Margaret wouldn’t dare; next to Robin, she felt like a newborn babe. “Your birthday is soon. What are the customs now? Do you still give presents?” She wouldn’t have anything to give her! “I don’t—”

  Robin’s fingers tightened around her arm. “We’ll talk about birthdays later. Let’s get back to the list. You’re not ready to meet my friends yet, but we can’t leave it too long. I think the best way to explain the past month is to tell them about you.”

  Blood pounded in Margaret’s ears. “What do you mean? You’re going to tell them I’m from the past?” When Robin patted Margaret’s arm and lifted her hand, Margaret wanted to grab and cling to it.

  Robin scratched her head, then dropped her hand to her lap, much to Margaret’s disappointment. “No! I’m going to tell them I have a girlfriend—with a big G.”

  Then they’d know! But Robin had said things were different now. “All your friends know about you.”

  Robin smiled. “Margaret, most of my friends are lesbians, and the ones who aren’t don’t care about my sexual orientation. I wouldn’t want friends who don’t accept me for who I am.” She peered at Margaret’s face. “They won’t think any less of you, and we’ll already be hiding enough without hiding something we don’t have to hide. Let’s only lie when we have to, okay?”

  She nodded, but she wouldn’t believe that Robin’s friends would accept their relationship until she witnessed it with her own eyes. Surely those who weren’t like them would look down their noses.

  “Telling them we’re together will explain why you’re living here, too.”

  “We’re not married!” Margaret hissed.

  “It doesn’t matter. Tons of couples who aren’t married live together. Some raise families.”

  And nobody cared? Considering that deviants were accepted, she shouldn’t be surprised.

  “Anyway, I’ll start talking about you this week, but I’ll hold off on introducing you to anyone until at least next week.”

  Next week!

  Robin scribbled Cathy on the paper. “I’ll start with Cathy. Next to Pam, she’s my closest friend, and she’s been worried. We’ll have to come up with answers to the inevitable questions and make sure our stories are straight.”

  “What sorts of questions?”

  “When one of your friends told you she was seeing a new, uh, gentleman, what would you ask her?”

  Margaret frowned in thought. “Where they met. His profession. Where he lives.”

  Robin nodded. “Well, that hasn’t changed. Before you meet anyone, we have to come up with answers for all of those questions and anything else we think we’ll be asked.”

  Fear gripped her. “What if they ask questions of me, ones I don’t understand?”

  “I’ll be with you. That’s another good thing about introducing you as my girlfriend. It’ll allow me to support you in ways that would seem odd if you were just a friend. Friends normally don’t answer questions for each other, but couples sometimes do.”

  “Will you introduce me as Pam?”

  “No. Most of them have met Pam.” Robin suddenly barked a laugh. “And they’d be flabbergasted if I told them Pam and I are girlfriends. You only have to be Pam Holden when we’re doing something, um, legal or official, and hopefully we won’t have to do much. Otherwise, you’re Margaret Wilton.”

  I don’t know if I can do this!

  “Anyway, that’s it for my list,” Robin finished.

  “What about your family? Won’t you introduce me to them?” She would have thought they’d be at the top of Robin’s list.

  Robin cleared her throat. “Yeah . . . um, as far as my family goes, let’s wait until you’re a little more adjusted to your, uh, new situation.”

  “But—”

  “You’ll want to put your best foot forward with them, right?”

  Of course. If she and Robin were to eventually marry . . .

  “If we leave it for a bit, you’ll be less stressed out about it. As for today, all you have to do is practice Pam’s signature. My task will be to send Pam’s manager an email.” Robin set down the pen and sighed. “Pam and I had planned to relax together today, go to a café and drown our sorrows in tea and coffee. We thought we’d be missing you and Jasper.” Her eyes grew distant. “Things didn’t turn out that way.”

  Margaret swallowed. Would Robin come to wish that Pam had returned and she’d stayed behind?

  “Oh, wait!” Robin picked up the pen again. “I forgot something.” She wrote Go on a date! “I’m looking forward to that one!”

  Despite her inner turmoil, Margaret smiled. She had no idea what a date would entail, but she did know that an afternoon or evening out with Robin would be lovely. The evenings she’d sat at this table, wondering what Robin was doing upstairs, and sure that Robin would hate her if she knew . . . She’d never considered the possibility that Robin felt the same. But had she? When Robin had held out her arms to say good-bye, had she intended an innocent hug that would have meant more in her heart? Perhaps Margaret would ask her someday, when their future felt more secure than it did now.

  “Are you ready for a sandwich?” Robin asked.

  “I’ll make it. What would you like?”

  “I think there’s ham. But I can make them.”

  “No.” Margaret pushed back her chair. “I have to do something.”

  “Okay. If you think you’ll be all right on your own, I’ll go get today’s newspaper from the corner store. It will only take me five minutes.”

  Margaret’s stomach fluttered. Heavens, if being alone for five minutes frightened her, how would she cope when Robin was at university all day! She forced a smile. “I’ll be all right.”

  Robin stood and walked toward the hallway, then spun around. “Oh, there is one other thing.” Motioning for Margaret to follow her, she led her to the drawing room. “What are we going to do with that?” She pointed at the rhyme book, which still lay on the rug. “Pam and I planned to destroy it.” She paused. “But maybe we should hang onto it for a couple of full moons, in case you change your mind. Once you’re sure, we’ll burn it.”

  Margaret imagined the book screaming. She shuddered and gripped Robin’s arm. “Can you think of a reason we shouldn’t destroy it?”

  Robin blew out some air. “Well . . .”

  “What?”

  “We don’t know if you’ll suffer any ill effects from being in this time for months—years. We might want to try to send you back, if you do.”

  Margaret leaned into her and impetuously kissed her cheek. She’d learned that Robin saw a potential disaster around every corner, to the point that she’d been terrified of straying far from the guest house in 1910. “If that happens, I would rather suffer here with you, than return to a life without you.” Her resolve hardened when she felt Robin’s arm slip around her shoulders. “Let’s destroy the book today.”

  Robin twisted toward her. “Are you sure?”

  Yes. Otherwise every setback, every tear shed in grief for her family and friends, every moment of frustration, could have her turning the pages to that wretched rhyme. Oh, how she’d regret reading it when she arrived back in 1910, even if Robin returned with her. Robin’s place—their place—was here. “Yes, Robin. I’m sure.”

  *****

  Margaret stood in front of the drawing room’s fireplace and listened to the fire roar and pop as its flames leaped higher. She twisted to reach for the poker, then tutted. Robin was holding it, and it wouldn’t have been where Margaret expected it to be, anyway. This wasn’t her drawing room—yet. “May I have the poker,” she murmured.

  Gazing into the fire, Robin held it out to her.

  Margaret took it and poked at the wood. “We can do it now.”

  Robin lifted the moon rhymes book from the chair and turned to Margaret. “Are you absolutely sure? You’re probably in shock. You’ve lost so much. Maybe we should wait.”

  She met Robin’s eyes. “I know what I’m losing. I’ve explained why I won’t read the rhyme.” When Robin didn’t move, Margaret reminded herself that she wasn’t the only one affected by this decision. Was she urging Robin to burn the book to remove the choice of sending her back to 1910? “If you’d rather wait . . . if you’d feel more comfortable knowing we can use the rhyme, then we’ll wait.”

  “I’m thinking about why we might want to try to send you back. What if something goes wrong when you try to act as Pam? What if you find it too difficult to adjust?” Robin swallowed. “What if you decide you don’t want to be with me?”

  Margaret couldn’t imagine being without Robin. Recklessly kissing her before they were all sent to 1910, meeting with Robin at the guest house, planning to break her engagement and enter a nunnery . . . A woman of her time, Robin couldn’t appreciate the depth of the love that had compelled Margaret to turn her back on the norms of her time, risk ruin, and plan to bitterly disappoint her family. If anything, Robin would decide that she’d rather marry a woman from this time period. “You said you would be my family, no matter what happens between us.”

  Robin nodded. “I promise.”

  Then she would always be a part of Robin’s life; Robin took her responsibilities seriously and would never renege on such a vow. Margaret watched the dancing flames reflected in Robin’s eyes. “I don’t want to go back. From what you’ve told me about Pam and Jasper’s life, I doubt Pam wants to come back, and she has the book, if that’s not the case. If we’re truly committed to a life together, then no matter what happens, we’ll never have need of the rhyme. The book in your hands is dangerous. We should destroy it. I want us to destroy it. But I will leave the timing to you.”

  Robin blinked at her, then looked down at the book. Margaret watched her face and wondered what was running through her mind, then stepped back when Robin suddenly opened the book and tossed it facedown onto the flames. The fire hissed; the book’s cover curled; the rhyme’s words travelled up the chimney and into the sky, forever lost.

  They stood in silence until only black ashes remained, then turned to each other and embraced. Margaret rested her head on the shoulder of the woman she loved, the woman she now depended on for everything.

  What have I done?

  Chapter Four

  Robin pulled her phone from her jacket pocket as she strode from the classroom. Last night she’d phoned the landline from her cell several times so Margaret could see its number and Robin on the display. She should pick up.

  After three rings, she did. “Hello?”

  “It’s me. How are you? Is everything all right?”

  “Yes,” Margaret replied. “I’m reading.”

  “Not Dickens, I hope.” Robin smiled when Margaret chuckled.

  “No. Yesterday’s newspaper.” She paused. “I have questions.”

  “I’d be very surprised if you didn’t. Do you want to tell me one or two, just to give me an idea of how difficult they’ll be?”

  “I don’t have the list with me. Let me see . . . sunscreen, HST, airports, dog fashion shows, blogs, international space station, hacker, colon cleansing—”

  “Um, we might not get to everything tonight. We’ll have to prioritize. You can put that last one at the bottom of the list.”

  “All right. There’s more, but that’s all I remember.”

  Jesus, how many were there? “You can keep a running list. We’ll work our way through everything eventually.” Though if they never reached colon cleansing, oh well. “We have time.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  Robin’s eyes filled with tears. God, she was an emotional wreck. She’d almost broken down in class when she’d thought about phoning Pam at work to see if she could remember whether they needed bread. “I don’t suppose you know if we need bread.”

  “Yes, we do. I had a look in the pantry and all the kitchen cupboards when I was deciding what to make us for dinner.”

  “You don’t have to make dinner.”

  “I want to. Will you still be home around 4:30?”

  “Yes, but—” No, she’d let Margaret do it. If she were in Margaret’s shoes, she’d want to feel useful and keep herself busy to hold the panic at bay. “I have to go. I want to go to the library before my next class. I’ll look forward to dinner, and seeing you. You know how to phone me, right?”

  “Yes. But I’ll be all right. I’ll look forward to seeing you, too.”

  Robin’s throat tightened. Jesus! “Bye, Margaret.”

  “Good-bye.”

  Blinking back tears, Robin hung up and checked Pam’s email. Her heart pounded. Pam’s manager had replied to the email Robin had sent yesterday afternoon. She held her breath as she pulled it up:

  My god, Pam, talk about leaving me in the lurch. I’m peeved and envious! I thought the guy at Brenda’s party was engaged, but I’m not surprised. The two of you were obviously smitten with each other. His fiancée (I guess that’s ex-fiancée now LOL) must hate your guts—nope, Margaret didn’t—but when she calms down, she’ll probably be grateful they didn’t make it to the altar. Anyway, things are slow, so I can’t be too miffed, especially since you hardly ever take vacation. See you in a few days. Sue.

  Robin slowly exhaled. So far, so good. But how would the resignation letter go down, especially when Pam didn’t deliver it in person and couldn’t be reached? If someone reported her missing, she and Margaret would be in deep trouble. They shouldn’t have burned the book. Then again, they couldn’t have risked using it, not when they had no idea where Margaret—maybe both of them—would end up. If only Pam had returned with them!

  Hmm, maybe she’d send another email before the resignation letter. The photos of Jasper she’d found on Pam’s phone might come in handy. Apparently Pam hadn’t been able to resist taking them that day they’d golfed, and had failed to mention them to Robin when they’d discussed taking photos of Margaret and Jasper in their period clothing. She’d tease Pam about it, if Pam were here. Jesus! Robin blinked away another tear.

  “Robin!”

  She spun around and saw Cathy striding toward her.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in a month! What are you doing later?” Cathy frowned. “Did you do something to your hair?”

  Robin’s hand came up to touch her hair. “Nope.” When she had a minute, she’d have to call Steve and see if he could squeeze her in later in the week for a haircut.

  “It’s just that—your hair’s growing awfully fast.” Cathy’s eyes narrowed. “Or maybe it isn’t. Like I said, I haven’t seen you for a while, have I?” She sounded accusatory. “When’s your last class? Let’s grab a tea.”

  “I can’t.” Robin turned off her phone and slid it into her pocket.

  “Robin! What the fuck is going on with you?”

  She shrugged. “I have things to do.”

  Cathy gave her a long look. “Don’t bullshit me. What’s going on? If I didn’t see you around here occasionally, I’d wonder if you’d dropped off the face of the earth. When’s the last time we got together? Are you pissed at me or something?”

  Robin’s mind raced. Maybe now would be a good time to start spinning the yarns. “Okay, okay,” she sighed, “I’m seeing someone.”

  “I knew it!” Cathy smiled as her hands went to her hips. “Who is she? When do I get to meet her?”

  “Her name’s Margaret. You’ll meet her soon.”

  “Did you meet her on the Net?”

  “No.”

  Cathy’s brow furrowed. “Oh. I figured you were holed up at home chatting with someone. Where did you meet?”

  “Why don’t we tell you when we see you?” After they’d worked out that part of their story. Time to change the subject. “Margaret’s not the only reason I’ve been distracted. Pam ran off with some guy.”

  Cathy’s mouth dropped open. “What? What do you mean?”

  “She took some guy to a party a couple of weeks ago, one of her mother’s friend’s sons, I think. They hit it off—in a big way. When he went back to, um . . .” she hadn’t specified a location in her email to Pam’s manager “ . . . BC, she went with him, planning to stay for a few days. But I got an email from her last night, and it sounds like she’s not coming back.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “You want to hear the worst part? He was engaged.”

  “Holy shit!” Cathy chortled. “What are you going to do? It’s her house.”

  “Yeah,” Robin said with a sigh. “I don’t know yet. I mean, she’s not kicking me out or anything, but he’s in . . .” Jesus, what did he say at the party? Pam had said they’d told the truth when it made sense. “ . . . investments, and he’s leaving for a job in, um . . .” Think! “ . . . London—London, England—and it sounds like she’s going with him. So I don’t think she’ll be coming back anytime soon.”

  Cathy shook her head. “You know, I’m not really surprised.”

  “No?”

  “Come on, it’s Pam. She’s always been into that ‘Prince Charming will come and sweep me off my feet one day’ bullshit. And this is happening more and more these days. One of my sister’s friends flew to Calgary to meet someone she’d chatted with on the Net. They got married while she was out there and she never came back! At least Pam had actually met the guy before she fell for him.”

  This was turning out to be easier than Robin had expected, but Cathy wouldn’t have reported Pam missing, anyway. Pam’s employer was the real problem.

  “You can’t go back to your mom’s,” Cathy said.

  “I know. I’m hoping she won’t want to sell the house right away.”

  “I guess she wasn’t thinking about you when she decided to run off—not that I’d expect her to.”

  Tears threatened. Robin clenched her hands and dug her fingernails into her palms. Pam had thought of her, and Margaret. She’d dropped them in it, but she’d given them a priceless gift: the chance at a life together, and so much more for Margaret. God, she hoped Pam hadn’t regretted her decision to stay, that she’d been happy with Jasper and felt it all worth it in the end. Robin would try to find out what had happened to her, when she could think of Pam without dissolving into tears. Shit!

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20