Prologue
Insert from book one
Forest Lake Township, Minnesota October 14, 1860
After the wedding reception, Daniel’s longtime friend, Mrs. Knutson offered him and Beth–now called Emilie–the private confines of her home to consummate their wedding night. She also volunteered to stay with his three children: Anna, Sara, and Toby.
With the grin of an imp, Daniel swung around to Emilie and raised his brows.
Emilie grinned as well and headed for the bedroom. “You go tell the children. I’ll pack an overnight bag.”
After saying goodbye to the youngsters, Emilie walked up to her brother Russ. “I’m delighted you and Zena came to our wedding.” She smoothed the lapels of his jacket. “And I’m glad Dad’s tuxedo fit you.”
“Me too.” He glanced at her floor-length dress. “It’s cool that you fit into Mom’s wedding dress.”
Emilie cupped his face. “Russ, promise me you won’t time travel until your health is better.”
The time travel was killing Russ. But he had had no choice. After coming home one night and finding his time machine and his sister missing, the search had begun. Each time he traveled, he aged ten months.
The time came to say goodbye. At least until Russ was in remission. It’d be a year before he’d see Emilie again. He and Zena planned to travel forward to Zena’s time in 2110. There they could get an antibody that may save his life.
Mrs. Knutson’s late husband Henry had been a time traveler too. Only he traveled from the year 2110 through a time warp and got stuck in the year 1828. He met Mrs. Knutson and married her. Years later, he gave her the pocket watch his father gave him. Mrs. Knutson gave it to Russ to show Henry. She hoped when Henry saw it, he might take them in and help them fix the time travel problems.
The group bid farewell to the newlyweds and scattered the remaining birdseed on them as they drove away.
After a romantic evening of dancing and lovemaking, Daniel suggested they go for a stroll under the full moon. He sat up on the edge of the bed, naked. “What are we supposed to wear since you packed no bedclothes?”
Emilie pulled the spread off and threw it to him. “Here, wrap this around yourself.” She yanked off the sheet and covered herself. “I think these will work. Shall we go?”
Daniel took Emilie’s hand and led her to the bench overlooking the creek.
The brook reminded Emilie of a spot her father used to bring her and Russ to as kids. Just like then, she found herself mesmerized by the moonbeams. They danced on the surface of the water, appearing as dazzling diamonds, and moved in unison to the chirping of crickets. These things never change.
Daniel wrapped his arm around her and focused on her maroon silk covering. He couldn’t keep from chuckling. “Have I ever told you how pretty you are in a sheet? It shimmers in the moonlight. It kind of makes you look like Royalty.” He lifted his arm and announced, “May I present… Queen Nielson.”
Emilie held up her arm and demanded, “Where’s my scepter?” She tucked her long blond hair behind her ears and checked out Daniel’s bulky spread. She pointed at it, laughing. “We could’ve both fit in yours.”
“There’s plenty of room.” Daniel loosened his covering a bit. “Why don’t you drop yours and come on in?”
“I just might do tha–”
Both jumped when the sky lit up with the flash of the time machine. Daniel and Emilie bounced to their feet, pulling their blankets tighter.
The door to the machine opened. A man stepped out.
The light from the moon was enough for Emilie to see something wasn’t right. She groaned, “That’s not Russ.”
“This would be a good time to be wearing bedclothes,” Daniel grumbled.
The flash subsided, and a man got out and held up his hand. He shouted, “Don’t be afraid. My name is Henry Knutson.”
Emilie’s jaw slacked. She turned to Daniel. “Henry? Mrs. Knutson’s late husband, Henry?”
“Are you Daniel and Beth?”
Emilie rolled her eyes and moaned, “Of course he’s here to see us. Can things get any weirder?”
Daniel stepped forward. “I’m Daniel.” He turned and motioned to Emilie. “And this is my wife Beth, who we now call Emilie.” He another step forward. “I’m curious. How did the Scorpion show up here and not in my barn as usual?”
Henry waved his hand. “I’ll explain that later.” He focused on Emilie. “I know your brother Russ and his girlfriend, Zena. They found me in the year 2110.” Henry dug into his pocket. He pulled out Mrs. Knutson’s pocket watch and held it up. “My future wife gave this to Russ to convince me he was legit. It’s the exact one my father gave me.”
Emilie’s heart skipped a beat. “Were you able to help him?”
“Somewhat. When we worked on the problem of rapid aging, we concluded Russ aged nine to ten months every time he traveled.”
Daniel walked up to Henry and shook his hand. “Please come in. Give us a minute to get dressed.”
Emilie picked up the dress that Anna had sewn for her. For an eleven-year-old, her sewing was top-notch. It amazed her how the girl made the dress from multiple dresses that had belonged to Kristine, Daniel’s deceased wife. She slipped on the dress and pulled on the black boots which also had been Kristine’s. After tying them, she stood, smoothing her skirt. She picked up the wine, proceeded to the kitchen, and grabbed three glasses.
Daniel changed into his wedding attire–black slacks and a white long sleeve shirt. After tying his shoes, he set out to find Henry. He found him roaming in Mrs. Knutson’s private living area.
Henry turned and faced Daniel. “I’m comfortable in this room. May we talk in here?”
“That’ll be fine. I’ll get a fire going.”
Henry went back to observing his future home, touching everything.
Emilie came in, set the glasses on the end table, and filled them.
After getting the fire started, Daniel took his glass and sat on the couch. He rested an elbow on his knee and ran his fingers through his short, sun-bleached hair.
Emilie, watching him, leaned into him. “That’s a cute nervous habit you have.”
Raising one brow, he gave her a lopsided smile. “What nervous habit would that be?”
She bent over and ruffled his hair. “You, running your hand through your hair every time you get nervous.”
“I do that?”
Emilie chuckled, settled next to him, and gave him a playful nudge. She turned her attention to Henry and thought he looked young. Maybe in his mid-twenties. He appeared fit although a little on the thin side, but his broad shoulders made up for that. Emilie recognized the spandex body armor suit he wore. She remembered seeing Zena’s hanging on the closet door the last time she time-traveled to her brother’s house in 2016.
Unblinking, Emilie’s eyes moved to Henry’s mop of dark hair. He wore it parted down the middle and tucked behind his ears. It wasn’t quite long enough for a ponytail. A few haphazard strands fell over his thick, defined eyebrows, bringing attention to his dark brown eyes.
Henry took a framed drawing from the shelf and stared at it. After a few silent moments, his mouth curved into a smile. He swung around and held it up. “That’s me.” His gaze returned to the picture. “I’m guessing the bride I’m standing next to is Anita?”
“Who is Anita?” Emilie asked.
Daniel leaned over, touching shoulders with Emilie’s. “That’s Mrs. Knutson’s first name.” He turned back to Henry. “And yes, Henry, that is her.”
Henry, joyful as a child on Christmas morning, handed the picture to Emilie. “This is my wife on our wedding day. Russ told me she was almost eighteen. Isn’t she beautiful?”
Emilie examined the drawing and handed it to Daniel.
“You’re right, Henry. She is beautiful.” Daniel handed the photo back to Henry along with a glass of wine.
Henry settled on Mrs. Knutson’s favorite worn-out armchair. He set his wine down on the small table next to it and put the picture on his lap. The whole time he felt Daniel’s eyes penetrating him. Once he got situated, he locked eyes with him. “What is it, Daniel?”
“Henry, I don’t know if you know this or not, but I knew you. I knew you almost all my life. You and Mrs. Knutson were Ma and Pa’s best friends. Now, here you are before I ever met you.” Daniel paused shaking his head. “When did I stop making sense?”
The corners of Henry’s eyes crinkled. “So… did you miss me?”
The question caught Daniel off guard. He chuckled. “You’re funny, Henry. But I did miss you, and I still do. This entire ordeal boggles my mind. So, what brings you here now? How are Russ and Zena?”
Henry tucked a loose lock of hair behind his ear and picked his glass back up. “Russ’ cancer’s healing. But he’s still recuperating. Until he’s in total remission, he can’t time travel.”
“Thank God for that,” Emilie breathed out a sigh of relief. “Where do they stay?”
“They traveled back to their time so Russ could wrap up loose ends. Then they returned and stayed with me. The machine stayed locked in an outside building on my property. We dismantled it and rebuilt it in my lab. We can move it in the trailer now which is how I ended up here at Anita’s.”
This whole scenario felt weird to Emilie. She had seen Russ earlier that day, and yet, he’d already lived another ten months or more. It was like when she traveled to the future a few weeks ago. She had spent over ten hours at Russ’ home in 2016. But when she returned to 1860, to the girls, it hadn’t even been fifteen minutes.
Henry closed his eyes, brought the glass of wine to his nose, and took in the aroma. Putting it to his lips, he sipped and rolled it in his mouth, guessing the fruity flavors.
“Henry, can I ask you a personal question?” Emilie asked.
He nodded.
“Since time travel seems safe now, are you going to stay on with Russ and Zena? I mean, you know if you go into the wormhole, you’ll get stuck in the past for the rest of your life.”
“Kind of like you, Emilie?”
“I’m not stuck in the past. I stayed by choice.”
“That’s what I mean. I don’t want to sound like some lovesick poet, but you found genuine love, as did Russ and Zena. She left the future behind to remain in 2016. I haven’t found my true love yet. Russ told me according to Anita, we had a magical marriage. I don’t want to change a thing. I’m going through the wormhole and I will meet and marry this fantastic woman.” Henry looked back at the picture and smiled.
“You won’t regret your decision,” Daniel said.
“Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I have an important matter to bring up. Russ filled me in about the upcoming civil and Dakota wars and how you’re preparing for them. I think your decision to raise sheep is an excellent idea. During the civil war, they’re going to need wool for everything–blankets, jackets, scarves, socks–who knows what else. However, cutting down a forest for pastureland is going to take some extra hands.” Henry paused and leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees. “Anita’s brother lives in Saint Anthony. Did she ever speak of him?”
Daniel’s brows furrowed. “No, I didn’t know she had a brother.”
Henry reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper. “Her brother John and his two grandsons are carpenters. They’re renowned for building Victorian-style homes. They’ve designed and built many places for the elite.”
“What does any of that have to do with Mrs. Knutson?” Daniel asked.
“Her nephews are fifteen and sixteen. They’re as well-known as their grandfather for their carpenter skills.”
Emilie cut in. “What about the boy’s father?”
“Luke passed away. John took the boys in and raised them. It’s unfortunate, but years later John died too. His illness depleted his life’s savings. All I can find on those two boys is the obituary of one, the sixteen-year-old. He faked his age and died in the Civil War. No one took in the boys because they had no money. My research told me these boys were hard workers and took pride in everything they did. It’s a shame no one caught them when their world fell out beneath them.”
Henry leaned over, handing the paper to Daniel. “Here’s John’s name and address. Maybe you can get Anita to look into this. It’ll give you a chance to get to know them. When the time comes, you’d be wise to take them into your household. From everything Russ told me, you’ll need a workforce for cutting down a forest. Those boys would be a big help with clearing land and shearing sheep. Besides, you’ll be giving two young men a new chance at life. Russ, Zena, and I can’t do much from the future without changing history. We need to be cautious when mingling with the inhabitants when time traveling. It causes quite a commotion when people get different memories of the same incident.”
Emilie laughed and nudged Daniel’s arm. “Yeah, we know all about that. I have to go by the name Emilie now because of it.”
Henry nodded. “Russ told me the story.” He turned to Daniel. “He told me when searching for Beth, he traveled back to 1851 and came upon you and your friends building your barn. Isn’t that when the Indians came?”
“Yeah. They killed our friend Spencer. However, Russ changed history when he appeared in the Scorpion that day. The Indians got scared away before they killed him. Then Russ made the mistake of asking if we’d seen a woman named Beth? The recent memory of Spencer not dying caused a lot of commotion with the town folk. And now, because of Russ asking that question, they’re searching for a woman named Beth. If they knew Emilie was Beth…” He paused and looked at Emily. “I fear there’d be a witch-burning.” Pausing for a few moments more, he continued, “So, we changed her name to Emilie. The people think if they find this woman named Beth, they’ll find the time machine. I’m sure the whole thing will die down. But until then, we don’t need the town breaking down our door looking for her.”
Henry nodded, “That would definitely hinder Russ’ future time travel to your place. Which reminds me, I better get going before someone sees the machine sitting in the yard.”
Daniel stood and shook his hand. “It was nice meeting you as a young man, Henry. Different, but nice. Tomorrow we’ll speak to Mrs. Knutson about the boys. If she’s willing, we’ll go meet them.”
“That’s all I ask.” Henry stood. The frame holding the drawing slipped off his lap, breaking the glass as it hit the floor. “Oh no, I’m so sorry.”
Emilie picked up the frame and plucked out the broken glass. “I’m sure your future wife won’t be mad at you.” Pulling the paper out, she gasped. “What’s this? Oh, my goodness, under the drawing, is an actual photograph of you and Mrs. Knutson.”
Henry took the picture from her, stared at it, and grinned. Anita looks even more beautiful in the actual photo. “I bet I took this with my camera. I guess I’d better pack it for the wormhole. By the way, why not keep one of the time machines here?”
“No,” Emilie said, almost too fast. “We want to keep our lives as normal as possible.”
Henry’s lip curled. “There won’t be anything normal about your lives.”
“You can say that again,” Daniel chuckled.
“Oh, one more thing before I leave. Beth… I mean Emilie, Russ cashed in your portion of the inheritance. It became his at your supposed death. Don’t ask me how, but he got it converted to money you can use in the 1800s. He opened an account at Anita’s bank in his and your name. You need to take a trip there and sign the paperwork.” He looked at Daniel and then back at Emilie and nodded. “You two are quite wealthy now.”
Gulping the rest of his wine, he set the glass down. “Well, I best be going so you can continue your honeymoon.”
Henry stood and shook Daniel’s hand. “I won’t be back on account I’m due at the Time travel Research Facility. I’ll be there until they send me through the wormhole.”
Reaching into his pocket, Henry pulled out Mrs. Knutson’s pocket watch and handed it to Daniel, “Will you give this back to Anita? Tell her I’ll meet her soon, and I can’t wait. Try to stay strong. You have a very challenging road ahead of you.”
After seeing Henry off, Daniel grinned and slipped his hand around Emilie’s waist. “What do you say we work on making a baby?”
Emilie giggled, “You men are all the same. It doesn’t matter what century it is.”
“And don’t you forget it, woman.” Scooping up his bride, he carried her over the threshold.
Emilie locked her arms around his neck, turned, and glanced back at the spot where the Scorpion had disappeared. Grinning, she shook her head, and thought, so… the saga continues.
