Page 71 of Twin Flames
‘George, a time traveller? I hadn’t considered it. I suppose he could be. Practically, of course, we know it’s possible. I don’t remember anything of significance from Tudorville though, do you?’
‘No, since Sylvia told me about Twin Flames I’ve assumed he’s the other half of my soul, reincarnated in the form of his direct descendant who bears the same name. They are identical to look at, but then that’s not at all unusual in families, is it?’
‘Um, no, I suppose not. Let’s try and think this through clearly before we rush into action. There must be a lot going on that we’re unaware of. . .that we just don’t know yet.’
‘Agreed. There would seem to be two possible scenarios. The first is that I’ve messed up the timeline by travelling back too early, getting caught, and interrupting the natural order of events. If he’s dead, he must have been captured and executed at Tower Green, like Queen Anne. We do know that Henry is in his season of killing.’
‘Okay, yes, that’s possible. Although any number of things could have happened after you returned; not necessarily his execution.’
‘True, but as much as I hate to think it, if he’s not alive in the here and now, the chances are high that he was killed in 1536.’
Eddie looked into the video camera and saw her pale face and grey, haunted eyes. ‘You look dreadful, my dear. It’s going to be all right. We’ll figure this out together.’
Cara gulped back the emotion and made a stoic effort not to cry. She knew this was a critical time to be strong. If she gave into the urge to think about her feelings she’d sink into a pool of despair. Their whole future hung in the balance.
‘Thank you. You’re a dear friend. I’ll fall apart and be no good to anyone if I don’t do something to save George now. The waiting is killing me.’
‘What’s the other scenario?’ Eddie probed gently, wishing he had the power to alleviate her distress. He still blamed himself for sending her on the fatal mission which had quite possibly cost George his life.
‘I’m wondering what the implications of George also being a time traveller could be. Is it possible that him not being alive now is pure coincidence and could have happened anyway?’
‘Um, it’s hard to say,’ replied Eddie.
‘There’s no time to waste. Let’s assume I messed up the timeline by returning too early. We either try to turn back time so George is still alive in present day, or we must save him from the Tower in Tudorville before they execute him. There may still be a chance. I’m terrified they caught him and he died at the Tower like the queen. The king has turned into a ruthless tyrant. All he cares for is satisfying his lustful vengeance.’
‘In quantum terms, it’s true. If George doesn’t exist now, then it would seem as though he died. Although it doesn’t necessarily mean it happened in Tudorville. Just to complicate matters, it could have been any time in-between, or if he is indeed a time traveller, then the number of other possibilities increases tenfold.’
‘This is terribly confusing. What do you think gives us the best chance of saving him? At this point, I’ll do anything to bring him back, even though we’ll be living separate lives. If I can go back far enough in time to before we met and fell in love in Tudorville, I think it should reset the timeline to how it was before our experiment, and he should be alive today.’
‘Is that what you want?’ asked Eddie.
‘No. Of course not. But anything is better than him being dead. I can’t bear it. I’d rather he’s dead to me but living his life.’
‘Okay, well we can’t know if George is a time traveller, and ironically there’s no time to find out. There are too many unknowns. I think you’re right. It does seem as though he’s not alive now because of our meddling,’ said Eddie.
They talked through various options and began to formulate a plan. Cara would attempt to leave for Tudorville today. It was a blood moon eclipse; a perfect day to slip through the gateway and attempt to turn back time to save George.
The Tower of London, 1536
Cara, the children and Edward were released first, in accordance with George’s terms. The Tower guard pushed them one by one through the tall wrought iron gates.
Swifty and George watched them stumble out into the gloomy London morning. Heavy clouds hovered on the low, murky skyline, and the threat of rainfall loomed.
George couldn’t take the chance that the children would recognise him, so he had disguised himself in a sailor’s uniform and a blond wig which he’d appropriated from Madame Alicia’s costume chest. He would try to catch Cara’s eye; it could be the last time they would see each other.
The pre-wedding hustle and bustle on the streets around the Tower made it easy to avert his face as his family passed. A few members of the crowd jeered. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation; they were spoiling for another execution.
King Henry was to marry Jane Seymour, his next queen, at the end of May. Impromptu street parties had broken out all over the city, despite the uncertainty and tension in the air. The people had not loved Anne Boleyn, so most weren’t sorry shewas gone. Katherine of Aragon had been their true queen, but they recognised that the old order had changed.
Even in these humiliating circumstances, Cara walked like a noblewoman, shoulders back, head high. She knew, especially in these circumstances, it was critical not to show any sign of weakness. She’d been raised to be proud and strong, and this was the behaviour she modelled for her children.
As she reached out to touch May’s shoulder, a pair of familiar dark eyes caught hers. She turned to search the crowd. Was he an apparition or was George watching them? She hadn’t eaten more than a crust of bread for days, and she barely trusted her senses. The tiny portions of food they’d received weren’t enough to feed the children. She needed to ready Thomas and May for their next ordeal. They wouldn’t like being parted from her again, but she must send them to Willow Manor, to their grandparents. The agreement with the king was that she would retire with her children to a quiet life at their country home and never attend court again. It was dangerous to flout King Henry’s orders, but she couldn’t go to York while George was on the run. She must find him. Together they could get through anything, separate they were weak.
Thank God, she’d arrived back again so soon; she’d only been gone a couple of hours in Tudorville. She had tried to turn back time by focusing on travelling back to the day before she met George for the first time, but once again she’d failed in her audacious attempt to navigate time on demand. Perhaps it was only possible to travel back and forth in a linear fashion. But if that was so, how had she deleted George’s timeline?
She’d tried to do what she thought must be the right thing by sacrificing their shared history, but she hadn’t pulled it off despite her best intentions. Now she was relieved to be back in a time when her one true love lived. She would go full force into making sure George wasn’t executed. She’d do whatever it tookto save him; to save them. Staying in London and disregarding the king’s rules was a risk she was willing to take, made slightly lighter by knowing that in the event of neither of them surviving, the children would be cared for by George’s parents. Cara and George had lost their newly bestowed titles and lands, but they still had their family home. Cara would gladly give it all up to live a quiet life, but not without her husband.
George stared longingly at Cara’s back as she walked away; perhaps forever. He couldn’t take the chance that the king’s men would see them together, but he’d had to have a glimpse of her. The risk of his family being caught and thrown back into the Tower was too high. That would serve no one. He must keep them safe, no matter how much his heart ached at being so close and unable to reach out to touch her one last time. He watched until they were out of sight, then turned and nodded farewell to Swifty before walking towards the Tower gates to turn himself him.
