THE LOST DIARY......by Terri

23 June 1644

I can't believe I have found the diary again! I lost it. Martha, our upstairs maid, moved the armoire and there it was. It was behind it, lodged halfway down the wall. That is why there is almost two and a half year time gap.I searched high and low for it but it was amiss and now it has reappeared like an old friend.
Well, Jacob was more frisky than I anticipated. As I said, I lock him out when I can get away with it. But I have had to go through the motions. Occasionally.
In the last two years, I have suffered through five miscarriages. I am sure it is because Jacob is so old. It leaves me weak and it takes a while to regain my health. Jacob has become increasingly mean to the point of almost being cruel. He demands to know my whereabouts at all times when I call on neighbors. I must have been out of my mind when I agreed to marry him. Whatever possessed me? A rhetorical question since I know the answer.
Financial comfort and security. It makes for a lonely existence. I feel like I have wasted my youth. After all, I am now four and twenty.
We are to go to London at the end of July. I shall hold on to that thought!

14 August 1644

I have been lax in writing because I have been recuperating from yet another miscarriage. It is not meant to be and the midwife has told me that another child would put my life in peril. Jacob--and I still call him Vinegar Veins to myself--will just have to understand. Or find himself a doxy. I refuse to have him in my bed again. We are now in London, a trip I was promised before I found I was with child. I am now getting into a social whirl once again. I think Jacob felt sorry for me losing another babe as he has ordered me to have a new ballgown. It shall be ready for the ball tomorrow night. The Duke of Buckingham is giving it. The dress is claret red with black fur trim. I shall be the belle of the ball! Even if I am with Vinegar Veins.
His constant throat-clearing and coughing is enough to drive a saint mad. Yet he continues on. How is that possible? I was in perfect health before I married him and now I am the one who is considered 'delicate.'
No worries though. I shall go to the ball and dance with anyone and everyone. Just because he does not like to dance does not mean I shall become a wallflower.
This shall be the social event of the season. And I shall have fun!


THE DEAD RINGER........by Coralynn

"But you have to see this!" Bess and Celeste yank Eleanor out of her room and down the stairs, as she puts up a protest, "I don't care what she looks like! I'm so glad to have a couple weeks off she could look like Godzilla and it would be alright with me!"
They pull her into the living room and shove her down in one of the chairs with the levers on the side and turn up the sound. A commercial for a product to enhance your love life is just ending, then the anchor announces, "Eleanor the Wonder Woman is our hero around here! She planned to take a two weeks vacation, but just couldn't stay away, could you, Eleanor?"
The camera goes to what appears to be Eleanor who says, "You are so right! I love this job! You couldn't drag me away from here..."
"NO!" Eleanor's eyes are now riveted on the screen, "She's passing herself off as me!!"
"She's getting away with it, too," Celeste adds.
"To borrow a phrase from William, what in blazes?!"
"Did I hear my name?" William strolls into the room, then stops to see what the others are watching so raptly.
"My God!" he exclaims, "If you weren't sitting right here, Eleanor, I would swear that was you."
"She's passing herself off as me, William! Why I wonder?"
"Call the station and find out," he advises.
"Nobody's at the switchboard this late. I'll have to call tomorrow morning," Eleanor replies.
"She even has your voice down pat!" Bess remarks, "What are the chances?"
"I'll kill her!" Eleanor gets off the chair and paces into the kitchen, after which they can all hear her rummaging around in the fridge and slamming the cupboard doors shut. She returns with a sandwich, which she bites into ferociously.
"Oh-oh," Bess looks at the others, "Is this what I've heard you call 'Eleanor's Battle Mode'?"
They laugh and nod their heads in the affirmative, which causes Eleanor to swallow before she busts out laughing.
She wipes the laughter tears off her face and ponders, "You know, I could take my coin, zap myself right onto the set right now and grab that witch by the hair..."
"Hmm, would that be wise?" William strokes his chin.
"Well, I really need to find out more first, so I could use a spy....yeah, a spy to worm his way into her life and find out what in bloody hell she's up to...now, who could I get to do that for me?" she looks into the dining room where two people are playing chess very intently and calls out to one of them, "Oh, Robin! Could you take a break and come in here for a minute? I have a request to make...."


DECLARATIONS OF LOVE....by Terri

22 September 1644

The month in London has flown by. I feel like I could fly myself! I AM IN LOVE! Wonderful, wonderful love!
Sir James Musgrave came to call a few days after the ball last month. Old Vinegar Veins went to consult with his bankers and then out for an evening meal with them. I had sherry and cakes for us.
Sir Musgrave--James, I shall call him--is that not a lovely name?---sat in the garden with me. His father has an interest in botany and had taught James the Latin names of all the flowers. He even knew that a calystegia macrostegia is a morning glory! Any time I tried to talk to Jacob about flowers, he would screw up his face and pretend he didn't hear me.
From that time on, James comes to call every afternoon, whether Jacob is home or not. But then Jacob is out with his geezer friends playing maw at the gambling table or with his bankers. Or he could be in one of the sporting houses. For all I care.

1 November 1644

We have been home a month from London. James is coming to call in three days time. I have not seen him since September when we were in London. Jacob will be on a business trip, checking on his land holdings in Scotland. I shall be free for the week! Does my heart skip a beat? Yes it does!
James has no idea how I feel. Shall I tell him? I dream of leaving this dreary house behind. For James I woud give up everything! Morley Hall...everything! He is so dashing and listens--actually LISTENS--to what I have to say.
I feel so alive when he is here. He has always treated me with the utmost respect. But then, he is a Cavalier and sworn to uphold a gentlewoman's virtue. More's the pity!

5 November 1644

My voice sings, my heart soars! Sir James Musgrave came to call. Jacob was in Scotland as he was supposed to be. We were in the library sitting in front of the fire, James telling me about what is happening at Court and with Parliament. There is increasing rebellion between the Cavaliers and the Roundheads.
James said there was sure to be civil war. I begged him to be careful. He looked at me and said--I shall never forget!--'If I shan't come back, I shall have at least told you how I feel'.
He looked at me and confessed his love for me! I felt so wanton but I could hold back no longer. I flung myself in his arms. I can still remember his soft kisses on my face. I have never known such passion and excitement--not with Byron, certainly not with Vinegar Veins! I shall not write what happened, words cannot describe it. And decorum prohibits writing the course that nature took.
But I could stay in his arms forever.


THE SPY........by Coralynn

"Nothing on the Story about this person yet," Celeste announces as she comes out of her computer room, "It only tells us what we already know."
"Rats!" Eleanor turns to Robin, "now, Robin, I've told you basically what the situation is. We need you to get to know this person and find out what she's up to, think you can do that?"
"How am I going to meet her, Eleanor? The only place we've seen her is on your sportscast."
"I know!" Bess is excited, "Go there and follow her home!"
They ponder this but a minute, "Good idea, Bess. If you can go right now while she's still at the television station..."
"How could I get clear into New York City before she leaves?" he tips his head skeptically.
"A coin!" Celeste removes the time travel coin from her pocket and presses it into Robin's hand, "just tell the coin where to take you, same timeframe be sure to stress that, and you can be there in the blink of an eye."
Robin looks to William for advice, which William is always more than glad to supply. "Yes. That will work, Robin. Zap yourself over to the television station. Wait till she leaves, then follow her and see where she goes. At least it's a start."
"Alright!" Robin replies nervously but excitedly, "I'm ready to go!"
"Talk to the coin," William instructs him.
Robin looks at the coin in his hand and says, "Coin, please take me to the television station where the woman impersonating Eleanor is right now."

Robin finds himself outside an Exit door to a large building. The sound of traffic is very loud, and he hopes that means he's in Manhattan. It's quite cold out and the jacket he's wearing isn't quite enough. He resolves to wear a down jacket if he ever has to do this again, which he suspects he will. A couple men exit the building, talking and laughing, not even noticing him standing in the shadows.
When a woman who looks like Eleanor comes through the door, he knows he's found his quarry. She walks briskly to the sidewalk in front of the building, so Robin has to scurry to keep her in view. A car is idling close by. Oh-oh, what if she gets into that car? I can't run fast enough to keep up with it. She does enter the car, and when she closes the car door, his heart sinks as he sees the car pull out onto the street and turn left.
Now what? Now what? Do I use my coin again? What the hell, let's give it a shot! He whispers to the coin, "Put me into the car that just turned left out of the parking lot."

He finds himself sitting in the back seat of the car, the woman in the front passenger seat, and a man driving, who is saying to her, "How'd it go tonight, Eleanor?"
"Just fine."
"I saw you read the sports. You did well."
"Just fine."
"You want to go out for a victory drink?"
"Just fine."
He reaches over and smacks the woman. Robin's first impulse is to attack the man for this indignity, but he watches her reaction instead.
She jolts more upright, he hears an odd whirring sound, then she says, "I would like that."
The car pulls into the parking lot of a restaurant and stops. Robin holds his breath as the two others have yet to notice him in the back seat. He sits immobile while they get out of the car and walk toward the entrance of the restaurant.
Getting out himself, he inadvertently trips the car alarm. It makes a wild shrieking sound, which causes him to duck down beside a car parked nearby and peek out to see if the imposter and her friend have returned to their car.
The man runs back and pushes some buttons, which makes the alarm stop, and returns to where the imposter is waiting for him, totally still, not moving a muscle.
The man takes her hand and she then begins to walk with him again. Robin senses this whole thing is off kilter, but isn't sure why he has that impression.
He follows far enough behind them that by the time he enters the restaurant the two are sitting at a table, the imposter looking at the man with a fixed smile on her face.
A waitress approaches him and asks for how many, and he tells her "One," which causes the waitress to frown as she doesn't want to give up a perfectly good table for just one person. "You can sit at the counter," she informs him.
"No. I must sit at that table," he points to the one next to the imposter and the man.
"But I only put parties of two or more at tables," the waitress insists.
Robin reaches into his wallet and hands her a twenty, "There. Now will you let me have that table?"
"Of course, sir, no problem at all," she grabs one menu and leads him over to the requested table.
Sitting down, he has a clear view of the back of the man's head and the woman's face. By all that's holy that woman looks exactly like Eleanor! he thinks, this is uncanny! I hope she doesn't have that man with her all the time, because I'm not going to be able to get to know her with him around. I'll just wait it out. Maybe he'll drive her home and then leave. I hope they aren't married, that would cause a huge problem.
The couple orders, the man pretty much taking charge, and the imposter woman nodding at him, smiling. A waitress appears at Robin's table and takes his order, then leaves. He watches the two intently. Most women would be annoyed if a strange man stared at them the way he's staring at the imposter, but this one doesn't register anything, even when she meets his eyes. His food comes and he makes quick work of it, all the while watching how slowly and carefully the imposter is putting parts of her salad in her mouth. I shall be here days waiting if she eats that slowly! he grumbles to himself.
The couple stands up, which startles Robin, who throws money on the table and gets ready to follow again. This time he zaps himself into the back seat of their car before they get to it, and lies on the floor. He hears them enter and sit, hears the car start, listens for any conversation between them, but there is none.
The car slowly drives along for what seems forever, but is only fifteen minutes, when Robin senses it has slowed and turned right. Raising up just a bit, he peers out to see a large apartment building. The car stops and the two get out. Robin isn't sure how he's going to exit without setting off the car alarm again, then realizes all he has to do is touch the coin, which he does. He finds himself walking behind them and hopes they don't feel they're being followed. They open a door with a key and while it's still open, Robin smiles at them as he enters as well, "Cold out there tonight, isn't it?" he comments, trying to look like he has as much right to be there as they do.
"Yes." is all the imposter says back.
They stand by a bank of elevators, and when one opens all three get in. Robin looks at the man and smiles as the man pushes for the 4th floor, then looks at Robin to see what button he requests, "Four," Robin says casually.
The man and woman say nothing as the elevator reaches the fourth floor, then stops, the doors opening, the three of them getting off. Robin sees them turn right, so he does as well, but hangs back enough so that he looks like his apartment is not as far down the hall as theirs. He stands outside apartment 4B, hoping no one comes out of the place, which would blow his cover. He sees them proceed down the hall another few doors, and when they enter and shut the door on their apartment, he walks down to see that it's 4F.
Feeling that he's at least found out something valuable, he zaps himself outside the building to see just what the address is; writes it on a pad he has with him, and zaps himself back to the house on Winding Willow.


CECILY'S FATE.......by Terri

Marilyn and Moose looked at each other. She said quietly, "Uh oh."
"Right. I smell T-R-O-U-B-L-E."
Marilyn took a deep breath and said, "Shall we continue?"
Moose said, "Right after I put another log on the fireplace. That was a crackerjack idea you had, to put a fireplace in my office too. I love the smell of a fire burning."
Marilyn said, "I think we need a hot buttered rum and some of these cookies."
After they took their break, Moose said, "Think you are ready for this, Marilyn?"
"Anytime you are, Moose. We have to see this through to the end."

12 January 1645

The most horrible thing in my life has happened. Jacob came home early from one of his trips to Scotland. This was the end of December. The maids had retired early and James and I were spending an early evening enjoying each other's company.
Suddenly the door to my chambers flung open and Jacob was there, sword in hand. I screamed and James jumped up, wrapped in my coverlets. I screamed and screamed. James never had a chance. Jacob in his fury ran him through with a sword. I must have fainted because I do not remember a thing afterwards. I was in delirium and when I came out of it a week later, Jacob came into my chambers and told me that Sir James Musgrave died and it was my doing.
I swear Jacob is unhinged. He pointed to the flagstones on the floor of my fireplace and told me that Sir James Musgrave would always be with me, that he was buried underneath the stones and it would be a constant reminder to me of my sins.
I must have screamed and screamed endlessly because I remember Dr. Hinckly coming in and giving me an herbal potion. It put me to sleep for a few days. Jacob has been extremely cruel to me, taunting me with the fact that James will always be in my bedchamber.
What shall I do? I am responsible for the death of a fine man whose only mistake was loving me. How shall I go on knowing his mortal remains are ten feet from my bed?

1 March 1645

I have to put this in words to make it a reality. I am with child. I had tried to push the thought from my mind but the babe is quickening. I don't know what to do. I have denied the fact so long but there is no escaping it now.
The child is not the child of Sir Jacob Morley but the child of my murdered lover, Sir James Musgrave. I had not had marital relations with Jacob since my miscarriage in London. I have had no lover but James.
I truly did not think I could conceive a child in view of what Mrs. Hamlet told me in London after my miscarriage. She was the midwife who attended me.
Now I must tell Jacob.
I am afraid.
Pray for me.

17 April 1645

I told Jacob last month that I am with child. He coldly informed me that I may stay here until the child is born but he will institute proceedings for a divorce on the grounds of adultery. He said--and I shan't forget his words--that he will not be a man who is thought to be a cuckold. Not to be pitied.
He said I shall have to go and he did not care where. He did conced that he was willing to give me passage back to Somersetshire. And that was it. I am to leave everything, including my clothes. I am to leave with just the clothes on my back and any baubles I kept from my marriage to Byron.
I have been so sickly with the babe. I have no strength and when I look in the mirror, I see a woman who is pale, thin and dark circles under her eyes.
Perhaps when the child is born, I shall be better off with my parents in Somersetshire. I shall regain my health.
The mental strain of James' body beneath the flagstones is more than I can bear. I avoid stepping or looking there. During the winter months I have foregone heat in my chambers as I wish to not even look at the fireplace.
I have three months of carrying the babe. I do hope it is a boy. I shall name him James--after my father and the babe's.
If I could only feel well again.

1 July 1645

I have been neglectful in writing in my diary. My health has taken a turn for the worst. I am confined to my bed to ward off early delivery of the child. I have had bleeding occasionally and the midwife has confined me to my chambers. I cannot help but have my eyes stray over to the spot where the babe's father is buried. It unhinges my mind.
My time is nigh. The midwife said I am due to deliver in a fortnight.
I pray that I shall live and be the best mother a babe could hope for. For now I leave my fate in God's hands.
Amen.

The silence in the room was unbearable. Marilyn's hands clenched and unclenched. Moose came over to her and gently laid his hands on each shoulder. He looked deep into her eyes.
"You alright, babe?"
She shook her head no. "No, I am NOT alright. How can a man be so cruel and wicked? Jacob Morley was one first-class bastard."
Moose drew her to him. Marilyn started to cry and Moose made comforting noises. Finally her crying subsided.
"I'm sorry, Moose. I feel so sorry for Cecily. I guess it is because we all love John so much. And yes, to a certain degree, even Daniel. I mean, it's like a salt and pepper set, John and Daniel. You can't think of one without the other."
Moose said, "Unless you have a margarita."
She laughed and cried at the same time. Moose led her to the couch and took her shoes off. She leaned back and he rubbed her feet. She said, "That feels SO good."
Moose said, "It is for the stress and tension."
He then got up and opened a bottle of champagne. "To a job well-done. And to the best transcriber and collaberator I could hope for."
Marilyn took a sip and said, "I feel like I have been through the emotional wringer, Matthew."
He rubbed her neck as they watched the flames dance. "You have. So have I. It has been a very exhausting journey for both of us. From start to finish."
"And I wouldn't have wanted to travel it with anyone but you, Matthew."
He kissed her. He said, "You know what we have to do now, don't you?"
Marilyn nodded. "Yes. Tell John."
Moose said, "Yes. It is only fair he know the whole story." "Moose, are you thinking what I am thinking?"
"I think so."
"But it has to be John. Otherwise she would freak."
"And it has to be John's idea."
Marilyn said, "I think maybe William had better clear out another room!"
"Or Rose will."
Marilyn leaned back on Moose and suddenly felt a wave of contentment come over her.
There was hope after all.


FINE-TUNING THE SPY.....by Coralynn

"The coin worked great, Celeste, the only problem was that I came close to being found out," Robin reports on his foray into the life of the Imposter.
"You need to be invisible!" Bess exclaims, her eyes shining.
"Where are you coming up with these great ideas, Bess?" Celeste asks, "I don't think you were with us when I concocted that disappearing tea, the one that made WandaSue Skaggs and her pal invisible back a couple years ago. It worked well, but it's tricky. Too much and the person is invisible for days; too little and it wears off in no time. So I could make a batch for you, Robin, but you have to understand that this is experimental and not fool-proof."
Robin thinks it over, then replies, "If I could take a vial of it with me and just take a sip whenever I want to be invisible, maybe I could control how long it works....?"
"That sounds do-able," Celeste nods, "Now, tell us, what was your impression of the imposter?"
"She isn't at all like Eleanor, never mind she's a dead-ringer, but when the man driving the car smacked her, she just purred."
"Like a cat?" Eleanor asks.
"Not exactly, but sort of. She didn't react with anger the way you would have, Eleanor.."
"I would have cleaned his clock!" Eleanor agrees.
"So she seems to be passive does she?" Celeste inquires.
"Yeah. He ordered for both of them in the restaurant, and when they were walking toward the apartment building she walked by his side like a dog who's been taught to 'heel,' and when she saw that I was obviously staring at her, she didn't react at all. Most women would frown or something if some stranger was boring a hole through her with his eyes."
"But you're a major hunk!" Bess blurts out, "No woman would be insulted if you stared at her!"
"Did she smile at you?" Eleanor asks.
"No, but she smiles a lot, it's almost like it's painted on her face. Odd."
"Well, we have to find out where she came from and why she's impersonating Eleanor!" Celeste declares, "so, Robin, dear, get some sleep, then zap yourself into that apartment around 6am and see what the situation is. See if the man is still there. See where she goes if she goes anywhere and with whom. OK?"
"At some point I need to talk with her, too, Celeste, but without witnesses, without that guy she had with her tonight. I need her name!"
"Yep, you do, and where she's from and why in bloody hell she's saying she's ME!" Eleanor stands up and claps Robin on the shoulder, then smiles at him and puts a little kiss on the top of his head.

Robin wakes up at 5:55am and turns off his clock-radio before it gets a chance to turn on. Quickly dressing, he goes into the kitchen for a quick cup of instant coffee as he doesn't have time to run the regular coffee-maker. He bolts it down, finds the coin in his pocket and a little vial Celeste has set out for him, with a note instructing him, "Not too much now!"
He removes the top of the vial and takes a sip, hmmmm tastes good, then replaces the top, making sure it's on firmly. He knows time is of the essence, but he can't resist standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom in the hall, and is pleased to see.......nobody. Works fast! he thinks as he takes the paper with the address out of another pocket and reads the address to the coin, making sure he stresses this timeframe.
He finds himself in a darkened room that contains a large bed. As he walks closer to see just who might be sleeping thereon, he trips over a book someone left on the floor and almost topples headlong onto the bed, but manages to straighten in time. Whew, close one!
He sees the form of a woman, just her and no one else. Good! he thinks, now I have to wait around to see what she does when she gets up. Hell, when is she going to get up, and did I drink enough invisible tea so that I won't suddenly appear and scare her off?
He's bored and impatient and wonders if he can make some noise that will wake her. He looks around the room and spies a bell sitting the top of a dresser. He reaches over and grabs it, then shakes it for all its worth. It makes a louder noise than he'd anticipated, so he quickly replaces it, hoping it awakened the Imposter.
No. She still lies there immobile.
He takes hold of the bell again and carries it to within about 6 inches of her head and gives it several good shakes.
No. She still lies there immobile.
He reaches over and pinches her arm.
Nothing.
He reaches under the blanket and finds one of her ankles, and giving a heave, pulls her out of bed onto the flooor with a thump.
She lies there immobile.
"WAKE UP!" he yells at her, which results in nothing from her, but the bedroom door then opens, and the same man he saw driving the car enters, and, seeing her on the floor, picks her up and puts her face down on the bed. He seems to be rubbing her back or something, Robin thinks, then is startled when suddenly she springs to life, "HELLO! GOOD MORNING!" she says loudly with a fixed smile, "Is breakfast ready?"
"How did you end up on the floor, did you fall out of bed?" the man asks.
"I don't know...." is her answer.
"Well, you're 'on' now, so let's get our day started. We have to buy you some new clothes!"
"Oh fine, how marvelous!" she replies as she puts on her robe and slippers, very carefully, very methodically.
Robin has no idea how long the invisible tea is going to remain effective, so he directs the coin via his thoughts to take him back to Winding Willow. It does.
When he touches down at the big house on W.W., the others are in the kitchen and don't see him. He hopes he finds out just how long a sip lasts, and checks his watch. Hmmm, the sip I took has lasted about twenty minutes, he makes a mental note of it just as Eleanor looks up and declares, "Robin!" He decides twenty minutes is the answer.


JOHN FINDS OUT THE TRUTH....by Terri

Marilyn came downstairs. "What is going on?"
Eleanor grinned, "Robin is doing our reconnaissance work on my 'clone' and we're making progress. Not too clear yet what is going on. You got in late last night. What gives?"
Marilyn yawned and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Moose and I finished transcribing Cecily's diary last night. Let me tell you, it's a heartbreaker."
She went on to tell the others what they found. Eleanor slammed her fist down on the table and the coffee cups jumped and rattled.
"MEN! They can be so cruel!"
There was a silence and then Bess asked, "Does John know about it yet?"
Marilyn shook her head no. "Moose is going to..why, there's his mug at the door now!"
Celeste opened the door and Moose stomped the snow off his boots before he came in. Marilyn handed him a cup of coffee and he sat down. She said, "I told them."
Celeste asked, "Have you talked to John yet?"
"No, we were waiting till 8:00. Don't know if Rose had a rough night with the baby or not."
Celeste looked at the clock. "It's 8:15 now."
Marilyn looked at Moose and he said, "Go for it!"

"Hello?"
"Rose! How are you doing?"
"Well, alright except for the kids taking up all my surplus energy. Are you going to Beth and Roger's dinner?"
"Yes, Moose and I will be there."
"John told me he saw Cecily's portrait. I can't tell you how excited I am about seeing it. I took down my Vettriano and plan on putting it above the fireplace in the library."
"Sounds like the perfect place for it! Rose, is John there?"
"OH! Sorry! Yes, he is."
She called out, "Honey? Marilyn is on the phone!"
"Hey, Marilyn, what's up?"
Marilyn said, "John, Moose and I finished transcribing Cecily's diary. Can you meet with us as soon as possible?"
John asked, "There was a DIARY? Why didn't you tell me?"
"We wanted to transcribe it before we told you. It may have been nothing except kind of like an appointment book. Turns out it yielded a wealth of information about what really happened. We didn't want to get your hopes up."
John checked his watch and said, "Let me call the fitness center and tell Slim I will be about an hour late. I can come over in about five minutes. Just let me grab a cup of coffee."
"John, don't you know we have the coffeemaker going full bore over here? Celeste made coffeecake."
"OK. I'll be over in five anyhow. I have to find my briefcase..Oh! Thanks, Rose. What is this? Crayon marks?"
There was an inaudible reply and then John sighed and said, "Get that orange stuff that takes grease and crayons out...well, how did she get hold of it?...I did NOT leave it...oh. Yeah. I guess I did....Sorry, Marilyn. I'll be over now."
Marilyn turned to Moose and said, "He's coming now. Crayon marks and all."

Within the five minutes, John was at the back door. Bess opened the door and gave him a hug and said, "Oh, John, I'm so sorry!" and burst out crying. John got an alarmed look on his face. "Everyone OK?"
Eleanor just waved her hands and said, "Oh, you know how Bess is!"
Bess dabbed her eyes with tissues and said, "I'll be OK. Really, I will. I just need some...chocolate!"
Moose said, "John, can we go somewhere to talk quietly? Just you, me and Marilyn?"
John looked puzzled and Eleanor pointed to the den. "It's quiet in there."
Celeste gave him an encouraging look and said, "It can be fixed, John. I'll bring in coffee and the coffeecake."

The three of them went into the den and Moose shut the door. Marilyn and Moose looked at each other and Moose cleared his throat.
John said, "It's Cecily, isn't it?"
Moose nodded silently and Marilyn said, "I'll let Moose tell you. He's better at it."
They all sat down and John looked anxiously at them. Moose began, "Well, you know she married Jacob Morley. And she died at twenty-five."
John said, "You found out."
Marilyn nodded. "From Cecily's own lips, as it were."
She held up the diary and handed it to John. "Careful, John. The pages are pretty fragile. Moose and I used latex gloves when we handled it."
She handed him a sheaf of papers. "We transcribed it. This will be easier to read and it is Cecily's thoughts and words. Down to the crossed 't's and dotted 'i's."
John reached out and took the papers.
"There's quite a lot here."
Moose said, "It covered the time period when Byron Fitzhugh lost the land on a gamble and she ended up marrying Vinegar Veins."
"Well, we knew that much from Gencircles. There is so much here."
Marilyn said, "I think Moose had better tell you."
Moose said, "She married Jacob Morley but it was not a good match. She was all set to go to America to live with you and Daniel. She found out the week before that you were 'dead'. She had nowhere to turn. She didn't want to go back to Somesetshire so Jacob Morley proposed marriage."
Marilyn picked up the thread. "And he was a first class bastard. She ended up taking a lover and Jacob murdered him right in front of Cecily and buried his body in the fireplace floor. Then Cecily found out she was having a baby. She died in childbirth."
John's head was spinning. "Wait! Wait! Wait! She was planning to sail for the colonies?"
Marilyn nodded. "Yes. You'd better read it start to finish. That is your copy to keep."
Moose said, "I'd like to keep the diary until I finish the book, John."
He nodded as in shock. "Sure....sure...hey, look, I have to go. I'm going to lock myself in the office until I finish the transcript."
He absentmindedly kissed Moose and shook Marilyn's hand and clapped her on the back. "See you later at the fitness center. You have a 2 PM class to teach..." to Marilyn.
He left with the transcript in his 'colored' briefcase. Moose said, "He'll be OK."
Marilyn said, "I hope so...but I think by the end of this Jacob Morley won't feel so good."


ROBIN'S DISCOVERY.......by Coralynn

"You'd better hurry back there, the imposter and her friend are apt to be gone if you tarry," William advises.
"I'm famished! I have to eat some breakfast first," Robin looks longingly at the scrambled eggs in the pan, and puts a big helping on a plate, then throws on some toast while he's at it.
Sitting, he devours the meal, rinsing it down with orange juice, then coffee.
"That's more like it!" he grins, "I guess I'd better get back there after I sip a little more of your amazing tea, Celeste." He takes a sip, puts the vial in a pocket and tells the coin where to take him.

He's back at the Imposter's apartment but sees no one. Being invisible, he goes from room to room, confident that he cannot be seen. None of the rooms have anyone in them, he's surprised to find. Hmmm, they sure scrammed out of here in a hurry, he thinks as his eyes are caught by some pictures on a wall in what appears to be some sort of office.
Behind the desk are several pictures of women. He recognizes the one of Laura Bush giving her little wave consisting of moving her hand from the wrist. Under the picture is printed ZSJ: 102. He sees a picture of Eleanor, or maybe it's the Imposter, hard to tell, and under that one is printed ZSJ: 103.
There are a few others of people he doesn't recognize, but Robin hasn't been in the 21st Century long enough to know who they are. However, under each picture are letters and numbers similar to the ones on the pictures of Laura and Eleanor. He wonders what significance this has, and decides to ask the others back at the big house upon his return.
So, he thinks, they're gone. Where? It's too early for the stores to be open. The man said they were going to go shopping for clothes for the Imposter. Where are they now? How can I tell the coin to take me there if I don't know where they are?
Having nothing to lose, he instructs the coin, "Take me to wherever the Imposter is right now, and make sure it's in this timeframe."
He finds himself in a large room, in which men in white lab coats are concentrating on their computers. The Imposter is nowhere to be seen, which puzzles him. He peers at one of the computers and sees human forms or almost human forms at various angles, with lines drawn around the trunk, arms, legs, head, various locations showing wires or what he decides must be wires. Wish I knew more about modern technology, he thinks, I would have brought Jack with me if I'd known, he knows about these things.
"How you coming on ZSJ 205?" one of the men asks the man sitting in front of the computer to his right.
"I'm having a bit of trouble with the design of the hair," the other man replies, "This Hillary person is going to be a challenge!"
Hillary? Hillary? Who do I know with that name? I know somebody with that name came to the big house, but who? Maybe there are a lot of Hillarys around, but I'll tell the gang back at the house what I heard.
He realizes that his 20 minutes of being invisible are almost up, and is about to leave when he sees the Man and the Imposter enter the room. He freezes. Now what? Do I take another sip or hope the one I already took lasts?
"Bit of a glitch!" the Man tells one of the workers, "Gets stuck on one phrase. See what you can do!" he shoves the Imposter into a chair and the worker unzips the back of her dress. Robin is shocked! What is he up to? Is he going to have.......I mean........well.......
He is then even more shocked when he sees the worker remove a metal box about 2" by 3" from the back of her dress. Just a minute! Robin wonders to himself, if she had a box that size under her dress she would look like a hunchback. No way!
He steps closer and then sees that there is a cavity just under the neck of the imposter which matches the size of the metal box. Wow! is this weird or what?
Time to report back, he thinks as he goes to touch the coin, but before he is able to, the Man sees him and yells out, "What are YOU doing here?" rapidly walking toward him.
He is able to instruct the coin and zap away as the Man is a mere two feet from him, which causes the Man to yell out, "CODE RED! CODE RED!"

FIGURING IT OUT.......by Coralynn

Robin has just finished telling the others what he found in the building with the computers and the men in white lab coats.
"They're making a robot of Hillary?" Eleanor wants to know more about that.
"That's what they said. Said it was a challenge," Robin replies.
"We've got to put those scums out of business!" Eleanor fumes.
"Well, now," William strokes his chin, which usually means he has no clue, "how can we accomplish that?"
"I know!" Bess jumps up from the chair upon which she's been sitting, "Get Jack! He knows about things like that!"
"I had that thought, too," Robin admits, "What could he do to help at this stage, though?"
"He could rip the stink out of those computers!" Celeste says, eyes gleaming.
"He could? Oh yes, he could," William replies, not understanding how someone goes about ripping the stink out of a computer.
"It's called the hard drive, William," Celeste explains as if to a very small child.
"Then we shall get Jack right now!" William considers decisiveness a good cover for not knowing much about a subject.
"I'll call him," Eleanor volunteers, and after she's gotten Jack on the line and asked him to please come over, she hangs up and tells the others, "We can tell him what the problem is when he gets here. He'll know what to do, though, being a computer genius."
"Oh indeed, indeed," William goes back to rubbing his chin.

When Jack arrives he's ushered into the kitchen where the pow-wow is being held. Robin, being the one with the first hand experience, tells him, "Jack, I went spying and found a place where some people are making robots..."
"A wide open field.." Jack comments.
"But these are of people. People everyone knows. They made one of Eleanor that was so convincing she's been reading the sports news on TV and no one knows the difference!"
"WOW, that's pretty advanced! Are they designing them on computers?"
"Bingo!" Eleanor jumps in, "And with your technical know-how, we would like you to dismantle those computers, rip out the hard-drives......whatever you have to do."
"Do they have any prototypes about ready to go? The one of Eleanor is obviously completed, but if they have others almost done, I can dismantle those as well."
"Good thinking," William pretends those were his thoughts exactly.
"But how do we get in? You said you used a coin, Robin, and some tea to be invisible......we'll both need that tea."
Celeste goes to her own little refrigerator and brings out a large pitcher full of the stuff, "Think this'll be enough?"
"Oh yeah, thanks, Celeste," Robin smiles at her, "I think we'd be smart to wait till the place is empty so we can work unoberved. Because even if we're invisible, what we do to those computers won't be."
"You said you saw them take a control box out of the Eleanor robot," Celeste says, "Could you sneak back and get it before they have a chance to fix it and install it again?"
"Well, we can try, let's consider this a dry run!" Jack laughs as both he and Robin take swallows of the tea, then disappear from view.


ENLIGHTENING DANIEL.....by Terri

John got in his car and started towards the fitness center. His mind was a complex jumble of emotions and thoughts. Cecily? She took a lover? Murder? How can that be?
He pulled into his parking spot around back, next to Daniel's identical Corvette. Except that Daniel had a vanity plate that said 'STUD'. Some girl had added a 'p' and an 'i' between the 'u' and the 'd'. Daniel never took it off because he thought it was funny. A constant reminder of that little redhead he dumped.
John passed Slim in the office and said, "Slim, can you hold down the fort? I have some papers that I have to go over and I need to really concentrate on them."
"Oh. Sure, John. I'll see you aren't disturbed."
John poured himself a cup of coffee from the machine he kept hidden in his office because after all, he should be drinking health drinks. He sat down and read his sister's very own thoughts.
What he read was almost incomprehensible to John. Byron Fitzhugh....Jacob Morley...Sir James Musgrave...Cecily was done dirt by all those men. Byron for gambling away the roof over her head...Jacob Morley, creep extraordinaire....Sir James Musgrave. Did he love her or was he just using her? Either way, he paid with his life. He read the diary all the way to the end and felt his eyes fill with tears. He hastily brushed them away and blew his nose. He reached over to the phone and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Rosamond. It's me."
He hesitated. She said, "John? Are you alright?"
"Yeah. No. Hell, I don't know! I just called to hear your voice."
"John, you are scaring me. This isn't another Barzini kidnapping, is it?"
"No.. no, I just wanted to say I love you."
"I love you too."
Another hesitation.
"John, what is wrong? You don't have some sort of terminal illness and aren't telling me, are you?"
"No. I'm alright."
"Well, you don't SOUND alright."
"Rose, can you get Celeste or someone to watch the kids tonight? I need to talk to you without interruptions. We can go out to dinner."
'OH MY GOD JOHN, YOU ARE LEAVING ME FOR ANOTHER WOMAN!"
"Of course not! Don't be silly!"
Rose grew defensive. "Well, excuse me for being a bit skittish after what I went through last month!"
John softened, "I'm sorry, hon. I know. That was a bad time."
"Can you give me any hint of what this is about?"
He said, "Can't I take my best girl out for a nice dinner without having you cutting up someone's meat or having a baby hanging on you like a remorah?"
"NOT FUNNY, JOHN!"
"OK, I just want some time alone with you."
"I'll see if Celeste can stay with them. I'm sure she won't mind since her fake 'engagement' to Bruce is out of the bag."
John laughed, "That was sure one on William!"
"Well, it taught him a lesson that he can't take her for granted. Calling her a cleaning woman! How dare he?!"
"Don't get worked up over it, Ro'. You women are too emotional."
"What is that supposed to mean, John Gwinnett?"
John said "Whoa, let's stop it right there. I'm offering you a night out for dinner so let's have a good time."
She laughed and said, "OK. Sounds like a plan. Let me make my necessary phone calls. Reservation where?"
"Inn on the River, the one in Hastings-on-Hudson."
"Ooooh! Fancy! Are you sure this is not the big kiss-off?"
"I'm sure. You are mine, I am yours, yadayadayada...."
Rose laughed. "See you home about 5:00?"
"Sure. I'll be home then. Make the reservations for 7:30."

John hung up the phone and sat back in his chair. He ran his hands over his face and leaned back, closing his eyes. He no sooner closed his eyes than Daniel came into the office and sat at his desk. John opened one eye and looked at Daniel. Should I tell him? Daniel turned his computer on.
John took a deep breath and said, "Daniel, I need to talk to you about someone."
Daniel said, "If it's about that skinny little redhead, don't worry. I talked her out of cancelling her gym membership."
"Daniel...."
"I told her I liked her too much to see her."
"But Daniel..."
"She bought it. Hook, line and sinker! Or is it 'stinker' ?"
"Daniel, would you shut up a minute and let me talk?"
Daniel sat back and said "OK. Forget what I said about the redhead. Let's start this conversation over."
John got up and handed Daniel a stack of papers.
"What is this?"
"Cecily's diary."
"Wow...hey, Cecily didn't know how to type!"
John smacked him on the back of the head.
"Don't be a dork, Daniel."
Daniel said, "OW! Can't you take a joke, John? What do you mean, 'Cecily's diary'?"
John turned his chair around and sat so he was straddling it backwards.
"Daniel, Moose and Marilyn went on a time-travel trip..well, not actually TIME, but they took the coin and went to present day England and did some detective work."
"But...how?...why?"
"The 'how' I answered. The 'why' is because Moose thought it would be a good follow up to his book 'The Buccaneeer.' In the course of their sleuthing, they found out some very unsavory truths."
"Unsavory? John, Cecily may have been wild, but as far as unsavory..."
"Not her, per se, but the company she kept. More to the point, the men she was involved with."
"WHAT? Are you trying to say that Cecily was a tramp?"
John was ready to smack Daniel in the back of the head again but he ducked and John's hand hit the wall.
"OW! &^%&%$%!!!!"
Daniel smirked, "Serves you right!"
John wrung his hand and said, "If you would shut up ONE DAMN MINUTE I will tell you what happened."
Daniel leaned back and said, "OK, I'll be quiet. Now tell me."
John said, "I'll hit the highlights and then let you read it for yourself. Byron Fitzhugh lost the family estates at the gaming tables and a Sir Jacob Morley won it. Byron died three weeks later. Cecily found out the day after his funeral. She intended to emigrate to the Colonies but she heard from Mother that I 'passed on' and Sir Morley offered to marry her. She was unhappy and took up with a Cavalier."
"Wow! Way to go, Cec!"
John shot him a warning look. "I'll let you read what happens. It's all in there."
He put it in a folder and said, "This is yours to keep. I made a couple copies. One is in the safe."
Daniel asked, "Where is the diary?"
"Moose has it and is keeping it until he writes his book. It will be turned over to me."
"Why you?"
"Oh, Daniel, let's not get petty! You can visit it anytime you want to. As far as the portrait.."