Lonely is the Knight (Merriweather Sisters Time Travel Romance Book 3) (23 page)

“Gosh, you’re huge.”

Melinda put a hand on her belly. “I’m due next month, so I can’t travel. It is so good to see you, Lucy.”

How was it possible that all three of them would be together again? For Melinda had no doubt it was Charlotte who had been asking about the two of them. Her baby sister was in trouble, and she’d move heaven and earth to help her.

“Can you believe Charlotte came looking for us? I wonder what happened to bring her here.” Lucy followed Melinda into the solar.

“How are the kids?”

“My youngest is already sixteen. The oldest is twenty-two, and I’m hopeful we’ll have a wedding to plan soon. I don’t see them as often as I’d like, but they’re all doing well.”

“Wait until Charlotte sees you. I bet she’ll be as shocked as I was. Of course, I’ve been here three years. Won’t she be surprised to hear that as well? I wonder why the difference in time?”

“It was the first day of summer. Maybe all the New Age books had it right. The first day of every season has some kind of magical power. Gives you more control as to when you land in time,” Lucy said.

“I just wonder what kind of ordeal Charlotte went through to get here. It wasn’t like it was easy for either one of us.” The baby kicked, and Melinda smiled. “I wish I could go with you guys. Promise me you’ll bring Charlotte back so I can see her.”

“Pinky swear.”

Melinda poured. She was drinking watered-down wine. “I wish we could’ve pulled all this together sooner. Who knew it took so long to gather armies?”

“Speaking of armies—where are our husbands?” Lucy stood and looked out the window. “I see them. They’re in the courtyard. As tall as they are, it’s easy to spot them.”

“If Charlotte can hold on for a few more days, we’ll have the cavalry there.”

“It will probably be a week by the time the rest of the Thornton brothers arrive. Charlotte couldn’t have picked a better guy. I hear Henry is as hot as he is charming.” Melinda wondered, did Henry know about John? She hadn’t even told Lucy. She’d kept his secret, as he asked. As had James. It would be interesting to meet Edward, Robert, and Christian. Other than the king, the Thornton brothers, her husband, and Lucy’s husband were the most powerful men in the realm.

“Lord Hallsey has balls to think he can take on all of us,” Lucy said, echoing what Melinda was thinking.

“Let’s just hope we’re not too late.”

“Let me help get things ready. With so many men here, you’ll run yourself ragged. And you need to take care of yourself during this last month.” Lucy hugged her again. “I’m so happy our baby sis is here.”

“The Merriweather sisters, reunited.”

Besieged. The enemy camped outside had taken to hurling dead animals over the castle walls, hoping to spread disease. If they got out of this okay, the only good that would come of it was that Charlotte might be prepared for some of the horribly icky stuff that was bound to come with the Black Plague.

She planned to talk to her sisters. Would it make sense for all of them to leave Europe? To find someplace safe until the plague passed?

Henry had decided that once this was all over they would expand the moat. It was only fifty feet across, and the trebuchet had a range of almost nine hundred feet. She knew they couldn’t make it that wide, but they could at least make it wider and a bit more difficult. He also planned to make the land closer to the castle more uneven. Beyond that, they needed the fields and orchards for food production.

Charlotte had never been so thankful they had the two freshwater wells. The one inside the courtyard and the one within the castle walls. She couldn’t imagine starving to death or dying of thirst.

She had to hope her sisters would be coming soon. Henry was certain they had sent word to his brothers, and they would be coming as well. He had a funny look on his face when he said they’d be arriving from the east. And then he reminded her of what the old woman had told him in the wood.
 

It seemed she had some kind of sight into the future. For she had predicted he and Charlotte meeting and falling in love as well as help coming from the east. Assuming help did come. The only thing that had not come to pass was a friend who would no longer be a friend. Unless it was Timothy and his three henchmen? But she wasn’t sure, and that made her more nervous than anything else.

She would be counting the hours, even knowing it would take them probably double or triple the time to travel, given the enemy camped outside the gates. So they were looking at anywhere from three days to a week before help arrived. There was a large crack in the western wall. And Henry was concerned it wasn’t going to hold. They were trying to brace it, but the repeated assaults were doing their job.

Had she comes so far, found Henry, fallen in love, and found her sisters, only to have it all snatched away? Charlotte didn’t think the fates would be so cruel. She had to believe they would make it through this. And her old self would’ve thought it horrible to think such a thought, but the medieval Charlotte, Lady Ravenskirk—she wanted Lord Hallsey’s head on a pike outside the gates.

Lucy was in full-scale organization mode. With her sister about ready to pop, she offered to take control. She’d never seen so many men gathered together.

There were tents set up inside the castle walls and outside. It looked like a city of fabric. She was glad the weather was nice so the men wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Then again, they were probably used to harsh conditions.

She’d lived in the past for more than twenty years, and in all that time hadn’t seen a battle up close and personal. Lucy hoped she would get through life without ever seeing one, but it seemed it was not to be so. She would do anything to help her sisters. How long had Charlotte been in the past? How did she get here and what was the deal between she and Henry? Though given the good looks of his brothers, Charlotte must be pretty happy.

Lucy had never seen so many good-looking men all in one place. The only one who stood out was Melinda’s husband, James. And even with his scars he was still attractive. She had to admit they were handsome, yet there was something about them that made you take a step back. To know these were serious men.

“Lady Blackford? Allow me to introduce myself.”

“Please, call me Lucy.”

The man made her a small bow. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very intense look.

“I am Edward Thornton.” He pointed to the other men. “My brothers, Robert and Christian.”

The men greeted her warmly.

“It’s easy to tell you are brothers. Thank you for coming. I haven’t met your brother Henry yet. And I haven’t seen my sister Charlotte in a very long time. I don’t mean to sound rude, but do you think you’ll be leaving soon?”

Christian laughed. “You and Melinda may not look alike, but you certainly sound alike. I think she made Edward’s ears bleed when we arrived.”

Lucy felt the skin on her cheeks heat up.

“Melinda can be bossy when she’s cranky. And she’s cranky all the time, given she’s due to give birth in a month.”

All the men nodded, and Robert said, “Thank the gods I’m not married.” Both brothers nodded. Lucy wanted to warn them to be careful. Tempt fate with a statement like that and you might find yourself married quicker than you think. It was always those who said they wouldn’t that ended up marrying first.

“We travel with eight hundred men. We had to leave men behind to guard the castle, but I believe we will quite overwhelm Lord Hallsey’s paltry forces. He has been after Ravenskirk for years.”

Robert said, “Our father used to laugh about taking the castle from him. He’s wanted it back ever since. Henry should’ve killed him when he had the chance.”

“So in answer to your question, lady. We will be leaving in two days,” Christian said.

Two days. She could manage two more days. But how was Charlotte holding up?

Henry was moving around better. His leg didn’t seem to pain him as much. She didn’t think she’d ever know if the saltwater antibiotic solution worked or if it was the herbal brew the healer made that broke his fever. Charlotte spent time with the healer, following her around, learning what she could. The woman knew her stuff. She treated all types of wounds. Everything from broken fingers to cuts and lacerations.

Some of Henry’s best archers had taken out some of their enemy. But Hallsey had hired mercenaries. And as she saw the increase in the number of men outside the castle walls, her heart sank.

They’d had quiet for a few days after a piece broke loose from the trebuchet. Apparently they had to send for a replacement, and it had arrived today. So the head-pounding assault would begin again. Charlotte was obsessed with the west wall. She walked by it at least ten times a day to reassure herself it was still standing and not about to fall. There were several cracks in it, but it seemed to be holding.

The rest of her time was spent reassuring people things would be okay, helping plan out meals to feed the group, and rotating daily tasks for everyone. Keeping busy was the only thing that kept her sane.

At night she and Henry would talk about their childhoods and lives before they met. She told him all about Aunt Pittypat. How much she missed her, how much her eccentric aunt would’ve loved this grand adventure to another time.

Henry told her about his family. And she understood why he’d been so opposed to marriage. As miserable as his parents had been, it was a wonder he’d been able to overcome the fear.

She understood how fear could grab hold, twist your thoughts irrationally, and make it so that you lost all perspective. When something happened to you, it was easy to lose perspective. Standing outside, watching someone else, it was easy to have perspective on their situation.

You never really knew what you would do until something happened. You might have an idea of how you would react when things hit the fan, but it was only when something bad happened that you found out the kind of person you were deep inside.

Henry told her all about his brother John. His brother would’ve been thirty-two this year. He seemed to be the wild child in the family. Henry told her John had been caught in bed with the king’s mistress. He escaped death, but his poor decision cost them dearly. While John lost his title, lands, and money, the rest of the family suffered heavy fines. The king also saw fit to confiscate choice lands and titles. But over the past ten years, serving as mercenaries and winning tourneys, they had regained their wealth and status.

Then he laughed and said he wished his father, as horrible as he was, were alive now. He would take great pleasure in yelling back and forth with Hallsey. The younger Hallsey was much like the old.

Charlotte gave the man credit. Every morning he came out and bellowed at the walls for Henry and his men to come out and fight. When Henry would yell back that he would fight the man in single combat, the man always laughed and said no, he preferred a battle. He did not believe in fighting fair.

Henry assured her they would see the army coming. He estimated there would be close to a thousand men. And Charlotte hoped with all her heart there would not be a terrible battle. That Hallsey would see he was outnumbered and leave quietly. She didn’t want men to lose their lives. Except for Hallsey. He’d instigated the whole thing and needed to pay. She had grown to despise him.