Then maybe I’ll try America, in Victorian times.Home, but not.I can steal something from the palace to fund my travel and new life there.Call it reparations so I don’t have to feel bad about the theft.
But Leo did want to take me out on a cheer-up day.So I’ll refrain from giving myself a brain injury for at least another day.It would be rude to leave the time or the country when I’ve already made plans with Leo, is all.
Okay, decided.
One more day.Then I leave.
* * *
The next morning,Leo picks me up early and comes with a present.He hands me a bouquet of roses, which gets him a smile and a genuine thanks before I hand it to Anne.I don’t know where the flower vases are in this palace, but I don’t think Her Majesty would appreciate me putting flowers in one of her many Sevres vases.
Then Leo hands me something else, a twinkle in his eyes that he didn’t have when he gave me the flowers.I open it, and gasp in excitement.It’s the cutest, tiniest little notebook with a small pen to match.The notebook is a beautiful brown leather, with a floral pattern embroidered on the front.
“I know you will appreciate these flowers.”He points to the notebook cover.“More than the first ones.And that you might want something a little smaller for our touring today.”
“I do.”I hold the treasures closer to my chest.“I mean.The real flowers are lovely, too.It was very kind of you to bring them for me.”Wherever they are.
But I’m not handing this notebook off to anyone.I tighten my grip just in case anyone tries to take this and put in some water.
“Where are we going today?”I ask.
“The places that you talked about wanting to see.Mostly.With one surprise at the end of the day.”
“A surprise?”I groan.
“I know how you feel about surprises, but you know how I feel about surprises.I want to see your face when we get there.I think you will appreciate it, in a way that no other woman that I know would.”
“Cryptic.”I let him have it for a second.Then my natural impatience wins out.“Is it a museum?”
“Maybe in your time.But no, it is not a museum now.”
I look around to make sure Anne hasn’t gotten back from putting the flowers away.She’s not in sight and the footman is too far away to hear me, so I relax.“Hmm.In my time, we have a game called twenty questions.One person chooses an object, person, or place in this case, and the other people get to ask twenty yes or no questions and then try to guess what the item is.Can we do that?To guess what my surprise is?”
“You may ask one question an hour until we go there.It is not twenty, but you are smarter than the average person, and I do not want you to guess it too easily.”
“Agreed.Is?—”
“You have already asked your first one, and I have answered.About it not being a museum.”
Drat.So I have.“All right.That’s a start.”
“I will tell you where we are going now—the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.This is going to be a busy day, so if you want to skip something or end the day early, it is all up to you.I will not be offended.I want you to have a good day.”
“Oh, you sweet summer child.”I pat him on the shoulder.“I always travel like I might never go back to a place so I have to see everything all at once, exhaustion not allowed until the end of the day.So I will happily go anywhere and everywhere you can stand to take me.”
“And we need to leave your chaperone behind.Hence the flowers.”Leo gets up and urges me to do the same, checking to see if Anne is coming back yet.
“I’m in.”I’m still not used to having to have a chaperone, so I don’t mind ditching her.Even though she’s been nothing but nice to me.Didn’t even snitch about that whole sex thing.But I’ll be gone soon, so even if she tells on me now, it won’t have much effect.
“Excellent.Just remember, the longer you stay, the more I can show you.”Leo takes my hand and kisses the back of it as we walk quickly to his carriage, smiling so earnestly I swallow back the truth.
Because no matter what happens with my temporal location, I won’t be with the sweet man next to me.
CHAPTER29
“It’s been an hour.Does the place have food?”
Leo sighs and keeps walking through the halls of Parliament.“No.Well, there may be some, but it is not the main purpose of the location.I personally cannot remember if I have ever eaten there.”
