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The black sheep of the family wasn’t living among the Amazonian Indians or hidden in a convent of nuns in Ireland, as Lesley and I had always imagined when we were little.
Lucy and Paul were somewhere entirely different.
“They disappeared into the past with the chronograph?”
My mother nodded. “In the end they had no choice. But it wasn’t an easy decision for them.”
“Why?”
“It’s forbidden to take the chronograph out of your own time. If you do that, you can never travel back home again. Anyone who takes the chronograph into the past has to stay there.”
I swallowed. “But why would anyone decide to do that?” I asked quietly.
“They realized there’d be no safe hiding place for them in the present with the chronograph. Sooner or later the Guardians would have tracked them down.”
“But why did they steal it, Mum?”
“They wanted to keep the … the Circle of Blood from closing.”
“What will happen when the Circle of Blood closes?” Good heavens, I heard myself talking just like one of them. Circle of Blood. Next thing I knew, I’d start speaking in verse.
“Listen, darling, we don’t have much time. Even if they say the opposite now, they’re going to try to get you involved in their mission. They need you to close the Circle and reveal the secret.”
“What is the secret, Mum?” I felt as if I’d asked that question a thousand times already. And inside me I was almost yelling it.
“I don’t know any more than the others. I can only make some assumptions. It’s powerful, and it will give great power to anyone who knows how to make use of it. But power in the wrong hands is very dangerous. So Lucy and Paul believed it would be better if the secret was never revealed. With that in mind, they made great sacrifices.”
“I get that idea. I just don’t understand why.”
“Even if some of the men in there may be driven only by scientific curiosity, there are others whose intentions aren’t so honorable. I know they won’t shrink from anything to achieve their ends. You can’t trust any of them. Any of them, Gwyneth.”
I sighed. None of what she’d told me seemed the least bit useful.
From where we were in the garden, we heard the sound of an engine, and a car drew up at the front of the house. Even though cars weren’t really allowed in here at all.
“Time to go, Grace!” called Lady Arista, coming out of the house.
Mum got to her feet. “Oh, what a lovely evening lies ahead! Glenda’s icy looks will freeze the food on our plates.”
“Why did that midwife go away today? And why didn’t you have me in a hospital?”
“I wish they’d leave the poor woman in peace,” said Mum.
“Grace! Come along now!” Lady Arista was tapping the tip of her umbrella against the wrought-iron gate.
“I think they’re going to put you in the naughty corner,” I said.
“It breaks my heart, leaving you alone.”
“I could just go home with you,” I said, but even as I said it, I knew I didn’t really want to. It was just like Falk de Villiers said—I was a part of this business now, and oddly enough, I didn’t mind the idea.
“No, you can’t,” said Mum. “You could get hurt or even killed in uncontrolled time travel. At least you’re safe from that here.” She hugged me. “Don’t forget what I said. Trust no one. Not even your own feelings. And go very carefully with Count Saint-Germain. It’s said that he can get into people’s minds. He can read your thoughts and, even worse, control your will if you let him.”
I hugged her back as hard as I could. “I love you, Mum.” Over her shoulder I could see that Mr. de Villiers had come out of the front door as well now.
When Mum turned she saw him, too. “And you want to be particularly careful with that one,” she said quietly. “He’s become a dangerous man.” But I sensed something that sounded like admiration in her voice, so I asked, “Mum, did you ever … er, have something going on with him?”
She didn’t even have to answer. I could see from the look on her face that I’d hit the bull’s-eye.
