Stranded in the Past (Closed for Britwitch)

[gagonthis]

William "Buckeye" Henry squinted his eyes slightly as he stepped off the C-150, the sun shining bright above him. He took a deep breath and smiled. It didn't smell like the stinking jungle. Why would it? He wasn't over in Vietnam anymore. He was in West Germany. Far away from rice paddies and fire bases. No Charlie here, and luckily for him, not a rain cloud in sight. Taking another deep breath he fished in his pocket for his lighter, pulling out the silver plated zippo he ran his fingers across the worn engraving which read FUCK COMMUNISM. Snatching a cigarette he'd rolled himself from behind his ear he lit it quickly, taking a deep puff.

Fuck their fresh air. He'd take flavor country over that shit any day.

"Hey! Hurry up war hero! We've got another flight to catch and you've still got to get processed!" The staff sergeant yelled over the loud rumble of the Hercules' engines. It was already being reloaded with supplies to make the run back to Saigon.

It was true too. William was a war hero. A big goddamn hero. He was just finishing up his third tour in that godless land. His first he'd gone in scared shitless, another dumb kid who signed up for more than he thought, wanting to make his family proud. But he'd survived, even thrived in the Armed forces. By the time he was done with his first tour he'd already signed up for Special Forces training. Fort Bragg. His pops had been a goddamn hero soldier too, in WW2, and William was ready to follow in his father's footsteps.

But this wasn't his father's war. This one was tearing the country apart. And while boys like William were over there, mismanaged, facing a people fighting for their very survival, they were getting hamstrung at home by politicians and public opinion. Vietnam was an ugly place to be.

But William was a corps man now. He wore the green beret. They said 'Jump' and he said 'SIR, HOW HIGH AND HOW MANY MEN SHOULD I KILL BEFORE I LAND SIR?!' A goddamn genuine war hero in a time when America wanted its heroes silenced.

Still he kept coming back. He signed the papers he let them deploy him wherever. Da Nang? No sweat. Wet work along the Ho Chi Minh trail? Yes sir. And he'd probably go back again after this leave. Deep down he knew something was wrong with him. Even his family said it was time to call it quits, that the writing was on the wall. But William didn't care. Underneath his obedient facade he worried that without the action he'd be empty. Lost.

Shaking such thoughts away he smashed the little of the cigarette that was left under his heel. Next stop, London by way of Gatwick, then New York and finally home. Processing went fairly quickly, they checked his bags for contraband. There was an increasing problem with soldiers bringing back drugs, opium mainly, from Charlietown. William had never let himself fall prey to any of that nonsense and his green beret ensured his search went fairly quickly.

The flight to London was shorter than expected and he found himself getting more giddy at the prospect of going stateside. Maybe he would let his family talk him into staying... he could get a job at his pop's shop... finally find a girl that was right for him... settle down.... white picket fence and all that Americana bullshit his dad had gotten after WW2.

He was so deep in his revelry that he barely heard the simultaneous groans of the fifteen or so other people in the waiting area with him. Looking around he saw the source of their displeasure. The flight to New York had just been delayed another hour. He was just thinking about going to ask someone what the deal was when a voice played over the PA system.

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but a large storm front has just rolled in forcing us to keep planes grounded for the duration. We hope to have all flights out at their new scheduled times." The voice chimed off to the angry mutterings of the passengers around him.

The hour came and went. So did another. And then another. The flight counter kept updating them with info, the storm was the worst they'd seen in a while, the rain and lightning would make taking off a very fine fuck all. Not exactly what they said, he was paraphrasing a little. After five hours of delays the board was switched to the words every traveler dreads to see: CANCELED.

With a sigh William pulled himself to his feet and went to get in line behind the thirty or forty other people now thronging the ticket counter. Fortunately his wait was not as long as most. As he was standing, a man in military fatigues with came over and saluted him.

"Corporal Henry?" The man said to which William acknowledged with a nod and a salute of his own. "Flights are being canceled out of every London airport, and the accommodations have already filled quickly. However, we've been given license to use an old estate on the outskirts of town as a temporary barracks, we're assembling everyone outside baggage claim at O' fifteen." He said briskly, saluted again and marched off, presumably in search of other American soldiers stranded in this storm.

With a heavy sigh William grabbed his duffel bag once more, surprised that it already was midnight here. He could have sworn the time difference between Germany and England wasn't that great. He must have been in this airport for quite some time. "At least six fuckin' hours..." He said to himself as he climbed in the minibus out front.

It turned out to be another hour drive to get to where they would be staying. Some of the other soldiers had nodded off, fresh recruits back from their first tour, they weren't used to not sleeping for three days straight. Finally they arrived. The estate was huge. Much bigger than the twenty men crammed into the transport would need. He wondered how this wasn't on some historic registry, or if it was, who in their right mind would let American soldiers stay there. As they approached he got his answer to both questions. The building was bright with lights and three people stood just outside thelarge entrance to the building, smiles upon their face. Caretakers. So the place was of some historic significance, and there were people here to make sure they didn't make a mess out of it.

"Ahhh nothing like a bit of English hospitality eh? I've got dibs on that heifer on the left" One of the other soldiers said to a chorus of laughter. William just kept staring out the window.

They unloaded quickly, hustling everyone inside. William let out a slight whistle under his breath at the size of the estate. To a boy from a small town it looked as big as a palace. He fished in his bag and pulled out a plastic bag, pulling another prerolled cigarette from it. He was about to light it when the older caretaker came over and smiled nervously at him.

"Ahhh I hate to be such a buzzkill, but could you refrain from smoking indoors? A lot of the art work in here is over two hundred years old, and the smoke could have lasting damage on it." He said, nervously wiping his brow as if he expected William to strike him at any moment.

With a heavy sigh William pocketed the cigarette and put his light away. The old Englishman seemed to perk up immediately "Oh splendid! Just splendid! I was just about to give the others a tour of the grounds if you'd like to join us?" He asked expectantly, to which William just shrugged before following behind him.

He zoned out through the whole thing. History was never his strongest subject in the best of times, and stranded out in the middle of the English countryside after being cooped up traveling for the past twenty four hours was most certainly not the best of times.

As they toured the gardens, which were being restored to the exact way they believed they looked back when the estate was someone's home, a light sprinkle of rain began, which quickly turned into a torrential downpour. No one had noticed the clouds moving in since it was so late at night. Suddenly the night sky was pierced as lightning flashed across the sky.

"Oh my... oh my it looks as if the storm has found us. Perhaps we'll put the rest of the outside grounds on hold till tomorrow if there is time. We really should be getting back inside." He spoke quickly, the man's default mood seemed to be mild fear. None of the soldiers were arguing though and all followed him back through the gardens.

William paused though when he noticed a covered building on the other sides of the grounds. It looked like it had once been the stables from the estate. Right now it just looked like a good place to smoke. Falling back from the group he slipped aside, leaving them to retreat inside as he made his way to the open but covered building.

The roof leaked, but not enough for William to really notice. Lighting the cigarette he leaned against one of the stalls that would have once held a horse. Taking a deep drag he tried to push all the emotional weariness the day had take on him out of mind.

CRACK! BOOOOOOOOM! He jumped for a moment, suddenly imagining they were under attack from artillery fire, before remembering he was in England. His next thought was nearly as troubling though and he spoke it out loud. "Jesus that bolt sounded pretty clo...."

CRACK! BOOOOOOOM! He didn't get to finish his thought as his eyes were suddenly blinded by searing white light. He felt weightless and realized he was falling. Struck by lightning?! Is this really how I'll go?! was the only thought that went through his head before blackness enveloped him.

Consciousness flooded back, and with it pain. He opened his eyes with a heavy groan, feeling bombs going off behind his eyes as he did. Daylight flooded his vision and he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he hadn't been blinded. Pulling himself to his feet he felt his legs wobble. His nerves were still fried. Steadying himself he took stock of the situation as something bumped against his arm.

It was day time. Which meant he'd been out for a while. But he was still in the stables, which meant either no one had noticed he was missing, or no one wanted to brave the storm to find him. Something poked his arm. There wasn't a cloud in the sky though, so the storm must have passed. He just hoped he hadn't missed his flight.

His arm was bumped once more. "Knock it off you dime store Mr. Ed!" He yelled at the horse who kept bumping his arm. "I swear to God I'll turn you into......" He stopped dead. Wait.... a fucking horse?!

 

[Britwitch]

“Mama, do I really have to be there all night?” Alexandra Blake groaned before sipping her morning tea.

“But of course you do, my dear,” Her mother almost laughed. Alexandra’s father’s attention was focused on the correspondence he was carefully opening from upon a small silver tray on the tabletop. “Your father is holding this ball for one reason and one reason only. It’s high time we found you a husband and we won’t be able to do that if you are not there.”

“Given the way you reprimand me it would probably be an easier task without me being present…” Alexandra grumbled under her breath.

“You are a fine looking young woman, and if you had only learnt to curb your tongue around your elders and your betters you would have been married long ago I’m sure!” Her mother gave a long and weary sigh.
“As it is, at the ball tonight I have made sure to invite several of the local landowners, many of whom you have fortunately not met yet. You will be polite and serene. You will play the piano, should your father request it. You will be everything a young woman in your position is supposed to be. Quiet and beautiful.”

“But Mama...” She whined only to be cut off.

“There will be no more discussion on the subject, Alexandra. You are almost twenty-two years old, high time you were married.” Her mother’s tone signalled the conversation was over.

“Yes, ma’am,” Alexandra curtsied before standing. “I think I shall take a walk out in the garden…” Without waiting for permission to leave, she stalked from the room, pausing in the hallway only to pull a cloak around her shoulders.

Alexandra stepped outside with a huge sigh of relief. The fresh air felt delicious after the stifling atmosphere she had left behind her in the dining room.
She hated balls almost as much as most women of her age and position adored them. The heavy, powdered wigs, the stifling corsets and the boring conversations, none of it appealed to her in the slightest.

Her pale complexion gained a little colour as a cool morning breeze pinked her cheeks. Stray ringlets of her dark brown, almost black, hair that escpaed from the mass of pins holding the rest of her waist length hair up from her face in the current style, danced above her shoulders. The pale pink of her dress highlighted the piercing blue of her eyes and the tightly corseted garment made the most of her figure, although as it was a ‘day dress’ the majority of her enhanced cleavage was hidden beneath a layer of gauzy material.

The idea of being paraded for potential suitors was something that irked Alexandra no end. She didn’t have to be there, of that she was certain. Her personality, her likes, her dreams and ambitions, were of no importance when compared to who her father was and what dowry her chosen husband would receive. She smirked as she decided the fact that she had a personality was probably the only reason her parents hadn’t yet succeeded in their matchmaking.

It was all so infuriating and ridiculously archaic. After all, it was 1732, hardly the middle ages.

A ride. That was the only thing she could think of that might clear some of the angry fog that currently blanketed her brain. Setting off at a brisk pace, she headed out across the well manicured lawn for the stables.

The Blakes had lived at Woolton Hall for the last two hundred years. Sir Edmund Blake, Alexandra’s father, was the Earl of Woolton. Her older brother had done his familial duty and married a young lady who had already borne him a son, thus securing the future of the family name. Alexandra’s duty was now to make an advantageous alliance, whether she wanted to or not.

Woolton Hall itself was surrounded by a sprawling estate, with a lake and acres of well maintained lawns and gardens. It was a beautiful place and if she was honest, one of the aspects of marriage that most worried Alexandra was the idea of having to leave it.

Alexandra entered the stables and paused by the first stall to stroke the nose of her favourite horse, a dappled grey she called Storm.
“Hello boy,” She whispered, scratching between his ears. “It’s been the most awful morning already and the day is only going to get worse, I just know it. There’s this god-awful ball this evening where I’m going to be all but auctioned off by my supposedly loving parents. I needed to get out, boy. Let me just get your tack together and then we’ll…”

A noise in the end stall made her stop talking and caused a frown to crease her brow. It sounded like someone talking. The stable boys were not usually out here this early in the morning without specific instruction.

“H-hello…?” Alexandra called out nervously, wetting her lips as she reached out for anything she could use to defend herself. Her fingers brushed the handle of a pitchfork the stable boys used to muck out the stalls. Taking it in her slightly shaking hands she began to walk slowly towards the end stall. “Is…is there anyone there?” She took another step closer. “I demand that you come out here this instant!” She said in a voice that sounded much braver than she felt. Her heart racing with increasing panic. After all, if there was someone there, what on earth was she going to do with them once they appeared before her.

 

[gagonthis]

William frowned deeply, his emerald green eyes squinting in concentration as he tried to work out what was wrong with there being horses in a stable. It was incredibly hard for him to form rational thoughts however, his brain pounding the way it was. He must have taken quite a nasty braining when he fell.... why had he fallen? Something about a storm? Right! He'd been struck by lightning! At that revelation his legs gave out again and he slumped to the ground, catching himself before he brained himself once again. The horse before him let out a soft whinny.

Running a hand through his short crew cut brown hair William realized why the horses were so out of place. The stable had been empty when he'd gone in there the night before, and it hadn't had the look of a temporary emptiness. Nothing had been in those stables for years... and yet now this morning there were horses? William tried to get his head around it, finally giving up as thought became more and more painful. Perhaps they had decided to reintroduce horses to give the place a more authentic flare... but then why had no one seen him when they brought them in that morning?

"Sorry for yelling at you...." William said sheepishly to the horse that was quietly stamping its hoof at him now. "Not your fault that I have no idea what's going on." He said, managing to pull himself up to a sitting position. His entire body ached. Something else was bugging him about this whole situation, but he couldn't quite put him finger on what it was. Maybe.... did the stables look like were in much better repair today than they had yesterday? The horses being here would be weird enough, but he can't imagine them having done any sort of major re-haul on the structure himself without having discovered the soldier lying unconscious. It must just be his imagination, after all he had seen the thing in the dead of night during a thunder storm.

A faint scuffling at the front of the stables caught his attention and he tried to pull himself back to his feet to see if someone had finally come to get him. How could they have not already done a head count and realized they had one soldier who was AWOL? He just prayed that he'd still be able to get on a flight to New York in time.

“H-hello…?” a feminine voice called from the front of the stables, nervousness evident in her voice. “Is…is there anyone there?” her voice sounded like a thunder crack in William's scrambled brain and he let out a little wince of pain as she spoke again. “I demand that you come out here this instant!” William's eyebrow perked up at that. Whoever this was certainly seemed fairly jumpy for a caretaker.

With a herculean effort William managed to find his feet again, leaning heavily for support on the bars as he hobbled forward. He worried momentarily that he had suffered some serious lasting damage from the lightning strike, but pushed it out of his mind. He was a tough fellow after all. Coming towards the front of the stables he said. "Hello. I'm terribly sorry if I spooked any of the horses. I just... I got caught out here in that storm last night and I think I got hit by lightning...." He stopped as the person calling him came into sight. She was a lovely looking woman... and in dress that was very well... contemporary. "Ummm... that's a pretty swell costume you've got on there... listen, have I missed my flight to New York? Are the other soldiers still here?" He asked quickly, finding himself quite incapable of pulling his eyes away from her cleavage.

It was a mercy for his sense of propriety that his legs gave out once again and he slumped towards the ground.

 

[Britwitch]

"Hello. I'm terribly sorry if I spooked any of the horses. I just... I got caught out here in that storm last night and I think I got hit by lightning.... Ummm... that's a pretty swell costume you've got on there... listen, have I missed my flight to New York? Are the other soldiers still here?"
Before Alexandra could answer any of his baffling questions the stranger collapsed to the floor, no doubt incapacitated by the serious head wound he had received.
“Sir…? Sir, are you well?” She asked tentatively, inching closer with the pitchfork still held defensively in her hands. When no response came, and she was certain it was safe. She dropped the fork and hurried to his side, dropping down beside him and gently turning him over onto his back to look a little more closely at his injury.

He had obviously lost a great deal of blood, she was no physician but she was sure that could not be a good thing. A glance into the stall from which he had come almost made her lose her breakfast. The hay stained a deep, darkening, red.
“Sir…?” She gently shook his shoulder, leaning over him to try and see if he was still breathing.
She sat back on her heels for a moment or two, still shaking from her initial fear at discovering she was not alone in the stables, wondering what to do.

His words before his collapse had made almost no sense whatsoever. They hadn’t had a storm for months and the nearest garrison was at least 20 miles away. She could only assume he was a soldier himself, from the Americas if his strange accent and reference to New York were to be believed. A member of his majesty’s forces over there no doubt.

Pulling down a clean horse blanket from a shelf she carefully covered his body, not wanting him to get any worse before she could return with help.
“Don’t worry, sir, I shall return soon with help…you are quite safe here…” She said softly, stroking his forehead to try and detect fever before rising and running back to the house in what she knew her mother would describe as a most unladylike fashion.

Soon afterwards the unconscious American was carried into the house and taken up to one of the guest rooms. Alexandra waited anxiously outside as some of her father’s man servants dealt with cleaning him and putting him to bed while the Doctor examined him.
“He’ll be well soon enough,” The elderly medical practitioner assured her as he left the room. “A mild blow to the head, it looked worse than it was although there were also some strange burns to his shoulder that I must confess I am at a loss to explain.”
“Thank you, sir, my father is waiting downstairs for your opinion…” Alexandra curtsied to the Doctor before tiptoeing quietly into the bedroom.

The American was in bed, his strange clothes having been removed and replaced with one of her brother’s nightshirts and large dressing had been applied to the side of his head.
“You may leave us,” Alexandra instructed the man servant hovering at the foot of the bed. “Tell cook to make up some broth and have it sent up, I am sure he will be hungry when he awakes.”
“Of course, miss,” He bowed his head before exiting.

Alexandra took the opportunity to look at the stranger properly, now that he was not covered in blood he looked quite presentable. Handsome even. His age was hard to gauge, especially with the strange manner in which his hair had been cut.
She was just reaching out a curious hand to touch the incredibly short dark hair when his eyes flickered open, making her snatch back her hand and blush furiously with embarrassment.
“Oh, oh you’re awake!” She exclaimed before lowering her voice as a wince creased his featured. “You’re quite safe and the doctor says you are well…you’re at Woolton Hall, do you remember how you got here?”

She reached across to the bedside table to pour him a glass of water.
“Here, would you like some? I have sent for some food, it will be here soon.” She offered him the glass with a bright smile. “I must say I was more than a little surprised to find one of his majesty’s men in our stable but I am awfully glad you are not seriously hurt. I think you were a little delirious when I found you but, the next ship to New York will leave from Portsmouth in a month so I doubt you will miss it.”

 

[gagonthis]

William’s vision swam as he collapsed back on the floor. Standing for even a couple of moments had been too much for his battered body. He tried to say something in response to her words, but nothing but a soft gurgle came out. His hand quested to the back of his head and he began to shake as he saw his fingers come away covered in blood. Not a good sign at all. Head injury… possible nerve damage. He couldn’t give it anymore thought though, as he sunk back into the black.

This time he dreamed. Odd dreams and troubling dreams though they were. He saw himself on a horse, resplendent in period garb, riding through a country side. Just as quickly the country side became the deep jungles of Vietnam and William found himself isolated, surrounded by Charlie on all sides, still wearing the outrageous costume, and still riding the horse. Why he would be on a horse in the jungle was up to anyone’s guess. But he could feel the tightening fear in his belly at the Vietcong stalked him, silent killers and he with lace on his collar. Just before they could pounce someone called him, beckoning him to flee towards their voice. It was the young caretaker, the one who had found him lying in the stables. She was leading him to safety. He had no clue what his addled mind was trying to tell him. He ran towards her, having trouble finding purchase in the ridiculous shoes he was wearing, when a lone Vietcong soldier rose up from the jungle ahead, a savage cry upon his lips as he buried his bayonet deep into William’s stomach. William screamed in agony…

..And jerked awake, a soft gasp escaping his lips as the light burned into his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the softness of whatever it was he was lying on. He wasn’t in the stables anymore then. The second was the girl hovering above him, a hand barely a hair’s length away from his face. Before he even knew he had reacted, his hand shot up, grabbing her’s by the wrist tightly, before remembering where he was and relaxing slightly. His hand went up to touch his head, finding it freshly bandaged. The pain was less severe, though William still cringed at the touch.

“Oh, oh you’re awake! You’re quite safe and the doctor says you are well…you’re at Blake House, do you remember how you got here?” She asked, the shock of him waking at that moment clear upon her face. She reached across to the bedside table to pour him a glass of water. “Here, would you like some? I have sent for some food, it will be here soon. I must say I was more than a little surprised to find one of his majesty’s men in our stable but I am awfully glad you are not seriously hurt. I think you were a little delirious when I found you but, the next ship to New York will leave from Portsmouth in a month so I doubt you will miss it.” She was talking almost too quickly for him to be able to keep up. And some of the things she was saying made absolutely no sense to him at all.

“Wait wait…” William said, taking the glass of water from her, the cup looked… rustic. He wondered momentarily if this was one of the originals from the estate but quickly dropped the thought as he continued trying to process all the information she had volunteered. “I came here yesterday… with the rest of the American soldiers who got stranded in London? And yeah, I’m an American serviceman, not British. But yeah….” Something else she said had stuck in his mind, but he couldn’t quite pull his mind completely together yet. His head still pounded like it had been drilled by a howitzer.
“Hold on… the next ship? No no, look the sky is perfectly clear, so the plane’s should be leaving today right? Is this some kind of joke or something? Stay in character like it’s ye olden times to play a little prank on the head trauma victim? Well my head still hurts like fuck all, so maybe we could drop the game?” William said, trying his best to stay even tempered. “I just want to know if I missed my flight…”

 

[Britwitch]

Alexandra had let out a gasp as his hand closed tightly around her wrist. All of a sudden she realised she certainly shouldn’t have put herself into such a position, she shouldn’t have allowed herself to be left alone with this…strange stranger. His grip was strong and obviously took little effort on his part.

She could see the pain and confusion shining in his eyes and her panic had lessened a little, he was obviously as terrified as she was. As he released her hand she had sat back and offered him the water.

“Wait wait…” The American mumbled, wincing in obvious discomfort.
“I came here yesterday… with the rest of the American soldiers who got stranded in London? And yeah, I’m an American serviceman, not British. But yeah….”

“…The rest of the American soldiers?” Alexandra repeated quietly, her eyebrow quirked in confusion.

“Hold on… the next ship? No no, look the sky is perfectly clear, so the plane’s should be leaving today right? Is this some kind of joke or something? Stay in character like it’s ye olden times to play a little prank on the head trauma victim? Well my head still hurts like fuck all, so maybe we could drop the game? I just want to know if I missed my flight…

“Game? I think there has been some misunderstanding…my family and I only wish to help you, we have no wish to mislead you in anyway…” Alexandra began before frowning slightly at the tone of his voice. His language left much to be desired but she put it down to his discomfort rather than it stemming from a genuine desire to insult her.

“I think I need to get the Doctor back in here,” She started softly, not wanting to jar his clearly painful head or arouse his barely controlled anger. Leaning closer to lay a hand to his forehead, once again testing for fever. That at least might explain the delusions he seemed to be suffering. The skin was warm but not burning.

“You’ve obviously hurt your head quite badly, you seem to be very confused. There may well be a garrison of your men visiting the barracks at Thornhill but that’s miles from here. Perhaps you got lost…?” She offered tentatively before asking the question burning on her lips.

“I know it is probably of great importance and no doubt vital to the success of his majesty’s forces but I confess I have never really listened when my father has told me of the recent developments in modern gunnery and military practices, what pray tell is a plane?”

They were interrupted as the man servant returned with a steaming bowl of beef broth and two wedges of cook’s fresh bread and butter.
“Thank you, Smith,” Alexandra said primly as the tray of food was placed on the bedside cabinet, waiting until they were alone again before continuing.

“I think perhaps we should try again, from the beginning…might be less confusing…” Alexandra smiled softly.
“My name is Alexandra Blake and this is the house of my father, Sir Edmund Blake, the Earl of Woolton. Pleased to meet you, Captain…?” Her voice tailed off as she held out her hand, hoping to at least find out the name of the mysterious soldier if nothing else.

 

[gagonthis]

William was feeling very lost now. His head throbbed, so he assumed all of what he was hearing right now must just be some sort of very realistic hallucination. Or they really were just screwing around with him. He'd heard of some elaborate pranks in the service before, even been part of them, but nothing on this grand a scale. Period garb and everything? Nope. The head injury must have been fairly serious.

"God I bet I'm still laying out in that old barn.... hope I'm not choking to death on my tongue or anything like that..." He said, but the thought just didn't feel right. He was a rough and tumble green beret after all. He should know when his head was right and when it wasn't, and enough of him said this was real to make him doubt that he really was having coma dreams or the like. "Or maybe I'm dead..." he muttered, now mostly ignoring the girl ahead of him.

Ugh, that would just be his luck too, he'd die and the afterlife would be the outskirts of London. He was grasping at straws now. And he really hoped he wasn't dead. "Ok ok... I'll play along for a bit then..." He said with a barely audible sigh before turning back towards the woman in front of him. She really was quite a looker he decided as he tried to remember what it was she had just said to him while he was distracted.

"Please forgive my temper, it seems the crack to my head injured my manners as well...." He took a deep breath and felt another spasm of pain wrack through his head. Pain meant he was alive yeah? Something along those lines anyhow.

“I think I need to get the Doctor back in here,” She leaned in and placed a hand against his head once more. This time he resisted the urge to snatch it away from him and let the cool skin of her hand touch his head. Her skin was quite soft and he caught a pleasant whiff of her odor as she pulled away from him. Focus soldier! Learn the lay of the land! No distractions!

"No no, I don't think we need the doctor.. I'm just feeling a bit rattled is all, maybe my memory is all jumbled from the hit... " He still wasn't sure what was going on, but he'd already quickly come to the conclusion that things were not kosher, his situation was definitely snafued right now.

“You’ve obviously hurt your head quite badly, you seem to be very confused. There may well be a garrison of your men visiting the barracks at Thornhill but that’s miles from here. Perhaps you got lost…?” That made him blink slightly. Why would he be miles away from his men... and they weren't in Thornhill anyhow, wherever that was, unless it was a local name. His head was throbbing once more as he tried to figure everything out.

“I know it is probably of great importance and no doubt vital to the success of his majesty’s forces but I confess I have never really listened when my father has told me of the recent developments in modern gunnery and military practices, what pray tell is a plane?” He stared at her dumbly again as she queried him. She had to be joking... unless... unless what? He was still staring at her, confusion heavy on his face, brow knit in pain from his ever growing headache when he was mercifully given a reprieve by the arrival of food. Not realizing how hungry he was he quickly tore into the meal. His injury had taken a lot out of him and his body demanded sustenance to replace it. He knew he was probably making a fool out of himself in front of his lady, but as he had no clue what her deal was, he found himself slightly less inclined to care about that.

“I think perhaps we should try again, from the beginning…might be less confusing…” She said as William continued to stuff bread into his mouth, hoping maybe a full stomach would defog his mind. “My name is Alexandra Blake and this is the house of my father, Sir Edmund Blake, the Earl of Woolton. Pleased to meet you, Captain…?” She held out her hand as she ended her introduction. The gears in William's head were turning quickly as he tried to remember why that name found familiar. It wasn't coming directly to him though and to stall for time, he took her hand, shaking it awkwardly, not sure if he should have been kissing the back of it or not.

"It's Corporal. Corporal William Henry. United States Army, 6th Spec Forces group. I'm sorry I've been so boorish in your home Ms. Bla...." He stopped mid sentence, bread tumbling out of his hand, striking the small tray in front of him, leaving a shower of crumbs before tumbling to the floor. The Blake estate. That's where he had been at. He remembered the tour he only paid half attention to mentioning the family. But.. they were all passed away... and... and she didn't know what a plane was... but it couldn't possibly be.... "Ummmm this might sound a little crazy..." He was barely containing his anxiety now. "But... what year is it?"

 

[Britwitch]

"It's Corporal. Corporal William Henry. United States Army, 6th Spec Forces group. I'm sorry I've been so boorish in your home Ms. Bla...."
He stopped talking abruptly and Alexandra felt a pang of fresh concern, she'd heard that serious injuries could inflict their damage after the event. Perhaps he was having some secondary incident relating to his head wound.
"Coporal? Corporal Henry are you alright...?"
"Ummmm this might sound a little crazy...But... what year is it?"

"Why it's 1732, Corporal Henry," Alexandra replied slowly, her delicate brow creasing once again with worry on his behalf. She refilled his water glass and offered it to him.

"You look a little shaken, Corporal, can I get anything for your immediate relief? A tonic perhaps? Maybe some fresh air would help clear you head...?"
Without waiting for his response Alexandra stood up and moved to the large bay window, pulling the sash cord to raise the lower part of the window slightly and let in some of the fresh summer air. She wanted to give him some space as she could sense the uncertainty rolling off him in waves.

There was something so unusual about him. The way he spoke, the cut of his hair, the strange clothing she had found him in. All of it was so very bizarre.
And deliciously intriguing.

Part of her was already hoping she'd be able to talk her mother into letting her stay away from the ball to help watch over him. She doubted that would be allowed but she had to try. Knowing her mother she would drag the unfortunate soldier to the ball if only to show off their strange visitor to the gossip mongers.

She turned to lean against the window sill, her silhouette emphasised by the soft sunlight coming through the glass behind her.
"Please, Corporal, I can sense your confusion...how can I help you? You clothes are being washed but I can fetch some of my brother's clothing if you'd like to take a turn outside in the grounds...?" She suggested.
"Perhaps being out in the open will help make everything clearer...?"

 

[gagonthis]

"Why it's 1732, Corporal Henry," The young woman, Alexandra, offered in response to his question. And she said it as though everything were right as rain.

William felt floored. His head began to swim again and his breathing grew heavy in the way only someone subjected to a truly life changing shock would react. He wondered idly whether his hair would be shock white when he saw himself once again. He'd heard about that kind of thing happening before.

"No no no no... it can't be 1732. That doesn't even make sense...." He said, still unable to get his thoughts together well enough to explain to her how everything she said was crazy talk to him at that moment. It couldn't be 1732. It was 1972. America was at war with Vietnam. William was going home to see his family, what was left of it anyway, and that was that. There was no way it was 1732.

He took the offered water once again, gulping it down too quickly, choking on the last little bit as his mind continued to race a mile a minute. It was a prank. It had to be. He had no idea how they'd pull off something this elaborate, and who would care enough about William to attempt such an involved hoax, but it had to be. It was the only thing that would make any sense. But he couldn't laugh off what she had said. She had stated it as pure fact. No sign of hidden bemusement or deception.

She rose to open the windows and despite all the confusion and uncertainty fluttering inside his mind right now he could not help but notice her rather attractive figure. The period wear suited her quite well and William, the part of him not gibbering madly inside his head, recalled that she was the first truly attractive lady he'd set eyes on since leaving Saigon. He'd never been much for the trim for hire in Saigon... too many men got sick off that and William had no want to burn through the penicillin out in the jungle. So he had gone without. For quite some time.

It was a disturbing train of though that was luckily arrested as the natural sunlight flooded the room, causing his eyes to wince away before adjusting. After a few moments his head began to throb a little less, the natural light was doing him some good after all. He closed his eyes, and his head settled a little bit more. Maybe when he opened them it would be all a dream...

With a glimmer of hope he opened his eyes and let out an almost inaudible sigh of disappointment. No luck there. The sigh turned into an intake of breath as he looked at the girl, Alexandra, framed against the light coming in, a concerned smile on her face, looking all the bit an angel, glowing halo suffusing her form. It was almost enough to take his breath away. Stop it, he told himself. Don't get distracted, take stock of your situation, figure out what's really going on. Still a small part of him wanted to tell the soldier in him to just shut up for a moment.

"Please, Corporal, I can sense your confusion...how can I help you? You clothes are being washed but I can fetch some of my brother's clothing if you'd like to take a turn outside in the grounds...?" With her words William suddenly became quite conscious of the fact that he was laying around in almost no clothing at all. A less disciplined man might have blushed and squirmed at that. William simply filed it away as important information: reacquire uniform before vacating the premises.

"Ummm yes I think a walk might do me well. The air in here is somewhat stuffy and well... it looks as if the bad weather from the night before has passed.." He began to pull himself out from the covering but saw her reaction to his movements and quickly resettled himself. "But ahh... yes perhaps you ought to get my some clothes first." He said with a knowing smile.

 

[Britwitch]

"Ummm yes I think a walk might do me well. The air in here is somewhat stuffy and well... it looks as if the bad weather from the night before has passed.."
Alexandra realised almost too late that he was attempting to get out of the bed and inadvertently reveal his form to her eyes. She flushed with embarassment and looked away quickly. Not wanting him to think her wanton, to think she had been trying to see him in his current state of undress.
That she had already noticed the breadth and obvious strength in his shoulders was beside the point.

"But ahh... yes perhaps you ought to get my some clothes first."
"Of course, I will be back momentarily, Corporal..." Alexandra bobbed a quick curtsey before hurrying out of the room and down the corridor towards her brother's suite of rooms.
She rifled through his drawers and selected a slightly ruffled shirt, black breeches and undergarments she thought would fit Corporal Henry, as well as a pair of her brother's knee high riding boots. All the while trying to banish the image of his bare skin from her mind, to calm the embarassed flush to her cheeks.

She had seen men bare chested before but only from a distance when the gardeners removed their shirts during the harvest in late summer. To have one, and such a handsome one her mind added mischeivously, so close was more than a little unsettling. To her horror she had found herself wondering how his skin might feel, whether it would be as smooth as it looked.

She hurried back to his chamber and, after knocking, she entered and placed the folded clothes on the edge of the bed and the boots on the floor. Trying to avoid his eyes in case he would notice the less than appropriate thoughts that had been running through her mind moments before.
"I shall wait outside, sir, to allow you to dress yourself...then, if you would like, I can take you on a tour of our gardens..."
She curtsied again before stepping back out into the corridor to wait, and try to stop herself behaving like the lovestruck young girl she felt like all of a sudden.

 

[gagonthis]

William just about laughed at the reaction the young girl was having to him having tried to reveal himself. He still had his own undergarments on, the doctors had seen to it that he had some level of modesty. Though they were somewhat dirty, at least they had not been soiled.

Still to have seen the girl, you would have thought that she had never seen a man in brief before. Of course, if this was in fact 1732 she may well have not. It William a minute to realize what he was thinking. When he did he nearly barked a laugh. His head must really be messed up that he was giving any sort of thought to the possibility of what she had told him being true. He was still mostly convinced this was a very elaborate prank being played on him at best, or a very vivid coma dream at the worst.

That last thought struck him as very troubling. He could easily be in a hospital right now, hooked up to a breathing tube or something similar, unable to perform even the simplest of function. A true vegetable. It made him shiver momentarily.

Her curtsy to him brought him back to his surroundings once more and she smiled gratefully towards her, giving her a half-hearted salute as she left the room. Maybe it was all an elaborate joke. In which case it seemed like the best thing he could do for now was to play along with it for a bit. A Vietnam vet stranded over two hundred years in the past. Yeah. Ok. Besides, a girl like that might be more than willing to give a war hero a chance once the game was up.

That thought brought a wistful smile to his lips as he stared out the window, noting with no small surprise that the gardens, which had been in a state of disrepair the night before were visible from this window. They looked in an immaculate state, plants of all colors and designs perfectly maintained in a lovely pattern that quite visually pleasing. It made him less confident in his joke theory and brought a frown of concern to his brow. "Best not to dwell on it for now..." He said to himself as he turned away from the troubling sight of the beautiful garden.

William was usually quite a patient man, but the moments seemed to be eternities as he awaited Alexandra's return. He was about to pull himself up, keeping the blanket as a shield about him, when she entered the room. He resettled himself as she went about the business of laying the clothing out. Period garb. Oh grand. He wondered if he'd have a chance to snag his uniform before the day out. Some of these clothes looked awfully.... well they certainly weren't what the green beret expected to be wearing.

She seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with him as well. Shame perhaps? Was her part in this prank making her uncomfortable? Maybe he'd be able to talk her into telling him exactly what the deal was with all this nonsense. Then again... maybe it was something else he thought to himself as he watched her form. Whatever she was wearing under her dress was doing a wonderful job of curving her body in all the right places. Maybe William was being a little too obvious with his appreciation of her and it was causing her no end of embarrassment.

"I shall wait outside, sir, to allow you to dress yourself...then, if you would like, I can take you on a tour of our gardens..." William nodded graciously as she stepped out of the room, eyed the clothing for a good minute before letting out a heavy sigh of resign.

It all fit relatively well, though clearly it had been tailored for a man slightly less cut than William was, everything a little tight in the shoulders and chest. The boots were the biggest issue, they were slightly too small and pinched William's toes something fierce. It was the type of discomfort he could ignore though. he'd endured much worse before. Still he would be finding his combat boots at the first opportunity and trading these ridiculous numbers in. He opened the door and walked out into the hallway, absently noting that the walls were much more decorated than they were the day before.

Everything was upside down. Black was white.

Throwing an amused smile at Alexandra William said, "I bet I look quite odd in this getup... but yeah.. whatever. Sooo how about that tour?" He stuck his arm out, a gesture he meant to indicate for her to lead on, but one that could also be construed as an invitation for her arm.

 

[Britwitch]

"I bet I look quite odd in this getup... but yeah.. whatever."
Alexandra looked at his tall, broad frame and held back a giggle, although she couldn't stop the smile that curved her mouth. The clothes were obviously ever so slightly too small and he looked more than a little uncomfortable.
"Sooo how about that tour?"
Alexandra blushed a little as he offered his arm.
The gesture was most unexpected and caught her off guard.
"But of course," She replied quietly, stepping closer to slip her arm through his.

She took him around the house first, showing him the ballroom and next to it the formal dining room where they would be eating when evening came and with it the ball. A large vaulted ceiling rose up above them with four huge crystal chandeliers hanging down the centre of the room. Paintings of the former inhabitants of the house decorated the walls. The long table was already being dressed for the occasion, at least six servants working to lay out silverware and linens, glasses and plates, flower arrangements and candelabras.
“We have a ball here this evening, Corporal, ” She explained. “I’m sure my father’s tailor will be able to adjust something of my brother’s so that you will be more comfortable.”

Alexandra took him through the library and the reading room, into their music room and then out into the main hall where immaculately polished black and white marble squares chequered the floor. She left Corporal Henry’s side for a moment to fetch her cloak before taking his arm and leading him outside.

“You must tell me if you become tired, Corporal,” Alexandra insisted as she walked slowly down the gravelled path towards the rose garden to the rear of the house. It was filled with beds of many varieties of roses, the smell was sweet and intoxicating. “I’m sure the doctor would agree that fresh air might be good for you but I’m sure he wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself.”

As they walked Alexandra found herself stealing glances up at Corporal Henry’s face. He looked a little better, she thought, but there was an almost permanent line of confusion on his brow. Something was obviously not right.
They reached a bench at the centre of the rose garden. It was surrounded by the fragrant bushes and was one of her favourite hideaways.

Alexandra sat down and waited until he’d joined her before smiling softly.
“I confess, I had an ulterior motive for wanting to get you out of the house…” She looked down guiltily before meeting his curious gaze shyly.
“My mother’s servants are well trained and would have reported every word of our conversation straight back to her.”
Alexandra glanced around before leaning closer conspiratorially. She was a lot closer to the solider than propriety demanded and she didn’t want to get caught.

“You see, I totally understand if you’d rather not attend the ball tonight, which by the way my parents are determined for you to attend as their guest. I, myself, am doomed to go…no way out for me…but I can tell them that you feel too tired if you’d rather not go. It will be dancing and dull conversation with several hundred stuffy old men and women…you won’t be missing much…”
Alexandra sat back, her eyes rising to the sky as she sighed.

“I, on the other hand, will be paraded round like some-” Alexandra stopped herself just in time. Offering the handsome young man a way out of the ball was one thing. Telling him her own feelings was quite another. Beside being wholly inappropriate, she didn’t doubt he hadn’t the slightest interest in her problems. “Well, it doesn’t matter what the evening holds for me, but as I said, I’ll do all I can to get you out of it if you’d rather not attend. My parents may not back down but I promise I will try.”

Alexandra gave him another smile before looking away and hoping the disappointment in her eyes didn’t show. She genuinely wanted to save him the boredom of attending but she would be lying if she said she would be glad he might not be there.
The chance of having someone new to talk with was so wonderfully exciting, especially one so interesting as Corporal Henry seemed to be, someone new who could save her from the inane conversations she would doubtless have to have with countless young men upon instruction from her mother. Yes, she would be sad not to see him there if he decided not to go.

 

[gagonthis]

William nearly blushed a deep crimson as the girl slipped her arm through his. He hadn't thought of the fact that if it was in fact 1732 then propriety dictated that he should offer his arm to a woman. Of course, he was probably just being made a fool of since it definitely wasn't 1732, though he was becoming less sure of that fact with every passing moment. His head was threatening to throb again. He saw her blush slightly and couldn't help but notice how the color drew attention to her face in a very flattering matter. William suddenly became very conscious of the heat of her body next to his and a small blush did touch his cheeks at that.

Some discipline he thought to himself with a rueful smile. He tried to focus on the sights of the house as she led him through it, rather than the sensations of having her quite so close to him. After the first room it was rather easy to allow himself to be distracted.

The house looked nothing like it had when he had arrived in the thunderstorm the night before. Gone were all the scaffolding and plastics tarps that had covered everything. In fact nothing looked like it was under repair anymore. The large estate was in a pristine condition that once again caused a worried crease in the soldier's brow. A sensation deep in his gut, the one he'd learned to trust through countless missions deep in the jungles of Nam told him that whatever was happening here was definitely more than some elaborate joke. His head was starting to throb again.

William noted with distracted interest that the servants were laying out quite a number of place settings in the dining room, a large table covered with fine linen and being prepared for what looked to be a very formal dinner. Alexandra must have noticed him examining it closely for she spoke up. “We have a ball here this evening, Corporal, I’m sure my father’s tailor will be able to adjust something of my brother’s so that you will be more comfortable.” His eyebrow lifted itself questioningly, but he said nothing as he allowed her to continue leading him throughout the estate.

The rest of the home was as immaculate as the dining room and William noted him some amusement how many bits of the restoration they were getting wrong if this was how the original looked. The library caught his interest, he walked around the room, running his fingers over the leather books. None of them were paperback... and none of them looked as if they could have come from any modern printing press. William's lips pursed slightly as he pulled one off the shelf, flipping through it absently.

He was still trying to collect his thoughts when she led him outside, the cool air hitting his skin and momentarily clearing his thoughts. He took a deep breath, smelling the fragrant scents of the garden as they wandered through. Alexandra still had her arm entwined with him, and the beauty of the landscaping ahead of them again brought his attention to her closeness. He could feel his body heat rising slightly as they continued through the garden.

William nodded absently to her insistence that he let her know if he began to feel weak again. He could feel her glancing up at him, obviously concerned by what she saw. William could only imagine. He'd had a permanent look of confusion since he woke up and nothing he had seen so far had done anything to lessen it. He was quite distracted as they took a seat in the center of the garden, his eyes wandering about, trying to remember what the garden had looked like the night before. It hadn't been as immaculately maintained, nowhere near as colorful as it was today.

“I confess, I had an ulterior motive for wanting to get you out of the house…” Her words brought his gaze back towards her. She was having trouble meeting his eyes and a small smile touched his lips. Ulterior motives... that could be.. interesting he thought with wry amusement before chastising himself for being so crude. She was barely making eye contact with him, her shyness somehow enhancing her allure in an unexplainable manner.

She leaned in closely as suddenly William couldn't help but notice the fullness of her lips, the sparkle of her blue eyes. He felt his heart quickening slightly. He was beginning to feel like a silly school boy around her, not the heroic soldier that he was supposed to be. Listening intently, he nodded where it was appropriate as she explained the situation with the grand ball that evening. William felt he should interject, still trying to hold onto the quickly fading illusion that this was all a joke, but instead he let her finish, crooked smile coming to his mouth as she kept talking.

"Well... I would not want to do your family any rudeness..." He said, trying to pick his words carefully, trying to keep any modern vernaculars from entering his speech. "But ummm... the truth is, I don't really know how to conduct myself at any sort of formal ball..." He wanted to say it was because he was from almost two hundred and fifty years in the future but it sounded too ridiculous coming from his mouth. "I just.... well... I don't know how to dance." He said honestly, a slight laugh escaping his lips.