Tuesday.”
“That’s in two days,” Abigail exclaimed.
“Yes, it is. So now I need your help to think of questions we want to ask her.”
She nodded and sat in her usual chair. “The first one should be how she acquired the building.”
He shook his head. “No, how she acquired the money to buy the building.”
“You’re right, of course. But then, wouldn’t that sound too forward? I mean we don’t know this woman. Should we be so bold with our questions?”
Nick picked up a pencil and tapped the eraser on his chin. “Smart thinking, Abby. Perhaps I should start out by telling her that I’ve been researching the building and discovered she owned it in 1917.”
Abigail nodded. “That’s a great beginning.”
“Then I could casually mention it surprised me to learn that such a young woman owned the building, because it was almost unheard of back in those days.”
“You’re thinking very logically. And with that question, it may lead her to reveal how she came to own it.”
“I sure hope it does.” He sighed and sat forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I wish you could go with me.”
Abigail sighed. “Me too.”
During the silence, she thought back to her experiment that day. She couldn’t get to the street by herself, but last night when Nick was with her, she could. Was Nick Marshal the answer to all her prayers? Could she leave the building permanently if he was by her side?
She jumped to her feet, her heartbeat hammering out of control. She held out her hand for Nick to take, even though she knew he couldn’t. “Let’s go outside.”
“Right now? Why?”
“I want to try something.”
He pushed away from his desk and stood, then walked to her, a crooked smile playing on his mouth. “What do you want to try?”
“I want to see how far away from the building I can go.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” He opened the door for her. “Let’s go.”
Side by side they strolled down the stairs to the front door. When Nick opened the glass door for her, she smiled and gazed into his eyes.
“Not very many men of your time are so gentlemanly. I’ve been watching people a lot as of late, and I haven’t seen many men open doors for women.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t always been one of those men. It’s not until I met you that I’ve wanted to be chivalrous.”
She laughed. “And that you are, Sir Nicholas, my chivalrous knight.”
They walked toward the street, just like they’d done the night before.
“Would it be insensitive of me to ask how many girlfriends you’ve had?”
He threw back his head and laughed. Then he looked at her and said in a serious tone, “It would be very inconsiderate to ask that question, Abby.”
From the twinkle in his eyes, she knew he was teasing her and wasn’t serious at all. Then he pushed his elbow into her arm, and warmth touched the spot. When he stopped and looked at the place their bodies had connected, his forehead creased and his gaze narrowed.
“Is something amiss?” Abigail asked.
“Yes. It felt different that time.”
She gasped. “It did? How?”
“Instead of the cool mist I’m used to feeling, it was like my elbow bumped into a…well, a bubble.”
“A bubble?”
His curious eyes met hers. “Yes, a bubble. Kind of bouncy and rubbery in a way, yet soft.”
He reached his fingers slowly toward her arm. She held her breath, hoping he’d connect with something solid.
* * * *
Nick concentrated on touching her arm, and when his fingers made contact, the soft bubbly rubber sensation was there again. This couldn’t be happening. Once she was dead, there was no coming back—especially since she’d been dead for over ninety years. Unless, he really was crazy and he was losing is mind fast. If that were the case, he’d happily go to the psycho ward and be locked in a padded room, as long as Abby could be with him.
“Do you feel it?” she whispered.
“Yes, in a way. I mean, I feel something, but it
“That’s in two days,” Abigail exclaimed.
“Yes, it is. So now I need your help to think of questions we want to ask her.”
She nodded and sat in her usual chair. “The first one should be how she acquired the building.”
He shook his head. “No, how she acquired the money to buy the building.”
“You’re right, of course. But then, wouldn’t that sound too forward? I mean we don’t know this woman. Should we be so bold with our questions?”
Nick picked up a pencil and tapped the eraser on his chin. “Smart thinking, Abby. Perhaps I should start out by telling her that I’ve been researching the building and discovered she owned it in 1917.”
Abigail nodded. “That’s a great beginning.”
“Then I could casually mention it surprised me to learn that such a young woman owned the building, because it was almost unheard of back in those days.”
“You’re thinking very logically. And with that question, it may lead her to reveal how she came to own it.”
“I sure hope it does.” He sighed and sat forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I wish you could go with me.”
Abigail sighed. “Me too.”
During the silence, she thought back to her experiment that day. She couldn’t get to the street by herself, but last night when Nick was with her, she could. Was Nick Marshal the answer to all her prayers? Could she leave the building permanently if he was by her side?
She jumped to her feet, her heartbeat hammering out of control. She held out her hand for Nick to take, even though she knew he couldn’t. “Let’s go outside.”
“Right now? Why?”
“I want to try something.”
He pushed away from his desk and stood, then walked to her, a crooked smile playing on his mouth. “What do you want to try?”
“I want to see how far away from the building I can go.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” He opened the door for her. “Let’s go.”
Side by side they strolled down the stairs to the front door. When Nick opened the glass door for her, she smiled and gazed into his eyes.
“Not very many men of your time are so gentlemanly. I’ve been watching people a lot as of late, and I haven’t seen many men open doors for women.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t always been one of those men. It’s not until I met you that I’ve wanted to be chivalrous.”
She laughed. “And that you are, Sir Nicholas, my chivalrous knight.”
They walked toward the street, just like they’d done the night before.
“Would it be insensitive of me to ask how many girlfriends you’ve had?”
He threw back his head and laughed. Then he looked at her and said in a serious tone, “It would be very inconsiderate to ask that question, Abby.”
From the twinkle in his eyes, she knew he was teasing her and wasn’t serious at all. Then he pushed his elbow into her arm, and warmth touched the spot. When he stopped and looked at the place their bodies had connected, his forehead creased and his gaze narrowed.
“Is something amiss?” Abigail asked.
“Yes. It felt different that time.”
She gasped. “It did? How?”
“Instead of the cool mist I’m used to feeling, it was like my elbow bumped into a…well, a bubble.”
“A bubble?”
His curious eyes met hers. “Yes, a bubble. Kind of bouncy and rubbery in a way, yet soft.”
He reached his fingers slowly toward her arm. She held her breath, hoping he’d connect with something solid.
* * * *
Nick concentrated on touching her arm, and when his fingers made contact, the soft bubbly rubber sensation was there again. This couldn’t be happening. Once she was dead, there was no coming back—especially since she’d been dead for over ninety years. Unless, he really was crazy and he was losing is mind fast. If that were the case, he’d happily go to the psycho ward and be locked in a padded room, as long as Abby could be with him.
“Do you feel it?” she whispered.
“Yes, in a way. I mean, I feel something, but it
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