Forever Mine (18 page)

“You said you were okay.” Victoria looked at Nicholas with worry.

“It’s simply an old wound,” he said with nonchalance. “Bertram here is as much of a worry wart as Roberts.”

“If you’re ready, sir.” The disfigured man approached Nicholas’ side. As the short man briefly glanced her way, Victoria smiled at him.

“Good luck getting him to listen to you,” she said dryly. “God knows he won’t listen to me.”

“Your frustration, my lady, is one I’m well acquainted with,” Roberts said with a slight smile.

Amusement sparkled in the man’s eyes, and she smiled as Nicholas directed a warning look in first her direction and then in Roberts’. Ignoring their comments, Nicholas gingerly limped toward the door connecting his room with hers. As she watched him leave, Victoria found herself wishing they were alone again with her in his arms. And as much as she understood the danger of such an act, she knew it was an inevitable outcome. Nicholas believed she was his wife, and she knew she wouldn’t have the will power to turn him away if he came to her.

“Y
ou should be in bed, my lady,” Dr. Bertram said sternly as Nicholas left the room. Victoria met his disgruntled gaze and smiled.

“I’m feeling fine,” she said.

“Why do I have the feeling you’re going to be as troublesome a patient as your husband, Lady Guildford?” the doctor said with amused resignation. Victoria laughed.

“I doubt anyone could be as difficult a patient as Nicholas,” she said mischievously. “Will it make you feel better if I promise to get back into bed the minute I start to feel bad?”

“Very well.” The doctor nodded brusquely. “But you’re not to overtire yourself. Now, I must be off or Mrs. Gower might decide to have her baby without me.”

The doctor smiled as he picked up the black satchel sitting on her night stand before heading toward the door. Just as he was about to exit the room, he looked over his shoulder at Molly.

“Molly, make sure her ladyship eats something for dinner.

“Yes, sir,” the maid said with a quick nod. “I will, Dr. Bertram.

“That’s a good girl.” The doctor nodded his farewell to first Victoria then Anna. “My ladies. Good evening.”

“My lady, could I not persuade you to return to bed?” The maid looked at Victoria beseechingly as she reluctantly straightened the bed covers.

“I have to agree with Dr. Bertram.” Anna’s statement made Victoria turn her head toward the woman standing near the window.

“I’ll be fine,” she said with a shake of her head before turning back to the maid smoothing out the bedspread. She laughed. “There’s no need to straighten the bed if I need to get back in it, Molly. Leave it. You can bring me dinner in a little while since everyone’s insisting on treating me like I’m on my death bed.”

Dismissed, the young maid nodded and left the room, the door closing quietly behind her. Victoria turned back to Anna and experienced a sudden wave of dizziness. The other woman uttered a small noise of concerned annoyance, and hurried to Victoria’s side.

“You really should be in bed,” Anna chastised.

“I’ve been asleep for more than a day. I think it’s time I got
out
of bed.”

Anna sniffed her dissension as she escorted Victoria to the chaise lounge near the window. The moment she sat down, déjà vu made her go rigid. She’d been here before, in this moment. She was meant to be here. She closed her eyes for a brief moment as an overwhelming sense of peace swept through her.

It made her believe she could be incredibly happy at Brentwood Park. Suddenly, the future seemed very far away, and the thought that she would never go back wasn’t as scary as it had been up until this moment. The sensation ebbed away as her gaze met Anna’s. The other woman looked ill at ease despite the smile curving her mouth. Anna slowly sank down into the chair next to the chaise lounge, her mauve-colored gown rustling with a whisper of silk.

“I must apologize for yesterday morning. I should not have been so blunt,” Anna murmured. “If I had waited for a more opportune time to speak to you about…I shouldn’t have frightened you like that. Please forgive me.”

Victoria bit down on her lip, uncertain as to whether Anna was truly remorseful or not. It was slowly sinking in that announcing she wasn’t Nicholas’ wife could have dangerous consequences. She could end up in a psych ward or worse, arrested for impersonating the countess. Even scarier was the thought she could be tried for murder if someone found the countess’ dead body. She shuddered. Anna reached out and clasped Victoria’s hand in hers.

“I realize we’ve barely met, Victoria, but you can trust me. I would never do anything to harm you or Nicholas.” There was a note of sincerity in Anna’s voice, and Victoria remembered Nicholas stating she could trust the woman. If she trusted Nicholas she had to believe he was right about Anna.

“You said you have a special ability…that you knew, I wasn’t Vickie.” She studied Anna as a pensive look crossed the woman’s face as if she were afraid to explain.

“I see things…know things.”

“Like a medium? A psychic?” Victoria eyed the other woman with understanding, and Anna relaxed as she met Victoria’s curious gaze.

“I don’t call myself those things, but if you mean that I can see bits and pieces of the future or sense things, then yes.

“And that’s how you knew I wasn’t the countess.”

“With you it was more of a warmth I felt. Vickie and I have never been friends, but the moment I touched your hand, I knew we’d been friends many times before.” Anna smoothed several wrinkles in the skirt of her silk gown. “And it’s the only logical answer for everything else I’ve seen in my visions. I only hope I’m wrong about a great deal of what I’ve seen.”

“Nicholas isn’t…?” Victoria’s heart skipped a beat in fear at the concern in Anna’s voice.

“No, he’s not in any danger.” A smile curved Anna’s mouth. It was almost as if she approved of Victoria’s concern. “In fact, I believe he shall most likely live to a ripe old age.”

The woman’s words eased the overwhelming concern that had sailed through her. Victoria turned her head to look out the window. As she studied the scenery, she emitted a quiet sigh.

“I’ve been trying to tell Nicholas since I woke up in the cottage that I wasn’t his wife, but he doesn’t believe me. And when I told…” Victoria halted her explanation as she realized how crazy she would sound. Maybe she was or maybe Nicholas was right and it was all an illusion.

“You told him you were from the future, and he didn’t believe you.”

Fear slithered down Victoria’s spine as she stared at the woman in horror. Nicholas had lied to her. He’d told Anna what he’d promised not to share with anyone. Nausea swirled in the pit of her stomach. In a quick movement, Anna caught Victoria’s hands and squeezed them tightly to gain her attention again.

“Nicholas has told me nothing, Victoria. He told me nothing,” Anna said fervently. “It was a knowing when we shook hands. You must believe me.”

“All right,” she said quietly as she saw the pleading look on the other woman’s face. Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nicholas means the world to Sebastian and me. His happiness is quite important to us, and he’s been very unhappy since he married Vickie.”

“I’m not surprised.” Victoria snorted with disgust as she remembered the letter she’d read. “The countess has to be the biggest bitch known to man.”

“Umm…yes,” Anna choked out as color filled her cheeks.

“Sorry.” Victoria winced. She’d never felt so gauche in her life. “Nicholas says my language has become…colorful.”

“Colorful, indeed.” Ann laughed. “However, I do agree with your lusty sentiment.”

“Not even my
colorful
language has been enough to convince him I’m not the countess.”

“Convincing Nicholas you’re not Vickie is the least of your problems. I have reason to believe you’re in grave danger.”

The words sent a chill down Victoria’s spine. The visions of being buried alive filled Victoria’s head. What she’d experienced had convinced her the countess was dead. Her stomach lurched as she met Anna’s gaze. With a gasp, the woman’s eyes widened.

“
You
know
. You know Vickie’s dead.”

“No, I don’t know,” Victoria lied.

“Yes, you do. I can see it on your face,” Anna rebuked her sternly. “You think she was murdered, just like I do.”

“They buried her.” She didn’t realize she’d spoken until Anna gasped with horror.

“Dear Lord.”

“I don’t mean they buried her alive. I think she was already dead.” Victoria stumbled over her words, all too aware of how guilty she looked. “I wasn’t there. At least I don’t think I was.”

“It’s all right,” Anna said reassuringly. “Tell me what else you know.”

“I keep having this…vision of dirt hitting my clothes…my face.” Victoria shuddered, and the moment her eyes started to water she blinked away her tears. Anna patted her hand in a gesture of comfort.

“They’re visions, Victoria. Visions can’t hurt you, but they
can
help save you. What else do you remember?”

“The dress I was wearing when they found me. I think it was Vickie’s dress. It was covered in mud. When I touched it, I saw…” Victoria’s voice trailed off at the horrible memory.

“Was it a blue dress?”

“Yes.” A cold finger scraped down Victoria’s back. “How did you know that?”

“And there were two men with shovels?”

“Yes,” she whispered, suddenly fearful at how much Anna knew.

“Victoria, you must trust me. What I’m sharing with you is something only one other person knows, and Sebastian will never betray me.”

“You’ve not told Nicholas?”

“Nicholas is a true friend, but he’s never been able to fully comprehend the extent of my abilities.” Anna sighed with resignation. “If he did, it would make things much easier.”

“Easier?” At her question, a pained look engulfed Anna’s pretty features.

“My gift often shows me things I’d rather not see,” the other woman said quietly. “Vickie’s murderers will no doubt see you as a threat. It won’t matter whether they believe Vickie miraculously escaped her grave or that you’re an imposter. The moment they hear Vickie’s returned, your life will be in danger.”

Suddenly, things had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. She had no idea how she’d gotten here or how to get home. She was having visions that terrified her and headaches that left her unconscious. Now Anna was pointing out the fact that there were people who would no doubt want her dead. Until now, she’d thought going to London might be her best chance to return to her own time.

“Well, that blows a trip to London out of the water,” she muttered with sarcasm in an effort to hide her fear.

“For now perhaps, but you
will go
to London. I’ve seen you there. Besides, Nicholas’ responsibilities in Parliament will require him to go eventually, and you must never be too far apart from him.” There was an urgency in Anna’s voice that made Victoria frown.

“Why?”

“The future is easily changed by the choices we make. But there are times when I know how important it is to follow my instincts. My instinct tells me to stress how important it is for you to remain as close to Nicholas as possible.”

The conviction in Anna’s voice drove home an emotion Victoria had been feeling almost since the moment she’d met Nicholas. He would protect her. The strength of that belief was the reason she wasn’t so frightened by the prospect of someone trying to kill her. She knew he’d do everything in his power to save her. It was an odd sensation to have about a man she barely knew, but then everything about her reaction to him was confusing. Still, the thought of going to London, even with Nicholas to protect her, had become a frightening prospect.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Anna’s request interrupted her thoughts. Victoria shrugged slightly as she stood up to go to the window overlooking the expansive green pastures of the estate.

“Going to London is too dangerous for me. Regardless of what Nicholas believes, others are going to wonder how I can be so different than Vickie. I think it’s going to be a really big problem for him.”

“You mean the possibility that others will see you as an imposter?”

“Yes,” Victoria said as she closed her eyes for a brief second and acknowledged the enormity of what she was saying. “If people suspect I’m not the countess, there are going to be questions. Questions that will put Nicholas in a great deal of jeopardy.”

“Just Nicholas?”

A small smile curved Anna’s mouth. Startled by the fact that she’d given no thought to her own safety, Victoria glanced at the other woman. Anna narrowed her eyes with an assessment that made Victoria’s cheeks burn. She shrugged, while struggling to understand why she’d only been concerned for Nicholas’ safety and not her own.

“Slip of the tongue. But I know I have to stay here at Brentwood Park until I find a way back home.”

“And what if Nicholas is correct? What if your memories of the future are simply your mind’s way of protecting you from whatever horror happened to you before Nicholas found you at the cottage?”