2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Eloise

"This is insane," Eloise said for what seemed the hundredth time. "This cannot possibly be true."

"And yet," Ava said, waving a hand airily to illuminate the dark street around them, the road lined by the not-carriages she called 'cars', with dark shop-fronts plastered with posters declaring '50% off', 'City souvenirs', 'Any shoes £25'.

"That is outrageous," Penelope announced of the final poster, outrage pinking her cheeks. "Twenty five pound for a pair of shoes?"

Ava laughed, a rasping, unladylike sound which made Eloise immediately like her. Ava inclined her head, leading them towards a set of stairs descending into some kind of basement. "It's not so bad, actually. Inflation has come a long way since the eighteen-hundreds. This jacket cost me forty quid, and I'm not mad about it."

She descended the steps into a basement of yellow light, lined by a dark cage. Curious, Eloise made to follow before Colin reached for her, rain dripping into his eyes.

"I do not think we should go down there," he said.

"Oh?" Eloise looked at him pointedly. "And where should we go, brother? We appear to be very far from home. Should we not discover as much as possible about this place as we can?"

"Eloise is right," Pen said in a shaky voice. "Besides, I should very much like to be out of this rain."

Colin chewed on his lip, eyeing the stairs to the underground, his features pale and uncertain. Eloise slipped her arm through his, snaring his attention. "Where's your sense of adventure gone, brother?" she said softly. "Forget Greece. This is a true story to bring home."

He looked back at her, and his thoughts were written all over his face. If we ever return home at all.

Then he forced a smile and squeezed her arm. "Quite right," he said. "An adventure it is."

And the three of them descended into the dry, yellow lights of the underground. Strange signposts covered the walls. Ava waited for them by a gateway, tendrils of wet hair dripping onto her shirt. In the light, Eloise was astonished to see the ends of her black hair looked purple.

Ava's lips quirked into a lopsided smile. "You look just as confused as I'd expect," she said. Around her, other people were entering the underground and stepping through gateways. Eloise wanted to stare at everything.

"I do not understand how this could be possible," she breathed. "How can you be so calm?"

Ava barked a short, rasping laugh. "Oh, I'm not calm. This is the absolute maddest thing that has ever happened to me. This is even weirder than that time my brother gave me some mushrooms and I thought I was falling into the sky."

Colin shifted at Eloise's side. "Your brother gave you this?"

Eloise looked at him pointedly. "Your brother sounds more fun than mine," she announced.

Ava laughed again, tilting her head back so that her long neck was on show, the ends of her hair curling towards her collarbones. Eloise had seen hundreds of ladies' collarbones in her time. She did not know why this laugh had struck her so. Perhaps the lightning had addled her brains.

"I like you," Ava said to Eloise. Then she calmed, tugging thoughtfully at the hem of her coat. "You know, I always hoped time travel was possible. I've read so many books about it. Maybe that's why I seem so calm. That, and a PhD gives you lots of practise dealing with the unexpected. Even if I am only a year in."

Eloise went still. Had she heard correctly?

"You are a researcher," Penelope said, wording Eloise's thoughts. "A woman scientist."

"A physicist," Ava said. "Yeah. You turned up right in the middle of my experiment. Which means you're my responsibility. Which means I'm taking you to my flat until we can sort out how to get you back home. Sound fair?"

"You believe it possible to return us home, then?" Pen asked, squeezing out her sodden hair and blinking in the hideous yellow lights.

Ava's smile fell. "I don't know," she admitted. "I really don't. This has never happened before. But, I am gonna make sure you're safe while you're here. It's my fault, whatever brought you here. I'm sorry for that. Best I can think right now is I'll take you to my flat, and you can use my shower and warm up, and tomorrow morning we can head back to the site and find out what happened. Deal?"

Warming up did sound nice. Not to mention—Eloise's curiosity sparked as Ava waved the card towards the gate, which opened for her—this world seemed unfathomably fascinating. One night here couldn't hurt.

Slipping through the gate after Ava, Eloise fell into nervous step beside the other girl, looking at her sideways. She was truly unlike anyone Eloise had ever met. Were women really like this in this world? "You are doing a PhD?" she asked. "You will be a doctor of physics? Truly?"

Ava grinned that lopsided smile. "If I ever pass my viva," she said. "We're investigating new methods of directing lightning, to try to control the outcome of storms across the world. With global warming, weather's getting a little… dramatic. Of course, we don't get storms very often in London—we have to make artificial lightning in the lab, but when I saw the forecast, I couldn't pass up the chance to test our theories tonight, when the storm hit."

Eloise had hardly any idea of what she was saying.

It was fascinating. She often zoned out of Mother's lectures on flower arranging and categories of fabric, so she hardly understood those lectures, too, but Ava's words were scientific. She was a physicist! A woman physicist!

"This way," Ava said, stepping onto a moving staircase, and Eloise leapt after her, grabbing the moving rail and staring at the moving floor, at the vibrant posters on the wall. Her mind buzzed with questions—too many even to count. She wanted to stop and investigate it all, but Ava passed through as if this was all ordinary. Not worthy of note! Eloise did not want to embarrass her with pathetic questions, so she just glanced over her shoulder to meet Penelope's stunned expression and Colin's bewildered clinging to the moving handrail, and grinned.

The train was remarkable. It moved so fast! So much more efficient than a carriage. And there were so many people on board, though Eloise certainly felt uncomfortable under the pressure of so many stares, even if the other passengers were attempting to be subtle. It took all of Eloise's power not to stare right back. If they thought her clothes strange, they should each look at themselves. There were shirts which didn't cover the wearer's arms, patterned with strange pictures. Skirts which barely reached the mid-thigh! One man strode into the carriage completely shirtless, drenched with rain and clearly drunk.

Colin took a rather jerky step to the side when this happened, hiding the passenger from Eloise and Penelope's views. His cheeks had gone decidedly red, and he kept his own eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Are we almost there?" he griped.

Eloise met Pen's gaze, and almost burst out laughing. Pen dropped her eyes to the floor and pressed a hand to her face to hide her own giggle, and Eloise realised just how much she'd missed her best friend.

"Next stop," Ava promised, once more wearing that little smirk. Her eyes danced with mirth. "Promise."

The rain had relented slightly, and the three of them left the station at a run, galloping across the square and down a narrow side road, lined with cars. Ava waved wildly to the right, as a moving car rushed at them, lights blaring through the night, and Eloise scrambled out of the way. Then, one rush later, another flight of stairs (stationary this time), and another battle with a lock, and Ava threw open a plain white door and grimaced. "Welcome to my home," she said. Then, "Sorry, I wasn't expecting guests."

"It is lovely," Pen said, not a hint of a lie in her voice as they made their way inside.

Lovely was an interesting word for it. It certainly was no Aubrey Hall. The sofa was cluttered with papers, mugs strewn over the coffee table. A hanger full of clothes sat in the corner of the room. Ava raced around, grabbing armfuls of clutter and charging from room to room.

They were safe. All the adrenaline of the night drained from Eloise all at once, and she swayed on her feet, pressing a hand to her head. She had not been invited to sit, and her clothes were still sodden, so she remained standing, reaching out to stabilise herself on the wall.

Colin reached for her. "Miss… Miss Ava? You mentioned warming up?"

"Oh yeah." Ava stuck her head around the door frame. "Sure. Towels…" she disappeared for a moment, then returned, throwing a purple towel across the room. "I've only got one spare, sorry. You'll have to share. Clothes…" She stared at the pile of garments hanging on the rack, and Eloise flushed to note her undergarments were on show!

Colin coughed. He must have realised the same, because he turned his back sharpish, a fresh flush coming over his face. "I will be well in the clothes I am wearing," he said.

"What?" Ava blinked at him. "No way, you're soaking. You can't sleep in those. Hang on, I'm gonna call my brother. He's about your size. Eloise—it is Eloise, yeah?"

"Yes," Eloise said faintly.

"You're about my size," Ava said. "I'll lend you some dry stuff. Penelope… I don't think you'll fit my clothes."

"Oh, do not worry," Pen stammered. "I will be fine."

"Don't be dumb," Ava waved. "My brother's girlfriend might lend some stuff. I'll ask him to bring something of hers. No worries. Everything is under control."

She rushed from the room.

Eloise looked at Pen and Colin. Pen offered her a small, bewildered smile, and Colin just stared up at the ceiling, his cheeks still flushed.

This was definitely the strangest adventure Eloise had ever been on.

Colin

This was not real. This could not be real. Colin's insides felt like they were trying to claw through his skin. The flat was warm, too warm, with its stuffy air and close walls. Dangerous. Far too dangerous.

He tugged at his wet cravat. Water dripped under his shirt. Already this evening, he had allowed his sister and his best friend to witness things they were far too innocent to see. This Ava was trouble, that was certain. Her undergarments were hanging on display, for Christs' sake! Her clothes were definitely unsuitable, trousers clinging to her legs like that. It was highly unbecoming.

His breath was coming too fast. He fought to gain control of himself.

Ava said her brother was bringing clothes (why was she living here alone if she had a brother nearby? She did not appear to be married), and Colin wondered just what sort of monstrosities were on their way. The garments adorning some of those women on the train… Colin had to turn his eyes away at once. To imagine Penelope adorned in such things!

It was too warm in here. Colin grabbed the towel from Eloise and scrubbed at his face and hair, sure he must be sweating up a storm. Then, cursing his manners, he offered it to Penelope, who stood dripping onto the floor at his side.

She accepted it, but did not meet his eye. Her words from earlier (how could that have been today?) rung suddenly loud in his ears once more: 'Good day, Mister Bridgerton', and his hands became rough clubs at his side.

"Pen," he said. "I wonder if we might talk?" He glanced at Eloise, who stared back at him unabashedly. "Alone?"

Penelope stiffened. Her hands tightened on the towel, which she was using to dab at her hair. "I am not sure that would be proper," she said stiffly.

Colin blinked. He supposed it was not proper, though he had been alone with Penelope many times unchaperoned, and had not thought twice about it. They were Pen and Colin—there was nothing more to it. "I believe we are past propriety, here," he said quietly. "It is not like Lady Whistledown might discover a private conversation and misconstrue it for the entire Ton to hear."

Eloise spluttered. Penelope reddened.

"While that may be true," Penelope said, turning to face him, "I do not believe there is anything you can have to say to me which Eloise cannot hear. There will be no secrets between us."

Eloise straightened, as Penelope looked back at her, and something passed between the two women. Colin was at a loss. He did not understand what must have happened to have the two of them mend their friendship so easily, while he and Pen remained at odds. But he could not very well ask in front of Eloise.

It was a private matter. What he and Pen shared… it was private. It was vital, and important, and it was theirs. Eloise had no place in it.

Colin pressed his lips closed. "Of course. I just wished to know if your cousin was returned to the Americas."

Penelope glanced away. "He is gone," she said. "As you wished." She then turned to Eloise, and told her everything which had happened with the gemstone mines.

Colin's shoulders sagged, and he returned his gaze to the ceiling with the strangest sensation that he might just burst into tears.

"Tea!" Ava announced, returning to the room at speed. "Who wants tea? I have coffee, too. And showers—I can't let you keep dripping cold water everywhere. Eloise, do you want to go first, since I've got clothes for you? Come, I'll show you how it works."

And suddenly, Colin had his wish. He was alone with Penelope. The air felt all at once too thick.

Penelope's hands bunched into the towel, and she would not look at him. She was clearly displeased by this advancement, and Colin could not stand it.

"Pen," he said, turning to face her. "You must tell me what is wrong. Are you angry for what happened with your cousin? I know I was abrupt, but I promise I only thought to protect you."

Penelope drew herself tall, fixing her eyes on his face, and Colin almost shivered. Had her eyes always been so blue?

"It is not my cousin," she told him. "You wish to know what ails me?"

Colin fought the urge to grab her in his urgency to know her mind. "I beg you to tell me."

"Fine," she said simply. "You claim you wish to protect me, and that I am important to you, yet you disregard my words and declare to your friends that the idea of courting me is one of madness."

Colin went cold.

"I am tired of making apologies for you," Penelope continued. "I have been patient; I listen to all your stories and never question why you never ask after me. Don't misunderstand me—I have never expected courtship from you. But I am tired of a lopsided friendship, and I will not be consoled in one breath and insulted in the next."

"Penelope," Colin breathed.

"While we are here, I recognise we need to help each other," Pen continued. "Returning home must be our first priority, but that is where our acquaintance ends, Mister Bridgerton. I will wait for you to see me no longer."

And she strode for the bookshelf, inspecting the covers with a focus which told Colin he was wholly dismissed. And why shouldn't he be? There was no apology for what he had done. He had never imagined she might hear his words in the garden, a simple jest with friends which felt wrong even as he said it.

But she had heard. He turned to stare at the wall, as if to inspect the artwork hanging over the sofa, but he took in none of it as his mind raked over his friendship with Penelope. Had it truly been so lopsided? He thought of his letters from Greece, full of rich description he enjoyed imagining her reading, and tail-ended with a cursory question after her. For God's sake, her father had just passed when he left, and if anyone understood the pain of such a time, it should be him.

Yet, he had allowed the pleasant tone of her letters assure him he did not need to press against that wound for her sake. He had asked after her health and her hobbies, after the books she had been reading, and never had he dared ask after her heartbreak.

His words from their reunion roared in his memory, his telling her that he had finally gotten to know himself during his time in Greece—because it was true that their letters had been all about him. His anxieties. His uncertainties. And she had been so kind, and good, assuring him of his positive attributes. Soothing his anxieties. Talking through his uncertainties.

All while her family suffered the loss of her father, and the approach of a new man to swindle them out of their remaining funds.

"I have been a fool," he said softly, turning to look at Penelope, who stiffened when he spoke, looking down at the book in her hands.

"Indeed," she said. "You have."

Then, before Colin could take a step towards them, a loud knocking resounded on the door, and the moment was broken.