SOPHIE PACED THE room for what seemed like hours. She’d investigated every inch of it, not that it helped. The warmth of the bed beckoned to her, so she finally forced herself to climb back under the covers. She tried to nap, without success. She sat up, tossed back her thick mass of curls, and brought her palm to her chest.

I can still breathe without pain.

Raising her head to the ceiling, she took a deep breath.

How is this even possible?

Sophie eased out of the tall bed and grasped the post to steady herself. Her weak legs protested the sudden activity, but she pressed on making her way to the mirror and slipping the borrowed robe open, studying her torso. She still had the scar from her open-heart surgery, but it was faded significantly, and her chest tube scars were no longer there. She ran her fingers over the smooth skin and leaned forward to get a closer look at the scar.

It just looks like a scratch! Jamie’s going to freak when he sees my body back to normal.

Pulling the borrowed robe tighter around her, Sophie moved to the bedroom door. She poked her head out, listening for sounds, before making her way down the hall. Where was the bathroom? She tried a few doors but only found other bedrooms.

She hoped she wasn’t going to have to use a chamber pot. Dream or no dream, the idea was gross. Hearing noise coming from downstairs, she paused on the landing. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses wafted through the foyer.

Sophie slunk down the stairs and made her way toward the dining room, uncertain exactly what she would find, but following the sound despite her racing heart. As she turned the corner, she stopped, and a fork dropped with a loud clutter.

Sophie’s mouth came open as Richard stood, nearly knocking his chair over in the process. He made a beeline for her. “Mrs. Ford, ma’am, you shouldn’t be down here without any clothes on.”

“Excuse me?”

Richard grabbed her arm and pulled her into the foyer.

Sophie’s skin crawled as she yanked her arm away. “Let go of me.”

“Ma’am, people shouldn’t see you like this, it’s not decent.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean by ‘not decent’?”

“You’re almost naked.”

Sophie glanced down to make sure another button hadn’t popped open. “I’m fully covered!”

“You’re not fully covered. Your ankles are showing, among other things,” Richard whispered.

Feeling a gentle squeeze on her elbow, Sophie turned her head to find Nona, her expression full of motherly concern. “Sophie, dear, what are you doing down here?”

Michael stood behind Nona and moved to block Sophie’s view of the dining room.

“Where’s Jamie?”

Nona shot a frantic look toward Michael.

“Mrs. Ford. Turn around and go back to your room.” Richard pointed to the stairs.

“Where is my husband?”

“Sophie, dear, he isn’t here.” Nona wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s get you back upstairs.”

“Please.” Sophie shook her head. “I want my husband.”

“We can speak privately upstairs,” Richard replied.

“Please tell me now.”

This must be a nightmare. Any minute, I’ll be back in Jamie’s arms, back in our bed.

Nona tried to lead her to the stairs but Sophie refused to budge. Without warning, Richard picked her up, and Sophie let out a squeal. “What are you doing? Let me go!”

“Ma’am, we need to get you back into bed. You’re making a scene and upsetting Nona. We’ll explain everything once you’re settled.” Richard moved toward the stairs.

“Mr. Madden, put me down, I can walk by myself.” Sophie pushed at his chest. “Jamie is not going to be happy with you man-handling me.” He didn’t comply, so she tried a different tack. “Mr. Madden, please, put me down. Seriously, this is ridiculous.”

Reaching the bedroom door, Richard pushed it open with his shoulder. He lowered Sophie onto the massive bed, and the top of her robe popped open. Catching Richard’s leer, she grabbed for the quilt to cover herself. As Nona and Michael rushed into the room, Sophie turned a crimson face toward them. “Where is Jamie?”

Nona stood in front of her and settled a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “Sophie, Richard has spent most of the day looking for him. There simply isn’t any record of a James William Ford anywhere in the Union Army.”

“I told you. He isn’t a soldier. Where else did you look? Did you check the hospitals? Maybe he’s been mugged. Did you check the airport? Maybe he went looking for me there.”

“Airport? What’s an airport?” Richard asked.

“What do you mean, what’s an airport? You’re taking these reenactments way too far. God, this is so lame!”

“Lame, dear? Do you have a horse that went lame? Is that how you ended up at the stables? Were you thrown?” Nona asked and then turned to Richard. “You shouldn’t be in here, Richard. It’s inappropriate.”

He gave her a reluctant nod and stepped into the hallway.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie fisted her hands in her lap. “Look, something’s not right here. No, I did not get thrown from a horse. I’m Sophie Jane Wellington Ford, married to James William Ford.” Her voice rose in volume. “I’m twenty-six years old. We’ve been married for five years. I’m from Portland, Oregon. I need Jamie. Please.”

Nona wrung her hands and turned to her husband. “Michael, please, there must be something you can do for her.”

“I’ll return shortly.”

Sophie let Nona wrap her arms around her. “Nona, please, I need Jamie. He can’t have just disappeared. I can’t have just disappeared! I don’t understand. I’m supposed to be dead. I should be dead.”

“Is it possible your husband died in the war and you’re forgetting? Maybe you think it should have been you?”

“He’s not a soldier. I haven’t lost my memory.” Sophie swallowed. “And I’m not crazy.” Her eyes moved skyward in desperation. “Oh, God, please help me, please, please help me.”

Michael returned with his medical bag in hand and moved to her side. “Mrs. Ford, I have something for you that will calm you. I would like you to drink all of this for me, please.”

“What is it?” Sophie asked suspiciously.

“Laudanum.”

With a frantic shake of her head, Sophie pushed the covers away and threw her legs over the side of the bed. “No. Definitely not laudanum. I don’t want to be drugged.”

“Mrs. Ford, you need to calm down. You’ll give yourself an apoplexy,” Michael warned.

Obviously hearing the argument, Richard stepped back in the room and crossed his arms.

“Who are you people? This isn’t right.”

“What’s not right, Mrs. Ford?” Richard asked.

She glared at him. “Trying to drug innocent people, man-handling them, and throwing them onto beds.”

Richard stalked toward her and leaned down. “Mrs. Ford, you need to get back into bed. The Wades are good people. They are simply trying to help. I would rather not have to hold you down while the doctor forces the medicine down your throat.”

Her body leaned away from his threat of its own accord and, cursing her fear, she ground out, “Why are you using your brute strength to hold me against my will? What are you even doing in my bedroom? When Jamie gets here, you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do! He’s gonna kick your ass.”

“Mrs. Ford, I don’t have a donkey, but if I did, I don’t know why your husband would want to kick it. Perhaps you hit your head a little harder than we originally thought.”

“You’re the donkey!”

Oh, good one, Sophie. That told him.

“Get back into bed, sit still, and take the medicine Dr. Wade is offering—or I will make you,” Richard threatened.

As the tension in the room thickened, Sophie stopped fighting. After downing the bitter laudanum, she drank the water Richard offered, then Nona took Sophie’s glass and set it by her bedside. “There’s a sweet dear. We’ll get you back to sleep and things will look better in the morning. You’ll see.”

Sophie groaned at the positive pronouncement over the worst predicament she’d ever been in. As the laudanum took effect, her limbs grew heavy and sluggish and her eyelids drooped. She smacked her dry mouth a few times as she watched the doctor and Richard make their way from the room. Sophie barely noticed Nona linger at the bedside for a few minutes before tiptoeing out into the hall.

Sophie heard voices just outside the door but they trailed as the group moved away. She tried to roll onto her side, without much luck. Her body felt like a lead weight.

Why won’t my butt follow my shoulders?

Taking a bigger swing with her leg, she finally ended on her side but realized she wasn’t comfortable there either. She rolled onto her back before trying to sit up and climb out of the bed. Inching her body toward the edge of the mattress, she reached her hand out to steady herself on the side table but only managed to knock the glass onto the floor with a loud crash. Before the sound even registered in her cloudy mind, the door opened with a bang. Gasping in fright, she turned toward the light.

“Sophie, dear? What happened?” Nona rushed to her side.

Just before her feet hit the floor, Sophie’s dizziness overwhelmed her. A quiet groan escaped her as she swayed toward Nona.

Nona laid her hand on her shoulder. “There is broken glass at your feet. You need to be careful.” Nona gave a gentle smile. “Why are you trying to get out of bed? I was certain you were asleep when I left you.”

“I have to—that is, well, I need to—” Sophie tried to put aside her humiliation and think through the confusion for the right words.

“I know what you need.” Nona pulled out a porcelain bowl from under the bed.

Ugh, chamber pot.

Nona helped to steady Sophie as the laudanum coursed through her system. “I apologize about the primitive chamber pot.” Nona patted her back. “I’ll have a proper commode moved in here in the morning. I’ll send Betty in to pick the glass up, once you’re asleep.”

Commode. Morning. Yes.

Sophie twirled the words through her cloudy mind. “Thank you.”

Nona helped her back into bed before quietly leaving the room. Sophie tried desperately to fight her drug-induced lethargy, but she was unsuccessful.

* * *

Sophie forced her eyes open and grabbed her pounding head. She focused her gaze on the ceiling, and several minutes passed before she realized she was still in the blue room. As she lowered her hands to her sides, her fingers touched the soft fabric of what she assumed was a homemade quilt; the ridges of the stitching rising like tiny hills under her fingertips.

Sitting up carefully to get a better sense of her surroundings, she eased out of the tall bed, made her way over to the window, and pulled the floor-to-ceiling curtain aside. The sun hid behind a mass of dark clouds. However, morning beckoned, and she noticed fresh snow on the ground. Sophie couldn’t help but smile. She’d always loved the snow.

Leaning her forehead against the windowpane, she sighed. Her breath left an oval-shaped fog ring on the glass, and she drew a question mark in it with her finger.

What am I going to do? Am I in a coma and this is an hallucination? Am I dead and in heaven? I guess I should be happy I made it to heaven... I had wondered if I’d make it on occasion. She sighed. Maybe it’s hell and I am destined to be without Jamie forever.

A quiet knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” Sophie called.

“Good morning, dear.”

Squeezing her eyes shut for a last, brief second of solitude, she pushed herself away from the window and turned. “Good morning, Nona.”

“How did you sleep? I didn’t want to wake you too early, so I told the staff not to disturb you.”

“Thank you.” Sophie bit her lip. “I want to apologize for my conduct last night.”

“Don’t give it another thought. You were overwrought. I’m confident that we will find your Jamie and you’ll have some answers.” Nona laid mounds of fabric on the bed. “Are you hungry? I can have Betty bring you a tray.”

“No, thank you, Nona.” Sophie turned to look out the window again.

“Dear, you really should eat. You need to get your strength up. My sister, Elizabeth, brought a few dresses and personal things over this morning for you.”

Sophie let Nona fuss over her, pleasantly surprised that Nona’s sister had provided several gowns that fit her. Uncertain how long it would take her to get used to wearing a corset for extended periods of time—she had a difficult time wearing them with her reenactment costumes—she tried to remember how to breathe without hyperventilating.

The combination Nona chose for Sophie consisted of a deep blue skirt with a simple white bodice. The jacket, a lighter blue, was adorned with piping that matched the skirt. Elizabeth sent ribbons for each of the dresses, and Sophie used one of them to pull her long hair back and tie it securely at her neck.

Sophie forced a smile. “Thank you so much for your kindness.”

“It’s my pleasure, dear. I know things seem frightening right now, but I hope you will consider my home your home. You are welcome to stay as long as you have need.”

“Thank you.”

Nona led Sophie downstairs and into the large dining room. The buffet had a simple but abundant breakfast arrangement. Smelling the savory aroma of the sausage, pancakes, and fried potatoes, Sophie filled her plate, her stomach rumbling in anticipation. She avoided the final concoction, a dish that looked positively disgusting. Her stomach rolled as the beady eyes of a fish stared at her from beneath the sauce.

Sophie and Nona were in the dining room for only a few minutes when the butler showed a beautiful, petite woman into the room. Her strawberry-blonde hair framed a heart-shaped face, and wind-blown cheeks illuminated larger-than-life blue eyes. She appeared a younger version of Nona.

“Christine, what are you doing here so early? Weren’t you scheduled to be at the hospital today?” Nona stood quickly and made her way over to the woman. She folded her into one of her motherly hugs.

The younger woman removed her winter cloak and gloves to reveal a dark blue skirt. Her matching jacket was buttoned all the way to her throat, and Sophie assumed it was a uniform of some type. She handed her outerwear to the butler hovering behind her and laughed. “A very good morning to you, too, big sister.”

“My word, where are my manners?” Nona turned to Sophie. “Sophie, this is my youngest sister, Mrs. Martin. She volunteers at the local hospital, taking care of wounded soldiers.” She turned back to her sister. “Christine, this is Sophie Ford. She landed on our doorstep yesterday, for lack of a better word.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Christine shook Sophie’s hand and then turned to her sister. “Elizabeth came by to see Mama and me after she dropped the dresses off to you this morning, so I’ve heard part of the story. I thought I would call on you and see if you needed anything.”

News certainly travels fast around here without the use of cell phones.

“You look lovely in that dress, Mrs. Ford. Much better than Elizabeth would have. Just don’t tell her I said that,” Christine said.

“Thank you.” Sophie fingered the fabric. “Has your sister never worn this?”

Christine chuckled. “No. None of the ones she gave you have been worn.”

“Wow—I mean, my goodness.”

Nona glanced at the clock on the dining room wall. “Oh, my, look at the time. I must get the menu organized for tomorrow night’s soiree. Christine, would you please keep Sophie company while I talk to Cook?”

“Of course.” Christine sat at the table and turned to face Sophie with a warm smile.

“Christine.” Sophie wrung her hands. “Sorry, may I call you Christine?”

“Of course.”

“What is this soiree Nona referred to?”

Stirring sugar into a cup of coffee, Christine explained, “We have spent the past week honoring officers who have made it home for a brief sojourn. The soiree will cap it off. Many will leave again in the coming weeks, as new marching orders are being delivered as we speak.”

“Oh,” Sophie squeaked.

Christine laid her spoon aside and looked at her in concern. “Are you all right, Mrs. Ford? Can I get you something?”

“Um, no, no, I’m fine. I just thought about all those people.” Sophie took a deep breath. “I guess it freaked me out a bit.”

Christine furrowed her brow. “Freaked you out? What does that mean?”

Sophie internally smacked her hand to her forehead.

“Oh, right, well, it means, kind of scared me.” Sophie smoothed her hands across her skirts and then settled them on her lap. “I hope it will be all right to stay in my room with the door locked tomorrow night.”

Christine laughed. “Why would you want to do that?”

“I just don’t feel up to a party, I suppose.”

Christine took a sip of her coffee and set her cup gently in the saucer. “Mrs. Ford, I understand you’ve lost your husband.”

“Please, call me Sophie. And, yes. I have no idea where Jamie is. I’m choosing to think he’s misplaced, but everything’s a bit of a confusing mess right now.”

“Well, let’s try and focus on the positive.” Christine dropped another sugar cube into her coffee. “Now, let’s discuss gowns. I know one in particular that Elizabeth had made. She disliked the color, so never wore it. It would look incredible on you. We’ll have Madame Desmarais alter it for you before the party. Elizabeth has influence with her.” She added in a conspiring whisper, “She should, with the amount she spends there.”

Sophie waved a hand in the air. “Please don’t go to any trouble, Christine. The dresses Elizabeth has already provided are beautiful. She’s been more than generous.”

“Don’t be silly, it’s our pleasure.” Christine set her coffee cup down. “Now, I must get to the hospital. I’ll return at three and we’ll go down to Madame’s together. I’m on my way to pick up a few things from Elizabeth’s, so I will also get the dress.”

Christine gathered her outerwear and Sophie walked her to the door. “Thank you for spending some time with me.”

“My pleasure, Sophie. I’ll see you later.”

Watching as Christine climbed into her little buggy, Sophie remained in the open doorway as the horse trotted down the long driveway.