Chapter Nineteen

C olleen brushed a non -existent wrinkle from her full skirt. Instead of heading to their respective rooms, they'd decided to talk in the dining room. "What do you think they're discussing?"

"Could be anything." Caleb took a sip of his whiskey. "Brad's been acting rather strange ever since he rescued Libby and her family. He's hiding something."

"Well, I think he's in love with her." Sybil smirked. "And her family. To think he delivered Lucy. He must have been scared to death."

Caleb snorted. "What make you think he's in love with her? She's only been here eight months."

Sybil tapped her fan against her palm. "I don't know. Even though, until tonight, he wore his stupid mask, there is something about the way he moves toward her. He always seems to be aware of where she is."

Her husband frowned. "How can you tell? I sure didn't notice anything."

"Me, neither," Caleb added.

"I think I know what you mean, Sybil. Maybe it's something only women can see."

Sybil turned to her sister-in-law. "And when she wasn't in the room, and he had his mask off..."

"Yes!" Colleen squealed. "Whenever her name was mentioned, his eyes lit up, even when he denied any feelings for her."

Sybil grabbed Colleen's hand. "Oh, my goodness. I nearly burst my stays trying not to laugh at his reaction."

"David," Caleb tipped his glass toward the women. "Do you have any idea what they are talking about?"

"No idea, my friend." He slapped his brother-in-law on the shoulder. "I think women have some sort of third eye noticing things us poor men can't."

"And don't want to."

Colleen pursed her lips. "Well, I can't imagine why they felt it was necessary to go off by themselves while we are here. Seems rather rude."

"Since we've ruled out marriage and we can't think of anything else they could be talking about, we should simply wait until they are done." Caleb went behind his wife and patted her shoulder.

Sybil stood and brushed out her skirt. "They've been in there quite a while. Since they aren't married, I believe we should check on them."

David chuckled. "You only want to eavesdrop."

"Well. Of course." She took her husband's arm. "Let's go."

****

B rad sighed. "Since they all went to bed, we'll have to do this in the morning." He held out his hand for Libby and helped her rise. Her hand trembled. "Nervous?"

"A little. What will they think I am? A witch? A liar? An occultist?"

"A what?"

"Never mind. They will probably have me committed somewhere."

"I won't let them. Besides, my family is more open-minded than most."

Brad placed her hand in the crook of his arm then put a finger to his lips. "Wait a minute. I hear something outside the door. Don't you?"

Libby cocked her ear to the door. "Sounds a bit like panting. Is your dog outside waiting for you?"

He yanked the door open. "What the hell is going on here?"

His sister toppled into the room, landing in a pile of petticoats. David tripped into her with Colleen and Caleb following. If Brad hadn't stepped to the side, he and Libby would be on the floor flailing among the arms, legs, boots, slippers, and cuss words filling the air.

He chuckled. "Should we leave them to their own devices, or help them up?"

Libby tapped a finger against her smile. "I wouldn't know where to begin." She chortled. "I mean, what if we pull up a hand thinking it was Sybil when it was actually Caleb?"

"I can't tell the difference. Why don't we let them sort it out?"

"Dammit, Bradley John Kemble." Sybil, at the bottom of the pile, screeched at him. "If you don't help us, I'll never speak to you again."

"Promises, promises."

Libby laughed. It was good to know siblings fought in 1870 like they did in her time. Some things never changed. She stood to the side as Brad gave Caleb, then David, a hand up. He let them help their wives.

Brad closed the door, leaned against it, and folded his arms over his chest. "What were you guys doing?"

"Um." Sybil patted her frazzled hair in place. "Why. Nothing. We were just..."

"Eavesdropping?" Brad shook a finger at his sister. "I know you, Billy. You were nosy as a child, and you're no different as an adult."

Sybil stomped her foot and glared at her husband. "Are you going to let him talk to me like that? We were only passing by."

"He's only speaking the truth, Sweetheart. You do tend to stick your nose in places where it doesn't belong."

"Well. I never." Sybil jabbed a finger in her husband's chest. "I didn't see you or Colleen or Caleb walking past the door. You were right behind me."

Colleen held up a hand. "It doesn't matter. We didn't hear anything, anyway. But we do want to ask you," she nodded at Libby, "a few questions."

Libby's heart sank. By Colleen's tone, she was going to be grilled. Maybe it was time to take the upper hand. "Why don't we all be seated again?" Brad stood by the fireplace, resting his arm on the mantle. At least she would be able to see him as she told a tale no one would ever believe. She took a deep breath, but before she could say one word, Brad spoke.

"We're going to tell you something. It can never leave this room." One by one, he glanced at his family. "You have to promise Libby and me." He raised an eyebrow at Sybil who sighed.

"I promise."

"We all do," Caleb added.

Brad stood next to her chair and patted her shoulder. What she wouldn't give to lean into him and let him absorb her fears. Let his strength flow through her veins. It was the same, yet different, from her husband. There'd been times when, without saying a word, Ben's presence calmed her, as if he'd taken on whatever was bothering her.

Caleb cleared his throat. "So, what is it you want to tell us?"

"You promise not to interrupt until we're done?"

Sybil shook her head. "Depends on what you're going to say."

"I guess it's all I can ask of you, but it would be better if you kept your questions to yourselves for now."

Dave poured a round of drinks. "Well, get on with it before we fall asleep waiting. I, for one, am exhausted."

Brad squeezed her shoulder. It didn't pass notice from the reaction by Brad's family. Their quick glances at each other. Sybil's smirk. Caleb's wink at his wife. They probably thought she and Brad were going to announce their engagement or something else crazy.

"I believe you all know the story of how I found Libby, her husband, and their son in their carriage the day of the strange storm."

Caleb chuckled. "You mean the one you encountered on the way from our place? The one which didn't drop a single leaf from the trees in my yard as well as from the driveway to the road?"

"That would be the one. And you know damn well there was a storm as you helped me cut up the fallen tree in the road."

Colleen tapped her husband on the hand. "Dear, we know your thoughts on the storm, let Bradley continue." She nodded to her brother-in-law. "And we know about delivering Lucy and taking care of Charlie."

"And burying Libby's husband," Sybil added.

"So, what we don't know," David sat on the arm of Sybil's chair, "is why all the secrecy? Why haven't Libby and her children returned to her home?"

"If you'd all be quiet, Libby can tell you."

Libby wiped her shaking hands on her dress. Here went nothing. Either they'd accept her story or have her locked up. Who would raise her children? She bit her bottom lip. "The reason I'm still here is I don't have a home to go to. I'm not from here."

"We know you aren't from around here, but how do you know you don't have a home anymore? And Cora says you haven't written to anyone nor have received any letters from your family. Surely, you have family where you're from."

"I knew it was too much to ask them just to listen," Brad muttered under his breath.

Libby stood and walked to the fireplace, said a short prayer, and faced the people whose expectant faces watched her. "When I say I am not from here, I mean I'm not from 1870. I'm from the year 2024."

The room was dead silent. Why wasn't anyone saying anything? Where was the denial? The laughter? The derision? A straight jacket?

David finally shook his head and wiggled a finger in his ear. "Could you repeat what you said? I think my ears quit working."

"If yours quit working, then so did mine." Caleb pointed a finger at Libby. "Did you say you're from two thousand and twenty-four?"

"I did."

"But... But..." Colleen put a hand to her lips. "That's..." She closed her eyes. "One hundred and fifty-four years from now. It's not possible."

Sybil jumped to her feet, ignoring the sherry splashing from her glass onto her dress. "Why, that's crazy. Bradley, you can't keep a crazy woman in your house."

Libby blinked back her tears. It was as she figured. They thought she was crazy. "I—"

****

B rad held up his hand . The desire to pull Libby into his arms and wipe the tears from her face was strong. If Sybil thought Libby shouldn't be in his house, what would she think if he hugged her? "Wait. Hear us out. I didn't believe it at first, either. Traveling through time was impossible. But there's been too much proof she is telling the truth."

"You've heard Brad's version of what happened, now let me tell you the story from my point of view."

Libby's instant composure solidified his idea of her strength. He couldn't think of any other woman who could have gone through what she had and not gone off the deep end. The longer she lived in his home, the more his admiration of her grew.

"My husband, Charlie, and I were driving from Wisconsin to West Virginia for a Civil War Reenactment."

"Why—"

Brad gave his brother a glare.

"Sorry." Caleb tipped his head at Libby. "Go on."

"Out of nowhere this strange storm came up. The radio went out. The car shook. The air turned freezing cold."

Caleb held up a hand. "Wait. What did you say you were driving? What's a radio?"

Colleen patted her husband's leg. "Caleb. What did Brad say? Let Libby finish her story. We can ask questions later."

Caleb huffed a breath and clamped his mouth shut. "Oh, all right. I'll try."

"Anyway, Ben lost control of the car and we started spinning. Luckily, Charlie was in his car seat and I had my seat belt on, so we weren't thrown out. I don't know how. I don't know why, but somehow when I woke, we were here. Because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt, Ben was thrown from the car and ended up beneath the buggy."

If he hadn't been worried about their reaction, Brad would have laughed at the four people simultaneously drinking from their glasses, eyeing each other in speculation. "It's the truth. While I don't understand how it happened, I was there to help them."

Caleb set his glass on a side table. "Can we ask questions now?"

"Sure." Libby took a sip of her wine. "Fire away."

"What about what you said about your husband flying out of the car? What hadn't he worn?"

"Seatbelts."

His brother ran a hand over his face. "You sound like Charlie when he starts talking strange."

"So, you believe me?"

Caleb shook his head. "It'll take more than your story for us to believe you."

"Traveling through time seems like something out of one of those books by Jules Verne you read. Something about traveling inside the Earth. Crazy talk." Sybil gave Libby a sideways glance. "It sounds... Well, it sounds..."

"Crazy?" Libby finished for her.

"Well, yes. Don't you think so?"

Libby slapped fists on her knees. "Of course, I do. Can you imagine how I feel? Why do you think Brad and I haven't said anything? When Charlie talks about phones and television and cars, people can say he has a three-year-old's imagination, but when an adult says the same things, you say they are crazy. At least you haven't put me in a strait jacket yet or called the police."

For a few minutes no one said anything. What was his family thinking? Did they believe Libby? At least he had proof he could pull out if necessary. "Well?"

Sybil was first to break the silence. "Is this why you can't go home?"

"Nor why I haven't written to anyone. They haven't been born, yet."

Colleen raised a finger. "Wait, if your husband is dead in our time, does it mean you and Charlie are dead in your time?"

Brad hadn't thought about it. Had Libby?

"I don't know what to think. I've gone over this again and again." Libby twisted her hands in her lap. "I have no idea why or how I'm here, nor what to do about it."

David refilled glasses. "If you could, would you go back to your time?"

Brad held his breath. It was something he'd thought of at night when he couldn't get to sleep. Libby, Charlie, and Lucy had become an integral part of his life. What would he do if, somehow, she could go forward in time?

"I don't know. I miss my husband, but what if I go back and he's dead there, too?"

"At least you'd have family." Colleen accepted a glass of sherry from David. "Wouldn't you?"

Libby nodded making Brad's heart sink. She obviously would go back. And he'd return to his miserable, lonely life. Belinda Castlewood's face popped into his head. As much as she wanted him, he would never be desperate or lonely enough to fall for her fake charms.

Caleb put an arm around Colleen's shoulders. "I'm not sure I believe you. I mean, Charlie has some whopper stories, but like I said, kids have amazing imaginations."

Brad opened a desk drawer, took out a stack of papers, and handed them to Caleb, who glanced at them, and passed them on. "How do you explain these?"

"I would agree Charlie is creative, but it doesn't prove anything."

"Charlie is not just creative. These drawings show things from the future. Cars. Airplanes. Telephones." She pointed to each picture. "And here. Here is a picture of a spaceship."

Once again no one said anything.

Sybil rose and stood by her husband by the fireplace. "This doesn't make sense. It's so unreal."

"Tell me about it."

Sybil frowned. "Tell you about what?"

****

"N ever mind. It's a saying from my time." Libby nodded at Brad. "You might as well show them the rest."

"Are you sure?"

"It's the only way they'll believe me. Obviously, they don't believe Charlie's pictures."

Brad pushed a button on the side of the fireplace. A wall to the right swung open to reveal a large safe in a hidden room. The first time he had shown her the hidden wall, she'd been thrilled. She'd read about hidden rooms but had never seen one. She'd insisted on his showing her all the ones in the house. Five small rooms cleverly hidden.

Not wanting Cora or anyone else to find her satchel in the attic, they'd decided to keep her belongings in the safe. Would they prove the truth of what she was to them?

After spinning the dial a few times, he tugged open the safe, removed her wallet, and handed it to her.

"This is my driver's license." At their blank looks she explained. "You have to have a special license in order to operate any vehicle." She stood and handed it to Caleb. "See. Here is my birthdate and the year it expires."

"Two thousand and two thousand ten?" He passed the card to David. "Impossible."

"Not to mention, her picture and the writing is in color." David held the card over a lamp. "And what is this strange mark here?"

"It's a special image called a hologram to keep people from making fake ones. Not that it helps any." She pulled some dollar bills from her wallet. "And here. This is our money. See the date? Nineteen ninety-two."

Colleen squinted at the dollar bill. "George Washington?"

"Yes. And Abraham Lincoln is on the five-dollar bill." Unfortunately, she didn't have any larger bills to show them. "And here is a credit card. Instead of using money, we use this card to charge things. Each month you get a bill to pay."

Caleb took the card from her. "So, you don't need money?"

"For some people, it's all they use, but some merchants only accept cash because they have to pay a fee to the bank for each customer transaction."

"Do people counterfeit them?" Caleb gave the card back to her.

Where did she start? There was no way she could explain computers, the internet, the dark web, identify theft. A simple answer was always the best. "Yes. It's awful."

Brad shook his head. "Some things never change."

Libby frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's a story for another time."

Based on her knowledge of Civil War history and the period after, she assumed he meant all the money being counterfeited. Of course, it wasn't confined to this time period. Fake money had been made as far back as 400 BC by the Greeks covering less valuable coins with a layer of precious metal. But this was not the time to give them a history lesson.

Sybil pointed at the safe. "What else is in there?"

"Some of my clothing."

"Oooh. Can Colleen and I see?"

Brad shook his head. "Another time. It's getting late and the monsters will be up before we know it. We can talk more tomorrow."

David collected their glasses and put them on a tray. "C'mon, Sybil. Brad is right. It's going to be wild in the morning, and we need our wits about us."

"We have to put the presents under the tree first." Sybil stood and put her hand through the crook of his elbow. "Good night, everyone."

Caleb faced Libby. "We have a lot to think about, but whatever we decide, we'll keep what we talked about tonight to ourselves. Let's go, dear. Good night, Brad. Libby."

Libby sighed. "What do you think? Do they believe me?"

"They'll think about it and hash it over among themselves. I know my family. They are fair-minded and, based on what we showed them tonight, they'll have to believe us." Brad returned her things to the safe and Charlie's papers to his desk. "Do you have anything to put under the tree?"

"Yes. I have the doll for Lucy and wagon for Charlie you purchased for me." Huh. Since she had no money, he'd purchased them. "I don't know how I'll pay you back for them."

"Don't worry about it. Put Santa's name on it."

It went against her grain, but she had no choice. "Thank you."

"Let's get them so we can get some shut eye."

Libby followed him from the room to another hidden door in the dining room. A perfect place to hide things. Brad pushed against the edge of the door and stepped back when it swung open. She gasped. There were more than the wagon and doll in there. "Where did the doll cradle come from?"

Brad shrugged. "I made it for Lucy. She may be too little to play with it now, but it won't be long and she will be old enough."

"Oh. It's beautiful." She ran a finger over the scroll work similar to the cradle Lucy slept in. "And this?" She pointed to a wooden tricycle.

"I remade my old one."

"Amazing. Charlie is going to love it."

"I hope so."

"I know so." Libby picked up the doll and the blanket she'd made. "Let's get this done."

****

P resents were already under the eight-foot tree in the living room. It took them a bit to reorganize so they could fit their gifts beneath it.

"Oh, my. It's going to be crazy tomorrow morning."

"I have to admit, I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. It's been a long time since there's been a Christmas celebration in this house."

Libby nudged the cradle with her toe. "Why?"

"As I told you, before I bought this house, it was the Carlisles.' Our families were good friends, so we spent a lot of holidays here. I bought it when Lucinda and I were married, but we always went to Caleb and Colleen's. It was easier for two people to go to a house filled with kids than for them to come here. After her death," he shrugged. "I didn't see the point in celebrating, so I would usually go over Christmas Eve, then come home."

"You spent Christmas alone?"

"I couldn't face all the celebrations."

Libby swept her hands down her dress. "Well, thank you for your help tonight."

"It was my pleasure." He followed her, then stopped beneath the door frame and glanced up.

"What?"

He pointed. She swallowed hard. Mistletoe. Was he going to do what she thought? Should she let him? She still missed Ben, but the missing wasn't as painful. Sometimes she had to think hard to picture him in her mind. She loved him, but what if she were stuck in 1870 for the rest of her life? And what if she hadn't been sent here and he'd died in their time? Would she have remained a widow focusing on raising her children by herself?

Brad lowered his hand and took hold of her fingers. "I know it hasn't been a year, but I've come to enjoy your being in my house. I've come to love your children. I admire you. I think about you all the time. When I'm working in the barn, the fields, or my office. You're the last thing I think about at night and the first thing in the morning. It's been a long time since I've looked forward to a new day."

Wow. She hadn't expected this. Looking deeply into his eyes, something shifted. Her heart raced. Shivers ran up and down her spine settling in her lower region, someplace she thought she'd have to forget about with Ben being gone. She smiled. "I have no idea who came up with the idea people needed to wait a year before they moved on after the death of a spouse."

"Probably some spinster or a minister set on ruining people's happiness."

"Well, since we are neither of those things," She put her hands on his shoulders. "Let's make use of the mistletoe."

The closer his head came to hers, the more her heart fluttered. When his lips met hers, her legs nearly gave out. His lips were soft. Warm. No. Hot . The heat spiraled clear down to her toes. Never had she thought another man would make her body react this way. Like she wanted to throw him down on the floor and have her wicked way with him. Luckily, before she did such an embarrassing thing, he stepped back.

Brad released a breath. "Wow."

"Wow is right." Would her heart ever stop racing like a hummingbird's wings?

"I'd best see you to your room."

" What ?" Had he meant what it sounded like he did? She frowned up at him.

"Wait. That came out all wrong." He raked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't mean... I mean... I don't expect..."

Libby giggled. "Don't worry. I know you didn't mean anything by it. While your kiss nearly sent me to the moon..."

He lifted an eyebrow. "In one of Charlie's rocket ships?"

She giggled again. "Yes. I'm not ready for anything more. I need to figure out if I'll be sent back to my time."

"I understand." He bowed. "Well, m'lady. Let's go to our respective rooms."

****

B rad followed Libby up the stairs, trying to keep his eyes off her swaying hips. Their kiss was an act of heroism on his part. He'd kept it light, simple. Once his lips met hers, he wanted to deepen it. Taste her essence. Throw her on the floor and have his wicked way with her. It took everything he had not to. Thus—he was a hero. Right?

At her door she stopped and smiled at him. "'Night, Brad. See you in the morning."

He cupped her cheek. "'Night, Libby. Sweet dreams."

He entered his room and flung himself back on his bed. He thought he couldn't sleep before. Now, knowing what it was like to kiss her, it would be impossible.

Without warning, another emotion struck him. Guilt. How could he feel as if he'd been catapulted through the air when he still loved Lucinda? Was it possible to fall in love with this much passion twice in a man's life?

A flicker of light came from the corner of his room. The translucent body of a woman appeared.

"Lucinda?"

The woman nodded.

"I'm sorry I kissed Libby."

She shook head and patted her heart.

"Yes. I still love you, Lucinda, but I'm also falling in love with Libby. I'm sorry."

Lucinda shook her head again and mouthed no .

"No, I shouldn't fall in love with Libby?" This was frustrating. What was she trying to tell him?

She floated to his mirror. Words began to appear. Don't be sorry. Fall in love again. No guilt. I'll always be in your heart, but there's room for more. Have children. Love you. Be happy. Goodbye.

Before he could respond, the words disappeared as she floated from the room. He wiped at the tears flowing down his cheeks. His heart filled with something he at first couldn't identify. Then it came to him. Peace? Love? Happiness?

Now all he had to do was figure out how to keep his hands off Libby until she was ready. Or until she left. Would it be wrong of him to pray she stayed in his time?