Ancient Ties Read Online Free PDF Page A

eased himself off the bench to follow. Marek hadn’t realized how tense he was until he saw Janney close the front door again after looking out. Grimacing, and fully disgusted with himself, his heart nevertheless thudded heavily with relief. The woman disconcerted him, but he firmly believed that the Gods had brought her here and they weren’t taking her away—just yet anyway. He silently slumped back into an alcove as she passed back into the peristyle to settle on a bench.
    Marek needed to think, to plan. He would take her to his villa when he left to go home. Then she’d be away from the portal to her own time. She would be in his control and soon in his bed. He absolutely refused to consider defeat.
     

    Janney hadn’t slept. She couldn’t. Slipping out of the room Augusta had given her, she found herself enveloped in near darkness. Flickering lamps threw weird shadows around the garden, the only other light a full moon and about a million stars. Except for the snapping flames and percolating fountain, all was quiet as she stole through to the entry. She needed to check the doorway, had to find a way out of this nightmare.

    Janney stood for long minutes in disbelief that a walled courtyard, now uninhabited and dark, seemed to have permanently replaced the open field she’d passed through earlier that day. Was it just this morning? Just this morning that she met Augusta and…Marek? Brows knit and heart knocking wildly in her chest, she felt her way uneasily back to the peristyle.
    Janney couldn’t deal with this unbelievable situation. It really had to be a dream; she’d even pinched herself—hard—but she was still here. The villa was lovely, like a museum, except that everything was well used or new and every person was alive—breathing and real. It was a living history museum. In other, more normal, circumstances, she would love this. What wasn’t to like? It was a very romantic place. A hot ache throbbed through her belly. She sucked in a quick breath.
    Yes, it was romantic and fascinating, but it still didn’t make any sense. Just a few days ago, Janney had been home in Mission River, Iowa. Even though her mother had fretted about her trip, as she usually fretted about everything, Janney had been excited to get away. The divorce from Ed, the cheating bastard, had been quick. She was still reeling from it and struggling to pull herself out of the resulting depression. She’d been devastated to find out that because their nine year marriage had become more platonic than passionate, Ed had found bedtime activities elsewhere. His affair with their pretty, voluptuous, husband-stealing neighbor had gone on right under her nose. She rubbed her upper arms, then crossed them over her chest and leaned against the wall.
     

     
    Don’t think about that now. Think about the trip and how happy you were to finally have your own adventure.
    Bath and the Roman Museum were as fabulous as she’d hoped they’d be. The famous mosaic floors. The artifacts. She’d taken a photograph of a soldier’s tombstone.
    What had the name been? Marek Benin Verus ? No. The same name? That’s too outlandish.
    Janney shivered suddenly…remembering.
    Bright and early the next day, she’d rented a car and prayed she wouldn’t do any damage by driving on the wrong side of the road. The guidebook indicated that ruins of Roman villas dotted the countryside, some unspoiled, sitting quietly waiting for exploration. She steered the car down a narrow track until she spotted some promising stones peeping up through the brush near a stand of oaks.
    Exiting the car, she felt as if she could be the only person on earth. Stopping a minute to turn her face to the sun, she closed her eyes, relaxed her muscles, finally feeling a peace and contentment wash over her.
    I’m going to be all right. I don’t need Ed, or any man, for that matter.
    Now, right now, she was where she wanted to be—in this fantastic ancient place with these beautiful,