Rowen woke up to find a
woman in his room. She pulled the
drapes open, letting in the sunshine.
“Good morning, sir!” the
woman said cheerfully. “Mrs. Brandon
had me bring up some hot water for you to wash with. Mrs. Brandon also would like to know if you would care to join
her for breakfast.”
Rowen ran a hand over his
face and through his hair. “Uh,
yeah. Tell Mrs. Brandon I’ll be right
down.”
The maid smiled at
him. “Certainly, sir!”
Rowen sat in the edge of
the bed for a moment. He was stuck in
1752. The light wasn’t there, so that
more than likely means that the portal is closed…at least for now. He didn’t have any idea as to when it would
reopen. He’d have to keep checking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alexandra sat at the head
of the dining room table. She sipped
her cup of tea, waiting for her blue-haired guest to join her. Her thoughts strayed to him. She’d give anything to be single again. He came out of that cave alone last night,
saying something about the light not being there. He also said he was stuck there.
Was it really that big of a deal?
He appeared in the doorway.
“Good morning,” she said.
He returned the greeting
and took the seat near her's.
“Do you have any idea when
that time thing will work again?” Alexa
asked.
“None.”
“You are welcome to stay as
long as necessary.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Alexa gave a nod to the
maid who left and returned with breakfast.
They ate in silence. Rowen
watched her. How long had she been
married. It didn’t really matter
anyway. It wasn’t like he could vie for
her affection anyway, especially being from the 21st century.
“We haven’t been properly
introduced yet,” Rowen said, after the entire breakfast had been eaten in
silence. “My name is Rowen. Rowen Hashiba.”
“Alexandra Clark
Brandon. The man that had you and your
friend thrown in jail is Pierce, my husband.”
They shook hands.
Alexa said, “Tell me about
2002.”
“I don’t know where to
start.”
“You can tell me about
anything.”
He tried explaining cars and
airplanes to her, the clothes, TV, computers, etc. He ended up confusing her.
Alexandra sighed. “I don’t think I’d be able
to survive in the 21st century.”
“It sounds rough, but it’s
not that bad when you see it.”
“I guess the 18th
century is primitive to you then.”
“It’s more…manual than the
21st century.”
“But it’s not that bad when
you see it.”
“Exactly.” Rowen looked down at his clothes. “Since I might be here a while, do you think
your husband would have some clothes I could borrow?”
Alexandra studied him. “I think my husband is bigger than you are,
but it’s worth a try.”
They get up from the table
and go upstairs. Alexandra opened her
husband’s closet. She removed a pair of
breeches, stockings, a shirt, a vest, and a justaucorps coat and handed them to
Rowen. She left the room. Rowen changed and opened the door to find
her standing in the hallway. Alexa
laughed. Everything was too big.
“I don’t think that’s going
to work,” Alexa told him, “but it will have to do for now. We’ll go into town and have the tailor make
you some clothes.”
“I don’t have any money…at
least none that can be spent here.”
“Don’t worry about the
money, Mr. Hashiba.
They go outside and climb
in the carriage. Rowen offered to
drive.
“Do you know how to
drive a carriage?” Alexa asked.
“I’ve seen it in done in
movies.”
“What are movies?”
“Oh yeah. Never mind, but I’ve seen it done
before. How hard can it be?”
“Alright, then.” She handed him the reins. Rowen flipped them, lightly smacking the
horse on the rump. The horse shuffled
his feet, but didn’t move otherwise.
Rowen tried a little harder. The
horse didn’t budge. Alexandra tried not
to laugh. “You have to talk to him.”
Rowen asked incredulously,
“Talk to the horse?”
Alexa nodded, smiling.
Rowen flicked the reins
again. “C’mon, horsey. Giddy up.”
Alexa burst out laughing.
“I’m glad to see you’re
enjoying yourself, Mrs. Brandon.” Rowen
handed the reins back over to her.
“Show me how it’s done.”
Alexa flicked the
reins. “Tsk, tsk.”
The horse started a slow
gait.
“It was too complicated.”
Alexandra laughed
again. “Here. You can drive into town.
I’ll tell you the way.”
She handed him the reins he
reluctantly reached for. She showed him
how to direct the horse in the direction he needed to go. Finally, they arrived into town. Everyone watched Mrs. Brandon with this
blue-haired gentleman in the too big clothes.
“There’s the tailor’s
shop. Go in that direction. When you get to the store, gently, gently
pull back on the reins and say whoa.”
Rowen did as he was told
and the horse stopped. Rowen
grinned. He jumped down and helped
Alexa out of the carriage. She could
feel the eyes watching her.
“If anyone asks, you’re my
cousin. Call me Alexandra, Alexa,
Lexie, whatever.”
Rowen nodded.
Alexa walked in the store
with Rowen close behind. He didn’t know
about her, but all of a sudden, he felt like the freak in the show. Mr. Taylor, the tailor stepped out of his
storeroom with a tape measure draped around his neck. He and Alexandra exchanged pleasantries.
“Mr. Taylor, I would like
to introduce my cousin, Mr. Rowen Clark.”
The gentlemen shook hands.
“Rowen, darling, will you be alright if I step across the street for a
moment?”
Mr. Taylor spoke up for him. “He’ll be fine, Mrs.
Brandon. I promise not to talk his hear
off.”
“Thank you kindly,
sir.” Alexa smiled and left. She entered the dressmaker’s shop.
“Alexandra!” the woman said.
“Hey, Leslie.”
“Honey, who is that dashing
fellow that you brought into town and what does Mr. Pierce have to say about
it?”
Could you be a little
nosier, please? Alexa thought to herself. “That gentleman is my cousin and Mr. Pierce
is away on business.”
“Your cousin?? Then I don’t suppose you would mind
introducing him.”
Before she could reply, two
other acquaintances came in, asking about Rowen. Alexandra stuck to the cousin lie.
New acquaintance 1 said,
“You should bring him to the Blake’s ball next week, Lexie.”
“That’s not a good
idea. He’s shy and private.”
“I would not mind unshying
him,” new acquaintance 2 added.
Leslie noted, “He is very
good-looking.”
“Look, I came to see about
getting a new dress made, not to talk about my cou-…”
“Alexandra Brandon!!” Marlyssa called. She burst into the store and practically pushed the other ladies
out of the way. “Spill it. Tell whatever you’ve got on him.”
“Him who?” Alexa asked. Hopefully, Marlyssa didn’t recognize him from the day
before. Then again, how many men in
1752 had blue hair?
“You know very good and
well who I’m talking about. That tall
handsome stranger in Taylor’s shop wearing your husband’s clothes.”
“My cousin.”
“You know I expect an
introduction.”
“Get in line, Marly,”
Leslie said. “We saw him first and
asked Lex first for an introduction.”
The four women started
arguing. Alexandra left the shop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“So, where are you
from?” Mr. Taylor asked as he gathered
Rowen’s dimensions.
“Out of town,” was the
vague reply. Rowen wanted to be the one
gathering intelligence. “How long has
Alexandra been married?”
“Only two years. She didn’t want to marry, but he chose her,
so she had no choice. She’s a beautiful
woman, your cousin.”
“She is. I hope she’s happy in her marriage.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Mr. Taylor lowered his voice. “In the two years they’ve been married, I’ve
never seen them enter town together. At
social functions, he goes off with the men, smoking and drinking. That’s no so unusual, but he always leaves
without her, usually much later.”
“Then why did he marry
her?”
“Because of her youth and
beauty. That and the fact that if he
didn’t someone else would have.”
“What kind of work does her
husband do?”
“Not sure. Some kind of trading in the northern
colonies. If you ask me, I don’t like
the way he leaves her months at a time.
she’s still young. She needs her
husband. She’s not weak, mind you. At 23, she’s just as mature and wise as the
older women out there, if not more. I
truly wish Mr. Brandon had chosen someone else.”
Alexandra came in the
door. Rowen involuntarily smiled at
her. She looked radiant in her light
blue gown. Her dark brown hair was up
and accented with a matching hat.
She returned his
smile. “Rowen, we’re going to have to
be careful wherever we go. You’re
beginning to draw a crowd.”
“Oh really?”
She picked up a bolt of
burgundy velvet. Without looking up,
she told him to look out the window.
Women were gathering in small clusters, walking by, and looking in the
shop. Alexandra saw Rowen waving to
them and smiling.
“Some of them are pretty,”
Rowen said.
Jealousy ran through
her. She threw the bolt of fabric back
on the table. She responded sourly,
“They’re vultures.”
Rowen raised an
eyebrow. What brought on this
reaction? “Of course, none of them
compare to your beauty, my dear…cousin.”
“I’m serious, Rowen. Nine out of ten of them are just sizing you
up. They haven’t seen a new man around
here in ages. You’re fresh game for
them to pursue.”
Alexandra took as eat near
where the men were working. Rowen was
growing restless. Mr. Taylor had to
constantly scold him.
“Mr. Clark, I’ve tailored small boys that have
stood still longer than you!”
Alexa laughed. Soon they were finished. Mr. Taylor said he would get right on Mr.
Clark’s new clothes and have them ready in two days.
