Athena break back into a trot. They rounded a tree, and the small clearing opened before them. Drew stood in the center, helping the servants lay out a blanket and basket for their picnic.
An explosive, popping noise startled her. Athena bucked. Julia struggled to stay in the saddle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Drew fall to the ground. Horror tightened her chest. She threw herself off Athena and raced to Drew.
“Drew! No!” she cried. Screams sounded all around. Everyone in the area turned to see what had happened. A dark figure dashed off into a line of trees, but she didn’t get a good look at him, her attention was all on Drew.
He lay deathly still. His face pale. Blood poured out of a long graze at his temple.
“He’s been shot.” A crowd gathered, their voices tripping over one another, competing with the buzzing of panic in her head.
“Quick, fetch the doctor at once,” she ordered the servants. They scattered, and she knew they went to all the spots the doctor might be at this time of day.
Julia gathered Drew into her arms. He lay still, limp across her lap. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, clinging to the steady rhythm as reassurance that he would be all right. He had to be.
****
Drew groaned as a light shone directly into his eyes, his lids peeled back one at a time to experience the torture. He tried to swat the hand away, but his arm wouldn’t move.
“Mr. Engledown. I’m Doctor Isaacs. You’re at London Central Hospital. You’ve been in an accident. We’ve had to intubate—we inserted a tube into your trachea to help you breath. I’m going to remove it now so you can talk to us.” The doctor gave some instructions, and the tube was painfully removed. Dr. Isaacs checked him over and then said, “I’ll let you rest a little before we talk. You have some friends here who are eager to see you.”
He waved at the door. Drew blinked to clear his vision and stared as Chuck and Brenda entered his room.
His attempt at cursing brought on a coughing fit. The nurse put a straw to his lips with the warning to take only small sips. The water eased the burning in his throat only slightly, but he worried he’d throw up if he took any more. He waved the nurse away, and she left him alone with Chuck and Brenda.
Brenda’s eyes brimmed with tears, and Chuck had to clear his throat several times before he could speak. “Dude, that was a stupid move, jumping in front of that bus.”
Drew choked back a laugh—it would be too painful. “Saved your ass,” he croaked out. Barely.
“I’m so sorry, Drew,” Brenda said. “It’s all my fault. I got this feeling that you needed to be there. I had no idea what would happen. I swear.” She brushed a tear off her cheek and squeezed his hand.
“Go back.” He had to get back to Julia. Last he remembered was seeing her approach and admiring the way she looked atop the sleek black horse. Then a gunshot, searing pain in his head, and everything went black.
“Back? Back where?” Chuck frowned, confusion evident in his expression.
Brenda’s face turned thoughtful. “Did you go somewhere, Drew?” An eager light glinted in her eye. What did she know?
He nodded.
Brenda clapped her hands, a delighted smile on her face. “Tell us.”
The story took a while to tell. He stopped frequently for small sips of water to soothe his throat. Chuck looked incredulous, but Brenda soaked up the story. He could tell she believed every word he said.
“Time travel. Marvelous!” she exclaimed when he’d finished. “I’d always believed it possible, but it’s so rare. The circumstances must all align perfectly for it to happen.”
He gave her a questioning look. His voice had given out on him.
“This Lord Payne you replaced, he must have been you from a past life. That’s why you share the same name, if not the title. And because of your selflessness in saving Chuck from that bus”—she paused to smile at Chuck—“you’ve
An explosive, popping noise startled her. Athena bucked. Julia struggled to stay in the saddle. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Drew fall to the ground. Horror tightened her chest. She threw herself off Athena and raced to Drew.
“Drew! No!” she cried. Screams sounded all around. Everyone in the area turned to see what had happened. A dark figure dashed off into a line of trees, but she didn’t get a good look at him, her attention was all on Drew.
He lay deathly still. His face pale. Blood poured out of a long graze at his temple.
“He’s been shot.” A crowd gathered, their voices tripping over one another, competing with the buzzing of panic in her head.
“Quick, fetch the doctor at once,” she ordered the servants. They scattered, and she knew they went to all the spots the doctor might be at this time of day.
Julia gathered Drew into her arms. He lay still, limp across her lap. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, clinging to the steady rhythm as reassurance that he would be all right. He had to be.
****
Drew groaned as a light shone directly into his eyes, his lids peeled back one at a time to experience the torture. He tried to swat the hand away, but his arm wouldn’t move.
“Mr. Engledown. I’m Doctor Isaacs. You’re at London Central Hospital. You’ve been in an accident. We’ve had to intubate—we inserted a tube into your trachea to help you breath. I’m going to remove it now so you can talk to us.” The doctor gave some instructions, and the tube was painfully removed. Dr. Isaacs checked him over and then said, “I’ll let you rest a little before we talk. You have some friends here who are eager to see you.”
He waved at the door. Drew blinked to clear his vision and stared as Chuck and Brenda entered his room.
His attempt at cursing brought on a coughing fit. The nurse put a straw to his lips with the warning to take only small sips. The water eased the burning in his throat only slightly, but he worried he’d throw up if he took any more. He waved the nurse away, and she left him alone with Chuck and Brenda.
Brenda’s eyes brimmed with tears, and Chuck had to clear his throat several times before he could speak. “Dude, that was a stupid move, jumping in front of that bus.”
Drew choked back a laugh—it would be too painful. “Saved your ass,” he croaked out. Barely.
“I’m so sorry, Drew,” Brenda said. “It’s all my fault. I got this feeling that you needed to be there. I had no idea what would happen. I swear.” She brushed a tear off her cheek and squeezed his hand.
“Go back.” He had to get back to Julia. Last he remembered was seeing her approach and admiring the way she looked atop the sleek black horse. Then a gunshot, searing pain in his head, and everything went black.
“Back? Back where?” Chuck frowned, confusion evident in his expression.
Brenda’s face turned thoughtful. “Did you go somewhere, Drew?” An eager light glinted in her eye. What did she know?
He nodded.
Brenda clapped her hands, a delighted smile on her face. “Tell us.”
The story took a while to tell. He stopped frequently for small sips of water to soothe his throat. Chuck looked incredulous, but Brenda soaked up the story. He could tell she believed every word he said.
“Time travel. Marvelous!” she exclaimed when he’d finished. “I’d always believed it possible, but it’s so rare. The circumstances must all align perfectly for it to happen.”
He gave her a questioning look. His voice had given out on him.
“This Lord Payne you replaced, he must have been you from a past life. That’s why you share the same name, if not the title. And because of your selflessness in saving Chuck from that bus”—she paused to smile at Chuck—“you’ve
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