Garrick stuck his head inside the hut. “My arse is frozen. Shall we ride for home so I may find a wench to warm it?”
Outside, the morning sun turned everything into a magical land of snow and ice. Icicles hung from the trees, glinting in the light. The unblemished snow looked like the domain of an ice princess.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Aye,” Richard said, but when Chloe looked at him, he wasn’t staring at the landscape—he was looking at her. All of a sudden, she was warm again as she tried her best to smooth her curls.
“Leave them be. I like the way they fly about.” He lifted her up on the horse and then settled in behind her, wrapping his cloak around both of them.
“I am glad you are well, mistress.” Garrick rode alongside them. “We were worried for you.” Then he smirked.
She looked back to see not only Garrick but most of the men with grins on their faces. “What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Falconburg is to the north and the west,” Richard said.
“I know that,” she retorted.
“You went south. Several miles south,” Garrick said between laughter. He and the men laughed, and even Richard joined in. But when Chloe laughed too, Garrick tilted his head. “You are not vexed?”
“I went the wrong way. I really am a Merriweather.” Seeing the confused looks, she elaborated: “All the Merriweathers are bad with directions.”
Garrick and the men looked lost, but she felt Richard shift behind her.
“I understand,” he whispered in her ear.
Chloe had made one decision during her time in the past: she was going to learn to ride. Horses were much faster than walking. Plus, they were cute.
Warm from Richard’s body and both their cloaks, she dozed on and off, reliving the major moment they’d shared, when he’d come for her and swept her up in his arms. It was almost enough to make her believe her fairy tale had come true.
The gruff man had apologized. And not some halfhearted apology she’d heard guys at school give their girlfriends when they just wanted to move on with their day, pretending whatever the issue was had never happened.
Now that she knew he was illegitimate, his overkill of temper made sense. She’d heard her granda talk about his time working in the casino in Vegas. How men defined themselves by their careers, or titles, or wealth. To a man who’d come from nothing, Bainford was something he’d do almost anything to hold on to.
All his stomping about had rubbed off on Chloe. She rather liked grumbling a bit. It was exhausting to pretend to be happy all the time. Nothing made her madder than when someone told her to smile. Or said, “You’d be so pretty if you smiled.” It made her want to punch them.
She could be perfectly content sitting in the library, reading or studying, and then someone would tell her to smile or ask what was wrong. As if they cared; they just wanted the drama. It made her want to throw something. But not a book. The horror. Throwing a book was as bad as the monsters who dog-eared the pages. She shuddered.
“Are you cold?” he said in her ear.
“I’m warm, just anxious to be home.”
When they crossed the drawbridge, she wanted to jump off the horse and run, but forced herself to stay seated and not startle the big black horse. All of the kids had lined up in the courtyard, waiting. When Richard lifted her off the horse, they swarmed her, talking at once, so many little voices that she couldn’t keep track of who was chattering.
“We thought you’d been eaten by a wolf.”
“Or gored by a boar.”
“Where did you go?”
“Did you stay with the faeries?”
“Why did you leave us?”
“My lord has been in a foul temper since you left us.”
That one penetrated her brain. “What? I didn’t leave. Lord Bainford threw me out.” While she’d forgiven him, she wasn’t above making him suffer and throwing him under the bus.
There were gasps and glares. “Nay.”
“Yes, it’s true.” Then she let it go, not willing to hold a grudge. “But he apologized and all is forgiven.”
As she said it, she looked at him with his hood down. His gaze found her and held, and the voices of the kids faded away until there was only them and the lightly falling snow. It was like one of those Hallmark movies her mom loved to watch over and over again.
A tug on her dress snapped her out of the moment.
“Come see. While you were lost, we cleaned the cellar and the chapel.”
Chloe hugged Garrick and smiled at the guardsmen. “Thank you for coming for me.”
When she hugged Richard, she found herself inhaling the scent of him, warm and comfortable, until someone cleared their throat.
They awkwardly pulled apart. As she let the children pull her along to show her what they’d accomplished, she touched his hand, feeling the calluses on his palm as she passed. “I hoped you would come find me.”
He grunted. From him, the grunt was almost a declaration. He might as well have broken out into song and dance.
She giggled, skipping along with the kids through the snow as they chattered away, dogs following along, tails wagging. And the cats? Two of them stood sentinel at the door, disdain on their cute little black faces. The only thing that would have made her homecoming even better was to have her family with her.
At the doorway, the dogs’ tails quit wagging, and they moved slowly, looking from one cat to the other. Chloe couldn’t hold in the laugh. Sara Beth’s cat ran their household. They had a labradoodle who was afraid of the cat, and the cat, Boots, knew it. She would walk up and stare at Pumpkin, and the dog would move back, sit, and wait, while Boots ate the dog’s food. Chloe was convinced the cat didn’t even like dog food and only did it to show she was boss.
Kind of like Richard. In her time, he wouldn’t be expected to be a grownup. But here? He was a man, had been for years. Responsible for a home and all who depended on him. He was so much more mature than her.
She wasn’t flighty, but she was only eighteen. The thought of running a household was foreign to her. Enough that she’d acted without thinking. It was hard living in the past. Actions had consequences. And not silly ones, like someone getting mad on social media, but life and death. In the future, she’d be more careful of what she did and said.
After praising the children for the great job they’d done cleaning, she ran into Tomas.
“My lord demanded a hot bath for you, mistress.” She followed him to the bathing chamber, pressing her lips together so she wouldn’t laugh at how serious he was. While she was waiting for the servants to finish filling the bath, a hearty stew and bread with butter, along with a goblet of spiced wine, was brought to her. Chloe sighed with pleasure as her belly grumbled.
After her bath, she’d changed into a tunic and hose and was curled up in a chair before the fire in Richard’s solar. There was a lady’s solar, but it still needed repairs.
* * *
Richard strode in, pleased to find Chloe in front of the fire. She belonged there, in his solar. His lady.
“I have wine.” She rose and poured him a goblet.
He groaned and joined her, lying down on the floor. The ache in his back was worse today. Lying on the floor eased the pain.
“Might you continue your labors?” He looked at her through a lock of copper hair that had fallen over his good eye. “The lads all say how nice it smells. The rushes are not slimy or smelly. Even the dogs smell nice.”
Chloe made a noise in the back of her throat, sounding rather a lot like him. Which pleased him more than he thought it would. Careful not to smirk, he waited for her answer.
“The girls bathed the dogs. I heard all about it.”
“Aye. The lads as well.”
“With threats of violence.” She stretched. “Yes. I’ll stay.” Then she curled her hair around a finger, over and over, bewitching him. “Richard?”
“Aye, love?”
“Has ther
e been any word from Falconburg?”
Chloe had not forgiven him. She wished to go to her kin. To leave him.
Chapter 21
“Nay, Chloe. No word from Falconburg. ’Tis a treacherous time for travel,” Richard said gruffly.
Chloe had accepted that it might be several months before a reply came from Falconburg, but she’d asked anyway, hoping to meet her great-aunt.
After her adventure, she knew trying to make the journey alone would be dangerous. In the meantime, she’d make the best of things, make herself useful, and soak in every detail for when she went home and told her family about her trip. But if she couldn’t go back…or decided not to…?
The lack of the familiar sharp pain in her heart startled Chloe. She knew how worried her family must be. Had they even considered she’d traveled back in time?
When she was little, she’d told them she was going to go back and meet her great-aunts. Who knew it would come true? If only she could get a message to them. Gram had told her how the not knowing was the worst. First when she’d lost Granda, and then later when her nieces disappeared.
For the first time since arriving a few weeks ago, Chloe was conflicted. Going back to the future meant leaving him.
He was the first guy she’d met who was quieter than her. At first he’d terrified her, but now she tried to get him to talk. And when they sat in front of the fire, like tonight, the silences were comfortable, not awkward, like when she’d gone out with a friend of Sara Beth’s current crush. It was a disaster. Dating was hard. Being with Richard was easy, except when he was being a pigheaded idiot.
The days fell into a routine. Chloe would get up and eat, then gather the kids to do chores, with treats awarded at the end of the week for whoever did the best work.
After dinner, she and Richard would walk and get to know each other better, and then she’d take a nap or play with the animals until supper. They would talk, and occasionally Richard would laugh. After supper, she had been teaching the kids the alphabet. Later she’d teach them to read if she was still here. It kept her occupied until it was time to go to bed. He would escort her to her chamber, linger outside the door…but Richard still hadn’t kissed her. What was he waiting for? Maybe he only liked her as a friend?
It had been raining all day, so she and a few of the kids had been busy exploring every nook and cranny of the castle from top to bottom. Chloe’s stomach rumbled.
“We missed dinner.” Wade looked forlorn.
His sister, Maron, sniffed. “Aye, but I smell supper.”
“I do too.” Chloe grinned. “Come on, I’ll race you.” And she set off running down the hallway, the kids on her heels.
They skidded to a stop in the hall and went to their places at the tables. Richard stopped cutting his meat and sniffed. “What have you been doing? You reek.”
She discreetly sniffed and agreed, but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. The man still had atrocious manners. “That isn’t a very nice thing to say.”
He reached up and wiped her cheek. “Nay? ’Tis true. You are covered in dirt. Have you been playing with the piglets again?”
She stuck her tongue out at him, happy when he chuckled. “If you must know, we were exploring. You’ll never guess what we found.” She pretended she was extremely interested in watching the kids while she waited.
His nose touched her ear, making her jump. “Tell me,” he said so low that only she could hear. His deep voice sent shivers through her. He sounded like one of her favorite country singers, Kane Brown.
“There is a hidden room on the fourth floor near the tower.” She turned to face him.
He frowned. “I have not found such a chamber.”
“Of course not; it’s a secret room. Robin leaned against the hearth, there was a click, and the wall opened up.” She was so excited that she could hardly stand it.
“Truly?”
She rolled her eyes. “Aren’t you excited? Don’t you want to know what we found?”
This time he smiled. “Gold.”
“No. But almost as good.” She was starving, so she took a few bites of the meat, making him wait while she chewed, enjoying watching him fidget. She swallowed then took a leisurely sip of wine before he put a hand on her arm.
“Tell me. Do not make me wait.” He was wearing a chestnut-brown tunic and hose that made the copper stand out in his hair. Even with the scars, he looked like a fallen fae prince. Chloe barely noticed them anymore.
“We found several tapestries and a few pieces of furniture. But only one rug.” She sighed. “I was hoping for a few more rugs. The floors are so cold.”
“Rugs cost money. I will not squander hard-earned gold for pretty trinkets.”
“Hair ribbons are trinkets. Rugs are not. You should be comfortable. Your hall doesn’t have to be as dismal as your mood.” She glared at him. “Big jerk,” she mumbled.
“Jerk?” he said.
“Oh, you heard that?” She smiled sweetly. “What is it you say? Oh, right. You’re a dolt.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, and she knew he was trying not to laugh.
“Respect your elders.”
She snorted. “Well, bless your heart. You certainly act like a cranky old man.”
Richard leaned back in the chair. No one ever teased him, so she made sure to do it on a regular basis.
“And you, mistress, act like a child.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s the best you’ve got? I’m supposed to be silly and have fun. I don’t have to be serious until I finish college and get a job.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. Darn it, sometimes she still slipped.
One of the dogs had picked that moment to chase the cat under the table. In the ensuing commotion, Chloe hoped Richard had missed the slip. They good-naturedly sniped back and forth until supper was over.
* * *
“Richard. Did you hear? There’s going to be a market in the village tomorrow. Can we go?”
Chloe liked to sleep late, so he was surprised to see her up and about. She had tied a green ribbon around her hair. She wore her burgundy gown and was holding one of the cats in her arms. The wee beast yawned, showing its teeth, its tail twitching as it watched him.
“Why?”
She stamped her foot, sending the cat running. “It’s been too cold to go outside. I’m bored. I want to see people. And I need things.” Chloe held up her hands. “I’m not saying I want to spend all your gold. I know how hard you have worked to earn it. I’ve seen the men that come to fight.”
Did she think him unable to best those men? He could win with one hand tied to his belt. He wanted to kiss her as she stood in front of him, tapping her booted foot on the floor.
“Living in a pleasing home improves the mood,” she said.
“It does, does it? Says who?” He snorted.
“Everyone, silly.” She frowned. “We need wooden serving utensils, a few more spices—you know, stuff.”
Richard avoided the village. “Garrick will take you.”
“I thought it would be nice to go together.” She touched his arm, her delicate fingers sending warmth through him.
“Nay. I have things needs seen to.”
His woman narrowed her eyes. “The villagers just need to be around you. They will see you are a man. Not some supernatural being or devil.”
She paced back and forth in his solar. “Your face is healed. Look in the water and see for yourself, it is not nearly as terrible as you think.” She said it so softly that he took a step closer to hear. “The scars have faded.”
He sneered. “I care not what those gossips say. I am the lord of Bainford.”
She sighed. “Whatever. I’ll go with Garrick.”
When she left, he did not feel as pleased as he thought he would. Nay, his heart ached.
Chapter 22
“Mistress Chloe, what ails you?” Garrick sheathed his sword and strode over to her.
“That odious man.” She plopped down on the s
tone bench against the wall. It protected her from the wind, and she could watch the men practicing in the lists.
“Ah, Richard.” Garrick sat beside her.
“He makes me madder than a wet hen.” She huffed.
He threw back his head and laughed. The guy was huge, with enormous hands and feet. Sturdy like an old tree. She wondered why he hadn’t married but didn’t want to pry into his business. Though she thought he’d make someone a good husband, and the kids adored him.
He slapped his knee. “I believe a hen that is wet would be vexed indeed.”
They sat for a while as Garrick explained the finer aspects of sword fighting, pointing out what the men would do next. When they would parry and when they would lunge.
“Garrick? Can you tell me how much money I have?” She pulled the pouch out of her pocket and dropped it in his palm.
He opened it, his eyes wide. “This is a fortune. Where did you get the funds?”
“My father gave it to me to hide on the ship, so I had it when we were in the storm.” She hated lying, but there was no way she was telling them she was from the future. If some guy showed up in Holden Beach saying he was from the past, he’d be locked up for a psych eval. No one would believe him. And she had no desire to be drowned or burned at the stake.
“What do you plan to do?” Garrick asked.
“I told Richard I would pay to live here but he wouldn’t hear of it, so I want to buy paint for the walls, a couple of rugs, and maybe a few chairs. If I have enough?”
“You have more than enough.”
“Don’t tell him. I want it to be a surprise.”
Garrick looked unsure but nodded. “He does not care for surprises.”
“Well, he’ll just have to get over it.”
“I will take you.” He stood. “Now leave me to the lads.”
That evening, after supper, Chloe was in the solar with Richard, sitting on the floor on the single rug she’d found in the hidden room. It was beautiful, with muted shades depicting the forest and wild animals. She’d placed the rug in front of the fire, but not so close it would get burned by the sparks.
A Moonlit Knight_A Knights Through Time Romance Page 11