Now and Forevermore (10 page)

Summer held her sides as the laughter poured out. She had no doubt the butler would need a good shrink after the whole ordeal. Or didn’t shrinks exist yet? With a few moments to spare she examined her surroundings. The richly pattered wallpaper contrasted nicely with the stone surface. A Rosewood table stood against the wall and a green vase with abundant flowers decorated the surface.  Beyond she could see a winding staircase in cream trimmed with gold and she moved closer to get a better look. The sound of running feet followed by a man dressed in an elegant tails, and six servants behind him with wide open eyes, stopped her in her tracks.
This would be good.

“You there, how dare you burst in here in such a hoydenish manner? Speak up, who are you?”

That must be Peter. Well fortune never favored the fainthearted “My name is Summer Mansfield and I am here because your friend Malcolm, Marquis of Thornbrook is ill and will not live much longer.”

Two maids fainted and crumbled to the floor. The butler cried out and looked to his master for assistance, and the others huddled together with fearful whispers. The thunderous frown on Peter’s face deepened as he glared at Summer. “How dare you say such a thing? And explain how you know of this affair? Malcolm is the most honorable gentleman I know and he would have nothing to do with a hoyden like you.”

Summer forgot her fears and stamped her feet as her eyes lit up “Hey, I don’t what hoyden means, but I don’t think it’s flattering. Besides aren’t you a gentleman? Doesn’t that mean you have a head on your shoulders? I suggest you use it and listen to what I have to say, because my time is limited. And for heaven’s sake, can you get rid of the drama behind you? These maids are worse than a daytime soap opera.”

Peter’s frown increased and he blinked in rapid succession “Your words are strange to me. What does all of this mean?”

“Well if you and I can speak privately, I will tell you.”

With an expression that presented a clear struggle to understand, he nodded and instructed the servants to depart. Then he motioned for Summer to follow him.

The cozy room he led her to, had papers strewn about with notes and circles. She could see Peter had been worried. A fireplace in the background spread warmth to the surroundings, and Peter pointed to one of the two chairs in the room. Summer sat down, and watched him with wary eyes.

“Do not look at me in such a manner for I shall not harm you. Just tell me what you know about Malcolm. My eyes have not slept for many a nights without word of my friend.”

Summer breathed an audible sigh of relief. “I’m so glad to hear that. He told me that you would be the one to help.”

Peter shook his head “I will not agree to anything unless you can accurately say where Malcolm has gone. I will not be a candidate for bedlam with this whole ordeal.”

Summer’s brow knitted as she thought deeply “What is bedlam?”

Peter groaned “This is worse than visiting the apothecary.”

Summer floundered in translation “And what’s that?”

“Please explain to me why you are here. We can discuss these words later.”

Summer nodded.
Stick to the subject girl. Malcolm’s life depended on it
. With a deep sigh and a strong voice, she told Peter a story that knocked his world on its head.

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

For the second time in one day, Summer found herself in another carriage, but this time Peter sat beside her. It had taken hours to convince him that she told the truth, but finally he came around. With grudging disbelief, he conceded that there were things she said that only Malcolm would know. Once he believed that she told the truth and that Malcom faced real danger, Peter acted swiftly. “We must return to Sedgwick’s, and get the mirror out of his possession. Thankfully his avarice nature will lend expediently to this task, however you cannot meet him in such attire. An earl is to be respected, especially in his home. I shall have my maids attend to your needs and they will arrange your dress.”

And arrange her dress he did. Summer fingered the pink satin gown that covered her slim curves with tender fingers. She had never worn anything so fine in all of her life and she felt like princess in a fairytale. The maids bathed her skin with scented oils, and curled her hair on top of her head with deft fingers. Tendrils fell softly upon her nape and diamonds adorned her neck and sparkled against her ears. And the ballerina shoes had been cast aside in favor of delicate slippers with pink ribbon bows and jeweled studs. Even the lace gloves were adorned in jeweled studs fit for a queen. She only hoped she looked regal enough to impress the Earl, and Peter’s warning stayed fresh in her mind.

“You must not gaze at him directly. There is no way we want him to be privy to our plans. Just take whatever is offered and nibble away in a genteel manner. I shall deal with the speech. Once we have the mirror we will leave immediately and see how we can repair the damage that is done.”

~~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Sedgwick’s eyes roved over Summer’s regal bearing for the hundredth time. The eyes that followed her every move bothered her, but she did not shrink back in fear. Let him look all he wanted to. They only needed the mirror which seemed to be the one object Sedgwick didn’t want to part with.  “The mirror has been broken Langford. It is of no use to you now. Why do you feel you must bargain for it?”

Peter’s struck up a light and conversational tone in response “It is something of value to me. You know that Malcolm would like the design and I am sure I will like to keep some remembrance of him.”

Sedgwick flicked an imaginary spec from his shoulder “Sentimental claptrap and you should know better. It is not my doing that he vanished in my library. I am certain that he escaped with some chit from a faraway land no doubt. When I told you all that I found the mirror, I did not imagine you would return to ask me for it. It is of no value since it has been broken.”

Peter took a sip of tea and crossed his legs in a nonchalant way. Summer admired his composure and wished she felt the same confidence. “Then you will have no problem to part with it. It is something of Malcolm’s that I can remember. Name your price.”

Sedgwick’s reply bordered on disbelief “Price? Well now, what an interesting turn this has become.”

When the door opened and the blonde entered Summer stiffened in horror.
The blonde on the stairs.
Following Peter’s example, she rose and curtsied as she had been taught. The blonde introduced as Danielle, asked they spoke about. Her father filled her in with a contemptible sneer. “Langford wants to buy a broken mirror because he is fit for bedlam that’s why. The fellow does not need to be breathing God’s good air.”

Danielle poured her own tea and nibbled slowly at the edge of a biscuit. Her eyes glanced over Summer but she did not appear to recognize her, and Summer breathed a soft sigh of relief. “Father the mirror is old, ugly and unworthy of our fine estate. Give it to Peter so he can remember a fool that refused the hand of your daughter. Then we will be rid of the vestige of what could have been, but will never be.”

Sedgwick looked at Danielle with something akin to admiration, and Summer watched them both discreetly. Whatever undercurrents were in the air, she wanted no part of it. She only wanted the mirror. When Sedgwick got up, Summer and Peter rose with him.

“It seems my child has become a woman before my eyes. Take the thing and cast it into the fire if you chose. I don’t want to ever see it again. Now I bid you farewell, I have business matters to attend to. Danielle will see you out.”

When he left the room, the negative energy went along with him and Summer sighed visibly relieved.

“So you have changed but not that much.”

Danielle’s words made her jump and Summer chided herself for her reaction. The blonde girl smiled with knowing eyes.

“Yes, I recognize you, and I knew you were not a maid, but I am curious to know who you are.”

“Summer is my name and I came here from the future to find Peter. He will help me to get Malcolm back home.”

To Danielle’s credit she did not flinch or appeared disturbed with Summer’s explanation. Instead she rose like a swan and told them to follow her. They took the winding staircase up to the second floor and then on to the attic. The mirror remained in the same place that Summer had found it before. Peter examined it and shook his head “It is broken through and there is no way to repair this.”

Danielle smiled softly and touched the glass surface “You only need cut around the edges and make it smaller. Then it will be whole again.”

Summer whooped for joy and threw her arms around Danielle “My goodness what a great plan. Why didn’t I think of that? Are there any glass cutters around here, anyone who can help us?”

“Of course there is and Peter knows. Do tell Malcolm for me that I am sorry it did not work out between us, but I am certain that you are the woman he needs in his life. If you crossed time to save him, nothing will ever keep you apart.”

With tears in her eyes, Summer held Danielle’s hands in her own “That sounds great, but why aren’t you freaking out about this? Why aren’t you scared?”

Danielle smiled and squeezed her hand “Because I met an old woman in this house and she told me tales that were impossible to believe. And yet here you are, and now I believe that all things can be true. Now please return and send Malcolm home.”

~~~~~~0~~~~~~

Peter tracked down a glass cutter which turned into an ordeal, and they did as Danielle suggested. The mirror’s broken edges were cut away and a new frame molded to fit the new size. Then they set up the new mirror in Peter’s private lodging and Summer spent a whole day waiting for it to work. When nothing happened on the second day she got frantic, but Peter begged her to be patient.

“I do not believe that you would have traveled to this world, only to be defeated so quickly. Surely it will work. Just give it time.”

Summer could not accept that reasoning “I don’t have much time. A fortnight will soon end and I can’t leave him there or we will both be stranded.”

Peter did not agree “I insist that it will work. Just know in your heart that it will be so.”

Summer felt it in her heart, but she wanted to see some movement. When two more days passed by she sank into despair and the tears began. She cried for hours on end and refused to be consoled. When Peter could take the sound of her tears no longer, he put her in the gardens and told her to observe nature and allow it to soothe her.

The smell of perfumed flowers only reminder her of Malcolm and Summer bawled all the more. When the sound of shuffling feet approached she did not turn, but spoke over her shoulder, her words muted with unhappiness “Don’t try to cheer me up again Peter. I’ve lost all hope and now he will die without me. How could this happen?”

“And why will he die without you?”

Summer leapt to her feet and gasped at the appearance of an old woman in a bright gypsy costume. A large hoop earring dangled from her right ear and her hair fell in scraggly waves to her waist. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the one responsible for all of this.”

“I would like to be responsible for your happiness and not your tears.”

Summer wiped her eyes and sniffed inelegantly “Then show me the way to save Malcolm.”