“Hi.”I approach the first woman I see, a woman behind a desk.She’s wearing a plain dress, without any of the ornamentation that I’ve gotten used to being around aristocrats.It’s comforting to be around people who don’t need to dress up, because they’re going to be surrounded by books.And books don’t judge if you go for comfort over style.“Sorry to disturb you.I’m looking for the librarian.”
“You have just found her.”Then she slides a look past me to my companion.“Are you a student here?”
“No.But we heard this is one of the best libraries in London.”
The woman snorts, not believing anyone would give the women’s college its due.Which, to be fair, no one during this time has said that.ButIhave said it, albeit in 2025.So it’s also not a complete lie.
I try again.“I would really appreciate any help you could give us.”
The woman looks back and forth at us.I smile and try to step in front of Leo, thinking tall thoughts as if I can will myself more inches to hide him.Any smart woman would realize he’s full of shit, and I need her to believe we are earnest humans who deserve her help.
Not rakes.
Whether we present a trustworthy appearance, or she doesn’t have anything else to do, she closes the book in front of her.“What can I help you with?”
Now that the easy part is over, I have to explain the next bit.I take a seat across the table from the librarian.“I would like to learn about…” I look around, sure that this is when I get arrested for being a heretic.I lean in closer to the woman and Leo leans in closer to me from behind until his breath is making my hair flutter.“…time travel.”
CHAPTER16
Ifeel more than see Leo’s sharp breath.There goes any attraction he might have had for me, now that I’m going around suggesting the impossible.
And there’s still a chance he’ll tell on me.But I’m desperate now, with no way home in sight.So I’m going to have to trust him.And from the time we’ve spent together, he doesn’t seem malicious.A little frivolous and irresponsible, sure.
But he cares about his sister, and about his tenants too.
And I’m running out of time as that letter saying I’m no royal gets closer.
But I can’t worry about any of that right now.It’s the reaction in front of me that I need to focus on.Because if she doesn’t take this seriously or know how to help, then even sort of admitting I’m a time traveler in front of Leo was a waste.
The librarian sits back in her seat, crossing her arms and considering me.She’s not even looking at Leo anymore, focusing all her curiosity on me.
“H.G.Wells has recently published a book on time travel calledThe Time Machine.And he’s already written a short story on the subject called ‘The Chronic Argonauts.’”
“Yes.In fiction.”But he focuses more on the critique of his industrial society, using time travel as a literary device more than a scientific theory.Just like Mark Twain did inA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,published six years before the date I’m in now.“Do you know if anyone’s studying it or thinking of it as ascientificconcept?”
“Time travel doesn’t exist.”
“No.Of course not.”I force a laugh past my lips that I think might sound more maniacal than comforting.“Wouldn’t that be wild?”I keep up the tight smile and attempt to throw a look at Leo, who is looking back at me without any expression on his face.I didn’t even know the usually expressive man could do that.Again, no time to worry about that.
“It’s interesting.And we’ve got to study something before we can completely rule it out.Maybe we’ll discover something else.Electricity seemed like a wild concept at one time and now we can light rooms without fire,” I say.They’re not well lit, but points for trying.
The people around me respond to my babbling about as well as expected.More blank stares.So I fix a smile on my lips and hope the librarian says something helpful.Something that will send me home and make this trip and awkwardness worth it.
“You’re incredibly lucky,” she says.Well, the universe tore me out of the comfortable present and into the corsets of the past (both as a metaphor for what this time does to women and also, actual corsets).So, I’ll reserve judgment vis a vis my alleged luck.“I think I might know someone who is studying physics and has an interest in time travel.Up at King’s College, in Cambridge.”
“That’s fantastic,” I breathe out in relief.
“I cannot guarantee he’s accomplished anything.No one believes he will find anything, but we are all watching and gossiping about his attempts.”
“Can you give me his name?Maybe I can visit him and talk about his findings.”
The librarian writes something down and then hands me the paper.“Here’s his full name.”The paper saysAndrew Huxley.“Good luck with your search.”
“Thank you,” I say.
I slip the sheet with a possible solution into my purse and turn to Leo, but his face reveals nothing.Instead of walking back to the entrance and to Anne, I take a few turns through bookshelves until we’ve gone deeper into the library, where even less light gets in and the smell of old books overtakes everything.
A comforting smell for an uncomfortable situation.At least Leo can’t yell in the library.It’s against the rules.
