Whispers from the Past (22 page)

Before responding to her question, I turned my attention to the note from Senator Eton. It was brief.

And there it was. The final obstacle had been solved. I had prepared as well as could be expected. All that remained on the nineteenth-century side was to arrive and put the project in motion.

There was much to complete before I departed. Many tasks were in progress. A few had to be initiated. I had a list that I could follow as I slowly eliminated the traces of me from this world.

I drew from my backpack a sheet of paper and pen to write a final note to Dorcas.

The anniversary party for Norah and Charlie had been planned for a long time. I knew that it was customary in this world to take a gift to such an event. Since I had little money to spare, I made my gift instead.

Norah had a deep interest in genealogy. To honor that interest, I created for them a family tree, writing in my finest hand and embellishing it as best I could. I used a large sheet of heavy vellum and inks of black, green, gold, and blue. A craft store helped me add the frame and mat.

I wrapped this gift with great care. Gold wrapping paper, they had assured me at the store, would be traditional.

It didn’t take much to decide what to wear—the blue dress that Norah had made me last fall. With stockings and a light shawl from my 1805 wardrobe, I would fare well at an outdoor party.

I braided my hair, of course. Charlie would want it no other way.

Marissa had gone ahead, since she had much to do to prepare and serve the refreshments. I was glad of the solitude. It would be hard to make it through this day, and the silence steadied me.

Isaac picked me up promptly at the appointed time. He wore dark pants, a starched blue button-down shirt, and leather shoes. It was the most formal I’d ever seen him. He looked rather fine.

After a few lighthearted comments, he ceased speaking, no doubt discerning my mood. I was too distraught about the ordeal ahead to be able to chat calmly.

As we turned into the neighborhood, I felt humbled by guilt. My presence was likely to create strife. I didn’t like that for Norah and Charlie. Yet staying away would have caused us all grief.

There was no good way to solve this problem.

We had to park a long distance from the house and walk. The other guests must have arrived early, for there was a good crowd when we arrived. Norah and Charlie stood in the center of the lawn, laughing and holding hands. It was so touching that I concentrated on them instead of where I was going. My feet slipped on the driveway, and I stumbled.

“Careful,” Isaac said, catching my arm and bracing me against his side.

“Thank you.” I smiled into his face with gratitude. A fall would have been a most embarrassing way to make my entrance.

I looked back to the crowd milling on the lawn, not recognizing many guests. I shifted my attention from the lawn to the deck and locked gazes with Mark. Beside him stood Gabrielle, who clutched his arm. His eyes blazed at the sight of Isaac beside me.

I sucked in a deep breath and swayed.

“It’ll be fine. You’re not here for him,” Isaac said.

I nodded and moved across the lawn, away from where Mark stood and toward the guests of honor.

“Susanna,” Norah called, and hurried toward me. Her arms enclosed me in a tight embrace. “I’ve missed you, hon.”

“I have missed you too.”

There was a gentle tug on my braid, and I felt myself pulled from Norah’s arms and into Charlie’s. He didn’t say a word, just held me in his warm embrace.

“So,” Norah said, her voice wavering, “who is your young man?”

“Norah and Charlie, this is Isaac Saunders. A good friend.”

Charlie offered Isaac a firm handshake and a scowl. “My granddaughter tells me that you’re unemployed.”

Isaac gave a half-smile. “Technically true. I’ll begin work on my master’s degree in a few months.”

“A Duke grad?”

“Yes, sir.”

“My grandson got accepted there.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, although it was only natural for Charlie to mention Mark. I didn’t speak, preferring to study the tables groaning with food.

“It’s a good school,” Isaac said, his gaze on me.

With a determined smile, I looked to Norah. “I brought a gift. Where shall I put it?”

“Indoors, hon.”

While they moved away to greet other guests, I nodded at Isaac to follow me to the house.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as Gabrielle and Mark left the deck for the lawn. A trio of teen girls approached them, holding out pens and notebooks for autographs.

Isaac and I circled around the yard, our route taking us along the perimeter. We entered the house to find Marissa pulling a baking dish from the oven while her mother stood nearby, adding treats to a serving tray.

“Hello?” I called.

They both looked up.

“Hey, Isaac, Susanna,” Marissa called back. Sherri simply stared.

“I brought a present,” I said. Isaac held up the package and then crossed to a table stacked high with other gifts.

Sherri stayed at the counter, watching me carefully. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to my parents that you’re here.”

I nodded, unwilling to trust my voice to respond. I hadn’t seen her in weeks and was surprised at the depth of emotion that her calm greeting drew from me.

Isaac and I walked back outside and stood on the deck. I was unsure what to do next.

“Hey.”

I froze. Mark stood a few feet away with Gabrielle beside him, close but not touching.

“Hello.” I nodded at him and then shifted slightly closer to Isaac, who put a reassuring hand at my waist. From across the lawn, I could see Norah watching us warily.

“Can I speak to you?” Mark asked. “Privately?”

His request surprised us all, perhaps most especially me. I wanted to say no.

Isaac muttered, “You can refuse.”

I shifted my gaze to Isaac, so grateful for his calm air. It steadied me. “This is his grandparents’ special day,” I murmured. “We will be good.” With a tense smile at Mark, I nodded and stepped off the deck.

I halted at the edge of the driveway, certain that we couldn’t be overheard from here.

“Yes?” I looked up at him.

“Did you dump me to date Isaac?”

His question jolted through me with a white-hot flare of anger. “Did you recover so quickly because of Gabrielle?”

“Shit.” His jaw tightened. “Who invited you?”

I was caught between the urge to weep and rage at him. Why had he asked to speak to me? Why had I agreed? “Norah and Charlie invited me months ago. Marissa would not let me stay behind today.”

“Why did you come?”

“Because I love your grandparents.”

“You knew I would be here.”

“I did indeed.” My breaths grew shallow and painful. I didn’t want to be in his presence. I didn’t wish to be surrounded by the sound and smell of him. I knew an unaccountable desire to fling myself into his arms. Instead, I backed up a step. “I did not anticipate that you would make the effort to speak with me.”

“How could I not?” His eyes were bleak.

I looked away from him, toward the crowd. Gabrielle and Isaac stood side by side, both focused on us. Every member of Mark’s family had given up all pretense of enjoying the party and watched us openly.

“I have not spoken to Bruce. I shall greet him now.”

“It hurts me that you came.” Mark spoke quickly and with great force.

His declaration stunned me, unleashing an unwanted wave of longing. “It hurts me to see you, too. However, it would have hurt me more to disappoint your grandparents.”

“Why did you bring Isaac?”

Marissa hadn’t prepared Mark. That was curious; I would be sure to ask her the reason. “You know that Isaac is only a friend. Gabrielle is your…” I stopped and tried not to wonder exactly what she meant to Mark.

“I’m not explaining my relationship with Gabrielle.”

“Nor do I wish for you to.”

“You gave me away.” His voice was low and rough with pain.

“So I did.” I shook my head. “Perhaps it would be best if I go.”

“They miss you, Susanna. Everyone. Even my mom.”

I swallowed hard against the thickness in my throat. “I miss them, too.”

“You should visit them.”

“Perhaps.” I would visit Sherri to turn over the last of my wedding projects, but there would be no more time for contact with his family, not with what I planned to do in three days. I had written letters to each of them, and that would have to be enough.

“
I
miss you,” he said.

My gaze snapped back to his. It had been wrong to come here today. Utterly foolish. I loved him. My days went better when I had no reminders of what I had lost. I turned from him in a panic, hoping that he hadn’t seen my feelings in the depths of my eyes.

“Susanna?” He reached for me, his fingers brushing my arm.

I jerked away. “Do not touch me.” I could not bear it.

He gasped. “What did I ever do to you to deserve this?”

“I shall leave now.” With fumbling steps, I hurried toward Isaac and held out my hand.

He wrapped his strong fingers about mine, keeping me upright on my wobbling legs. “Are you ready to go?”

My eyes sought Norah’s. We nodded in sad unison. She knew I couldn’t stay.

“Yes, please, Isaac. Take me home.” We walked away, and we didn’t look back.

Monday dawned, lovely and bright. I had one day left in Mark’s world.

The time had passed so quickly, filled with all of the details that had to be resolved before I could leave in peace.

I had quit my job. When I told Lucy, she did not ask my reasons, nor did I offer them. It was best this way. I had no idea when—or, perhaps,
if
—I would return to the twenty-first century. We would keep the news quiet, since I had no wish for questions. After returning from the anniversary party, I worked my last shift, collected my pay, and departed for good.

It was time to deliver the final wedding projects. I had heard from Marissa that, while Mark had no school on this Monday, he would be attending a party at Gabrielle’s in the afternoon. I planned the delivery for then.

I took the bike paths through city streets to the Lewis house. I couldn’t afford to cut through the park. A fall could drop these expensive invitations into the mud.

I reached their house without mishap. Just as I’d been told, Mark’s truck was gone. I was glad not to see him. Truly, I was. Much better to have had our final conversation at his grandparents’ home, when I had been too distressed to ponder its import. Nor would I wish to meet his perceptive eyes, which might read something into my demeanor I did not want him to suspect.

Sherri opened the door, a phone pressed to her chest. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Come in.” She muttered a quick statement into the phone before clicking it off and sliding it into her pocket. “What do you have?”

“The wedding invitations.”

“For which weddings?”

“All of them.” I drew two boxes from my backpack and set them in the foyer.

“That’s very efficient. The Marlows didn’t expect them back for another month.”

“I had the time now.”

“Great.” She stared at me, a puzzled frown on her face. “Do you want to join me for a glass of tea?”

“Thank you. I shall.” I followed her into the kitchen, surprised and pleased. Mark’s mother was a hard person to understand, sometimes. Perhaps my constant presence in this house had truly been the problem, for she was far more pleasant now than ever.

“How is your job at Lucy’s?”

I hesitated, unwilling to speak an outright lie. “The people have been kind.”

“But it’s hardly something you’ll want to do forever.”