dark blond hair graying at the temples, and a quick smile from a somewhat weathered face. “Christine mentioned there was someone hurt.”
Jamie waved him in. “Yes. Michael, this is Sophie’s sister, Emma.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Michael knelt down before her.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she murmured as she shifted on the bed.
“Emma wrote that she would visit when the baby came, so we weren’t expecting her for some time. I hope it’s al right for her to stay.”
Michael chuckled. “James, this is your home as wel , you may invite whomever you please. Besides, any sister of Sophie’s wil be loved by the Simmonds women, no doubt about that.” He turned back to Emma. “Let’s see the extent of the damage.”
Michael examined Emma, and Jamie stood next to the fireplace while Sophie paced the room.
“Wel , young lady, you appear to have a nasty sprain, but nothing is broken.” Michael patted her hand. “I’l get you some ice from the icehouse at the edge of the property and you should keep your foot elevated for the next few days. I’l send Betty in with the supplies.”
“Thank you.” Emma smiled.
He gathered his medical bag and stood. “Welcome to our home, Miss Wel ington.”
The doctor left and Jamie stepped outside so that Emma could change. Sophie steadied Emma as she slid from the bed. Once Emma’s day dress was removed, Sophie loosened her laces. Sophie started to cry again and pul ed out a handkerchief just as a maid walked through the door with extra blankets and ice. Sophie gave a half-smile.
“Thank you, Betty.”
Betty wrapped Emma’s ankle with the ice, elevating her foot with a pil ow, and then quietly left the room. Sophie hugged Emma, then hugged her again, before poking her head into the hal way. Jamie stepped inside, closed the door, and pul ed a chair close to the bed for Sophie.
Emma’s hand shook as she linked her fingers with Sophie’s. “What’s real y going on? The whole story.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Jamie asked.
Emma grimaced. “I went to the library…that freakin’ room has always creeped me out. Now I know why.”
Sophie squeezed her hand. “What happened then?”
“The room disappeared. Wel , the room in front of me did.”
Emma shook her head in confusion. “I’m not making sense.
It was like I was looking through a bubble at something that wasn’t the library.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Did you see snow?”
Emma’s eyes widened. “No, a barn.”
“Real y?”
Sophie and Jamie exchanged a glance.
“What?” Emma asked.
“I saw snow,” Sophie said. “Above my bed. The ceiling disappeared.”
“And I saw a field,” Jamie said.
Emma raised an eyebrow. “In the library?”
Jamie nodded. “Yes, it was like the room had disappeared.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Emma smoothed her hand over one of the patches on the quilt. “Did you cut yourself at some point?
We found blood in the library.”
Jamie shook his head slowly. “No, I was shot.”
Emma’s head whipped up. “Excuse me?”
“I was shot.”
“Did someone break in? Or a drive by?”
Jamie lifted his shirt and revealed a puckered scar on his ribcage. “I was shot from a Civil War bul et, through the rift in time, or portal, whatever you want to cal it.”
“Shut up!”
“Weird, huh?” Sophie grimaced.
“Have we real y been sent back in time?”
“Yes.”
Emma began to shake. Sophie moved to the bed. “Shh, it’s okay, baby sister.” Sophie pul ed her close and rubbed her back.
Emma let the events of the past year and a half wash over her. “We thought you were dead.”
“I know, honey. I know.” Sophie leaned back. “Where did you end up?”
Jamie handed Emma his handkerchief and she took a deep breath and blew her nose. “I ended up in some guy’s carriage house.” Emma gasped. “Oh, my…a black boy found me…does that mean he was a slave?”
Jamie shook his head. “No, Squirt. Clayton
Jamie waved him in. “Yes. Michael, this is Sophie’s sister, Emma.”
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Michael knelt down before her.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she murmured as she shifted on the bed.
“Emma wrote that she would visit when the baby came, so we weren’t expecting her for some time. I hope it’s al right for her to stay.”
Michael chuckled. “James, this is your home as wel , you may invite whomever you please. Besides, any sister of Sophie’s wil be loved by the Simmonds women, no doubt about that.” He turned back to Emma. “Let’s see the extent of the damage.”
Michael examined Emma, and Jamie stood next to the fireplace while Sophie paced the room.
“Wel , young lady, you appear to have a nasty sprain, but nothing is broken.” Michael patted her hand. “I’l get you some ice from the icehouse at the edge of the property and you should keep your foot elevated for the next few days. I’l send Betty in with the supplies.”
“Thank you.” Emma smiled.
He gathered his medical bag and stood. “Welcome to our home, Miss Wel ington.”
The doctor left and Jamie stepped outside so that Emma could change. Sophie steadied Emma as she slid from the bed. Once Emma’s day dress was removed, Sophie loosened her laces. Sophie started to cry again and pul ed out a handkerchief just as a maid walked through the door with extra blankets and ice. Sophie gave a half-smile.
“Thank you, Betty.”
Betty wrapped Emma’s ankle with the ice, elevating her foot with a pil ow, and then quietly left the room. Sophie hugged Emma, then hugged her again, before poking her head into the hal way. Jamie stepped inside, closed the door, and pul ed a chair close to the bed for Sophie.
Emma’s hand shook as she linked her fingers with Sophie’s. “What’s real y going on? The whole story.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Jamie asked.
Emma grimaced. “I went to the library…that freakin’ room has always creeped me out. Now I know why.”
Sophie squeezed her hand. “What happened then?”
“The room disappeared. Wel , the room in front of me did.”
Emma shook her head in confusion. “I’m not making sense.
It was like I was looking through a bubble at something that wasn’t the library.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Did you see snow?”
Emma’s eyes widened. “No, a barn.”
“Real y?”
Sophie and Jamie exchanged a glance.
“What?” Emma asked.
“I saw snow,” Sophie said. “Above my bed. The ceiling disappeared.”
“And I saw a field,” Jamie said.
Emma raised an eyebrow. “In the library?”
Jamie nodded. “Yes, it was like the room had disappeared.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Emma smoothed her hand over one of the patches on the quilt. “Did you cut yourself at some point?
We found blood in the library.”
Jamie shook his head slowly. “No, I was shot.”
Emma’s head whipped up. “Excuse me?”
“I was shot.”
“Did someone break in? Or a drive by?”
Jamie lifted his shirt and revealed a puckered scar on his ribcage. “I was shot from a Civil War bul et, through the rift in time, or portal, whatever you want to cal it.”
“Shut up!”
“Weird, huh?” Sophie grimaced.
“Have we real y been sent back in time?”
“Yes.”
Emma began to shake. Sophie moved to the bed. “Shh, it’s okay, baby sister.” Sophie pul ed her close and rubbed her back.
Emma let the events of the past year and a half wash over her. “We thought you were dead.”
“I know, honey. I know.” Sophie leaned back. “Where did you end up?”
Jamie handed Emma his handkerchief and she took a deep breath and blew her nose. “I ended up in some guy’s carriage house.” Emma gasped. “Oh, my…a black boy found me…does that mean he was a slave?”
Jamie shook his head. “No, Squirt. Clayton
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