help me get a rail ticket, but said something about having to spend a fortnight in 1875 to do it.”
“Bloody hell,” Sam said. “Who is this bloke? A time traveling crime fighter?”
“More like time traveling bonehead,” Evie said, still bitter that the man hadn’t helped her rescue Piper. “He lost one woman in time, then brought the wrong one back when he didn’t even remember what she looked like.”
Catie giggled. “Well, we both have blonde hair,” she said.
Evie sighed and got back to the list. “So far there’s spells and portals. We used to think it was only the castle grounds, but it clearly works in London. Where were you again?”
“Belmary House. It’s a grand house that still stands, but it’s all closed up now.”
Evie got on her phone and looked up Belmary House with shaking hands. It took two tries to type it in correctly and several old news items popped up. “Oh my gosh, an actress went missing there a few months ago.” She looked at Catie, who stopped in her tracks.
“Elizabeth Burnet?” Catie asked, going pale.
“The very same.”
The doorbell rang and Catie jumped, quickly handing Magnus over to Evie. “Ah, that’ll be for me, sorry.”
“How does anyone know you’re here?” Evie asked incredulously.
Catie looked guilty and held up her phone. “I used the texting, if that’s all right with ye? Shane’s going to take me to lunch since he has the day off.”
Evie marveled at how easily she picked up the technology of the day.
“Shane Brodie?” Sam stood up and glared in the direction of the front door.
“It’s okay, he works at the estate,” Evie told him, suppressing a smile at his protective nature.
“Aye, I know the lad, Evelyn. That’s why I’m concerned.” He turned to Catie. “Isn’t he a bit old for you?”
“He’s only two years older than me. I was about to be betrothed in my own time. I think going to lunch willna ruin me.”
Evie clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Sam’s face after Catie’s teenagerly retort. She’d never seen him go quite so red. He opened his mouth to say something more but Catie was already heading for the door, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She swung it open, her face turned radiantly pretty by the first smile Evie had seen on her.
The tall redhaired boy Evie sometimes saw around the estate waved at them and took Catie by the hand, leading her to his beat up old car. As soon as the front door closed, Evie and Sam raced down the hall, pressing their noses to the window to watch them drive toward the village.
“Is this okay? Should we have let her go?” Evie asked.
“Certainly she’s old enough to make her own decisions,” Sam said, nervously adding, “Isn’t she?”
“I don’t know,” Evie wailed, pacing down the hall to the living room.
Sam followed, settling Magnus in his bouncy seat. He sank onto the comfy sofa and pulled her down next to him. Evie rested her head against his shoulder.
“So now we have a teenager living with us,” Sam said. “How did that happen again?”
“She seemed so upset over there, and you know how I get when I’m pregnant.”
“Aye, you’re always pregnant these days,” he teased, resting his hand on her still flat belly.
She sighed and covered his hand with her own. “Yes, how did this happen again, actually?” she mused.
He laughed. “Well, if you can’t recall, perhaps I’m doing something wrong.”
“You do all right,” she told him, snuggling closer and making faces at Mags. “Having Catie around will be good practice for the future. Mags will always be an angel, I’m sure of it. But this second one will probably be our little demon child. Second children are notorious bad seeds.”
He flicked her forehead, then dropped a kiss in the spot. “That’s not cool. You know I’m second born, and I’ve never caused any trouble.”
They sat watching Magnus gum the toys attached to his bouncer. She began to have second
“Bloody hell,” Sam said. “Who is this bloke? A time traveling crime fighter?”
“More like time traveling bonehead,” Evie said, still bitter that the man hadn’t helped her rescue Piper. “He lost one woman in time, then brought the wrong one back when he didn’t even remember what she looked like.”
Catie giggled. “Well, we both have blonde hair,” she said.
Evie sighed and got back to the list. “So far there’s spells and portals. We used to think it was only the castle grounds, but it clearly works in London. Where were you again?”
“Belmary House. It’s a grand house that still stands, but it’s all closed up now.”
Evie got on her phone and looked up Belmary House with shaking hands. It took two tries to type it in correctly and several old news items popped up. “Oh my gosh, an actress went missing there a few months ago.” She looked at Catie, who stopped in her tracks.
“Elizabeth Burnet?” Catie asked, going pale.
“The very same.”
The doorbell rang and Catie jumped, quickly handing Magnus over to Evie. “Ah, that’ll be for me, sorry.”
“How does anyone know you’re here?” Evie asked incredulously.
Catie looked guilty and held up her phone. “I used the texting, if that’s all right with ye? Shane’s going to take me to lunch since he has the day off.”
Evie marveled at how easily she picked up the technology of the day.
“Shane Brodie?” Sam stood up and glared in the direction of the front door.
“It’s okay, he works at the estate,” Evie told him, suppressing a smile at his protective nature.
“Aye, I know the lad, Evelyn. That’s why I’m concerned.” He turned to Catie. “Isn’t he a bit old for you?”
“He’s only two years older than me. I was about to be betrothed in my own time. I think going to lunch willna ruin me.”
Evie clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Sam’s face after Catie’s teenagerly retort. She’d never seen him go quite so red. He opened his mouth to say something more but Catie was already heading for the door, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She swung it open, her face turned radiantly pretty by the first smile Evie had seen on her.
The tall redhaired boy Evie sometimes saw around the estate waved at them and took Catie by the hand, leading her to his beat up old car. As soon as the front door closed, Evie and Sam raced down the hall, pressing their noses to the window to watch them drive toward the village.
“Is this okay? Should we have let her go?” Evie asked.
“Certainly she’s old enough to make her own decisions,” Sam said, nervously adding, “Isn’t she?”
“I don’t know,” Evie wailed, pacing down the hall to the living room.
Sam followed, settling Magnus in his bouncy seat. He sank onto the comfy sofa and pulled her down next to him. Evie rested her head against his shoulder.
“So now we have a teenager living with us,” Sam said. “How did that happen again?”
“She seemed so upset over there, and you know how I get when I’m pregnant.”
“Aye, you’re always pregnant these days,” he teased, resting his hand on her still flat belly.
She sighed and covered his hand with her own. “Yes, how did this happen again, actually?” she mused.
He laughed. “Well, if you can’t recall, perhaps I’m doing something wrong.”
“You do all right,” she told him, snuggling closer and making faces at Mags. “Having Catie around will be good practice for the future. Mags will always be an angel, I’m sure of it. But this second one will probably be our little demon child. Second children are notorious bad seeds.”
He flicked her forehead, then dropped a kiss in the spot. “That’s not cool. You know I’m second born, and I’ve never caused any trouble.”
They sat watching Magnus gum the toys attached to his bouncer. She began to have second
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