Down the Rabbit Hole

“But women are allowed to do this?” Alice raised a hand to her head as if trying to hold in an explosion of questions. “I think we had best return to the library. I am not sure how much more of this era I can take.”


Weston understood the feeling. He offered his arm, which she took willingly. She was shaking.

“It has unnerved you that much?” he asked with as gentle a tone as he could muster. “Seeing a woman whose main work it is to keep the peace and protect the innocent?”

“Yes, it has. In our time women are the ones who need protection.”

“But think of it this way, Alice. What the women of 2005 do is merely an extension of a woman’s main work in 1805. True, her obligation in our day exists mainly on a domestic level. In the household it is a woman’s task to do the same, to keep peace and protect the innocent.” Another thought struck him. “Why, the housekeeper of a big estate wields even more power than the lady of the house, and may even be a better template for what this woman does.”

“I see your point, but still find it shocking.” Alice drew a deep breath. “You must agree, Wes, this takes protection to another level. I do believe she was carrying a pistol.”

They turned the corner, heading in the same direction as the young man and the woman, only to find the area quiet, with no sign of the villain or the officer. It was as though the ripple had faded, and the steady stream of people walking continued as before.

They took what Arbuckle called a taxi, a modern horseless version of the hackney, but significantly more comfortable and much quicker.

Weston asked Tandy for tea, and they made their way back to the library as though there were no other room in the house that would accommodate them.

That suited him well enough. In his day there had been a drinks cabinet in the corner of the room, and he was pleased to find it was still there. He poured himself a glass of brandy and raised the decanter to Mr. Arbuckle, who shook his head. Very well, he would drink alone.

Mr. Arbuckle rose. “I will be leaving you now. I must return to the museum I care for these days and make sure the alarms are set and that the cats are fed and settled for the night.”

“You’re going to leave us alone here?”

Weston could see that Alice would need something stronger than tea to soothe her.

“Hardly alone, miss. Tandy and her husband are within reach. All you need do is to use the bellpull to call for them.”

Weston held out his hand. “Thank you for your service today. I trust that we will see you in the morning?”

“Sooner than that, sir, I will be back this evening. Tandy has assigned me a room in the gentlemen’s wing. That way I will be relatively close in case you should need help with anything.”

“Very good, then.” It was a rather vague explanation, but Weston was reassured that Arbuckle would be nearby. “Does the housekeeper live here too?”

“But wait, please. What will Mrs. Tandy think if I am here overnight?” Alice asked, panic in her voice.

“I do believe Tandy is her Christian name, Miss Kemp,” Arbuckle said, with a gesture of apology. “She is used to the overnight guests that the earl and his brother welcome.”

“But ladies?” Alice asked, her hand going to her chest.

“Yes, miss.” This time he spoke with even more apology. “It is very common in this time for men and women to be more open about their—oh dear—” Weston heard him whisper to himself. “In 2005 short relationships of an intimate nature are very common. Tandy will think it nothing unusual that you are staying here.” He closed his eyes and went on. “What will strike her as odd is that you and the earl will have separate bedchambers.”

“I wondered why she seemed so accepting of an unaccompanied young lady with me all day,” Weston said, as Alice seemed beyond words.

“We are lucky, my lord, that you look so very much like the earl’s younger brother, Simon West, for he is the one who time traveled with Miss Amy.”