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"Doctor
Reginald Dickens and his lovely wife, with the happy children are having a
picnic in Hyde Park, London. It’s 1898 and Queen Victoria is on the throne and
the South African war has started. But on this warm summer day something very
strange happens. The family and two of their servants are simply snatched by
something or someone and disappear. The only witness is so traumatized by what
he saw; he's now in an asylum. Jericho is sent to investigate the disappearance
of six souls from the current human time line and Alexandra is about to recall some
sad memories from her past in this time and place."
Episode Warnings:
Alcohol – Smoking - Strong language [including sexual comments] – Violence – Some sexual references – Horror.
Author’s notes about this episode:
[1]
This episode contains strong language and sexual references.
[2]
The original Title for this episode was: ‘A CRACK IN TIME.’
[3]
A ‘Temporal Detectives’ original story.
[4] Illustration is an original drawing created by the author and is Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.
Episode details:
Concept
date: 15th July 2020
First
published: 17th July 2021
Status: COMPLETED & PUBLISHED.
Location:
BOOK SERIES 2 – EPISODE 1.
Revisions:
4 [last revised November 2020]
Version:
Final.
Published
Episode No. 013
Previous
episode: “The Gallows Tree Hotel
mystery.”
Next
episode: “Queen Eleanor’s last voyage to
the darkness.”
Age
recommendation: 15+
Average
reading time: Approx. 30 Minutes.
Angel-in-charge: Margret
Team Assigned: Team 74
Human Time: 1898AD-1315AH
Mission: 3
- 702790 - 6 - 1898
Episode preview:
Maude, the house maid, had laid the table cloth upon the dry grass and started to lay the plates, cups and glasses. She smiled at Frank the young footman and wiped her face. The summer heat was quite troubling, but she was glad to be out of the house on such a day. Frank hauled the wicker picnic basket from the back of the carriage and placed it gently by the cloth. “Best get the seats; they’re on their way back from the pond.” She smiled at Frank, who just sighed and walked slowly back to the carriage. Old Sam the groom was giving the horses water from the wooden bucket that usually hung from the carriage and cussing under his breath; he really didn’t like this heat. “They picked a right bloody day to have a picnic, not a drop of wind and no clouds...well, except that strange dark one.” He shielded his eyes and gestured towards the smoky grey cloud, floating above the tree line. Frank stared at it; “Well, a drop of rain will be welcomed by the gardeners, the lawns are starting to turn brown.” He pulled a couple of folding camp chairs from the carriages rear luggage box and wandered back to Maude.
“Old Sam is moaning about the weather; again.” He spoke quietly to the maid and
chuckled. He loved being out of the house and into the sunshine, especially on
a day like this and having Maude all to himself; well, apart from old Sam and
the family. He looked up at the strange cloud and wiped his face with his
hankie. “I think it’s going to rain; the cloud seems to be getter darker.”
Maude stared up at the cloud and sighed loudly; “Typical, just as we getting
the blooming food out.” Frank smiled; “Best I get the big ‘brolly out.” He muttered
and returned to the carriage.
He pulled the straw box out and checked the two wine bottles and then the
children’s glass bottles of lemonade. He fancied a swig of the lemonade, but
reluctantly dismissed that thought; losing your job over a drop of bloody
sugared water and lemons, simply wasn’t worth it – never mind how thirsty he
felt – and watched as Doctor Reginald Dickens, Mrs. Charlotte Dickens and the
two children [Fanny & Robert] make their way to the picnic. He grabbed up
the big umbrella and pushed it under his already full arms.
Young Robert had his model boat clutched with both hands and Fanny was throwing
her big red ball into the air and catching it. They were clearly enjoying a day
away from ‘Nanny’ and the nursery. He watched Mrs. Dickens walking – on her
husband’s arm – and wiped his face again. He had a day dream about her; walking
stark naked towards him, those wonderful big breasts of hers swinging and his
hands slowly running over her arse.
Frank placed the straw box down and set up the umbrella, still watching the
lovely Mrs. Dickens approaching. He thought - again - about those ample
breasts, restrained under her pretty little summer jacket and smiled. But he
was snapped from his delicious daydream by Maude speaking to him. “A Penny for
your thoughts; He [Doctor Dickens] would sack you with no notice, just for
thinking about it.” But she grinned and returned to the picnic hamper.
Frank sighed, not surprised by Maude’s comments; she seemed to be able to read
his bloody mind at times. But he smiled; good job the Doctor doesn’t have that
talent! Frank and young Peter [the other footman] both shared sexual fantasies
over the good doctor’s young wife. Maude was a pretty young girl, with quite a
good figure, but Mrs. Dickens’s was a real beauty and he regularly masturbated,
whilst thinking about her. He would fuck her at the drop of a hat; if she signaled
that such an arrangement was acceptable and wanted by her. Frank watched her
carefully as she walked towards him, smiling under her colourful parasol that
she twirled gently.
She had ‘accidently’ touched his hands a few times; when he served her at
dinner and on the odd occasion, he had helped her into a coat. Mrs. Dickens’s
had always smiled demurely at him and said ‘Thank you’ quietly, with those
stunning green eyes of hers, staring into his and blinking slowly. That was as
far as the reality had gone; but his favourite fantasy was rushing into her
bathroom. She would be shouting for help; there would a big spider in her bath.
She would be standing naked, covered in soapy water and would fall into his
arms. They would make passionate love – in various positions – until the water
grew cold. Then they would part without a word being said. Then he remembered
where he actually was and sighed.
He stared up at the cloud, now quite dark. There was no wind and a strange
silence seemed to hang around this part of the park. He suddenly shivered; but
there had been no drop in temperature and no wind had suddenly blown up. He
walked slowly back to the little picnic and whispered to Maude; “Did you feel
that? It felt really cold for a second or two.” Maude shrugged her shoulders
and muttered; “No.” She was busy putting out the sandwiches, boiled eggs, pork
pies and cold chicken. “Get a couple more blankets for the children please.”
She asked and gently placed the large cooked ham down on a platter.
Frank started to walk back to the carriage, where old Sam was now checking the
harnesses and still moaning about the sunshine. That’s when the strangely
dressed young man appeared in front of him, running full tilt and slammed into
Frank, knocking him down and sprawling across the carefully laid out picnic. He
rolled over the cloth and jumped to his feet. Frank eased himself up; a little
shocked; the man had appeared from nowhere. “You dumb clot! What the hell are
you doing?” Frank yelled, brushing himself down.
Frank stared at the young man; he was wearing dark trousers and a vivid pink
shirt with what appeared to be a white doctor’s coat. But the most remarkable –
and very strange – fact about the stranger was that he appeared to be smoking
hot. Frank could actually see smoke coming from his clothes, yet he certainly
wasn’t alight!
The man just stared at him and then pointed towards the sky; “For fuck sake! Run!” He shouted and turned, running as fast as he could from the scene. Frank turned and stared; there was nothing; just blackness. He could hear Maude screaming hysterically, but the darkness closed over him and he didn’t see or hear anything more.
"ALEXANDRA GRABS A SECOND CHANCE AT HAPPINESS." 
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
“All incidents and dialogue, and all characters with the exception of some well-known historical figures, are products of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are entirely fictional and are not intended to depict actual events or to change the entirely fictional nature of the work. In all other respects, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.”
CAUTION:
“SOME OF THESE EPISODES CONTAIN VERY STRONG LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, HORROR AND SEXUAL REFERENCES. Some are RECOMMENDED suitable for persons aged 15+ years only.”
THE AUTHOR.