CHRISTOPHER HEADED TOWARD the stables, and Hannah followed, lost in her thoughts.
What am I doing here? Am I really in 1863, or have I landed somewhere they’ve fabricated? Perhaps I’m in an M. Knight Shyamalan plot, or is it more like Truman, and people are filming us right now?
Looking around to see if she could find cameras, she nearly ran into Christopher, surprised when his strong arms wrapped around her to steady her.
“Hannah?”
“Oh!” She covered her outburst with her fingers. “Sorry. I was wool gathering, I suppose.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m not sure you actually want the answer to that.”
He squeezed her shoulder gently. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
Hannah took a deep breath and nodded, although she didn’t fully believe him. They made their way into the darkness of the barn and Hannah slowed her pace. “We’re not really riding horses, are we?”
Christopher turned to face her. “You don’t like horses?”
She lifted her head. “It’s not that I don’t like them. I just don’t particularly like them.”
Christopher chuckled. “We’re not going to ride today.”
“We aren’t?”
“I’m going to hitch up the buggy.”
Her shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, good.”
“Have you never ridden before?”
“I’m not sure what I did could be called riding.” At his look of confusion, Hannah waved her hand dismissively. “My friend took me a couple of times. She and her sister are very good riders.”
“Did you not like it?”
She suddenly realized his hand still rested on her shoulder, and she stepped away from his touch. “It’s not so much that I didn’t like it, I suppose. It’s just that I’m not very good at it. Horses scare me a bit.”
Christopher treated her to a heart-dropping smile. “I would be happy to give you instruction. It’s an important skill to have.”
No, no, no, elephants. Be gone, be gone now!
She shook off her thoughts and looked him in the eye. “I doubt I’ll be here that long.”
Christopher didn’t respond. Instead he moved to the end of the barn, found a groom to get the buggy, and pulled one of the horses out of its stall. Hannah stepped back quickly.
“He won’t hurt you, Hannah. His name’s Old Joe, and he’s very mild. Come closer.” He held out his hand.
Staring at the horse, Hannah’s body froze. She took a deep breath and forced her feet to walk closer to the animal and let Christopher take her hand.
“Here, place your hand on his muzzle.” Christopher lifted her hand to the horse’s face so that she could stroke his nose. Grateful that he stood still, seeming to know her fear, Hannah ran her hands down Old Joe’s face.
“There. How’s that?”
Hannah dropped her hand. “He’s a very nice horse.”
“Yes, he is.”
“He’s also not quite as big as Emma’s.”
* * *
The use of that name sent a shiver down Christopher’s spine. He suddenly remembered Jamie mentioning someone called Hannah in a previous conversation. Christopher laid his hand on Hannah’s lower back and walked her out of the barn so the groom could finish hitching up the buggy. “Tell me about your friend.”
Hannah kicked at a rock just under the snow as she asked, “Emma?”
“Yes.”
Her mouth pursed, and all Christopher could think about was kissing her. Then Hannah smiled. “She and I have been friends for several years. I was friends with her sister too. But then her sister got very sick—she disappeared while waiting for a heart transplant. Emma and I were certain she died. It was very sad for everyone, but of course, devastating for Em. Then on top of everything, Emma disappeared too, and hasn’t been seen for several months.” She let out a quiet gasp. “Never mind. I’m rambling.”
Christopher’s heartbeat returned to normal, relieved to hear Hannah’s Emma wasn’t Emma Madden. Emma’s sister was alive and well, and Emma wasn’t missing.
“I can’t believe I just told you that,” Hannah whispered.
Lifting his hand, he stroked her face gently, unable to stop himself. “Why?”
Hannah stepped away from him. “I don’t typically share information, especially of a personal nature. Never mind.”
Christopher moved back toward her and watched confusion flicker over her face as the groom brought the horse and buggy out into the yard.
“Okay, shall we go?” she said quickly.
Christopher chuckled and lifted her into the buggy. Climbing in next to her, he shot her a quick smile before releasing the brake and giving the command for Joe to walk on.
* * *
As Christopher steered the horse and buggy north, Hannah was taken aback by such wide-open spaces. She was unused to seeing such expanses of land so devoid of houses. Just snow-covered ground that gave her the feeling of endless freedom. She almost fell out of the buggy when she peered too far out the side. Christopher grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Careful.”
Hannah blushed at his touch, particularly when he laid his hand over hers for a moment. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and asked, “Would you like to drive?”
“The buggy?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Her eyes widened. “Now?”
Christopher chuckled. “Yes, now.”
“No.”
“You can do it.” Christopher handed her the reins.
“Yeah, no, that’s all right,” she stammered, fisting her hands in her lap.
Christopher reached over and pried her hands open, laying the leather strips in her palms. “You can do it.”
Hannah’s heart raced and she tried to swallow her fear. “Christopher, I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can.” Christopher smiled and sat back against the bench. He settled one arm behind her as if he didn’t have a care in the world and pulled his hat low across his forehead.
“You’re watching, right?” Hannah squealed. She watched his mouth turn up in a half-smile and her elephants returned.
“I can still see any potential danger, Hannah. Don’t fret.”
She nodded as she held the reins tightly and worked on not confusing the horse. “Where am I going?”
“Just keep going straight, you’re doing very well.”
As she guided Old Joe further across the expanse of snow, she smiled.
“You have a beautiful smile, Hannah.”
Hannah blushed, not realizing he’d been able to see her from under his hat. “Thank you, Sir Knight,” she said a little mockingly. “Now where?”
“Veer Joe to the right. There’s a grove of trees a few hundred feet in front of us. You’ll see it as we come over the small ridge.”
“Like this?” She pulled gently on the right rein.
“Exactly.”
She turned the horse successfully toward the ridge and as they came up over the hill, she saw the trees he mentioned and continued to head toward them. “I think you should take over now.” Handing the reins to him, she sat back and took a deep breath.
Christopher guided the horse to a good stopping place and set the brake. “You did very well, Hannah. You should be proud of yourself.”
Hannah smiled as he jumped down and went around to assist her out of the buggy. She put her hands on his shoulders, blushing when his large hands spanned her waist and lifted her down.
No, little elephants, he’s wrong for me. Tall, dark, and unbelievably gorgeous. He’s probably got a multitude of women fawning all over him... and he hates the way I dress.
Shaking her head slightly at her silly schoolgirl thoughts, she focused on where they were going. Christopher led her through the grove of trees and as the forest cleared, they came upon a small lake. Without a breeze, the still water glistened and mirrored the sky above. Hannah moved forward, entranced. “This is magnificent.”
“It’s my favorite place.”
“I can see why.” She peered at him over her shoulder. “I would probably spend all my time here.”
“If I could, I would.” Joining her at the bank, he gazed at the horizon. “It doesn’t matter what season it is, the lake has a peaceful quality about it.”
Hannah smiled to herself. He looked so serene as he stared out at the vastness of the view. His strong profile, so chiseled and aristocratic. When he turned his head to catch her eye, she blushed from being discovered and looked back out at the water. “Is the water frozen? Can you stand on it when it is?”
He picked up a rock and sent it skipping over the water. “No and yes.”
She wondered if they ever skated on it, but had no idea if ice skates had been invented yet in his so-called nineteenth century, so kept her question to herself. “What do you do for a living, Christopher?”
I can’t really have been sent back in time, could I?
“I work in defense,” he said vaguely.
“Defense? Defense of what? The country?”
Christopher didn’t respond.
“You’re not going to answer my question, are you?”
“It’s confidential, Hannah.”
She crossed her arms and faced him. “Because absolutely no one knows exactly what you do, correct?”
Still nothing.
“Fine, don’t tell me.”
“Hannah, don’t be angry.”
She waved her hand. “Who says I’m angry?”
“Hannah.”
Both her hands went up in surrender. “Look, I get it. You can ask me every personal question known to man, but you don’t feel the need to answer if I ask you something.”
Christopher chuckled. “You’re right.”
“Come again?”
“You’re right, Hannah.”
Hannah smirked. “I wasn’t expecting you to admit that you were wrong so quickly.”
Christopher raised an eyebrow. “But you were expecting me to admit I was wrong eventually?”
“Well, of course. I always get my answers in the end,” she said cheekily. “So, what do you do?”
“I am employed by President Lincoln. In his war cabinet.”
Hannah swallowed. “Abraham Lincoln?”
“Is there another?”
“Right. I guess not.”
He’s really living the whole 1863 thing.
She watched him for several minutes in silence.
Christopher raised an eyebrow. “Now you have surprised me.”
Hannah raised an eyebrow in return. “Really? Why?”
“I expected several more questions.”
Hannah laughed. “Is that the experience you’ve had with women in the past?”
Christopher shook his head. “I believe I won’t answer that.”
“Poor Sir Knight.” Hannah laid her hand on his elbow then dropped it just as quickly. “Once bitten, twice shy.”
Christopher gave her a sexy half-smile, but didn’t respond to her comment. “Are you hungry? I brought some bread and cheese. It’s in the buggy.”
“That sounds lovely, Christopher. Yes please.” When he didn’t move away from her, she looked up in confusion. “Didn’t you say it’s in the buggy?”
“I thought you might want to come with me.”
“Oh? Do you need me to come with you? Are you scared of the dark forest? I’m not sure how much protection I can offer.” She shook out her dress. “Especially in these skirts.”
He laughed. “I’ll return shortly.”
“That would be a good thing, especially since I’m hungry.”
Christopher returned faster than she expected, holding a large basket. “I brought a blanket to sit on.” Once he’d laid the blanket on the ground, he set the basket on top. “Please make yourself comfortable.”
Hannah grimaced. She couldn’t just flop onto the blanket in a hoop skirt. She’d look like an idiot. A quick, silent prayer produced a memory of Sophie’s tutelage, and Hannah remembered she had to sit at an angle, treating the hoop almost like a window blind. It took her a minute, but she finally figured it out, and Christopher didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. He was too busy removing cheese and bread from the basket. She was thrilled to see he’d also brought hot chocolate and gladly took the cup he offered.
“I love cheese.” Hannah broke off a piece and put it in her mouth.
“It’s one of my favorites as well.”
Hannah sipped her hot cocoa and leaned back on her arm. “Tell me about your family.”
“My parents are Vincent and Wilhelmina Butler—you have met the tornado that is my mother.”
Hannah nodded. “She’s lovely.”
Leaning his body on his elbow, he stared out at the water. “My father is a farmer and my mother has her charities. I have two younger brothers and Gwen. Then, of course, there’s Charity. She and Gwen are together constantly, even if she’s not related. We have several aunts and uncles in the area and a gaggle of cousins.”
Hannah laughed. “A gaggle of cousins?”
“Yes, there are several Butlers running around, not to mention the cousins on my mother’s side.”
Hannah blew on her hot cocoa and smiled. “Tell me about your brothers.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Are they older than Gwen? Do they live here? Are you close?”
Christopher nodded. “We are all very close. My brother, Quincy, is fighting for the Union. He’s in between me and Gwen. The baby of the family is Jacob. He’s visiting one of the cousins for a few days. He’s eighteen and wants adventure. I have attempted to keep him from joining the war, but he can’t stay with me in the city all week, and he tires of his big sister’s advice, so he escapes on occasion.”
Hannah tore off another piece of bread. Leaning back as far as she could without flipping up her skirts, she watched the clouds. “The sky is so clear. I know I’m going to be wet and frozen from the snow, but I don’t care. The view is worth it.”
Christopher smiled. “Do you have any family?”
She shook her head and tried to fight back tears. “Not in the traditional sense. Emma’s family took me in when I moved to the States, but no one back home.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you married? Did you move to America with your husband?”
“What?” She faced him again. “No. I was fifteen. I moved by myself.”
Christopher looked at her sharply. “All the way from England?”
Hannah groaned.
Apparently I need to come up with a story.
“My... ah... brother escorted me. Once I was settled with a distant cousin and her family, he returned. He’s a sailor.” An outright lie, considering she was a foster care kid, but when she saw Christopher relax slightly, she knew he would never have accepted the truth.
“Do you miss home?”
“Not really. I love America. I don’t think I could live anywhere else now.” Hannah paused, listening to the slight breeze. “And then there’s this lake. This place is incredible.”
“So are you.”
She turned her head and found him staring intently at her. “What?”
He reached out to stroke a finger down her cheek. “You’re beautiful, Hannah.”
“Right.” She let out a snort. “Just how many times have you said that to a girl next to a semi-frozen lake?”
“Never.”
She sat up. “Never?”
“Never.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
He pursed his lips. “Why not?”
“Never mind.”
He leaned over and cupped her chin. “Why don’t you believe me?”
She moved her face away from his hand. His touch unsettled and confused her.
Sod off, elephants!
Hannah sighed. “Because I think you have your share of women, and I’m probably one in a dozen.”
“More like one in a million.”
Hannah groaned. “See, that’s what I mean.”
“I don’t see,” Christopher grumbled.
Hannah threw up her hands. “You say all these charming things and I find it difficult to believe you haven’t told a hundred women the same thing.”
Christopher paused and they sat in silence for several minutes. “I have never met anyone like you, Hannah. You’re beautiful, but you’re also smart and confident.”
“You don’t know me well enough to say that.”
Christopher chuckled. “No one has ever challenged me before and I have to admit, it’s confusing.”
“I guess I can say the same thing. Although, I personally haven’t dated much.”
“What does ‘dated’ mean?”
Seriously?
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Um, courted?”
“Ah.” He nodded. “I find it difficult to believe that you haven’t been courted by many gentlemen.”
“That’s very sweet, but I truly haven’t.”
“Is there someone special at home?”
She giggled quietly. “All these personal questions, Christopher. It’s a wonder I can keep up with them.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is there?”
“Do you have someone special?”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“What? You can ask, but I can’t?” She dropped her head. “I don’t even know why you care.”
“I just want to know if there’s anyone I need to challenge.”
“Like to a duel?” Hannah asked incredulously. This conversation was entirely too serious for her. She stood and made her way to the water.
“Hannah?” He stood and walked over to her. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“No, there’s no one at home.” Hannah sighed. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“No.”
“No, you won’t answer, or no, there is no one?” He didn’t respond right away and she didn’t know why she even cared. “Forget it. We should probably go back to the house now.”
She turned to walk toward the buggy, but Christopher took hold of her arm and turned her to face him. “Have I made you uncomfortable?”
“A bit, yes.”
He smiled, slow and sensual, and Hannah wondered if he might kiss her. Instead he said, “Good.”
Good God, elephants, give me a break!
Hannah smirked. “You’re terrible.”
“I have no one special... yet.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. She shivered. “I’ll take you back to the house, Hannah.”
Christopher walked her back to the buggy, lifted her inside, and drove them back to the house. The sun was beginning to set and Hannah found it awe-inspiring. Gathering her thoughts, she chose to stay quiet the duration of the ride.