Free Love Lost in Time (Victorian Time-Travel) by Marie Higgins

knowing why her mind hadn’t been on her father. Andrew had walked out the door taking her mind—and her heart—with him.
    “I hope you’re not getting sick.”
    She sighed. “I’m not.”
    “I worry about you.”
    Halle smiled. “No need to. I’ll be fine.”
    “Okay, go to sleep. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
    She chuckled. “Good night.”
    “Sweet dreams.”
    As Halle hung up the phone, she knew her dreams would definitely be sweet—confused as all get-out, but sweet.
     

Chapter Five
     
    The next morning, Halle sat on her bed with all the letters her father had sent her this past year spread out on the patch-work quilt. She read back through the last letter he’d mailed. He’d been working right here at Buckland Manor. By the way he talked, he had been well-liked by his co-workers and even his boss. So why had the few people she talked to not known him—or even heard about him?
    His disappearance was a great mystery to her. There was no indication of foul play, either. He’d never once mentioned having a woman friend or wanting to get married. And he’d given no hint to anything that might have made him want to leave Buckland Manor.
    When her father’s letters had stopped coming, she called the manor only to be told there was no such person. Will Chapman just did not exist. That’s one of the main reasons she booked this trip. Of course being here was exciting in itself since she loved history. Still, she wanted to find her father. She wanted to ask him why he hadn’t stayed married to her mother…and why he never wanted to see Halle.
    One of his letters mentioned his great, great, great, grandfather who was born and raised in England. Ronald Chapman had quite the reputation. In her father’s letter, he told about Chapman being a thief—and was even arrested a few times before he married and sired a son. His family and friends labeled the man Ruthless Ron. Apparently, Ronald had become a man who couldn’t be trusted and he could never stay in one place for very long.
    She scratched her neck. Did bad genes run in the family and that’s why her father hadn’t been able to stay in one place?
    Yet, reading back through his letters now, she received the impression he had loved her mother all this time. Not once did he speak poorly of her, especially when Halle had told him about her mother’s drunkenness. Her father must have a kind heart. Still, it did not explain why he left them when she was just a toddler.
    Halle picked up another one of his letters and glimpsed through it. Nothing—no hints to his whereabouts.
    Another letter caught her eye, and she lifted it to examine the contents. In this letter, he described the yard, the beautiful landscape from the large tree to the last rose bush. Right away, her mind drifted to Andrew. She quirked her lips into a smile. Why did she feel lighthearted every time she thought of him? Nonetheless, she must put him out of her mind and concentrate on finding her father.
    If only she knew what he r parent looked like. One time, in her mother’s drunken muttering, she’d told Halle she resembled her father a lot. Growing up, Halle wanted to believe her father had big green eyes and light brown curly hair with a touch of gold. And, if he was anything like her, he was an adventurer and he loved learning about the past.
    Halle sighed, and pushed off the bed. Before leaving her room, she checked her appearance in the mirror to see if she needed to fluff her hair again—or had any food stuck in her teeth since she’d been nibbling on strawberries this morning.
    Satisfied, she left her room and walked down to the main floor lobby. A few more people were checking in, and good ole Nigel was there helping. A few times he seemed bewildered at something the guests said, but then quickly became his arrogant self and stuck his nose in the air.
    What an idiot. She’d already asked him if he knew Will Chapman, and he rudely told her no , then acted as if he