addiction that gnawed at her heart, her soul and her common sense with every waking moment. The only peace she found from her quandary was when she slept and even that was fitful.
Harrogate had ceased to matter and, had it not been for Julie, would have suffered from lack of supervision and attention. Thanks to Sara’s friend, the sick slaves had been tended, the fields had been plowed for planting, meals planned and served, and the house kept clean. But Sara barely noticed. Her life as she’d known it before Jonathan had almost ceased to exist.
***
Over two weeks had passed since Julie had found Sara convulsed in tears. Now, Julie lay in her bed listening to the sound of Sara’s footsteps as she paced her bedroom floor, and knew that nothing she had said to her had eased Sara’s mind. Frustration at how to save her friend swamped her, robbing her of sleep. Sara was becoming weaker every day, and if Julie didn’t find something to deter her, she had no doubts that Sara would die of a broken heart.
But how did Julie stop her and make Sara see the absurdity of what she believed to be true? If she could, Julie would conjure up a way to send Sara back to Jonathan. But to do that, she’d have to believe it was possible, and she didn’t. To her thinking, time travel was a fool’s dream. Julie truly believed that Sara could see dead people. But traveling back in time? It had to have been a figment of her imagination, a dream and nothing more, and the sooner Sara accepted that, the sooner they could get her on the road to recovery.
In the meantime, Julie had to put the dilemma out of her mind and get some sleep. Otherwise, she’d be no better off than Sara and no help to her at all. Julie rolled to her side, pulled the covers over her shoulder and closed her eyes.
A heavy thud came from Sara’s room.
Without hesitation, Julie shot up in her bed, threw back the bedclothes and then raced down the hall to Sara’s room. For a fraction of a second she stared at the door. Icy fear danced up and down her spine. Terrified of what lay beyond, she grabbed the knob, turned it, and then pushed the door open.
Next to the bed lay the crumpled form of Sara. Julie rushed to her side. Her motionless body and pale face reflected Julie’s worse fear. The lack of sleep and food had finally taken its toll. She leaned over her and listened for breathing. A faint wisp of air touched her cheek. Relieved, she gathered Sara’s limp body in her arms and held her.
“Raina!” Her shrill voice echoed around the room. “Raina!”
Scant moments later, Raina raced into the room, her night clothes flapping wildly around her feet, her hair in disarray, her eyes wide and her lightened complexion relaying her fear. “Yes, Miss—” When she caught sight of her mistress’ prone body, she stopped dead. “Oh, Lawd a mercy!” She began wringing her hands.
“Raina, help me get her into bed.” Julie’s fear for her friend imbued her voice with an unrecognizable tone of command. “Now, Raina!”
Roused from her state of shock, Raina hurried to Julie’s side and helped lift Sara into the bed. Once Sara was on the bed, Raina stepped back and gawked at her mistress. “Lawd, Miss Julie, is she dead?”
Julie shook her head. “No, but I’m afraid she will be if we don’t get a doctor. Send Samuel for Dr. Norris.”
Raina made no move to do as Julie asked. She just kept staring wide-eyed at Sara’s motionless body, her shaking hands pleating and unpleating the skirt of her nightgown.
“Do as I say, Raina! Now!”
The maid ran from the room holding her muslin nightgown up to her knees. Julie clasped Sara’s cold hands in hers, trying to warm them. With concentrated intensity, she watched her friend’s chest rise and fall and silently begged her to keep breathing.
Choking back tears, she fought down the clawing fear that had claimed her body. This couldn’t be happening. Why hadn’t she seen how bad it had gotten, how truly
Harrogate had ceased to matter and, had it not been for Julie, would have suffered from lack of supervision and attention. Thanks to Sara’s friend, the sick slaves had been tended, the fields had been plowed for planting, meals planned and served, and the house kept clean. But Sara barely noticed. Her life as she’d known it before Jonathan had almost ceased to exist.
***
Over two weeks had passed since Julie had found Sara convulsed in tears. Now, Julie lay in her bed listening to the sound of Sara’s footsteps as she paced her bedroom floor, and knew that nothing she had said to her had eased Sara’s mind. Frustration at how to save her friend swamped her, robbing her of sleep. Sara was becoming weaker every day, and if Julie didn’t find something to deter her, she had no doubts that Sara would die of a broken heart.
But how did Julie stop her and make Sara see the absurdity of what she believed to be true? If she could, Julie would conjure up a way to send Sara back to Jonathan. But to do that, she’d have to believe it was possible, and she didn’t. To her thinking, time travel was a fool’s dream. Julie truly believed that Sara could see dead people. But traveling back in time? It had to have been a figment of her imagination, a dream and nothing more, and the sooner Sara accepted that, the sooner they could get her on the road to recovery.
In the meantime, Julie had to put the dilemma out of her mind and get some sleep. Otherwise, she’d be no better off than Sara and no help to her at all. Julie rolled to her side, pulled the covers over her shoulder and closed her eyes.
A heavy thud came from Sara’s room.
Without hesitation, Julie shot up in her bed, threw back the bedclothes and then raced down the hall to Sara’s room. For a fraction of a second she stared at the door. Icy fear danced up and down her spine. Terrified of what lay beyond, she grabbed the knob, turned it, and then pushed the door open.
Next to the bed lay the crumpled form of Sara. Julie rushed to her side. Her motionless body and pale face reflected Julie’s worse fear. The lack of sleep and food had finally taken its toll. She leaned over her and listened for breathing. A faint wisp of air touched her cheek. Relieved, she gathered Sara’s limp body in her arms and held her.
“Raina!” Her shrill voice echoed around the room. “Raina!”
Scant moments later, Raina raced into the room, her night clothes flapping wildly around her feet, her hair in disarray, her eyes wide and her lightened complexion relaying her fear. “Yes, Miss—” When she caught sight of her mistress’ prone body, she stopped dead. “Oh, Lawd a mercy!” She began wringing her hands.
“Raina, help me get her into bed.” Julie’s fear for her friend imbued her voice with an unrecognizable tone of command. “Now, Raina!”
Roused from her state of shock, Raina hurried to Julie’s side and helped lift Sara into the bed. Once Sara was on the bed, Raina stepped back and gawked at her mistress. “Lawd, Miss Julie, is she dead?”
Julie shook her head. “No, but I’m afraid she will be if we don’t get a doctor. Send Samuel for Dr. Norris.”
Raina made no move to do as Julie asked. She just kept staring wide-eyed at Sara’s motionless body, her shaking hands pleating and unpleating the skirt of her nightgown.
“Do as I say, Raina! Now!”
The maid ran from the room holding her muslin nightgown up to her knees. Julie clasped Sara’s cold hands in hers, trying to warm them. With concentrated intensity, she watched her friend’s chest rise and fall and silently begged her to keep breathing.
Choking back tears, she fought down the clawing fear that had claimed her body. This couldn’t be happening. Why hadn’t she seen how bad it had gotten, how truly
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