Wrong Place. Wrong Time. Right Viscount.

Chapter 2

Elle jolted upright, panting. Sweat beaded on her forehead and trickled down the back of her neck uncomfortably. She glanced around, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. She was sitting on the ground, still in the fucking woods, her bag sprawled beside her.

“Did I just pass out?” What the hell? She might hate cardio, but she did do it five days a week, plus she taught pole dancing classes at her friend Shreya’s studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays—and those were much more of a workout than people might think. So, she was in pretty decent shape and she hadn’t even been walking that long. There was no reason she should have blacked out like that. Maybe it was just everything that had happened? It had all just hit her and she couldn’t deal, so her brain took a little T.O.?

She pushed to her feet and took stock: no injuries that she could feel, that weird static feeling was gone, and her temperature felt normal.

“Ok, weird, but whatever. I just need abed ASAP,” she muttered.

She eyed the sky warily as thunder rumbled ominously overhead. Thick clouds had rolled in while she’d been passed out and were completely blocking out the sun now. The woods shifted from semi-foreboding to straight up fucking creepy without the light shining down through the branches. She needed to get out of them, and she needed to do it now. Wandering around in the woods in the dark was not a good idea.

Without any other choice, Elle decided on what she hoped was the right direction and started walking. She tried not to panic, but it was seeping into her bones, a cold trickle of unease slowly working its way up her spine. She walked faster, ignoring the annoying squeak of her wet shoes. She should have found the road again by now. She’d heard a car just before she passed out, hadn’t she? The road had to be close. She walked faster and cursed when the sky opened up and cold rain began to pelt her relentlessly. She began to run, desperate to get out of the rain and hating Ashton with renewed fury, letting her anger at him overshadow the fear rising in her chest.

“That fucking bastard, this is all his fault!”

She ran as fast as she could without twisting an ankle, slipping on the slick leaves twice, landing hard on her knees once, before the end was finally in sight. Her feet and knee were throbbing, and her entire body was shuddering from cold when she finally made it through the last line of trees—and froze.

“Fuck,” she breathed. There was no road. Instead, before her lay an expansive, perfectly manicured lawn that eventually led to a mansion in the distance. She must have chosen the wrong direction…but at least she was out of the woods, so it was a win.

She pulled out her phone and groaned: no service, of course. She glanced towards the house again. At least she could get out of the rain and call an Uber. She just hoped that the owners of the house were one: home, and two: not serial killers.

The lawn stretched for at least two hundred yards, and as she sprinted through the rain, she developed a newfound respect for football players. Closer to the house, a wide stone path lined with rectangular fountains and large topiaries led to a back patio with elegantly carved stone railings. She could make out the shadows of what looked to be climbing ivy sprawled along the back of the house, giving it a refined and classic look. Even in her miserable state, Elle could appreciate how gorgeous it would be when it wasn’t in the middle of a freezing downpour.

She hastened around the side of the house and up the wide front steps. She saw no cars in the long, circular drive, but hoped someone was home. A house this big and fancy, they probably drove luxury cars that were kept in heated garages.

The house looked dark, but Elle knocked on the ornate front door, thankful for the reprieve from the pounding rain as she stood under the portico. Her teeth chattered so hard she thought she might bite clear through her tongue, her sodden clothes so heavy they felt as if they weighed a ton. There was something…off, but she couldn’t figure out what. She told herself that it was just everything that had happened that day all coming to a head. Of course she felt like something wasn’t right: her entire life had been turned upside down and she’d been walking through the woods for hours soaking wet. Even as she rationalized it, the feeling intensified.

Elle knocked again, but the knocking quickly transformed into panicked banging.

“Hello!? Hello is anyone home? I’m sorry to assault your door here, but I’m a bit lost and need some help. Hello?” She stepped back out into the rain, squinting at the windows along the second and third floors. Elle saw muted light from several windows, but no other signs of life. She ducked back out of the rain and pounded again. ”Hello! Please open up! Please! I promise I”m not crazy I just...I just…I need help,” she finished, nearly sobbing and leaning her forehead against the cold wood. It had been the longest day in the history of days, and a shitty one to boot. She was exhausted. She was freezing. She was very close to having a complete mental breakdown.

It was hard to tell over the rain, but she was pretty sure she finally heard someone inside. Her eyes flew open and she stepped hastily back from the door. Elle wasn”t in the states anymore, but she kept her hands where whoever came to the door could see them easily, just to be safe. Unwanted banging on doors by strangers back home wasn”t always greeted with open arms. Sometimes it was greeted with the barrel of a shotgun, especially out in the country.

The door opened and a young woman peeked out, nineteen or twenty maybe. She had glossy black hair pulled back into a tight bun and beautiful brown doe eyes.

”Can I help you, miss?” she asked, polite, but apprehensive. Elle didn’t blame her. She wouldn’t be too keen on a crazy person banging on her door either.

“I’m so sorry, but I got turned around and then caught in this downpour, and I don’t have any service. I just need to call an Uber.” The girl looked at her like she had two heads. “Please,” Elle begged, wondering if she sounded as pathetic as she felt. The girl pursed her lips but finally nodded, stepping back and opening the door wide.

“You best come inside. You’ll catch your death out there.”

“Thank you,” Elle breathed as she hurried inside. She was escorted through a large foyer and down a wide hallway, and she was struck by how beautiful but…old fashioned everything was. And by old fashioned, she meant old fashioned. Like period-piece-Mr.-Darcy-should-be-asking-for-my-hand-soon kind of old.

“Is this like a museum or something?” Elle asked as the girl led her into a formal living room with a roaring fire going in the large stone hearth. Elle quickly rushed towards it, dropping her bag to the floor with a wet thud. She held her hands out to the flames, nearly moaning at the pleasure-pain sensation as the heat chased away the chill.

“A museum, miss?” the girl asked, confused. Elle turned to look at the girl over her shoulder. Her clothes were…strange. That unease flared again and Elle swallowed hard.

“Or maybe one of those like live action role playing type places?” She looked around the room and didn’t see any hints of the modern age. No TV, no phone chargers, not even a floor lamp. The light in the room came from the fire, candles, and lamps—but the kind with flames dancing inside them, not glowing lightbulbs. Even the thick curtains over the windows were clearly antique, not mass produced in a factory somewhere.

This definitely had to be a Colonial Williamsburg type place where everything was as it was back then, no hints of the modern world anywhere, and everyone played the part like it was real.

“I, um…better go get Lady MacTavish. Wait here.” The girl handed Elle a blanket, eyeing her warily before hastening out of the room. Lady MacTavish?

Elle pulled out her phone again and wiped the screen with the blanket. She was glad she had the Lifeproof case. Her bag was made of water-resistant material too. She”d been caught in a torrential downpour once a few years ago waiting for a cab in New York. After being stuck with soaking wet clothes and having her laptop ruined, she”d gone waterproof all the way.

Still no bars, but forty-seven texts and twenty-two missed calls from Ashton. Elle rolled her eyes. Deal with it later.

After a few more minutes, the door flew open and a woman stared at Elle from the threshold in utter disbelief. Elle studied her back and she too was in the strange clothing: a simple but beautiful empire waist dress made of deep blue silk. The woman”s chestnut brown curls were piled high on top of her head and she looked to be in her early thirties maybe.

“It’s true,” the woman whispered.

“What’s true?” Elle asked, confused. Instead of answering, the woman turned to the younger girl.

“Lottie, bring some food and wine. And more blankets. Quickly.” The girl inclined her head and set off.

Turning back to Elle, the woman said, “I’m Jocelyn MacTavish. This is my home.” She eased forward, holding her hands out in front of her, and speaking in soft, soothing tones. It reminded Elle of how you might approach a trapped animal to avoid being attacked. Wrong, wrong, wrong, Elle”s instincts warned. “What’s your name?”

“Elle. I’m Elle. Look, I…I just need to borrow your phone. Mine’s not working and I just need to get to town and catch a ride back to London. I”ll get out of your hair as soon as I can make that call, I promise.”

Jocelyn”s lips parted on a quick inhale. ”A call,” she whispered to herself, her lips curling upwards into an almost wistful smile. She shook herself, her smile fading. ”Why don’t you sit?”

“I”m good, I just…I just need a phone. Please.” Elle didn”t know what was going on, if this woman meant to hurt her or hold her hostage, but a cold pit formed in her stomach, icy tendrils of unease spreading through every inch of her. Something was very, very wrong. ”Or I can just go, actually. I”ll just leave and walk the rest of the way to town, no big deal, really. The rain is starting to let up, I think.” Elle made to move towards the door, but Jocelyn stepped in her path.

”I”m afraid I can”t let you make a call or leave, dear.”

What the hell??Elle backtracked and lunged for the fire poker near the hearth, her fight or flight response settling firmly on fight. She brandished it in front of her like a sword. She’d taken self-defense classes at the local college about a year ago and felt confident she could take Jocelyn down if she needed to.

”Look lady, I don”t know what you”re trying to do, but I”m leaving. Now. I”ve had a shit day and I refuse to let being kidnapped be the cherry on the top of this fucked up sundae. So back the hell off!” The poker shook wildly in her hands, but she kept it raised in front of her, letting Jocelyn know that the threat was real.

Jocelyn held up her hands. ”I”m not going to hurt you, I promise. I”m trying to help you. There”s a reason I can”t let you make a call or walk to town. If you”ll just sit down—”

”I don”t want to sit!” Elle screeched. ”I want to know what the fuck is going on!” Jocelyn pressed her lips into a hard line, a pitying look in her eyes. It was the look that people had when they”re about to deliver bad news. Like the look a police officer has standing on your doorstep, about to tell you that your parents were killed by a drunk driver. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she waited for the shoe to drop. There was more to this than her walking the wrong direction in the woods. She knew it, but her mind couldn’t come up with any plausible answers, so she just stared at Jocelyn, gripping the poker like a lifeline, her entire body starting to tremble.

“Alright, just calm down. First and foremost, I need you to know that you’re safe. Everything will be alright, I promise you. It’s hard to explain, even harder to believe...” Jocelyn took a deep breath. “But…”

”But what?” Elle demanded through clenched teeth.

”What year do you think it is?” Jocelyn asked, surprising her. Elle”s brows drew down.

”Huh? What do you mean? It”s 2020.” Is this woman alright in the head??

“2020,” Jocelyn breathed in…awe? She swallowed hard and then said in a soft voice, ”This is going to sound crazy and there’s no easy way to say it, but…you’ve come back through time. You’re in the year 1813.”

Elle stared for a long moment and then burst out laughing. Jocelyn obviously had a few screws loose. More than a few. A whole fucking hardware store’s worth. She continued to laugh, harder and harder, bending over and clutching her stomach. Tears sprung to her eyes, but the laughter began to turn a bit hysterical as her instincts tried to tell her that maybe Jocelyn wasn’t actually crazy. The old house, the lack of cars or lights or electronics, the strange clothes…Elle”s laughter faded as, against all odds, reality began to set in. She met Jocelyn”s gaze.

”Well…that sucks.” Elle giggled once more before her knees buckled.

She blacked out before she hit the floor.