Whisked Away

Sample

“I shouldn’t be here” Lizzie said. “This isn’t home!”  Lizzie opened the room to where she just woke up to and looked out into the lobby. She looked around and saw two women sitting on a settee that reminded her of the one her great grandmother had in her drawing room. A light beige with big pink flowers and lots of frilly tassels on the corners. A couple of beige throw pillows strewn about the settee for comfort. The women were middle aged wearing big hats with feathers and flowers, a little showy for Lizzie’s taste.

The room had a deep red carpet in the middle of it with a desk toward one side of the wall where a fancy dressed man sat in front of it with what looked like a signature book and a monocle on his nose.

Lizzie closed the door quickly and closed her eyes “Let this be a dream, this must be a dream.”

She opened her eyes, but everything was still the same. The room that she woke in had a big bed with a brass frame, large pillows, and fluffy blankets. A table was in the corner with a plain white porcelain bowl and matching pitcher for washing and dressing screen nearby which, she can only guess housed the chamber pot and bathtub. The décor reminded her of the furniture that she used to see in the old black and white movies she loved to watch with her great grandfather when she was just a small child.

She opened the wardrobe and found beautiful dresses that were her size, and the colors were a perfect match for her complexion. Blues, sapphires and turquoise, some yellows and one that was extra pretty, peach with extra lace on the borders and lots of ruffles.

“This has got to be a dream! Where is mom and dad? My little brother? OH NO!! I am supposed to babysit him tonight! This is not good!” Lizzie exclaimed as she fell to her knees on the floor in tears.

Minutes later she gathered herself and walked out into the lobby and approached the man at the desk.

“Excuse me sir, can you tell me the date today?”

“Yes ma’am. Today be the 13th day of May 1865.”

“That’s impossible! I am not even born yet. Are you sure?”

“Yes ma’am” The man said matter of factly. “Are you ok? Ma’am are you feeling well? You look like you may swoon. Maaamm…….”

Just as the man stood up Lizzie’s world got dark, she felt herself going down and waited for the hard slam into the ground. But it never came. Instead, something, no someone strong who smelled of horse leather and something else held her.

“I got you ma’am.” Said the stranger as he swooped her up like a doll and placed her on the edge of the settee. “Do you need some water? Some air? Ma’am do here me?”

Ian had no intention of interfering with the clerk’s job on talking to this young lady, but when he walked in, he noticed her not looking too good and decided to take a closer look. And sure, enough as he got close enough, he saw her turn white and start to fall. So, he acted fast, caught her just in time before she hit the floor. He didn’t expect the jolt that coursed through him as they made contact.

She wasn’t thin but wasn’t too thick either. Real pretty, medium brown hair all pinned up with a few curls that framed her face. Couldn’t be more than 20. Have they met before? Did he know her? He would know someone like her if he met her before. But somehow, he knew he had to protect her and keep her safe. This woman was about to change his life and his heart forever.