Bitter Oath (New Atlantis)(11)

‘Portia!’ Liv admonished in shock, even though that was exactly her thoughts when Rene looked at her. They were fuller lips than most men she knew, but not too full or red to be obscene.

‘Do not Portia me. I saw you looking at him like a cat watching a bird. That is, when you are not both studiously avoiding looking at each other. That alone was a giveaway. He is not here for the journals, sister dear.’

‘Do not be daft, of course he is. And even if he was interested, before he arrived, father’s attitude would have to have put him off. But all of this begs the issue. If it was not a relative or ancestor who accompanied grandfather on his expedition, who was it? Do you think he has found the fountain of youth in his travels?’

Portia became serious for a moment as she considered the evidence. ‘Yes, it would seem our theory that he was this Rene’s lost family member has to be discounted. The description and the interest in the earthworm, not to mention the name, all lead to the only conclusion possible. This Rene is the same person who travelled the west with grandfather, sixty years ago.’

‘Do we challenge him on it? He will certainly find the references to himself in the Journals, soon.’

‘Has his luggage been taken to his room yet?’ Portia asked

‘Yes. Jenny has put him in the guest room at the far end of the corridor. Why?’

‘Because I think you need to go through his things to see if there is any evidence that might lead to another solution to this mystery.’

‘Portia!’

‘What? I can’t do it. I am an engaged lady. You are the one who brought him here. You must find out who he is and what he really wants. If you don’t ask him directly, then we have to use indirect means.’

For a moment, Liv considered Portia’s outrageous suggestion. To go into a man’s bedroom and look through his possessions was both indecent and immoral. But it was a better alternative to a direct, full-on assault. The only other alternative was to forget the mystery and just enjoy his visit. But if he finds the description of himself in the journals, and realises they had read them, what might he do to protect his secret?

With a reluctant nod, Liv agreed. They could expect Rene to be in the library for a few hours yet. He would not need to go to his room to change until dinner.

‘I will do it now, if I must. But I do not like it one bit. To invade his privacy in such a way is ignoble, at the very least.’

‘Stop complaining, and just treat it like a scientific observation of an unusual phenomenon. Get in, do the search, and get out. Easy!’

Liv left her sister’s room without another word, determined to get it over with as soon as possible. He wouldn’t have brought much with him, as he would only be expected to stay a few days – a valise or two, at most. It should take very little time to have a cursory glance through the luggage. Her face burned as she considered what she might find in the way of intimate apparel. She had no idea what men wore under their outer garments. The thought of what lay beneath Rene’s dark clothes made her squirm.

She opened and closed his bedroom door quietly, and got to work. There were two valises on the bed, which young George would probably put away shortly. If she’d had her wits about her, she would have had him do it first. Then it would feel less of an invasion. But she was here now, and as she opened the first bag, her heart pounding in her chest, she got down to business. One way or another she was going to solve the mystery that was Rene L’Angley.



God, it was worse than he suspected. Hugo had written at length of Rene’s involvement in the expedition. He’d even described Rene in detail. Only to be expected from a keen observer, he supposed, but if anyone who knew him here should read this…

Liv hadn’t said she’d read the journals recently. It might yet be safe.

He stopped for a moment to savour her diminutive name – Liv. It suited her in a way that her full name didn’t. She was as sensible and practical as ‘Liv’ sounded, and not at all starchy and formal as Livianna implied. But it was that other meaning that gave the pet name its spirit – to live. She did live – in a vital and engaging manner.

But not for much longer, came the ominous refrain. His gut clenched at the thought.

She was more beautiful than he remembered. He had half expected, and secretly hoped, she would be less so, considering how the imagination tended to embroider reality over time. But not Liv. She was still as pretty and pert as the image he held in his mind had portrayed her. Even though her sister had dominated the conversation most of the day, he had seen her humour and intelligence shining through.

Being with her hurt. Even though Jane had encouraged him to do this, she couldn’t have known how much it would hurt. If she had, she would have helped him forget her. Thoughts of her life cut short filled him with terror. It was a mistake to have come here, knowing what he did about her future.

He needed to get away from here for a while, so he could consider his options. There were the journals and his feelings to sort out before he saw her again. If he Jumped home with the Journals, he could seek the advice of the Committee before he took action. And the longer they took to consider, the longer he could postpone seeing her again. During that time, he could reflect on the time they had spent together so far, paw over every word and every expression, until they were stored forever in his memory. Then he could come back and collect more seeds for his lonely future.

God he was a sap. This maudlin romantic he’d become was not him at all. The longer it went on, the more convinced he was that Jane had the truth of it. He’d fallen in love at first sight, and all his carefully controlled and archived emotions had come pouring back – out of control. Totally out of control.

Rene closed the journal of 1850 with a snap, and stood up. Before he changed his mind, he needed to head for his room. The PA was in his coat pocket, but he would need the privacy of his room to activate it. If anyone asked, he would say he was weary after his long journey, and needed a nap. Locking his door would be essential. He would be gone and back before anyone noticed, and yet he could have had the break he needed to sort through his disordered emotions.

With quick, economical movements, he opened his door, pulled out the PA, set it to triangulate his GPS, as he locked the door behind him, and then activated the device. The light and hum was startling in the darkened room, but not enough to attract attention from beyond these walls. He put the journal under his arm, and stepped through the shower of sparkling lights.





Autumn 2334, New Atlantis GAIAN CONFEDERACY



Rene wasn’t sure when he first became aware that he was not alone in the Portal. It wasn’t as if he could see anything. But, by the time the slow motion seconds had passed and he stepped out into Start Point, he knew he wasn’t alone. He looked over his shoulder, and saw Liv Mulgrave falling toward him.

Fast reflexes had him reaching out to catch her before she crashed onto the stone dais. While he righted her on her wobbly legs, he tried to take in the enormity of what had just happened.

He had somehow Retrieved an unsanctioned Target. And she was not just any Target. She was the woman who turned his gut to jelly; the woman who would be dead by October.

She was the woman who had to be dead by October 1810.

How had she followed him? He was sure he’d been alone in that room, and had locked the door behind him.

‘Rene?’ Jane’s voice seemed to settle the chaos of his thoughts, and he turned to look down at the red head at the bottom of the stone stairs. She looked shocked and confused, just as he was. From her perspective, it had only been ten seconds since he’d left and returned.

Determined to provide what moral support she could, Jane had insisted on accompanying him to the cavern that morning. Julio had made a point of tagging along, and in a way, that had been better. If Jane had been on her own, he might have fallen into another emasculated heap, from which she would have felt obliged to rescue him. He didn’t like being pitiful. He didn’t want to be seen as needy, as he made this journey back to meet his dying love.

Jane broke away from Julio’s proprietary arm, and raced up the stairs. She grabbed Liv by the arm he was not holding, adding her support to the wavering woman.

‘You’re okay. Just breathe. You’re wobbly and disorientated, but that will pass quickly. You are safe. Don’t think about anything but that you are safe.’ Jane spoke gently but firmly, and the look Liv gave her said it was just what she needed to hear.

Rene felt helpless and overwhelmed. What was happening here? Could he get her back to her time before she realised what had happened? Would she Crash and Burn? What would the Start Point cavern look like to an early 19th Century woman, unprepared for it? Nothing would look familiar. Her brain wouldn’t be able to process what had occurred.

‘Did you mean to bring her through?’ Jane asked him, as he stared at Liv in stunned silence. He shook his head, unsure he could find words quite yet. He didn’t usually suffer the ‘jet lag’ many Jumpers underwent after a trip through time, but at this moment, that was exactly what seemed to be happening to him.