WALKING BACK DOWN the hall, her arms full, Victoria saw Sam raise his hand to knock on Rayne’s door. “Samuel Powell! Get away from that door,” she hissed.
He turned with a guilty look on his face. Clasping his hands behind his back, he took a deep breath. “I didn’t get an answer.”
Victoria scowled. “For a law man, you certainly seem ready to break the rules.”
Sam dropped his head.
Victoria shifted the towels in her grip. “Look. She’s indisposed right now, not to mention it’s highly inappropriate for you to be harassing her in her bedroom. What’s your problem? I’ve never seen you act so… so out of character.”
“You’re right. Forgive me. I’ll just wait here until she’s no longer indisposed.”
“No, you won’t.” Victoria tried to physically turn him toward the stairs… hard to do with her arms full. “You’ll go downstairs and join the men, or you’ll go home.”
Sam growled. “Victoria!”
“Sam!” she mimicked. “Where does my husband think you are, by the way? He can’t possibly have sanctioned you bothering Rayne.”
“He thinks I’m checking on my horse.”
“Go!”
Sam sighed. “Victoria, please.”
“Leave, Sam! Now.”
Sam turned as Quincy rushed up the stairs. “Sweetheart? I heard raised voices.”
Victoria sighed. “I’m fine, Gus.”
Quincy advanced on Sam. “What the hell is going on?”
Victoria smirked at Sam and then turned to her husband. “Sam seems to think he has the right to see Rayne alone in her room.”
“You said you were checking on your horse.” Quincy crossed his arms.
Sam raised his hands in surrender. “I did check on him.”
Quincy scowled at him. “Don’t make me hurt you, Sam.”
Sam turned and made his way downstairs, an angry Quincy on his heels. Victoria knocked and let herself back into Rayne’s room when bid.
* * *
“What was all the shouting about?” Rayne asked.
Victoria sighed. “You have an admirer.”
“What?”
“Sam didn’t want to leave without an answer.”
Rayne frowned. “What?”
“It’s okay.” Victoria handed Rayne the make-up remover. “Quincy forced him back down the stairs.”
“Okay.” Rayne took a deep breath and focused on removing her make-up. She washed her face after removing her false eyelashes, all the while her thoughts consumed with Samuel Powell. “Should I go tomorrow?”
Wrapping the make-up remover tightly in a towel, Victoria shrugged. “Would you like to?”
Rayne shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t date, to be honest.”
“Well, you couldn’t get a better man than Samuel Powell, that’s for certain. He’s kind and funny, and if you think you’d like to spend time with him, then yes, I think you should go. I trust him with my life, and I think you could trust him with your heart.”
“I highly doubt we’ll get that far.” Rayne splashed water over her face.
“You never know. In our circle, things seem to move quickly.” Rayne frowned, but Victoria chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. “No pressure, Rayne. Seriously. Plus, it’s a chance to see what the city looked like over a hundred years ago. You won’t get an experience like that again.”
Rayne shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll go then.”
“I’ll let him know.”
“Thanks.”
“Would you like some privacy?” Victoria asked.
“You’re fine.” Rayne chuckled. “I’m used to more than one person seeing me almost naked, particularly with changes between sets.”
Victoria moved quietly around the room, putting things in drawers.
Rayne slipped under the water and allowed the buoyancy to support her for a few blessed seconds. Pushing her body up, she leaned back against the copper. “Victoria? How did you and Quincy meet?”
Victoria settled into one of the chairs. “My trip back in time was a little strange. I landed in the middle of a battlefield and Quincy was shot right in front of me.”
Rayne turned her head in surprise. “No shit?”
“No shit.” Victoria smiled. “But before he was shot, he threatened to take me to his superior officers.”
“Why?”
“He thought I was a confederate spy.”
“What?” Rayne cocked her head. “Why?”
“Because of my accent and because it was a battle in Virginia. It took a lot of convincing, and he was a bit of a grumpy Gus, but he redeemed himself and now “Gus” has a whole other connotation.” Victoria sighed. “In the end, I saved his life and made him marry me.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Victoria cracked the door open and Rayne heard Hannah on the other side. “I have dresses.”
“Come in,” Rayne called.
Victoria pulled the door open and Hannah slipped inside with a stack of material. “You and I are about the same size, so these should fit.”
Rayne raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Are you kidding me? Yes.” Hannah grinned as she laid the gowns on the bed. “I haven’t been able to wear them since I got pregnant. They’re gathering dust in my wardrobe. We’ll probably have to take the hems down a bit, but that’s relatively easy to do. Mrs. Putnam will take care of it.”
“What about my hair?” Rayne pushed the wet strands away from her forehead. “I don’t have the typical hair for a woman in the eighteen-hundreds.”
Hannah shrugged. “We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Don’t worry… I’m pretty good with bobby pins.”
“Will you both promise me something?”
Victoria nodded. “Of course.”
“Will you help me figure out how to get home?”
“We’ll try.” Hannah leaned against the bed. “It’s really complicated, because the facilitator of the portal is in Harrisburg, so I don’t know how that works from here.”
Rayne sat up. “You do know how to get back, right?”
Hannah nodded and picked up one of the gowns. “In theory, yes. Madame Desmarais is a renowned seamstress in Harrisburg, and she’s the one who controls everything.”
Victoria handed Hannah a coat hanger. “What I’m not sure about is whether or not you have to be there with her in order to go back.”
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t think she does. But we will need to contact her in order to organize it. I can send a wire tomorrow, if you like.”
Rayne nodded. “Yes. Please.”
Hannah smiled. “Okay, we’ll leave you to relax. Holler if you need anything.”
The ladies left her room and Rayne sat back in the tub to consider her options. Not entirely convinced she wasn’t in some kind of dream or drug-induced state, she figured if she approached everything logically, perhaps she could get through this without completely breaking down. She knew she couldn’t confirm whether or not she was in a different time until she could explore during daylight hours… her earlier trip through the mud and to the jail had been somewhat clouded by the drug flowing through her system.
The fact that Hannah and Victoria knew there was the option to go back and were willing to help her was something that made her feel much better about the entire situation. She was looking forward to a guided excursion of a nineteenth-century town, especially since she’d been on tour for nine months and had yet to take a break. She figured she might as well use her forced vacation to relax and recharge before she went back to her busy life.
Rayne chuckled to herself. Shaye’s sister, Ava, would be so proud. Rayne was a pessimist and somewhat melancholic, and Ava had nicknamed her Eeyore. Rayne was not good with change, particularly if she didn’t know it was coming, and would often shut herself away from people if she were sideswiped with unexpected stress. Shaye did her best to eliminate the stress on tour and was the soft place to land if Rayne found herself unable to cope.
Rayne considered Shaye the sister she never had and realized that she may have taken her for granted over the past few years. When she got home, she’d rectify that and make sure Shaye knew just how appreciated she was.
As she stepped out of the tub and dried herself off, Rayne felt much more at ease about the strange circumstances she found herself in. She’d sit back and let things play out for a couple of days. She put on the nightgown that Victoria had laid out for her and climbed into the bed, allowing herself to fall asleep without worry. The next day would be an adventure, and she was determined to enjoy it.
* * *
“Good morning, Rayne. It’s time to wake up.”
Rayne groaned as she rolled over to face the distinctly southern voice. “What time is it?”
“It’s a little after nine. I wanted to let you sleep in a bit.”
“Noon would have been better,” she grumbled.
Victoria chuckled. “You and Hannah are cut from the same cloth, I think. Quincy and I have been downstairs since six, but I don’t think Chris has been able to wake Hannah yet.”
“Well, if she gets to sleep, why can’t I?” Rayne pulled the comforter over her head.
“Because she’s pregnant and Sam will be here to collect you at ten.”
“Right, I forgot.” She threw the covers off with a groan. “Why so early?”
Victoria opened the freestanding wardrobe. “He wanted to come at nine.”
“What? Why?” She sat up.
“I think he likes you.” Victoria pulled a gown from a hanger and laid it over a chair. “I explained to him you’d need to rest and tried for eleven, but he negotiated me down to ten.”
“Damn, he’s persistent.” Rayne flopped back down onto the bed.
“I know.” Victoria smiled gently. “How’s your head?”
“Better, I think.” Rayne laid her hand on her forehead. “Too early to tell, though.”
“What about your lip?”
“As long as I don’t smile, I don’t feel it.”
Victoria frowned. “Maybe we should put something on it.”
“Nah, it’ll be fine. Smiling’s overrated anyway.”
Victoria chuckled. “Okay, come on. Up and at ’em. I’ll come back in ten minutes to help you dress. There’s fresh water in the pitcher on the bureau.”
“Thanks.”
Once Victoria left the room, Rayne climbed out of bed and washed her face. Her hair was standing straight on end from having slept on it wet the night before. She hoped Victoria would be able to do something with it.
Rayne observed the clothes Victoria had laid out. The dark blue jacket had dropped shoulders and a velvet trim, and the skirt had the matching trim at the hem. A knock at the door brought Victoria with a brush and bobby pins.
“Where did the bath go?” Rayne asked.
“Hannah and I drained it while you slept last night.” Victoria laid her burdens on the bureau.
“Wow. What a pain in the neck.”
Victoria groaned. “Seriously. Next order of business for Hannah is to install a bathroom. She’s trying to convince Chris to do it before the baby comes.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“Hannah’s had a rough time with her pregnancy and she can’t just sit back and relax. I think if they started a renovation project, Christopher’s afraid she’d overdo.” Victoria dragged items from one of the bureau drawers. “And he’s probably right.”
Rayne splashed water on her face. “Ah.”
“Do you like the color?” Victoria nodded toward the outfit. “I picked it because I thought it would match your eyes. Might as well drive the man wild.”
“I thought this was supposed to be a no-pressure situation?”
Victoria nodded. “Oh, it is. I’d just like to watch Sam squirm a little bit.”
“Great.”
“Let’s get your undergarments and corset on, but we’ll leave it loose. We’ll work on your hair before we get you dressed.”
Rayne’s mouth fell open. “How much clothing am I supposed to wear?”
Victoria showed her how to put on the stockings, pantaloons, and chemise and then fastened the corset without tightening the laces. She led Rayne to the small stool and sat her down to work on her hair.
“Your hair is longer than it looks.” Victoria ran a brush through the short locks.
“I know. On show nights I usually curl it and spike it up. Sometimes my hair person will spray some funky color into it, but last night she left it natural.” Rayne smoothed her hands over the short spikes.
“I bet it looks great either way.” Victoria dipped her hands in water and slipped them into Rayne’s hair. She grabbed the brush and pulled it through the wet locks. She was able to achieve a short ponytail, and pinned what there was into a bun at Rayne’s neck. “Your hair’s just long enough that with a hat, no one will know your hair isn’t of the latest nineteenth-century style.”
“I have to wear a hat too?” Rayne squeaked.
Victoria grimaced. “And gloves.”
Rayne swore.
Victoria smiled. “Sorry. Okay, I’m done. Let’s finish getting you dressed.” She helped Rayne step into her hoops and then got the rest of her dress fastened.
Rayne groaned. “I hope I don’t have to pee.”
“Yes, hold it. It’s not fun in hoops.” Victoria giggled. When she was finished, she took a quick look at her masterpiece and then led Rayne to the mirror.
Rayne turned to the side and then back to the front. “I don’t even look like me.”
“Do you like it?” Victoria smoothed her hands across Rayne’s back.
“It’s different.” Rayne shook out her skirts and turned to face Victoria. “I’m used to jeans and a T-shirt, you know?”
“Totally. I am too.” Victoria put the bobby pins she didn’t use back into a drawer. “Plus, I’m a runner, so I’m used to sweats, Nike’s, and sports bra.”
Rayne grinned. “I run too!”
“You do?”
“Yep, every day.” Rayne shook her head. “Well, I used to. It helps keep me in shape when I’m on tour.”
“I’d love a running partner. Maybe we can go tomorrow.”
Rayne shrugged. “I should probably check my calendar. I’m so busy these days, I’m not sure I have the time.”
The girls looked at each other and dissolved into giggles. It took a few minutes, but they were able to compose themselves and get back to the subject at hand.
Victoria handed her a shawl. “How’s the corset? Can you breathe?”
“Sort of.”
Victoria grinned. “As long as you don’t think you’ll pass out, I’m good with ‘sort of.’”
“I should be able to stay on my feet.”
“Excellent. Let’s get you some breakfast and I’ll find you a hat and gloves to complement your outfit.”
The girls made their way downstairs and found Hannah in the dining room. “You’re up.”
“I suppose.” Hannah lay down the piece of toast she’d just taken a bite of.
Victoria frowned. “Are you feeling okay?”
“A little pain. But, I’m okay.” She smiled and then turned to Rayne. “How did you sleep?”
Taking the seat Victoria indicated, Rayne smiled. “Fine, thanks. The bed was very comfortable.”
“Good. I understand Sam is taking you out today?”
Rayne shrugged. “That’s the plan.”
Placing her hands over her stomach, Hannah took a few deep breaths. “Sam’s an amazing guy. I think you’ll really like him.”
“I don’t want to like him,” Rayne complained. “I want to go home.”
Victoria poured herself a cup of coffee. “I know.”
“Chris promised to send a wire to Madame today.”
Conversation halted briefly as the girls ate. Rayne was consumed with thoughts of the day. Just before ten, the housekeeper announced that Sam had arrived and was in the parlor. She handed Victoria a hat and gloves, and Victoria smiled at Rayne. “Let’s get your outfit finished.”
Rayne stayed seated so that Victoria could pin the hat on her head. She took the gloves and something that looked like a fabric pouch, and followed Victoria into the hallway.
Victoria pointed to her hand. “That is called a reticule. It’s a purse of sorts. I put a few coins inside and a handkerchief.”
Rayne nodded. “Thanks.”
Victoria pushed her toward the parlor.
“You’re not coming with me?” Rayne whispered frantically.
“Do you need me to?” Victoria raised an eyebrow.
Reaching out to grab Victoria’s arm, Rayne growled. “Um, yes.”
“Are you trying to tell me that you perform in front of thousands of people, but one tiny man scares you?”
“He’s not tiny,” Rayne argued.
Victoria giggled. “No, you’re right, he’s not. But you can do it. I have faith in you.”
“You’re abandoning me?”
Victoria pushed her gently. “You’ll be fine, Rayne. Go. Just remember to refrain from modern speak. Listen to Sam and follow his lead.”
“Okay.” Rayne moved slowly down the hall, pausing and taking a deep breath before walking into the parlor. “Good morning, Mr. Powell.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “You’re beautiful.”
Rayne felt heat creep up her neck as she lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, that just slipped out.” He moved toward her and it gave her just enough time to gather her wits and once again look at him. With a smile, he cocked his head and asked, “Are you ready?”
Rayne nodded and they made their way out the front door. She pulled her gloves on and Sam assisted her into the buggy before climbing in next to her. Taking up the reins, he turned, and his gaze lingered on her lips. Rayne dragged her lower lip between her teeth. His study of her made her heart race.
Sam focused back on the road and clicked the horses forward. “Would you like to visit the White House?”
“Sure,” she said apprehensively.
He glanced sideways and then forward again. “Is something amiss?”
“Don’t you have to make an appointment or something?” She nervously twisted the string on her reticule.
“To visit the White House?”
“Yes.”
Sam shook his head. “No.”
“You can just walk in?”
“Yes.”
“Get out of town! Seriously? You can just walk into the White House?”
“Well, you have to knock and present your card, but yes, for the most part, you can just walk in.” Sam grinned. “Plus, I do have a few connections to the president through Chris.”
As he looked at her intently, Rayne realized, hopefully not too late, that he probably thought she was slightly insane. “Thank you, Mr. Powell. I would very much enjoy a visit to the White House.”
“Samuel, please. Or Sam. Mr. Powell is my father.” She smiled and nodded, but didn’t say anything further as he continued to stare at her. “And?”
She frowned in confusion. “And, what?”
“May I call you something other than Miss Green?”
“Ah. No. You can’t.” Rayne laughed at his disappointed expression. “I’m joking. You may call me Rayne.”
He gave her the most adorable sideways smile, which sent a shiver up her spine. She tried to shake it off as they made their way toward Pennsylvania Avenue, but was unsuccessful, so she made a point of sitting still and keeping her hands folded in front of her.
“What happened to you last night?” Sam glanced at her. “Have you been able to determine how you were drugged?”
Rayne nodded. “Yes. A man I trusted put something in my water.”
“And did you determine why you were dressed the way you were?”
“I never had a question as to why I was dressed the way I was.”
“Then why were you?”
Rayne shrugged. “I’m a prostitute, remember?”
He frowned, but Rayne was glad he dropped the subject. As they drove through the city, Rayne couldn’t keep the awe from her voice as she asked questions. It didn’t look that much different from the future D.C., other than all the horses, of course, and the buildings were new. She was impressed with the efforts the twenty-first-century city had put forth to restore D.C.
Within a few minutes, Sam pulled the buggy up to the White House and set the brake. Rayne moved to get out, but he put his hand on her arm. “Let me, please.”
Climbing down, Sam made his way around the horse and reached up to help her out. She put her hands on his shoulders as he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her from the buggy. Lingering briefly, Sam took a bit longer than necessary to set her gently on her feet.
She looked up at him and saw the same sideways smile. She smiled back at him and slowly removed her hands from his shoulders. Sam took one of her hands and slipped it into the crook of his arm to lead her to the front door. He handed the man his card and then escorted Rayne through the doors of the White House.
Rayne gasped in awe at the beauty of the interior. “I still cannot believe we can just walk in,” she whispered.
“Would you like to see more?”
“Yes! Are we allowed to go anywhere?” she whispered again.
“Why are we whispering?”
She giggled quietly. “The awe, I think.”
“Well, there are a few places that are off limits, but I’ll show you everything that’s open.”
Rayne grinned. “Thank you.”
They spent over an hour touring the house and the grounds. Samuel’s knowledge of the history of the White House and the area impressed her repeatedly. His attentiveness also made an impression she wasn’t expecting. He anticipated her every need and his soft, almost imperceptible touches, produced a feeling in her stomach she’d never experienced before. She could only compare it to stage fright. Something she hadn’t dealt with in years.
He made her laugh, and their conversation felt easy. She didn’t feel as though he wanted anything from her. His attention wasn’t self-serving. People did things for her all the time, with the expectation of some kind of return. The only person who never expected anything from her was Shaye. She sighed sadly.
“Is something amiss?” Sam patted the hand firmly folded into the crook of his elbow.
She glanced up. “Oh, sorry. I was just thinking of an old friend. I miss her.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s at home.” Her tone broached no further inquiry, and she was glad that he smiled without comment.
“We’ll be late for lunch if we don’t leave now.”
“Well, let’s get a move on, then.” She grinned. “I’m starving.”
Sam chuckled and led her out the doors and back to the buggy area. Chaos seemed abundant as the attendants tried to assist several people at once. Sam frowned. “Will you be all right if I leave you here briefly?”
“Of course.” She gave him a smile and watched him walk away to find someone to retrieve his carriage.