raised a thin eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
“Um, it means I support your decision to do whatever you want.”
She smiled widely. “I think I like you, Maggie Edwards.” She continued to question me about the future, but everything was innocent enough. We stayed away from big events and too specific details until all of my hair was pinned just the way she wanted it. “Now that should set by morning and you will be ready to present as a proper lady. I will stop by to help you dress. Also let me do the talking.” She let herself out of my room and I dressed for bed in my borrowed silk pajamas. I knelt beside the bed and prayed for Olivia to come rescue me. As the seconds ticked away into minutes that gave way to hours, panic started to take hold. I couldn’t stay here for a month. Holden and Olivia at least had guessed where I was and Phoenix was working from the other end to get me back. Maybe Boone would be able to sense me better than the others. Somehow, I had to reach them. I just had to.
Sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed, I gave up completely on panicking. It wasn’t going to get me anywhere; instead I focused on what I could control. Josephine and I would keep trying to reach into the past, but we needed help. Someone with more knowledge of the Abyss than I had and there was only one person to help with that.
Baker. Holden had been completely right. He was alive and in Chicago and I was willing to bet Baker had always been a good person—unlike Holden, who from what I understood of his past, was the last person I should ever hope to run into. Also, if anyone would believe a crazy story like this it was Baker. He’d love the newness of this problem, if it even was a new problem. Maybe loads of people from the future accidentally got stuck in the past and he’d have an easy solution, one that would result in my getting home before Izzy had a chance to file a missing person report.
So all I had to do was find Baker. Relief washed over me. He shouldn’t be that hard to track down. I knew the places he liked in the city and that he’d been hanging around the North Side Gang at this point. After he finally told me about the Abyss and what he was, he loved to share stories of the good ol’ days when he ran with O’Banion. So long as his 1923 self wasn’t that different from the way he was when I knew him, he’d help me in a heartbeat.
My stomach fluttered at the knowledge that I would get to see him again. But it also brought Phoenix back to mind. He loved me. The butterflies in my stomach fell dead, replaced with dread and fear. I had a month to figure out how I felt about him and whether or not I would have to break his heart.
Chapter 9
I got up, mostly satisfied with my plan, while consciously ignoring the Phoenix issue. I laid out everything I needed to wear and eyed it with wary respect. Women today got off so much easier than women back then. I was just putting on Josephine’s too small shoes when there was a soft knock at the door. Josephine was on the other side, looking just as refreshed as she had the night before.
“Good, you are awake. I like an early riser. You must be like me. I function perfectly well on three hours of sleep a night, but if I miss it I am a veritable bear.” She grinned as she came into the room, carrying two bags. “I decided that we should put on a little show for the housekeeper to explain your arrival. You will pretend to have arrived early this morning and then have breakfast with me. Now I think you will be our cousin on Mother’s side. We hardly know them at all. Jeanette will have no idea whether or not you are.” She motioned toward the small bench in front of the vanity. “Sit.”
I sat at the dressing table again and she worked on my hair and makeup until I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. She pinned the ends of my hair underneath, giving me a mock bob, and positioned soft curls around my face and neck. Matte foundation,
“Um, it means I support your decision to do whatever you want.”
She smiled widely. “I think I like you, Maggie Edwards.” She continued to question me about the future, but everything was innocent enough. We stayed away from big events and too specific details until all of my hair was pinned just the way she wanted it. “Now that should set by morning and you will be ready to present as a proper lady. I will stop by to help you dress. Also let me do the talking.” She let herself out of my room and I dressed for bed in my borrowed silk pajamas. I knelt beside the bed and prayed for Olivia to come rescue me. As the seconds ticked away into minutes that gave way to hours, panic started to take hold. I couldn’t stay here for a month. Holden and Olivia at least had guessed where I was and Phoenix was working from the other end to get me back. Maybe Boone would be able to sense me better than the others. Somehow, I had to reach them. I just had to.
Sitting cross-legged in the center of the bed, I gave up completely on panicking. It wasn’t going to get me anywhere; instead I focused on what I could control. Josephine and I would keep trying to reach into the past, but we needed help. Someone with more knowledge of the Abyss than I had and there was only one person to help with that.
Baker. Holden had been completely right. He was alive and in Chicago and I was willing to bet Baker had always been a good person—unlike Holden, who from what I understood of his past, was the last person I should ever hope to run into. Also, if anyone would believe a crazy story like this it was Baker. He’d love the newness of this problem, if it even was a new problem. Maybe loads of people from the future accidentally got stuck in the past and he’d have an easy solution, one that would result in my getting home before Izzy had a chance to file a missing person report.
So all I had to do was find Baker. Relief washed over me. He shouldn’t be that hard to track down. I knew the places he liked in the city and that he’d been hanging around the North Side Gang at this point. After he finally told me about the Abyss and what he was, he loved to share stories of the good ol’ days when he ran with O’Banion. So long as his 1923 self wasn’t that different from the way he was when I knew him, he’d help me in a heartbeat.
My stomach fluttered at the knowledge that I would get to see him again. But it also brought Phoenix back to mind. He loved me. The butterflies in my stomach fell dead, replaced with dread and fear. I had a month to figure out how I felt about him and whether or not I would have to break his heart.
Chapter 9
I got up, mostly satisfied with my plan, while consciously ignoring the Phoenix issue. I laid out everything I needed to wear and eyed it with wary respect. Women today got off so much easier than women back then. I was just putting on Josephine’s too small shoes when there was a soft knock at the door. Josephine was on the other side, looking just as refreshed as she had the night before.
“Good, you are awake. I like an early riser. You must be like me. I function perfectly well on three hours of sleep a night, but if I miss it I am a veritable bear.” She grinned as she came into the room, carrying two bags. “I decided that we should put on a little show for the housekeeper to explain your arrival. You will pretend to have arrived early this morning and then have breakfast with me. Now I think you will be our cousin on Mother’s side. We hardly know them at all. Jeanette will have no idea whether or not you are.” She motioned toward the small bench in front of the vanity. “Sit.”
I sat at the dressing table again and she worked on my hair and makeup until I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. She pinned the ends of my hair underneath, giving me a mock bob, and positioned soft curls around my face and neck. Matte foundation,
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