Page 6 of The Swan Syndicate
“Yet, still no answer.”
Stella sighed and walked into the bathroom and came out waving the kit, which she dropped in the duffel. “Satisfied?”
AJ searched through the duffel, moving the first aid kit in between a pair of pants and a jacket. “I am now.” She continued to shuffle through the bag, not surprised to find a couple bags of coffee beans, lock picks that made her snort, then held up a pair of red boots with four-inch heels. Her brow lifted.
Stella blushed. “Don’t ask and stop snooping.”
AJ snorted. “Says the snoop queen.”
Stella grinned. “Ironic much.” She pulled out the periwinkle dress Beckworth had made for her on her first day in London. She ran her hands over it and sniffed the material. Then she put it back.
“You’re not taking it? It’s beautiful.”
Stella rubbed the opal hanging around her neck, her thoughts flickering back to that weekend. The first time she’d made love with Beckworth. Teddy. She shook her head before AJ got nosier. “Teddy asked me to leave the clothes I brought back with me. He had two day dresses made for me to take back.”
AJ’s brow lifted again.
Stella raised her hands in a give-up gesture. “Don’t ask. He won’t say why. In fact, his exact words were ‘I won’t stop you from taking them with you, I’m just asking you not to.’”
“Oh, man. He didn’t.”
“Yep. Guilted me right into doing as he asked.”
AJ giggled. “Man. He’s got it bad.”
Stella grinned. “I know.”
“Hey, what about seasick medicine?
She turned a bit green at the thought. “Why would I need that?”
“One thing I’ve learned about time travel, even without worrying about the stones, it’s best to be prepared for anything.”
3
Beckworth, a duffel slung over his shoulder, strode down the path that led from the inn to a lone dock in a private bay. Finn and Ethan matched his pace. The quiet bay was deep enough to have once moored theDaphne Marie, an eighteenth-century tall ship that Finn brought through the fog when first arriving in this century.
There was a second path on the other side of the inn that ended at a tidal pool. When the tide was out, it offered a narrow beach from which to search the pools. AJ had once told him that her father had brought her there often when she was a child, and the inn seemed an appropriate home for Finn, who’d left his ship behind when he decided to live in her timeline.
Beckworth glanced over his shoulder at the women who walked with Sebastian. “Is AJ alright with this?”
“She’s had time to get past her fear for you and Stella. It’s difficult to remember the past without thinking about the stones and keeping one eye over your shoulder.”
“I’m somewhat aware of that feeling.” They’d all been impacted by the stones, but they’d landed on their feet—luck or fate on their side. “To be fair, Stella was a bit on the fence aboutit, but the more we talked about it, the more she remembered the good times we had. She’s excited about seeing Waverly’s gardens.”
“I think Maire is a bit jealous she’s not going.” Ethan walked with his hands in his pockets. When Beckworth first met him, Ethan had been uptight and rigid. Over the last couple of weeks, it was easy to see the change in him. He was almost as relaxed as Finn, and Beckworth imagined Maire played a large part in his transformation.
“Maybe next time we could all go for a short trip. I’ve found it more difficult than I thought to leave so many friends behind.” But he’d do it all over again to be with Stella. If this trip went well, perhaps they could have the best of both worlds.
“There’s one thing we wanted to share with you before you jumped.” Finn’s tone turned serious, and Beckworth wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what was coming. “It could be different than our experience since the troubles with the stones are behind us, but you might discover yourself overly protective of Stella.”
“If I remember correctly, I spent most of the time keeping Gemini away from her. To the point of turning myself over in exchange for her.”
Ethan nodded. “True. But you’ve spent, what, about nine months in this time period now. Between this time and the women’s proven ability to handle themselves in difficult situations, we still need to be the protectors—more so in the past than in this timeline.”
Beckworth understood what they were attempting to say, though he didn’t believe there was any difference. Besides, the trip was a holiday, not running for their lives.
Finn patted him on the back. “I see your doubts. All we can do is share our experience. It’s up to you on how you handle it. Because trust me, whether in peacetime or war, you’ll need to be prepared.”
