Time Travel With a Rude English Boy from the Nineteenth Century.
Chapter Twelve
DACRE’S POV
While pursuing Azalea, I discovered two things: one, it is almost impossible to run in a straight line with a concussion, and two, I had just left my best friend on a rooftop that was being shot at. Surprisingly, none of these things seemed to matter as I raced after Azalea.
A drunken man called to me and stepped into my path, chanting something about strippers in bloomers. I shoved him aside and tried to catch up with Azalea’s retreating form. Azalea saw how far I was behind her, smirked and flipped me the bird.
"How prude," I muttered as I bumped around a large-waisted woman. The woman looked at me in shock and I grinned sheepishly at her.
Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Azalea was slipping away into the crowd as I blindly chased her, stumbling into partygoers who protested to my presence. In a few moments, I would not be able to see her at all. Think, Dalton, think! I chanted. Where could she possibly be going?
I stopped running and groaned as the answer dawned upon me. The Duke’s office, of course! You thickheaded, blundering imbecile… I chastised myself as I ran the quickest way possible to the office. Lionel and I had found a shortcut there, but had never gotten the opportunity to show it to Azalea. Thank heavens we had never gotten the opportunity to show Azalea.
Lionel… I wonder how he is faring…
LIONEL’S POV
A gunshot pinged off of the roof’s ledge, snapping me from my thoughts. I was still on the ground where Azalea had shoved me, Lord knows why. I stood and tried the doorknob.
"Locked." I groaned. "This is just exemplary."
Crawling as low to the ground as possible, I sauntered to the roof’s ledge and peeked over the side. To my great disdain, men were crawling up the side of the building using the grappling hook Dacre and I had installed. "Oh, this can’t be good," I breathed aloud.
I stood completely and hollered down to the men, "Please excuse my rash behavior, but I’m afraid that I cannot let you progress any further. Please take into consideration the harsh fall you are about to endure."
"Wha—," one of the men started, but I quickly unhooked the grappling hook from the ledge and tossed it over the side of the building. Gunshots whizzed by as I hit the ground and crawled back over to the door and retrieved the solution from my trouser pocket.
"I told Dacre this would come in handy," I murmured as I shaped the residue into the shape of a key and worked it into the lock of the door. It molded to the shape of the lock and unlatched when I twisted it to the side. I pulled the solution out of the door and placed it back into my pocket, and then entered the door and locked it shut behind me. "Dacre, for the stupendous amount of trouble I am certain you are in right now, I hope you know that the cavalry is on its way."
That being said, I dashed inside.
AZALEA’S POV
Ugh, my fellow thieves were ruining everything! Dacre and Lionel were too stubborn to just lie down, no matter what I did to distract them. Of course, my dimwitted brother was oblivious, even after I betrayed him and stranded him on the roof. The time machine was cool against my clammy hand. I gripped it harder.
I snuck a peak over my shoulder to Dacre, who was persistently pursuing me in a staggered, sloppy run. How many concussions do I need to supply before the love-struck fool just accepted that Payton was going to do what I planned for her? I must admit, I had some respect for cunning, coldhearted Dacre before he met Payton and was struck by cupid. Oh well, sometimes even the best thieves fall victim to Aphrodite.
Panting, I looked behind my shoulder once more and was pleased to see Dacre nowhere in sight. Perfect. Smoothing down my dress, I walked calmly down the Duke's corridor and entered the office. The Duke and Payton were sitting at a table, discussing something.
I walked into the center of the room and cleared my throat. Their heads snapped up to me, and I smiled coyly and dangled the time machine so that it glinted in the light.
"Very good, Claire," the Duke beamed at me. I smiled back and Payton calmly stood.
"Take me to my father," she announced in a clear, strong voice.
DACRE’S POV
I sprinted through the secret corridor, but my head was still woozy. Azalea... what was she planning for Payton? My vision was swimming, and my breath was heavy. I toppled to the side and fell against a wall, trying to stop the room from spinning so quickly.
"Dacre..." I heard as my mind swirled. "Dacre..." the voice sounded muffled and far away.
Someone was shaking my shoulders. "Dacre," a voice from much closer called.
"Familiar... voices.... bullets, dancing, prostitutes..." I stuttered woozily.
Something struck my face and I snapped back to reality. My vision cleared and I saw that it was Lionel who was gripping my shoulders.
"You... you hit me?!" I said aghast.
"You were speaking like a madman!" Lionel exclaimed. "I thought you were possessed by the supernatural! Please refrain from this behavior in the future."
"Lionel," I said calmly, "You have just struck a man with a concussion. Please be more considerate, I beg of you. I don't think my head can take much more abuse."
"What is the plan, Dacre?" Lionel inquired, oblivious to my head trauma.
"Go to the Duke's office, stop Azalea and woo Payton," I informed him matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Lionel said. "Do I have to woo Payton? I'd rather not..."
"Leave that to me," I laughed, clapping a hand over his shoulder. "Come now, let's go stop your sister."
Lionel stood and brushed off his trousers. "Oh, bother... I haven't the slightest what's come over her... Oh, bother, indeed..." I motioned for him to follow me and we ran in the shadows of the unused corridor. After almost being caught by a janitor, we ducked into the main hall which held the Duke's office. From where we could see, the door was open.
"Curiouser and curiouser," I heard Lionel mutter. "Dacre, it may be a trap. I think--,"
I ducked into the doorway, ignoring Lionel's warnings. The Duke and Payton sat calmly at a table further in the room, and Azalea stood in the middle. Azalea! I ran and tackled her, pinning an arm behind her back.
"Payton," I called, not bothering to call her 'Eliza'. "Hurry, while I've got her pinned!"
"Oh, God!" I heard Azalea exclaim beneath me. "How improper! Get off, you... you rapist!" Azalea reached into her bosom with her free arm and slid something golden across the floor. The time machine skittered to the Duke's feet, who was too surprised at Azalea's position to notice.
"Oh, dear!" the Duke proclaimed. "Oh, dear! Claire, are you all right? Oh, oh, oh..."
I lunged off of Azalea and to the time machine. The Duke squawked and kicked me in the chest out of surprise. I reached once more towards the time machine, but a smaller hand grasped it first.
"Payton?" I gasped. Her betrayal stung. "Why... How could you...!"
Payton's appearance was a little more disheveled from when I last saw her. Her dress was rumpled, her tanned skin was flushed and a few strands of her dark blonde hair spilled over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes flashed with determination. She programmed a date into the time machine and met my gaze.
"I'm going to see my father," she announced, and pressed the button that activated time travel. There was a flash of white. The Duke winced, and Azalea looked smug. Lionel was fumbling for the device he created to counter the time machine. "It's too late!" Lionel cried over the severe winds that surged around Payton and the time machine. "It's too late to counter it!"
With a growl, I sprang up and gripped Payton's forearm. "Dacre!" I heard her exclaim before the machine flashed white again and we left the era.
AZALEA'S POV
Everyone stared at the spot Dacre and Payton once were. An eerie silence filled the room as papers that were once blown by the turbulence fluttered to the floor.
"Azalea!" Lionel roared. "How could you deceive us like this? You... you serpent! Witch!"
"Ha!" I laughed. "I'm afraid it's too late, Brother! Destiny has set its path."
"What the devil are you talking about?" Lionel cried. "My sister has gone mad! Oh, poor Payton. Poor Dacre!"
I ran to him and grasped his hands in mine. "Brother! Don't you see?" I asked, elation filling my words. Lionel was aghast with my actions, but he didn't know! "We've been played by destiny. All of us! You, I, the Duke, and even Dacre. Payton was meant to be here, tonight! She has someone who misses her very much and would like to see her. Who am I, or you, even, to stop it?"
"You..." Lionel whispered, his emerald eyes wide. "You're... off your rocker. Oh, God..."
"Let me explain," the Duke announced, calmly walking to where I clutched to Lionel. "I think an explanation is in order."
While pursuing Azalea, I discovered two things: one, it is almost impossible to run in a straight line with a concussion, and two, I had just left my best friend on a rooftop that was being shot at. Surprisingly, none of these things seemed to matter as I raced after Azalea.
A drunken man called to me and stepped into my path, chanting something about strippers in bloomers. I shoved him aside and tried to catch up with Azalea’s retreating form. Azalea saw how far I was behind her, smirked and flipped me the bird.
"How prude," I muttered as I bumped around a large-waisted woman. The woman looked at me in shock and I grinned sheepishly at her.
Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Azalea was slipping away into the crowd as I blindly chased her, stumbling into partygoers who protested to my presence. In a few moments, I would not be able to see her at all. Think, Dalton, think! I chanted. Where could she possibly be going?
I stopped running and groaned as the answer dawned upon me. The Duke’s office, of course! You thickheaded, blundering imbecile… I chastised myself as I ran the quickest way possible to the office. Lionel and I had found a shortcut there, but had never gotten the opportunity to show it to Azalea. Thank heavens we had never gotten the opportunity to show Azalea.
Lionel… I wonder how he is faring…
LIONEL’S POV
A gunshot pinged off of the roof’s ledge, snapping me from my thoughts. I was still on the ground where Azalea had shoved me, Lord knows why. I stood and tried the doorknob.
"Locked." I groaned. "This is just exemplary."
Crawling as low to the ground as possible, I sauntered to the roof’s ledge and peeked over the side. To my great disdain, men were crawling up the side of the building using the grappling hook Dacre and I had installed. "Oh, this can’t be good," I breathed aloud.
I stood completely and hollered down to the men, "Please excuse my rash behavior, but I’m afraid that I cannot let you progress any further. Please take into consideration the harsh fall you are about to endure."
"Wha—," one of the men started, but I quickly unhooked the grappling hook from the ledge and tossed it over the side of the building. Gunshots whizzed by as I hit the ground and crawled back over to the door and retrieved the solution from my trouser pocket.
"I told Dacre this would come in handy," I murmured as I shaped the residue into the shape of a key and worked it into the lock of the door. It molded to the shape of the lock and unlatched when I twisted it to the side. I pulled the solution out of the door and placed it back into my pocket, and then entered the door and locked it shut behind me. "Dacre, for the stupendous amount of trouble I am certain you are in right now, I hope you know that the cavalry is on its way."
That being said, I dashed inside.
AZALEA’S POV
Ugh, my fellow thieves were ruining everything! Dacre and Lionel were too stubborn to just lie down, no matter what I did to distract them. Of course, my dimwitted brother was oblivious, even after I betrayed him and stranded him on the roof. The time machine was cool against my clammy hand. I gripped it harder.
I snuck a peak over my shoulder to Dacre, who was persistently pursuing me in a staggered, sloppy run. How many concussions do I need to supply before the love-struck fool just accepted that Payton was going to do what I planned for her? I must admit, I had some respect for cunning, coldhearted Dacre before he met Payton and was struck by cupid. Oh well, sometimes even the best thieves fall victim to Aphrodite.
Panting, I looked behind my shoulder once more and was pleased to see Dacre nowhere in sight. Perfect. Smoothing down my dress, I walked calmly down the Duke's corridor and entered the office. The Duke and Payton were sitting at a table, discussing something.
I walked into the center of the room and cleared my throat. Their heads snapped up to me, and I smiled coyly and dangled the time machine so that it glinted in the light.
"Very good, Claire," the Duke beamed at me. I smiled back and Payton calmly stood.
"Take me to my father," she announced in a clear, strong voice.
DACRE’S POV
I sprinted through the secret corridor, but my head was still woozy. Azalea... what was she planning for Payton? My vision was swimming, and my breath was heavy. I toppled to the side and fell against a wall, trying to stop the room from spinning so quickly.
"Dacre..." I heard as my mind swirled. "Dacre..." the voice sounded muffled and far away.
Someone was shaking my shoulders. "Dacre," a voice from much closer called.
"Familiar... voices.... bullets, dancing, prostitutes..." I stuttered woozily.
Something struck my face and I snapped back to reality. My vision cleared and I saw that it was Lionel who was gripping my shoulders.
"You... you hit me?!" I said aghast.
"You were speaking like a madman!" Lionel exclaimed. "I thought you were possessed by the supernatural! Please refrain from this behavior in the future."
"Lionel," I said calmly, "You have just struck a man with a concussion. Please be more considerate, I beg of you. I don't think my head can take much more abuse."
"What is the plan, Dacre?" Lionel inquired, oblivious to my head trauma.
"Go to the Duke's office, stop Azalea and woo Payton," I informed him matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Lionel said. "Do I have to woo Payton? I'd rather not..."
"Leave that to me," I laughed, clapping a hand over his shoulder. "Come now, let's go stop your sister."
Lionel stood and brushed off his trousers. "Oh, bother... I haven't the slightest what's come over her... Oh, bother, indeed..." I motioned for him to follow me and we ran in the shadows of the unused corridor. After almost being caught by a janitor, we ducked into the main hall which held the Duke's office. From where we could see, the door was open.
"Curiouser and curiouser," I heard Lionel mutter. "Dacre, it may be a trap. I think--,"
I ducked into the doorway, ignoring Lionel's warnings. The Duke and Payton sat calmly at a table further in the room, and Azalea stood in the middle. Azalea! I ran and tackled her, pinning an arm behind her back.
"Payton," I called, not bothering to call her 'Eliza'. "Hurry, while I've got her pinned!"
"Oh, God!" I heard Azalea exclaim beneath me. "How improper! Get off, you... you rapist!" Azalea reached into her bosom with her free arm and slid something golden across the floor. The time machine skittered to the Duke's feet, who was too surprised at Azalea's position to notice.
"Oh, dear!" the Duke proclaimed. "Oh, dear! Claire, are you all right? Oh, oh, oh..."
I lunged off of Azalea and to the time machine. The Duke squawked and kicked me in the chest out of surprise. I reached once more towards the time machine, but a smaller hand grasped it first.
"Payton?" I gasped. Her betrayal stung. "Why... How could you...!"
Payton's appearance was a little more disheveled from when I last saw her. Her dress was rumpled, her tanned skin was flushed and a few strands of her dark blonde hair spilled over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes flashed with determination. She programmed a date into the time machine and met my gaze.
"I'm going to see my father," she announced, and pressed the button that activated time travel. There was a flash of white. The Duke winced, and Azalea looked smug. Lionel was fumbling for the device he created to counter the time machine. "It's too late!" Lionel cried over the severe winds that surged around Payton and the time machine. "It's too late to counter it!"
With a growl, I sprang up and gripped Payton's forearm. "Dacre!" I heard her exclaim before the machine flashed white again and we left the era.
AZALEA'S POV
Everyone stared at the spot Dacre and Payton once were. An eerie silence filled the room as papers that were once blown by the turbulence fluttered to the floor.
"Azalea!" Lionel roared. "How could you deceive us like this? You... you serpent! Witch!"
"Ha!" I laughed. "I'm afraid it's too late, Brother! Destiny has set its path."
"What the devil are you talking about?" Lionel cried. "My sister has gone mad! Oh, poor Payton. Poor Dacre!"
I ran to him and grasped his hands in mine. "Brother! Don't you see?" I asked, elation filling my words. Lionel was aghast with my actions, but he didn't know! "We've been played by destiny. All of us! You, I, the Duke, and even Dacre. Payton was meant to be here, tonight! She has someone who misses her very much and would like to see her. Who am I, or you, even, to stop it?"
"You..." Lionel whispered, his emerald eyes wide. "You're... off your rocker. Oh, God..."
"Let me explain," the Duke announced, calmly walking to where I clutched to Lionel. "I think an explanation is in order."