A ten-year-old boy crept almost invisible around the abandoned house. He was in an exploration mood, and this long-abandoned house was perfect for it. No one knew how old the house exactly was, but it appeared to be hundreds of years old. The house property had a nice young forest growing on it, instead of a once maintained lawn. That young forest provided some nice cover for his exploration.

He crept on the simple front porch and heard the boards creak under his footsteps. He was disappointed to discover that the front door was boarded over. Going to the back door, he discovered it also was boarded over. Taking a moment to flack some peeling paint off, he looked around to discover a different point of entrance.

Running to the window near the back door, still, on the porch, he could see into the dusty house. The room he was looking in was separate from the back door by a wall. Looking across the room, he could see a bricked-up fireplace. The old mantel was still there, just covered with a thick layer of dust. As much as he tried, he couldn’t get that window open, so he brushed his hands off on his jeans. He continued around the house looking at the high first floor windows. The bottom of them had to be six feet off the ground. He went around the corner and discovering a window above a boarded-up basement access point. That window was as reachable as the window on the porch.

Using the plywood board as a ramp, he went to the window and peered into it. It looked like he was looking in the same room as the other window, except this time he was looking at the side of the fireplace. Looking towards where the back door should be, he could barely see his other vantage point.

He tried pushing on the bottom of the window and was happy to see that it slowly but surely went up. It was taking all his concentration to keep his footing on the top of the ramp though. It was also taking all of his strength to push the window up so he could fit in the window.

When the window was up enough, he crawled into the house only to fall on the floor. He was momentarily distracted by that very fall, that he lost track of his surroundings. He heard someone to his left angrily said, “Elizabeth get off the floor; that is not ladylike.”

Coming to his senses, he looked around. He saw that he wasn’t in an abandoned house; it looked well maintained. Sparsely furnished with period furniture. Looking to his left, he saw a lady in what could only be described as a colonial outfit tapping her foot. Jumping to his feet, he was surprised to see he was also wearing a lavender colonial dress. He or she dusted her dress off and tried to figure out how the heck this happened.

Thankfully the lady turned back to whatever she was doing before. Looking out the window, the boy, now girl, who had apparently become Elizabeth, was surprised to discover that outside the window, everything was well maintained. The formerly small forest was a small side garden.

She took stock of herself looking in the window, on top of the dress, she had a white apron which looked like it was pinned to her chest. Her brunette hair, underneath a mop cap, was long and curly.

Her chest felt like she had a corset-like device on it. She wondered if the apron were pinned into that. As she was checking her simple shoes out, the Lady returned.

“Elizabeth if you are done daydreaming looking out the window, your mother wants me to take you to the mantua-maker for a new gown,” the lady told her. After handing the young charge a woven hat, the lady continued, “please put your hat on so you don’t catch your death of sunburn.”

The lady took her hand and led her out the front door. She was shocked that she didn’t convert back to Paul, her former self when they went out the door.

“Ma’am, what is today?” Elizabeth asked, wondering how this question would go. But she just had to know.

The lady looked at her, shocked, “Elizabeth Anne Madison, today is Thursday, May 20, 1773! Quit being silly we have to get to the Mantua Maker.”

As they swiftly walked through the town, Elizabeth did the math. She had been transferred somehow two hundred and forty-five years in the past. It had been … is … Sunday, May 20, 2018, in Paul’s time. It had to be the window, but how, that was what puzzled her.

Lucy directed Elizabeth into a storefront with a dress on a sign in front of it. There were a few ladies in the room, and one of them spoke: “Hi Lucy.”

The lady who must be named Lucy spoke, “Lady Abigail Madison sent her daughter, Lady Elizabeth over for a new silk gown, complete with a stomacher, Grace. She needs it done in four to five days.”

“Lady Madison, If you will go to the back room and strip down to your stays and shift we get started draping you.” The lady who must have been Grace told her.

Elizabeth went to the back room and tried to figure out how to get out of the dress. She started with untying the ribbon on the hat. Since she was inside, she figured that was ok. Untying the sash of the apron, she pulled the pins and set the apron aside. She discovered that her dress was actually a top and a skirt. The skirt appeared to tie both in front of her and behind her. After taking the skirt off, she slipped the top off over her head. She was glancing at herself in something reflected in the room to see what looked like a nightie under a simple version of a corset. She knew that one of these must be called a shift and the other a stay. She also had some pockets which she apparently could access on the side of her skirt. She was getting ready to untie them when Grace said: “Lady Madison, you can leave your pockets on.”

She looked to see Grace, another lady, and Lucy walked in the room. Lucy spoke, “Grace, I am going to leave Elizabeth in your presence for an hour or two.”

“Ok, we should be done with her by then and may be done with the dress. Did Lady Abigail Madison have a preference of color?” Grace said.

Lucy told the group, “Allow Elizabeth pick as long as it looks good.”

As Lucy left, the young girl was led to a stack of silks. “Can I pick two colors, Ma’am?” she asked.

“Yes, you may.”

“The light green and the green please. Ma’am,” She told the gown maker.

After checking her stock, the lady approved the color selections. Elizabeth was told to stand on a box, and both ladies started draping the green underskirt, by pinning the skirt material to the bottom of Elizabeth’s stays. She had been told they were going to do that; that is how she knew which one was her stays. After making some quick stitches to hold the skirt together, they started hanging the light green fabric over each shoulder. They started to pin the fabric in various places, and to her stays in a few places.

Again the quick stitches were done in key locations. They carefully took the gown and skirt off her, leaving her in her shift and stays again. While the gown makers used the big windows in the front of the store, Elizabeth was left in the back. Since she was only in what could be described as a nightie, she didn’t dare join them. She was sitting on crate swinging her feet.

She took stock of how she got here and if she wanted to find her … his … way home again. She did realize she was eventually going to have a problem if she did stay. She knew that we were before indoor plumbing, so she was going to eventually figure out what using an outhouse was like.

She thought forward towards the two thousands, her … his … parents he left in the future falling in the window. True his mom and dad usually left him to find his own way, because they were busy with their own jobs. But they loved him and tried to spoil him when he asked for something. He thought back, scratch that, forward to the bike that dad had just bought him … yesterday? Thinking to himself … herself she thought this time slash gender change stuff gets very complicated.

She was soon brought back to the present … past by Grace calling her name. After answering the head Mantua Maker, she was rewarded with, “Can you stand on the box again so we can test try your dress on, Lady Madison.” Grace asked her.

After standing on a box, the green silk underskirt was dropped over her, and again was tied in front of her and behind her. The gown part was slipped on like what could only be described as like a bathrobe. Grace pinned the front of her gown close, pinning into the stays. She looked down to find a large triangle spot on the front of her showing her stays.

Grace came to her with a piece of the dark green fabric and pinned it in the triangle spot. After marking locations with pins, she took it off her and headed to the front again.

Elizabeth asked, “Do I need to stay in the back again?”

“You may join us in the front if you don’t mind the front of stays showing. Whatever you do be extremely careful sitting down, your gown is only basted together.” Grace told her.

She went to the front and sat carefully down to watch the Mantuas work. She rubbed her hands over the silk. She thought she could get used to this.

The ladies were busy turning the piece of fabric into a thick green silk triangle with three light green silk bows spaced equally on it. Elizabeth found it quite interesting to watch them.

“Lady Madison, your lady servant will be back soon. Let Felicity help you get out of that gown so you can put your pinner outfit back on.” Grace told the young lady.

After standing on the box again in the back, Felicity made quick work of removing the gown. Before Elizabeth knew it, she was ‘naked’ in her shift and stays. After Felicity went in the front to finish the gown, Elizabeth started with the tying the skirt on, starting with the back tie like Grace had done, then the front tie.

After dropping the top over her head, she tied the sash of the apron. She struggled with pinning the apron top on like it was before.

She walked in the front, with the pins and her hat. She told the Mantua ladies, “Ma’am I can’t seem to pin my pinner on,” using the same term Grace had used earlier.

Grace came over and expertly pinned the top to the young girl’s stays. Once she went back to her stitching in the front window, Elizabeth went to put her hat on but was stopped by Grace.

The Mantua lady came to Elizabeth and taking a piece of string, she tied it around the girl’s head to get the size of the head. After marking the size, she told Elizabeth it was ok to put the hat on, which the young girl did.

Elizabeth realized that she suddenly had an issue, and wasn’t sure how to ask for it. She nervously asked, “Ma’am, do you have a necessary house?” She wasn’t sure where that term came from, but it must have been the correct term.

Grace smirked, and escorted her to the back door, pointing to a small building in the backyard. Walking in what can only be described as an outhouse, she scrunched up her skirts to find in surprise that she wasn’t wearing underwear. BUT more surprising was Elizabeth was fully a girl, none of Paul had traveled through time.

After she did her needed duty, Elizabeth was surprised to find a barrel of corn cobs in the room. Since there was no TP, she figured this was her replacement. She thought it felt uncomfortable and was glad they don’t use this in the twenty-first century. She dropped the gross cob in the hole, before walking back in the store to find Lucy waiting for her.

“Feel better Elizabeth?” Lucy asked.

She just nodded at her servant and followed Lucy home. Once back in the house, Elizabeth thought as much as she was enjoying this trip to the past, she better see about getting to her actual house.

She knew that walking out the front door didn’t get her back to the twenty-first century. She tried walking out the back door, and all that did was reward her was the back garden, which was most utilitarian in use.

Looking at the house, like the future house in her memories, it was five windows, to make that a unit of measurement, square. The house had two … maybe three stories. She said maybe on the third because the roof was hip style with dormers. She noticed that the back door was in the middle of the house. She remembered that there was a hall running through the middle of the house, with the back door right behind the front door.

Looking to the left side of the house, she found basement steps tucked against a one window, one story addition. She remembered that addition had hid her entrance in the twenty-first century.

Looking at the basement steps, she decided to go down it, to explore down below. As she peered into what she would describe as a root cellar, she saw it was stacked to the brim with various food stores.

As she stepped under the house, she found herself, scratch that, himself back as Paul in a dark, dusty, empty basement.

He felt around the basement, and besides getting dusty, he found nothing, and no other entrance than the one he came in. Feeling his way back to the way he came in, he couldn’t see a way out since plywood had been nailed to the top of the steps.

He decided to creep up the steps to see if the wood was weak. As he stepped from under the house, he, never mind, she found herself back in the bright sunshine in her lavender outfit.

Looking down at her outfit, she was surprised to find not an ounce of dust on her and feeling her hat, she thought it felt still in pristine condition. She decided that definitely worked, but got her nowhere since she was trapped in the future in the basement. Going back in the house, she looked at the window she fell through earlier. Looking out the window, she saw that if this didn’t work, she would be in serious trouble with no top on the basement stairs.

She decided to explore the house while she worked up her nerves. On the first floor, there was this common room in the back of the house. This common room must have been the room she … he … was peering into in the future. On the other side of the back looked to be some sort of office.

The two front rooms were a dining room, and a fancy common room with a musical instrument, that looked like an ancestor to the piano. The music room was longer than the rest of the rooms. It appeared that the one window addition she had seen outside was connected to this room.

Upstairs looked like four bedrooms, with the front left one definitely hers because of the gowns hanging on pegs on the wall. The one behind her bedroom had an adult-sized simple skirt and top hanging on the pegs. She figured that must be Lucy’s.

Across the hall from her must have been her parents, and some manservant was living in the back one.

She looked at the stairs headed towards the top floor and discovered that the trap door on top of the steps was locked tight. Figuring she wouldn’t be getting up there today, she headed downstairs.

She noticed that the sun was getting lower in the sky; if she was going to try to get home today, she better do it now. Making sure Lucy was busy somewhere else in the house, she stuck her head through the window. Looking around she, never mind, he saw that he was wearing the clothes he wore this morning. He couldn’t see the skirt but definitely felt it around his legs.

As he was going to kick the legs through the window, someone pulled her back into the 18th century. She heard Lucy saying, “Young Lady one that isn’t Ladylike, never mind if you fell out the window, you would break your bloody neck.”

Brushing her outfit off, she waiting for Lucy to return to the outdoor kitchen where she was doing laundry. Once Lucy went out the back yard, Elizabeth took a flying leap out the window. Just as she, sorry, he expected, he was back as Paul, but right now that was the least of his worries. He was still flying through the air, so he decided to tuck in a tight ball to protect him from the impact of the ground.

Back on terra ferma, he brushed himself off and looked around. Seeing the open window, he decided better close it, to protect the 18th-century house in case he decided to become Elizabeth again. After doing his task with all his strength, he ran home in order to beat the setting sun.

Author's Note:Sorry for the day late posting, Katie Ann will hopefully be posted tomorrow, I am too tired to post it today. Comments and questions are always welcomed -- Thanks Becky

The next day after school after dropping his backpack at home, Paul headed to the garage. Taking a can of WD40, he headed to the house. Ducking behind the addition part of the house, he was happy he was hidden from the road. He soaked the sides the window, before settling the lubricant on the ground. He would hate to see what would happen if he brought the can to the past.

Again bracing himself, he pushed up on the window. Since he had lubricant it, it went up smoother. Figuring there was no other way to do this, he … she jumped in the window.

After dusting her lavender dress off, she quickly closed the window. She was planning on more exploration, but she was soon distracted by a guy saying, “Lady Elizabeth, Master Clarke will be here soon for your lessons.”

Elizabeth wondered who this guy was and what lessons. She followed the guy, who was dressed in clothes that screamed a servant, to the front common room. After she was in the room, the guy shut the door behind her.

She sat down on the couch, crossing hands on her lap, like a good young lady. Noticing a piece of fabric in the room, she picked it up. Looking at it, she saw that someone, maybe herself, was learning switches. Not knowing why or how she was doing it, she added more stitches in the fabric. It reminded her of a sampler she … he … had seen in the museum during the class trip last month.

As she was working on the large M in green that someone? … herself? … had previously started, the door of the room opened up.

The previous guy spoke, “Lady Elizabeth Madison, Master Clarke.” He lead a guy wearing nice clothes into the room, before exiting himself and closing the door.

Elizabeth looked at her teacher and decided that this guy was definitely not a servant. The clothes were well maintained but were still cotton in nature. The guy was using a cane to walk, but when he set it down near the door, she wondered if it was just fashion in nature. Elizabeth… No, Paul never paid attention when they talked in school about the trends of the past, because no one had told him there was going to be a pop quiz. Surprise! He… She currently was living that pop quiz.

As she was looking at Master Clarke, he spoke, as he clapped at the same time, “Lady Elizabeth, put your sampler down and sit down at the harpsichord to begin your lessons. You only have four days to perfect this piece.”

Not wanting to get in trouble, since she wasn’t what that would cause her, Elizabeth quickly sat down at what she discovered was a harpsichord. Looking at the music, she started getting nervous. Paul had no musical talent, and couldn’t read music. As she started getting nervous, she set her hands on the wood keys. Suddenly beautiful music started coming from the instrument. As her hands flew across the keys, she tried to figure out how she was doing this.

It seemed to her that when she got nervous, she suddenly had knowledge she shouldn’t have. After the piece was done, Master Clarke spoke, “Very good, Lady Elizabeth, let’s try it again, faster.”

Elizabeth wasn’t sure that faster was possible, but she tried it. To her untrained ears, she could hear definite errors in the piece this time. Looking at Master Clarke after finishing the piece, she could see he wasn’t impressed either.

Without being prompted, she did the piece over again at the same speed. She was satisfied with her work after this time. Master Clarke told her, “Excellent Lady Elizabeth, again please same speed, with a smile on your face.”

Elizabeth said, “Okay,” before doing the piece again with the best smile she could master on her face. After she was done, she giggled with happiness.

Master Clarke waited for the girl to finish with her giggle fit before turning the music over. He then told her, “Please try the music from memory, Lady Elizabeth.”

Nervously the young girl did the piece from memory, where she pulled that information from she didn’t have a clue. It appeared to her that she did it without error, but quite slowly.

“Once more, faster, and then your lessons are done for today, Lady Elizabeth,” Master Clarke told her.

Without a word, the young girl did it from memory a bit faster than before. As she gets closer to finishing the piece, she smiled a bit with a sense of satisfaction.

“I want to see that same smile Wednesday, Lady Elizabeth,” Master Clarke told her, as he packed up his stuff. A lady who looked like an older version herself took that cue to walk in the room.

The lady spoke, “Master Clarke, how did my daughter do?”

“Lady Abigail, Lady Elizabeth did well. She should be ready for Wednesday,” the music Instructor spoke.

The lady who was apparently her mother, spoke to her, “Elizabeth, locate yourself in the dining room, Ruth will have dinner served soon.”

Elizabeth walked across the hall to the room she figured out was the correct room yesterday. She walked in the room to discover the guy from earlier pulling a chair out. She sat down on the chair as he pushed her towards the table. Her attention was drawn to her right by someone speaking, “Elizabeth, please thank Joseph.”

After thanking the servant, who she now knew the name of, she turned to look at the guy in the room. He was dressed as smartly as she was, she wondered if he was her father. She was soon distracted by her mother entering the room and getting the same treatment as she had by Joseph.

As if a silent trigger had been tripped, the mysterious Ruth and Lucy walked in with the dinner. After setting it down on the side table, Lucy set to work scooping out a bowl of soup for her. A glass of a dark liquid was placed in front of her next to the plate. The three servants had a different person to serve. Tasting the liquid, she decided it was nothing she had ever tasted before. Finding the spoon, she started eating the soup. When she was done with the soup, Lucy took her bowl away.

After her parents were done, all three were served a plate. While she was eating, she had an idea, but needed supplies for it. Speaking to her dad, “Father, I would like to write a note, do you have paper I can use?”

Her father spoke, “I believe I have one Sweetie, there should be a quill and ink in your room. Do not spill it. I would hate to replace your gowns. You already outgrow them fast enough.”

After the main dish was done, a dessert was set in front of her. It was some sort of delicious apple cobbler. As the dinner was winding down, her mother spoke to her, “Sweetie finish your small beer.”

After she finished the small beer, she followed her father towards his office. After waiting patiently, she received about a letter sized paper with what looked like an auction notice on it, printed on a printing press.

“I don’t need that need that notice anymore, Sweetie, the backside is blank.” He spoke.

Elizabeth thanked him for it and went upstairs to her bedroom. She found the ink jar and quill on her shelf. Setting everything carefully on the ground, she uncapped the ink, and carefully wrote on the top of the blank side, “What happens when I come here. — EAM”

While letting the paper dry, she put the ink and quill away. Once the paper was dry, she set it under her pillow.

She then went back downstairs, to the rear common room. She had noted that her father was still working in his office across the hall. She could hear her mother giving one of the servant instructions in the front room. Going to the window that would allow her to leave the 18th century, she realized it was dangerously close to the door connecting the fancy front room to sparsely decorated back room.

Slowly she raised the window, listening for movement in the front room. Once the window was opened, after looking around, she stuck her upper body out. Unlike last time, no one pulled him back into the 18th century. After falling on the ramp, he got up and dusted himself off. He closed the window before turning to pick up the … nonexistent… can of WD40. He thought to himself, “Where the heck did that can go?!?!?”

Because of fear of discovery, he ran the few blocks home. Before going into the house to get ready for bed because of the lateness of the day, he stopped in the garage. Looking on the shelf, he discovered the can was exactly where it belongs. He was so shocked that he exclaimed out loud, “What the world!?!?”

Going into the house, he promptly went to his backpack and pulled it upstairs to his bedroom. Pulling his homework, he was shocked to discover it was done! In his handwriting too! He decided that it was his cue to get ready for bed.

Author's Note:Comments and questions are always welcomed -- Thanks Becky

Paul decided to do his homework after school promptly instead of running straight to the house. After it was done, he put the stuff away before heading out.

Instead of taking the direct route this time, he took a way which may shake off someone following him. Going to the window, he was inside before you could blink. Getting off the floor, she discovered that instead of the lavender outfit she wore the last two times, she was wearing a white with blue printed flowers all over it gown with a matching blue underskirt in cotton. She dusted her gown off, before heading upstairs to check under the pillow.

In her room, she found the sampler sitting on the shelf, what she didn’t find was the paper anywhere in the room. She grabbed her hat which was sitting on her chair, and put it on her head. Taking the sampler she headed outside to sit in the sun to work on it. She had been working on the A of Madison for about twenty minutes when Ruth came to her, and asked “Lady Elizabeth, can you grab me some potatoes from the cellar?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Elizabeth nervously answered knowing that she couldn’t go in the cellar. She decided to see what would happen anyways.

Slowly she went down the stairs, she stood staring in the cellar looking for the potatoes from the outside. Once she saw it, she went in the crawl space and as expected became Paul. He decided to wait about five minutes before heading back to Ruth. While he was waiting decided to explore the wall directly next to the door. He felt old mounting locations for lanterns next to the door.

When he thought he had been down below the house long enough, he went back towards the stairs and was surprised to find eight or nine small potatoes being held in her under skirt as she held it up. Going back up the stairs towards the building, she found Ruth and Lucy cooking in what must be an outdoor kitchen. She asked them, “Is this enough?”

“Excellent, Lady Elizabeth, Go back to your sampler, dinner will be done in thirty minutes.” Ruth told her.

About that time, Joseph was sending her to the dining room. Soon she was getting served Potato Leek soup along with her parents.

After all three courses of the dinner was done, she ran upstairs to put the sampler away, before locating herself in the back common room to look for her chance to escape back to the 21st century.

It appeared that her parents were getting ready to leave the house, which was confirmed by Lucy coming in the room, and telling her, “Elizabeth your parents have a party at the palace, I am to make sure you get in bed at your time. I will help you after I get your mother ready.”

Soon Lucy and Joseph were heading upstairs, she assumed get both of them ready. Since the two of them were busy, and Elizabeth assumed that Ruth was doing the dishes, she took her chance and raised the window.

Without an alarm being raised she was back as Paul in the modern world. Noticed that the sun was getting low, he went home after closing the window behind him.

Walking in the house, he said, “Mom, Dad I am home.” After getting acknowledgment he went to his room. Switching to his pajamas after a stop in the bathroom, he crawled into the bed. Putting his hand under his pillow reflexively, he discovered a paper under it. Turning his bedside light on he looked at the paper and saw one side was a very familiar auction notice from 1773. It no longer was a flat sheet, someone had folded it, almost as if someone was trying to smuggle it out of the 18th century. Turning it over it said in an obviously quill writing “What happens when I come here? — EAM” Quill writing that he very much remembered writing as Elizabeth. Under that in a modern black pen it replied, “I come here… — PDL” PDL was his initials, ‘Paul Danial Lockhart’

When he woke up, he added another note to paper before heading to school in blue ink, “When I am here? — PDL” leaving the paper under his pillow. He wasn’t afraid of his parents finding it, because they never entered his room. It was his private area, and he was responsible for taking care of it.

He dropped his pack off in his room and went straight to his exploration site. Checking to make sure no one had followed him, he decided to see if he could get in a more ‘ladylike’ way. He knew that Lucy was just a servant but he realized that she ruled the roost.

Hoisting himself up to the windowsill he … she … succeeded in getting in the window without falling on the floor. Taking stock of her outfit, it was a good thing too. She was wearing a cream silk outfit that you could tell she was out growing. The skirt was four inches higher off the floor than the last two outfits she wore. Her chest felt like the stays were taken in more than she was used to, so the top could be fastened. Even so looking at her reflection in the window after she closed it, it looked like she breathed wrong everything would pop right open.

Joseph walked in the room, and said “Lady Abigail would like Lady Elizabeth in the front room.”

Walking in the front room via the door right next to her, she said, “Mother you wanted me?”

“Dreadful, you look like you have outgrown that gown. It will have to do until tomorrow or Tuesday when your new one is done, Sweetie. Please put your hat on, it is time to head to church.” Abigail said while giving Elizabeth a fancier hat then the one she wore before.

After putting her hat on, Elizabeth followed her mother, and meet her father on the porch. The three of them walked hand and hand to church. Followed her father, they walked down the aisle until they got to a pew with a door that said ‘Fred Madison’ on it. Looking around the church, she thought this was going to be a very uncomfortable ordeal.

Elizabeth fought to stay awake during the five hour church service. She found it very boring and very fire and brimstone like. The preacher’s sermon went on for almost three itself. Her stomach loudly complained about the late meal. Which caused her father to say, “Does Ruth never feed you? I doubt it, but listen to your stomach complain!”

All Elizabeth could do is blush up red as they walked back home. When they got home Elizabeth was sent in the front room to look pretty, she asked to do her sampler which caused her mother to exclaim, “On a Sunday?!?!”

She remembered a doll on the shelf in her room, so she went up to grab it. Going back to the front room, joining her parents, she knelt down on the floor and played with her doll. She was playing quietly when she was called to the dining room for a Sunday meal.

Joseph again slide her chair in once she sat on it, and he did the same thing to her mother. Ruth set a plate with what looked like dark meat turkey and vegetables on it. Taking a bite on the meat she discovered it wasn’t Turkey. Her mother spoke, “Your slow cooked goose tastes excellent today, Ruth.”

There was no soup or dessert today, just the roast goose and vegetables. Elizabeth wonder if that was because of the day of the week. Once the meal was done, she joined her parents in the front room. While playing with the doll again, she waited for her chance to disappear in the back room.

She decided to excuse herself claiming the need of the necessary, heading instead to the back room via the hall. Figuring her window of opportunity was short today, she walked swiftly but softly to the window. Opening it quietly, she quickly jumped out the window, and tumbled down the ramp.

After stopping to close the window, he ran home to check under his pillow. Back in his room, he found no paper there, or anywhere in his room. Thinking to himself, he thought, “It must be in Elizabeth’s bedroom.”

Author's Note:Comments and questions are always welcomed -- Thanks Becky

Thursday in class, the teacher gave his students a research project. He told his students, “You can research a famous person, an ancestor, or a person from our town. One rule is that whoever you choose cannot be living. I would be interested to hear why, but the main scope is the research. For all I care, you can research the name on the first grave marker you find.” After handing out papers on the project, he continued on other school subjects.

Paul thought to himself and said, “My chance to find out more about Elizabeth.” He then turned his attention back to the teacher,

After school, he dropped his backpack off, after grabbing a notebook and pen out of it. He decided to check the paper that he and Elizabeth were having a conversation on, before finding the graveyard of the church he visited yesterday as Elizabeth.

Grabbing the notepad, he wrote, “P, I will only be fifteen to twenty minutes, I am checking the note. — E.” After tearing the sheet off, he set it next to the window with the pen in case the other one needed it.

Pushing the window up, he quickly climbed in. He … she … wasn’t as graceful as yesterday. Dusting her lavender pinner off, she quickly went out of the room, ignoring the window.

At the foot of the steps, Elizabeth noticed that Lucy was setting the table in the dining room. Running up the steps rewarded her with, “Dreadful child, walk! It isn’t ladylike to run,” from the dining room.

After slowing down to a fast walk, she entered her bedroom to find the linens stripped from the bed. With a bit of nerves, she searched the room, since under the pillow wasn’t an option right now. She realized that meant under the pillow was never a good option.

She found it hidden under her doll folded up. Undoing the folds rewarded her with another message, “I am here — EAM” in response to the last one.

Taking the quill and supplies out, she set to work writing her next question to her link friend. She carefully, so not to spill anything, wrote, “Who controls this? — EAM.”

After putting everything away, including the note, she carefully walked down the stairs to the portal window. Sticking her head out of the window, she … he was rewarded with the twenty-first century.

Looking at the time Paul saw that he had done it in twelve minutes, it was currently three forty-five. Turning to close the window, he was shocked to see a note was left for him on the paper.

“Elizabeth! You have to watch your timing. Master Clarke visits at about four on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You are cutting it awfully close! — Paul,” the note exclaimed at him. After closing the window, he folded up the note and stuck it in his pocket.

He walked around to the front and tried to retrace his steps to church yesterday. It wasn’t exactly easy. The modern road layout wasn’t the same as the colonial one. After a few missteps, he found the graveyard, but it appeared the church was long gone.

Walking around looking at the stones he was trying to find any ones with the last name of Madison, first name of Elizabeth, or birth year of 1763. He had been wandering around for about twenty minutes when a groundskeeper stopped him, asking what he was doing there.

He explained, “I am trying to find the gravestone of a lady born as Elizabeth Madison in 1763, it is for a class project.”

“I don’t know about an Elizabeth, but there are Madisons over here,” the grounds guy answered. He continued as they walked to another area, “she is probably buried under her married name.”

They stopped in front of a gravestone that said, “Frederick J Madison, 1743-1780.” Looking around, he thought back to yesterday, if you could call it that. The church would be just to the east of this gravesite. The graves where the church was, appeared to be more modern.

Looking back at the gravestone, Paul got a lump in his throat. That meant that Elizabeth lost her father when she was seventeen, probably due to the war. The next stone over was Elizabeth’s Mother, she was born in 1744, and died in 1810. There was another gravestone nearby that looked promising, it had the correct first and last name, but it was “Elizabeth V Madison, 1701-1772” which Paul could only surmise was Elizabeth’s grandma.

He looked left and right and came up empty-handed. He decided this wasn’t working, and decided to head to the archives in the library, which the project’s handout suggested.

Once in the library, he went to the counter and asked the lady the same information he had asked the groundskeeper. This rewarded him with, “any information about her is going to be in her name after she got married, only information about her before that is going to be census which would just confirm her existence.”

Going to the back, the lady returned with a few old books on a cart, and two pairs of cotton gloves. “These are a record of all births, marriages, deaths recorded in the old church on Duke Street, from 1775 to 1785.”

“Her father died in 1780 according to the gravestone I found,” Paul said.

The lady smiled and said, “Great, let’s find his, and see if she is listed on it.”

After much searching, they found Fred's death record, which did list Elizabeth and Abigail as witnesses. Just as Paul surmised, Fred cause of death was listed as ‘old war wound, infected,’ but most interesting to him was his occupations: Lawyer, Plantain Owner, Landlord, and Veteran.

They just slowly flipped through the pages; there was no rhyme to the records. One page would record a birth, the next might be a marriage, another birth, then a death. When it was getting close to the time for Paul to head home, they struck gold. The marriage certificate of Elizabeth Madison, 1763 and Richard Anderson 1762, in St. John’s church in 1781.”

“Elizabeth Anne Anderson!” Paul exclaimed beaming with a huge smile.

The lady looked at him, smiling and said: “Elizabeth Anderson, why does that name sound familiar?”

Looking at the time, Paul said softly and sadly, “I need to get home. I will have to continue tomorrow.” With that done, he headed home. But not before he wrote in his notebook, what he did know about Elizabeth and her parents.

Friday after dropping his bag off after school, Paul quickly headed to the mysterious window. By now he wasn’t afraid of being seen on this side of the window, it was the other side of the window that scared him. He set the note to other Paul he had previously written next to the window. The note told how long he planned on staying. He included his research homework, if and only if the other one wanted to do it. He thought to himself, “I was yelled at to watch my timing, yesterday. Today should be Tuesday on the other side. Here goes nothing.”

He jumped in the window, falling on a thump on the other side in her white and blue printed flowers gown. After dusting herself off, Elizabeth left the window up, since the rest of the windows were up. She was headed upstairs to get her sampler and check for the note when Lucy stopped her.

The servant said, “There you are Elizabeth, Grace is expecting us for a final fitting. Here is your hat; let’s go.”

Without a word, Elizabeth put her hat on and followed Lucy out of the house. This time she tried to memorize the route for later, it might be interesting as Paul. Soon they were at the Mantua shop, and Lucy greeted Grace by saying, “Lady Elizabeth here, Grace.”

“Excellent, Lady Madison, let's work on removing that gown so we can do a fitting of your gown,” Grace spoke.

Lucy explained, “I am going to the wig maker, I should be back in thirty to sixty, Grace.”

After confirming that was ok, and telling Elizabeth that she was only checking the gown, not the underskirt, Grace went and removed the pins holding the girl’s gown closed, after leading her to the back room.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was removing her hat. Before the girl could blink she was down to her stays on her top, the Mantua Maker had even removed her mop cap. Soon she was putting her arms in the silk gown, which was loosely pinned together. Soon Grace was working on pinning the stomacher on, before tightening up the closure of the gown.

Grace had her step down from the box she was standing on, before putting a silk mop cap on her head, complete with a matching green bow on the front of it.

After instructing the young girl to slowly spin, Grace went and played with the outfit, here and there. Elizabeth liked the look of this outfit but thought it looked weird with the blue skirt showing in the front. The best thing about the gown, Elizabeth thought was the feel of the fabric. Since the three of them thought the fit was good, they all went to the front to wait for Lucy to return, to give her approval.

Elizabeth spent the next fifteen minutes watching the Mantuas work on another project. It appeared to her that Felicity was sewing a young girl’s stays, maybe a toddler's. Grace was making a padded hat; she had called it a pudding cap when she was talking to Felicity.

On the other side of the store was some fancy hats, and the supplies to make them. Thinking back to her … his … education, she remembered learning about apprenticeship, and she thought if she had to apprentice this would be where she would want to do it. She wondered if her class of girls actually did apprenticeships though.

Elizabeth was slowly kicking her legs, on the stool watching them work when Lucy walked in. After greeting the two workers, the servant went straight for the young lass and had her stand up and do another slow spin. “You outdid yourself, Grace, I am not sure I am picking up the right girl. For a right mischief-maker, you clean up good, Lady Elizabeth.” The young girl could only blush at her compliment or put down; she couldn’t tell which one it was. Lucy continued, “Either we need to get you out of your new silks, or we need to change the skirt so you can leave that on.”

Elizabeth excitedly exclaimed, “Can I leave it on, Lucy.”

“You can, but you don’t want to ruin it for tomorrow.” The servant answered her.

Felicity set to work helping the young girl step out of one skirt, after it was untied, and step into the matching skirt. After it was securely tied, Felicity handed Elizabeth her hat.

Soon the young lady and her servant were headed home. Again Elizabeth was trying to memorize the route, and trying to place it in the modern grid mentally. She decided to worry about it when she returned to the future.

Walking in the house, she headed upstairs to do what she set out to do before the impromptu trip to pick up the gown. She had only gone a few steps before being called into the front room. Her mother requested that she slowly turn around to show the gown off. After requesting who picked the color, Abigail praised her daughter for the color choice. Once she was excused, she slowly went upstairs to pick up her sampler and doll. Before going back downstairs, she looked for the note and came up empty.

She thought to herself, “Paul has it.” She then headed downstairs to occupy herself in the front room until dinner time. In about an hour, the three Madisons were called to the dining room for another three-course meal. After an apple pie dessert, the small family retreated to the front room for more downtime, leaving the mess for the servants.

After the sun got low in the sky, Lucy walked into the room and said: “Lady Elizabeth, it is time for bed.”

Elizabeth followed her servant upstairs, taking her doll and sampler with her. Once in the bedroom, Lucy took charge and started to undress Elizabeth from her silk gown. Soon the young girl was down to her shift and stays. She also still had her stockings and shoes on. She handed her pockets to the servant before turning to face Lucy.

Soon Lucy was unlacing the young lady’s stays, Elizabeth thought it felt weird to have nothing on her chest. She had got used to the tightness on her chest so quickly. After she sat down on her bed, she removed her own shoes and stockings. The servant was soon closing the young girl’s bed curtains after she laid in bed.

The next morning, Elizabeth was woken up by Lucy opening the curtains. She was offered a clean shift by the servant. Taking that as a hint, the girl switched her shifts. Taking two large blunt needles the servant started to lace up the stays, and then Lucy tied the lacing off. She was then offered her stockings, which the young girl put on herself. When her shoes and pockets were on, the servant started to dress the girl in the silk outfit again.

After the ten year old girl responding to a request to sit down, Lucy put the silk mop cap on the girl’s head. The Maid Servant said, “You have a few hours until your appointment at the wig maker today, Elizabeth. Ruth has breakfast in the kitchen if you want so. Feel free to keep yourself occupied anyway you want to. Lady Abigail suggested practicing for tonight.”

Elizabeth nodded, and followed Lucy out of the room with her Sampler. She headed towards the kitchen in the backyard to see what breakfast was. Ruth handed her a hard boiled egg. After eating it, she decided to try an idea she had before working on the sampler. Slowly, because she was in her good dress, she headed to the root cellar. Once she was at the root cellar, she stood exactly in the middle of the house plane. She hoped by doing this, she would be half in 2018 and half in 1773. The time traveler also hoped that would make her linked traveler there too.

Speaking towards away from the root cellar she said in a whisper, “Paul can you hear me?”

“Elizabeth, I can, but I don’t understand how this works,” came the reply in Paul’s voice, in only one ear. It happened to be the ear in the root cellar.

The colonial girl replied, “It works because we are standing on both sides of the portal. I have a question, if I may ask?”

“I see. As for the question, go ahead,” Paul replied.

Elizabeth asked, “Actually two questions: What am I doing at the wig maker today. Also what happens tonight?”

“I haven’t a clue with the wig maker. I never visited them when I was you, as far back as I can remember. As for tonight, you have to perform a piece for the governor. And you better not mess it up for me, or else!” Paul answered.

Elizabeth wondered out loud, “What are your plans for today?”

“I was headed to breakfast, but I got pulled here. I plan on doing my research homework. Thank you for the subject, it is quite an interesting subject for both of us,” Paul replied.

Elizabeth was going to comment, but she got distracted by Ruth, “Lady Elizabeth, since you are standing there, can you grab an onion please. But carefully! I really think Lucy world prefer you stay away from the cellar in that dress.”

While Elizabeth nodded, Paul told her to walk forward to the opposite side of the doorway. He was adamant for her to stay in both year zones. Soon Paul said, “Ok, you can twist towards Ruth.”

When Elizabeth did the requested twist, she found an onion in her left hand. After handing Ruth the onion, she turned to tell Paul goodbye.

Slowly she went back to the back porch to sit on the bench she had left her sampler on.

Elizabeth had been working on her sampler for about two hours, when Ruth called her, “Lady Elizabeth, lunch is ready.”

Setting her sampler down on the bench, Elizabeth accepted the plate with what Ruth called a kidney pie. She slowly eat the delicious cold meat pie. She set her empty plate aside, and started to pick up her sampler again.

Lucy said, “I will take that plate, be ready to go when I get back.” She headed to the kitchen with the plate. After she returned, she led Elizabeth towards the wig maker.

When they got there, Lucy spoke to the wig maker, “Lady Elizabeth Madison here for her bath treatment.”

“Excellent, Lady Madison if you followed me we will get started,” The Lady spoke. “I am Becca. We are going to clean you, get you smelling fresh, dress you, and set your hair today,” she continued as they walked up the stairs.

They arrived in a room with a fire burning in the fireplace. Hanging over the fire was few pots, probably filled with water. There was also a tub in the middle of the room partially filled with water. As Elizabeth started to undress, Becca stressed, “Elizabeth, please allow me to do my job. I will do that! You are lucky today, Lord Frederick Madison paid extra for fresh water for you.”

Soon the young girl was being expertly undressed by the wig maker. After she was naked, Becca dropped two pots of hot water into the tub. She checked the water temperature after each pot. Once satisfied with the temperature, she dropped some sweet smelling stuff in the water. Soon the girl was helped into the water.

Becca was soon scrubbing Elizabeth with a natural sponge. After she was done, she dropped a pail of water over the girl’s head. After lathering up soap, she washed the hair. Again Becca dropped water over the head.

After helping Elizabeth out of the water, Becca dried the girl’s wet body. After dropping the shift over the young girl’s head, she helped the girl sit on a chair. After wrapping the girl’s hair in a warm cloth, she left the room.

When the wig maker returned, she stuck two or three metal objects directly into the fire. She took the chance while she was waiting to lace up Elizabeth’s stays up, after the young girl stood up. After the girl sat down again, she took one of the metal items out of the fire. Soon she wrapping small bits of her young client’s hair around the curling tongs.

Soon all of Elizabeth’s hair had been wrapped on the colonial version of a curling iron. Becca wrapped the now curly hair with a neckerchief, before dressing her in her silk gown. Once she was fully dressed, and the dress protected with a cloth, the wig maker moved the neckerchief from her hair, to around her neck.

After Becca put the silk cap on the Elizabeth’s head, she lead the girl downstairs, to where they found Lady Abigail waiting, talking to the other Wig maker.

Abigail said, “Becca you outdid yourself, Elizabeth looks wonderful.” The praise from her mother caused the girl to blush up. The wigmaker accepted the praise, and told the Lady that it has been a pleasure.

Author's Note:Comments and questions are always welcomed -- Thanks Becky

Elizabeth was soon following her mother towards the Governor’s Palace. The time-traveling girl was getting nervous that she was going to mess up her piece. Technically she had never been trained on the harpsichord. On the other hand, being nervous will help her. That nervousness allows her to pull from the real Elizabeth’s memory, somehow. She never did understand how that worked, but then again she never understands how they were switching places.

Inside the Palace, Elizabeth hung around with the other young musicians while she was waiting for her turn to perform. Once two boys did their pieces on various instruments, a guy said, “Lady Elizabeth Madison performing a selection from The Musical Offering by Johann Sebastian Bach on the harpsichord.”

That was the young girl’s cue to seat herself at the harpsichord. Before she did sit down, she curtsied towards the audience. She didn’t have to force herself to be nervous to draw from the real Elizabeth’s memory. Her stage flight was doing just wonderful on that front. Almost as if someone else was moving her hands, she did the piece fully and beautifully without error.

After she was done, she did another curtsey and retreated to where the other kids were hanging around.

The next morning, Elizabeth couldn’t remember going to bed. She must have gone to bed somehow because there she was with the bed-curtains drawn. She sat up in bed when she heard a noise. Thankfully the noise was Lucy coming in her room to get her dressed for the day.

About fifteen to twenty minutes later she was dressed in her lavender outfit without the pinner apron. She headed to the outdoor kitchen to see Ruth about some breakfast.

A hard-boiled egg and toast later she was watching Ruth work. Lucy walked into the kitchen, and told her, “We have to go to your minuet dance lessons, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth stood up and followed her servant around the house to head down the road. They walked maybe a block before turning onto a walk. Going up to the door, Lucy knocked on it.

Another servant answered it, and addressed the young girl, “Good morning, Lady Madison, please come in.”

“Lady Elizabeth, I will be busy with Lady Abigail when you get done. Please come promptly home on your own.” Lucy told the young girl as she went into the house.

Elizabeth found four girls and five boys waiting in a room with all the furniture pushed to the edges. She made small talk to the other kids while they waited for the instructor.

“Gentlemen and Ladies, we will get started now,” a lady said coming into the room from the door. She continued, “Gentlemen, if you will pick a partner please, so we can get started.”

A handsome looking boy didn’t need a second command, he was at Elizabeth’s side in a heartbeat. He wasn’t the only boy to start towards the young girl. Just the fastest.

The instructor continued, “Excellent, let's start with the minuet from last week. Lord Anderson and Lady Madison if you will start.”

Elizabeth was a bed of nerves again, but then again that helped her as the past times. She felt her body slowly walking across the room. She moved her feet in fancy steps while she was dipping down here, standing on her tippy toes there. She kicked her feet to her sides occasionally, always in step with her partner.

“Perfect, Lord Anderson, Lady Madison. Next couple please.” The instructor continued.

Lord Anderson, whose name of Richard had been confirmed in of her nervous times, came up to her. “Are you waiting for Lucy, Elizabeth?” He asked.

Elizabeth answered her friend, “Lucy is busy with my mother this morning. I am to walk home alone, Richard.”

“That will never do, I will escort you home, ‘Lizabeth,” Richard answered.

As they were walking the few blocks home, she looked her companion over carefully. She could see why she would end up marrying him, nine years in the future. He wasn’t bad looking, and he made her dry at the mouth. Even now only being ten, she was crushing on him bad. He was upper class in this class society with that lord title, but then again so was she.

Once they got to her house, he escorted her to the front door. Once Elizabeth was inside the house, he went his own way. She didn’t know where he was heading but she assumed to his own house. She found the house empty. Wherever her parents were, Lucy and Joseph must be with them. She decided to head to the kitchen to check in with Ruth and get some lunch.

A small lunch later, Elizabeth decided it was time to switch with her fellow time traveler. It must be past noon, so the church would be done in the twenty-first century. With the house being empty and Ruth busy cooking dinner, she just slowly went to the window. She wasn’t afraid of being discovered today. After heaving herself … himself through the window he headed to his home.

In his bedroom, he found his homework sitting on his desk, with a note on top of it. The note said,

“Dear EAM - I did the research yesterday, found out a lot of information about you. It was quite interesting. All my discoveries are jotted down in the notebook. Pay especially attention to the information about the will, it bears further investigation. If my math is correct you might have left a surprise for myself in the will. It might not be anything, though. -- PDL

PS: I prefer modern church services, to the colonial church services. Short and sweet, does not drag on.”

Paul did agree with them about the church services, that five-hour service was torture. He was puzzling trying to figure out what they meant by the will information. Setting the note aside he found the written conversation underneath it. Underneath his “Who controls this? - EAM” question, was the reply of, “You do! - PDL”

He wanted to keep the conversation going, but he needed to do it another day. He wanted to do it with a quill in Elizabeth’s bedroom. That gave him at least overnight to come up with what to write down. He also set that aside, and then opened up the notebook.

He found out that the other Paul had found Richard’s and Elizabeth’s gravestone on the eastside of where the colonial church was. It noted that Elizabeth was born in 1763, just like he expected her to be, but she died in 1858. Richard was also born in 1763, but he died in 1832, well before his beloved bride.

Also jotted down, was the fact they had four kids, two boys, Paul and Daniel, and two girls, Emily and Abigail. Abigail was named after her grandmother, but Emily was named after Paul’s mother. She died in her childhood home from old age.

Paperclipped to the notebook was a print out of a 1958 newspaper article talking about her weird will. This will allow her family to live in the colonial house, but she retained ownership of it, even after death. The house, an account, and a large locked box will be inherited by the first Lockhart born in the town on a future date. That date was 175 years after the will was enacted in 1833, or 2008. The story went on to say, that the children had contested it in 1860, but lost the court case. The documents of the court case point out there were no Lockhart living in the town at that time. The newspaper article goes on to point out in 1958 there were also no Lockharts living in the town at that time.

Paul racked his brain, he couldn’t think of any other Lockhart’s in town that would qualify for that clause. Other than himself, and Elizabeth meant it for him anyway. Now he just had to figure out how to claim the colonial house, and other items she meant for him to inherit.

Author's Note:Book Two has not been written yet. For that matter, I haven't had a chance to write since early summer, I have become extremely busy with work. I hope to eventually find time to write. Comments and questions are always welcomed -- Thanks Becky