Page 64 of The Uprising
George whistled quietly under his breath. Since the palace attack, she had been different.
There was nothing like having everything nearly snatched away to make you appreciate what you have. Whatever the reason for her buoyant mood, he was relieved.
His mind flitted to thoughts of future Cara, and he wondered what she discovered at The National Archives. He was torn between a natural curiosity and the fear of learning their fate.
The Bank of England, London, 1848 - Tudorville
They rode with Cuthbert in one of the royal carriages and alighted at Threadneedle Street in front of the Bank of England.
‘I’ll accompany you and make sure you are given access; security is even tighter since the recent riots in the city,’ said Cuthbert.
The street was just as busy as when George had tried to reach the bank alone and had been pushed aside by crowds and almost lost the precious painting. The military had cordoned off the area near the bank, and Cuthbert showed his identification before they were permitted to enter.
‘It’s a fine thing you’re with us or I see I would have made another wasted trip.’
Cuthbert smiled and nodded his head in assent as he beckoned Cara and George to follow him past the grand pillars and through the entrance hall of the most famous bank in the world.
‘Have you ever been here before?’ asked Cuthbert, a chatty, pleasant individual.
‘I can’t say I have. Although I see it’s quite as impressive as one might imagine,’ replied George.
He paused a moment to soak up the reality of the moment. His eyes moved to Cara as she smoothed the skirt of her fashionable gown, which accentuated her tiny waist, and she straightened her velvet bonnet, before throwing an impish smile in his direction and claiming his arm. As usual, she drew admiring glances everywhere she went: she must know the spell her presence cast, but she also had a beguiling innocence.
Here he was in 1848, entering the Bank of England with Cara on one arm and an undiscovered Turner masterpiece under the other. Living a double life was a tough business, but occasionally he was present enough to acknowledge the greatness of his peculiar situation. And this was one of those moments.
He couldn’t wait to tell Cara about this when he returned to present day. But there was one big problem. He couldn’t seem to get there. Time here wasn’t equal to time in the present-day, and sometimes it seemed like he had only been gone for a minute while months had passed in Victoriana. Lately he hadn’t been back at all. And now he was plagued by a dangerous thought that hadn’t occurred to him before.
What if I can’t ever get back to the future?
Chapter 20
Richmond, London - Present day
Cara and George sat at a table on the terrace in front of their hotel, overlooking the vibrant green meadows and verdant woodland which rolled all the way down to the meandering River Thames. The river glinted like a shimmering blue lake in the mild afternoon sunshine.
After a few minutes of admiring the famous view, George exclaimed, ‘Did you know this is the only English landscape view to be protected by an Act of Parliament?’ He stretched out his arm and swept his palm from left to right, to present the view to Cara.
‘I don’t know where you come up with your never-ending facts but that is a good one.’ She pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head and smiled at George.
‘Can’t beat a good fact.’ He took a gulp of cold beer. ‘Turner painted it, you know. It’s calledThe Thames at Richmond, or something similar.
‘And talking of Turner, what’s going on with the painting? You haven’t mentioned it in a while,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately, that’s true. I didn’t want to worry you, but I’ve come up against a slight problem.’
‘What’s happening?’
‘Well, it’s more a case of what’s not happening. I can’t remember anything about what’s going on in Victoriana. I’ve no idea whether I managed to get the painting into the vault or not. It’s as though my connection has been turned off overnight.’
‘I shouldn’t worry. That happens sometimes. I don’t always remember everything—it can take a while for our memories to catch up, or for our software to update, as Eddie calls it,’ she replied.
‘What if I’m stuck here indefinitely?’
Cara studied the face she loved so well as she processed his words. ‘But how can you be? You’re aware of what’s happened in the past.’
‘True, but when we’re here we’re always aware of the other timelines, but it doesn’t mean we have access to knowledge of the latest events.’
Cara’s grey eyes probed his as he talked.
