TIME MACHINE CHAPTER FOUR
He went back and told the others where they were.
"At least we don't have clothing problems this time but we need to sort out less revealing clothes for Jessica and Rita."
"This was the finest Sir McKenzie could buy!" teased Rita.
"It might be but here you'll just be thought of as a scarlet woman! Now I suggest you and Jess stay in here – Connie looks respectable enough – while the rest of us take this and see if we can trade it for a couple of shawls and some food."
Dylan waved a watch in the air, he'd found it in one of the cupboards in the machine and it was in fine working order.
"You ladies can explore the cupboards but please don't touch the controls – I'd hate us to be stranded here while you go flying off to goodness knows what century! Jessica, don't look so afraid, I'm sure Ben will look after you when he comes back."
Ben saw his look and realised what it meant. Dylan thought he and Jessica…! His feeling for Jessica were more those of a brother, for goodness sake. But he could hardly say "Don't fret, I'm gay", for all he knew, Dylan was straight and might loathe him.
Connie gave Rita a smug look.
"Better to look like a maid and be allowed out on the streets, eh? Bad luck, Freeman!"
Ben, Dylan and Connie explored the streets, one or two people looked lazily at them but that was all.
Connie suddenly saw a notice on the Schoolhouse door:
"School Ma'am wanted. Nine till four daily except weekends. Must be clean-living and honest. Apply to the Reverend Fletcher at the chapel."
"I'll give you a week's trial then if you don't suit, you'll have to go", stated the Reverend, and told Connie the amount she would earn each week. Connie could tell from his face that it was a mediocre
sum but that was fine.
"I'd be happy with that. By the way these are my cousins, Benjamin and Dylan. Dylan's mama was fond of Welsh legends."
"Wales, England? Oh ma'am, I should love to see England one day; that's a right purty accent you got there."
"I don't suppose you have work for my cousins?"
"Not at the moment ma'am. Now you start tomorrow at 9am."
Connie bobbed a little curtsey and the Reverend wished he wasn't a Reverend.
The next place they went to was the trading post, to see if they could sell the watch. An oily-looking man behind the counter almost snatched it from Dylan in glee.
"Oh, that is some timepiece, Sir", he gushed, and then said "My name's Jordan, Nick Jordan. My boy Wilberforce has just started going to school."
Whoopee, thought Dylan and smiled politely.
"Bless. How old is he?"
"Eleven", said Nick proudly.
Connie refrained from comment. Just then a man dressed in Native American Indian clothes walked in, a quite good-looking man, a little older than Dylan. He waited patiently until Jordan had given Dylan some money for the watch.
Dylan knew Nick had underpaid him but beggars couldn't be choosers. Then the Indian moved forward almost humbly.
"What do you want?"
Nick's manner changed from oily to hostile on confronting the Indian. The latter kept his dignity and looked proud. Then Nick said, the oil coming back into his voice:
"I've some really nice blankets. Cheap ones."
Connie suddenly remembered what she'd read. She moved over to the Native American and said quietly but clearly:
"Don't touch those blankets. They're infected, treated with disease to spread through your tribe. I know what these people are like."
The other man stared at Connie for a long moment. Then he smiled slowly.
"Thank you, white woman. Maybe one day I can help you."
On that note, he walked out. So much for the murdering Indians in all the embarrassing old Westerns.
Nick's guilt was apparent. If looks could kill, they'd have been burying Connie the next day. As it was...
"Get out of here, ma'am, this shop doesn't sell to a Redskin Lover."
Neither Ben nor Dylan blamed Connie for their coming away empty handed.
"You did right, Mrs Beauchamp. Racism's evil" Ben assured her.
"Ben, don't you think under the circumstances you should start calling me Connie?"
Ben blushed, but resolved to call her just that.
Fortunately they were able to find a General Store, which sold shawls for ladies. Dylan found something even more useful. A notice on the street:
"Miss Megan Roach's Select Rooms for gentlefolk. No gambling parties, no chorus girls."
A reasonable price, too. Just one drawback.
"We can't all afford a single room. I'll be happy to share with Miss Freeman."
They looked at Connie in surprise, but she was determined to start 'mucking in' – it seemed the best way to cope with this insane situation.
"Ben, you and Dylan can share."
Dylan looked uneasy. Ben's heart sank. Again.
"Won't you be sharing with Jessica?"
Ben laughed in relief.
"No. She's a lovely girl but…"
Ben took a deep breath.
"I'm actually gay. All Jessica did that night was cry on my chest and then go to sleep."
Dylan wanted to punch the air but knew better. Instead he said the wrong thing entirely, crushing Ben yet again.
"Well you touch me and I'll stab you."
"I'll keep to my side of the room, don't get your panties in a bunch" Ben snapped.
"Benjamin!"
Dylan glared:
"One day we will return to 2015. You will be Nurse Chiltern and I will be Doctor Keogh. And when we resume our positions I shall make your life hell for telling me not to get my panties in a bunch."
Connie burst out laughing. The others realised what a beautiful laugh she had.
"We thought you were never coming back" grumbled Rita.
"Well pardon us, Rita, but we were getting you two some shawls among other things."
"There's a whole lot of tea and coffee devices and a machine that can make hot water. And some sweetmeats" Jess changed the subject, then added "And thank you for the shawl."
"See, some people say thank you nicely, Freeman. Anyway, here are the shawls."
"Bags I the blue one" Rita jumped in greedily.
"The store does – um – underwear for ladies too but it's not like you've ever seen, Freeman."
Connie suddenly realised how cute Rita would look in pantalettes. She wondered why this mouthy little blonde was getting to her.
The 'sweetmeats' Jess had mentioned turned out to be biscuits, and everybody enjoyed their break.
"So later today we'll move into Miss Roach's establishment."
"Can't we just stay here? It has sleeping space."
"It's best that nobody actually sees us coming and going from here more than they have to. They could follow and that could lead to big trouble. We need to fit in until we've got some kind of historical stuff to take back, and then we can either stay longer or leave. But we need to make more money, there's just enough left for the rooms till Connie's paid. And we can't sponge off her" Dylan said firmly.
Everybody looked at each other in despair. Four medical staff and an ex bawdy-house member. Not a recipe for making a fast buck.
(