Hearts Across Time (The Knights of Berwyck: A Quest Through Time Novel ~ Books 1 & 2) (15 page)

Before Katherine could answer, she noticed Aiden fingering his dagger. She quickly reached out and grabbed her phone, bringing it up to her chest. The phone continued to power up, and now the men could see how a light was illuminated around the box and on her shirt.

“Maybe a couple of rules should be in order,” Katherine said sternly as she saw Aiden now had a firm grasp on his dagger, holding it in front of him as if the phone would attack him. “First and foremost, this phone does not get jabbed, poked, stabbed, thrown, tossed into the fire, or anything else that may be your first gut reaction to what I’m about to show you. Understood?” She watched in satisfaction as Aiden returned his dirk to his boot and the other men nodded their acceptance of her terms.

“So, what’ll it be Katie?” Emily asked smartly, trying really hard and failing to hide the grin that lit her face, knowing what was about to happen. “Hard rock and roll?”

Juliana swatted her friend. “Don’t be an idiot, Em. They hear that, and Katie’s rules will be broken within a matter of seconds.”

Katherine gave a bit of a giggle. “Maybe some jazz. That wouldn’t be too devious on our parts, would it?” She picked out a tune that was upbeat and pretty danceable then turned up the volume.

The men watched in earnest fascination, and they gathered closer around the small device Katherine had placed on the log. She hit the tiny arrow to play the music and stepped back to stand next to her friends. They all took a step backward and out of the way of the men investigating their first modern marvel.

The first notes of the horns sent all the men upright, and they instinctively drew their swords from their scabbards. Riorden was the first to remember her rules. As the electric keyboard and guitar began to join in on the melody, the men began to put away their weapons. The women roared with laughter at the looks on the men’s faces and began to dance in time with the music. Katherine wasn’t sure which amused her more…their shock at what was coming out of her phone, or their astonishment at the women dancing a very modern dance, which basically was move any way they wanted, with no particular pattern.

The song ended after a couple of minutes, and Patrick came and bowed low over Katherine’s hand. She dropped into a formal curtsey, or at least her best effort of one. He bent down and whispered in her ear.

“A love song?” she asked merrily, wondering where he heard of Barbara Celine. “Oh...you ran into that lovely family we met, who offered to share their dinner. It’s a song called Tell Him, sung by two of the most renowned singers in the twenty-first century. Brie, would you mind playing, and then we all can sing? We’ll let you listen to the original version after we’re done, if that’s okay.”

Brianna picked up the lute and strummed a few cords then nodded to the women who gathered around her. Two sang the parts of Celine Dion. The other two, of Barbara Streisand. Their voices sang in perfect accord. Katherine’s full attention was focused only on the one man who had captured her heart. She poured out her very soul into each word until the melody at last came to a close. The men began to clap in appreciation, and from the pleasure expressed on their features, it was clear they had enjoyed the performance. They all took a seat, and Katherine played the song in its original format.

Riorden leaned over to whisper in her ear. “I must admit, I enjoyed your singing, my lady, but if you continue to gaze upon me as you just did during your presentation, I shall never make it to our wedding night.”

Katherine giggled nervously and reached for her purse again to draw out a brightly colored orange wrapper. “I have dessert, but we’ll have to share,” she exclaimed enthusiastically.

She opened the wrapper and passed out three of the beloved chocolate peanut butter cups. Each of the women divided it in half to give a taste to the man sitting next to her. Katherine gave her share to Patrick, who looked on it as if it was poison. “Trust me…you’re a kid, and you’re gonna’ love it!”

Patrick took a small nibble and then stuffed his half completely into his mouth, chewing in delight. The same could be said of the others around the fire.

“’Twas kind of you to give Patrick your share, Katherine,” Riorden said as he held out a smaller portion of his treat. “Here, you may have part of mine.”

She noticed a small piece of chocolate lingering in the corner of his mouth. Instead of taking the proffered chocolate, she sat up on her knees, placed her hands upon his shoulders and started kissing him. Her tongue flicked out of her mouth to capture what had originally captured her attention. He caught her about the waist and kissed her more fully.

“Feisty wench!” Riorden rasped when he at last was able to manage a conversation. He pulled her down into his lap, giving her a fierce hug. “Keep that up, and I shall need to go find that stream.”

She placed her head on his chest. “Eat your candy, Riorden,” she whispered with a sigh of contentment.

Katherine grabbed the edges of the blanket Riorden placed around her to keep her warm while he hummed a medieval melody softly in her ear. His deep baritone voice was beautiful, and she became completely absorbed listening to his song. She sighed, satisfied with how the evening had progressed. Riorden’s arm tightened around her and caused her to smile…again…for what must have felt like the hundredth time since this crazy journey began. Life felt so very complete.

T
iernan backed away
from the edge of the trees, removing his clenched hand from the hilt of his sword. Emily was safe, but he swore jealousy consumed him when he witnessed her flinging herself into the arms of that redheaded knight. It had taken every bit of control not to hurl himself into their campsite and demand Emily come away with him. Who the devil was he anyway?

He began running to catch up with his group, although thoughts of envy coursed through every fiber of his being. He had beheld strange things going on this night and had no logical answer for the noise coming from the oddly colored box at their camp. Emily’s voice, however, had been pure bliss.

At least he knew where they were headed. He quickened his pace, promising himself that he and his errant lady would have words when she got to her next destination. She had much to answer for.

K
atherine lost
count
of the hours in which she had endured the endless torture of bouncing atop Beast while their horses galloped north. The scenery had become but a blur as they flew like the wind across the countryside. From time to time, one of the men would scout the area ahead or on the ground, looking for clues as to the direction they should continue on in their journey. With every mile passing them by, Emily became more quiet and reserved. It was clear, she was indeed thankful Tiernan had evaded capture. Emily’s happiness, however, became Juliana’s nightmare, with visions of Danior’s head sitting on a pike outside the king’s gate. It seemed neither lady would win in this pursuit.

The small village of Tinsbury came into sight, and Katherine at last sighed with relief when Riorden pulled on the reins, causing Beast to slow his gait. She was beyond thankful, she would finally dismount off this animal that surely originated from the depths of hell. Everything hurt from the rigor of sitting on a horse for hours on end. Riorden had tried to see to her comfort as best he could by having her continually change her position, but it was no use. She just wasn’t cut out for riding, at least not at this pace for a first go at it. There wasn’t an inch of her body that wasn’t tender in some way from the jostling she had endured. Along with her backside aching, and everything in between, she swore even her hair was bruised. Her only consolation, from the abuse she had received, was that Riorden had promised her a hot bath once they were settled at the inn.

Raising her head from her ever present placement on his shoulder, she spotted the first signs of civilization in the form of a small, thatch roofed dwelling on the outskirts of town. Katherine saw another and looked ahead in excitement at her first real glimpse of a thriving medieval village. Instead, she should have remembered her history and the conditions in which people at this level of a fiefdom lived. She could find no words to what she saw, and her own look of horror was mirrored in the eyes of her friends. Emily, for sure, looked as if she was about to pass out cold in Aiden’s arms.

The road, if that is what it could be called, was little more than a mire full of muck, slime, and God only knew what else. She soon learned what the ‘what else’ was, when Riorden quickly maneuvered Beast to the left while the contents of a chamber pot were poured out of an upper floor window. If they hadn’t moved, those contents would have splattered all over them. Katherine almost gagged at the stench engulfing her senses.

If the streets themselves weren’t enough for her to take in, the conditions of the people were almost as horrible. Bad hygiene, bad clothing, and bad teeth were evident. One man, who smiled wide at her, had most of his teeth missing, and the few remaining were rotting away in his mouth. She could only pray that not all of medieval England was in the same condition, but she had the God awful feeling that wherever they traveled, conditions would be pretty much the same. It didn’t seem to affect the men of their group as much as it did their modern ladies.

They slowed their pace as they neared what was most likely a market square. At least it appeared in slightly better condition than the outskirts of the village. Tinsbury was obviously a thriving place of commerce, and Katherine could see several small shops were set up in the heart of the town. Hawkers began calling out their wares and showing off their goods in proof that their merchandises were the best to be found in the area. It was clear to the merchants that nobles who had coin to spare were in their midst. They wasted no time in trying to get the group’s attention to buy their goods.

Riorden halted in front of a seller where he examined a bolt of golden-yellow fabric. He flipped a coin to the merchant, who easily caught it, and instructed him to have the cloth delivered to the Black Bull Inn. They continued on while Katherine was amazed that he so easily spent his money, as if he had more than plenty.

She continued to study his features until he turned his gaze to her own, which conveyed her obvious, unspoken question as to what he had planned for such a costly fabric.

“The color would be most favorable on you,” he said indifferently, as if he had read her thoughts. “You can fashion a garment from it.”

“Me? Sew?” Katherine said stunned. “You must be joking?”

“Women of your time do not sew their garments?”

Katherine rolled her eyes at the thought of even sewing a button that had come loose, let alone a whole outfit. “I suppose some still do, but we buy everything that is already made. You just pick out your size off a rack.”

“’Tis costly then,” Riorden assumed.

“Yes, it can be, but I still wouldn’t even know where to begin. I’d hate to ruin such lovely fabric.”

“I will see then, whilst here in Tinsbury, if we can procure you and the ladies something suitable to wear for the short distance to Berwyck.” Riorden suggested. “’Tis not much farther if we follow the shore. But I fear that if we continue our journey this day, the gates will be closed for the eve by the time we arrive. When we reach Berwyck on the morrow, Aiden’s sister Amiria will see that a gown worthy of you is fashioned from the cloth.”

They had reached the stable, and a boy ran to take the bridle of Riorden’s steed. He dismounted easily and held up his hands to assist her, which she gladly accepted. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she felt Riorden’s arms go around her to steady her stance. She rested her forehead on his chest while her fingers grabbed at the fabric of his tabard.

“I fear you may need to support me, Riorden,” Katherine said, between clenched teeth. “I’m not even sure I can walk.”

She found herself ever so gently scooped up into his arms then he made his way, sure-footed, into the nearby inn. How he managed such a feat with the slippery mud beneath his boots was anyone’s guess. He entered the relatively empty common room like a commanding general in the army and called for a bath for his lady then followed an older woman into one of the back rooms off the kitchen that was used, Katherine assumed, as a bathing chamber for guests.

Katherine was set down on her feet, but before Riorden left her side, she peered into the wooden tub. Her hand flew to her mouth in disgust.

“Please tell me, good woman, those aren’t lice floating on top of the water,” Katherine questioned repulsed.

The woman looked into the tub as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Water’s only been used three times, milady. ’Tis still good and clean enough for ye.”

Katherine went to Riorden and begged him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. “There’s no way I’m putting myself in there. No offense, but even I have my standards of cleanliness. Jumping into a tub with floating lice isn’t one of them.”

Riorden smiled slightly at her effort to get her point across and placed a kiss on her forehead. He reached into his belt for another precious coin. Again it was flipped with amazing accuracy. “Bring a clean tub and fresh water to my chamber for my lady’s needs.”

The woman grinned, clearly pleased with the tender, then yelled to a man in the kitchen and ordered a tub and hot water be brought to the lord’s chamber at once.

“Thank you, Riorden,” Katherine said softly as he escorted her from the steamy room. “I’m sorry to be such a bother.”

He harrumphed at her words. “You may bother me anytime it so pleases you, Katherine. I hope you will not mistake my motives, but I have asked for a room for your friends where the men will stand guard. For some unknown reason, I feel the need to keep you close. I will of course sleep on the floor,” Riorden said, almost embarrassed he had asked such a thing of her.

Katherine smiled lovingly into his eyes. “Again, I offer my thanks for your thoughtfulness, my lord, and seeing that we are well cared for.”

She found herself, once more, in his arms when it became clear her attempt at climbing the stairs was too much for her. They followed the old woman, who showed them to Riorden’s room, and he set her down on a cushioned chair, ensuring her cloak covered her modern day clothing. She watched as several men managed to get a rather large tub into the room, and servants began filing in, carrying buckets of steaming hot water. Patrick followed in as one last bucket, for rinsing, was placed near the fire. He placed Riorden’s leather bag on a nearby table and discreetly fled, without a backwards glance.

Tension filled the room as Riorden helped her rise. The heat from the water wasn’t the only thing that suddenly became hot in the chamber, now that they were alone. Riorden remained a perfect gentleman given her current condition, and helped her walk to the tub where she mumbled she could manage on her own.

“You can stay, if you’d like,” Katherine said, holding her cloak in front of her like a protective shield. “I won’t mind. You have, after all, seen everything I have to offer.”

He came to stand before her and placed a kiss on her parted lips. “There is a time and place for everything, Katherine, and we have a lifetime afore us,” he said kindly. Then, he turned and headed towards the door, adding. “Besides, you have tempted me enough in the past two days. I do not think I could stand much more.”

“I’m not sure how I managed that, with all the groaning I’ve been doing from the sorry state of my backside becoming bruised for all time,” she complained roughly.

He came back to her quicker than she expected and took her in his arms, pressing himself against her. Her eyes widened in recognition of what she felt throbbing between them. Her breath left her, knowing she was the cause of his arousal. Still…nothing could tear her gaze from his until his mouth claimed hers in an alluring kiss. He would have most likely continued his assault on her mouth, if only a moan of pain had not escaped her, as the sound was not one born of passion.

Katherine opened her eyes only to see Riorden’s smoldering blue-eyed stare. She wasn’t sure what to say, given what had just passed between them. It was about perfect in her mind.

“Get in your bath afore it grows cold, Kat. I will be outside the door if you have need of me. We shall sup once you are done.”

“You won’t go far?” she asked in a hushed tone.

His eyes bore into hers, and she was again caught in the heat of his stare. “Nay, my lady,” he said simply, and she watched him leave the room.

She slowly shimmied out of her clothes and lowered herself into the soothing water. The sting of its warmth began to have a calming effect on her bruised exterior. She closed her eyes to thoroughly enjoy the moment her gallant and thoughtful knight had provided her. He was most chivalrous. Katherine couldn’t ask for anything more than what she had found in Riorden. She smiled with a contented sigh, thinking she was indeed blessed, as the warm water began to work its magic on her sore, abused body.

T
he smoky tavern
had grown quite rambunctious as the evening had progressed. The patrons of the Black Bull Inn had increased significantly as those in the crowded room called for more ale. Serving maids made the rounds with pitchers brimming with cool brew and avoided the grasping hands of those looking for something more than to merely quench their thirst.

Their small company had taken over one of the larger tables up against the wall where the men could keep a vigilant eye on the goings on of those around them. Only one drunken fool had dared to come forward with a proposition on his lips for one of the women. Danior quickly dispatched the man with his dirk landing sharply between the man’s fingers, which the drunkard had brazenly placed on their table. He had mumbled an apology and fled while he still had his hand intact.

Emily fingered the wool of her dress beneath the table. She was fidgety and wished she was able to take out her pens and paper to write down a line or two of her latest story. It wasn’t to be, however, for the women’s purses had been confiscated by the men as a precaution against their contents falling into the wrong hands. It seemed they didn’t wish to tempt fate any further than it had already been pushed by bringing four women to a time where they obviously didn’t belong.

Perhaps that was not entirely true, Emily pondered, while she watched Katherine and Brianna emerge themselves into this whole experience of living in medieval times. They truly were meant for this time period, and Emily had the strange notion that, if given the choice, her dear friends would remain in the twelfth century. The same could not be said for herself or Juliana, if she were to hazard a guess into her other friend’s thoughts. It did become a bit problematic, though, when even she could see that Jewels and Danior already had this unspoken connection between them. If a look could speak, it would have voiced in a thousand words they were falling madly in love with one another. Whoever said there was no such thing as love at first sight was a complete moron. It seemed to be happening all around her.

The evening wore on, the table was cleared of their meal, and the men began discussing their strategy to split up and meet back at Berwyck. By the time they finished arguing with the women of the group and at last appeased their worries, most of the patrons had left the inn for their own humble abodes, or so Emily assumed. She took a glance around the room, now that she felt more comfortable doing so, since most of the unruly crowd had disappeared. Her eyes were drawn to one lone stranger sitting in the corner with the hood of his cape pulled up over his head. For whatever reason, she couldn’t look away, and at last, she saw him pull open his cloak, ever so slightly.

There, beneath the garment, was the sight of a familiar sash. Her eyes lit with excitement until she saw him cautiously raise his finger to his lips to gain her silence. With a slight nod of his head towards the door, he rose and left the tavern. Now her only thought was how she would make her escape to follow him. She must have news of Tiernan’s whereabouts and find a way to warn him of the danger he was in.

Emily lingered behind as everyone rose to finally make their way up to their rooms. Was it just a stroke of dumb, blind luck, or karma giving her a little nudge, that she was the last to ascend the stairway? Whatever the reason, she took the chance and carefully made her way out the front door without anyone noticing.