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.

[Jagerjaques]

Oh!! Awesome installment!  Thanks, Mandie!

[Mandie]

The world was slowly coming back into focus.  Anne blinked several times to clear her vision.  Oh, what a dream!  Groaning softly, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.  Well, she wasn’t in her apartment, and she wasn’t in a hospital.  Whoever’s house this was had excellent taste in furniture.  The room she was in was filled with beautiful Victorian pieces and other antiques.  Everything looked so well taken care of, in fact most of it looked almost new.  Looking around, she didn’t see anyone else, so she took a moment to think about her dream.  As odd and frightening as it had been, she was almost sorry it was over.  Anne wondered if she was ever going to see the man in her dreams again.

Maybe she would never dream about him again, but he walked through the door moments later, large and live.  “Oh, no, no, no!”  Anne moaned, “Why couldn’t you stay in my dreams where you belong?”  If his being here meant that it was all real, it also meant she really had traveled back on time more than one hundred and fifty years!  How on earth would she survive in this time, and what was more important, how could she ever get home?
Jeremy smiled slightly.  So she dreamed about him did she?  Maybe he was affecting her in the same way she was affecting him.  As long as she had been in his presence, he had been in a constant state of desire.  One part of him wanted to keep her close, closer in fact.  The other wanted her out of his life as quickly as possible.  He absently wondered which side would be the winner in the end.  Which side did he want to win?  He had no answers, only more questions.  Even with the worry about her mind, he still found her utterly desirable.  Ah, well, first things first.  Get her dressed before you find yourself tearing that flimsy gown off of her, man.  “Are you feeling any better?”  He conveniently ignored the soft moan that erupted from his visitor.  “If you’ll permit me, I’ll take you to a room where you can dress.  Then we can discuss your situation.”  Maybe that would give him the time to harden his heart rather than his body.

If she couldn’t find her niche in this time, she would end up in some ancient mental ward.  The last thing that she wanted was to become the property of some Victorian leech.  Following her host up a flight of stairs, she tried to come up with a believable explanation for her manner of speech and dress.  What a trip this was turning out to be!  A trip?  Suddenly the light came on in her brain.  The gypsy!  Somehow, the old woman’s prophecy had come to be.  Did that mean she was stuck here forever?  Anne wasn’t sure, but somehow she had to stay here, next to the place where she had arrived.  She would not be leaving anytime soon.  Her eyes slid over to her reluctant host.  Well, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

The room that he led her to was just gorgeous.  The massive bed took up half of the room.  The large thick posts held curtains that obviously closed when sleeping on it.  The fabrics were all so luxurious!  He pointed toward the large armoire in the corner and muttered something at her as he bowed his head and left.  Anne tiptoed over to the wardrobe, and flung the door open.  Any doubt that she had about the time traveling evaporated as she gazed at the period clothing hanging in front of her.  It was the final straw, and the dam finally burst.  A single tear rolled down her cheek.  Kirby women did not cry.  However, her mother would probably understand in this situation.  She broke down and started to sob in earnest.

Jeremy stood outside of the door for a moment.  He had never felt this way about a woman before.  As someone who considered himself quite the expert on ladies, it was disorienting to say the least.  A muffled sob came through the door.  He started, and like any man worth his salt, disappeared down the stairs.

Once the tears started, they would not stop.  All the feeling she had bottled up over the last few months just poured out through the tears.  When the heart-wrenching sobs had finally dissipated into hiccuping sniffles, Anne collapsed onto her knees in utter exhaustion.  What she wouldn’t give to crawl up onto that bed, curl up into a ball, and sleep for a week.  A tiny voice invaded her consciousness.  “Is she an angel?”  The speaker seemed in awe.

“No.  Angels live in heaven with Momma and Poppa.”  An older voice contradicted the younger.  “This is just a lady crying in Momma’s room.”

“Maybe she’s sad because Momma and Poppa are in heaven without her.”  Anne could almost hear the pout.  She raised her red-rimmed eyes and gave a watery smile to the two girls she found staring back at her.

“I’m Anne.  I’m not an angel, just sad.  I lost my mother recently too.”

“You lost her?  Don’t you know where to find her?”  The young redheaded girl looked behind the door as if Anne’s mother was hiding there.

“Don’t be dumb, Sam.  Her momma is dead, same as ours.”  Turning to Anne, she introduced the two of them.  “This is Samantha.  She is five, and likes to be called Sam instead.  I’m Rebecca, and I’m twelve.  What are you doing in here?  This is . . .  was my Momma’s room.”

“Um, your . . .  Jeremy said that I could borrow some of your momma’s clothes.  I’ve lost mine somehow.  Do you think that your momma would mind?”  Anne could remember the horrible feelings she had when strangers were going through her mother’s things, and wondered if the girls would give their consent.  No matter what His High and Mightiness said, she would not take a single article without it.

“Momma always gave things to people who needed them more.”  Sam looked in askance at her sister.

“Sam’s right,” Rebecca agreed, “Momma doesn’t need them anymore, and you do.  Just be careful with them.”  With that, Rebecca took Sam’s hand and left the room.

[Jagerjaques]

AWWWWW!  I hope I'm not the only one who wants to see what's going to happen!  Beautiful, as always.

[Melanie]

Nice Mandie! I love these kinds of threads, makes the sims come to life, like a soap opera! Keep em comin!

-Melanie

[Melissa]

These are better then the actual Soaps I watch, so thanks for the Actual Entertainment Mandie.

[Lorrswim34]

i love this. you are an awesome storywriter mandie

[Alloyin]

The picture, when Anne met Jeremy (on the horse) is very good. Im sad, that I'm not understandt it all.......

[Mandie]

After the girls had left the room, Anne hauled her protesting body from the floor.  Stretching, she heard a couple of vertebra crackle into place.  What she wouldn’t give for a chiropractor! Chuckling softly, she realized that even if she were in the modern world, she still wouldn’t be able to see a chiropractor.  She couldn’t afford it!  Walking over to the small dry sink, she poured some of the water from the pitcher into the porcelain basin.  She splashed her face with the cool water, hoping to rid herself of the redness surrounding her eyes.  When she had made herself as presentable as she could, she straightened and turned to glare at the armoire full of unfamiliar clothing.  She didn’t even know what half of those things did!  Someone tapped softly on the door, and Anne called, “Come in!”

A maid entered the room shyly.  Smiling softly, she introduced herself.  “Hello Miss, I’m Bessie.  Milord asked me to come help you dress.”

Anne sighed gratefully.  “Thank you very much, Bessie.  I appreciate you taking time out of your day to help me.  I’m Anne.”  Bessie smiled, somewhat uncomfortable by the praise.  She walked over to the wardrobe and started pulling clothing from it, laying each piece gently on the bed.  A beautiful morning dress, shoe and stockings, garters and petticoats, a chemise and a corset, all were laid out on top of the coverlet.  Anne felt a little overwhelmed staring at the pile of clothing.  She was actually supposed to put all of this on?

Bessie confidently helped her dress.  The worst of it was when she put the corset on.  Anne felt as if she couldn’t breathe, but what wonderful things it did to her bosom.  Then she found herself sitting on a vanity bench while Bessie did her hair.  By the time she had finished, Anne could barely recognize herself in the mirror.  She looked as if she had stepped out of the pages of a history book.  Or rather, Anne thought ruefully, right into one.

Unfortunately, by the time Bessie deposited her in front of the door to Jeremy’s study, Anne still hadn’t found a way to talk him into letting her stay.  All of this was making her discombobulated.

Unfortunately, by the time Anne waltzed into his study, Jeremy still hadn’t been able to talk himself into making her leave.  Some part of him wanted to explore the feelings that she brought up in him.  As she entered the room, it seemed that the light had come in with her.  The breath caught in his throat.  By Jove, she was truly beautiful.  She slipped into one of the chairs facing his desk, and the only thought that came to his mind was to wonder how those glistening peach lips would taste.

[Mandie]

I promise to deliver pics the next time I enter the game.  I have been spending all of my time searching for my muse.  Little did I know she was hiding under the couch.  Now that I have found her, I plan to chain her to the desk so I can get some more things done!

[ladyrose]

Ooooh, thats absolutely amazing! I write too,  but not about sims.