The three of them stayed up late talking. The deep voices were comforting, lulling her into a state somewhere between dreaming and wakefulness. Anna couldn’t stop yawning, and thought she’d close her eyes just for a moment.
“I fear I care for an witless woman.” John lifted Anna out of the chair to carry her upstairs.
“If her story is true, she is not witless. You could marry her.”
“You know why I cannot. Her life would always be in danger.” John opened the door to the chamber and laid her on the bed.
“Have you shared a bed with her?”
His brother looked furious, and John tried not to laugh.
“The other chambers are in disrepair. I have behaved honorably and slept with the horses.”
“’Tis a clear night. The other chambers will do. Edward is sending his mason and men. Henry will be here in the morning. You must take care with her. Though she is not noble, she is a lady.”
John rolled his eyes. “Cease with your witless babbling. I would not take advantage of her.”
Robert clapped him on the shoulder. “You do more than care for her. You love her. When will you see it yourself?”
Chapter Twenty
Anna was walking around Blackmoor with John while Robert slept in.
“Riders approach.”
“Come. We’ll go up on the battlements for a better look.”
She followed John. It was a long way down. With a hand up to shade her eyes, she wished for sunglasses. They were around in some form in ancient China and Rome. Imagine gems for sunnies. If she was stuck here maybe she could create sunglasses for the rich. It wasn’t like she could rely on John to support her. Anna would have to find a way to make a living and a place to live.
“Wow. That’s a lot of people.”
The man with gorgeous blonde hair she’d recognize anywhere waved to them. A beautiful blonde beside him. Behind him walked men and women. There were men who looked like soldiers and wagons bursting with stuff. In one of the wagons, she spied pigs and chickens.
“He looks like you. Which brother is it?”
John’s words were gruff. “Henry has grown to a man. I have missed so much time.”
Anna knew the feeling all too well. As the group entered the courtyard, the level of noise rose to a crescendo. The blonde man dismounted from his horse, and helped a striking woman do the same. She was tall and thin, blonde, and looked like Barbie come to life. Anna was completely intimidated.
“I should have known you were still alive. The bandit of the wood. Well done.” Henry hugged John. His voice was rough. Anna stood close enough to hear him say, “You should have told us you were alive. I have missed you every day for the past ten years.”
“I could not. Our family was dishonored. The loss of our lands, titles, gold. So much lost because of a jealous girl. If Letitia had kept quiet, the king would not have turned his wrath on the Thorntons. There is a large price on my head. You should not have come.”
“Our father would have been gladdened to know you were alive.” Henry released John and stood back, looking at Blackmoor. “Robert let it fall to ruin. Too busy drinking and whoring.”
“I heard that, whelp.” Robert clapped Henry on the shoulder.
John looked a bit overwhelmed. “I’m grateful you’ve here, Henry. But we are bound to attract undue attention.”
“Our people are loyal. Others in the surrounding countryside are loyal to the Thorntons.”
Robert rocked back on his heels. “And many others to the bandit of the wood. News has traveled fast. Everyone knows ’twas you. Do not worry, brother. None will betray us.”
John grimaced. “Betrayal comes when we least expect it.”
“What an awful thing to say.” Anna wished she could take it back. Now everyone was looking at her.
Henry’s mouth twitched. She blushed where she stood. “You have obviously made her miserable with your foul moods.” He made her a little bow. “I am the most charming and handsome brother. Henry Thornton, at your service.” He pulled the gorgeous woman forward, interrupting her conversation with a group of women.
“My wife, Charlotte.”
Anna smiled, feeling like the frumpy girl facing the head cheerleader. The woman pulled her into a hug.
“I’m so happy to meet you.” She looked to the men. “What have y’all been doing? Hell’s bells. This place looks like it was used for target practice.”
Anna blinked up at the tall Amazon goddess. Charlotte was Southern. As in Southern United States of America. It was true. Another time traveler.
Charlotte winked. “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s go for a walk and leave the men to unload the wagons.”
She took Anna’s hand, pulling her toward a mass of weeds that at one point she supposed might have been a garden.
“Y’all get this mess taken care of. Anna and I have womanly things to discuss.”
“Best not to argue with her,” Henry said to his brothers. Anna giggled as they walked away.
“Lucy’s going to be so jealous she hasn’t met John yet.” Charlotte’s eyes sparkled. She was as nice as she was pretty. The tension left Anna’s shoulders and neck. “Talk about major scoop. Wait until they hear John has a girlfriend.”
Anna blinked. “I’m not his girlfriend. When I landed in the past and helped him get out, I thought I was in the middle of a movie.”
Charlotte laughed. “Oh, honey, we all had that feeling.”
“It’s true, then?” Where else would she have learned to talk like she did but the future?
“What?” Charlotte gazed up at her, a look of such feigned innocence that Anna knew without a doubt she too was from the future.
“Robert and John said they thought so. Tell me I’m right.”
Charlotte shot her a wary look. “What exactly do you think you’re right about?”
Anna huffed. She wanted to play it like this, huh? Fine. “Pizza. Hot showers. The Walking Dead. Chris Hemsworth. Bikinis. Cell phones. Shall I go on?”
Charlotte groaned. “Chocolate, Pepsi, and Pop-Tarts.” She pulled Anna to the corner of the wall where no one could sneak up on them. “Tell me what I’ve missed on The Walking Dead. My oh my, that Daryl Dixon.”
“I don’t know where to start. I’m still trying to get my mind right. Someone like me. Another time traveler.”
“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’m talking to someone from my own time. Well, other than my sisters.”
“Where are you from?”
“North Carolina. Holden Beach. You?”
“Venice, Florida. I miss the beach.”
“You’ll come visit. If I didn’t invite you, Melinda and Lucy might chop off my head. Melinda has a new baby. Lucy and William are dealing with a small skirmish, so they couldn’t come either, but you’ll meet them all. Wait until you see the ocean. The beach and the water aren’t anything like the Gulf of Mexico, but the smell is the same. Well, except for the sunscreen. I miss the smell of coconut oil.”
The dreamy look on Charlotte’s face was probably the same look on her own face.
“Me too. And music.”
“Books.”
“Movies.”
Charlotte sighed. “Tell me how it happened to you.”
“It all began when I found out I was taking my first vacation in five years. Two whole weeks in England. I landed in London…”
She and Charlotte found a stone bench partially buried in the weeds. They pulled enough away to sit. They both leaned against the wall, faces tilted up to the sun. It was so nice to talk to someone from her own time.
Charlotte had been here the least amount of time. Anna couldn’t believe Charlotte’s sister, Lucy, had been in the past over twenty years. From everything she told her, Charlotte’s sisters sounded like the kinds of friends Anna wished she’d had. But when you dropped out of college and worked three jobs, you didn’t have time to make friends with anyone, or date, or do much of anything.
“I can’t
believe you figured out your sisters went back in time. You planned your trip back in time. I wish I would’ve paid more attention in history class.”
“I know, right? It’s not like any of us thought we would ever need to apply the knowledge in a real-life situation.” Charlotte turned serious. “I’ve seen the way John looks at you. You say he’s not your boyfriend, but I can tell he cares for you. And you seem to care for him. Am I totally off base?”
“I can’t care for him. I have to get home.” And now, Charlotte had provided the small sliver of hope Anna needed. She had been ready to give up. Now maybe she could get back, but she had to be in the tower when she tried.
For the first time since her mom died, Anna felt something wet on her cheek. She touched a finger to her face. Tears.
“Oh, sweetie, let it all out.” Charlotte pulled her close, hugging her. Anna couldn’t remember the last time anyone touched her with a comforting touch. To feel close with another human being without them wanting anything from you or expecting anything of you—it was almost more than she could bear.
John had been kind to her and touched her, but this was different. It was like Charlotte could be the sister she never had, but had always yearned for. She sobbed, letting the tears run down her face and puddle by her feet.
It seemed like hours had passed when Anna finally wiped her eyes.
“I’m such an ugly crier. And I’ve ruined your dress.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetie. We’ve all had that moment when we realize we’re here for good. I’m so very sorry. I cannot imagine what you’re going through. My sisters were already here and I didn’t have anyone left to go back to.”
Anna sniffed. “I’m so worried about my dad. But in some small way it’s almost a relief. If I can’t get back then I know it isn’t my fault. Part of me thought about staying here.”
She hesitated. “Not that I thought I would be with John. But in the time I’ve been here, I’ve grown to love this time. Things are harder, yet easier.”
Charlotte took her hand. “I know, right? I think about someone being flung back in time and not being able to acclimate. I guess they wouldn’t survive. If we all did it, I wonder how many others have traveled through time? And did anyone from the past go forward?”
“There’s something to be said for being adaptable. Knowing I’m almost certainly stuck here instead of thinking I could go back and didn’t try hard enough, it makes the pain a little bit easier to bear. I just wish I could get a message to my dad.” She pursed her lips. “But from what you told me, it doesn’t matter anyway. You didn’t even get the message your sisters left.”
“I have been looking for you, wife.” Henry stood in front of them, sweaty and disheveled. He saw Anna’s face. His eyes widened. “Is my wife making you cry?”
Charlotte smacked him on the arm. “We were having a girl talk. Anna’s fine.”
And the funny thing was, Charlotte was right. She was fine. No matter what happened from this day forward, she was at peace. She would try one last time at the tower, and if it didn’t work, she would build a life here. Based on what Charlotte told her, there was a moment when each of them thought they could go back but they chose not to, so they didn’t know if they actually could. And if they did, there was no certainty they’d end up back in their own time.
It was enough to give her a migraine. Anna would always be sad about never saying goodbye to her dad, not being there to pay for his care. But knowing she couldn’t do anything about it and was stuck across an ocean of time made it just the tiniest bit easier to accept. If, by a miracle, she did go back, well, she’d deal with her broken heart then.
Now if she could only figure out if John liked her the tiniest bit.
Chapter Twenty-One
The days passed quickly. Each day Anna and Charlotte explored the tattered remains of Blackmoor Castle, a large key ring in hand. Emory handed over the keys and said he was going to stay with his sister in the village. He couldn’t stand all the racket and chaos after being alone at the castle for so long.
John and Henry, along with the rest of the men, were busy making repairs. John grumbled it would be a waste, since he’d die soon enough. Anna caught him looking over the work a few times, a smile on his face.
He was afraid. That was why he acted like they shouldn’t bother with repairs. He didn’t want to lose his home twice. So she didn’t say too much about the work or the future as they waited for John’s oldest brother, Edward, to send his mason and more men. They would need to accomplish a great deal of work in order for the place to be habitable by winter.
Winter. It was the first time she’d actually thought about a future here. Now was not the time, not when there was the tiniest sliver of hope she might be able to get back to her dad and her own time. She felt the passage of time. Soon she would have to insist it was time for her to leave.
“Hey, look what I found.” Charlotte wiped a smudge of dirt off her cheek as she poked her head out of a door at the end of the corridor.
Anna pointed. “You have cobwebs in your hair.”
Charlotte shrieked and brushed it away. She peered at Anna. “I’m afraid you have one on your shoulder and on your back. Turn around.”
At least Anna didn’t shriek, though she might have jumped. Just a little. She turned so Charlotte could wipe the cobweb and who knows what else off her dress.
“Thank you again for the dress. It’s nice to have two so I can rotate them.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m having a seamstress come next week. You need more to wear. If I left it to John, you’d still be walking around in your grubby jeans. Men. Clueless.”
“One of the women threw my jeans and t-shirt in the fire. I know they were absolutely disgusting…do you think it will harm my chances to go back?”
Charlotte chewed her bottom lip. “My sisters and I talked a lot about how we traveled through time. We don’t think you have to be wearing what you arrived in.” She patted her arm. “It’s for the best. Lucy was almost burned as a witch. Jeans are bad.”
“Don’t you miss wearing jeans?”
“All the time. And shorts and flip-flops. You?”
“I do, though it certainly is easy wearing a dress like this.” Anna looked down at the long dress with a simple apron over it. “I didn’t think pockets had been invented yet.”
Charlotte winked. “My sisters and I put them in all of our dresses. I don’t know how anyone survives without pockets.”
They looked over the room they’d unlocked. It was crammed floor to ceiling with furniture and bedding and other assorted bits and pieces. Guess Robert and Henry didn’t take everything with them. Talk about a daunting task. Anna was glad Charlotte was here to help her.
“All righty then, let’s start by pulling everything out into the hallway so we can see what we’ve got.” Charlotte dusted her hands off and slid what looked like a piece of a bed out of the room. “Can you imagine trying to move all this stuff if the floors were carpeted?”
“No way. I love hardwood and tile floors. You can move most furniture by yourself.” Anna held up what must’ve been bedding at some point but looked as if the rats and mice had had a field day over the years. “I’m thinking rag pile for these.”
“Ugh. Absolutely. Don’t worry; Henry and I brought plenty of bedding, pillows, and other odds and ends.”
“It’s so nice to have someone to talk to…you know, from our own time.” Anna was prevented saying more as a small girl and boy skidded to a stop in front of them.
“My lord says we’re to come and help you, lady.”
“Fetch buckets with water and soap. Then wipe down all the furniture.” Charlotte barked out orders, and Anna was impressed. She looked like such a sweet thing, but she probably could command her husband’s guards with a single glare. Anna felt a tiny twinge of jealousy. What she wouldn’t give to have that confidence and boldness.
As if Charlotte knew what she was thinking, she nudged Anna with an
elbow. “They need a firm hand and expect to be ordered about. Try it.” She grinned. “Once you get used to it, you’ll find the power quite heady stuff.”
“I believe you. I’ve seen the crew you put to work scouring the hall and kitchen.”
“Don’t worry, Anna. We’ll have this place gleaming in no time.” Charlotte looked up at the roof. “That’s assuming there aren’t any other holes in the roof and it doesn’t rain and ruin all our hard work.”
The day flew by as they talked of their old lives. What they missed, the things they had been glad to leave behind.
“…at first I couldn’t live without my phone and checking in on social media. Even when I traveled I was always plugged in. Totally addicted. But now, I like the fact I live my life and everyone doesn’t have to know what I’m doing every moment of the day. And I don’t need to know what they’re doing every moment of the day either.”
Charlotte sat on a chair they’d pulled from the room and wiped her brow. She’d sent the kids down for clean water.
“There are people at Falconburg who have been there their entire lives. It certainly changes your perspective, doesn’t it?”
“You’re not kidding. I’m glad I have a good sense of direction. Imagine being here without the maps app on your phone.”
Charlotte burst out laughing. “We Merriweather sisters are known for one thing above all others… we’re all dreadful with directions.”
They both laughed. Anna peeked up at her new friend.
“Is this what it would be like to have a sister?”
Charlotte hugged her. “Absolutely. I want you to know, you are officially an honorary Merriweather. And the Merriweather sisters stick together. No matter what.”
Charlotte sat back and took a sip of wine. When their stomachs started to growl, she’d sent one of the girls down to bring up food and drink.
“Now you have three sisters, Anna.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Look what you’ve done; you’ve made me cry.”
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