When Lightning Strikes (11 page)

He just blinked at her. She had clearly said
fiance
.

“Your memory must be returning to you. So you are not wed then?
”
A new hope blossomed within his chest though he struggled to keep it in check.

“No! I mean yes…I do not know for certain. I cannot remember. You are the one who said I mentioned this fiancé when you found me unconscious,” Sarah stammered.

He eyed her suspiciously for the first time.

Perhaps Sarah knew more than what she was saying. She was stumbling over her words not haphazardly, but very carefully. Was she duping him in some way?

“Lady Sarah. Is there something you are not telling me? You arrived here under most unusual circumstance. You speak oddly. You have claimed that you lost your memories. Are you running from something…or someone?” He moved closer to her. “Your secrets are safe with me and I will protect you no matter what or who you run from.”

Sarah stared at him for a moment, her eyes threatening to
well up with tears. The enormity of it all was weighing heavily on her shoulders and she wished beyond all that she could open her heart fully to him and just spill out the whole story. But she simply couldn’t. She was in the 14
th
century for God’s sake. What would he think? He claimed he didn’t believe in witches but it was a risk she simply couldn’t take. It would not be a very pleasant ending to be burned at the stake in a merciless, agonizing death, without so much as a goodbye to her loved ones.

“Dominic. You have no idea. I cannot tell you anything that I cannot remember,” she said.  “You will simply have to believe me. Please. You would not believe the truth if I told you. So, just accept my words.”

Tears threatened to spill from her long lashes and in that moment he knew she was running from something…or someone. She had not lost her memory. She knew exactly who she ran from. And it was only a matter of time before they found her and he would have to let her go. She was a noble and even if she was not wed they would come looking for her. But something would not allow him to give up the hope that somehow he could convince her to stay with him.

“Sarah, I know you do not wish to return to the one who caused you to leave your home.” He reached forward and pulled her to him again. Smoothing her errant curls he gently kissed the top of her head.

“We will say nothing to my people. And I will not go any further in looking for your…lord…or betrothed, if you wish. No one need ever know. We move constantly from place to place. Yes, my people would not like it that you would bring no ransom, but they would accept my decision if they knew it was one made of the heart.”

She knew it was impossible, but she needed to buy herself more time to think of what to do so she simply nodded and said, “I will think about it.”

“Very well, then.” He smiled at her and touched his lips lightly to hers. “Would you care to go outside with me? It is time for us to gather and practice. We must travel into the village on the morrow to perform.”

“Yes. I would like that I think,” she said. “I did not get the chance to meet any of the others you spoke of.”

“Well, come then.” He offered her his hand and they stepped out of the wagon.

“It is time that you meet them now. We cannot keep you hidden away forever. And now that I know that you will stay with me it will make it easier to come up with a plan to appease the troupe when they find out you will not be ransomed for gold. Marco will help.”

“I did not say that I would stay with you! I said I would think on it.”

“You
will
stay, cherie,” he said without blinking an eye. He pulled her to him again and kissed her hard not caring one whit who saw him do it.

She was his now.

Chapter Eleven

They had left the wagon about an hour ago and Sarah sat on the ground not far from where Dominic was practicing juggling with some knives. She watched, in awe that he could be so quick and agile. There were many of his people milling around but so far none of them had come near her. Many of them spoke in hushed whispers as they passed her. Finally one young man came over and plunked himself down beside her.

“Bon jour, demoiselle.
I am Jean-Paul. You must be Lady Sarah.”

He lifted her hand and placed a kiss there. Sarah could tell he was young, about eighteen or nineteen maybe.

“Yes. That would be me.”

She sent him a look she hoped would give him the idea that she considered herself to have altitude over him. He seemed undeterred.

“Well, mon fleur, you are even more beautiful than Nico said. No wonder he has been keeping you all to himself. And I am sure you will indeed bring a fine amount of ransom.” He winked at her.

“He has not been keeping me to himself, young sir. I have been ill. I was injured by a strike of lightning. He is a healer and he has cared for my wounds. I understand that my family will be sought in order to ransom me very soon.”

She paused for just a moment before speaking again trying to sound sure of herself and as haughty as a noble might.

“Moreover, he has assured me that I will be returned unharmed.” She hoped her words gave him the idea of what she was trying to say.

Jean-Paul smiled wryly.

“Yes, demoiselle.
And I’m sure that nothing he has done has harmed you in the least! Pleasured you, oui, harmed you…no!” He laughed bawdily.

Dominic stopped what he was doing as soon as he heard Jean-Paul’s raucous laughter. He had been watching him closely from the moment he sat down next to Sarah.

Jean-Paul continued. “If you should grow tired of his tender ministrations, please feel free to call upon me and I will happily tend to you myself.” He lifted her hand to kiss it again but stopped at the sound of Dominic’s voice.

“That will be quite enough, Jean-Paul. I am quite certain that the lady will need no further ministrations…especially from you. Now begone from here.”

“I was but being cordial to this fine and beautiful woman. Was I not, Lady Sarah?” He shot her a playful look.

“I….well, yes, you were cordial Jean-Paul. But I think that Dominic is correct.”

She looked up at Dominic hoping that she had said the right thing. He nodded down at her and stepped closer.

“Very well then,” said Jean-Paul. “I will be on my way. But I am at your disposal demoiselle, if you ever need me for anything; anything at all.” He chuckled as he turned on his heel and walked away.

“I warned you of that young whelp.”

“Yes, you most certainly did. He did not do anything awful, though. He simply did his best to flirt with me and he kissed my hand. He offered his ‘services’.” She shrugged.

“I am certain that he did. But, know this lady; he is not to be trusted and if you deny him after repeated attempts, he may try to forcefully coerce you.” She looked a little shocked.

“He is still so young. I mean he’s barely past being a boy.  He cannot be that bad, can he?”

“He has lived a very hard life. His parents died when he was a babe and he has been raised among these people. Forced to get by however he can. He is a very gifted musician.” He sighed heavily.

“I would say that in his heart, he is not evil, just impetuous and used to getting his way with the foolish young girls of the village. They are not of your stature and they usually give in one way or another. If they refuse him too many times, well, he simply coerces them by doing. And once he starts they usually give in and enjoy themselves. They even come back for more!”

He almost chuckled at that one, but as far as Sarah was concerned it was no laughing matter. She shot him a look of horrified disbelief.

“They come back for more? You jest with me, surely,” she said. His look told her he was quite serious. She thought about it for a moment, remembering what an uncivilized time and place she was in. It was unbelievably hard to comprehend that someone could be forced sexually in anyway and somehow enjoy it. Christ in her time, all you ever heard or read about was sexual molestation and statutory rape, but here, it was an everyday occurrence. And women were treated so poorly that they just shut up about it and tried to enjoy it. What else could they do? It was so commonplace that no one seemed to care among the provincials.

“Please tell me you are not intrigued by this, Lady!” Dominic’s brows knit together.

Was his voice actually tinged with anger? Jealousy was more like it. Sarah smiled to herself.

“No. I am disturbed by this talk of rape. And I have no interest in that young man. Now leave me be and get back to what you were doing!”

He lingered for another moment and then headed back to where he had been tossing knives before the exchange with Jean-Paul.

Several yards away Fala watched as Dominic had walked away from the beautiful golden woman.

So, this was the reason he had spurned her attentions yestereve. He had never denied her before. Fala decided that she would have to make sure this English damsel did not sink her claws into Nico. After all he belonged to her. The only person she would ever share him with was her sister, Shaia and even that she did not take well to. She only did it because it seemed to please him so.
Especially when he had them both at the same time. She had worked too hard these past years to win his affections and she was not going to lose them now.

She began to walk toward the woman but Dominic was there in an instant to cut her off.

“You will be pleasant to Lady Sarah, Fala,” he stated firmly.

“And what makes you think I would not be?” she replied haughtily.

“I do not like the look in your eye. I know you are jealous,” he said, without hesitation.

“Jealous of what?” she said sounding as nonchalant as possible. “I know this woman has been injured and you had to take care of her person so that we would be able to ransom her to her family when the time comes.
Nothing more.” She traced her finger up the side of his arm as she spoke.

“True. But what if there was more? Would you be jealous then?” He shot her a sarcastic look. “And what if we were never to find her people and she had to stay here among us under my care?
Then what?” He was purposely goading her.

Her eyes narrowed with his words.

“That gadge femme living amid our people? She is an English noble for God’s sake. You would keep her?” Her eyes threw daggers.

“You have feelings for this girl then do you not? You want her to stay with you. I can see it in your eyes!” Her voice lowered and he could hear the resentment there as she continued, trying to goad him right back. “What do you think the others will say when they find out there will be no gold? They will not like it. They will have her head and maybe yours!”

“I think not. And besides, I did not say that I was going to keep her here for certain. I simply stated that it might not be possible to find her family or her lord husband if she has one and I simply cannot turn her out to die. I see that you are jealous though.” He smirked at her.

“You toy with me, Nico. I have been loyal to you in every way. I have shared my bed with you. I have allowed my sister to join us to please you. Why do you speak to me thusly?”

She looked at him with the most pitiful and teary-eyed gaze she could muster. If he was going to act like this, then she was going to tug at his heart-strings if at all possible. Anything to keep from losing him to that English witch!

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“I am sorry, Fala. You are right. You have been most generous with your home, your bed and your heart.”

He wasn’t fooled for a moment by Fala’s show of tears, but he would say what was necessary to ease her mind.

“I should not be so callous with you. But please do not be unpleasant to Lady Sarah. She is alone among us and I think she is scared. She does not know what her future holds. I have told her that I will not hurt her and that none of the rest would either. Were she a shrewish witch, like most of her kind, perhaps I would feel differently, ransom or no.  I have come to know of her in the last two days and I can tell that she is kind of heart even though she is a gadge. Please believe me.” He reached out a hand and touched her shoulder.

Fala’s expression softened.
“Alright then, Nico. I will be kind to her. But only for you, cherie. You will come to me soon, no?” She threw him a kiss as she walked away.

Sarah watched the exchange taking place between Dominic and the beautiful girl he had identified earlier as Fala. She was unable to tell what was being said between them, but before she walked away she had seen Dominic reach out and touch her shoulder tenderly and she had blown him a kiss. Whoever this hussy was she knew how to flirt and apparently she had him wrapped around her finger! Hah. See if she cared.

Okay. Who was she kidding? She was green with envy! But why should she be jealous of anything he did? Up until day before yesterday, she didn’t even know he had existed. She was engaged to be married and in another century for crying out loud! But somehow, she did care. And she was jealous.

A moment later, Fala was walking right towards her.
Grrreat.
What was Gypsy Queen Barbie going to say? Was she going to be a snob and tell her to stay away from the guy that she considered to be her man? Or was she going to be phony and nice?

Time to wonder was soon over as Fala spoke.

“Bon jour, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Nico has told me of you. I hope you are well. My name is Fala.” She smiled prettily.

Okay. So she was going to be sweet and phony. She could do that too!

“I am pleased to meet you as well, Fala. I am Sarah.”

She smiled back at the girl n
ot knowing what else to do and groaned inwardly when she took in how beautiful this Fala really was. Her hair was waist-length, blue-black and hung in long ringlets. Her skin was like coffee with cream and as smooth as the finest Chinese silk. Her lips were full and pouty. Her eyes almond shaped and golden like the color of tiger’s eye with lashes that would put any Revlon babe to shame. She wore an off-the-shoulder chemise and a full skirt, but her clothing could scarcely hide her luscious curves. And worse, she couldn’t even accuse her of being a bimbo with a boob job because there was no silicone implants or make-up back in the 12
th
century! This was the real deal.

Sarah swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t stand a chance with Dominic with this girl around.

What was she thinking? She wasn’t even going to be around! She had to go back home to her own time. What went on between Dominic and Fala was of no concern to her. They had been lovers long before she got here and they no doubt would be long after she left. Somehow the thought saddened her.

“Lady Sarah,” Fala had spoken again after a seemingly long and uncomfortable silence
.“Would you care to come over to where the other women are and meet them? I will take you. Come.”

She stretched out her hand to help Sarah up. Sarah took it tentatively and stood. Moments later they were walking toward a group of seven or eight women of all ages. Indiri was among them. She smiled when she saw them approaching.

“I see you have met Fala,” Indiri said. She took Sarah’s hand and introduced her to all the women one by one. The last one she came to was a girl who looked very similar to Fala.

“This is Shaia. Fala’s sister.” Shaia’s gaze was cold like that of her sister.

“I am pleased to meet you. You are quite beautiful…as your sister is,” Sarah said, trying to be nice.

“Well, I am not pleased to meet you, gadge. The sooner Nico rids us of you the better.” She walked off without another word. Fala followed after her looking behind at Indiri.

“They are jealous,” Indiri said.

“Jealous of what?
What they think is between Dominic and me? I already told you earlier that there is nothing. He will find my family.” Sarah shrugged matter-of-factly at Indiri and the others trying to forget about her promise to him to think about staying there. It was impossible anyway.

“Yes, so you have said,” Indiri replied with a Mona Lisa smile. “And who exactly is your family?”

Sarah felt herself tense with nervousness at the question. What on earth would she tell them? She supposed she had no choice but to tell them the truth. Dominic had after all, promised to protect her.

“The fact is,
Indiri, that I cannot remember much after I was struck by lightning. I cannot remember my last name or who my family is.”

The women gasped and looked at each other and then at her with wariness.

“But Dominic has assured me that he can find them! You will have your ransom.” She waited, holding her breath to see what their reaction would be.

Indiri broke the silence. “We will speak of this no more. If it is as you say, then all will be well and you will be going home soon and our purses will be lined with gold. So for now, we make you comfortable as we can. Nico has told us you are a kind lady and not the usual shrewish noble.” She chuckled.