“This isn’t real.” Jem said it flatly, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
Fatigue threatened to overwhelm her. She didn’t have to energy to fight it.
“I’ll try to get some rest,” Reese said. And maybe wake up from this nightmare.
“Me too.” Jem let his own tiredness show then. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.” Jem gave her hand a gentle squeeze and entered the now-open doorway to his chambers.
She missed him as soon as he was gone, not realizing how much his calm presence had fortified her.
“This one, miss.” The footman pointed to a door and a tiny young woman standing just inside the room. “This here is Lulu, your personal maid. If you need anything, you just tell her.”
The tiny maid bobbed a curtsy, her expression expectant and a little wary.
“I need to go home,” Reese said.
“In due time, miss,” Lulu said. “Now let’s get you out of that gown, so you can lie down for a bit. I’ve got a nice cup of tea that will help you sleep.”
Reese wondered if her lack of energy came from whatever bizarre thing had happened to her. Maybe, if it was a dream, it didn’t really matter anyway. She didn’t argue with the maid but allowed her to help Reese out of the gown.
“Now you climb into bed, miss.” Lulu tucked her in like she was a child and turned to a small table. She returned with a small demitasse teacup. “A few sips of this, and you will be right as rain.”
Reese stared at it. If she felt this bad because she had been drugged, it’d be pretty stupid to take something else.
“Youwillfeel better, miss.” Lulu put the cup and saucer next to Reese’s hand. “I promise.”
If it was a dream, it didn’t matter.
Reese accepted it. The tea had a mildly sweet bouquet and a pleasant, if unusual, taste. She took another sip and then another. Her eyelids grew heavy, and the little maid took back the cup and saucer.
“After you’ve had your rest,” Lulu said before leaving, “I’ll help you dress for dinner.”
Reese wasn’t normally a napper, but she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke, she thought at first the whole back-in-time thing had been a dream, until Lulu spoke.
“If you’ll just sit up, miss, I have something that will perk you right up.”
For a second, Reese had a surreal feeling that she had jumped down a rabbit hole. Would this potion turn her into a giant? Or maybe shrink her to the size of a mouse?
“What does it do?” she asked.
“‘‘Tis a vitality tonic.”
Reese took a sip. The pleasant flavor was different from the tea, but the biggest change came from the mild electric-like jolt that followed her first swallow. She almost expected steam to burst from her ears like in Harry Potter. The stuff kicked energy drinks back home clear down the street. Energy flowed through her, sweeping away the dreadful fatigue and clearing her mind. It also soothed her worries and made them seem trivial. Was this how Nellie made sure her accidental guests accepted what had happened?
“I could have used some of this for finals week,” she said.
“I beg your pardon, miss?”
“It’s nothing.” She finished it, a little disappointed that the second rush wasn’t as powerful as the first. When she’d finished the drink, her worry had been replaced with a sense of rightness in being there. The tonic had managed to both energize and soothe her.
“I have good news for you, miss. Two of your friends have arrived.”
“Who?” Reese slid from the bed, her heart thumping.
“A Miss Kaitlyn and a Mr. Cyrus.” The maid took the teacup before Reese dropped it
“They’re okay?” Reese asked, relieved.
“They are.”
