Chapter 3 #2
Tove smiled. “I speak as if you have already lived out your entire life. That is the tricky nature of time travel. In my time, you have already lived everything out. For you, you are just starting the journey. You make mention in these diaries that you wished you’d had the opportunity to live a different life.
You felt that if you had been more engaging with people, life would have been better for you.
After careful deliberation, we think the eve of your wedding is a pivotal moment in your life.
Your most pressing fear is that this upcoming marriage to Edward Glover is a mistake. This is a fear you never got over.”
Marie took a step away from the strange lady. “How can you know all of this? I haven’t even told my father any of my doubts about Edward.”
“These doubts are in all of your diaries that are on display in one of our museums. Writing things down in ink is obsolete in my time. We have recovered as much as we could from the pre-Internet Age, but so much is lacking since the uprising of Artificial Intelligence and the resulting Great Global Crisis.”
“Internet Age? Artificial Intelligence? Great Global Crisis?” Marie asked. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s impossible to explain these things to someone in this time period.
Suffice it to say that your diaries were handwritten and kept in a secure place.
We know about your entire life from the day you got married to the day you died.
Your entries have led me to believe that you are the best candidate to perform this experiment on. ”
“I don’t understand. When do I get a diary? Why would I have a diary? I’ve never written anything about my life up to now.”
“These are questions I can’t answer without disrupting the results of the experiment.
It’s possible that, after this experiment, you won’t have a diary at all.
I can’t guarantee outcomes. I can only speculate.
In the museum we also have diaries from another person in this time period that leads me to believe you will make a certain choice.
If I’m right, then you will have diaries in the future.
If not, then all will be lost in the timeline. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Was there a point in asking Tove to explain all of this? Marie still felt overwhelmed by everything this stranger was telling her. If Tove tried to explain, would Marie understand? Marie’s head hurt. She sat in the chair and rubbed her forehead.
“So, would you like me to give you a different life?” Tove asked.
“What if you could be the kind of lady that all the gentlemen are pursuing? You can be a lady who’s the talk of the Ton.
You can be so beautiful that gentlemen will fall all over themselves for a chance to talk to you.
You won’t have to settle for someone your father arranges for you to marry.
You can have your pick. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could guarantee yourself a love match? ”
“Is such a thing possible?”
“It is. And I can make it happen. Tomorrow, you can wake up as a different person. You will retain all of your memories. That way when I come back to visit you, you can decide whether you want to keep this life or switch over to another one permanently.”
Marie thought over the implications of what Tove was offering her. If such a thing were possible—if she really could have a different life, then wouldn’t it be worth it to find out what it would be like?
“How long are you giving me to live this other life before I have to make a decision on whether I want to continue with that one or go back to this one?” Marie ventured, even as she wondered how rational this conversation was.
“In a situation like this,” Tove began, “there can’t be a limit on the timeframe given. I can’t let this experiment go on too long, but it must be long enough to be effective. Let’s just say that when the time is right, I’ll come to you again. Then you can let me know your answer.”
“That’s rather vague.”
“It is, but it’s all I can give you.”
If Tove could even give this to her. Marie had to remember that Tove could very well be lying, delusional, or a figment of her imagination. Maybe Marie was even dreaming. Maybe she was still sleeping on the settee in the library. Maybe she’d never woken up after she fainted.
Marie wound the handkerchief around her fingers. “If I decide I don’t like this other life, I will return to this one?”
Tove nodded. “It will be as if the other life never happened. Everything you will ever say and do as that Marie will be erased from history.”
Marie took a deep breath then released it.
This was her chance to have a different life.
She could finally be like Lady Diane. Lady Diane had five suitors.
She didn’t have to worry about her future.
Her future was all up to her. Wasn’t it worth taking the time to find out what such a thing would be like?
Wouldn’t it be worth it to guarantee a love match?
“All right,” Marie decided, figuring that, for once in her life, she wouldn’t overthink something. She was just going to go for it. And, if this was all a dream, what was the harm in agreeing? “I’ll partake in this experiment.”