First Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 3)

by Cynthia Luhrs

  The woman fell to her knees. “Thanks be to you both. You saved my son. May the Lord bless you and keep you.”

  The miller ran to the woman, dusting his hands off on his pants. “What’s happened?” He saw the boy and fell to his knees, holding him close. “What have I told you about sitting on the wheel when you cannot swim?”

  “Forgive me, Da.”

  Edward watched the man’s emotions as he pulled his only son to him, and something deep within shuddered and broke. He wanted sons of his own. Lads he would be proud of. Knights bearing his name through the centuries, Somerforth filled with laughter and family. All this time he had been waiting for a woman who did not exist. Not for him. ’Twas time to marry and forget this future-girl foolishness. He was a dolt.

  A girl carrying a covered basket came over the hill, touching her hair.

  “Is John dead?” She peered at him. “He cannot swim, yet he sits on the wheel.” She kicked at her brother. “Fool.”

  “My daughter, my lord.”

  The girl made a small curtsy as she blushed and looked at her feet. Edward could not have said what color her eyes were, nor if her face were pleasing, as she never looked up at him.

  Mayhap Brom had it right: he needed a biddable girl to take for a wife. “Do you like cherries?”

  “Do you, my lord?”

  “Aye, very much. They are now growing plump and ripe in the castle gardens.”

  “Then I do as well.” She blushed again, shuffling her feet in the grass.

  Edward rifled in his saddlebags, coming out with a small pouch. “For you.”

  The girl opened the pouch and pulled out a cherry as her sire beamed. “I thank you, my lord.”

  The husband and wife thanked him until he stopped them, or he would never make it home this day. The boy had regained some of his color, and stared longingly at Edward’s sword.

  “You are a good lad to try and fix the wheel, but mayhap you should learn to swim, aye?”

  “Yes, my lord.” The boy grinned and scampered off, apparently unharmed after almost drowning.

  Brom’s mouth twitched as they rode away from the mill. “Every marriageable lass in the land will be pounding on your door in the next sen’night.”

  “Whatever.” Edward had come to greatly appreciate the future word.

  “The coolers are stocked with bottled water. Does anyone need anything before I head out to pick up lunch?”

  Jennifer held a hand up to shade her eyes, and made a mental note to buy a pair of sunglasses in the village. Somewhere during her trip, she’d lost them. Wasn’t that always the way? Buy an expensive pair and lose or break them in the first few months. But a cheap pair? Jennifer would have them for years. By now she should have learned her lesson.

  In her defense, the expensive ones were so over the top, really black with jeweled flowers across the top. They made her feel like a movie star hiding out in some small town, and so, hoping her credit card would take the hit, she’d splurged. Whoever had found them, Jennifer hoped they loved them as much as she had.

  Mark plopped down on one of the coolers with a grunt. “Everyone’s set; appreciate you asking. It’s nice to have someone around to take care of this stuff. If it was up to me, we’d all be thirsty and hungry.”

  “I have the same focus when I paint. The world could come crashing down and I wouldn’t notice. Thanks again for pointing out the solar showers. Thought I’d end up washing in the stream all summer.”

  Monica let out a goofy half hiccup, half laugh. “Maybe you should rent a room above the pub so you’ll be more comfortable. Sounds like this is a bit much for your delicate sensibilities.”

  “And miss your charming smile every day? I wouldn’t think of it.”

  The girl scowled and went back to carefully sifting soil from her roped-off section.

  Mark’s eyes twinkled as he winked at Jennifer before tossing the keys. “You’ve gotten under her skin.”

  “Don’t I wish it were that easy. Mean girls always come back swinging. I’d better be on the lookout for serious payback after embarrassing her.”

  He burst out laughing. “Once she put a laxative in my hot chocolate because I said her laugh sounded like a sick donkey, so you’re probably smart to be on guard.”

  Almost to the beat-up vehicle, Jennifer sniffed. It smelled like Mary was working on something with basil, so she took a slight detour through the grounds, stopping at an open-air tent.

  “Do I smell basil?”

  Mary dusted her hands off on a white apron. “You have a great sense of smell. Aren’t you full from breakfast?”

  “Don’t get me wrong, breakfast was delicious. Never would have thought of eating beans with breakfast, but I can always eat.” At that moment, her stomach let out a growl.

  “I’d be as big as a bus if I ate like you.”

  “My mom’s the same way. We fidget a lot.”

  “I’ll have to try it. Certainly works for you.” Mary handed her a roll. “This should tide you over. By the time you get back with lunch, this batch of bread will be done. I’ll be sure to save you a slice.”

  The warm air from the ovens hit her teeth as Jennifer grinned. “Wonderful. Need anything from the village?”

  “Nope, but thanks for asking.”

  As she made her way to the parking area, Jennifer spoke to a few of the re-enactors. When she bent down to retie her hiking boots, a shadow fell across the ground in front of her.

  “Take care of Morris. I found her neglected in a farmer’s barn.”

  Charlie was wearing a bright blue t-shirt proclaiming Shakespeare Lovers Remember You in Their Will.

  “Great shirt.”

  He looked her up and down. “Great shorts.” Then he grinned. “I’ve been collecting them for a few years. My now ex gave me the first one, and while she’s long gone, I like the shirts.”

  The odd-looking vehicle sat apart on the grass. It was from the seventies, a Morris Minor, and looked like a car and a van had given birth to this odd baby. The burgundy interior matched the exterior. The car even had the expected wooden paneling on the outside.

  “She’s interesting.”

  “Hey, she might not be sexy like you, but she’s got plenty of storage space in the boot.”

  Jennifer ignored his look at her butt. He was a harmless flirt and had no idea she wouldn’t go near a guy like he or Mark with a ten-foot pole. Not after her mother’s track record. Were her shorts too short? She looked down and decided the navy shorts were the same length as the rest of the girls’ shorts on site. There was a suspicious-looking spot on the white t-shirt—maybe beans from breakfast? Oh well, not like she was trying to impress a guy.

  “I’ll take good care of Mrs. Morris.” She waved to Charlie and motored down the drive, chanting, “Stay left, stay left.” And hoping she wouldn’t run off into the ditch while he was watching.

  Driving on the left made sense in an older feudal society. Most people, including knights, were right-handed, so they stayed to the left to keep their right arm close to any bad guys. Made sense, and explained why everyone in the good old USA drove on the right. What did the left-handed guys do?

  She’d ask one of the students. They’d been a wealth of information so far. And she’d quickly found out they’d tell her all kinds of things while she had them sit for portraits. The sketches were done quickly, but the students liked them, many mailing them home.

  Other than dodging a few sheep, she and Morris made it to the village unscathed. Once they crossed over the stone bridge, the church steeple came into view, stark against the bright blue sky. It was a perfect day. The jam she’d spread on her toast at breakfast had come from one of the shops, and so did the tea. She’d be sure to pick up a few items to mail home. Her mom would love the jam for her morning bagel, and with luck the package would arrive by the time she and number four returned home from their cruise.

  Chapter Seven

  If Shane and her mom didn’t last, Jennifer was going to
stop calling the guys by name and start using numbers. “Hi, number five, welcome to the family. Keep your boxes—I doubt you’ll be here more than a year.”

  After her dad, the next marriage had lasted three months, and the third actually lasted two years. Now she’d married Shane, and Jennifer had her doubts after watching Shane track every attractive woman in a five-mile radius. The sarcastic voice in her head chimed in. At least she’s willing to put herself out there. Fall head over heels in love, even if it is short-lived. You’d rather float aimlessly through life thinking everything will work out tomorrow and believing you’re better off alone.

  “Shut up.”

  Deciding she wasn’t going to argue with herself, she parked the car and meandered through the quaint village, enjoying the shops. The garden behind a church beckoned, and a quick glance at the phone told her there was plenty of time before she needed to pick up lunch.

  The cobblestone streets and old buildings made her wonder if anyone famous had ever lived or stayed in the village in the past. Maybe a chivalrous knight or prince?

  “I wouldn’t mind a Benedict Cumberbatch sighting while I’m here this summer.” Jennifer came to the Rabbit and Hound. There were flowers growing in front, and a bell tinkled as she entered. As she stood there inhaling, a woman looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

  “Can I help you, love?”

  “It smells so good in here, I may move in.”

  The woman’s eyes crinkled when she laughed. “You’re from across the pond, then. Whereabouts?”

  “Maryland. Baltimore.” She tightened the ponytail the wind had tried in vain to undo while she was walking through the village. “I’m Jennifer.”

  “Edith. The woman who owns the bookshop, Laura, has a son who works in Washington. Not too far from you.”

  “Not at all. I take the train to DC all the time.”

  They chatted while Edith helped her pick out an assortment of teas and jams to send home. “The re-enactor group is back, I see. They spend a few months here each year. Odd bunch, but nice enough. Have you found anything of interest up at Somerforth?”

  “I’ve only been here a week, so I don’t know what they’ve found yet. One of the guys said he’d show me the finds tomorrow. Would your friend have any old books with pictures of what the castle might have looked like before it fell?”

  “I’ve got something that might interest you. Back in a moment.”

  While Edith rummaged in the back, Jennifer snapped a few pictures of the interior of the shop. While walking around she’d had the idea to paint a series with scenes from the village, along with the surrounding landscape and, of course, the ruins.

  What must it have been like to live in a simpler time? Spending her days painting and embroidering would have been heavenly, though she’d miss the enormous amount of books and movies available at the touch of a fingertip. And modern conveniences. The voice spoke up. Right. And what about women’s rights, hacking off someone’s head with a sword, the plague, no modern medical care, or chocolate or milkshakes?

  “Do you have to ruin my fantasy?”

  The voice ignored her. Still, it would be a nice escape for a few weeks. Would someone in the future invent a device to travel back in time? Take tourists to interesting dates and places, allowing them to observe but not interact? That would be the trip of a lifetime. Jennifer hoped it would come to pass while she was still alive to try it out. Go science.

  “Here we are.”

  Lost in daydreams of wandering through Somerforth with a handsome knight at her side after a busy day slaying dragons, the sound of Edith’s voice made her jump a foot. The honorable knight had just about been to swear his undying love for all eternity. It was so real, she had to blink several times to re-enter reality.

  Jennifer let out a long sigh. She’d rather stay single and alone forever than end up like her mom. Desperately chasing men and marrying them, only to realize they weren’t going to change, or they wanted someone else. The advent of so much technology and connectedness had habituated people to constantly look for the next good thing, never satisfied with who or what they had. Jennifer would rather be alone than risk the heartbreak she’d watched her mother suffer through.

  “Jennifer?”

  “Sorry. I was somewhere else.”

  “Somerforth has that effect on many.” Edith blew the dust off an old, battered book, the spine coming apart, the dark green cover cracked and faded to a greenish gray, the gold lettering almost completely worn off. When she turned the pages, the intoxicating smell of old books filled the air, mingling with the scent of tea and flowers.

  “If I could bottle the way it smells in here, I’d make a fortune.”

  “There’s nothing like the smell of an old book, is there?”

  As Jennifer nodded, Edith added, “My daughter bought me one of those tablets for Christmas. I like the immense number of books I can take with me on holiday, but there’s something magical about turning a page and feeling the words seep into your skin as you read.”

  “Absolutely. I remember when I used to pack one suitcase full of books for a trip. I brought a solar charger so I wouldn’t have to worry about a power source.”

  Edith stopped on a page, and Jennifer caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her mouth hung open, and she looked like she was in a trance. There on the page, staring up at her, was Somerforth Castle. Exactly as she’d imagined it.

  “The castle was something back in the day. It was immense, and many said it was never the same after Lord Somerforth fell in battle. Time passes; young people go off to live in the city. Not to mention it’s terribly expensive to maintain a castle. Eventually, if the grand homes aren’t opened to tourists or given over to be preserved, they fall to ruin. Like what happened with Somerforth.”

  “This is such a treat. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find any pictures of what it used to look like. Would you mind if I took a picture of the page?”

  “Not at all.” Edith stood back as Jennifer captured the image on her phone. The woman ran a finger over the drawing.

  “As far as I know, this is the only image of Somerforth. It’s not really surprising. There are a great many castles in the world, and this one wasn’t historically important.” She chuckled. “There was a long-running feud with a clan across the border. Last month the doctor was talking about sheep going missing and turning up at a farm in Scotland. Old habits die hard.” Edith touched Jennifer’s arm. “You’re pale. Sit and I’ll pour you a cup of tea.”

  Jennifer sank down into a floral chair. The shopkeeper brought out a silver tray with two teacups. The delicate cups were decorated with roses, and there was a choice of milk or lemon. “A spot of tea will have you going again.”

  Sipping the brew, Jennifer focused on taking slow, deep breaths until the sensation of being in two places at once passed. Her overactive imagination was getting the better of her. For a moment she swore she was in a lady’s solar, stitching a floral border on a man’s tunic.

  Tonight she’d better switch from reading historical fiction to something else. Maybe a thriller or cozy mystery. Obviously being in such close proximity to a real castle was sending her imagination into overdrive.

  “I feel much better. Sorry to cause a fuss. I’m getting hungry, that’s all.” She couldn’t tell Edith she’d sketched the very same castle in all its glory based on a daydream. Edith would think she was as batty as the re-enactors.

  “It’s getting late, I’d better pick up lunch and get back. Thank you for the tea and showing me the book. I’ll be back again.”

  “Glad you’re feeling better. It was lovely to chat, and next time we’ll invite Laura. She always has brilliant book recommendations.”

  Chapter Eight

  The walk down the street to the pub cleared her head. Not wanting to be late, Jennifer was in and out of the pub so fast she barely had time to take in the decor. The drive back was a bit easier, and she hoped soon she wouldn’t have to think so hard about
which side of the road to drive on. Bags of pies and salads dangling from her arms, she found everyone gathered around a grassy area off to the left side of the grid they’d been working that morning.

  “Lunch is here. What’s going on?”

  The professor popped up. “Set those down and come see. It’s quite extraordinary.”

  Jennifer put the bags on the wooden tables and hurried over as Mark made room for her to squeeze in.

  “Monica tripped over a rock, and when she went down, she caught sight of something in the loose dirt. The rain last week must have uncovered it.” Mark pointed, but before he could say anything, Guy appeared, flushed and breathing heavily.

  “Heard you found a dagger. Can we see?”

  The blade was triangular, tapering evenly from the hilt down to the point. It looked like it had been buried a long time.

  “I bet it was lost during a battle.”

  “Maybe we’ll find bones deeper down.”

  Others weighed in as each person squatted down for a closer look. The pommel bore faint markings that might have been words but had been worn away long ago.

  “A brilliant find. Why don’t we stop for lunch and celebrate?” The professor beamed as he called for beer to accompany the meal.

  Even Monica was in a good mood, and complimented Jennifer on her bracelet as they filled in around the tables. The professor cast a worried look to the dig as thunder sounded in the distance. “Better secure the tarps before the storm hits, and we’ll move the meal to the big tent.”

  “I’ll take the beer and you get the food.” Mark pulled the coolers by their handles and sprinted across the grass. When she finished moving the food, Jennifer pulled the side curtains so if it did start raining they wouldn’t get soaked. As she was counting out napkins and silverware, the wind picked up, carrying the sound of bagpipes.

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to tell me something?”

  But there was no answer as the ghostly piper played on, the last notes ending as she wiped the wetness from her cheeks. The melancholy tune suited the ominous sky, dark clouds rolling over the blue, absorbing the light, replacing it with dark gray, silver, and the palest grayish blue. Despite the warmth of the day, Jennifer shivered.