VICTORIA AND HANNAH woke Rayne the next morning and the girls helped her dress quickly. After packing a small bag for her, they ate breakfast and waited for the Maddens to arrive. However, it was Christopher who strolled into the dining room a few minutes later.
“Knight?” Hannah’s eyes widened. “What are you doing here? Where are Clayton and Emma?”
He leaned down to kiss her quickly. “We’ve had a minor issue.”
Rayne stood slowly, her heart racing. “What happened?”
“Clayton had a man on Sam this morning and he lost him.”
Rayne gasped. “Why would he have someone follow Sam?”
Christopher sighed. “If Sam arrived here with the doctor before us, and if he did in fact manage to deem you insane, there would be no one to stop him from taking you away.”
Rayne covered her mouth with her hand and sat back in her chair. “I’m going to be sick.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Green, but we need to get you to the train station before Sam gets here. Clayton and Emma are waiting for you. You’re on the ten o’clock train.”
“I’ll get your bag.” Victoria stood and left the room.
Hannah grasped Christopher’s hand. “He couldn’t really have her committed, could he?”
Christopher sighed. “Not forever, but he could certainly make a case for her to be evaluated for a few days.”
Rayne groaned. “How? He’s not my family.”
Christopher shook his head. “No, but one word in the right ear would solidify his claim that the two of you are engaged.”
Rayne smacked the table. “But we’re not engaged.”
“Here’s her bag, Chris,” Victoria said from the doorway.
Christopher took it from her. “Miss Green, I’m sorry to rush you, but we need to go.”
Rayne nodded and hugged Victoria and Hannah. She followed Christopher out to the buggy, and after he loaded Rayne’s bag into the back, he assisted her in and then kissed Hannah.
“Are you going back to the office after you drop her off?” Hannah asked.
Christopher shook his head. “No, I’m coming home.”
Hannah and Victoria linked arms and waved as Christopher guided the buggy toward the train station. Rayne gave him a tentative smile. “Thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it.”
Christopher smiled. “Try not to worry, Miss Green. Sophie will be able to assist you home.”
Rayne’s stomach churned when they arrived at the train station. Clayton and Emma stood on the platform and Emma rushed to her, pushing her toward the steps. “We need to board. Clayton will take care of your bag.”
Rayne followed Emma onto the train and down the aisle. They took their seats just as the whistle blew. Clayton joined them a few minutes later and sat next to Emma.
Rayne laid her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. Leaning her head against the window, she tried not to panic.
Emma reached over and patted her hand. “Sophie’s going to help you, Rayne. You don’t need to worry.”
Rayne nodded and made an effort to watch the passing terrain. Thirty minutes into their trip, a porter asked for their tickets, and then Clayton retrieved refreshments from the dining car. The threesome spent the rest of the trip in silence, other than the occasional whispering between Clayton and Emma. The train pulled into Harrisburg Station and they stood to disembark.
As they stepped off the train, Emma let out a quiet squeal and ran into the arms of a dark-haired man. His blue eyes showed both kindness and mischief as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground. “What’s going on, Squirt?”
“We’ll fill you in at the house.” Emma grinned. “This is Rayne. Rayne, this is my brother-in-law, Jamie.”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “Rayne Green?”
Rayne nodded. “That would be me.”
“Wow.” Jamie held his hand out to her. “It’s nice to meet you. Welcome to Harrisburg.” He leaned over to add in a whisper, “And the eighteen-hundreds.”
Rayne smiled. “Thank you.”
“Sophie’s pacing the halls, so we better get a move on.”
“I’ll get the bags,” Clayton said and made his way down the platform.
After loading their bags into the buggy, Jamie took off toward home. Rayne was overwhelmed with the sights of soldiers roaming the area. Some on foot, some on horseback, the town was littered with blue.
As they drove out of the small-city center and through the countryside, Rayne noticed primitive fencing, some of it falling to pieces, and the occasional grouping of tents. “Are those soldiers’ camps?”
Jamie nodded. “Yes. Most of them are the men who train with us. We have them strategically placed around Harrisburg ...it keeps everyone safe.”
After almost thirty minutes in a bumpy carriage, Rayne thought she might need a chiropractor and a deep-tissue massage, but then Jamie pulled the buggy through large iron gates, and they drove down what seemed to be a driveway of some kind.
A massive brick Federal-style manor loomed ahead, complete with cobblestone steps leading to a large porch, which housed two massive white doors. Jamie pulled up beside it and jumped down.
Rayne turned as she saw a beautiful woman who looked much like Emma make her way onto the porch. Long blonde curls cascaded down her back and she grinned as she stood and waited for Clayton to lift Emma down.
“What have you done, Em?”
Emma rushed up the steps and hugged her. “There is so much to tell you!”
Sophie turned to Rayne and held her hands out. “You must be Rayne. I’m Sophie.” She pulled her in for a hug. “It’s nice to meet you.”
The warmth from Sophie surprised Rayne, but then again, she was always surprised when people were genuine. Sophie broke the hug and turned to her husband. “Baby, I’ve set Rayne up in Hannah’s old room.”
Jamie nodded. “Okay. I’ll take the bags up and then take the horse back.”
Sophie reached up and kissed him quickly, but Jamie pulled her in for a longer embrace.
Emma snorted. “Gag.”
Sophie giggled as she nodded toward Clayton and Emma. “Right, because no one is ever subjected to the two of you making out every five minutes.”
Emma held up a hand. “Whatever.”
Clayton wrapped an arm around Emma’s waist. “I’m going to see Richard. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”
Emma nodded. “Okay. I’m assuming we’ll eat here, then go home?”
“Yes.” Clayton kissed her quickly and left the porch.
Rayne raised an eyebrow. “Home?”
Emma smiled. “Next door. Clayton and his brother Richard own the house, so we stay there when we’re in town.”
“Let’s go into the parlor.” Sophie led them into the house. “I’m dying to know the story behind this and I have a feeling a certain six-month-old might like cuddles from his Auntie Em.”
Emma let out a squeak when she saw Junior, who was on the floor playing with a young, strawberry-blonde woman. Emma scooped him up and twirled him around the room.
The woman stood and Sophie pulled her forward. “Christine, this is Rayne. She has just arrived.”
“Nice to meet you.” Christine smiled, her large cornflower-blue eyes crinkling at the corners as she held her hand out to Rayne. “Welcome.”
“Christine’s husband is one of the local doctors, who is also from our time,” Sophie explained in a whisper.
Rayne cocked her head. “Seriously?”
“Yes.” Sophie settled herself onto the sofa and patted the space beside her. “Come and make yourself comfortable. I’m dying to hear your story.”
The girls sat down and Rayne filled Sophie and Christine in on everything that had happened so far. She told them about Sam’s actions and why she was trying to escape.
Sophie frowned. “How frightening, Rayne. I can understand why you’d want to get away.”
Rayne bit her lip. “I really want to go home. Can you help me with that?”
Sophie grimaced. “I can…”
“Great.”
“… but not until tomorrow.”
“What? Why?” Rayne squeaked.
Sophie sighed. “Madame’s not here. I sent one of the soldiers with an urgent request, and her apprentice promised to send Madame when she returned.”
Rayne groaned.
“We’ll sort this out tomorrow, Rayne. Don’t worry.” Sophie rose to her feet and reached out for Junior. Emma put him into her arms and he yawned and snuggled closer. “I need to get Bubba down for his nap. Emma can help you get settled, and perhaps you should rest a bit.”
Rayne dropped her head into her palm with a sigh. “Okay.”
The girls went their separate ways and Rayne unpacked the few things she’d brought with her. She stretched out on the bed, exhaustion taking over her obsessive thoughts.
* * *
Sam sat at his desk and stared unseeing at the stack of paperwork in front of him. He was consumed with thoughts of Rayne and the story she’d told him the night before. He battled with the obvious conclusion that she was insane and the not-particularly reassuring realization that he was starting to believe her story. He didn’t know much about the mind and how it worked, but he warred against the voice inside him that told him she was telling him the truth and the logic that even if she believed what she was saying, it was impossible and couldn’t possibly be true.
He was also concerned about the events of the morning. Alfred Banks had followed him. Alfred worked for Clayton Madden and was used by the war cabinet for surveillance… and muscle. The only reason Alfred would follow Sam would be at Clayton or Christopher’s order. What he couldn’t figure out was why one of them would have ordered it.
Sam dragged his hands down his face. Something was off.
He thought back to his conversation with Clayton the night before, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on what didn’t sit well with him. Clayton had inserted his thoughts on the matter, feeling as though a doctor might be too drastic, but in the end, he’d agreed with Sam… or seemed to. Clayton had also rushed Sam out of the house. That action alone was unlike Clayton and his tendency to talk until the early hours of the morning. At the time, Sam had chalked it up to him wanting to get back to Emma.
Now he wasn’t so sure.
Rising to his feet, he grabbed his coat and hat and made his way outside. He’d lost Alfred hours before, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be lurking somewhere. Sam didn’t care. He had to talk with Rayne. She was the key to all of his confusion, and he needed to figure it out. Mounting his horse, he took off toward Christopher’s home.
* * *
“I thought you said he’d be here an hour ago.” Victoria lay down the book she wasn’t really reading.
Hannah sighed. “It’s not like Christopher has a GPS tracker on the man.”
Christopher sat at the desk by the window and laid his nib pen down as he turned his head toward Victoria. “He’s showing more restraint than I would have.”
Hannah glanced at him. “It’s nice to know you’d be quicker to commit me than Sam is to commit Rayne.”
Christopher grinned as he rose to his feet. Sitting next to Hannah on the sofa, he leaned over and kissed her gently. “I have come to realize that I enjoy your kind of crazy.”
Victoria laughed. “Careful, Chris. You’re taking on her sense of humor.”
A knock at the parlor door interrupted their banter. Mrs. Putnam stood at the threshold. “Mr. Powell is here to see you, Mr. Butler.”
Christopher stood and grinned. “Send him in, Mrs. Putnam. Thank you.”
Sam strode into the room.
Hannah tucked her bare feet under her bottom. “Where’s the crazy doctor?”
Sam glanced at Hannah. “Where’s Rayne?”
Victoria stood and scowled at him. “She’s somewhere safe.”
Sam narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, somewhere safe?”
Christopher placed himself between Sam and the ladies. “What can we help you with this morning, Sam?”
“I came to speak with Rayne.”
“So that you can have her locked up in the loony bin?” Victoria accused.
Sam shook his head. “No. I have decided against that—”
“How generous,” Victoria retorted.
Sam let out a deep breath. “What did Clayton tell you?”
Christopher ushered Sam to one of the chairs. “He told us everything.”
“Rayne’s not crazy, Sam,” Hannah said quietly.
“You don’t know the story she told me,” he argued.
Christopher waved his hand toward Victoria and she sat down reluctantly. She wanted to have the upper hand, but knew it would only exacerbate the situation. “We do know the story, Sam.”
“And you believe her?”
Victoria glanced at Christopher and Hannah. Hannah shrugged, Christopher gave her a curt nod. “How could we not believe her, Sam?”
“How could you believe her is a better question.”
Victoria sighed. “If we didn’t believe her, Sam, then we couldn’t believe our own stories.”
“Excuse me?”
“Rayne’s from the future, Sam.” Victoria forced a smile. “So am I. So is Hannah. Among others. I have the proof right here.”
She pulled out her iPhone and handed him headphones. Once she showed him how to put them on, she queued up Rayne’s number-one video and pressed play. She showed Sam the screen as the music started.
* * *
Sam couldn’t hide his shock as he stared at the vision of his beautiful Rayne, in next to no clothes, dancing on some kind of strange device. She was incredible. “What is this?”
“It’s an iPhone. Rayne can explain it to you.” Victoria pressed a button to make the music stop and put the device back in her pocket. “Provided she forgives you, of course. But you have to understand that she’s really famous in our time and extremely successful. She’s as far removed from this world as you are from ours.”
“So, the way she was dressed when she arrived—”
“Is what she would wear for a concert or a video shoot,” Victoria finished.
“Did other people see her like that?”
Victoria sighed. “Sam, millions would have seen her that way before she found her way here. That’s kind of how we dress...well, super-hot superstars do, anyway. And she’s huge, Sam. The biggest pop star of our time. Every man wants her and many women want to be her. I know it’s tough to take, but it’s just the way it is.”
Sam sat for several minutes, grateful the small group allowed him the silence he required. “I need to think.” Without another word, he stood and walked out the door.
He slammed his hat on his head, disgusted with himself as he mounted his horse. She’d been telling the truth the entire time. His emotions went the gamut. They started with guilt for not believing her and then anger that she left him. More disturbing was the fact she might not want him, and after his actions the night before, he wouldn’t blame her. Perhaps the men she’d been with in the future were what she wanted. Not him.
Sam let out a frustrated breath. He needed her. He loved her and he didn’t care how she came to him, he just wanted her. Of that he was certain. He didn’t know what he would have to do, but he was going to do whatever it took to make her forgive him. She wasn’t getting away from him so easily.