Boston, 2010. Itâs been over a year since Emily Willburne discovered she had the ability to travel through time - a power she thought sheâd sacrificed forever when she rewrote her familyâs fractured past. But then her ancestor and former time-traveling companion Will reappears asking for help - stealing Emily away on an assignment that could restore the ability to travel between the centuries for both of them.
Boston, 1889. Lady Sylvia Ross is on the run. The beautiful British aristocrat witnessed her husband kill a man for a device she later fled with. In fear for her life, Sylvia promises to hand the artifact over to a handsome stranger, Will, and his odd companion, Emily - but only if they escort her to Americaâs wild frontier first, where she hopes to reunite with her disinherited brother James.
Paris, 1889. Amidst the gaslights and glory of the Exposition Universelle, sinister forces conspire to restore their own ability to travel through time - and they require Lady Sylviaâs blood. Will travels to Paris with Emily and James â where, amidst their own romantic woes, theyâll have to contend with kidnapping, coercion, and a complex conspiracy that spans the centuries âŠ
Boston, 2010. Itâs been over a year since Emily Willburne discovered she had the ability to travel through time - a power she thought sheâd sacrificed forever when she rewrote her familyâs fractured past. But then her ancestor and former time-traveling companion Will reappears asking for help - stealing Emily away on an assignment that could restore the ability to travel between the centuries for both of them.
Boston, 1889. Lady Sylvia Ross is on the run. The beautiful British aristocrat witnessed her husband kill a man for a device she later fled with. In fear for her life, Sylvia promises to hand the artifact over to a handsome stranger, Will, and his odd companion, Emily - but only if they escort her to Americaâs wild frontier first, where she hopes to reunite with her disinherited brother James.
Paris, 1889. Amidst the gaslights and glory of the Exposition Universelle, sinister forces conspire to restore their own ability to travel through time - and they require Lady Sylviaâs blood. Will travels to Paris with Emily and James â where, amidst their own romantic woes, theyâll have to contend with kidnapping, coercion, and a complex conspiracy that spans the centuries âŠ
Boston, 1889
Will Marshall stared at the well-lit facade of the building in front of him. While it certainly melded well with the rest of the lively Endicott Street, it did not go well with Will's moral code.
âCome on. You need to loosen up a bit. Have some fun.â Charlie grasped his shoulder. His neighbor back in Hartford, Charlie was a few years younger, and now that he too came to study in Boston, Mrs. JonesâCharlieâs motherâkindly asked Will to take Charlie under his wing. He was a little on the wild side, and maybe Will could tone that down.
He was not succeeding. Perhaps the fault was his own. He shouldâve said yes to boxing or gambling, Charlieâs previous suggestions. Instead, they ended up here.
In front of a brothel.
âIâm not going in there.â Will tried an authoritative tone.
âYou think you donât want to go. Trust me, my friend, you do.â
âThis is really notââ
The door opened, and Charlie used the opportunity to push Will inside, following him.
A sweet, flowery fragrance overwhelmed Willâs senses, pressing on him like an invisible pillow. The inside was lush with fancy furniture and artful decorations easily found in an upscale mansion. Heavy velvet curtains masked the windows, and colorful birds in elaborate golden cages chirped and stretched their wings, not at all bothered by their surroundings.
And of course, there were the women.
âGood evening.â A lady with a low-cut bodice spun around Charlie. âLooking for anything special?â
âDo you have anything special?â Charlie asked, inciting a melodic laugh from the woman.
A brunette in a silky, diaphanous gown wrapped around Will.âWhat about you, honey?â
âIâuhâno, thank you.â He gently shook her off and took a step back. âCharlie, now would be the time toââ
But Charlie was already being led away. âCharlie!â Will hissed.
âDonât worry about your friend,â the woman said, plastering herself to Willâs back. âHis needs will be taken care of. Now, what are yours?â
Will looked longingly towards the door. It was blocked by another gentleman and lady, starting to get into not-so-gentleman-and-ladylike behavior.
âWater closet,â he squeezed out, and retreated to the other side of the room. Perhaps they'd leave him alone if he looked like he had a purpose. A staircase in the corner led up. To the right, another group of women performed a dance on a low stage. The gathered menâs gazes followed them, hypnotized. No Charlieâdarn it, whereâd he gone? Mrs. Jones would surely not approve of this kind of âguidanceâ to her son.
One woman tore off her skirt; the others followed. Will hurriedly turned away, feeling the warmth seeping into his cheeks. Whatever this show was, more and more people were drawn to it, filling the space between him and the exit.
All right, breathe. At least he escaped the attention. Now he only needed a quiet place to wait this out. For exampleâhis gaze flicked upwardâthe low-lit hallway. He ran upstairs, the soft red carpet muffling his steps.
In his new safe haven, he leaned on the wall and let out a sigh. Better already. He really shouldâve said yes to gambling.
âWhat are you doing here all alone?â A woman stood by the door at the end of the hallway. He knew this was the function of this establishment, but god, there were so many of them!
âHas Laureen sent you? Youâre just in time, then. Weâre all waiting.â
So much for a safe haven. âUh, actually, I already have an appointmentâŠâ He shuffled by the wall, feeling for an exit with his hands. A doorknobâand it gave in! In a wave of relief, he jumped in and slammed the door behind him. Silence and darkness greeted him, extinguishing the worry of possibly exchanging the frying pan for the fire.
Now he was safe.
He took a deep breath, relishing the peace, when something stirred in the room. A light rustle. A soft whimper.
âAnyone there?â
No answer, but he had heard somethingâor someone. And even though he was, in theory, hiding, he didnât feel like standing in darkness with a stranger. Feeling the wall, he found the light and turned it on.
The first revelation was that the room wasnât a bedroom. Instead, it looked like a study. The second revelation, which took away from examining the room closer, was its mysterious inhabitant. Partially hiding behind a tall cabinet was a young woman with striking, curly red hair piled high at the back of her head, and a pale, round, freckled face. A dainty hat with a single feather slid halfway down her head. Her dress, consisting of a fine velvet jacket and damask skirt, was buttoned up to her neck.
âDonât come closer!â she shrieked, waving with a pen, pointed at him. âIâIâIâm not one of them.â
âI wonât harm you,â he assured her. âMissâuhâmaâamââ
âLady.â
âIâm sure you are, Iâd never imply otherwiseââ
âNo, thatâs the title. Lady Sylvia Ross.â
At the name, a strange feeling, a sense of dĂ©jĂ vu, flushed over him. There was something about that name, Sylviaâsomething he should remember but couldnât put his finger on. So instead, he asked, âBritish?â
âObviously,â she responded, raising her chin.
âWill Marshall. No title.â
She nodded, then lowered the pen.
âLady Ross, is there anything I can help you with?â
Her eyebrows shot up. âWhy?â
âWhy what?â
âWhy are you offering to help me?â
âYou appear to be in distress, and as such, I believe I should offer my help. I think none of us particularly wants to be here.â
âYou came unwillingly?â
âA friend dragged me in.â
Her eyes grew wider. A strange sound emerged from herâlaughter? Then she collapsed down the side of the cabinet, fixing the hat with one hand.
âAre you all right?â he said, if only to say somethingâshe clearly wasnât.
Her laugh transitioned into a short wail. âIâm afraid I did a very stupid thing. A couple of them, rather.â
âYouâre not being forced toââ
âOh, no, I didnât mean it like that. I came here because my nonsensical brain convinced me that was a smart idea. That this is where he wouldnât look for me.â
Will approached with tentative steps and knelt down. The reduced difference in height would likely make her more comfortable. Etiquette or not, the woman needed helpânot to mention, he was getting curious. Judging by her title, accent, and fine clothes, she was a well-bred ladyâliterally, a Ladyâand not someone he would at all expect to be on the run and hiding in a public house.
âMay I ask, whoâs looking for you?â
âMy husband. Though I do not think itâs for the obvious reasonsââ
Ah, so this was something of a loversâ quarrelâŠ
âBut because I stole from him.â
âŠor maybe not.
âYou stole from your husband?â
She shook her head, sending one curl flying. âIâI didnât mean it. I was packing my things and he was in the other room and he stabbed that man and I donât think he saw me but I couldnâtâI couldnât believeâŠâ
Wait a secondâstabbed a man?
ââŠand escaped since the ship had docked. I didnât know my brotherâs address so I only ran, ran to a place heâd never look for me, but itâs all because I took the device accidentally and if he killed the man over it then heâll want it backââ
âLady Ross,â Will said firmly. He lay his hand on her upper arm; she didnât seem to mind. âPlease, calm down. Youâre not saying youâd witnessed your husband murder someone?â
âBut that is exactly what Iâm saying!â She clutched the pen so hard her knuckles went white.
âThen we must report him.â
âTheyâll never believe me. No one else saw. Heâheâll say Iâm still not feeling well because Iâve been ill, that Iâd imagined itâand Sir Richard has powerful friends, theyâll protect him.â
He really, really shouldâve said yes to gambling.
His legs were starting to tingle from the kneeling position, so he shifted and sat by the cabinet, mimicking her pose.
A minute of silence passed, the air tense with whirling, unspoken thoughts.
âHow did you manage to get here unnoticed?â he asked.
âThey were distracted by a show downstairs.â
He gave a short laugh. âIt appears weâre victims of the same circumstances. Only the show trapped me in here.â When he glimpsed at her, he was surprised by a brief smileâthe kind that said, âThis is a predicament, but at least weâre in it together.â
Well, she was in a much worse predicament.
âIâm afraid we probably wonât be able to hide here for long,â he continued. âAre you sure you donât wish to go to the authorities?â
She shook her head. âThen he will certainly know Iâd seen him. For now, he might think I simply disembarked without him. I would not have behaved as irrationally as to run.â Her eyes glazed over as she stared into the distance. âI donât know how long he was gone while he⊠went to get rid of the body. He might even think something happened to me while I was alone. And I donât know if heâd discovered the missing item already.â
âIn any case, he will search for you.â
She nodded and, in a whimper, said, âI donât want to go back to him.â
âYes. I understand.â
She wrung her hands, then cast a tentative look in his direction. âMr. Marshall, IâI would not usually make a proposition like this, but would you take me to my brother?â
âAccompany you?â
âYes. He should not be far, heâs here in Boston, but I donât know the cityâŠâ
âOf course. Will he be able to help you?â
âWhy are you worried about that?â
He shrugged. âBecause you need someone to keep you safe.â
He never imagined simple words like these could bring out a look like hersârevelation and relief, gratitude and surprise, all packed behind a pair of sky-blue eyes.
âJames will find a solution. Heâs always been resourceful. He can protect me from Sir Richard.â She nodded to herself.
âThen let us be on our way. We might even be able to employ your tactics and sneak out thanks to the show.â
That drew out another slight smile from her. He stood and she followed, bringing forward a brown leather valise.
âPlease, allow me.â He reached for the bag, but as she swung it forward, one strap slipped her grasp, and the bag toppled sideways.
She yelped.
âAll good,â he said, turning the bag over on the floor. Only one thing had fallen out from where the valise wasnât closed all the way: a square box ten inches across. The box has opened, revealing something round and metallic inside.
Will picked it up, securing the object within. âThere youââ he stopped as he turned the box around. He stared at the brass, egg-shaped object nestled in the velvet.
âMr. Marshall?â Lady Ross looked from him to the object, and back at him.
âMay I?â He pointed at the egg.
She gave a curt nod.
A latch at the side opened the object horizontally. Will stifled a gasp at the revelation of the intricate mechanism inside. Heâd seen a design like this beforeânot the same, but very similar. He carefully touched a black-blue metal ball, affixed to the center of the upper half. Almonite? The substance at the core of time travelâevery time traveler had it in their blood and their watch, which would help them regulate where they were going. Will did.
Only this wasnât real almoniteâclose to it, but not quite. There was no more almonite in this world. No more Watchers.
And yet he was holding Watchersâ technology in his hands.
âItâs the device I accidentally took from my husband,â Lady Ross explained. âAfter I saw theâyou knowâI packed in a rush. I must have grabbed the box thinking it was the one holding my jewelry.â She frowned. âIâll have to find a way to deliver it back to Sir Richard. The man that came to argue, he was there because of this. He said it wasnât right to use the device, that he shouldnât have made it. My husband will want it back. Perhaps if I return it, heâll leave meââ
âNo!â
She blinked a few times. âI beg your pardon?â
âYou canât give it to him.â Whatever her husbandâs motives were, he killed a man over it. Nothing good could ever come of someone killing for, or because of time travel technology. âPlease, Lady Ross.â
âThen what?â
âYou could give it to me.â
She raised her eyebrows. âAnd why do you want it?â
Fair question. Surely she didnât know anything about time travel. How could he convince her he was the better alternative? âI have knowledge about this technology. Your husbandâs actions worry me. Iâd like to examine the device first to make sure he couldnât abuse it.â
She hesitated, her arm half extended toward the box. Then she sighed, and lowered it. âFine. I wonât pretend I know what it does or how dangerous it could be. Iâll let you have it, but only after youâve helped me find my brother.â
That was quick. âReally?â
âIf you were as bad as my husband, youâd take the device from me, whether I wanted that or not. So I can only conclude youâre not as bad as him and do wish to help me. And in that caseâonce you have, the device is yours.â
âVery well.â If her brother was in the city, that would be easy enough. âShall we be on our way?â
She dusted off her skirt. Will put the device back into the box and stored it safely in the bag, then offered her his arm. Lady Ross hesitated for a moment, then drew in a breath and laid her lace-gloved fingers in the crook of his elbow.
âDonât worry,â he said. âWeâll find your brother. It will be all right.â
âThank you.â
Will balanced the valise in his other hand, both excited and terrified at the knowledge of what it held. If he remembered the design correctly, a device like this was once used to fix almonite barrels in the watches.
It might allow Will to fix his watch and finally pay a visit four years due.
But a more frightening question wasâwhat did Sir Richard Ross want with it?
A whole year has gone by since Emily discovered she could time travel, embarked on an adventure across time to save her family, and sacrificed her power forever. Or so she thought. When her ancestor Will returns asking for her help with a new problem to solve in 1889. This time, their adventures will take them all the way to the frontier as they attempt to save a beautiful British aristocrat looking for her rogue brother as she flees her violent husband. A husband who is willing to kill over a mysterious device which might just hold the key to restoring Emily and Will's time travel abilities for good...
Picking up soon after the events of the previous book, this exhilarating sequel to Time Watcher is sure to keep readers turning the pages well into the night. The stakes are high and the protagonists swoon-worthy, with familiar faces making a comeback and some new favourites being introduced. This series is comfort reading at its best, artfully combining adventure, humour and romance.
Emily's growth as a character is just delightful, and all her interactions with other characters are laced with sarcasm and heart. Lady Sylvia Ross and her brother James are fantastic additions to the cast, and the touch of cowboy life that our heroes get to experience works beautifully to provide opportunities for depth and growth. The nefarious antagonists are just as mysterious and unsettling as one might expect them to be, implementing a plan that is sure to keep readers guessing alongside the protagonists.
A Flicker in Time manages to balance breathtaking adventures and a compelling mystery with lively character interactions, well-researched historical settings and moments of deep connection. Readers who enjoyed the previous book in the series will not be disappointed with the direction in which A Flicker in Time moves the story. If anything, they might be upset at not having another time travel adventure to dive into right away with Emily and Will.