Read Online Back to the Fuchsia by Melanie James - Free Book Online Page A

did. You must have been here only an hour before me.”
    “No. I’m sure I’ve been here two days. But think about it. If we somehow fell through a time travel portal separately, we could have ended up decades or centuries apart. Lucky for us, we ended up this close together.” Jessica smiled.
    “You’re absolutely right, Jessica. One should always look on the bright side. You mentioned stepping in some of the spilled paint. That paint is nothing Sherwin Williams came up with. It’s a special shade of fuchsia I created with witchcraft.”
    “And we have to figure out how to get back home.”
    “I have the feeling it’ll be more difficult than it was to get here. We should start by getting out of here and finding Darcy.”
    “Who’s Darcy?”
    “My familiar or witch-cat, as I like to call her. She came through with me, only she managed to escape into the woods when the Duke of something - or - another and his pack of hunting dogs happened upon us. What do you think of him? He’s awful cocky, but I have to admit, he certainly has the looks to back up his smart-talking mouth.”
    “Oh, God, yes. He’s mouthwatering, but he’s more like the Duke of Cheesiness. If I hear him say, ‘That is what she sayeth’ one more time, I’m going to punch him in the throat.”
    Jessica paused, she silently looked off into the distance, like someone had flipped a switch and shut off her brain.
    I knew that look. I do the same thing when I’m thinking really hard.
    “What is it? I can tell you just figured out something important.”
    “I was wondering why the portal brought us both to this particular place and time. I just realized something, Gertie. The romance novels I’ve been reading—uh, I have them here in my backpack.”
    She rummaged around in her pack until she waved a book in each hand.
    “Here are two Regency romance books: ‘Baring it for the Baron’ and something a little naughtier, ‘Dicked by the Duke’. Both of these stories are set in England, back in the days when Henry VIII went through wives like he was working his way through a box of Krispy Kremes. It’s the same era we’re in now. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, do you?”
    “It can’t be a coincidence. No doubt in my mind. Books can have their own powerful magic, that’s for sure. For example, Leigh has a magic desk and everything she writes on it becomes reality. In this case, it’s completely different. You had the books, so that must have set the date and location for our time travel.”
    “Thank God I wasn’t carrying a book set during the time of the black plague!”
    “That’s for sure. All right, Jessica, we need to find a witch or wizard that might know a way to time travel home. I’m sure there are some here. The only problem is, they’ll be in hiding. I’ve read, back in the past, witchcraft was punishable by death. And I don’t know about you, but going back in time only to get burned at the stake wasn’t on my to-do list for today.”
    “We better not try to escape right away, they’ll send those hounds after us. Then we’ll never find a witch or wizard.”
    “Good point. So we just go along with the events here, all the while looking and listening for any clues or talk about magic. That should give us a place to start.”

Chapter 12
    Brain Drained
    J essica and I didn’t have to wait long before another astounding event occurred. One more familiar face arrived at our room, accompanied by several young women carrying dresses.
    The red-haired newcomer was unexpectedly somber. “The king and a visiting monarch will be holding a feast tonight. These ladies have proper dresses for you.”
    I winked at her and whispered, “Ezzy! Thank God you found us. Don’t worry, I won’t let them know who you are. Great disguise by the way.”
    “Ezzy? Who is Ezzy? What in the world are you talking about?”
    I smiled and replied with a knowing wink. Pulling Jessica aside, I let her in on our rescuer.
    “Pssst.