Enchanted - The Dressing Room Affair [Time Travel Historical Romance Novella] (Entwined Together Forever) (7 page)

The girls explained the situation to Abbey around the kitchen table. The first thing they all wanted to do was try and see if there were any clues within the books that would help them to understand what was going on.

The first book was all about the Walsh family history, how they
were a well to do and highly respected aristocratic family. It mentioned all of the family members and spoke a little about the family heirlooms including the bracelets, locket, jewelry box and furniture all engraved with the same family insignia “entwined together forever”.

Apparently, Lord James Walsh’s
great grandmother came from a family of what they called ‘white witches’.  They made medicine from the enchanted forest on the estate, imbued with magical properties. The majority of their furniture with the engravings ‘entwined together forever’ was made from trees from the enchanted forest. The jewels in the bracelet, the jewelry box, the locket, and the furniture came from the bottom of a magic well at the heart of the forest, connected to Bella Rose Manor - named after his great grandmother, through an underground mine shaft and a long dark tunnel. It detailed how their magic jewelry allowed for time travel. The locket facilitated communication between anyone wearing the bracelet through the mirror or telepathically through visions.

The chant that allowed people to travel through the antique mirror
and the antique chair that bore the same insignia was ‘entwined together forever’.

The
story went that James Walsh’s great grandfather Grayson Walsh was actually from the future. He went back in time to be with his one true love, which was James’ great grandmother Bella Rose. The jewels have been passed down from Lord to Lord with the understanding they could only be used to find your one true love.

James Walsh used the b
racelet to travel to the mid 20th Century after he had a vision of a beautiful woman who lived in the future.  When he told his grandmother of the vision, she explained to him the power of the bracelets and how to use them. By using the bracelets according to his grandmother’s specifications, he found the woman in his vision. Her name was Isabelle. Later in their relationship, she got very sick. He knew the only way to save her was to take her back in time to the 19th Century where his family’s magic could heal her and there would be no illness.

That was about all the girls could get from that book. Then they started reading through the second book which was all about the Walsh Family history, estate
, heirlooms and the supposed magic that the heirlooms held within them. There were two magic bracelets, a jewelry box, book case, two matching mirrors, two matching antique chairs, and a locket. 

“I saw the locket in my dream” Kati
e whispered.  I had a dream last night and it was as clear as day. My mum and James Walsh were in the dressing room when he pulled out the jewelry box and gave it to my mother. The exact same jewelry box that Mum gave to me on my 18
th
birthday. In the dream they were talking about my Mother leaving to be with James. She had a locket around her neck that I had never seen before and inside it was a picture of me. James said to my Mother that if ever she needed to reach me the power of the locket would allow me to speak with her through the magic mirror.

“Do you think that was not a dream but an actual ‘vision’ like the book says?” Katie asked as she looked at both the girls staring back at her in a con
fused and disillusioned manner. “Do you think they could be one and the same?” Katie continued to quiz the girls. 

“I am not sure,” Abbey said.

“But they do have a picture of the jewelry box in here do you want to grab yours and we can see if they look the same?”

Katie ran off to her room and grabbed her jewelry box and brought it back into the lounge room. It had a clear description of the carvings and then the book said that there had been fakes made to replicate the jewelry box
, but there was only one clear give away that it was the real thing and that was the gold crest that was located under the velvet at the bottom of the jewelry box. It was pure gold and burnt into the wood. 

Katie took out her jewelry and placed it on the table. At the bottom of the box
was rich red velvet and attached to the seam was a little red ribbon. She grabbed the ribbon and the bottom of the jewelry box opened up. They all gasped as they saw the brightest yellow real gold emblem under the velvet shining back up at them.

“Yep, looks like the real thing to me,” Abbey said with envious awe.

“Does it say anything about the magic chant and the bracelets?” Chloe asked eagerly.

All it says is that the chant had something to do with the insignia on all of the pieces and that when said in the right sequence with the right jewelry, could allow people to either travel through time or talked to their one true love through time dimensions using the locket.

“In my dream last night I heard James Walsh saying the chant and then he seemed to just disappear into the mirror in the dressing room.”

“From what my g
randfather told me, Reid Walsh went forward in time to find the missing manuscript. Apparently, he gave it to his brother James to read and he took it with him through time to give to Isabelle to see what she thought of the story that was all about her. They supposedly left it in the 20th Century when he took Isabelle back with him through time.”

“You think the manusc
ript is here in the shop, Abbey? Is that what you’re saying?” Katie looked intently at Abbey.

“Could be.
I have absolutely no idea,” Abbey admitted. “Just telling you what I know.”

Chloe swooned. “Imagine, the handsome
Reid Walsh coming back to the 20th Century to find the manuscript his brother left behind, so he could finish it. How awesome would that be? He looks like a real hunk in the pictures. I bet he’s even more gorgeous in person.”

Katie, looked at Abbey and then at Chloe and started laughing. “That is totally absurd, no more wine for you. I think you are star
ting to blur the two centuries.” 

“Well, you can’t blame a girl for trying. Where are all the gorgeous Walsh h
unks when you want one in the 20
th
Century?” Chloe pouted before bursting into fits of laughter. “Can’t we pretend he is our prince come to save us from the drudgery of boring old Westport like we used to? He never did come and find us, you know,” Chloe jested as she poured another glass of wine.

“Now, wouldn’t that be exciting!” Katie humored her as she continued scouring the books for more information on the Walsh family and their magic heirlooms. The girls spent most of the afternoon searching for more clues until it was time for Abbey to go. The girls thanked Abbey for her time and told her that if they found out any more information, they would let her know immediately.

The sun had set. It had been a long day and Katie and Chloe were exhausted. Chloe went upstairs to clean up before retiring for the night while Katie closed up the costume shop downstairs. Katie locked the front door and turned to go back upstairs when a shiny object caught her eye. She looked over to try and make out what it was when she heard shuffling feet.

Katie was paralyzed with fear. She tried to shout to Chloe, but nothing came out. What if it was a bur
glar? All of a sudden, Katie got angry. She had had just about enough of all this fear, disappearing people, and sneaking around.

This is my home. I grew up in this house. I am not going to let some hocus pocus come in here and steal
it from me
, she swore.
She snatched the stiletto off her left foot and brandished the pointed heel in front of her.

“Come out before I c
all the police!” she demanded. She could hear someone breathing. Then she got a sudden whiff of potent cologne. “Come out now, or I’ll scream,” Katie shouted while trying to stop her knees from knocking together.

A man emerged into the moonlit room
, clutched a roll of papers in his hand. Katie gasped. She knew those piercing green eyes and that handsomely rugged chiseled face. She had seen that broad muscular physique before. She had been staring at him all day in the illustrations of Abbey’s books. Katie started to feel dizzy and the room started to spin. She collapsed.

Chloe heard the thud and came running down the stairs. She turned on the light to find her friend in a heap with her shoe next to her head.

“Katie!” Chloe screamed as she raced to her side.  She supported Katie’s head as she came to, checking her for blood or bruising. “Katie? Katie, can you hear me? What happened?”

“Where is he?” Katie said to Chloe. “Where did he go?”

“Where is who?”

“Reid Walsh.
He was here.” Katie struggled to sit up and clear her head.

“What are you talking about?” Chloe placed her hand on Katie’s forehead and cheek, checking for a fever. “And you said
I
had too much wine…”

“I’m telling you! Reid Walsh was
here
in the shop. He stepped right out of that damned dressing room!” Katie insisted, shaken.

Chloe sighed sympathetically.
“Come on, Kate. Let’s get you upstairs and into bed. You’re exhausted. You’ve worked really hard. You need the rest. This can wait until morning.” Chloe took Katie upstairs, fixed her a cup of tea, and put her to bed.

Katie slept fitfully. She dreamt of seeing Reid Walsh standing just outside the dressing room door with a roll of papers in his hand. Katie tr
ied to speak to ask him who he was and what he was doing in her costume store. He couldn’t hear her. He turned and walked into the dressing room. Katie followed him.

He suddenly acknowledged her. Reid bowed his chin and handed her a rose.

“Katie,” he began. “Your mother sends her love. She’s very happy and healthy and she wanted me to tell you that she will speak to you very soon. Don’t be frightened of the magic in the bracelet.” Reid left her side.

He sat down on the rose wood antique chair, with some sort of manuscript in his hands. He then turned towards the mirror and held his bracelet and started chanting,
entwined together forever
, staring into his reflection. The mirror swirled and he was gone.

Katie awoke with a fright. Her heart was pounding within the cage of her ribs. Her brow was beaded with sweat that made her nightshirt cling to her figure elsewhere. She reached out frantically and flicked on her bedside lamp. The digital clock told her it was 3:00AM.

“Just a dream,” she whispered. Katie flopped back into bed, willing her chest to stop heaving. She lay there staring at the ceiling. She decided to make herself some chamomile tea to try and get back to sleep. While the kettle came to a boil, her vivid dream was looping through her mind. She glanced towards the door to the stairs.

I have to go and check the dressing room,
she thought to herself.
If I don’t go and look, I’ll never get back to sleep.
 

She grabbed a flashlight, not wanting to wake Chloe by turning all the lights on. Chloe had endured enough madness from her. She had a big day at the hospital tomorrow and she needed her sleep. Katie crept down the stairs into the store, using her torch to light the way. She inched towards the dressing room at the back. Several step
s away, she started to smell cologne.

Katie fixed
the beam on door handle. She drew in a breath and cautiously turned the knob. When she heard the latch come free, she flung it open and flicked on the light. There, sitting on the chair, was the red rose and a piece of paper again. Katie walked over to the chair and picked it up. She was almost too scared to look at what was written. She slowly unfolded the paper to read the words.

Your mother Isabelle sends her love.

Yours Truly,

Reid Walsh.

Peace flooded her as she read the words over and over, convinced she was not dreaming; convinced they were true. It all made sense. Everything was real. All of it was true. It was the only explanation. She put the paper up to her nose and inhaled the seductive aroma of men’s cologne.

After one last glance around, Katie picked up the rose, walked out of the dressing room, and locked the door behind her. She climbed the stair, clutching the precious paper close. She went straight to her room and laid the note in the jewelry box that her mum had given her. She then quietly climbed into her bed.

“Mum
is
alive,” she whispered. “She’s alive. I knew it all along. I’ll find you, Mum.” A peaceful slumber took her with an angelic smile on her face.

~*~

~*~

In book #2 of the ‘Entwined Together Forever’ time travelling romance trilogy, Reid Walsh becomes captivated by the stories that Isabelle tells of her beautiful daughter in the 20th Century. He finds himself compelled to meet her.

After finding the
unfinished manuscript in the costume shop, Reid returns it to his brother James, but not the enchanted bracelet. His unwavering desire to meet the woman who is dominating his every waking thought is driving him insane. He returns to see Katie one more time.

With the night of the ball looming
ahead, and Katie unable to get Reid Walsh out of her mind, she accepts the offer from Clay – Chloe’s new boyfriend’s brother, to escort her to the ball.

Though Reid knows they can’t be together,
he learns of the beau now taking Katie to the ball and in his jealousy decides he can’t stop visiting her, purely for her own protection.

T
he night of the ball arrives and so does an unexpected masked visitor.

Later, Katie succumbs to her burning desire
for the 19th Century Lord in a moment of heated passion. Little does she know that her virgin heart will be broken before dawn.

Keep an eye out for the next book in the
‘Entwined Together Forever’
Trilogy and be swept away in the raptures of this heated, forbidden lustful romance.

~*~