Travels through Time, part ten
by Jamie

Some days later, Amy was playing a game in the garden with the children. She was singing with them, "You put your right leg in, your put your right leg out, you put your right leg in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around, that's what it is all about!"
Julia was helping George find his right leg. He was having a little difficulty with the game, but loved the song. Even Paul joined in. He liked the games, even if they made him feel a bit foolish at times. It seemed that Emma was the most enthusiastic about playing and sang loud and a bit off-key.
They continued, "You put your left arm in, you take your left leg out. . ." When they got to the part where you turn yourself around. Amy stopped in her tracks. Archie Kennedy was standing smiling at her with a goofy sort of grin.
"Archie! How long have you been standing there?" Amy asked in a shocked tone. She hadn't expected him to come to the house this early. She had hoped to see him again, but maybe at in Plymouth and not at the Pellew house.
"Long enough. I have never seen a game such as that. Did you make it up or is that one of those things they only do in America? A lot of things you do only seem to be done in America, you know that? I have been to Virginia once and Massachusetts, but never to Pennsylvania. You have to teach me this little dance of yours," Archie said with a slight laugh.
"We can teach you Mr. Kennedy," Emma called out to him.
"Another time, thank you. I am mainly here on an errand for the Captain. I have a message for your father, if you want to give it to your mother, for me," Archie said as he bent down to face Emma and gave her the message.
Amy liked how kind he was to the Pellew children. She was sure that he loved children. That was a plus in his book for her. She wanted a man who cared for children and animals. It seemed as if Archie was a bit too perfect. But, then she remembered that he had gone through a lot in his lifetime. So, the part about him being nice to children was not an issue. The fact he could be a nice person period was a tribute to his spirit.
"Is that the only reason you came, Lieutenant? Couldn't a messenger boy deliver the message just as well?" Amy asked Archie.
"I volunteered for the task, Miss Amy. The Indefatigable came in dock this morning. Captain Pellew was going to have a messenger bring it to his wife, but. . ."
"But, you wanted to see Miss Amy, so you volunteered, huh?" Paul asked.
"Paul, you should not say such things even if they are true!" Julia scolded. Amy blushed as did Archie. He gave a coy smile as he said, "I seem to be found out and by a child no less."
"Oh, the ladies in the kitchen have been talking about nothing but you two for weeks now. Since you came to visit, does that mean that Papa is going to visit us? Why didn't he deliver the message in person?" Frederick asked Archie.
"Your father is a very busy and a very important man. Sometimes his time is not his own to do with what he likes. You do understand, don't you?" Archie tried to explain.
"Does this mean that when you are a captain, you won't come visiting?" Frederick asked.
Archie grew redder. He did not know how to answer that question. Amy said to the children, "Perhaps you should go inside and give your mother the message and then have Eleanor give you something to eat. It is almost tea time."
Paul gave a smirk and exclaimed, "Now, I want to the two of you to play nice out here and I want you to behave."
Amy's jaw dropped open and Archie gave a laugh at the statement. When the children went inside, Archie remarked, "Smart boy, he will go far in life."
Amy stared at the kitchen door and then at Archie. She was still a bit stunned at Paul's remark and had no idea what to say to Archie. She asked the first question that popped in her head.
"When did you get in?" She asked nervously.
Archie smiled sweetly at her and repeated what he told her earlier, "The Indefatigable came into dock at Plymouth, this morning. Did you receive the letter that I sent you?"
Amy took a breath to calm herself down and replied, "I received two letters. I got the one you sent with the shoes and one, just the other day."
"I see you have the shoes on. Do you like them?"
"Yes, they fit well and thank you for the dress."
"Does the dress fit?"
"Well, I -- I don't know," she said with a wince in her voice.
"You don't know? What you mean?" Archie asked with a quizzical tone.
"Well, I haven't tried it on. You see, Trudy made me feel so guilty about having it that when it was delivered, I put it right in my closet."
"Who cares about Trudy? Do you like the dress?"
"I love it. I just didn't think it was proper to wear it."
"Proper? Aren't you the one who invited me to a fitting in the first place? Aren't you the one, who said I wasn't going to see you naked?"
"I have been doing a lot of thinking lately," she apologized.
"Too much thinking, it seems to me. I can't believe you would let someone undermine you so much. Take that back, I can understand that, but I think you should do what you want to do."
"I have no place to wear that dress. It is not a work dress, it is a ball gown."
"I have a solution to your problem. It is the reason that I came to see you. Amy, Miss Bradley, Amy, I have come to ask a favor of you. But, before I do, could we get away from these prying eyes?" Archie asked as he pointed to the kitchen window.
In the window were Willa, Trudy, Marianne and Megan, as well as the children looking at Amy and Archie talking to each other.
Archie held out his arm for Amy. She accepted it and they both walked towards the woods behind the house.
Archie asked her, "You read my last letter, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. You arrived here before my response arrived to you. I, in fact, read your letter over and over again. I have it in my dresser drawer."
"So, tell me, how do you feel? Would you like to be seen with me at a party?"
"A party?"
"Yes, the message from Captain Pellew to Lady Pellew is telling her about the latest ball in town. Officers are allowed to bring anyone they want and I want to bring you, Amy. Will you be my escort?"
"You are asking me to a party?" She asked not grasping what he was saying. Archie Kennedy was in a way asking her out on a date. She shook her head in disbelief.
Archie looked at her bewilderment and asked, "You don't want to go out with me or do you?"
Amy shook her head 'yes' and then said, "Yes, Archie, I would love to go to the ball with you!"
Archie was so excited that he picked her up and swung her around. He pulled her close to him and gave her a big kiss.
"You have made me a very happy man, you know that?" He said as he kissed her again.
Amy's head seemed to spin, but it was a happy spin. She smiled at him and said, "I am glad you took us away from the prying eyes. They talk enough as it is. You know, in your letter that came with the shoes, you DID say that you would come to see me and even though I was not expecting to see you, I WAS expecting a letter saying, 'I am sorry I can't come to see you'. Marianne got a letter from Davey. Why didn't you write one to me?"
"That shows you DO care for me," he said with his blue eyes bright.
"Who says I didn't?" She asked him.
"Well, last time we saw each other, you told me we should not kiss. I am sorry, but I could not obey that request. But, you seem to have changed your mind on that, too. You do change your mind a lot, Amy."
"It is a woman's prerogative to change her mind," Amy said with a sly smile as she walked away from him towards a stream.
Archie watched as she walked away from her. Then snuck up behind her and grabbed her sides. Amy squealed and fell to the ground with him.
"You know, Miss Bradley, because of you, I got in trouble," He said as he pulled a strand of hair from her face.
"How did I get you in trouble?" She said breathlessly
"I couldn't get you off my mind. I was caught off guard and the Captain bellowed at me, 'Stop that dawdling, Mr. Kennedy, and get to your work! We have no time for daydreamers on this ship!' You are worth getting in trouble for, Amy," Archie said as he placed with the lace on the collar of her dress.
Amy took his hand in hers and said, "The feeling has been mutual. It is hard not to think about you. I have tried, but it is no good."
Archie looked at her hand and said, "You have little hands, Miss Amy. They are so delicate. You know what they say, don't you?"
"No, you tell me," Amy loved to hear his voice. She wondered if that was part of the reason she had some trouble listening to what he was saying. She was to busy just hearing the sound of his voice and not what he was saying.
Archie liked how she moved her mouth when she said for her 'to tell him'. He wanted to kiss her again. But, he did have to control himself. He could not go too far. At least not yet, he should know more about her and they should be together for a while.
In a sense, this was only their third meeting. Then why did it feel like he had known her forever? He knew she probably felt the same way about him. He leaned over a little farther on her and put his fingers through hers and answered her question in a seductive voice, "They say that delicate hands mean that you have a delicate heart."
"Then, sir, you have very delicate hands, yourself," Amy told him.
Archie kissed her hand. It was more of a suckle than a kiss, but Amy didn't mind. She felt an impulse herself. She ran her other hand through his hair. He stopped suckling her hand and looked up at her.
"Now, my dear Amy, you talk about improper. I do think what we are doing right now, is improper. I think maybe we should think about getting back," he said as he said up.
Amy sat up and sat cross-legged on the ground. "Maybe improper is all right, sometimes. You know, Archie, you haven't told me about yourself. I should know something about the man who I am making out with, don't you think?"
"Making out? That is a different way to put it. You want to know about me? What about finding out more about you?"
"You know about me."
"I know that you are from Pennsylvania in the Americas. However, that is all I really know. I will tell you something about me, if you tell me something about you. I would love to get to know you better."
"My father was a teacher and my mother helped him with teaching. I have two older sisters. One is married to a Marine and the other was married to a doctor. He deserted her. We haven't heard from him in years. Just as well, no one in the family liked the guy. As for me, I work in a store near home."
"You work in a store? Why? Do you have to work to support the family? They should be supporting you!"
"Archie, I am working here, too. I sell goods in a linen store. A lot of women work. I can use my own money to buy things and not depend on people."
"I would love for you to depend on me," Archie said captivatingly.
"I would love that, too. Who knows? Maybe I will let you. Now, about you, tell me about yourself, Archie," Amy said with a sly smile.
Archie chuckled and said, "You are a third daughter, right? I am a third son. I do believe that it is fate, you and I are destined to be together. I have two older brothers. The eldest, Joseph P. Kennedy, is Viscount. He will inherit the family fortune. He is a brute. He and my cousin, always liked to gang up on me as a child. My other brother, Bobby, taught me about the love of the theater. He would take me with him with he went there. As he was dallying with the actresses back stage, I would watch rehearsals. I wanted to be an actor, but that is not a suitable profession, as least in my father's eyes. So, he sent me away to the sea."
"Didn't you want to go to sea?"
"There aren't many prospects for a third son and I thought that the Navy was a good as profession as any. I thought I would get an adventure and that I did. I also got to see the world," he said as he pulled Amy to her feet.
"Were all the adventures good? Were there some you wish you had not experienced?"
"Oh, there were some bad with the good. Luckily the bad ones are gone. Now, I have a lot more livable ones. Especially since the one causing most of the trouble is gone."
Amy was dying to find out who he was talking about. She assumed it was Simpson, but didn't want to spoil his mood. Archie seemed so happy and content.
He took her arm in his and said, "Now, this party is next Saturday. It is a formal dinner party. I want you on your best behavior and I want you wearing that yellow dress."
"Yes, sir," she said as she saluted him.
Archie couldn't resist it any longer. He grabbed her mouth and kissed it. He took his hand behind her back and pulled her closer to him. Amy put her arms around his neck and savored the kiss. She put her hands through his hair and undid his hair ribbon. He reached down and squeezed her bottom. Amy let out a sigh. He moved down to her neck.
Finally, she had someone who wanted her, as much as she wanted them. She didn't care if she had to stay in the past forever, as long as she could stay with Archie Kennedy.
She knew she must tell him about her time travel from the future to the past. He must learn. She didn't want any secrets between them. But, for now, that part could wait. She was having too much fun being in his arms.

TO BE CONTINUED. . .