“Or you could divide the house three ways,” Dahlia suggested. She’d taken a liking to Serena and had shyly asked that morning if she could call her aunt as well.
Uncle Kostya blanched. “I think I could agree to visiting, but I could never live in this time. Twice a year or so, like we do anyway?”
“I’ve lost control of this horse, Kostya,” her father said. “I’m just hanging on and hoping for the best now.”
“It will be the best,” Ariana assured them. “Do you want to go back inside and look at it again now that you know it’s yours?”
Ariana let them rush in ahead of her, taking time to enjoy seeing everyone together, carefree and joyous and full of hope for the future.
***
Owen sat on the park bench near the posh inn they were staying at while in this London he never would have believed if he hadn’t experienced it himself. He’d thought London in his own time was something to see, but the lights, the crush of people, the sheer amount of everything boggled his mind. He’d walked past the large steel and glass building that took the spot of Belmary House but had refused to go in. His mother and Aunt Tilly had gone in happily enough, returning to the inn a few hours later laden with shopping bags.
He had wondered at their sense of loyalty but then he finally worked up the nerve that morning to walk past Maria’s house. It took him three times walking up and down the street to be sure he was in the right spot, everything was so different. He’d stood and stared at what had once been an imposing, stately home and was now a cluster of three buildings about six storeys tall, advertised by a discreet placard at the front gate as the Mainleigh Condominiums. After a half hour or so of standing, staring, and trying to conjure up any kind of feelings, a posh couple gave him a wary look before secretively poking at a numbered pad that opened the front gate.
He moved on, in his heart as well as with his feet. He’d enjoyed the excitement and furtive nature of what he’d felt with Maria, but it hadn’t been real. He hoped she would fully recover from what he’d put her through but had given up any hope she’d ever forgive him. He still struggled with forgiving himself.
A fresh crowd hurried past him, bringing him back to the park. He kept his eyes trained on the Tube station exit until Ariana finally spilled out with the rush of other people. Surprisingly, she fit right in. Out of breath and smiling widely, she plopped onto the bench beside him.
“How can you go down there on your own?” he asked, still befuddled by the Underground maps that were as intricate and unreadable to him as hieroglyphics. “Aren’t you worried about getting hopelessly lost?”
“How can we ever be hopelessly lost, Owen?” she asked seriously, waving her fingers to show that all they’d need to do was a location spell.
He frowned, still wary of magic, but feeling more confident with each passing day now that his father was working with him.
She leaned her head on his shoulder and pulled out a bag of biscuits, promptly tossing some crumbs to the ducks before offering him one. Within seconds they were consumed by a quacking swarm and they had to hurry away to another bench further away from the small, decorative lake that was clearly manmade.
“Did you show them?” he asked after they finished the biscuits in peace.
He had to smile at Ariana and her schemes, still wanting to make luxurious residences for everything and everyone she loved. He supposed it wasn’t such a bad quality, but he had decided to stay out of it.
“Yes. It took a minute, but they’re so excited to stay and start a new life here. And if you say a single word about rabbits or cages I will pop you one.”
He smiled some more that she had nearly read his mind. “I had no intention of saying anything of the sort. You’re taking to speaking like that miscreant Dahlia.”
“Dahlia is my cousin and she’s delightful,” Ariana said. “This time is delightful.
“This time is rubbish,” he said sourly. “I can’t believe you want to stay. I know I could never hack it.”
“Oh, I won’t be staying in this time,” she said mischievously. Too mischievously for his liking.
“I take it you’re coming back with us?” he asked, hardly daring to hope.
“Sure. For a while anyway.”
He groaned and shrugged her head off his shoulder. “You can’t be serious.”
“We have the ability to go anywhere in time,” she said as if that was the end of any possible argument. She put her hands on his arms and turned him to face her. “Think of the possibilities.”
In truth she was beautiful most of the time, but the glow of doing something nice for her family made her radiant. Also, the hint of excitement she couldn’t hide. He wanted to groan but he couldn’t because it was contagious.
Damn it, but he felt it, too. That inexplicable draw to the unknown. The thing that had made him venture down into that old wine cellar to find the family spell book in the first place. But only with Ariana by his side.
“I need to go back to the Povest village and make things right there,” he said stubbornly.
“I’ll go with you. That can be our first stop. I’m sure they can teach us so many things we’ll need to know before we decide what our next trip will be.”
“How many times do you need to almost get killed before you learn your lesson?” he asked, making a last ditch effort to be responsible.
She smiled at him. “I guess we’ll find out.”
He leaned closer, trying
