12
William was slowly turning, the bright light of the new day was screaming at him to awaken. He lifted his head up off a very soft, down-filled pillow, and opened his eyes. His surroundings, although now in a brighter light, had not changed from the night before.
As he looked around him, he realized that he had gone to sleep believing his surroundings would not have changed when he awoke, for he knew the experiences of that day were very real.
William climbed out of bed, and dressed himself in clothing that was prepared for him the night before. The clothing was from another time than his, very well tailored and the fit was perfect. He did not shave, his hair was hand-combed back, the reflection in the mirror of his room was that of a man he felt he wanted to know more about. Something told William he had fallen into another time for a reason.
The aroma of something cooking in the kitchen beckoned William to exit his room and follow it to its source. William walked down the exceptional staircase; bright beams of diffracted light flooded the entranceway of the stately home of Thomas Byronville. He remembered his host and wondered where he might be. As he entered the kitchen, he saw the activity of three servants busily preparing a large meal.
“Good morning!” William startled the servants who did not see him enter the room.
“Well, actually, a good afternoon to you, sir!” exclaimed one of the young male servants in a somewhat disapproving tone.
“Anton, mind your manners!” an elder female cook scolded in the direction of the young man.
“Mr. Byronville, it is twelve noon sir, lunch will be ready in an hour. Would you like something to eat to hold you over?”
“Some coffee if it’s not too much trouble. Where is Thomas?” The cook now stepped toward him as if to indicate she was the one appointed to answer any questions he might have.
“Mr. Byronville is out on the lake with Mrs. Bulow, Miss Byronville is out in the garden. If you care to join her, I will send some coffee out for you.”
“Yes, thank you. Which way to the garden?” William was looking around and just as he finished asking for directions to the garden, he saw Rachel sitting outdoors through a window to his right. The cook was pointing to the rear door; William had already started walking toward it.
The sound of a door opening alerted Rachel that someone was about to join her. Rachel saw William and greeted him with a smile, waiting for him to say the first words.
“Hello Rachel, how are you today?”
“Fine, William, good day to you. I am pleased to see you slept for a long time. After what you must have been through yesterday, I am certain your body and mind needed all of the rest you could find.” Just then William realized how beautiful was this creature before him. He was impressed with her genuine concern for him.
“Actually I still feel a bit weary, mind if I sit down?”
“What a silly question, please join me. I have been looking forward to seeing you again this morning.”
The rear door opened with the familiar sound announcing the arrival of fresh coffee.
The young male servant proceeded to pour William a cup of the steaming brew.
“Sugar, sir?” The servant, in anticipation of a positive reply, had already filled a teaspoon and directed it toward William’s cup.
“No, thank you, I like my coffee black, no cream, no sugar.” William reached forward and covered his cup with his hand momentarily.
The servant raised his eyes and tilted his head without moving his hand, lingering as if to say coffee should not be savored in that fashion.
“That will be all, Anton,” Rachel announced in an authoritative tone of voice.
“Yes, Miss Rachel.” The servant, having instructed to do so in the past, left the coffee decanter on the table and retreated into the house.
“I don’t think he likes me, but I am glad he left the coffee behind,” William commented as soon as the door shut behind Anton.
“Why would you care if Anton likes you or not? He does his work without questioning what he is told.”
William lowered the coffee cup from his lips.
“This is great coffee. Well, Rachel, I guess there is no Service Employees Union in these parts. Management of the Byronville manor is very fortunate.”
“William, is it true that you have come to us from another time or have you escaped from an insane asylum?”
“Rachel, I can see why you would think I am crazy, but I am telling you the truth. I need to return to my own time and my family, not to mention work tomorrow morning.”
Rachel, realizing William had finished the small amount of coffee in the petite china cup in one gulp, leaned forward to pour him some more.
“Thank you!” William was quick to acknowledge her attentiveness.
“William, please tell me how you arrived here and how you plan to get back to your own time and what year would that be?”
“Would you believe the year of the Lord, as you would say, 2002?”
Rachel’s face expressed disbelief.
“You must be joking. Why, that is more than one hundred years from now!”
“That’s the thing, I am not joking. I wish I were. I have a feeling your brother can help. When will he return?”
Rachel, concerned that William was more interested in being with Thomas than with her, answered nonetheless.
“He should be returning soon. He and Sarah Bulow are on the lake. They probably will circle the small island in front of us as they often do when they go out with the row boat. The lake is so calm today, God only knows Sarah needs the peace and tranquility…” Rachel paused as she completed the word “tranquility,” pondering a burning question she now felt compelled to ask.
“William, do you know anything about the disappearance yesterday of the Bulow baby?”
“Rachel, I swear to you I have no awareness about the disappearance of the baby they seek. All I know is that the father is determined to hold anyone accountable who is strange to him. Yesterday when I first found myself in this strange time, I was confronted and abducted by him and his men. They almost killed me.”
Rachel was listening attentively, staring deep into William’s eyes with compassion. She leaned forward toward him and reached for his forehead.
“Did they do this to you?” Her thumb now gently rubbed William’s forehead just adjacent to the wound he received from the rock. Her fingers were resting on the side of his face and as she lowered her hand, she slowly followed the contour of his face and across the bottom of his chin. William glanced in her eyes for a split second then lowered his glance. Her intimate touch unnerved him.
“Yes, actually in an indirect way they did.”