JENNIFER realized her error.
Removing her arms from McFlius, she put both hands to her mouth and said “Oops!” Looking around at the still startled throng, she said “Sorry wrong person. It’s just that he just looks so much like…” Just then, the crowd reacted with laughter. “You like that.” she said, “Alright, cool. Ladies and gentleman this is a song you’re all going to rock too.” Turning to the band she said “Hit it.”
The band did. However, they weren’t starting it out like K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s “Do a Little Dance.” They were starting it out the way any music would’ve started out during the days of Rome. Jennifer could not sing to this if the band kept it up so she stopped them.
“Hold it.” she said “Cut! Wait a minute. This is not how I wanted the song I’m singing to start.” Marty if only you were hear right now. You’d tell them how to start the song. she said to herself. Spying a keyboard she went over and demonstrated saying “This is how I want it to start.” The sound of it was the same as the sound that started “Do a Little Dance”. Turning to the keyboard player, she asked “Now can you start it that way.”
“Yes shepherdess.”
“Good!” said Jennifer, “Now hit it!”
The keyboard player did. And Jennifer started to sing looking at McFlius:
Baby, baby let's get together
Honey, honey me and you
McFlius, reading Jennifer’s lips, joined in.
And do the things, oh, do the things
“You got it!” said Jennifer.
That we like to do
Then, they and the band joined in together
Oh, do a little dance, make a little love,
Get down tonight, get down tonight
Do a little dance, make a little love
Get down tonight, get down tonight
McFlius was giving a little “Whoa!” which reminded Jennifer of Marty. And then, for the next verse, she and McFlius sang duet.
Baby, babe I meet you same place
Same time ,where we can, oh, get together and
Ease up our mind
And then, everyone joined in, including the throng of citizens
Oh, do a little dance, make a little love
Get down tonight, get down tonight
Do a little dance, make a little love
Get down tonight, get down tonight, baby
Everyone started to wave their hands high in the air as they were all singing
Do a little dance, make a little love
Get down tonight, get down tonight
Do a little dance, make a little love
Get down tonight, get down tonight
Get down, get down, get down, get down
Get down tonight baby
We wo wo wo wo wo wo wo
Get down, get down, get down, get down
Get down tonight
Na na na na na na na na na
After the music concluded, Jennifer was applauded.
“Thank you.” she said bowing to the crowd.
Just then one of the musicians asked “Where did you get that song?”
“From KC and the Sunshine Band.” said Jennifer.
“Who are they?” asked the musician.
“That’s right.” said Jennifer, “You haven’t heard of them yet. But they look a lot like you. That’s why I performed that song.”
As she came down from the stage she was performing on, one of the servants said “Priscilla doesn’t deserve McFlius, you do.”
“No she doesn’t.”
Jennifer turned to see Priscilla on the warpath.
“Hey mellow out!” said Jennifer, “He’s all yours.”
Clara and Calpurnia followed trying to keep up with Priscilla.
Finally catching up with her, Calpurnia put her hand on her shoulder saying “That’s enough, Priscilla. We’ll handle this.”
She had Priscilla dragged away by Lorriania who took her back to the house.
Meanwhile, Clara turned to Jennifer and asked “Jennifer, what was the big idea saying that McFlius was your boyfriend?”
“That was a mistake.” said Jennifer, “I was thinking about Marty.”
“Clara, Jennifer.” said Calpurnia, “Let’s go back into the house and get away from this crowd.”
Noticing the crowd pressing on the three, especially Jennifer, she and Clara complied. As they entered the house, Mark Antony followed.
“Shepherdess,” he said, “That was an interesting song and interesting music. Are you sure you should be tending sheep?”
“Actually,” said Jennifer, “I’m really…” And then she remembered that only Calpurnia knows about time travel and the 20th century. So she said “I really like my work.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to be the consort of McFlius?” asked Antony, “You’re better that the one that Caesar had McFlius betrothed too.”
“Well, I’m flattered.” said Jennifer, “But you see, I already have a boyfriend.”
“And besides,” said Calpurnia, “McFlius’s and Priscilla’s betrothal was arranged.”
“By your late husband.” said Antony, “Remember, you entrusted the estate to me.”
“Yes I did.” said Calpurnia, “But not the servants.” Antony paused there for a minute before Calpurnia said “Please leave us.”
Again, Antony paused before saying “Alright. I’ll go. But it’s still my opinion that McFlius should marry the shepherdess instead of Priscilla.”
After that, he left.
++++++
After the festivities, both Jennifer and Clara were back in the guestroom. Jennifer sat on top of her bed pouting.
Clara seeing this said “Jennifer. I made a decision. We’re going cut our time here in the past short and go back home tomorrow.”
Jennifer turned to her asking “You mean back to the future?”
“Yes.” said Clara.
“Why?” asked Jennifer.
“Because of your flirtation with Marty’s ancestor McFlius.” said Clara, “Plus the fact that the servants and the populous, even Mark Antony, are insisting that you and McFlius deserve each other which is scientifically impossible.” Jennifer put her face down into her hands as Clara went onto say “I’m sorry, Jennifer. But when Emmett wanted you to go back in time with me when I returned Calpurnia, he didn’t expect you to fall in love with McFlius, he wanted you to just enjoy yourself while you were here.”
Jennifer looked up. There were tears in her eyes as she said “And meanwhile, back in the future, Marty is in the hospital in a coma all because of me.”
“Not all because of you.” said Clara, “Jules and Verne were supposed to stop him when they caught him in the time machine but they went along for the ride instead. They’re just as much as to blame as he is. And remember, one of the servants heard Calpurnia call out Jules’s name and thought he was the son of Caesar. That led to the kidnapping of Calpurnia and my boys which resulted in Marty having to rescue them and wound up getting hurt in the process. If they didn’t go along with them, Marty would’ve jumped one week ahead in time and bought you that bracelet and would’ve still been healthy. So it’s really not all your fault.”
“Well, that’s assuring.” said Jennifer, “But there’s still one thing left to worry about when I get back: That group therapy session. As in, what caused me to turn bulimic? I just can’t go in there and tell them that the nightmarish thought of Count Tannenio attacking me caused it. That incident took place in 15th century Florence. You know that we are both forbidden to tell anyone about our time travels.”
“Don’t forget, Jennifer.” said Clara, “You’re also still recovering from that amnesia that you suffered when you crashed my wedding with Emmett.”
“I haven’t forgotten that.” said Jennifer, “Every day, portions of my memory before the accident are starting to return to me.”
“Then an eating disorder might’ve occurred before you lost your memory.” said Clara, “Hopefully that will come back to you before you enter that session.”
“And if it doesn’t, what then?” asked Jennifer.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” said Clara.
“Then, let me ask you this.” said Jennifer, “What if I didn’t suffer from bulimia before I lost my memory? What if that trip to Renaissance Italy was the direct cause of my eating disorder? Then what? Do I say in front of a group of strangers? Do I tell them the truth? Do I expose the therapy group to the knowledge of time travel?”
Clara was taken aback at this. What if Jennifer tells them about time travel? There would be several scenarios. One would be that one group member would go time travel happy like Jennifer did shortly after she learned about her husband’s invention. The other would be that Jennifer would be considered insane or trying to get attention and get locked away in some insane asylum. But the worst case scenario would be that someone in the group might be scrupulous, look up her husband’s address, steal one of the time machines just to alter the past in a way that would suit this group member and cause irreparable damage to the timeline that everything that her, her husband, her two boys, Marty and Jennifer knew would cease to exist forever.
Just then, there was knock at the door. To the gratification of both time travelers it was Calpurnia.
“Calpurnia.” said Clara, “It’s good to see you. Listen, we’ve decided to cut our stay short and go back to the future.”
“Clara.” said Jennifer, “You mean you made the decision to go back.”
Calpurnia looked at Jennifer. Then, turning to Clara asking “What’s going on? Why is she asking that it was your idea?”
“Because of what’s happening between her and McFlius.” said Clara.
“I was afraid of this.” said Calpurnia, “What about that gift that Marty was supposed to pick up for Jennifer?”
“We’ll jump ahead in time to the date that it arrives then go back to the future.” said Clara.
“Well, I’m sorry that it’s not working out the way your husband wanted it too.” said Calpurnia.
“Well, I’m not.” said Jennifer.
She hopped off the bed and stalked into the hallway.
“Jennifer.” asked Clara, “Where are you going ?”
Jennifer didn’t answer. She just went down the hallway towards the main hall. Realizing where she was going, both Clara and Calpurnia followed. Jennifer arrived in the hallway and was en route to McFlius’s quarters when she ran into him.
McFlius was finishing the cleaning when he asked “Jennifer. What are you still doing up this time of the night?”
Jennifer approached McFlius and put her arms around him.
“Oh McFlius.” said Jennifer.
“Jennifer.” he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“McFlius.” said Jennifer looking at him with tears in her eyes, “I came to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” asked McFlius, “Where are you going?”
“Home.” said Jennifer, “Me and Clara are leaving tomorrow.”
“Back to your fields?” asked McFlius, “To tend to your sheep?”
“Yes.” said Jennifer.
“Jennifer.” asked McFlius, “Is that the kind of future you want? To be a shepherdess?”
“Mister.” she said, “You don’t know everything about me or where I came from.”
“Well I know you came across the Adriatic.” said McFlius, “You and your friend rescued Calpurnia from the sea. You slew that deer with such accuracy. And you’ve got a good voice.”
“And I’ve also got a boyfriend.” said Jennifer.
“I’ve heard.” said McFlius, “I hope he doesn’t find out about us.”
“Do you know anything about him?” asked Jennifer.
“No.” said McFlius, “Should I?”
“Well he’s…” said Jennifer. But then realizing that she couldn’t tell him too much, she said “I can’t tell you.”
She turned and ran back to her room crying only to run into Clara and Calpurnia along the way.
Calpurnia, seeing McFlius in the main hall asked “Are you done?”
“Just about.” said McFlius, “I was distracted when the shepherdess came in. I beg forgiveness.”
“Well, never mind.” said Calpurnia, “Just call it done. Then go find Lorrainia and have her come to my room to prepare me for bed. I’ll be with the two shepherdesses a little longer.”
“Very good.” said McFlius, “I shall fetch her.”
He bowed and left. Then, Calpurnia accompanied Clara and an heartsick Jennifer back to the guestroom.
++++++
McFlius barely left the main hall when he ran into Lorrainia.
“Lorrainia.” he said.
“McFlius.” she said.
“Lorrainia.” said McFlius, “Calpurnia wants to be prepared for bed when she comes to her chambers.”
After hearing his statement, Lorrainia noticed a sad look on McFlius’s face.
“McFlius.” she asked, “What is it?”
“It’s the shepherdess called Jennifer.” said McFlius, “She said she’s leaving tomorrow to go home.”
“Why?” asked Lorrainia.
“Because she’s already has a beloved.” he said, “I don’t think he knows that she’s here. Yet I think about him now and it’s like Charlton Heston.”
“In what way?” asked Lorrainia.
“That if I don’t wed Priscilla,” said McFlius, “Those two don’t exist. Yet I’m thinking that those two are one and the same.”
“That’s ridiculous.” said Lorrainia, “There was that memorial dedicated to Charlton Heston yet she showed no emotion towards his death.”
“Yet I keep thinking about what that soothsayer saying that some day our descendents paths would cross, a union would be form and Heston would be conceived.” said McFlius, “What if…no that’s impossible. How could I think of it?”
“About what?” asked Lorrainia.
“That Heston and those two shepherdesses came from the future?” asked McFlius, “He never actually told us where he came from and those two shepherdesses. I heard one of the soldiers commenting that they saw no sheep. It’s crazy but what if?”
“McFlius.” said Lorrainia, “I have to go. Good night.”
“Very well.” said McFlius, “Good night.”
After they both went their separate ways, McFlius overheard a conversation coming from Caesar’s study. It was that of Mark Antony and Octavius.
“Brutus and Cassius are gathering forces.” he heard Antony say, We must immediately raise an army. Therefore let's add some allies by bringing in some more of our good friends, stretch our supplies and have a session in the Senate about funding the expedition.”
“Let’s do so.” said Octavius, “Otherwise Caesar’s murderers will be so strong we might be hemmed in. Even take back the city.”
After Octavius left, McFlius went in saying “Listen. I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation but I heard that you are organizing an army to stop the conspirators.”
“That is correct.” said Antony.
“I want to join.” said McFlius.
Antony looked at him and said “I don’t think that’s possible. You’re only a house servant.”
“This is personal.” said McFlius, “Do you remember those reports that Brutus made to Caesar?”
“Yes.”
“He made me write them.” said McFlius, “Even bullied me to do it. Please let me get back at him for all the times he did that.”
Realizing this, Antony said “McFlius, if you join us, we’ll let you have first cracks at him.”
“Thank you sir.” said McFlius.
He showed Antony the door and then went back to his quarters.