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punched in the numbers and looked up at her.  She was a young girl who looked as if she’d rather be anywhere rather than at her job.
    “I’ll just need some ID,” she said, yawning behind her hand.
    “I forgot my purse,” Valerie lied, shrugging her shoulders and smiling guiltily at her own absentmindedness.
    “Okay,” the teller replied without even looking up.  “Just verify some information for me, and I’ll get your money.  I need your social security number, date of birth, and mother’s maiden name.”
    The social took a moment to recall, but Valerie answered the questions and nearly jumped for joy when the teller handed her two thousand dollars in crisp, new notes.  Too bad she had no pocket or purse to put them into.  Valerie slipped into the ladies’ room and distributed the bills inside her bodice, leaving a few out to go buy herself a bag of some sort.  It would look strange if she started groping inside her dress for money as she came up to pay for her purchases.  She stepped back into the street feeling guilty as if she’d just gotten away with something.  After all, it was her own money, she reasoned with herself, but it still felt strange. 
    Valerie walked around until she came upon a TJ Maxx.  That would serve her purposes very well.  She could get a few nice things at a reasonable price.  There was no point spending a lot of money on clothes since she’d be throwing them in the trash as soon as they were ready to return home.  She secretly wished she could take the modern clothes with her and put them on from time to time, but that was just a fantasy.  Being caught with anything like that could lead to all kinds of questions that she didn’t want to answer, and when living in such close proximity to so many people, it was virtually impossible to hide anything.  Well, she would enjoy them while she could.  She couldn’t wait to shed the cumbersome skirt and bodice, and rip off the stockings that made her sweat behind the knees beneath all the layers of fabric.  Valerie pulled her cap off and shoved it into the pocket of the skirt.  She no longer had to pretend she was working at Colonial Williamsburg, and the feel of her hair around her shoulders made her smile.  It’d been many years since she walked around in public with her hair down, and she felt wanton.
    Valerie took a shopping cart and made her way down the first aisle, enjoying the cool air conditioning and the familiar song playing over the loudspeakers.  God, how she missed music.  At home, the only time there was music was when players were invited for a special occasion, which wasn’t often.  Seventeenth-century colonists were not a joyful lot and didn’t put much stock in “degenerate” amusements such as dancing and theater.  Unless a member of the family played a musical instrument, which none of them did, they went for months without hearing a tune. 
    Valerie hummed along as she cruised from aisle to aisle, just loving the feeling of being surrounded by goods.  There were so few things to buy in Jamestown.  Valerie chose a pair of jeans, a summer dress, a few tops and a pair of sandals, along with two bras and several pairs of underwear.  That should last her for a few days while she waited for Alec to be released.  He’d need some clothes as well, so Valerie detoured to the men’s department and bought him some loose summer slacks, underwear, polo shirts, and a pair of loafers.  He’d need loose clothes that wouldn’t chafe against the incision. 
    Valerie threw a colorful canvas purse into the cart and made her way to the cash registers.  She would stop at a pharmacy and pick up a few toiletries and magazines for Alec, as well as some Coke and a few chocolate bars, and then her shopping would be complete.  Sometimes she missed chocolate even more than music.  Their diet at home was very basic, the food prepared mostly from whatever they could grow or kill.  Cook occasionally made a pie