Rowena Through the Wall: Expanded Edition (6 page)

Gareth approached with a plank-load of meat. I reached for some, ravenous. It was delicious. Venison, I think. The tankard reappeared, miraculously filled, and I drank that down too.

Sometime later, Gareth was talking with the eldest red-h
aired cousin―I forget his name―and I was seated on Janus's lap, singing a song. The men had started off with an old ballad. Afterward, I regaled them with "Barbara Allen." It seemed to go over well. I tried to think of the songs from
Brigadoon,
which seemed appropriate. My audience loved "Go Home with Bonnie Jean," especially when I taught them the chorus. When I finished "Come to Me," Roderick had tears running down his face.

"Haven't heard a woman sing in four years," he mumbled.

Somebody handed me another tankard. As I drank, it occurred to me that Janus might be enjoying our current position a little too much. His hands were starting to wander. But there didn't seem to be anything I could do about it, 'cause I was having a hard time sitting upright. In fact, the whole campsite was whirling.

Whoa. I closed my eyes, slumping to one side.

"That's it," I heard Gareth say. "She's had enough. Time for bed." He picked me up and swung me over his shoulder.

"But
has
she had enough?" someone asked.

The campsite erupted in snickers.

I heard the tent flap close. It was the last thing I heard.

Many hours later, I awoke to an empty tent. The strange orange sun shot beams of light through the seams. I attempted to sit up, but was hit with something unexpected. I was sore. God, I was sore.

Who does it three times in one night?

I rolled over to my stomach. Rising on my hands and knees like a dog, I shuddered. Gareth stepped into the tent, looking hale and hearty. I scowled at him with loathing.

"If you stay like that, I'm going to have to undress again," he said.

I groaned at the thought.

I must have looked ridiculous, with my breasts swinging freely and pointing to the ground. But it didn't matter, because I wasn't sure if I was going to live through the next hour. My head was pounding like fury.

"Ow," I moaned.

"Ah, too much ale. It will soon pass. Come on, my lovely wife, you have to get dressed. We have things to do."

"Wife?"

He crouched in front of me. "Three times in one nightfall makes you mine. Under our law." He smiled. "And we did it four."

"We did?"

Oh, right
―I remembered now. The last time, I was half asleep on my side and had barely moved.

"In our land, you'll be safe. No one will harass the wife of the Earl."

Oh great. Only an earl messes with the wife of the earl. When was this bloody dream ever going to e
nd?

"Leave me," I managed to say. "I'll get dressed myself."

I could feel his eyes on me. "Be swift."

My wedding dress was a rag. I pieced it around me as best as I could and looked for something to brush my hair. Gareth had thoughtfully laid out a few things for me. A cup of water, a soft washcloth and a rough comb lying on a black bag. I drank half the water, then used the rest to dampen the cloth. It wasn't much of a wash, but it would have to do.

When I reached for the brush, I noticed a jeweled pin. It was about three inches square with a beautiful, sparkling blue-and-green Celtic design. I could use it to fasten the front of my gown. That accomplished, I did what I could with the comb.

One step outside, I stopped dead. My hand dashed up to shelter my eyes. "Why the heck is it so bright?"

"Rowena, we have visitors." Gareth's voice was cold, dangerous.

Ivan, Richard and Jon sat on horseback, not twenty feet off. Their swords were out.

"Oh, hi," I said with a wave. "You didn't happen to bring another dress with you."

Everyone looked at me as if I had spoken Swahili.

"I guess not."

"You've hurt her," Ivan growled at Gareth.

"I have not!"

"Stop shouting," I pleaded.

"A little too much ale," Gareth explained.

Ivan's scowl widened. "Enough of this! Rowena, come over here right now."

I didn't like his tone.

"Don't move," Gareth said to me. To Ivan, he said, "You can try to take her, Huel. But you'll have to go through all seven of us to do it. And there are only three of you."

"She's my wife!" Ivan roared.

"You don't deserve her. You couldn't even protect her on your own castle grounds. I was the one who took the trouble to find her. I paid the wizard to locate the portal to the other world. And I was the one who went through it."

All this was interesting. Trouble was, my head was exploding.

Ivan had murder in his eyes. "Rowena, what say you?"

"Does anyone have any aspirin?" I asked with a whimper.

There was more arguing back and forth. Gareth's men moved forward with their weapons drawn.

I had to get out of there. It was far too loud.

I stumbled back to the tent. Holding onto the side of it for balance, I stared at the peaceful valley to the east. I had seen this sight before. In fact, I had stood very close to this spot in an earlier dream.

As the men continued to rage behind me, I walked toward the forest. I saw the place where the trees met the side of the hill and I followed the line, trying to remember the exact spot where the squirrel had come to meet me. Approaching the tree line, I headed toward the split tree trunk.

Not far.

I took two steps into the forest and walked through the classroom wall.

Chapter 7

The clock on my classroom wall read 8:40. It was morning, judging by the light streaming through the windows. Gorgeous, comforting yellow sunlight, not orange.

I looked down. I was still wearing the blasted green silk dress, with Gareth's jeweled pin holding the bodice together.

How could that be? I was awake now. Wasn't I? My dreams and reality had never merged like this before.

I tried to recall waking up and going to the university.

I couldn't.

If this were a dream, then why was I now in my classroom?

Wait a minute! Isn't that what Gareth did? He walked through the wall of my classroom twice. When I was awake.

Like I am now.

If that were the case, then I
hadn't been dreaming after all. The world with the two moons was real―as real as my tattered dress. An alternate world beyond the wall.

In the hall, a locker door slammed. I peered out the door and saw Kendra. "Can you come here a minute?"

She smiled thro
ugh black lipstick and followed me into the classroom.

"Do you have any aspirin?" I asked.

"Ibuprofen. Will that do?"

I nodded. "Give it to me quickly. I'm dying."

She handed me two tablets and I swallowed them without water.

"Wicked dress," she said. "I didn't know you were into anachronism."

I took a deep breath. "Kendra, I need you as a witness. You really did see me here in this dress, in this classroom on―what's the day?"

"Friday."

"Friday," I repeated.

"Yup, I'll remember. You in some kinda trouble?"

"You could say that."

Her black-lined e
yes lit up. "Need an alibi?"

"Not that kind of trouble. More like man trouble."

"No shit. What's his name?"

"Ivan. I sort of married him by mistake." That wasn't the half of it, of course, but at least it was partially true.

"Wow. Sounds heavy."

"The thing is…" How could I put this? "I lost my purse getting away from him and I need a lift home."

"I can drive you. We can go right now."

I sighed. "Thank you so much."

Five minutes later, Kendra pulled a beat up Cavalier to the side door of B wing. I snuck out of the university without attracting attention. I gave directions and we were off.

"How did your dress get wrecked?" she asked. She shifted to third and the car shuddered.

"A lot of weird things went down last night," I said as explanation.

"That's totally rad. Nothing ever happens to me." There was envy in her voice.

Are you kidding me? With that Goth thing going on?

We pulled up in front of my townhouse.

"Thanks, Kendra. You don't know how much I appreciate this."

"No problem. Look, if you ever need me, let me know. I'm into martial arts in a big way." She waved as she drove away.

I reached for the key behind the potted geranium. Piper wagged his tail when I opened the door. I let him out to pee, then locked up after him. He followed me to the bedroom, where I took off the green dress and laid it on the chair. The broach winked at me under the artificial lights. If I hadn't gotten it in Huel, where the heck had it come from?

I grabbed my pink dressing gown and sat down on the bed.

Wait a minute…
dressing gown
.

I had worn the sapphire Natori nightgown the first time I set foot in Huel and I'd left it there. So it made sense that if the nightgown was still here in my room, the dream was just a dream.

Terrific. I felt much better.

I went to the left side of the closet, where I always hung my good nightgowns.

The Natori wasn't there.

I searched the floor of the closet, in all my dresser drawers and in the dirty clothes hamper.

Nothing.

This wasn't good.

"Okay," I said to Piper. "What we have here is a theory, one I need to test." But first I needed to arrange for Piper's care.

I reached for the phone and called Debbie at the clinic.

"I need to go away for the weekend," I said when she picked up. "Can you possibly look after Piper?"

"I'll come by this aft. What's up?"

"I'm not sure. But it involves two large men and potential sex."

I knew that would seal the deal.

"I'll want all the details on Monday," Debbie replied.

After she hung up, I pondered the clothing situation. The green dress was toast. I needed something that could be worn on the other side of the wall. Something that would pass for decent.

Time to inventory the closet.

Something long, to the ground if possible. That meant an evening dress. I nixed the silver sequin. Too much bling. The black was too witchy. Not a good idea at all. They burned witches in Huel.

My eye caught a new outfit, one I hadn't worn―a stretchy two-piece in stunning turquoise that had also been destined for the honeymoon.

I grimaced. I'd been getting a different kind of honeymoon the last few nights, one without Steve. Frankly, I'd never had so much sex in my life and it was amazing. Those startling orgasms I had with Ivan. And even more delicious ones with Gareth. That simply did not happen in real life―at least not with Steve.

Back to the outfit. The skirt flared out from the waist, so I c
ould walk easily. The midriff top was tight-fitting with three quarter sleeves and a wide square neck. A silver zipper ran down the front of it. And it had a built-in bra, which was a bonus. Pewter walking sandals would finish it. I wouldn't be without footwear this time.

I took a long, hot shower. It felt so good to wash my hair. I dressed quickly and took a last glance around the room. The Celtic broach. I should take that with me. I pulled a heavy silver chain from the jewel box and slipped it through the broach pin. I placed it around my neck. It sparkled like it had been made for my outfit.

I gave Piper fresh water and food, and blew him a kiss. "Bye, sweetie."

It took me ten minutes to drive to campus. There were few cars in the staff lot. I hurried to B wing and my classroom, as I had hoped, was empty. Closing the door behind me, I ran to the desk and put my car keys in the top drawer.

I walked to the back of the room.

After one last look around, I held my breath and stepped through the wall.

The orange sun blazed across the valley. I peered left and right to see if anyone was around, but the camp in the clearing had been vacated.

Okay, so what do I do now?

A beefy hand clamped over my mouth. "Don't say a word," Gareth whispered. "There are men in the valley below."

He pulled me back into the forest where it was dark and still. When I turned, he took my hand and led me through a path dense with ferns. We walked for some time until we reached a cave.

"We can talk here," he said, pulling me inside.

It was dark in the cave and the air smelled sweet and damp.

"You waited for me," I said.