THE NEXT MORNING, Christine knocked on her door, and the two made their way down to breakfast. Jamie had left before dawn, and Sophie wasn’t sure she’d see him again before dinner. Nona sat at the table with a cup of coffee and smiled when the girls walked in.

Shortly after they took their seats, the butler showed Jamie in. He walked straight over to Nona and kissed her hand, followed by a kiss on the cheek for Christine and Sophie. He wouldn’t allow the girls to get up and prepared plates for each of them before getting his own.

“How would you two feel about a party?” Nona asked.

Christine chuckled. “You may want to rephrase that, Nona.”

“Yes, of course. We are hosting an engagement, or perhaps even better, a reunion party for the two of you on the fifteenth.”

Sophie gasped. “Are you sure, Nona? You really don’t need to do this. The fact that you have allowed us to stay in your home has been unbelievably generous.”

“Nonsense.” Nona waved her hand dismissively. “I always like an excuse to throw a party.”

Sophie smiled. She was discovering this was true, and knew (from her many books on the Civil War) that folks liked to throw parties as often as they could in order to provide a reprieve from the horrors of war. Who was she to object?

“Thank you, Nona.” Jamie laid his fork down and smiled.

“Do you have any requests, Sophie, before I get started?”

“No. Thank you, Nona. Please let me know what I can do to help.”

Nona chuckled as she left the room

Christine pushed her plate away. “Sophie, you and I have an appointment with Madame at eleven.”

“Oh? Why?”

“She’s going to make your wedding dress.”

“What?” Sophie dropped her fork. “We’re already married!”

Christine giggled. “Renewal of your vows, then. Nona insisted.”

Sophie grimaced. “I’d hoped we could just write something in a Bible and be done with it.”

“As Nona said, she likes an excuse to throw a party.”

“Christine, I don’t think I need a wedding gown. I’ll simply wear what I have.”

Christine tsked. “That’ll never do.” She turned to Jamie and said, “Covered buggy, I promise.”

Jamie set his cup down. “Could the dressmaker come here?”

“I suppose I could ask.” Christine shrugged. “It’s highly unlikely, but I can try.”

“I would appreciate that.”

Sophie let out a groan of frustration. “I hate this.”

“I know.” Jamie leaned over and squeezed her hand.

Christine rose to her feet. “I’ll check with Madame and see you later.”

Sophie nodded and watched her walk out the door. “I can’t believe all of this.”

“It’s pretty overwhelming, isn’t it?”

Sophie nodded.

“I hate to say this, but I have to leave you.” Jamie set his napkin on the table.

“Can I please walk you over there? I really want to visit Samson.”

Jamie shook his head. “Not yet, Ten-Cow. I’ll check on him.”

“This sucks,” she whispered.

Jamie stood and pulled her into his arms. “Not for long, sweetheart.” He gave her a lingering kiss before going their separate ways for the morning.

Sophie spent time in the library, reading and contemplating, which is where Christine found her two hours later. “Sophie? Madame has arrived.”

Sophie stood with a smile and followed Christine up to her room. Sophie’s bedroom had been transformed into a dress shop. Two assistants stood beside a mirror, a step stool in front of the looking glass, and material was spread across the bed. The dressmaker was an elegant woman, who was either truly French, or did a very good impersonation. She was warm and helpful, and when Sophie described what she wanted, Madame seemed to know exactly what she was asking for.

* * *

Jamie had a moment of solitude and decided to check on Sophie. He made his way back to the house and up to her room. Knocking on the door, he let himself in before bid and found Sophie in a robe, surrounded by mounds of fabric and ribbon.

“What are you doing here?” Sophie stepped over the pile and rushed to greet him.

Jamie leaned down to kiss her. “I had a few minutes and thought I’d see how you were. I also missed you.”

“Madame Ford, I have the perfect fabric.”

Jamie raised his head at the sound of the French accent and nearly lost his hold on Sophie. “You!”

“Pardonnez-moi?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Jamie bellowed.

“Jamie?” Sophie’s voice held concern and confusion.

“S’il vous plait,” Madame whispered as she indicated to her assistants to leave them.

“What’s going on?” Sophie grasped Jamie’s arm.

“This is the woman from the grief counseling center who came when we couldn’t find you.”

Sophie gasped. “What?”

“What are you doing here, Bernadette?” Jamie’s tone held warning. “How did you get here?”

“Perhaps you are thinking of someone else?”

“No way, lady. You better tell me who you really are.”

“You don’t understand,” Bernadette stuttered.

“Then I’d highly suggest you start explaining.”

“It is très compliqué.”

“Why don’t we start at the beginning?” Jamie crossed his arms and glared. “How did we get here?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Bernadette said evasively.

“God damn it, woman, you know exactly what I mean!” Jamie snapped.

“Jamie.” Sophie laid her hand on his shoulder.

“No!” He slammed his palm against the wall and then turned back to Bernadette. “You were the one who held my hand and tried to convince me to let her go. You were the one who said nothing about the fact she might be alive. Nothing! You tried to make me believe I’d never see her again. You tried to make me believe she was lost to me forever.”

Tears streamed down Sophie’s cheeks. “You were in our home? Did you know what was going to happen?”

Bernadette’s hand covered her mouth. “Non, I didn’t know.”

Jamie seethed. “You lying bi—!”

Sophie gasped. “Jamie. Stop.”

“No, Sophie. I lost you! She could have stopped it,” he railed.

“I could not have stopped it,” Bernadette said.

“You could not have stopped the thing you know nothing about?” Jamie countered.

“I cannot tell you anything.”

Sophie caught Jamie’s arm and pulled him back.

Jamie forced himself to take a deep breath. “You’ve just admitted you know something, and I’d suggest you start talking, lady, or you may not walk out of this room alive.”

Bernadette took a deep breath but did not speak for several minutes. Jamie took a step forward, but she held her hand up to stay him. “There is a time portal.”

“And?”

Bernadette laid her hand across her ample bosom. “A ripple in the time, space continuum.”

“God damn it!” he bellowed. “You better start telling us something we haven’t already figured out!” Jamie’s anger vibrated through his body.

“Baby, let her speak.” Sophie squeezed his shoulder.

“My husband and I are the facilitators of the portal.”

“Facilitators?” Sophie whispered.

“Yes. Caretakers, if you will. We ensure that the wrong people don’t end up where they don’t belong.”

“I don’t understand.” Sophie frowned. “Why are we here?”

“It is so complicated.”

Jamie advanced on Bernadette. “Start explaining.”

Bernadette turned to Sophie. “There is a threat in this time that could affect the future, and you have been chosen to counteract it.”

“Excuse me?” Jamie growled.

Sophie pushed him behind her and faced the seamstress. “What is this threat everyone keeps talking about?”

“Pardon?”

“Someone has been trying to kill Sophie.” Jamie scowled. “Do you know anything about that?”

Bernadette gasped. “No!”

Sophie’s hand flew to her chest. “What?”

“He has found you.”

“Who has found me?”

Bernadette began to pace, her fingers pressing into her temple. “Monsieur Cary.”

“Why would this Cary fellow want to hurt me?” Sophie asked. “What did I do?”

“Madame Ford, you know more about this war than most, and have been chosen in order to counter the Cary family’s influence in the south.”

Sophie held her hands up. “I don’t know that much!”

“You know more than he does, and he has traveled back to further the cause of the South. You must ensure that the North prevails.”

Sophie gasped. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“You simply need to make certain history continues as it is written in the future and to assist with others that might come after you.”

“More time travelers?” Jamie asked.

Bernadette nodded.

“Who?”

“I cannot tell you that. I don’t know yet. I am not shown who is to travel until right before I am to assist them. But you will be the key to make certain they are safe.”

“Piece of cake.” Sophie snapped her fingers and gave Jamie a worried look.

Jamie hissed. “Why Sophie? Why my wife? Surely, there are others with far more knowledge than her, who would be more equipped to succeed.”

“Oui, however, he didn’t know about Sophie. We needed someone that he would not suspect.” Bernadette took Sophie’s hands. “Your heart was failing in the future. Being sent back ensured you would live. We felt that you would be able to counteract Cary’s influence and live a long, healthy life.”

“What did you plan to do about Jamie, then? Why didn’t he come with me?”

Bernadette sighed. “He wasn’t part of the plan, Sophie. We thought you’d fall in love with someone else and life would continue.”

Jamie’s face heated with rage. “You thought she’d replace me?”

“I admit we did not take into consideration the effect her disappearance would have on you, which is why we sent you back. I apologize for that.”

“What about Cary?” Sophie asked.

“He was not supposed to know who you were.” Bernadette frowned. “I don’t know how he found out. I’ll have to investigate.”

“Can we go back?” Jamie asked.

Bernadette paused for several seconds. “Oui. However, if you choose to do so, Sophie’s heart will fail again, and you won’t be able to return.”

Jamie ran his hands through his hair. “Some choice.”

Bernadette grimaced. “If you kill him, this will all be over.”

Jamie scowled. “You seriously want me to murder someone in cold blood?”

She shook her head. “Non, it would be self-defense. You could even say it was part of the war.”

One of Bernadette’s assistants knocked on the door and requested a moment with the dressmaker.

Jamie stepped forward. “We’re not finished here, Bernadette.”

“I’ll return in a moment.”

Before Jamie could say anything further, she moved out of the room and closed the door. Jamie rushed to open it and found the hallway empty.

“Bernadette!” Jamie called.

Sophie poked her head out the door. “Where did she go?”

Jamie let out a litany of expletives.

“Jamie.” Her tone indicated admonishment, but he couldn’t help but catch her slight smile.

“She’s gone.” He ran his hands through his hair.

Sophie grabbed his arm. “Does that mean she can just ‘poof’ her way out of places?”

Jamie shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is I don’t like it, and we need to figure out what this woman is up to.”

“You need to get back to the men and I need to think.”

“Ten-Cow.”

“I’m fine, Jamie. I promise. I just need to process.” At his concerned expression, she reached up and stroked his cheek. “Go. I’m fine.”

Jamie reluctantly left Sophie, and since she was suddenly starved, she headed to the kitchen. Finding Mary elbow deep in a large bowl of dough, Sophie wished she had a camera.

“Hi, Mary.”

Mary gave her a warning glance. “You should not be here.”

“But if I wasn’t here, you and I couldn’t talk.”

Mary tried to hide a smile as she pulled the dough out of the bowl and slapped it onto the butcher-block table.

Sophie grinned. “Will you let me help?”

Mary rolled her eyes. “You can slice the peaches.”

“That means you’re making your succulent peach pie, aren’t you?” At Mary’s slight nod, Sophie clapped her hands. “Yum!”

Sophie washed her hands and then went to work on the fruit. Perched on a wooden stool at the large table in the middle of the room, she peeled and sliced, occasionally sneaking one of the slices into her mouth and sighing at the taste of the sweet, juicy fruit.

Mary brightened up as she and Sophie talked and joked, and Sophie was grateful for the distraction. She wasn’t sure she could spend another day in the library, even if it was her favorite place.

“Sophie?”

Hearing Jamie’s voice, Sophie’s heart skipped a beat. “In here,” Sophie called.

Jamie walked into the room, his hair disheveled and dust covering his boots and she grinned as she raised her chin to receive his kiss. “Hi.”

“Hi. How has your morning been, sweetheart?”

“Good. Mary and I have been having a great time.”

“Are you making peach pies, Mary?” Jamie grinned in anticipation.

“Yes, sir.”

“Ah, you are a goddess.” He grabbed a slice from the table.

Sophie smacked his hand. “I’m helping.”

Jamie grabbed her palm and kissed it. “And you’re doing an exemplary job.”

“What are you doing back here so early?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you checking up on me?”

“Absolutely. I’m also starving.” Jamie sent a hopeful look toward Mary.

Mary wiped the flour from her hands and cut two slices from a loaf of fresh bread, handing them to him with a jar of strawberry preserves.

“Thank you,” Jamie said appreciatively as he slathered the bread and took a bite. “Perfect.”

Mary gestured to the kitchen door. “You two need to get out of my kitchen.”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “One more peach?”

Mary handed her the fruit and shook her head. “Shoo.”

Sophie giggled as she grabbed Jamie’s hand and led him from the kitchen. Jamie caught her around the waist and pulled her close. “I missed you today.”

“Back atya.” She pulled him into the library. “Come and tell me all about your day. How’s it been?”

Jamie closed the door and then pulled Sophie to the window bench. “Better now.”

“Charmer.”

“Andrew managed to get hold of Clayton.”

“And?” Sophie challenged.

“He arrives tomorrow.”

Sophie sunk deeper into the cushions. “Wow. That was fast.”

Jamie linked his fingers with hers. “I know, right? Thank God for the railroad.”

“How’s Samson?”

Jamie chuckled. “He’s ornery. He did let me take him out of his stall this morning and check his wound. It’s almost completely healed.”

“Good. I really miss him.” Sophie let out a sigh. “Can I see him tonight? After dinner? If I wear all black, a sniper won’t be able to find me in the dark.”

“Unless he has infrared.”

Her body sagged. “I didn’t think of that.”

“But if you want to give it a try, we can.”

“Seriously?”

Jamie smiled. “Yes, sweetheart. I doubt they’ll shoot randomly, so I think the cover of night will be safe enough.”

Sophie leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

Jamie held her for several minutes and then squeezed her hand. “I can’t stay, Soph. I need to get back.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I wish I had a television or something.”

“I know what you mean.” He kissed her cheek. “But, I’ll see you in just a few hours, and dinner will come sooner than you think.”

Sophie’s snorted in disbelief.

“You seem tired.”

“I am, actually.”

Jamie stood and cupped her cheek. “Are you sick?”

“A little nauseous.”

“That’s two days in a row. You should talk to Michael.”

Sophie shook her head. “No, I’m just tired. I’ll sleep, and I’m sure I’ll be fine by dinner.”

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am. Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

* * *

Sophie felt soft lips on her cheek, and her husband’s hypnotic voice whispering in her ear. “Time to wake up, beautiful.”

Sophie swam through the clouds, and forced her eyes open. “Hi.”

“Are you okay?”

“Going to be sick.” Sophie jumped out of bed, reaching the bowl on her bureau just in time.

Jamie handed her a glass of water and helped her back to the bed. “What’s going on?”

“I’m just tired.” Sophie sipped her water. “It’s passed. See? I’m fine.”

“Are you saying that just so you can get out of the house and see your pet?”

Sophie smiled. “Yes.”

Jamie groaned.

“I’m kidding, sweetheart. I feel much better.” Sophie stood and gathered up the gown she had been wearing earlier. “Now, help me with my clothes.”

Sophie knew Jamie watched her closely as he tightened her corset and then helped her button her dress. She took several deep breaths in an effort to control another wave of nausea and then forced a smile when Jamie turned her to face him.

He cupped her face. “You look green.”

“I’m fine.”

Jamie kissed her forehead, took her hand, and led her toward the dining room. “If you feel sick, Kermit, you tell me right away.”

“You’re funny.” Sophie was grateful dinner passed quickly and that she was able to eat something with no further bouts of nausea. After dinner, Jamie excused them so that he could take her to see Samson, and Andrew decided to join them. Sophie could tell Jamie was relieved to have someone else to keep guard as they made their way out to the stables.

Sophie kept her head down as the men flanked her and led her into the barn. Once inside, Andrew closed the doors and Sophie took a few minutes to check on Samson. He whinnied for her as she approached his stall and stuck his head out for some attention. “Hi, boy. Would you like to come out and play for a little while? I can’t ride you today but I will tomorrow.”

“Careful, Soph.”

“I’ll just bring him out here, at least he can walk the length.” Opening Samson’s stall, Sophie realized she’d forgotten to grab his halter, so she stepped back from the opening to grab one a few stalls down. Samson followed her out, stopping when she stopped, and walking when she did. Rather than putting the halter on him, she walked the length of the barn, Samson following behind her like a dutiful puppy.

Andrew laughed. “I cannot believe what you have done to that horse. You’ve ruined him for anyone else.”

“I didn’t mean to! Do you think Michael will be mad?” Sophie asked a little concerned.

“Honestly, Michael felt he’d served his time with the injury he received in battle and has no intention of putting him back into any battles. He is officially retired as an army horse.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Andrew sighed. “I may have ruined his little surprise for you. When he tells you, act like you didn’t know, all right?”

“I will.”

Samson nudged Sophie’s shoulder for more attention, so she leaned back into him, patting his neck. Jamie moved to his side. “I need to check him.”

“Can I do it?” Sophie stood up and stepped under his neck.

“Yes, as long as he stands still.”

Sophie turned and stroked Samson’s nose. “Do not kick me. Do not even flick your tail or Jamie will think you might hurt me.” Samson’s ears followed her movements and then when she moved to his back leg, he turned his head to watch her. Sophie felt for heat and then picked up his back hoof and checked his range of motion. Samson stood next to her, perfectly still the entire time. “He looks great.” She ran her palm across his side as she moved back to his shoulder. “He’s probably ready to ride.”

“No way to tell until we can get him into the arena,” Andrew said.

“Ooh, could I ride in the arena?” Sophie asked hopefully.

“Nice try.” Jamie shook his head. “Until we locate and eliminate the threat, you’re housebound.”

Stroking Samson’s cheeks, she pulled his head toward her and kissed his muzzle. “Sorry, boy. I’ll ride you soon. I promise.”

“Time to get back, Ten-Cow.” Jamie stood outside Samson’s stall.

She reluctantly led Samson back to his stall, gave him some sugar, and then followed the men out of the barn. No one was around when they got back to the house, so Andrew said goodnight and left for home.

Sophie followed Jamie up the stairs to their room. Once Jamie closed and locked the door, Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Jamie slipped her hair off her forehead. “What was that for?”

“Just because.” She settled her hands on the waistband of his pants.

“I thought you were sick.”

“Let me show you how untrue that statement is.”

Jamie chuckled and carried her to the bed.