16.

Linds continued her trip into the rabbit hole as Josephine took her by the arm and led her inside. “Gracious child, We’ll have to remember you aren’t used to the heat of our summers. Let’s get you inside. It’s time for you to take an afternoon rest. You’ll come right as rain with a nap.”

She glanced over her shoulder helplessly, hoping against hope that Jon or Richie would stroll up, prayed that this was some weird joke of Richie’s to get her back. It was just his damn style too. Hire some freaking look alike to pay her back for the pranks. It HAD to be a damned prank, no one just walked a few yards and ended up back one hundred years. It defied logic and science both. It wasn’t possible.

She was taken into the exact bedroom she shared with Richie, only it was so different all of a sudden. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the room and found not one thing that reminded her of the present. There were oil lamps instead of electric, no light switches or air conditioning. As a matter of fact it looked as if everything that could prove she was in the year 2008 had vanished as if it had never existed. She moved to the closet knowing she’d find Richie hiding there ready to spring out laughing out a “gotcha” and found only dresses, and not even the ones she’d packed. There were dresses, but she’d never seen them and they were all in heavy brocades or silks. Some looked to be every day wear and some more formal and they ALL looked like they’d fit her to a tee, but they weren’t hers. What the hell was going on?

The lack of air had finally gotten to her, that was all it was. Stupid corset, stupid hoops. She’d gotten too hot and passed out. She’d wake up with Jon or Richie bending over her laughing at how she couldn’t take the pressure of being a southern belle. But why did it all feel so real? Where was her Richie?

Her eyes jerked to the door at a soft knock. Finally! Someone who could make sense of things. “Come in.”

As the door opened, she frowned. It wasn’t Celeste, or anyone she knew. Standing there before her was a girl with coffee colored skin that looked to be all of fifteen years old, and although her clothing was nice, it was extremely worn and looked to be a size or two too big. “Can I help you?”

‘’Oh no ma’am. I’s been sent to help you get comfy for your nap. Mizzus Josephine, she said she rightly declared you gots too hot ma’am. Now you just take hold of that there bedpost and Cissy will do what she wuz trained ta do.”

Lind’s brow arched at the deep south in the girls voice. “I think I can do that myself, um Cissy.’

“oh Lawsy no, iffin I don’ts helps ya Missus Josephine will have my hide.”

Good lord, what kind of woman was running this fundraiser? Well what ever type of person she was she was really into details. She motioned the girl in and graciously allowed for the ‘maid service,’ “So tell me Cissy, how long have you worked for Miss Josephine?”

Cissy glanced at the lady curiously, that was a strange question, but then Miss Livvie was a mighty strange one to begin with. She was always a muttering about time and its ripples. “Lawsy Miz Livvie ya know I been birthed here and done worked here all my life. Done and told you alls dat when Master Stephen gimme to ya.

She closed her eyes at another nail being driven into the coffin of her hope. “Right, I guess you did Cissy.” She grimaced and suffered through the young girl removing the dress; then sighed in relief as ties were loosened and she could breath again. Maybe a nap would be good, Maybe when she woke up she’d be in the right place, or at least have her good sense back.

~~~~~

She glanced up from the bed as the knock sounded at her door. Richie never knocked he just sauntered in. She groaned and pulled the covers up over her head. “Go away!”

“No can do Darlin’.” He leaned against the wall and sighed. Stubborn as always, she’d never fallen in with proper lady behavior before, that was why he’d fallen for her in the first place. “Now let me in Darlin’, I want to talk to you.”

She sighed and pulled herself from the bed, quickly finding what stood for a robe in her closet. Moving to the door she opened it slightly and once again felt the heat and charisma of the Richie look alike wash over her. “Ok talk.”

He crowded past her and into her room before turning, one brow cocking upwards quizzically. “I’m worried about you Livvie.”

She looked up into those eyes, those hauntingly familiar brown eyes and sighed. “I’m fine Ri.. err..Stephen.”

His brow arched, a little smirk playing about his lips. “Yes ma’am you sound totally fine to me.”

Linds shook her head. “Sorry I guess? I’ve just been not feeling like my self for some reason.” Well that was true, she was so not herself right now. Seems she was Olivia, whoever the hell that was.

He tugged her into his arms and brushed a kiss along the top of her hair. “Oh Livvie, its all the arguments isn’t it? It gets to me too, Francois and I never argued before, but ever since this situation arose, we can’t seem to see eye to eye.”

They were arguing? What were they arguing about? She couldn’t say, he’d know something was up then. God what could she say? Then it hit her, he was so much like Richie, and Richie had always said when he and Jon argued he felt so lost because they weren’t on the same wave length. This Stephen had to feel the same. Right? “I can imagine it’s a little bewildering, like a part of you has gone missing.”

“That’s right Darlin’, my best friend and brother and we are on opposite sides of this fight. I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

Well how about that? She had no idea either.

~~~~~

Richie glanced back the way they had walked his brow furrowing slightly. She was right there just a second ago. Where the hell had Linds gone? Turning to Jon he nudged him slightly. “Hey Frank, you seen Linds?”

He glanced over and noted the worry in his friends gaze. “Naah, but she’s probably off getting lost in the supposed romance of the place man. She’ll show up.”

Richie shook his head. It wasn’t like her to just wander off without telling him. Deep inside something felt wrong. He just couldn’t decide why. Hell they were at a fund-raiser, nothing could go wrong. Right? Right.

As they were herded back inside and into a ballroom for a photo-op his eyes moved over each of the paintings on the walls, he stopped dead. It was another painting of the same two men Linds had pointed out to them earlier, only this time they weren’t alone. His breath caught in his throat and his heart stopped beating. Nah, it couldn’t be. He almost reached out to touch the portrait, the look in the girl’s eyes caught so expertly by whoever had painted her. Loss, sadness, and fear and a glimmer of hope; it was all there in the hauntingly familiar blue eyes.

He shook his head at the fanciful thoughts. It was just too odd that somewhere over one hundred years ago men had lived that looked like him and Jon, but now there had been a woman just like Linds? It was too much to even contemplate. He forced himself away from the portrait as Jon called to him and moved quickly to his side. It was time to present their donation.