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You said to slon That I'd never learn anything zipping around my past so quickly

And?

It was exactly what I wanted to do, I just didn't knoanted it

Maybe that's why you found s bristling as they sped along And hthere

The wind stopped The static crackling sround, a sensation like flying off a swing set and landing on a grassy lawn She was out of the Announcer and soht around her feet told her it was dusk

They were sunk deep in a field of thick, soft, brilliant green grass, as high as her calves Here and there the grass was dotted with tiny bright-red fruit--wild strawberries Ahead, a thin row of silver birch trees e of the manicured lawn of an estate Some distance beyond that stood an enorht of stairs that led to the back entrance of the large, Tudor-style mansion An acre of pruned yellow rosebushes bordered the lawn's north side, and a ate on the east In the center lay a bountiful vegetable garden, beans cli their poles A pebble trail cut the yard in half and led to a large ashed gazebo

Goose bumps rose on Luce's arms This was the place She had a visceral sense that she had been here before This was no ordinary d?j? vu She was staring at a place that hadto her and Daniel She half expected to see the two of theht norapped in each other's arazebo was e sun

So her juotten he ith her He hovered in the air so that their heads were on the same level Outside the Announcer, he was soht, his flesh was dry and scaly, and he sly of ed away fro invisible

Sure beats a war zone, he said, eyeing the grounds

How did you knohere I was before?

I's

Okay, then, where are ?

Helston, England--he pointed a claw tip toward his head and closed his eyes--in what you'd call 1854 Then he clasped his stone claws together in front of his chest like a gno a history report A sleepy southern town in the county of Cornwall, granted charter by King John himself Corn's a few feet tall, so I'd say it's probably midsummer Pity we missed the month of May-- they have a Flora Day festival here like you wouldn't believe Or maybe you would! Your past self was the belle of the ball the last two years in a row Her father's very rich, see Got in at the ground level of the copper trade--

Sounds terrific Luce cut hi in there I want to talk to her

Hold up Bill flew past her, then looped back, fluttering a few inches in front of her face Now, this? This won't do at all

He waved a finger in a circle, and Luce realized he was talking about her clothes She was still in the Italian nurse's uniforrabbed the he white skirt and lifted it to her ankles What do you have on under there? Are those Converse? You've gotta be kidding ue How you ever survived those other lifeti fine, thank you

You'll need to do ' if you want to spend some time here Bill flew back up to eye level with Luce, then zipped around her three tione

But then, a second later, she heard his voice--though it sounded as if it was coreat distance Yes! Brilliant, Bill!

A gray dot appeared in the air near the house, growing larger, then larger, until Bill's stone wrinkles beca a dark bundle in his arms When he reached her, he siy white nurse's unifor her arms around her bare body modestly, but it seemed like only a second later that a series of petticoats was being tugged over her head

Bill scra her waist into a tight corset, until sharp boning poked her skin in all sorts of uncomfortable places There was sostill in a bit of a breeze, she rustled

She thought she looked pretty good for the era--until she recognized the white apron tied around her waist, over her long black dress Her hand went to her hair and yanked off a white servant's headpiece

I'm a maid? she asked

Yes, Einstein, you're a maid

Luce kneas durand and the gardens so lovely and she knew she was on a quest and all that, but couldn't she have just strolled around the grounds here like a real Victorian lady?

I thought you said my family was rich

Your past self's family was rich Filthy rich You'll see when you oes by Lucinda and thinks your nickname is an absolute aboh in the air, giving a pretty laughable imitation of a snob Shes rich, yes, but you,intruder who knows not the ways of this high society So unless you want to stick out like a Manchester seaet to have a chat with Lucinda, you need to go undercover You're a scullery er It's really up to you Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way I can disappear in the blink of an eye