Page 111 of The Long Road Back to Yesterday

Georgiana withdrew two folded receipts from her reticule.

“These are from a music shop in London, dated April twelfth. We made two purchases that day, so there are two receipts.”

Elizabeth accepted one and examined the date.

“If this works as it did for Samuel Grange, the two of you could return to London on April twelfth.” Elizabeth reached for her notebook.

“If Aunt Maddie’s letter is still in my notebook, I may also have my token.”

Elizabeth opened the notebook and searched the blank pages at the back.

A folded sheet lay between them.

She knew Aunt Maddie's hand before unfolding it.

April 27, 1811.

Jane's hawthorn blossoms decorated one corner exactly as Elizabeth remembered.

Darcy came nearer. “What is the date?”

Elizabeth handed it to him. He examined the date and Jane's drawing before returning it.

“Then you have your token.”

She felt both hope and fear.

“I have my token, but it is less certain than yours. The letter is dated April twenty-seventh, though I received and read it on the thirtieth. Would I return to Longbourn, where I first read it, or to London, where Aunt Maddie wrote it?”

Mr. Darcy considered the letter before handing it back to her.

“Either way, you will be in a familiar place. We need not fear for your safety.”

Georgiana considered the dates. “Lizzy will return after we do.”

“Eighteen days later,” Darcy said.

“Then we must wait eighteen days before we can look for you.”

“If we remember,” Elizabeth said.

The uncertainty settled over them.

Mr. Darcy placed his notes upon the table. “Which is why the letters matter.”

Georgiana looked between them. “Letters?”

Elizabeth explained what she and Mr. Darcy had concluded that morning.

“We must also record our history, so that we may know what we need to prevent from happening again, Brother.”

“Yes. The more detail we include, the better.”

“Lizzy, will you write in my letter? Tell me your name, where you live, where we met, and that we became close friends. If I lose my memories of you, I want to know how to find you.”

“I will. And you and Mr. Darcy must both write in mine. If I return without any memory of either of you, I shall need some reason to believe what I have written.”

“Miss Elizabeth, you must write in mine, for I shall not want to lose you again,” Mr. Darcy said.