Time for Love
Mandie:
The rain was streaming down the windows. Each drop that landed on the metal roof could be heard rolling into the drainpipe. The black night was pierced with a bright flash of lightening followed by the low boom of the thunder. Anne rubbed her hands together as the cold air swirled around her body. As much as she used to love nights like this, now she realized how much cooler the house became. She weighed the idea of lighting a fire, knowing that her money was quickly running out. Sleep would evade her in this cold, so she lit the fire before she could talk herself out of it. Warming herself before the flickering flames, she finally allowed herself to worry...and remember.
Growing up in the lap of luxury, Anne never had to worry about money. She learned the art of kindness and charity at her mother's knee. Her biggest worry was losing weight, a problem that she could never seem to combat. It wasn't until her mother's death, nearly three months ago, that her secure little world began to crumble. The car accident left their driver Franz with a permanent limp, and Anne without her mother. Her stepfather, Max, stood beside her, comforting her during the funeral. Immediately following that horrible day, Max approached her with several sheets of paper. Assuring her that his only goal was to help her during this "troubling time," he asked for her signature. Drowning in sorrow, Anne quickly signed the papers, not bothering to even take the time to read them. That was the beginning of the end.
Wishing now that her mother had shared her own distrust in Max with her, Anne plodded over to the window seat and peered through the rain onto the normally busy street. In the course of two months, Max had managed to empty every account of every penny, including Anne's own trust fund. He had then moved onto the property that the family had owned for generations, selling everything from under her feet. Somehow she had managed to find a thousand dollars as she was kicked out of her house by the new owners, and had found a cheap room to rent. Appealing to her friends, she quickly found out how fickle everyone was as each and every one of them turned her away. Now, here she was, in a freezing cold hovel, wondering where her next meal was coming from, much less her next month's rent. She was utterly alone.
Even though she lacked experience in anything that counted, she realized that she was going to have to find a job of some sort. Straightening her backbone, she decided that she was not going to allow herself to wallow in felling sorry for herself anymore. The fire had quickly filled the room with warmth, and Anne curled up on the mattress on the floor, finally comfortable. She had a habit of reading herself to sleep, so she picked up the trashy historical romance novel the previous occupant had left behind. Letting herself get lost in the story, she slowly fell asleep, the book still in her hands.
Mandie:
The next day dawned bright and clear, the storm from the night before gone, no sign of it anywhere. Typical California weather, at least for early March. Anne was happy that her only dress was dry, since she had only washed it the night before. As she pulled it over her head, and checked herself in the mirror, she tried to ignore all of her extra curves. She was nervous enough as it was, without worrying about her weight, at least for today. Once she had a job, and a steady paycheck, she would worry about losing the extra pounds. Looking at herself critically in the mirror, she tried to find that inner spark that an employer would be looking for. Since her mother's death, and her stepfather's betrayal, she had lost the life that used to shine through her eyes. Gritting her teeth in order not to smash the mirror into bits, she spun around and slammed out of the house. She would find a job, and that was the end of it.
A taxi would have been nice, but Anne figured that food and rent was more important. Fortunately, there were plenty of places in this part of L.A. that were both hiring and within walking distance. She decided to start at the local park, where there was a small coffee stand that always seemed to be hiring. Surely it didn't take much experience to serve coffee. Feeling confident for the first time in a long time, she strode down the street, not paying attention to where she was going. She was on the top of the world, until she tripped over something on the sidewalk and landed flat on her face.
"I'm so sorry!" An old quavering voice came from behind her. Anne sat up, feeling foolish for not noticing an entire person.
"No, it was my fault." She replied as she brushed herself off and stood. Looking down, Anne saw an old Gypsy woman sitting there, cradling her crystal ball. "Are you all right?" She asked, suddenly concerned for the old woman.
"Oh yes, just sitting down for a spell dear." The old woman started struggling to her feet, and Anne was quick to offer her a hand. "I really shouldn't have been sitting in the middle of the sidewalk anyhow." Anne couldn't agree more, but said nothing as she led her to a nearby bus stop bench. All the confidence had fled, and now she knew that if she didn't get going on this job hunt, she would end up going back to her tiny room and huddling in a ball, until she was kicked out.
"Well, if you're sure you'll be all right, I really must be going." The Gypsy smiled up at her, a knowledgeable gleam in her old eyes.
"I'll be just fine. Don't worry about me. May I read your future for you before you go?" Anne nodded skeptically. She didn't really believe in it, but perhaps if the woman saw something comforting, she would find it easier to go get her job. "Look deep into my crystal ball." Colors were swirling around the small orb, silver, green and blue. A foggy mist muted some of the colors, and Anne was almost tempted to believe. "It is time for you to love, my dear." The woman's voice was soft and hypnotizing. "You will take a long unexpected journey, and will find your true love. You will surely find it, but it is up to you whether you keep it. Your life is about to change." She stopped talking, and when Anne was able to tear her eyes away from the beautiful colored ball, she discovered the woman had fallen asleep.
She sighed. It would have been so tempting to believe. In fact it was, but Anne didn't have the luxury of believing in fairy tales anymore. Patting her pocket where her last few dollars lay, she drew a five out, rolled it up, and with one last look, stuffed it into the sleeping woman's hand. Realizing sadly she didn't even know the Gypsy's name, Anne turned and walked toward the park and her new job. She didn't see the woman's lips curl into a smile, or her eyes sparkle with laughter.
Mandie:
The rest of her day went much like she had predicted, only better. When she reached the park, she bounced up to the coffee stand to ask for a job. He was happy for the help, and Anne was happy for the job. She worked hard all the way through the day, into the evening when Ted started packing his stall up for the day. Smiling, he offered her a permanent job, and Anne willingly accepted. She felt as if she were floating on air as she hailed a taxi to bring her home. It seemed as if her ship had truly come in. Worry-free, she went home and ordered pizza for an extra special treat. As she ate the gooey cheese, she counted the money she had left. Already she had enough money to pay rent, and tomorrow she could go grocery shopping for the first time in a long while.
It wasn’t until she was washing her face that she remembered the old gypsy woman. She laughed at her own willingness to believe in magic. Now she had a job, and money in her pocket. She had no need for fairy tales. Pulling on one of her mother’s old nightgowns, she crawled into her bed. Wishing for an actual frame for the ratty mattress, Anne rolled over and let sleep overtake her.
Elsewhere:
A wail echoed through the house, bringing him to unwilling consciousness. Groaning, he rolled out of his comfortable bed, shivering as his bare feet touched the cold floor. He fumbled for a moment, trying to locate his slippers until he heard another wail. Forgetting his slippers, he trudged out of his room down the hall. Pausing outside the door for a moment, he cursed the fates that had brought him to this moment, then opened the door and peered into the gloom.
A small girl sat in the middle of the large bed, almost lost in the fluffy bedspread. Tears had stained her cheeks, and she was still snuffling softly. She looked up hopefully as he entered the room, then started crying again in earnest as she discovered he was not whom she had hoped. He sat on the bed next to her, awkwardly patting her back. He wished that he had the right words to tell her, that he could be what she needed. The door creaked as an older girl slipped into the room. She climbed up next to the smaller one, and took her into her arms. She glared at the man, her eyes full of anger. “I told you we needed to be together. You don’t listen to anything I say. Just go away!”
The angry words speared the man through his heart. What he wouldn’t give to be the right man for this particular job. Or the right woman for that matter. Suddenly a thought entered his head. What these girls needed was a mother! It wouldn’t be simple. Most women would not want to be saddled with another’s offspring. He slowly got to his feet, and smiled at the two girls. “I will endeavor to listen to you the next time,” he promised, “I’m sorry, for everything. I’ll try to make everything right.”
As he closed the door behind him, he heard the soft retort, “Nothing will ever be right again.” Sighing, he realized that this was his worst fear. More than anything, he wanted to make things right for these two lost souls. Plodding back to his room, he paused in the hall, his hand resting on his doorknob. The soft whispers of the elder girl comforting the younger drifted down the dark hallway. He straightened his shoulders. By giving the girls a mother, he realized that he would have to find a wife. He hadn’t thought of marrying, not yet anyway, but things had changed in a way he had never seen coming. Weariness overcame him, and he walked through his room and climbed back under the sheets. Nothing could be done tonight, in any case.
Mandie:
Midnight fell. A stiff breeze rattled the leaves outside the window. Lightening split the cloudless sky. For one moment, their hearts beat as one. It was the witching hour, and as anyone can tell you, deep magic can happen in that one moment in time.
A shaft of sunlight danced across Anne’s eyelids. She thought it was strange that her alarm had not woken her up. Opening her eyes, she beheld a canopy of green leaves above her head. A bird sang, not too far away. Two squirrels argued loudly over something or another. In her groggy mind, Anne decided that she must still be dreaming. Shutting her eyes, she calmly counted to ten. She was still in the midst of a forest. Cautiously, she reached over her body and pinched herself on the arm. “Ouch!” At her exclamation, the noise around her came to an abrupt halt, only to start up again moments later. Where was she? How did she get here? Standing up she looked around her for some clue as to where she might be.
Something was pounding its way toward her. As it got closer, Anne was able to pick out hoof beats. Someone on a horse was getting nearer to where she stood. Stepping forward, she discovered that a small dirt road led through the wood. Relieved, she prepared to stop the rider in hopes that she would discover where she was. After smoothing her hands over her nightgown, she reached up to make sure her hair looked as good as it could. She had managed to put herself in some semblance of order when the rider finally came around the bend.
***
Morning had come much earlier than he had wanted. Of course that had been normal since the girls had arrived, disrupting his orderly household. Already, two of his servants had quit, and he was at a loss what to do now. This morning, however was different. He was happy to wake early. During the night he had reconsidered the idea of marriage. Yes, he would have to marry, but not yet. What the girls needed was a governess. He felt as if he had escaped, for now anyway, some awful fate.
His valet had helped him bathe and dress, then he had walked down to the diningroom to eat a quick breakfast. He never even considered talking to the girls about his decision, he had made his mind up and that was that. After his groom had saddled his horse, he swung himself easily into the saddle and rode out on the road toward town. He always enjoyed going to town. The woods along the road was always peaceful, at least in the morning hours. One did not relish the idea of going through the woods at night. Who knows what could be hiding in the trees? More reasons to get his business done as quickly as possible. Hopefully, he would have a governess by the end of the day. Rounding the bend, he almost plowed right into a woman standing in the middle of the road.
Leaping off his horse, he walked over to her. Lord, she was lovely. Blonde hair, shining in the sunlight, and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He, a genuine rogue, was at a loss for words. Bowing his head toward her, he introduced himself. Maybe not the thing to do, but what else could one do when meeting a goddess in the middle of a forest. “I am Jeremy Burke, Marq...uh Duke of Langton.”
Mandie:
Anne was willing to play along. Smiling slightly, she dipped into a low curtsy. “Anne Kirby, my lord.” She laughingly wondered how far he would take this charade. “Might I ask where we are? I have managed to lose my way in this forest. You see I’m on my way to London to have tea with the queen.” She almost lost it at his dumbfounded expression. He obviously hadn’t expected her to one up him.
The queen? This unchaperoned girl walking through the woods in her bare feet was planning on tea with the queen? Personally, he was starting to wonder about the health of her mind. “London is close to a two-day ride from here. There is a small town about an hour from here. You should be able to secure a ride from there. I would be happy to take you into town.” Of course, riding into town unchaperoned, on the back of his horse, would destroy her reputation. It wouldn’t do anything pleasant to his own reputation either. How could he save them both while providing help to this poor soul?
Okay, so he was quick on his feet. Anne laughed softly. “You win this round, but only because I’m still confused. Where are we really? I’m afraid I don’t know how I got here. In fact . . . ” Her voice trailed off. How had she ended up on the side of a country road in the middle of the woods? For the first time since she had woken, real fear wove its way through her heart. Had someone come into her house and taken her away while she had slept? Who would do something like that, and why? Perhaps this man actually had something to do with her abduction. What was his role in this, and why was he wearing such outlandish clothes? She noticed the pity in his eyes, and became angry. “Who are you? Did Max hire you?” Who else would want her to disappear. Maybe the plan was to make her so crazy that he could legally lock her away for the rest of her life. Then he wouldn’t have to worry when the POA ran out.
She really was touched in the head. The local doctor in town would know what to do with her, but how could he get into town without being the fodder for more gossip? Normally he wouldn’t have minded, but now he had the girls to think about. The only option was to return to his house and retrieve the closed carriage. Perhaps Jane’s things would fit her so she would look so wild. For the first time, he was glad he hadn’t gotten around to cleansing the house from all touches of his brother and sister-in-law. “I told you before, I am Jeremy Burke, Duke of Langton. We are standing at the edge of my property. I don’t know any Max. I can offer you a ride to town, but I would advise a quick return to my house first.” He saw the panic flash across her face, and quickly continued. “My sister-in-law has chests of clothing that would fit you with little tailoring. I would also need to pick up my carriage for comfort’s sake.” He felt no remorse lying to her, not when she looked so frightened. He felt as if he were trying to talk an untamed bird into staying on his arm. “There are plenty of servants to make sure nothing untoward happens.”
Anne took a long moment to think it all over. What other choice did she really have? Still hoping that this was some horrible dream, she reluctantly agreed. “I will come with you, but if you try anything, I won’t hesitate to defend myself.” A thought occurred to her. If she were really in England, it had to have taken some time and money to transfer her from California. She had probably even been drugged, hence the reason she was so groggy. “What is the date?” When she got back, and she would get back, Max was going to have a huge lawsuit on his hands. She had no doubts that Max had his greedy hands all over this situation.
Puzzled, and even more convinced that she needed the help of a doctor, Jeremy answered her last question with conviction. “April seventh, the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-five.” The next thing he knew, his blonde goddess had fainted dead away into his arms.
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