Read Under An English Moon Online
Authors: Bess McBride
Under An English Moon (28 page)
Annie smiled as she pulled out pictures from the turn of the century—the twentieth century. Such beautiful dresses, and the men were so handsome. None of the women wore slacks by then as they had in the photographs beginning in the 1920s or so.
At last, she pulled out a photograph where she recognized Phoebe. 1890. Phoebe with white hair, in a dark Victorian dress with a brooch visible at the high neck, sat in a rocking chair with a wide smile. Reggie, looking much like his male cover model self, albeit with white hair, rested a hand on her shoulder. Young men and women lounged around them in lighter shades of clothing as if they had been playing tennis. Small children hardly seemed to sit still in the photograph.
The Hamiltons, Summer 1890, Bedfordshire
The earliest image was 1850, a daguerreotype, showing Phoebe and Reggie, younger now, with several young adult children and two who looked like teenagers, all in Victorian dress.
Underneath those were several small painted portrait miniatures of Phoebe, Reggie, and their children. Annie snatched one up. The wedding portrait! She smiled.
The portrait, probably painted before the marriage, showed Phoebe in a white empire-waisted dress of some shiny material, sitting next to Reggie. White flowers were interspersed throughout the curls on top of her hair, and she looked like a woodland fairy. Reggie looked resplendent in a cutaway coat of royal blue and beige pantaloons, a top hat perched dashingly on his head.
She found a thick folded note beneath the pictures, sealed with wax, and she stared at it for a moment. Her name was written on the front:
Miss Annie Warner
. She hesitated to break the seal and wondered if she should take it to an expert in historical documents. It looked old.
But she knew it was from Phoebe. Who else? And written in the last two months, or almost two hundred years ago.
Annie pried the wax off the letter and opened it carefully. She unfolded the thick paper and read, the writing clearly done by ink with a few splotches.
Dear Annie,
It’s me! If you’re reading this, then you found the safety deposit box. I’m so glad you did. I’ve run up to London several times to put things in it, and had Reggie drop some things into it as well. I instructed my children to toss in a family portrait every decade, and I left a note in my will, stating I hope their children continue the tradition. I wanted you to see that we’re doing well. I’m happy and well and so is Reggie. We’re still chugging along. No terrible plague or anything yet!
Annie ran her finger over the smiley face Phoebe had drawn.
If I had it to do all over again, I’d probably bring a few more things with me, but the recipe for holistic antibiotics has been a blessing. It has gotten me out of a jam or two! And Mattie was so happy to have central heating installed. William and Reggie worked together to install it in both of our houses. I think it saved us during last year’s wet English winter.
We have a baby now, a little girl! You’d love her. I never thought about children before I got married, but now that I have one of my own, I think about you, and I wonder if you married and had your own children. I’m sure you did. I wish I could meet them.
I don’t know when you’ll check the box, or if you ever will, so I don’t know how many years have passed since I left...in your time. I’ve wracked my brain but can’t think of a single way you can “drop me a line” to let me know how you’re doing. There’s still no way to send me a care package, or at least a photo of you and your family.
I hope you and Johan are well. Maybe marriage? Little Swiss children yodeling? I can see it now.
Another smiley face was drawn.
I’ll let you go for now. I miss you, Cousin, and I wish I could see you, but you’ll remember that we don’t dare try to travel back while we have a child. The risk is too great. I love you, Annie.
Minnie Mouse
Annie smiled tenderly and folded the letter to return it to the box. Everything had gone well. Phoebe had lived a full life and her descendents lived on through her, even carrying out her wishes. She picked up the photograph at the bottom of the stack—the one dated 2010.
The Hamiltons, Summer 2010, Bedfordshire.
Bedfordshire.
Her next destination.
Books by Bess McBride
Time Travel Romance
(Book One of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
(Book Three of the Train Through Time series)
(Book Two of the Train Through Time series)
(Book One of the Train Through Time series)
Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Will Travel for Romance Boxed Set Books 1-5
Contemporary/Ghost Story
About the Author
I began my first fiction-writing attempt when I was fourteen. I shut myself up in my bedroom one summer and obsessively worked on a time-travel/pirate novel set in the beloved Caribbean of my youth. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to hammer it out on a manual typewriter (oh yeah, I’m that old) before it was time to go back to school. The draft of that novel has long since disappeared, but the story still simmers within, and I will finish it one day soon.
I was born in Aruba to American parents and lived in Venezuela until my family returned to the United States when I was twelve. I couldn’t fight the global travel bug, and I joined the US Air Force at eighteen to “see the world.” After twenty-one wonderful and fulfilling years traveling the world and the birth of one beautiful daughter, I pursued my dream of finally getting a college education. With a license in mental health therapy, I worked with veterans and continue to work on behalf of veterans. I continue to travel, my first love, and almost all of my books involve travel.
I write time-travel romances, light paranormal/fantasy romances (lovelorn ghosty stuff), contemporary romances, and romantic suspense. Visit my website at
www.BessMcBride.com
