Chapter Five
W hile Lizzie had always wanted a sister, she hadn’t envisioned having two, especially sisters who were so much younger than herself. Their train ride to St. Louis was nearly over, and she dreaded the return trip. It had been interesting to see how the city used to look.
Hopefully, the girls would be tired by the time they finished doing some sightseeing and would settle down on the way home. Lizzie smiled to herself. Funny how her dream began to feel real enough to start referring to the place where she woke up this morning as her home.
“You should smile more often.”
“Is that so?” Lizzie asked, recognizing Jeremiah’s voice without having to look up at him. He’d made a point of talking to all the other passengers around them, waving or smiling at the girls when they would giggle or smile at him, and managing to ignore her for the last three hours. Not that she needed him for anything.
“Quite so.” Jeremiah smiled, and as much as Lizzie tried, she couldn’t refrain the smile that crept across her face. “And I was thinking, since I have a couple hours layover until I must work on the return trip home, I thought perhaps you lovely ladies would help me to occupy my time by having lunch with me. Then I could give you a tour of the World’s Fair before it opens.”
She never would have envisioned herself dreaming of men dressed in suits or dress pants, riding the train to and from work. Or women in long, fancy dresses for everyday wear. Jeremiah’s jacket was the only thing that seemed different for a conductor, compared to her time period.
“I don’t know…” Lizzie frowned. Jeremiah seemed charming enough, but that didn’t mean he was trustworthy. Of course, if this were a nightmare, the dream would have already turned bad.
“I understand.” Jeremiah nodded politely and turned to go.
“Stop—” Lizzie’s cheeks warmed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”
Jeremiah turned and came back, pausing to lean on the seat in front of her. He grinned.
“We would be happy to join you,” Lizzie said.
The girls both cheered.
She told herself the reason she agreed to accompany him was for the girls’ sake. Not to mention, his guidance and directions would be beneficial. Lizzie had no idea where she was going. So far, the only thing recognizable on the way to St. Louis had been the endless cow pastures. Not that homes had changed a tremendous amount over the years, the usual landmarks she’d grown accustomed to when traveling back and forth to her parents and grandparents along the way from Warrensburg to St. Louis were different from modern day. The absence of chain restaurants disoriented her. Normally, she knew where she’d see the familiar golden arches or other familiar electronic signs.
“After I’ve helped the passengers who will be exiting the train, I will meet you three lovely ladies on the platform.” Jeremiah tipped his hat, turned, and headed back up the aisle.
Lizzie smiled as he walked away, wondering what he looked like in street clothes. His dark blue jacket was longer, somewhat like a sports jacket, which kept her from getting the view she preferred. His shoulders looked broad and tapered to a slender waistline. His wavy hair was sure to have a crease in it from his hat. Geoff’s used to from…his baseball cap. Lizzie swallowed the lump in her throat. Her ex-boyfriend was another bad dream she didn’t want to relive.
The scent of cherry drew her attention. It smelled pleasant. The guy in the seat behind them must have lit his pipe again. You didn’t see people do that now-a-days… or in her time period. Amtrak didn’t allow smoking on trains. She wondered how people in this century would feel if they had a chance to glimpse into the future. Men and women in shorts, showing more bare legs, would probably make the people on this train gasp. Lizzie chuckled to herself.
“Are we almost there?” Olivia yawned and stretched. “I’m hungry.”
“Almost, sweetie.” Lizzie brushed a few stray strands of hair from the little girl’s face and smiled. As if echoing in response, the train whistle blared, and the train began to slow. She clutched her tickets in her hand and picked up her parasol that had fallen to the floor during their ride. “When we get up to exit the train, I need both of you girls to take hold of my hand so that we don’t get separated.”
Mary Margaret nodded. Olivia stood, anxious to get up and move after being confined for nearly four hours. Once the train came to a complete stop, Lizzie stood to make sure the girls obeyed and didn’t rush past her.
“Go ahead, ladies.” The middle-aged man with the pipe in the seat behind them motioned for them to exit before him. People were more formal and polite than she was accustomed to.
“Thank you.” Lizzie took a hand of each girl, wishing she could hold on tighter. She transferred the closed parasol to her other hand, with the tickets and coin purse, and clutched Olivia’s hand firmer. The youngest girl tended to be the more restless of the two.
Once they exited the train, Lizzie ushered the girls to a bench on the platform. “Let’s sit down and wait for Jeremiah.”
“I don’t want to sit.” Olivia stomped her foot and stood firm.
Lizzie tried to pull on her arm, but she refused to budge.
“No.”
“No?” Lizzie laughed. Okay, being obstinate also fit her youngest sister’s character traits. Perhaps having a baby sister left room to be desired. “How about this, I’ll sit on the bench and you and Mary Margaret can skip in a circle in front of me until Jeremiah comes?”
That prospect apparently worked because Olivia’s eyes sparkled as a smile crept upon her face, and she began skipping. This time, she practically pulled Lizzie in her haste to reach the bench. Mary Margaret quickly joined in. Lizzie giggled like a school girl and started skipping, too. After all, it was only a dream. She didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing her that she knew from her past. Why not have fun?
“All right, girls. We’re here. I’ll sit down while the two of you skip back and forth.” Thankfully, they willingly released her hands. Lizzie sat her things on the bench and pulled her skirt up slightly in order to tuck a leg beneath her when she sat down.
The crowd of people who’d exited the train, along with the new passengers who’d boarded the train, thinned. Lizzie wondered if Jeremiah had forgotten about his promise, or them. Then she saw him hanging on the railing as he climbed down the stairs, pausing to say something to a coworker. The other guy looked toward them and waved. Her cheeks warmed. She wondered what Jeremiah told his friend. Obviously that he had someone waiting for him.
Lizzie pretended to be preoccupied with watching the girls as Jeremiah approached. He had unbuttoned his jacket and had his hands tucked in his pockets.
“The girls look like they are having fun,” Jeremiah said as he took a seat next to Lizzie on the bench.
She nodded. “It was hard for them being cooped up on the train for four hours. They needed to let off a little nervous energy.”
“It seems like their older sister needed to let off energy, too.” Jeremiah sat back and put his arm behind Lizzie and smiled. “I noticed you skipped as well.”
Her cheeks warmed. “You weren’t supposed to see that.” She giggled.
Jeremiah reached up and twirled one of Lizzie’s curls. “I think it was cute. Your sisters absolutely adore you.”
Lizzie didn’t want to correct him, after all, this was only a dream. “Perhaps we should be going now. I’m sure both of the girls are hungry.”
Jeremiah stood and took her hand, helping her up. He continued to hold her hand. “Come on, girls,” he said. “Let’s all hold hands together.”
How could she refute his request, when the girls gleefully joined in and grabbed each of their hands? “What should I do with my umbrella?”
Jeremiah paused, then looked at the parasol on the bench. He retrieved the umbrella for Lizzie, opened it, and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
He gently took her arm at the elbow and clasped Olivia’s hand again. “Now we’re ready to go.” He winked at Lizzie.
With Jeremiah around, she wouldn’t need to wear blush. Her cheeks always felt warm, and not from the sun. Why didn’t modern day men possess such charm?