The wanderer, p.14
The Wanderer, page 14
Lizzy nodded and adjusted her position to push it to the grass.
“Good girl.”
His compliment distracted her and the tire fell faster than expected. Lizzy didn’t shuffle back in time. It was about to take her out but in one swift motion, Phillip swooped her off the ground before she had a chance to fall. His chest was hard as rock and smelt divine.
“You okay?” he asked breathlessly.
“Um, yes.” Their eyes locked and he gently placed Lizzy back down on the grass.
Phillip frowned. “You need to work on this strength. Next time it might not be a tractor tire.”
Lizzy bit her lip and wiped her forehead with her t-shirt, disappointed at herself for thinking they had a “moment.” Then she noticed Lachrisha coming over to them with her kit. No doubt she wanted her boyfriend back.
“May I take your heart rate?” Lachrisha gestured to Lizzy to leave Phillip’s side and she hesitateed for a moment.
“I’ll help you at the next circuit.” Phillip left them to it and shamelessly, Lizzy was already looking forward to it.
Lachrisha pressed the cold scope to her chest and then her back. Lizzy saw Phillip helping Paul with the position of his bridge and noticed the muscles in his back.
“You’re reaching one-hundred and ninety. That’s rather high.” She followed Lizzy’s gaze and abruptly pulled out the earpieces. “How do you find living at Pro Manor?”
“I’ll admit, I’m still getting used to everything but the people here make it easy to adjust.”
“Anyone in particular?” She tilted her head over to Phillip but Lizzy pretended not to notice.
Lachrisha continued, “I agree, the people here are wonderful. Some I have known for a few months, others I have known for years.” They were both looking at Phillip and a certain tension filled the air. “He’s an incredible human and deserves to be happy. But it will take a unique and equally incredible person to do that.”
“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
“Yes do you. You’re a smart girl, Elizabeth—he’s told me that.”
He’s talked to her about me? Before Lizzy could think when they had enough time to chat about her, Lachrisha interrupted her thoughts.
“But if I can give you some advice?” Her tone was blunt, “Stay away. He’ll only hurt you and you’re not what he’s looking for.”
Lizzy’s mind struggled to make sense of what she was telling her. Phillip’s thought about her? She took a breath to compose herself.
“Are you what he’s looking for?”
Lizzy couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.
“No, I never will be,” she replied softly. “Look, he’s a tortured soul and you can’t give him what he needs. Just …” she fought to finish her sentence. “Keep the wolf back from your door.” Lachrisha took her kit and moved on to help Greg at station three. Lizzy’s hands were shaking from what they had just exchanged and she noticed Phillip look at her and wave. She gave a small smile back and saw he had spotted the glass Roy had left for Susanna. He walked to it and kicked it over, letting the water seep into the grass like the tears falling from Susanna’s face when she had seen what he’d done.
They didn’t finish the circuit until dinnertime. At 1:30 p.m. they had a short break for lunch, except for Susanna. Lizzy never thought she would ever feel sorry for her. But Susanna had been running almost all day, without any water. Lizzy wondered where Xeno was. Would he step in and say something? Or was Phillip fixated on teaching her a lesson; it was out of anyone’s control. Susanna eventually collapsed just after dinner. She was dehydrated when Angus found her lying in the grass.
“Can I take ’er to Lachrisha?” he asked Phillip as he held her in his arms. Phillip agreed and a very angry Lachrisha stood at the staircase to meet them and take Susanna to her bedroom. She was clearly disappointed in Phillip for his persistence.
Lizzy was exhausted but wired from emotion and thought about how Phillip had been today. Had she really been on his radar? Was he actually talking about her to Lachrisha? She was so excited by the idea of being on Phillip’s mind that she couldn’t help but beam in delight and feel euphoric. Complete. Distracted. Instead of going to bed, she decided to read the book Phillip suggested to brush up on her Time Keeper history. Lizzy wanted to know everything she could about him.
She curled into her favorite chair in the library and ran her hand over the stunning navy book. It had an old smell to it and as Lizzy opened the first page she noticed a familiar quote:
“As brothers we will stand, and we’ll hold your hand.”
Lizzy continued reading and found out the quote was from one of the three founding fathers that set up Pro Praeteritis Manor. There had been multiple manors throughout history—the location changed, depending on where the Time Keepers of the day were situated. The Manor was established to ensure the Time Keepers had a refuge and a place to stay during the difficult and unknown period of time jumping. There were cases where women and men were beaten for their stupidity and unexplained mishaps during those times. However, it was what happened once they time leaped that frightened Lizzy most. Personal records and diary entries explained the experience of unfortunate Time Keepers.
Lady Barb Seymour was tortured in 1765 because people believed she was a French spy during the Seven Year War. She kept predicting the French army’s every move. Mr. Thomas Gutner had his hand cut off after being accused of stealing. He tried to sell his mother’s gold necklace for income, but so exquisite was the piece of jewelry that the villagers framed him for thievery. Miss Lotty Wire time leaped when she was only fifteen years old to 1623 and was accused of being a witch for pushing modern medicine. She was burned at the stake, but not before she had all her teeth removed for being unexplainably white and healthy—the devil’s work. On and on the examples went. Each Time Keeper had a more gruesome or appalling experience and Lizzy couldn’t take it. She slapped the book shut and took a deep breath. What was she getting herself into? She didn’t think she would ever be cut out for this. Lizzy liked where she was. She appreciated this time and what it had to offer! Lizzy leaped from the chair and raced up to her bedroom. She couldn’t do this. Lizzy dashed into her room but stopped in her tracks when she noticed the new clothes laid out perfectly on her bed. There was a hand-written note resting on top.
Went out and bought you some “normal clothes.”
You worked hard today.
Good girl.
P.
He had bought Lizzy everything from a Burberry coat and scarf to Ralph Lauren jeans to Fox and Rose lingerie. Just as she was inspecting some black lacy panties, Phillip walked through the door.
“What do you think?”
Lizzy hid them under the Marc Jacobs sweater and cleared her throat. “They’re great—all the clothes are. Thank you, this was very kind of you but way too much.”
Phillip came into her room and shut the door behind him. “Too much?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Have you not noticed how expensive these clothes are? Did you even check the price tags?”
Phillip shrugged.
“No offense, but I don’t see how a history Dean could afford all these?”
He let out a chuckle and took a rest against the door.
“Please, you have to take these back. I can’t accept them.”
“They’re not normal enough for you?”
“Far from normal. Please, you have to return them.”
Phillip joined Lizzy on the bed. “What will you wear when you’re not in training uniform?”
“I don’t think I’ll be wearing that anytime soon either.”
Phillip’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Look, I just don’t think I can—I’m never going to be ready!”
“Where is this reluctance coming from?” His brows pinched together and Lizzy resisted the urge to smooth his furrow with her thumbs. Any excuse just to touch him.
“This morning Paul said he and other others feel a homesick feeling, like they don’t belong here. I don’t feel that! I enjoy this time. Sure, the world isn’t a perfect place right now—there’s poverty and climate change—but the past is hard. I’m not cut out for it. I’ll never be ready, nor do I think I ever want to be.”
Phillip’s face caught the dim light, which accentuated his defined cheekbones. He let out a heavy sigh.
“You’ve been reading that book I gave you.”
She nodded.
“I warned you to read it cautiously.” He rested his elbows on his knees, “Look, being a Time Keeper now is different. It’s not the same as it was back then. There’s an establishment—an organized group—to assist each of you. Pro Manor was created to help subdue these fears and anxieties. To help you get ready.”
“But, as you said today, we don’t know what we’ll be facing when we leave. Where will we end up? Who will be there to help us?”
“I’ll be there,” he said softly, looking at her with his gold-rimed green eyes, which took her breath away. “Besides,” he added, “these issues of today—climate change, illness, inequality—you can contribute to rectifying them. You can implement the change society needed years ago.”
“Won’t that mess up the course of history or something? Don’t we have to let it unfold?”
Phillip shook his head, “That’s not the role of a Time Keeper. We don’t simply stand back and let destiny happen, we play an active part to ensure it does. Look, take for example Charles Darwin—”
“He was a Time Keeper?”
“No, he was a scientist,” Phillip replied smugly, “but he nearly dropped it all to become an engineer. Everyone told him his theories were crazy and on the day he was about to pull out of his biology courses, someone left a microscope outside his dorm room. Darwin took it as a sign and he continued pursing his studies and revolutionized science. Till this day, no one knows who left the microscope.”
“Oh,” Lizzy whispered, “it was a Time Keeper.”
Phillip smiled, “That’s right. Or how about the mysterious box of cigars that was found by a Union scout in 1862? Wrapped around three of those cigars were the detailed descriptions of the movements for Robert E. Lee’s army. Because of this find, the South lost the Civil War.”
“Let me guess, the box was left there by a Time Keeper.”
Phillip gave Lizzy a wink. “And of course, there’s the example of how LEGO was made—”
“I get it,” she cut him off. “We do small acts to intercept change but that doesn’t mean I have the influence to make the world a better place … I’m no radical or revolutionist—”
“No, Lizzy. You’re something else entirely and I haven’t worked you out.”
She took a swallow and attempted to settle the dizzying effect he had on her. “And what have you found out so far?”
“Well, I know you have a distant relationship with your parents, you look good in fitness leggings and you have a friend who’s utterly desperate for your affection.”
“You mean Joe?”
He nodded his head lightly. “Have you called him?”
“Yes, and there’s nothing to say. Not that I can tell him anything anyway,” she replied bitterly.
“That would be best.”
“But wait … what do you mean I look good in fitness leggings? You’ve never seen me—” Her mind flashed back to the only run she had done in months, way back during mid-sessionals.
“You were there! Don’t tell me …”
He smiled and displayed alluring white teeth, “That was my car. I was concerned you had hurt yourself. It was quite a thud.”
Lizzy hid her face in her hands.
“It was the best watch duty I’ve had.”
“I don’t know whether to punch you or say thank you.”
“You can say you’ll stay.” He took her hand. Lizzy’s heart almost spun out of her chest feeling his fingers lace between hers. Maybe Paul was right that there was another time suited to her. There was no way she was ready to go back to Joe, and living with her parents was unthinkable. She had failed this year of college, a permanent mark on her transcript … would she even have a part-time job at Knox? What was she really returning to? Her eyes met Phillip’s. Finally she answered, “Alright. I’ll stay. But I do have one question.”
“Already?” he joked.
“Will you tell me what happened here?” Lizzy went to lift his shirtsleeve but he snatched her hand.
“Another time.”
She bit her lip and felt she had crossed a line. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to be sorry. It was a long time ago and I was taken care of—”
“Let me guess, by your girlfriend GP, Lachrisha?”
“She’s just a friend.”
“You looked to be more than friends when she saw you enter the house this morning.”
“Look who’s spying on the other now?” he conceitedly replied.
“You’re not denying it.”
Phillip ran his hand through his hair. “We have history,” he said frankly. “And she will always be important to me. Her ancestors have been helping Time Keepers for years, an alliance formed long ago before the establishment of Pro Manor. It’s all in the book—if you just skip those first stories.” He turned to face Lizzy again. “Anyway, enough about Lachrisha. I meant what I said by the way. You did very well today, Lizzy.”
“Thank you,” she replied shyly, but knew that it wasn’t just her trying hard—although she had a little for Phillip. “Everyone put in effort, especially Susanna … don’t you think you were a little … harsh on her?” She couldn’t believe she was defending her.
Phillip frowned, “Like I said, I can take it too seriously.” He got up from the bed and headed for the door.
“Wait! What am I going to do with all these clothes?”
“If you really don’t want them, I can have them returned. But at the very least keep the red dress and hang it up ready for tomorrow night.”
“What’s happening tomorrow night?”
“You’re having dinner with me.” He gave her a wink and closed the door, leaving Lizzy entirely speechless.
The next day Lizzy awoke convinced that she had dreamed what happened with Phillip. She sat up in bed and saw the stunning red dress hooked on the door handle. Evidence. She couldn’t make sense of it. Lizzy was undeniably attracted and captivated by him. But how could he be interested in her? He could have absolutely anyone so why ask her on a date? Actually, it might not be a date. Perhaps it was just a dinner to discuss further training and expectations at Pro Manor. Did it matter? She was going to spend time with Phillip again.
Lizzy changed into jeans, a white blouse, and Converse sneakers then made her way for breakfast. It was Greg and Angus’s turn to cook.
“Wow. New look, Lizzy,” Greg commented while laying out coffee cups. “Where did those come from?”
“I went back to my apartment to get some clothes.” She decided against telling the boys about Phillip’s generosity. If she herself was jumping to conclusions about them, the others certainly would.
“It’s strange seeing yer wear somethin’ so different.” Angus took a swig of coffee and looked Lizzy up and down.
“We’re not training today so I thought I would take a break from combat boots and track pants.”
“Speakin’ of trainin’ is anyone else in extreme pain?” Angus rubbed his thighs, “I struggled gettin’ outta bed dis mornin’ dats fer sure.”
“I couldn’t wait to get up.” Lizzy poured herself some coffee and opened the French doors to the patio outside. The fresh morning breezed around her and the coffee steam spun and twirled, matching her emotions. What was she going to do this whole day until dinner? She sat back and took in the beautiful landscape then closed her eyes. She could hear the faint clucking of chickens, a soft wind swooshing the trees but there were no cars or rushing people. It was so peaceful.
“Mind if I join you?”
Lizzy peeked her eyes open and saw Xeno dressed in a pale orange robe.
“Not at all.”
He took a chair and let out a sigh. “It is a stunning site. A wonderful place to be, no?”
She nodded.
“It reminds me of how my teacher would look at the world. He used to draw parallels between the pure and the beautiful. He found sounds to be beautiful in their simplicity and purity and he saw beauty embedded into science, mathematics and nature. Beauty can be found all around, but not if you only look where society once told you to look.”
“Where do you find beauty?” Lizzy asked.
“Being a follower of my teacher’s work, I agree with him but I also see it in the eyes of a young lady that twinkle over a newfound happiness. Is there something you’re excited about?”
“I’m just excited to be here,” she replied and it wasn’t a lie.
“You fit in rather nicely, I’ll admit. I always knew our number seven would be special.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m special—”
“Someone thinks you are.” He let his comment hang in the air.
But Lizzy just smiled, took a final sip of coffee and changed the subject. “Who pays for the maintenance of these grounds?”
Xeno sat back in his chair and rubbed his beard. “Over one hundred years ago a trust was established. Certain people have been contributing to the estate. Some Time Keepers left the odd chattel and very small fortunes to serve as a thank you for our support or simply to keep us afloat. However, we have one particular funder whose charity has been unbelievably benevolent.” Xeno’s eyes seemed to glaze over in thoughtful respect for the individual. “I don’t know what we would do without him.” His voice trailed off.
“Anyway, it’s a day off. How are you going to preoccupy yourself? Some of the others are heading into town. You might like to join them?”
“I think I’ll stay here and do some exploring.” Lizzy wasn’t quite at that level of friendship with the others. Sure, Roy and Li Jing were nice enough but she was still the newbie … the outsider. It would take a while till she was one of the Magnificent Seven.
