FF Sarah Ettritch (July 2011) - Threaded Through Time, Book Two

“For those who were born before or after their time...”

That described Pam. She’d always felt that she’d been born too late—there was no chivalry in the world anymore.

She’d only wanted to commune with the universe while reading a “moon rhyme” in the antique book she’d purchased from the local New Age shop. She had not expected guests—especially not Jasper and Margaret, summoned one hundred years into the future by the rhyme just as Jasper was proposing to Margaret.

Now the displaced visitors insist that they be returned to 1910, and Pam and her roommate Robin agree. But the rhyme won’t work until the next moon cycle, and in the intervening month, forbidden love blooms between Pam and Jasper, and Robin and Margaret.

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Sample

Chapter One

Margaret stifled an impatient sigh and willed Mother to draw a card from her hand. She glanced at the grandfather clock again. Dear God in heaven, it was almost 8:00! Robin was about to be torn away from her! Margaret held her cards in front of her face to hide her panic. Could she calmly return to the dining room and continue to play cards after losing the woman she loved? Somehow she must, unless she could use Jasper as a reason to excuse herself from the game. Would he desire her company, or would he want to return home and grieve for Pam in private? Her first choice would be to run into her bedroom, throw herself onto the bed, and weep, but that would raise eyebrows and invite questions. Since she couldn’t be alone, she’d rather be with Jasper. He’d at least understand why she was upset, even if he didn’t know the depth of her loss.

“I think I might have won this hand,” Mother murmured when she finally placed a card on the table.

Father peered at the card through his glasses. “I believe you have.”

Margaret quickly seized the opportunity. “I feel a bit peckish,” she said, tossing her cards down. “I think I’ll warm some scones. Anyone want tea?”

“Yes, please,” Mother said. Father and Hubert nodded.

“Play the next hand without me.” She pushed back her chair and escaped, making sure to close the door behind her. Should she start the tea and scones? No. She’d wait until after . . . oh, she couldn’t bear to think of it! Yes, wait until afterward; she’d need every precious minute to compose herself before facing her family.

To her dismay, the front door opened the moment she reached the bottom of the stairs. She clenched her hands in front of her as Pam stepped into the house, followed by Robin and Jasper. Margaret motioned for Jasper and Pam to continue down the hallway to the drawing room. Then she braced herself and forced her eyes to Robin’s.

Cold fingers grasped hers and squeezed. Robin nodded, and then she was gone. Margaret turned and watched her climb the stairs. They had agreed to the quick farewell, knowing that anything else would be agonizing, but perhaps they should have embraced one last time. That they’d die to each other like this . . .

Robin had already reached the landing. Margaret drew a deep breath, then went into the drawing room and shut the door. “We don’t have much time,” she said urgently. “Everyone’s in the dining room, playing cards. I excused myself to make tea and warm the scones. They’ll expect me back soon.”

Sitting on the floor near the piano, Pam looked up at her. Margaret trembled at the sight of Pam in her modern clothes. It was really happening. Robin and Pam were returning to 2010, and Margaret would break her engagement with Jasper and enter a nunnery. Lord, help me!

“Then let’s not drag it out.” Pam held out her hand. “Jasper.”

He hesitated, then handed her the book he’d tucked under his arm. Feeling light-headed, Margaret went to his side and fought tears.

Pam peered up at them, her eyes moist. “Have a good life, you two,” she whispered. She lowered her head, crossed her legs, and rested the book on her lap.

Margaret could hardly breathe as Pam turned to the rhyme that would return her and Robin to their own time. Good-bye, Robin. I’ll always love you.

Pam drew a shaky breath and sat silent for a moment. Then she said, “All right. Here we go . . .”

when in the wrong time
universe will not be kind
until you align
by swapping souls

Nausea doubled Margaret over. A shrill noise assaulted her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutched her stomach, felt torn ten different ways . . . and then, as usual, the world stabilized. The noise ceased. Her stomach suddenly settled. She slowly straightened, opened her eyes a crack, and recognized the wallpaper and the rug. At least this time she knew what had happened and where she was. “I wonder why we all keep travelling together. Only Jasper and I were affected the first time.”

Silence greeted her remark. Her heart pounded; her eyes snapped fully open. The chair Pam had sat in was empty, save for the rose quartz crystal. The black rhyme book lay open and facedown on the rug near the chair. Margaret whipped to her left. Jasper wasn’t there! Good Lord, she was alone! In 2010! Where were the others? In a panic, she ran into the hallway, then stopped when footsteps pounded down the stairs. Robin.

“We made it!” Robin was shouting as she descended. She came into the hallway and stopped, her eyes wide. “Margaret! Oh my god, we all came back. Pam and I didn’t think that would happen.” She frowned. “What’s wrong? Apart from being in 2010 again.”

Margaret swallowed. “We didn’t all come back.”

Robin walked up the hallway, her eyes on Margaret’s. “What do you mean?”

“Jasper and Pam aren’t here.”

“What? No—they have to be.” She brushed past Margaret and went into the drawing room. “Pam? Pam!” Margaret followed her and paused in the doorway. Robin stood with her hands on her hips, staring at the empty chair. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t they come back with us?”

“Perhaps Pam’s desire to be with Jasper and my—my desire to be with you somehow influenced the rhyme’s effect.”

Robin turned to her. “Then why didn’t we all come back? Or why didn’t I stay in 1910 with you? Or why didn’t Jasper come here with Pam?” She shook her head. “I don’t know, we didn’t even know each other the first time Pam read the rhyme. And I had the impression you wanted to get away from me the second time she read it.”

Blood rushed to Margaret’s face. “You’re right. It was a silly thought.”

“No. You could be right. We’ve never understood how this rhyme works.” They both eyed the book lying on the floor. “It could just be chance. Read the rhyme and whoever travels is random, though it’s always an even number of travellers,” Robin said.

“What should we do?” Margaret asked from the doorway. “Should we read the rhyme?”

Robin appeared lost in thought. Not wanting to break her concentration, Margaret waited and tried not to think about her predicament and whether Robin was pleased or dismayed by her presence in 2010.

“Something’s wrong,” Robin finally said. “Whoever’s travelled has always returned to the exact same time they left. We did.” She pointed up. “When Pam read the rhyme, I was sitting at my computer and I just happened to look at the time before I suddenly found myself in your bedroom. When I just found myself back in my chair, the time hadn’t changed. My screen looked exactly the same. It’s as if we never left.”

“It was the same for Jasper and me when we returned.”

“Yes. So Pam should already be here. Don’t you see? At this point, she can’t return to the time she left. It’s too late.”

“Perhaps she can return at a later date.”

“But when? And how old will she be?” Robin’s brows drew together. “Unless she suddenly appears before the next full moon, she’ll have skipped over at least a month in her own time.”

“She has to return sometime.” When Robin paled and covered her mouth with her hands, fear tightened Margaret’s throat. “You don’t think . . .” No, she couldn’t voice such a thought.

Robin dropped her hands to her sides. “We should check the attic,” she said quietly. “I doubt there will be a message there, but you never know.”

Was it only two months ago that they’d all stood in this room and discussed the attic? It felt like a lifetime. Her mind racing, Margaret followed Robin upstairs. How would they rectify this situation? As Robin had said, the rhyme always affected an even number of people. If Pam didn’t travel again, how would Margaret return to 1910 without dragging Robin back with her? What if they read the rhyme, Robin went back, and Jasper came forward?

On the landing, Robin murmured, “I’ll get the stepladder. I think the flashlight’s still in my bedroom.” Margaret knew where it was: standing on the floor near the closet.

Entering Robin’s bedroom again felt surreal. Everything was where Margaret had left it. Her 2010 clothes were neatly folded at the end of the bed, the last pair of shoes she’d worn was tucked underneath it, and the wool she hadn’t used was sitting on top of the dresser, along with the needles and patterns. Her eyes moved to the splash of colour on the wall. Now she knew what it was: a rainbow flag. Yes, here, in this time, she wasn’t a deviant. She was nobody. She didn’t exist.

She picked up the flashlight, and moved away from the closet when Robin carried the stepladder into the room. “I’ll need you to boost me,” Robin said as she opened the ladder inside the closet. She accepted the flashlight from Margaret, climbed to the trapdoor, and pushed it open. “Now,” she said a moment later.

Unsure of what to do, Margaret placed her hands underneath one of Robin’s feet and stood on her tip-toes, throwing her weight upward. It worked; Robin managed to hoist herself into the attic. “Don’t bring down my letters!” Margaret shouted, wondering if Robin could hear her. She didn’t want to know how many letters she’d written to Robin about breaking her engagement and preparing to enter the nunnery, and she certainly didn’t want to know what was in them. Best not to know anything about her future.

The ceiling creaked overhead. Robin’s feet and legs appeared. “Just guide my feet to the stepladder if it looks like I’m going to miss,” Margaret heard her say. She stood poised, ready to help, but Robin’s feet landed on the top step without aid. To give her room, Margaret moved away and waited near Robin’s desk. A moment later, Robin emerged from the closet and held up an envelope. “I found this.”

Margaret peered at it. “That’s my stationery, but I didn’t put it there. I would have written your name on the envelope.”

“Pam or Jasper did.”

“How can you tell?”

“I had to really look for it. Whoever put it there knew we were going to look for your diary.” Robin turned the envelope over in her hands. Her reluctance to open it sent a chill up Margaret’s spine. “Well, I guess we should read it.” Robin chuckled nervously and sat on the bed. She ripped the envelope open with her thumb, drew out a single sheet of paper, and unfolded it. “It’s addressed to Girls, which I assume means us. Why don’t you come sit over here? We’ll read it together.”

Margaret hesitated, then crossed to the bed and settled next to Robin, who held the letter where they both could read it:

Girls,
I don’t have much time, so I’ll be brief and practical, otherwise I’ll dissolve into a flood of tears.
1. Margaret, you have my blessing. I’ll be fine here. I want to stay with Jasper.
2. Robin, be patient. Don’t blow it.
3. I’m not sure how you’ll do it, but have Margaret be me until you sell the house and get your paws on every last dime I have. I don’t need it.
4. My PIN number is 5598. For everything. I know, I know.
5. Tell everyone I eloped with the guy at Brenda’s party and I’m in Mexico sipping tequilas by the pool.
God, I’ll miss you. I already do. Robin, what can I say? You know what you are to me. Okay, that flood is threatening. I’m outta here.
Have a great life, girls. You’ll have years of positive thoughts coming your way.
Love, Pam.

Margaret didn’t understand all of it, but what she did comprehend shocked her to her core. Pam sounded as if she wasn’t coming back, and . . . No, it couldn’t be. Margaret’s hand went to her throat. Her life. Her family. Fear drove her to her feet. She walked over to the desk and kept her back to Robin as she tried to calm her breathing. “Were there any letters from me in the attic?” she asked. When Robin’s answer didn’t immediately come, she closed her eyes.

“No.”

Her voice shook. “I would have written to you.” Oh, Lord. Her knees buckled. Robin was suddenly there, supporting her elbow and steering her back to the bed. They both sank onto it. When Robin slipped her arm around Margaret’s shoulders, Margaret leaned into her and fought tears. She had to keep her wits about her!

Robin squeezed her. “It’ll be all right.”

Would it? Her life had just been torn away!

With her free hand, Robin picked up Pam’s letter from the bed and read it again. She pursed her lips. “Let’s think this through. When Pam read the rhyme, you and I disappeared. For some reason, Pam thought you’d decided not to return to 1910, probably because you didn’t return when you were supposed to.”

“How did she get back into the house and put the letter in the attic?” Margaret asked dully.

“She probably put it there on the same night she read the rhyme. I’m speculating here, but she must have concluded that you didn’t return because you wanted to stay here, in this time.” Robin fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter what ran through her mind. All that matters is that she isn’t here. She loves Jasper. She must have decided right there and then to stay. She’s not . . . she’s not coming back.”

Robin’s distressed expression reminded Margaret that she wasn’t the only one facing a tremendous loss. Robin’s theory also troubled her. Why had Pam quickly jumped to the conclusion that she’d chosen to remain in the future? She tucked the question away to talk about later.

“She was wrong. You hadn’t decided to stay—or rather, her letter might be what led to your decision. God, I hate time travel,” Robin groaned, then looked at the letter again. “Then again, nothing’s stopping us from reading the rhyme. But we have no idea where—well, what date and time—you’ll end up.”

“I would have written to you. Since there aren’t any letters from me, I never stepped foot back inside this house in my time.”

Robin lifted her eyes from the letter. “Margaret, I know what you staying here means, what you’d be giving up,” she said solemnly. “We can read the rhyme next month. Maybe you’ll return a month after you left. That wouldn’t be so bad.”

“You’re not listening to me, Robin,” Margaret said, frustration straining her voice. “I would have written to you. I didn’t. So, no, I didn’t return only a month later. If we read the rhyme, we have no idea what will happen to me, or you, or Pam, or Jasper, or anyone!” She brushed aside new tears and bit her lip, determined not to lose her composure.

When Robin lifted her arm, Margaret worried that she’d spoken too harshly. But Robin twisted toward her and took both her hands. “Don’t get angry with me, but I thought that maybe after I’d left, you’d give up on your plan to enter the order, that you’d go ahead and marry Jasper.”

“No! Perhaps you think me weak-minded, but I’m not. It would have been difficult, but I wouldn’t have married Jasper, not—” she gulped “—not after you.”

“I don’t think you’re weak-minded. Not at all. I asked because the historical record shows that you married Jasper and had at least one child.”

“What? No!”

“Then Pam must have, acting as you. That’s why the marriage took place in Halifax. We wondered why you’d left Toronto and married so soon after visiting our time.”

A multitude of questions raced through Margaret’s mind, but again, she’d save them for later. “You never told us.”

“We didn’t think it would be a good idea for you to know your future.” Robin’s grip on Margaret’s hands tightened. “We didn’t know it was actually Pam’s future.”

“Did you find anything else out about us? Perhaps