possibly know about that? I kept my face impassive, not wanting to give anything away.
“Would you like to tell us what you were doing traipsing about the city by yourself today, putting our entire mission in jeopardy? Or would you prefer to pretend it never happened?”
Crap! My first instinct was to act like I had no idea what she was talking about, but it was clear that she was fully aware of my trip to the market, and I didn’t feel like playing games.
“It seems to me you have already been informed of my trip to the market. There is nothing else to tell. I took a walk because I was feeling cooped up; I made a mistake in judgment.”
Elaine slammed both palms down on the table so hard a glass of wine tipped over. I flinched, and Travis and Dr. Blake both seemed just as surprised. She stood up and leaned forward with both hands still on the table in front of her. Her eyes blazed in fury.
“You were cooped up? You made a mistake?” she shouted. “A mistake could get one of us killed. Maybe even all of us. Don’t you care, Sage?”
Travis and Dr. Blake jumped out of their seats when I stood up. I could imagine what my face looked like with thoughts of throttling someone dancing in my head.
“I said I made a mistake, Elaine. So you ca
n back off… now,” I growled.
“You need to grow up, Sage. At this rate, you won’t make it out of here alive.”
With that parting shot, she exited the room, floating on a cloud of righteous fury.
My shoulders slumped in defeat.
“She didn’t mean that,” Travis said softly.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure she did,” I muttered.
Time Warper: Fated, A Sage Hannigan Novel Page 11
