Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Mr. Hollywood led her down the corridor. The man didn’t make a sound. Anna had to give him credit for staying in character. Of course, he was so quiet she almost ran into him when he abruptly stopped. The sound of her breathing seemed loud in the dim corridor. Satisfied with whatever he did or didn’t hear, he reached back and took hold of her hand. His hand was large, the calluses rough against her skin. The heat from his touch traveled up her arm and seemed to warm her from the inside out. It was a surprise to feel the roughness of his palm. Anna hated to stereotype, and here she was assuming he would be getting manicures every week, not doing the kind of labor that gave you permanent calluses. Point to Mr. Hollywood.

As they moved through the passageways, she occasionally heard the sound of voices and, even more disturbing, plenty of moans and screams. The guy was definitely going out of his way to avoid anyone. Was he really trying to stay in character, or was he some kind of movie set crasher? Rolling her eyes, Anna knew her imagination was getting away with her. Likely the crew was filming in another part of the tower and he didn’t want to ruin the shots. How much did it cost to make a movie here after hours? The insurance costs alone must be astronomical.

As he led her through an archway, the light glinted on his hair and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from asking where he got his hair done. Talk about highlights women would fight over. Bet his hairdresser made a fortune.

Hopelessly lost, Anna followed Mr. Hollywood. At the next door, he put his ear against the scarred wood, listening. Seemingly satisfied, he pushed the door open. The smell of water and something rotten filled her nose. They stood at the top of a set of stone stairs leading down to the water.

“I know where we are. We’re beneath St. Thomas’s Tower. This is the Traitor’s Gate. You probably studied up on the tower for your role, but did you know this is where they used to bring the prisoners before imprisoning them in the tower? It’s one of the most famous sights here. Can you imagine the feeling of sitting in the boat knowing you were going to be locked up here?”

Mr. Hollywood looked over his shoulder at her as if she were a silly child.

“Aye. I know what it is to be locked in the tower. To pay for the privilege. Charged outrageous fees for food and lodging. All while waiting for your head to leave your shoulders. Or mayhap hanged, then drawn and quartered. I have had much time to consider. I would prefer to escape and avoid either choice.”

“Geez, touchy, aren’t we? Somebody didn’t get a heart drawn on their coffee today.”

The man ignored her and let out a soft whistle. She heard the sound of oars slapping water as a man in a boat appeared. Mr. Hollywood had a conversation with the man, something about taking him down the Thames. The sound of the gate opening was her cue to go. Guess he was staying in character. Anna turned to make her way out of the tower. It was dark. How long had she been inside ?

“Thank you for showing me the way out. I have to get back to my hotel, not to mention I’m starving.”

His response was lost in the noise. She heard the sound of footsteps and what sounded like metal scraping against metal. When she turned around to look, Anna’s mouth dropped open. There was a group of five or six men, brandishing swords and running straight for them. They didn’t look plastic.

Rooted to the spot, she watched as they came closer and closer. The next thing she knew, Anna was no longer touching the ground. Mr. Hollywood swept her up in his arms, climbed in the boat, and they were off down the river. If she were directing, this was where she’d have the hero give the heroine a big smooch. Too bad real life wasn’t like the movies.

“Wow, that was exciting. But you can stop acting now.”

The wind blew the right side of her hair up. There was a pinch on the back of her hand. Anna jerked her hand off the side of the boat to see she was bleeding. There was an arrow embedded in the side of boat.

She wiped the blood on her jeans. At least it was just a scratch. Who used real arrows in a movie? Idiots. “That’s taking things a bit far, don’t you think?”

Nothing made sense. The feeling that something was horribly wrong came back stronger than ever. As the boat silently slipped through the water, she looked around. Where were the lights? The cars? London looked the same, yet different.

“You are injured.” A ripping noise shattered the quiet. He’d torn a piece of his shirt and wrapped her hand. “You aided me. You have my thanks, lady. Once we are away, I will take you wherever you needs go. I keep my word.”

The words were coming out of his mouth, but she was having a hard time processing what he was saying. The voice in her head kept screaming she was no longer in present-day London, but she couldn’t believe it. Breathing in shallow gasps, she went over every second. Starting from the moment she found herself locked in the tower.

The locket. Where was it? Anna checked all her pockets and came up empty. Had she dropped it? She couldn’t have imagined it, could she? When she opened her hand, the scratches on her palm and wrist were still there. She let loose a sigh of relief.

As much as she wanted to believe the man sitting next to her was an actor, a terrible feeling swept through her. Every explanation she could come up with didn’t ring true. And she realized it was because of the lack of modern-day sights. Streetlights, vehicles, people milling about. Electric light. All missing. Everywhere she looked, the city was basically dark. And what light she could see seemed to come from torches or candles. Not a single rumble of a truck or horn of a car.

When all else failed, one must believe the most rational explanation. Somehow she had traveled through time.

Anna didn’t know how long they were in the boat. Her phone was also missing, not that it would have done her any good. It was weird not knowing what time it was. The boatman let them off, and she took Hollywood’s hand and blindly followed him down the dark street.

The smells reinforced the fact she was no longer in the twenty-first century. She seemed to be watching a movie in which she was one of the characters. Maybe she was in shock or her mind had simply decided to shut down, unable to deal with what was happening. As Anna stepped in a big pile of poop, she smelled horses. The guy led her to some kind of rickety-looking stable. Coins clinked together, a man with no teeth grinned at her, and her feet left the ground again as he lifted her up on a horse. He settled in behind her and they rode off into the night .

After what seemed like hours, the fog in her brain started to clear.

“Why were you…in the tower?”

He started as if he’d forgotten she was sitting right in front of him. The warmth of his body against her back made her drowsy. Anna had the sensation of no longer being rooted to the earth. That any moment the fragile string would snap and she would float off into the clouds.

“I stand accused of treason. Of speaking against my king.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Where I come from, half the country would be imprisoned.”

He chuckled then exhaled sharply. His thighs clenched as he shifted positions.

“Are you hurt?”

“Broken rib, courtesy of the king’s soldiers. Never fear, lass. I’m on the mend.”

The ease with which he rode, the inflection of his words, the accent, and what sounded like some kind of French before he realized she didn’t speak French and switched to English. Not to mention his clothing…all those things added up and reinforced the fact she had somehow traveled back in time.

The only question was when . He already thought she was some kind of escaped lunatic. She had to tread carefully. This man was her only connection to this world. And Anna needed him. There was no way she could stay in the past. She had serious obligations waiting for her. The well-being of her dad was at stake.

While she was on vacation her friends were checking in on her dad. Her first vacation in five years. Why had she let Hattie talk her into going? She should’ve stayed put. Her dad needed her. She quickly calculated in her head. The fees at the memory care facility were paid through the next month. But after that… If she wasn’t back by then, her dad’s fees would be due, and without her there to cover them, he wouldn’t be able to stay at the facility. No matter wh at, she had to get back. Panic welled up inside her. The man’s hand touched her shoulder.

“Do not fear me.” He patted her hard enough on the back to make her almost fall off the horse.

“How about not letting me fall?”

“I gave my word to keep you safe and to aid you.”

“You can’t help me. No one can.”