love, she stepped with Rene into the shower of lights.
She had known what to expect this time, but it was still a shock to the system. When the infinitely long step had been taken, and the light behind them blinked out, she almost fell from the dislocation of it. Rene’s strong arm around her waist kept her upright.
1 July 1810, Harrogate, Yorkshire, ENGLAND
The guest room in Foxmoor Manor looked old and threadbare to her, as she looked around her in dismay. It felt as if she had stepped back into a medieval castle. And the room was chilly, for all it was a warm summer’s afternoon outside. The Persian carpet underfoot gave little comfort from the hard floor boards beneath it. It had seemed such a modern Manor House to her a year ago, having been built only sixty years before.
She could see the valises sitting on the floor next to the four poster bed. A year ago, or was it just ten minutes ago, she had been rummaging through them, looking for some indication of Rene’s mysterious identity. It was laughable how right they had been. But Portia could never know the truth of what she had discovered in this room. No one could.
Rene reluctantly let her go, and walked to the locked door. His plan was to go back down to the library with the Journal, and she was to return to Portia’s room shortly after. She would tell Portia she had to hide in the wardrobe while he was there. It was the truth, as far as it went.
Turning the handle, he opened the door with a backward glance in her direction. Even this short separation felt like it would be eternity. He smiled sadly at her, and left. Then, trying to focus on the pleasure of seeing her baby sister again after a year, Liv followed him out, heading down the hall to Portia’s room.
As she took the corner, she found her sister hovering, her face flushed with distress.
‘Oh Liv, I was so anxious. I saw him go in. I did not know what to do, how to waylay him without making him suspicious. And then he was in there so long. I thought he might have caught you, and taken advantage of the scandalous situation,’ her sister whispered, as they both hurried the rest of the way to Portia’s room together.
‘No, he did not discover me. I heard him coming, and hid in the wardrobe. I thought he would never leave again.’ Her sister’s speech sounded so artificial to her ears, as if she had a plum in her mouth. Did Rene think that about her voice? He had never said. She wondered if her accent had changed at all during her absence. Portia didn’t seem to have noticed any differences yet. But then, she wasn’t looking for them. As far as she was concerned, her elder sister had been gone for only ten minutes.
How was she going to pull this off for the last few months of her life? She felt like a different person to the one who had left a year ago. Surely they would all see it? Surely they would tell the intimacies she and Rene had shared, when they saw them together.
‘Oh, thank heavens; I was in such a state. Did I go to your rescue or leave you there, and hope that he was a gentleman. Oh, I quite forgot. Did you find anything incriminating?’
‘No. He appears to be exactly who he says he is. I think we are making a mountain out of an mole hill. The Rene in grandfather’s journals was obviously a different man. It is a coincidence that they both shared an interest in giant worms.’
Portia cocked her head to the side, and studied her for a moment. ‘Do you genuinely think so? How easily you seem to have given up your quest for answers to this mystery. Are you sure nothing untoward happened in his room? You look different, somehow.’
Liv felt her body stiffen with fear. She forced out a little laugh. ‘Oh nonsense, sweet sister. You are letting your imagination run away with you. How could I look any different after ten minutes? He could hardly have taken my virginity in such a short time.’
‘Liv! When would you ever speak of such an indelicate subject? And how would either of us know how long it would take to lose one’s innocence?’
‘I am sorry, Portia. I quite forgot myself. Put it down to ten