down to her heart.
Jane went close to the portrait, kneeled down, and slowly and softly touched the pendant in Jestyn’s hand in the portrait.
A few seconds went by as Jane kept her hand pressed to the pendant in the portrait.
Nothing happened.
She turned to Jestyn and heard his sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I have no right to wish you to remain with me.”
“You have the right love gives you, Jestyn. But as you saw, it didn’t work,” Jane said.
“I’m sorry that I hoped it wouldn’t, Jane,” Jestyn said.
“I, too, hoped it didn’t, Jestyn,” Jane said. “At least not suddenly. But we both know I must leave.”
“Yes.”
CHAPTER 10
“I shall miss you every day for the rest of my life,” Jestyn said in a low voice when they had finished their tea. Jane had exclaimed at scones that melted in her mouth and cake that made one swoon.
In the huge drawing room it was easy for them to speak in private because they were out of the earshot of servants working around the house.
“I’ll miss you too, Jestyn–so much!” Jane said. The warmth in his wonderful voice had gone straight to her heart. “I’ve gotten so used to your voice, too. I will miss it.” Jane’s voice broke. “But we’re supposing that we will find the way for me to return. What if we don’t find it?”
“We will,” Jestyn said. “We must have faith. We must,” he repeated. “Cedric told me there are rumors in town and talk that stops just as he reaches the speakers. The story I concocted of you being the daughter of an acquaintance I made when I visited the Colonies–the United States—two years ago, has not been accepted. People’s doubts about you are under the surface which they don’t express to me or to Cedric.
“Lord Halensford came by yesterday expressly to tell me about what he has been hearing. He’s alarmed at how quickly it’s growing, too. He told me there are greatly exaggerated stories being spread about you.
“Lord Halensford is the only one, apart from Cedric, who knows a bit more and he has agreed to complete confidence because he is my best friend – a lifelong friend. Giles and I grew up together as boys and even went to the same schools. I trust him as much as I trust Cedric.”
“Yes,” agreed Jane, “Lord Halensford is a wonderful person and he looks like he’s very fond of you. I like Lady Elizabeth a lot, too. She’s a kind lady. I’m sorry Lady Elizabeth lost her sister Alice to the influenza.”
“Yes,” Jestyn agreed, “that was an irreparable loss. Thankfully she has another, older sister that is married and lives not far from here. Otherwise the loss would have been too devastating for her to bear.”
“Lady Elizabeth was nice to send me some clothes that belonged to Alice,” Jane said, “Alice’s clothes are my exact same size.”
“Jestyn, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Jane added. “Today I walked without the aid of the crutches and had almost no pain in my leg.”
“I wish that would be the only impediment to your return to your time. We know nothing about how the pendant brought you here, but at least we now have proof the pendant existed somewhere here.
“I know also that you are impatient with our slow ways. I can see it in your eyes, sometimes, and it saddens me, for I fear you could never agree to stay here, even if it were possible.”
“I feel like an alien here, Jestyn. I’m glad Nellie has been allowed to remain with me because most of the other servants look at me with suspicion.”
“Yes. I know that very well,” Jestyn said, “that’s why I’m very concerned for your safety. And even though I’ll hate to see you go and had a horrible feeling when I thought that if you touched the pendant you might just disappear, I will at least have the assurance that you will be safe in your own time. You run a lot of risks here. I’m certain an acquaintance of ours, Lady Millthorpe is behind a lot
Jane went close to the portrait, kneeled down, and slowly and softly touched the pendant in Jestyn’s hand in the portrait.
A few seconds went by as Jane kept her hand pressed to the pendant in the portrait.
Nothing happened.
She turned to Jestyn and heard his sigh of relief.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I have no right to wish you to remain with me.”
“You have the right love gives you, Jestyn. But as you saw, it didn’t work,” Jane said.
“I’m sorry that I hoped it wouldn’t, Jane,” Jestyn said.
“I, too, hoped it didn’t, Jestyn,” Jane said. “At least not suddenly. But we both know I must leave.”
“Yes.”
CHAPTER 10
“I shall miss you every day for the rest of my life,” Jestyn said in a low voice when they had finished their tea. Jane had exclaimed at scones that melted in her mouth and cake that made one swoon.
In the huge drawing room it was easy for them to speak in private because they were out of the earshot of servants working around the house.
“I’ll miss you too, Jestyn–so much!” Jane said. The warmth in his wonderful voice had gone straight to her heart. “I’ve gotten so used to your voice, too. I will miss it.” Jane’s voice broke. “But we’re supposing that we will find the way for me to return. What if we don’t find it?”
“We will,” Jestyn said. “We must have faith. We must,” he repeated. “Cedric told me there are rumors in town and talk that stops just as he reaches the speakers. The story I concocted of you being the daughter of an acquaintance I made when I visited the Colonies–the United States—two years ago, has not been accepted. People’s doubts about you are under the surface which they don’t express to me or to Cedric.
“Lord Halensford came by yesterday expressly to tell me about what he has been hearing. He’s alarmed at how quickly it’s growing, too. He told me there are greatly exaggerated stories being spread about you.
“Lord Halensford is the only one, apart from Cedric, who knows a bit more and he has agreed to complete confidence because he is my best friend – a lifelong friend. Giles and I grew up together as boys and even went to the same schools. I trust him as much as I trust Cedric.”
“Yes,” agreed Jane, “Lord Halensford is a wonderful person and he looks like he’s very fond of you. I like Lady Elizabeth a lot, too. She’s a kind lady. I’m sorry Lady Elizabeth lost her sister Alice to the influenza.”
“Yes,” Jestyn agreed, “that was an irreparable loss. Thankfully she has another, older sister that is married and lives not far from here. Otherwise the loss would have been too devastating for her to bear.”
“Lady Elizabeth was nice to send me some clothes that belonged to Alice,” Jane said, “Alice’s clothes are my exact same size.”
“Jestyn, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Jane added. “Today I walked without the aid of the crutches and had almost no pain in my leg.”
“I wish that would be the only impediment to your return to your time. We know nothing about how the pendant brought you here, but at least we now have proof the pendant existed somewhere here.
“I know also that you are impatient with our slow ways. I can see it in your eyes, sometimes, and it saddens me, for I fear you could never agree to stay here, even if it were possible.”
“I feel like an alien here, Jestyn. I’m glad Nellie has been allowed to remain with me because most of the other servants look at me with suspicion.”
“Yes. I know that very well,” Jestyn said, “that’s why I’m very concerned for your safety. And even though I’ll hate to see you go and had a horrible feeling when I thought that if you touched the pendant you might just disappear, I will at least have the assurance that you will be safe in your own time. You run a lot of risks here. I’m certain an acquaintance of ours, Lady Millthorpe is behind a lot
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