Lottiefinished and looked to me with a proud smile. “Don’t stress toomuch, Dianna,” she insisted and touched her fingertips to my belly.“We have everything on our side.”
“You mean wehave the wishes on our side.”
Lottierecoiled and looked away. “I didn’t mean it like that–”
“Yes, youdid,” I said. “I know what you’re all thinking and saying when I’mnot around. Why haven’t I made the wish yet, right?”
Lottie’sfingers fiddled with the hammer in her hands. “Well,” herapologetic blue eyes found mine and she shrugged, “why haven’tyou?”
I beganpacking my clothes into the trunk. “What if I make a mistake?”
“A mistake?It’s a wish, Dianna, how could you possibly do it wrong? Just askto find Maria.” She handed me the pile of clothes closest toher.
“And what ifMaria isn’t here? What if she’s nowhere near England? What then?Would a wish like that teleport me to some unknown place? Would itbackfire on us?” I swallowed hard against my dry throat. “What ifshe’s already dead? Would that kill me, too?”
Lottie’s browfurrowed in thought. “Are these truly the things you worryabout?”
I shrugged.“Among other stuff.”
“Have youconsidered making sure that Maria never be able to locate yourmother?”
I guffawed.“You mean drive an already mentally unstable person further intoinsanity?”
Lottie pursedher lips in thought. “Have you given another thought to what Finnsuggested?”
I looked ather incredulously. “You mean wish my sister dead? What kind ofperson would that make me, Lottie? No better than her.”
“Alright,” myfriend replied thoughtfully and sat on the edge of my bed. “Whydon’t we think of a different request, then? One that would ensurethe outcome we want. Instead of focusing on Maria, why not wish tofind your mother?”
I shook myhead. “Already considered it.”
“And what areyour reasons against it?”
“Finding mymother will surely save her, yeah. I could warn her, she couldhide.” I took in a deep breath. “But Maria would still be free towreak havoc everywhere she went.” Mindlessly, I continued to packmy trunk full of stuff, wandering around the room to pluck thingsfrom every surface.
“What is thetrue reason you won’t make that wish?”
I stopped inmy tracks, arms full of books and clothing. “What do you mean?”
Lottie tiltedher head to the side and the corner of her mouth turned down in adisappointing frown. I let out the deep intake of air I’d beenholding in and let the items I held in my arms slide into thetrunk. My fingers gripped the edges of the box and my words creptfrom my mouth in a whisper.
“What if… whatif she doesn’t want to be found?”
Lottie’s handcovered mine and we gripped the edge of the trunk together. “Whatmother wouldn’t want to find her child?”
“One thatdecided to leave in the first place? She could have left town, leftthe province… but she left me behind in another era, Lottie. Imourned her death for more than half my life. What kind of motherwould do that?”
My friendleaned in close and looked up at my worrisome face. “I’m sure shehad a good reason, Dianna. From what you tell me, you two wereclose. She loved you.”
I stole myhand back and closed the trunk’s lid, the hard sound piercing theair of my room. “People change.”
“Alright,”Lottie offered in defeat, “I get it.” She watched as I pacedaround, fastening my belt and slipping on my red jacket. “Shall Isuggest a third choice?”
“Knockyourself out,” I replied. She narrowed her eyes. “Sorry, I mean, goahead. I’m listening.”
She let out anirritated moan. “Remember what we talked about? You must watch whatyou say once we arrive. You cannot let on to the fact that you’re atime traveler, Dianna. They’llsurely hang you for even entertaining the possibility.”
My eyes rolledimpatiently. “I know, I know.”
She stood andcrossed her arms. “I don’t believe you do, not fully. Please, just…refrain from speaking as much as you can. Even I could sense therewas something strange about you the moment I laid eyes on you. Youreek of otherworldliness. I can’t imagine what some will think ofyou.”
I knew she wasonly concerned for me, but her words still hurt. I didn’t belong inthis era any more than she belonged in mine. What was I doing?“I’ll try my best. Now what was this other idea you had?”
“Don’t rushthe wish if you’re unsure. Wait until we dock, and we’ll spend theday sussing out the word on land, see if Maria or The Burning Ghosthas been spotted close by. If she hasn’t, then we know your motheris most likely safe. Then you can decide and make your wish withconfidence.”
I found myselfsmiling, a real, true expression. “You’re smarter than you giveyourself credit for, you know that?”
Lottie smirkedas she made her way to the door, turning back to throw me a winkbefore stepping outside. “I know.”
ChapterTwo
Iwatched like a hungry bird as Finn and the deckhands tied us to asturdy wharf in Southampton. The thick ropes pulled taut as TheQueen swayed dockside. Gus laid the board down that connected us tothe dock and I stepped eagerly onto it, struggling to keep balancewith my pregnant belly. My heart raced as I neared the end, staringhappily as I stuck my left foot out and touched my toes to theboards.
The ground.Firm, never moving, ground.
All around,tops of chimney stacks and dull, black row of buildings cut thesky. Other boats filled the space along the docks and sailorsbustled about. Throwing crates and loading goods. A swarm ofsmoke-stained merchant tents hugged the area next to the harbourfront. I inhaled deeply and moved ahead to let the rest of my crewoff. Henry took two strides over to me and stationed himself at myside like a loyal dog. Something about the trip changed him.Changed me, even. We stepped off The Queen two very differentpeople than the ones that stepped on back in Newfoundland. I feltwiser, stronger. But most of all, I felt that our relationship hadpassed some sort of cosmic test. We were wiser, andwe were stronger. Together. I caught his gaze and smiled,taking his
