I hadn’t even thought about my voluminous hat—but I took it off now, removing the large hat pin first. I handed the hatand the pin to one of the mechanics, who treated it like a small infant or some other delicate creature that might break at any moment, then I looked at Luc’s hat.
“Put it on backwards,” he said. “The goggles will fit better on your face.”
He watched as I did what he instructed. The hat was much too big for my head, and it slipped down my forehead, covering my eyes.
“Perfect!” he said with a laugh.
I made a face, though I couldn’t see him.
He reached out and set the hat farther back on my head, a grin on his face as his hand brushed my cheek. The gentle contact surprised me and made me catch my breath.
His eyes met mine, and neither of us said anything for a heartbeat. Then he handed me the goggles. “Put them on,” he said softly.
As soon as I had them in place, he turned around and settled into the metal chair in front of me.
And I finally realized how my sister had fallen in love with Luc so easily.
“Do not move—even a little,” he warned over his shoulder, drawing my thoughts to something more serious. “Any movement can throw off the balance of the aeroplane.”
“Is that what happened to Hope?”
“Oui—that is what I expect. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I said, determined not to look back now.
He told the mechanic to turn the propeller, and the motor started, causing the entire aeroplane to vibrate. I clutched the sides of the cockpit as the energy and momentum gathered.
Luc motioned for the mechanics to let go, and the aeroplane took off down the field. It was bumpy as the machine accelerated, causing my teeth to rattle—and then it left the ground and became smoother than anything I’d ever experienced.
My stomach fell as weightlessness took over and I becamebreathless. The feeling was unfathomable—almost surreal. It sent a surge of energy racing through my body, yet a serene calmness washed over me.
Luc looked back, his goggles making it hard to see his eyes—but his smile was unmistakable.
And I knew, in that instant, that my life would never be the same.
19
HOPE
JULY 7, 1692
SALEM VILLAGE
For the first time that I could remember, I woke up before Grace in 1692. The room above the kitchen was hot and humid, and I had been restless all night—something I had never experienced before. I had woken up with fitful dreams, sweating and exhausted.
But a new day was dawning, one that would hopefully bring a bit of joy to our lives. One of Susannah’s cousins was getting married in Salem Towne, and her other cousins, Benjamin and Nathaniel, were heading back to Boston after the wedding. It had been an uncomfortable visit, but thankfully, neither had made an offer for Grace or me—at least, not yet.
The wedding would be a nice change of pace. Bethiah Putnam was an older bride, and she was marrying a widower with a small child. Her family’s connection—and his—made this an important occasion, with all the wealthiest and most influential familiesin Massachusetts Bay Colony in attendance. It promised to be a reprieve from the harsh duties at the ordinary, and if I could manage it, I would use the opportunity to sneak away and find the cousin Pricilla had told us about.
Grace slept closest to the wall and was facing me. A hint of color tinted the eastern sky, outlining her cheek. Was her consciousness even now in 1912? What was she doing? Had she found Tacy? Had she decided whether she would make the trip for Armour and Company?
Did she miss me?
I couldn’t wait another moment, so I tapped her on the shoulder. “Grace,” I whispered.
She murmured something in her sleep.
“Grace,” I said again, “wake up.”
