Mary’s Reflection – 213

Scene: Alone at her desk, Mary receives the first letters and glimpses the past through their words.

My dear companions,

The letters arrived in a flutter of wind, though every window was shut. Their wax was still soft, the paper faintly warm, as if the words had only just been spoken. When I opened them, the lamplight flickered and the scent of rain came into the room.

I read Percy’s astonishment, then Claire’s wonder, and for an instant I saw them there—in that jostling coach, faces lit by lantern light, the world around them both new and impossibly old. I could almost hear the creak of the wheels and the murmur of Mr. Smith’s voice through her memory.

Molly’s presence shimmered faintly at the edge of thought, like warmth against my skin. I sensed her delight, bright and trembling, and I sent my thanks into the silence between us. It worked, I thought, and the air seemed to answer with a quiet hum.

I cannot describe the joy of it—the mad notion come to life, the impossible made real. To send thoughts through time, and have them answer back!

Thank you, dear Molly. Whatever comes next, we have already crossed the first bridge.

Yours in astonishment and delight,
Mary