A Bridge Through Time: (Time Travel) (8 page)

“That makes sense,” said Jestyn, his interest piqued. “I remember that after my sessions with Cannidge ended I went to London, on some errands for my father. The dates with my trip to London and this entry in the journal coincide.

“Father told me when I got back from London that I had to pose again because he had rejected my painting. He didn’t give me an explanation when I asked. And I didn’t press the issue because I saw how upset he was with it.

“Maybe that first portrait is around somewhere – hidden by father. But I’m absolutely sure of one thing: I never saw a pendant painted in my hand in either portrait.

“The pendant you have has a Druid symbol but I don’t know what it means, or why the artist had seen fit to paint it in my hand in the first portrait,
if he did
.”

“Maybe the artist was descendant of enemies of your family and that was his way of some kind of revenge. Your house is like a castle, Jestyn. I can imagine boiling oil being tossed down to your enemies.”

Jestyn laughed. “That seems a bit far-fetched, Jane. But I guess we shouldn’t discard
any
idea. If we can’t find the painting, we’ll find the artist. I’m certain I can locate the painting, though. He painted the first portrait about six years ago–that’s not too long, is it? It was three years before my father died.”

“I think even if we find the painting we should talk to the artist, Jestyn,” Jane said. “And once we find him we must be careful how we ask him why he painted the pendant in your hand. If we cannot find the painting it’s almost certain the artist took it back. I’m acquainted with a couple of artists and I think they value their work even if sometimes other people don’t. If your father refused to pay for
that
portrait the artist probably claimed it as his. And if so he probably still has the painting.”

“He may have just left it in the house and it was stored in the attic,” Jestyn said. “Father was a generous person. I think that he would have paid the artist even if he didn’t accept the portrait. In that case the artist would have left it in the house and Father stored it somewhere up here where he couldn’t see it, since he had taken such a dislike to it. We must not discard any possibility, however unlikely.”

“We’ll contact Cannidge even if we
do
find the painting,” Jestyn added. “He may know more about the pendant. It’s important we gather as much information as we can, so we can return you to your time. I sent him a message and should be hearing from him soon. I told him in my letter that I wanted to meet with him in relation to the painting he had done of me.”

“But,” he added, “Can you imagine how many secret places there are in a place as vast as this estate? There have been many additions throughout the hundreds of years it has existed.”

“That’s the only chance I have of returning to my time, Jestyn,” Jane said. “Why don’t we look for it first, and if we can’t find it anywhere,
then
we’ll contact the artist. Are there any places other than the attic where it could be stored, some secret panel?”

“If there are secret panels we’ll find them, Jane, I promise you,” Jestyn said. “We’ll go room by room and consult the journals. Parts of the estate were added at different times so we just have to find the entries in the journals and check each and every room.”

“Thank you, Jestyn.”

Jestyn put his hand on Jane’s cheek. “I would rather you stayed here always, with me, but I know you must return to your time.”

Aunt Florinda accompanied them to the attic door but remained in a tiny sitting-room by the gallery.

“Too dusty, in there, my dears,” said Aunt Florinda, taking up her embroidery, “I can chaperone you from here just as well. Especially since no one downstairs knows our exact whereabouts,” she added with her sweet smile.

“This is the second of the two large attics,” Jestyn said as he opened the huge door and led Jane inside. The entrance was wide and high, in order that large pieces of furniture could be moved into the rooms. They used Jane’s flashlight to light their way but they had also taken a couple of candles to examine the place by candlelight. Jane didn’t want to exhaust the flashlight’s batteries.

“There are three smaller attics,” said Jestyn. “Cedric and I liked this one better when we were children because it has many more nooks for hiding and exploring.” He settled the candle rack on a secure place and turned to Jane.

They walked around for a while, stopping where there were beds, for a painting might be stored underneath a bed. They also looked carefully behind stacks of wooden crates filled with objects.

After about an hour or so of stopping here and there Jane stopped before a wardrobe.

“What’s in that vault-like wardrobe, Jestyn?” Jane asked as she and Jestyn reached a massive wardrobe. Jestyn tried the door.

“Is it locked?”

“This lock has no pin to hold it, so rusted it is,” Jestyn said, pulling at it. “I don’t think Cedric and I could unlock it years ago when we tried but the years have deteriorated the lock.

“The hinges are so rusted the door hardly moves. It’s stuck, I guess.”

“Let’s both pull at it,” said Jane, trembling with excitement.

“No, Jane,” Jestyn objected. “You shouldn’t be making any effort. Just stay back. I’ll manage alone. If I can’t open it I’ll get a footman to help me. I’d just rather not involve anyone else in our business, though. Maybe we could just wait until Cedric comes back from Exeter tomorrow, if I can’t open it.”

“All right,” Jane agreed.

Jestyn got a good hold of the edge of the door and pulled with all his might but the door would just not budge.

“Maybe if you slide something between, as a wedge of some kind,” Jane provided, looking around. The reporter in her was anxious to see what was in the wardrobe and was too impatient to wait until Cedric came back from Exeter.

“Look Jestyn. Here’s a trowel shovel of some kind. Maybe this will do,” she handed the small trowel to Jestyn. It looked like the kind for putting mortar on bricks when stacking them.

Jestyn slid the small trowel between the door and the wardrobe and pushed. The door creaked and finally gave way.

“There, it’s open! Bring the light over here, Jane.”

“Oh, my,” Jane said as both she and Jestyn stared at a large painting stuck in the back of the huge wardrobe. It was the portrait of Jestyn. Their eyes flew to his hand and then at each other. In Jestyn’s hand was the stone pendant Jane was wearing in the exact way she had seen it in her tour of the estate, with its gold chain twirled around his fingers.

“This is the first time I see the pendant painted in my hand,” Jestyn said. “I wonder what that means, that I can now see it.”

“Father put it here, as I supposed,” Jestyn said. He stared at the portrait as Jane moved the light closer. “I’ll try to get it out. It’s very large.”

“I wonder he didn’t just destroy, it, since he hated it so much,” Jane said.

“Yes, that’s strange, but then Father was very superstitious. He might not have wanted to destroy it for that reason.

“Maybe we can find something written by Father that explains further.”

“I hope so,” Jane said. She led the way with the flashlight, with Jestyn following behind. They reached the dusty table where they had placed the candle rack.

“Jestyn rested the portrait against a nearby wall. “Let’s examine the portrait up here and return it to its hiding place when we’re done. I don’t think we should move it from where it was. The servants would carry the story of this second portrait until there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know about it, including our neighbors, Lord and Lady Millthorpe.”

“I agree with you, Jestyn. Let’s keep it to ourselves. It will be the only way we can work on uncovering its
secret.”

“I think our next move will be to talk with the artist. He lives in Lydford. I know a little about him.”

“And he would still be there?”

“Oh, yes. His family is there, whatever is left of them. He had a brother and a sister. I heard a couple of years ago that the mother died. The sister and her husband and two children lived with him until they could set up their own household. Around here everybody knows everybody else’s business,” Jestyn added with a wide smile. “So Cannidge now lives alone, except for an aunt who lives with him and who keeps house for him.

“I’m so anxious that we talk with him, Jes. But,” she added, “don’t you think I should touch the pendant as I did back in my own time?”

“I…” Jestyn hesitated. “I don’t want you to leave too suddenly, Jane. The thought of you disappearing if you touch the pendant just now gave me a pain in my heart.”

They stood up and for the first time embraced.

There were tears in both their eyes.

“But I know you must try it,” said Jestyn. “After all, that’s why we’re here in the attic, to find a way for you to go back home.”

He straightened the portrait and put its back against the wardrobe.

He then turned to Jane. “Go ahead,” he said, his voice full of sadness. “You’re in danger here.”

They embraced again and they both knew this could be good-bye. Jestyn kissed Jane tenderly and Jane felt the kiss clear down to her heart.

Jane went close to the portrait, kneeled down, and slowly and softly touched the pendant in Jestyn’s hand in the portrait.

A few seconds went by as Jane kept her hand pressed to the pendant in the portrait.

Nothing happened.

She turned to Jestyn and heard his sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I have no right to wish you to remain with me.”

“You have the right love gives you, Jestyn. But as you saw, it didn’t work,” Jane said.

“I’m sorry that I hoped it wouldn’t, Jane,” Jestyn said.

“I, too, hoped it didn’t, Jestyn,” Jane said. “At least not suddenly. But we both know I must leave.”

“Yes.”

CHAPTER 10

“I shall miss you every day for the rest of my life,” Jestyn said in a low voice when they had finished their tea. Jane had exclaimed at scones that melted in her mouth and cake that made one swoon.

In the huge drawing room it was easy for them to speak in private because they were out of the earshot of servants working around the house.

“I’ll miss you too, Jestyn–so much!” Jane said. The warmth in his wonderful voice had gone straight to her heart. “I’ve gotten so used to your voice, too. I will miss it.” Jane’s voice broke. “But we’re supposing that we
will
find the way for me to return. What if we don’t find it?”

“We will,” Jestyn said. “We must have faith. We
must,”
he repeated. “Cedric told me there are rumors in town and talk that stops just as he reaches the speakers. The story I concocted of you being the daughter of an acquaintance I made when I visited the Colonies–the United States—two years ago, has not been accepted. People’s doubts about you are under the surface which they don’t express to me or to Cedric.

“Lord Halensford came by yesterday expressly to tell me about what he has been hearing. He’s alarmed at how quickly it’s growing, too. He told me there are greatly exaggerated stories being spread about you.

“Lord Halensford is the only one, apart from Cedric, who knows a bit more and he has agreed to complete confidence because he is my best friend – a lifelong friend. Giles and I grew up together as boys and even went to the same schools. I trust him as much as I trust Cedric.”

“Yes,” agreed Jane, “Lord Halensford is a wonderful person and he looks like he’s very fond of you. I like Lady Elizabeth a lot, too. She’s a kind lady. I’m sorry Lady Elizabeth lost her sister Alice to the influenza.”

“Yes,” Jestyn agreed, “that was an irreparable loss. Thankfully she has another, older sister that is married and lives not far from here. Otherwise the loss would have been too devastating for her to bear.”

“Lady Elizabeth was nice to send me some clothes that belonged to Alice,” Jane said, “Alice’s clothes are my exact same size.”

“Jestyn, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Jane added. “Today I walked without the aid of the crutches and had almost no pain in my leg.”

“I wish that would be the only impediment to your return to your time. We know nothing about how the pendant brought you here, but at least we now have proof the pendant existed somewhere here.

“I know also that you are impatient with our slow ways. I can see it in your eyes, sometimes, and it saddens me, for I fear you could never agree to stay here, even if it were possible.”

“I feel like an alien here, Jestyn. I’m glad Nellie has been allowed to remain with me because most of the other servants look at me with suspicion.”

“Yes. I know that very well,” Jestyn said, “that’s why I’m very concerned for your safety. And even though I’ll hate to see you go and had a horrible feeling when I thought that if you touched the pendant you might just disappear, I will at least have the assurance that you will be safe in your own time. You run a lot of risks here. I’m certain an acquaintance of ours, Lady Millthorpe is behind a lot of this talk. Lord Halensford assured me of it. And she sent word that she’s coming for a visit.”

“Who
is
this Lady Millthorpe?”

“I’m afraid Wilma Millthorpe has pursued me even through her marriage, Jane. She tired of waiting for me to propose, even arranging a compromising situation in order to trap me that did not work and when I became engaged she was so enraged she accepted Lord Millthorpe, even though she had assured me she would never accept his offer. Then I lost my fiancé.”

“I shall just have to suffer through her questioning. I’m certain there’ll be a lot of that.”

“Questioning a stranger is rude but I wouldn’t put it past her for a second,” said Jestyn.”

Just then Beacon, Jestyn’s butler, appeared at the door of the drawing-room. “Are you in for Lord and Lady Millthorpe, Mr. Greywick? They are waiting in the hall.”

“Talk about the devil–” Jestyn said so that only Jane heard him. “All right, Beacon, show them in and order tea for us, will you? Aunt Florinda, please partake of tea with us, dear.”

Aunt Florinda moved closer to Jestyn and Jane in the sofa.

Beacon was soon back, followed by Lord and Lady Millthorpe.

“Dear,
dear
Jestyn,” Lady Millthorpe said, rushing over to Jestyn and ignoring Jane.

Jestyn placed his arm as a shield so that Lady Millthorpe had to stop in her tracks. “You naughty man,” she said, “Keeping from us that you had a houseguest. We had to hear it from your neighbors.”

“Allow me to introduce our guest, Miss Jane Fielder,” said Jestyn. “Miss Fielder, Lord and Lady Millthorpe.”

“My, but you seem so–uh, how shall I say it?” Lady Millthorpe said, staring rudely at Jane. “
So
of the Colonies–not English at all. I’ve heard at least four different versions of your appearance, Miss Fielder. How are you coping?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Jane said, turning away from Lady Millthorpe as she busied herself with her teacup and scone. She didn’t want any of her words to encourage any meddling in her life from Wilma Millthorpe.

Lady Millthorpe had a face in which her features were all competing for space. Her eyes, nose and mouth were all large and though they were regular and attractive, their oversize diminished their beauty.

“A cup of tea, Lady Millthorpe?” Aunt Florinda asked. Jane was grateful for Aunt Florinda and she stole glances at Lady Millthorpe as both she and Lord Millthorpe were supplied with cups of tea and pastries which she passed on to Jestyn to pass on to them.

Lady Millthorpe took the cup Jestyn handed to her, making sure her hand brushed his as she took the cup. She thanked him profusely and turned again to Jane.

Jane knew she was intent on questioning her and just as intent was Jane in parrying all her queries.

“I’m immensely curious about the place you hail from, Miss Fielder,” she said after taking a sip from her tea. “Do tell us more about it–New Amsterdam, was it?”

“New York.”

“Really, Wilma,” Her husband cut in, “The name change has been in effect for more than a century. I’ve told you so repeatedly.”

Jane was certain Wilma Millthorpe knew the name well and had said the wrong name in order to get a reaction from Jane.

“Do direct your talk at Jestyn, dear,” she said to her husband, “and allow me a few minutes with Miss Fielder. I’m most curious about her life before she landed on our shores.”

When Jane said nothing, Wilma, after placing her tea cup on a nearby table, turned again to her.

“Tell me about this place, New York, Miss Fielder. I’m curious to the extreme.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not very good at description,” Jane said flatly.

“Surely you have friends there? Family?”

“Of course.”

“And how have they allowed you to travel by yourself to our shores? Did your family not object?”

“Does your family object when
you
travel, my lady?” Jane was adept at answering a question with a question of her own.

For a while they spoke thus. Wilma tried to question Jane and Jane evaded each and every one of Wilma’s questions with a question of her own. Wilma sighed in exasperation. She appeared flustered that she was making no headway in her questioning. What she didn’t know was that Jane was a seasoned reporter and good at tricking her subjects into replying to
her
questions, instead. And Jane had determined that Wilma would find out nothing from her.

Jane noticed Wilma’s frustration and forced herself not to smile.

“Surely people in New York are not so very different from us in England, Miss Fielder,” Lady Millthorpe said, her large green eyes, like peeled grapes staring intently at Jane. “Yet
you
seem so – so utterly
foreign.
”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Jane said, “But, since I will remain here for only a very short time, I’m glad you will only have to put up with my – uh –
foreignness
during its short duration
.
”

“It just seems something you couldn’t change, even if you tried hard,” Wilma said, her eyes like an inquisitor’s probing Jane’s face.

“There you are correct, Lady Millthorpe,” Jane replied. “I haven’t the least wish to appear less foreign than I am. In fact, I’m proud to be an American.” She glanced at Jestyn, who was with his eyes telling her not to continue on that track.

“You’re a mystery I intend to solve, Miss Fielder; I give you fair warning,” Wilma’s voice had risen a notch.

“Really, my dear,” said her husband, “this questioning is beyond rude. Miss Fielder cannot be made comfortable by it.”

“Are you made uncomfortable by my questions, Miss Fielder?” Wilma asked, obviously hoping for a reaction from Jane.

“Not in the least, Lady Millthorpe. I appreciate your concern, my lord,” Jane said, turning to Lord Millthorpe, “but there really is no reason to be upset over it. I will remain in England only until I am able to move about, enough to board a ship back to the States.”

“What a quaint way you have of calling the Colonies ‘the states,’ Miss Fielder,” Wilma said.

“We did win a war against England, my lady,” Jane said sweetly. “That victory gave us the right to call our country anything we please.”

“Wilma, do behave,” said her husband. “You are, after all, a guest in this house. And speaking of such,” he added rising, “I believe we have overstayed our visit. Come along, my dear.”

For a moment Lady Millthorpe appeared as if she would challenge her husband but then the clock in the hall struck the hour, reminding her that to go past the established time for a visit would be a breach.

“That woman makes me seethe,” Jane said when she heard the front door close behind them.

“She makes me seethe, too,” Jestyn agreed.

“Now, where were we before we were interrupted,” Jane asked.

“We were on a very unpleasant subject,” he whispered to her ear once Aunt Florinda had moved away from them and gone to take up her stitching closer to the door.

“The danger you are in the longer you stay here,” Jestyn said to her. “I believe we should increase our efforts to find a way out for you. I agree that your pendant holds the key to the mystery.” Just then Beacon walked back into the drawing room.

“A message for you, sir,” he said, “From Mr. Kelliton Cannidge.”

“Thank you, Beacon,” Jestyn said, taking the letter from him.

When Beacon had left Jestyn quickly tore open the letter and scanned its contents.

“Cannidge has agreed to a meeting with us this afternoon, Jane. His note is extremely cordial,” Jestyn added, handing the note to Jane.

“That makes it easier for us, Jestyn,” Jane said, eagerly reading the note. “He says he is free between two and five in the afternoon. At what time should we visit?”

“I have a shipment for the home farm I must attend to at one, but I should be free by one thirty. Is that a good hour for you?”

“Fine with me.”

Jestyn brought out the journals and for an hour they perused them in silence, each concentrating in one of the journals.

Jestyn rubbed his eyes wearily and turned to Jane. “Maybe we should get lunch out of the way before our meeting with Cannidge. Are you hungry?”

“Famished,” Jane replied as Jestyn helped her from her seat, for she still had trouble getting in and out of chairs, although not as much as before.

“You’re improving by the minute.”

“It’s easier now to get out of chairs. You noticed, Jes.”

Jestyn sighed. “I’m of two minds on it. I know in how much danger you are here and any improvement in your health means you are able to move about more so that we may find the way out for you. On the other hand, I cannot help but mourn what your absence would mean to me.”

He went and got her crutches while Aunt Florinda went to pull the bell cord. And just as Jestyn helped Jane up from her seat and pulled her into her arms, his arms tightened around her. She leaned against him and when he pressed her close to his chest she felt his arousal. Her skin sizzled and she was suddenly light-headed. Breathless from their encounter and surprised at the intensity of their touch, Jestyn stayed as close as he could to Jane as he managed the crutches toward the small dining room, which was close by.

Aunt Florinda was already there and she helped Jestyn to settle Jane in a chair.

Their light lunch of baked codfish, creamed potatoes and salad was pleasant and leisurely and they chatted with Aunt Florinda as she spoke in her sweet way and expressed her wish that Lady Millthorpe would not call again too soon.

Jane was quiet as Aunt Florinda and Jestyn chatted. Jane’s mind was on their heated encounter and she realized that it had surely changed their feelings toward each other. They lingered over a glass of port and Jestyn’s eyes on her burned her skin as they tried to talk of light subjects. Then Jestyn went to tend to business while Nelly helped Jane to her room and then into the walking frock she was to wear for their visit to the artist’s house.