by Zoe Matthews
Daniel wanted to return after taking his sister back, and he wanted to stay forever! She needed some time to think through things and decide if she could handle a real relationship with someone. She still had flashbacks sometimes, and it wouldn’t be fair to Daniel to get into a relationship where he had to tiptoe around her for fear of setting off a memory. When he returned, she knew she needed to tell him about George, Megan’s history, and her high school prom.
A few hours later, Barbara hugged Laura goodbye. Daniel planned to use the locket to take Laura back to 1810, where he would say his goodbyes to his family. He would then return as soon as he could.
He had been acting nervous ever since his announced his decision to stay, and Barbara knew it wasn’t easy for him to shirk his responsibilities back in his own time.
Laura kissed her cheek. “Thank you so much for keeping me at your home while I recovered, and for...well, bringing me to the future in order to heal me. I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”
Barbara smiled sincerely. “It is nothing that needs repaying. I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”
Daniel smiled at her tightly. She leaned forward and patted his arm. She wanted to hug him, but knew it was improper in his eyes, and his sister would be uncomfortable.
“Everything will be fine. Take as long as you need, and come back when you can.”
She had a niggling worry at the back of her head that he would change his mind while he was in the past, and stay there. Or something would happen to make it so that he couldn’t come back. She would have no way of going to visit him; he would have the locket. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Everything will be fine, she told herself.
They walked about to the gazebo together, and Barbara watched the two of them step inside. After a moment, they both disappeared. She stood in shock for a few moments after they left. It was a different experience watching someone else time travel, and she crossed her fingers that they made it to 1816 safely.
****
Daniel and Laura appeared in their own shed, and collectively breathed a sigh of relief. He knew what he needed to do with the locket. It had worked for Barbara to travel back to his time and then for the three of them to go to her time, but he still questioned whether it would really work the way that it should.
They walked across the grass and into the house, where they were greeted by an enthusiastic staff. They were ecstatic to see Laura feeling well. She looked a world different than when they had left just over a week ago. Color filled her cheeks, she had a quick step, and her smile was no longer forced.
Edward came into the room, lifted their sister up in his arms, and spun her around. “I can’t believe you are finally home! We worried when we didn’t receive any letters from you.”
Daniel cocked his head. “Oh, come now,” he joked lightly. “It has only been just over a week since we left.”
Edward smiled. “A week is a long time when you are waiting for news of your sister’s health.” He turned to Laura. “I want to hear all about your trip!”
He began giving orders to their servants, planning a big welcome dinner for that night. Daniel followed, no longer feeling as if he was the head of the household. How he wished Edward had been gifted the estate instead of him. Edward fit the role so naturally, and Daniel had always wanted to do things differently. Because of that, he was frowned and laughed at quite often. He didn’t let it bother him, but he did wish he had the freedom to travel and learn more about the world around him. He would have that chance now that he had chosen to stay in the future with Barbara. If she wanted him around, that is. She hadn’t seemed too eager at his announcement to stay; he may need to give her some space when he returned.
“Daniel?” Laura questioned. He shook his head, realizing he hadn’t been listening to the conversation.
“I apologize. What did you say?” Daniel shook his head slightly.
“Edward said he wanted to go over the condition of the estate with you,” Laura said cautiously. She knew he would have to tell Edward he was leaving again soon.
Daniel glanced over at Edward, who was waiting expectantly at the office doorway. “Of course, good idea.”
The two brothers entered the room and settled into their chairs. “I am pleased to say the estate has been thriving,” Edward began.
Daniel knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on what Edward was saying, so he interrupted. “That’s great. It’s no surprise to me, as you have always been good at managing everything. Actually, Edward, I need to talk to you about something important. I won’t be staying.”
Edward looked at Daniel, shocked. “What do you mean, you won’t be staying? Where do you plan to go? How long are you going to be gone this time?”
“I am going to travel back to Barbara. I have found the opportunity to support the community where she lives, and really help those who need help. I have always wanted something different; you and I both know that. We also know that you are much better at being an earl than I am. That is where I need to be. I can just feel it.”
Daniel braced himself for Edwards argument. Instead, Edward asked curiously, “Where is this place that Barbara lives?”
Daniel cleared his throat. “It is difficult to explain. It’s a long way from here, and we won’t be able to write or visit each other.”
Edward’s eyes darkened, then he looked down thoughtfully. “I won’t pretend to understand your decisions; I really never have. However, I can be enough of a man to acknowledge that whatever happened to Laura while you two were gone was very good for her. She looks better than she has in years. I suppose I will trust that you know what kind of decision you are making.”
Daniel couldn’t suppress his shock. Edward had always scorned his mindset and decisions. Daniel had always done things differently than one would expect, and Edward couldn’t understand why. “You will either need to declare my death or announce my abandonment of the estate. You can choose whichever would be easier to deal with, considering the backlash.”
“So, you don’t plan on ever returning?” Edward asked as if he was holding his breath for the answer.
“No, I don’t,” Daniel said, his voice firm.
If there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that he could not live this life any longer- not after seeing an opportunity to make a difference in the future, even if Barbara decided she didn’t want to be with him.
Edward nodded his head, but his eyes were sad. “I will honor your decision.”
The brothers stood and gave each other a hug. Daniel felt a sadness as he realized that this would be the last time he would ever see his brother again, but he wasn’t sad enough to change his mind.
“I will miss you,” Daniel said, ruffling his hair like he used to when they were children.
Edward shook him off, but chuckled while he fixed his hair. “I’ll miss you too, brother.”
Daniel smiled, satisfied with the way the conversation had gone. He would stay for their celebratory dinner, then he would return to Barbara. “Consider yourself Earl of this estate from this moment on.”
“Before you leave, do you know of a Mr. John Leonard?” Edward asked him as he walked over to the desk that was now his.
“I believe I’ve heard of him. Doesn’t he paint portraits?”
“Yes. He’s done several of our neighbors. Evidently, he was at the ball you attended with Laura and Barbara. He spent the evening making small sketches of some of the couples. He brought this over just yesterday.”
Edward handed Daniel a few sheets of heavy paper. On one of them was a small painting of him and Barbara. They both wore a slight smile. The other paper showed a painting of him and Laura together. The paintings were very small, less than two inches in diameter.
“Why are they so small?” Daniel asked as he again stared at the painting of him and Barbara.
“I think Mr. Leonard’s plan is to show you what he could do and then if you are willing to commission him, he
will paint a much larger portrait.”
“I’d like to keep these,” Daniel said as he slid them into his pocket.
“Of course,” Edward agreed with a shrug. He walked around and sat down behind the desk.
Daniel started to leave the room, but stopped at Edward’s words. “Daniel.”
He looked at his brother and fought to keep tears from his eyes. Edward looked so much like his father sitting behind the desk. He instantly knew the decision he had just made to turn the entire estate over to Edward was the correct one.
“Good luck. I hope your life will turn out what you would like it to be.”
“And I wish the same for you.”
****
Later that evening, he pulled out the locket that he had used to travel from Barbara’s time to his. He hadn’t really been able to get a good look at it and he wanted to study it.
What he saw shocked him. The locket looked exactly like a locket his mother had owned that was being stored in Laura’s jewelry box. The etching of the rose was the same, with the leaves surrounding it. He carefully opened it and was shocked even more. There staring back at him was a picture of himself with Barbara. But how could that be? He quickly pulled out the small painting he had received from Edward. It was the exact painting.
He quickly slid the locket back into his pocket and ran up the stairs to Laura’s room. He knocked on the door, and his sister answered with a tired grin.
“Can I come in? I have something to show you,” he said.
“Of course,” Laura responded as she stood back to let him in.
Once the door was closed, Daniel showed her the locket. “What does this look like?”
Laura gasped. “That looks like mother’s locket. Why do you have it?”
“This is the locket Barbara used to travel between her time and ours. Evidently, she found the locket in an old trunk in the attic of that home we stayed in.”
Laura walked quickly to the box where she kept her jewelry. She opened the lid and pulled out a locket. “Here is mother’s.”
Together they examined both lockets. They looked almost identical. Where they both time travel devices? And what had happened for them to become devices?
“We probably will never know the answer as to why there are two of them,” Daniel finally said as he took Barbara’s locket and opened it. He showed Laura the painting.
“That looks like you and Barbara,” Laura commented with puzzlement. She looked at the picture closer. “Is it a painting? Where did it come from?”
Daniel quickly explained how Mr. Leonard had created the painting at the ball. He showed her the two small paintings Edward had given him.
“I have to say, dear brother, that the entire time travel aspect is very strange to me. I really don’t want to have any more part of it.”
Daniel made an instant decision. He carefully took a knife out of his pocket and cut the painting Edward had given him. It fit perfectly in the locket Laura had just taken out of her jewelry box.
“I want you to have this painting. I’m sure Barbara would agree with me,” Daniel told his sister. “I will be returning to her as soon as I can. You will have something to remember us by.” He held up the small painting of himself with Laura. “I’d like to keep this one to remember you by.”
Laura broke down in tears and Daniel allowed her to cry for a moment in his arms. He wished there was a way he could stay in touch with his sister, but he also knew it would probably be best if they didn’t. The fewer people knew of time travel, the better.
“I’m going to miss you so much,” Laura sobbed.
“I’ll miss you too, but this is something I want to do. Edward will do a good job of running the estate. And I want you to promise me something.”
Laura looked at him with tears in her eyes.
“If you get an opportunity, I want you to marry again. You deserve to be happy.”
His sister hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I promise.”
“Edward isn’t aware of where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. I feel very strongly that you shouldn’t tell anyone about time travel, including him.”
“I feel the same. Anyway, who would believe me?”
“Indeed.”
“I won’t tell anyone, but I am grateful for this picture you gave me. I will treasure it always.”
Chapter 18
Barbara sat down at the big table in Keegan’s house with a plate of leftover Chinese food and was deafened by the silence. She had gotten used to having a lot of people around her all day during the last couple of weeks. It had been nice at first to have some time to herself, but she was already wishing for someone to chat with.
Daniel had said he would return after he took Laura home, but he didn’t tell her how long he would stay before he came back. Barbara didn’t mind if he took his time; he was leaving his family for a while, if not forever. Even still, she was worried he would get talked into staying in his own time.
She turned on her favorite CD, letting the music relax her while she ate. Her shoulders had finally lost their tension when there was a knock on the door.
Barbara was startled and wondered who it could be. Megan wasn’t going to be home from her short honeymoon for another week, and if Daniel was back, he would be coming in from the back door.
She walked over to the door and told herself it was just a customer who was hoping they would be able to make an after-hours purchase. She opened the door and froze at the man in front of her. He was naturally handsome, but it was obvious he needed a shower and a haircut. His clothes were disheveled, and an angry scowl clouded his face. She knew immediately who he was, even though she hadn’t seen him for over twenty years. He looked just like Jason, Meagan’s father, did when they had dated.
“Lucy. How dare you keep my daughter from me all these years!” Jason practically screamed at her.
All the blood drained from her face. George must have finally gotten in touch with Jason. She tried to act strong, to not let him see how much this visit was affecting her. And he had called her Lucy, the name she was born with. She had changed her name legally to Barbara Conway after she left Texas. “You lost the right to a daughter when you raped me.”
“Oh, come on, Lucy. You know you wanted it.” Jason rolled his eyes, acting almost exactly like he used to when they were in high school.
Her anger grew. “I absolutely did not want it. You should leave.” She started to slam the door, but Jason shoved his foot in the doorframe to keep it open. He forced his way inside.
“Where is she?” He walked from the foyer into the sitting room.
“She is not here.” Barbara gritted her teeth together. She wasn’t about to tell him anything about Megan; where she was, or that she was newly married. “Get out.”
“I will not leave until I get to meet my daughter. My own flesh and blood that I didn’t even know about until some sniveling old man came to track me down. Where is your decency? You would keep a daughter from ever meeting her dad?”
“Yes! And if I have any say in it, she will never meet you. Do you really think you could be the father she needs after the way you treated me?” She scoffed. “Now, get out or I’m calling the police.”
“Lucy-” Jason started towards her, his tone softening a little.
“My name is Barbara.” She ground her teeth together.
“Sure it is. You don’t need to call the police. I’m not going to hurt her. I just want to meet her.”
Barbara tried to blink back the angry tears that were forming behind her eyes. “She is not here. Now leave.”
“Then let me set up a time when I can see her.”
“No.”
Jason’s face started turning red. He stalked forwards, looming over her. She had forgotten just how tall he was. Fear gripped her and flashbacks of that awful night started flipping through her brain.
“You cannot keep my daughter from me.”
Barbara lost all coherent thought and
raised her arms over her head defensively. She had trained for moments like this, but this man had a frightening hold over her; she forgot everything she had learned once he got this close to her.
She tried to take a couple of deep breaths to get her bearings again. He grabbed her arm, frustrated that she wasn’t listening to him. “You CANNOT keep my daughter from me!” he shouted in her face.
“Let. Her. Go.”
Relief flooded through her as she recognized Daniel’s voice behind them.
“Who do you think you are?” Jason scoffed as he turned to look at Daniel, but kept his iron grip on her arm.
