Edge of Time (Langston Brothers Series) (6 page)

Craig asked Marissa a few more questions and continued to be thoroughly staggered by the extent of her knowledge, even if some of the ideas were a little farfetched. They paused in the shade of a weeping willow tree and he turned to inquire about another subject but found the words slipping from his mind as she raised those huge ebony eyes to him. Enraptured, he fought the urge to reach out and stroke a strand of her
intriguing
hair
—so many different shades of
blonde
woven through.

He couldn’t resist.

Ever so gently he stretched out a hand and drew his fingers through the glossy locks. The strands ran like water across his skin.
Pure silk,
he thought, and wondered if the rest of h
er would be
so velvety smooth. A flash of guilt sent
heat to his face. His high collar nearly choked him. He had no right to such thoughts, but
the
urge to kiss her
was so
strong
. He hadn’t kissed a woman since… Well, he couldn’t remember when exactly, it had been entirely too long.

What the Hell…

He
slid a palm across her cheek and
stepped forward, closing the distance
between them
to cl
aim
her lips in a soft kiss.

Craig should have been disappointed. When her
supple
lips parted that way it was obvious she’d be
en kissed before... kissed well.
But he was anything but disappointed. She actually
tasted
good. His mouth
opened
against hers as his tongue prepared to intrude the wetness of her mouth only to find hers already there, meeting him half way. He greedily accepted what she offered, took her mouth in a deepening kiss, and groaned, fast approaching a place from whence most men cannot return.

*
             
*
             
*

Marissa’s heart hammered so hard in her throat she was aware of little other than the sound of blood rushing in her ears, and his lips over hers.
H
is
kis
s
was
better than any drug, dizzying, electrifying, leaving her reeling, and as she prepared to dissolve in a liquid pool on the grass, her arms curled around the strength of his neck. He was so tall the movement of pure self preservation only served to fit her flawlessly against the contours of his body. Captivated by the magical moment, Marissa was convinced she’d ascended into a dream. The touch of his
mouth
was like a healing balm poured directly over the gaping wounds in her heart. Her mind swirled in ecstasy as the perfume of fresh flowers floated on the breeze, mingling with Craig’s
masculine scent. H
is fingers and lips enthralled her. She never wanted to leave the inviting haven of his arms.

He broke the kiss off suddenly and for a long moment she could do little more than stare into his face with passion clouded eyes. His sandy hair was tousled from the wind and she knew an intense desire to run her fingers through the wavy thickness. The blue of his eyes held her transfixed in a timeless moment. Never before had she responded with such wantonness. Softly, she sighed as her lips spread in a silent summons. His arms tightened about her waist and he bent to claim her lips once more, but...

“No!” she gasped pushing away from him.
What am I doing?
I can’t let him kiss me again!
The thought flooded her senses and while the idea was anything but unpleasant she knew better than to get involved with a man
here
…
Now! Ever,
for that matter…

Craig reached for her, but sh
e quickly sidestepped his grasp.
“Don’t, Craig. You… you, don’t know what I am.” Frustrated, Marissa pressed her palms to her forehead
.
“I don’t even know where I am! I’m sorry.” Marissa turned to escape. She could not get involved with a man in 1863. It would only cause more pain and anguish in the long run.

“Marissa, wait.”
He snared her arm, successfully halting her flight.

“Dr. Langston, suh! Miss Genie’s mare! She’s a-foalin’, suh!”
             

Craig dropped her arm. Marissa quickly backed away, brushing
the hair off o
f her shoulders and looking
down as Fredrick approached.

The old man had a knowing twinkle in his eye but said nothing except in reference to the horse. As the trio quickly made their way to the barn Marissa silently berated herself for opening up to Craig as she had. The last thing she needed was another Brian situation and no matter how heady and alluring the Captain Doctor proved to be, a romantic entanglement
now
could only lead to further heartbreak.

Steeling herself against the almost physical pull of the man, she resolved not to get carried away again and to concentrate on getting home. It was immensely saddening to have met a man like him with whom she could have no future.
Literally no future
. Because this was a world of unattainable men.

Edge of Time
230

Four

As the cart bumped along the muddy road winding into Charleston, Marissa listened with half an ear to Genie prattle on about an array of somewhat obscure topics, none of which gave Marissa any clues as to what she was
actually
talking about. An
d the fact of the matter was she
didn’t want to know. The surreal dreamlike quality of the last few days was gone
and she just wanted to cry—
scream and sob
,
throw things
,
and pitch a right fine temper tantrum. She deserved a tantrum. And she certainly didn’t care about the 1863 political climate
,
or how many munitions plants existed in Charleston
,
or how the union blockade of the coast affected the south. The Civil War from her prospective was ancient history. Something you spoke reverently about from time to time because it
was an awful part of the past—
key word
—
past.
Her great-great-great-
great
grandfather had fought in the Civil War for Christ’s sake!

Her
political climate consisted of the Middle East, an impending presidential election, and healthcare reform! Did real healthcare even exist in this time? Forget a new life! All she really wanted was to go home! She would deal with Brian. She would make nice with Marne
—
well
,
maybe not make nice, but behave tolerably
—
if only she could find a way back to her
real
life. Her eyes, gritty and dry, pricked as though to form tears, but the course of the last two weeks combined with the events of the last two days had left her body quite incapable of forming anymore tears.

The cart bumped over a rise
and Marissa stared, mesmerized.

She may well have stepped into
Gone with the Wind,
and was instantly struck with a mental image of the photo hanging over the door of the USC commons. But
this
was like nothing she could have imagined. The streets were alive with people and activity and while nothing modern met her wide-eyed gaze, nothing about
the city struck her as antique
either. This was a place of vibrancy, fas
cinating in its richness and
range of different sights. All thoughts of temp
er tantrums and tears crowded
to the back of her mind.

Genie expertly wou
nd the cart through the streets.
“We’ll just pick up my daughter
before heading to the hospital.
”
S
he turned to smile at Marissa who was desperately wishing she’d paid more attention in high school history class. Rounding a cobblestone corner Genie halted the conveyance in front of an adorable two story brick house. “Here we are.” Genie tied off the reins and alighted from the small carriage
. Marissa lingered in the seat.

“Mama!” a pretty young woman with Genie’s blond hair and cheerful expression came bounding out of the house
,
leaving the door to bang behind her.

Genie’s face lit with motherly pride as she embraced her daughter
. “Carolyn, dear, how are you?”

“I’m wonderful, Mama. I received a letter from Alfred today. He is in Tennessee of all places or at least he was almost two months ago when the letter was sent. He’s been promoted to 1
^st
lieutenant!”

“Oh, C
arolyn that is wonderful news.”

“I hope so
.
” Carolyn’s light blue eyes flicked the wooden cart.

“Carol
yn.
” Genie
gave Marissa a reassuring smile.
“I would
like you to meet your cousin.”

“Cousin?” Carolyn looked in
surprise from her mother to
Marissa
sitting quietly inside the cart.

“Yes,” Genie said firmly. “This is Marissa. She came from Atlanta the other day to stay with me.”

Carolyn smiled warmly at Marissa
, but turned back to her mother.
“I didn’t realize we had any family in Atlanta.”

“I’m afraid my sister and I were estranged for many years. Marissa sought me out after her recent death.”

Carolyn gave her mother a dubious look
,
but turned to Marissa with open arms. “Marissa, it is wonderful to meet you. I am your cousin, Carolyn Reed.” Marissa liked Carolyn instantly, finding her mannerisms much like her mother’s. Looking puckishly from Marissa to Genie, Carolyn demanded, “Are you ready to go shopping?”

Genie rolled her eyes.
“We’re no
t here to go shopping, Carolyn,
we’re taking Marissa to the hospital.”

“The hospital?”

“Yes, she’s going to work there.”

“Oh.
”
T
he young woman turned a curious expression to her “cousin” but didn’t question further.

Piling onto the narrow splintered seat of the cart Marissa found herself sandwiched between Genie and the unforgiving corner of a rail.
So much for the leather interior of my
brand new
Chevy.

Staring at the crush of the city around her she felt totally lost. It was like drowning on dry land or suffocating with lungs full of air. She wanted to scream for rescue but who would hear? Still, she continued to gaze, enthralled at the passing store fronts, wondering if she looked as out of place as she felt. What she knew of this era was severely limited to high school history class and watching westerns on TV
—
probably most of that knowledge could be credited to television
—
and in spite of her earlier comparison, this was anything but
Gone With the Wind
.

“What do you say, Marissa?”

Carolyn’s voice pulled h
er from the dredges of her mind.
“I’m sorry. What?”

“The Confederate officers are having a ball in a few weeks and now that you’re in town you simply must come with us. I already ma
de a new dress for the occasion. Today I had planned to buy a bit of ribbon and lace.
”

“That sounds wonderful,” Marissa replied with a miserable attempt at enthusiasm. She did
not
want to consider still being here in a few weeks. “Although I
don’t
have anything to wear.”

Carolyn’s eyes glowed at the prospect. “Don’t you worry, dear cousin. I have more clothes than I could wear in three lifetimes. I’ll make you the most ravishing belle at the ball.”

“In that case, I feel compelled to warn you that I’m not much of a dancer.”

“Again, not to worry.” Carolyn grinned. “I can fix that as well.”

It was bizarre but on more than one occasion Marissa caught sight of a short balding man staring at her through the crowd. At first she didn’t think much of it, but after the third time his black beady eyes locked on hers she grew a little unsettled. But when she turned to ask Genie or Carolyn about him the man melted into the crowd. As if life couldn’t get any worse the last thing she needed was to attract a stalker.

Eventually the cart rattled to a stop before a massive three story brick bu
ilding—the hospital—
and nerves assailed Marissa. Getting a job was without doubt a disaster waiting to happen. She had less than no
idea what to expect of
medicine in this era, and it would only take time and effort away from getting home.

Together the three women exited the old cart and entered the arched doors of the hospital, Marissa lagging a step behind.

“Good day, Dr. Langston,” Genie drawled sweetly
.

Marissa’s gaze instantly honed in on Craig’s towering form. He
turned toward Genie
’s voice, as did the young dark-haired
woman he’d been speaking with.

Marissa stared. Oh, fate was a cruel, bitter entity indeed. The woman clinging so lovingly to Craig Langston’s arm was
Marne
. Or at least her double. Maybe a multiple-great grandmother? Marissa stood frozen as the whole of her world began to tilt.

With curls as
deep as the night
and dimples that made her smile dazzling, this woman could have been Marne’s mirror image. The only difference was the eyes. While Marne’s had been blue-green this girls eyes appeared violet, almost purple in the bright light of the entry. Taking in
the willowy figure Marissa experienced
an all too familiar ripping at the seams of her soul.

*
             
*
             
*

Grateful for the interruption, Craig
greeted the newcomers politely.
“Good morning, Mrs. Harr
is, Mrs. Reed, Miss McClafferty.
”
H
e deftly extricated his arm from the claw-like grip the ever-determined Kirsten had on it. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Amazing
he thought. He’d
felt
Marissa’s presence, known she was there without looking. The sensation was so profound he was taken aback, but a quickening in his chest had alerted him to
her
even before she’d passed through the door. To Marissa he continued, “I’ve already discussed your working here with Major Bernstein and he thought it would be fine to give you a try. Lord knows we need the help.

“Unfortunately we’ll have to pay you in Confederate currency, which, as you know, is almost completely worthless.
” His voice dropped a fraction.
“
To be perfectly honest I can’t promise we’ll be able to pay you regularly
at all
. A payroll shipment due
a few days ago never came in
.”

“Whatever the hospital can manage is fine,” Marissa said. “I’m just happy to do my part.”

“Oh, I’m certain of that.” Kirsten’s tinkling laugh drew everyone’s attention to her
—
as
she’d no doubt planned.
Craig knew
Kirsten was only happy when all focus was upon her.
“Craig, darling, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Once more, she tucked her daintily gloved hand into his elbow. He couldn’t remove it without appearing rude.