Giles and John both smirked. Barnacle Goose was an excuse used to eat meat on a day of fasting. Considered to be fish, not flesh, few people actually believed it, but it made a good argument for varying the dull Lenten fare.
“And it does not seem at all strange to me that our Lord should provide a miraculous cure on such a day. Besides,” she said, looked at them sharply, “miracle or other, you need this device. De Soutenay is in the right of it; you must not be seen to have any connection with this apothecary or his family. De Soutenay,” she purred, favouring Giles with a smile which was almost bewitching in itself, “it is only to be expected that you might go missing around then, to have, let us say, a dalliance with some wench. I feel sure you understand me. We shall expect your reappearance right speedily, however. And no more shall be said about this device outside of we three.”
Eleanor gazed at him speculatively. “If you are faithful in this matter, you shall be recompensed right well. It is high time you were wed. I shall cast my eyes around for a suitable heiress for you. No doubt I can convince the King that you are deserving of this favour, having served my will so faithfully. No, of course, I shall not tell Richard what service he has provided, John.
“Know you, de Soutenay, that Richard would not refuse me this boon, so long as I choose an heiress whom he has not already selected for disposal.”
Giles felt a small frisson of relief. He knew any heiress provided would not be one of the wealthiest young women at the crown’s bestowment, but certainly, if he could perform this well, he would keep his lands, be able to add to them and have Eleanor’s protection, which was not something he took lightly. He just hoped this heiress would be young and well-favoured; it was not always the case. Still, he was in no position to be choosy. As long as she was not past her prime and had lands to add to his own, he would accept her gratefully.
“Now,” Eleanor continued, “I shall leave this matter in your hands, and if you should happen to be about your own business for the next sennight or more, and if you should happen to keep a secret tryst with a young woman, I am sure we would need no knowledge of the details. Only,” she paused, her pointed chin resting on her slender hand, “be very certain not to tarry longer than necessary. I am sure I do not need to remind you not to disappoint us. Now,” she waved her hand in elegant dismissal, “for certes you wish to refresh yourself.” She gestured that the audience was at an end.
Giles rose to his feet, executed a somewhat stiff bow, for he had been long on horseback that day, and removed himself hastily from their presence.
Reaction set in almost immediately. The knots forming in his muscles tightened, and he almost stumbled as he made his way to the great hall. Glancing around, he saw only wine. Faugh! He needed something lighter, more refreshing. “Hoy, Will!” He gestured to one of the younger squires. “Ale, and that right quickly.”
He seized the ale the squire brought him and tossed most of it back in two swallows, leaning against the wall while his erratic heartbeat slowed to its usual pace. Not for a dozen heiresses would he go through that again. Clammy with sweat, he felt as exhausted as at the end of a hard battle. Thank heaven he had eaten at a hostelry on the way here; for of a surety, he could force down nothing more solid than this for the nonce. He took another swig and immediately choked, as a rough clout on his shoulder made him stagger. Making an obscene remark, he turned to see his elder brother at his elbow.
“You look as though a goose walked over your grave, little brother. I swear you are almost greensick.” Ralph de Soutenay guffawed and buffeted him jovially again. Giles smiled thinly, not in the mood for his brother’s boisterous humour.
“It’s far too long since you warmed yourself at our hearth, Giles.” The honeyed tones of Maude, Ralph’s wife, met his ear. He saw her standing just behind Ralph, slender and elegant in her court dress of blue with silver stitchery round the neck and hem. God send him an heiress as fair.
Maude stepped forward, raised herself on tiptoe and kissed him warmly on the cheek. “Time you saw your godson again. Will you not pay a visit to us soon, if John can spare you?”
Giles smiled. A visit to his brother’s manor, which stood a scant ten miles from Sparnstow, would prove to be the perfect cover. It would certainly be pleasant company, and he was grateful to be able to remove himself from the poisonous atmosphere at court. He put a careless arm around Maude’s slim waist, kissed her soundly and nodded his assent. “That can be arranged. I’ll warrant young Martin has grown a handspan since I last saw him.”
It couldn’t have worked better had he planned it himself.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
2006
As the girls clambered into the car, I glanced at my watch. Only 5 pm? Surely not. I felt as though I had been gone for hours. Maybe things had happened more quickly in that other world. Certainly, a lot had been packed into what now seemed to be a scant space of time. I had no idea what hour I’d arrived in the past, couldn’t even remember what time we’d arrived at the Abbey. We’d stopped on the way there for an early lunch, but I seemed to have completely lost track of time, and I suppose it would be impossible to tell if the clocks matched up exactly. Come to that, did they have clocks back then? How were they able to tell the time at all?
The girls chatted behind me, both opting to sit in the back seat so they could spread out their treasures. It looked to me as though they had bought half the contents of the gift shop.
“Did you enjoy it?” I called over my shoulder.
“Yes! It was so cool. Mum, you should see what we’ve got. We’ve got maps and charts of what it looked like before horrid old Henry had it destroyed. It was beautiful.” Chloe heaved a big sigh of satisfaction. “Just imagine. I can’t wait to show you.”
That would be interesting. I must remember not to look as though I actually knew any of it already. “So would you have liked to live back then?”
“Yes!”
“NO!”
Shannon’s ‘No!’ was even louder than Chloe’s ‘Yes.’
“Oh, Shannon, you would. It would have been lovely.” Chloe was determined to instil her own yearnings into her sister.
“No, it wouldn’t. I’d have been married to some horrid old man, or I’d have been a boring old nun, or I might even have been poor and lived in a hovel.”
I smirked. Shannon’s streak of practicality would always come to the fore. To say she was prosaic would have been an understatement, but she had a point.
“I wouldn’t have been poor.” Chloe clung to her dreams determinedly. “I’d have been rich, I just know it. I’d have had beautiful gowns, and I’d have married a young, handsome knight and lived in a castle.”
I drove them home arguing happily. It seemed only too likely that life in twelfth century England would have been no bed of roses, whether you were rich or poor.
“Mum?”
“Yes, Shannon.”
“You know when you fell over under that tree?”
“Yep.” I kept my eyes on the road; we were nearly home, but there was a tricky roundabout coming up ahead.
“I thought I heard a swarm of bees.”
I indicated frantically and swerved into a layby.
“Muuuuum! What was that for?”
“Sorry, girls.” I grasped at a straw. “Something just flew into the car and went down my neck. It’s all right, Shannon,” as she shrieked, “it wasn’t a bee. I think it was a ladybird. It’s tickling me, and I couldn’t concentrate on the road.” I wriggled and scratched convincingly, whilst trying to digest what Shannon had said. If anyone had heard the tree, I would have thought it would have been imaginative Chloe, not my steady, down-to-earth little Shannon.
“Bees?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Really? Did you hear them, Chloe?”
“Course not. There wasn’t a single bee anywhere. I would have noticed,” she said virtuously.
I got a grip, steadied my nerves and turned the engine back on. Shaken, I slipped back into the traffi
c, trying to focus. There was too much on my mind for conversation, and I drove home in silence, tormented by what I’d heard. I hoped this time travelling wasn’t some kind of awful gift which I could pass on to her. Frowning, I shook my head impatiently. Don’t be stupid.
When we got home, I was too busy to think on the day’s events further, but that evening, after dinner, Chloe insisted on watching something she’d found about medieval times on the TV. Normally, I’d have chatted with Tom or read a magazine, or something; this time, I watched avidly. It wasn’t the twelfth century; it was about Alfred the Great, whoever he was. I was disappointed, but despite myself, I found it fascinating. I found I had to stop myself making comments.
Chloe sat there, transfixed; Shannon was texting. I snuggled up against Tom, and he put an arm round me.
“What happened to you today, then? Did you see a ghost at the Abbey or something?”
I pulled away and looked at him, feeling a flush rise up my neck. “What do you mean?”
He laughed. “I’ve never seen you interested in this sort of thing before. That trip to the Abbey must have been good.”
Relieved, I just nodded and leaned back against him. Then, my eyes went back to the TV, but my concentration was gone. I was just beginning to remember I had a promise to keep, and I didn’t have much time. There was nothing I could do tonight though. Luckily, I was booked off work next week. Tom and I were redecorating the kitchen, but Tom would be doing most of the work. He didn’t really appreciate my painting skills, so I would be prepping and clearing up. There would be plenty of time for me to do research in between. I scratched at a bite on my neck absentmindedly. Darned gnats.
The programme finished, Chloe switched off the TV and turned around, her eyes shining. “Wasn’t that great?” She grabbed at my hand mid-scratch and stared with avaricious eyes at the heavy gold ring Hildegarde had given me. “Wow. What have you got there, Mum? That’s just awesome. Can I try it on?”
“Sure.” I tugged it off and threw it to her. “Catch.”
She fumbled at it for a second then dropped it.
“Butterfingers,” Tom chuckled.
“No, I’m not. I caught it, but it gave me a shock. It must have got static electricity or something.” She rubbed at her hand. “Take it back, Mum.”
I reached out for it, but Shannon got there first. I paused, hand still outstretched, horrified at the expression on her face. Shannon didn’t like stuff like this, preferring dainty things with butterflies, but suddenly, I was looking at a stranger. She held it in her hand, turning it, examining it. Then, she slid it on her thumb and held her hand out to admire it. Her face took on shadows that had nothing to do with the lamp she was sitting beneath; her eyes were fixed. Suddenly, she wrenched it off and gave it back to me. “It’s yours. You should wear it, it isn’t mine yet.”
I slid it back on my finger; it felt smooth, comforting. She was right, it was mine.
Tom took my hand, assessing it. “Nice,” he said. “Looks like a man’s ring to me. And it looks like it’s worth a few quid. Where did you get it?”
I looked him straight in the eyes. “A ghostly abbess gave it to me.” He grinned. ”Honestly, Tom, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Shannon kept her eyes on my face. “I’m tired, I’m going to bed. Coming Chloe?”
As they went out the door, Shannon turned and looked at me intently. “I did hear bees,” she said quietly. “I know there weren’t any, but I did hear them.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
2006
I’d done it. It had far been easier than I had expected. Not that I could guarantee it would be any good; anything bought without a prescription on the internet is never without risk. But there they were, on the screen in front of me – epinephrine injectors. Better get him a spare, I supposed reluctantly. But oh, the price! If it wasn’t for the fact that it might affect my future, he could have managed with just the one. But wait – that was in dollars. What would it be in pounds? I checked the currency convertor. Yeah, that sounded a bit more like it. It was still pretty steep though, a drain on our finances I didn’t need. What a good job I was the one who did the family accounts. I wouldn’t have wanted to try to explain to Tom.
I tried to imagine how I would react if things had been the other way round and he was telling me he’d travelled through time and met Prince John. Yeah, right! I’d have thought he was winding me up, that, or going crazy. It wasn’t really very believable, was it?. The girls might have swallowed it; at their ages, beliefs were not so set in stone, and wanting to believe it was half the battle, but even then…
I rubbed my garnet ring, remembering the expression on Shannon’s face when she first saw it. That was my biggest concern. Somehow, Shannon knew something. She’d believe my story, not that she was ever going to hear it from me. Thank goodness Chloe had seen and heard nothing. And as for the ring, that was really strange. It seemed to repel her, in fact, which was just as well. Shannon was my sensible one. The thought of her ever ending up back there was enough to worry about. The idea of Chloe, with her head full of dreams, ever getting through that darned old beech, was enough to scare me to death. Shannon, at least, wouldn’t go looking for adventures. I could only hope it would never draw her as it had me. I was sure of one thing; I was never taking either of them to Sparnstow, or within a twenty mile radius of it, ever again.
Coming back to what I was doing, I added two injector pens to my basket, crossed my fingers and paid up with a grimace. I hoped this site was genuine. It seemed the most likely. I’d actually been quite surprised how many places sold the things, along with all sorts of other medication. I never thought I’d be trying to buy anything without prescription. Still, at least it wasn’t something illegal. Now, I just had to hold my breath and hope the dratted things showed up. I only had a couple of weeks. If they didn’t come, what would I do? And what would poor Giles do?
It was funny, I didn’t think when I was shrinking from that terrible sword or hissing threats at him, that I’d ever come to think of him as ‘poor Giles.’ If I’d had a dagger on me, I really do think I might have stabbed him. I’m not sure. I don’t think I could ever stab someone anywhere vital, but if it was a case of that or being taken prisoner, who knows? But as I came to see the very real strain he was under, he got beneath my guard. And somehow, it seems strange to think it, but we had made some kind of connection. I almost felt as though part of him was in my blood.
I shook my head to dispel my thoughts, closed down the computer and got to my feet. Tom and I had finished most of the decorating last week, but there were still some tasks to be done. As I only worked part-time, I was tackling them. Leaving the past behind me, I pushed my hair behind my ears, put on my overalls and got to work.
The Wednesday before Whitsun, nothing had arrived. No injectors. As the day wore on and no deliveries appeared, my nerves were stretched to breaking point. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t concentrate. The girls had both been at home since Monday with stomach bugs. Nearly recovered now, they were mostly glued to the TV or their mobiles, thank goodness, but even they noticed I was on edge.
That night, lying next to Tom, I looked out of the window, wide awake. Finally, after a couple of hours trying not to fidget, I must have nodded off, when I was woken by the sound of a tractor. Wait! Tractor? It was still dark. The sound started up again. Tom! Of all the times for him to start snoring! He hardly ever did. I nudged him in the ribs, and he turned over. I tried to settle down again, but I was wide awake again now. Maybe I’d get myself a hot drink and read for a while. It might help me to relax. Slipping quietly out of bed, I put on my dressing gown and padded from the room.
Just making a cup of cocoa helped steady me. If they didn’t come, then they didn’t come. There was nothing I could do. And for goodness sake! Giles had been dead for centuries. Oh! I shuddered, and it wasn’t the cold. Why did that thought have to come into my head now? The man who had kissed me – nothing but bones in his tomb
. Horrible! And Hildegarde too. All that life and energy. Was there life after death? Hildegarde obviously believed it, I wished I did too. Maybe I’d read my Bible sometime. Did they have Bibles in those days? Surely the nuns did. If ever I met her again, I’d have to ask her what she did believe. If ever…but then that wasn’t going to happen. Even if the goods arrived on time, I was only putting them through the beech. No way was I going back there. I used to think England was going to hell in a handcart, but that was before I’d had a sword held at my heart by a man in a mail shirt in the twelfth century. At least we have laws now; there seemed to be precious few back then. I picked up a magazine and tried to concentrate on that, sipped at my cocoa and then curled up on the sofa and slept.
The shrill of the doorbell jolted me awake, and I blinked blearily at the clock; Tom must have slipped out to work without waking me. A thud came from overhead. Chloe! I had to reach the door before she did. If that was my delivery, she wouldn’t stop to see who it was addressed to – not Chloe. If she was given a parcel, she’d tear into it straight away, and how would I explain it? Leaping from the sofa and pulling my dressing gown around me, I flew to the door, reaching it just in time. Chloe hovered behind me, peering over my shoulder, trying to see what I was signing for.
“It’s for me. Go on; go back to bed, and I’ll bring you up a cup of tea.” She lingered, looking at the package in my hand expectantly. “Go on. I’ll be up in a moment.”
Walking into the kitchen, I shut the door behind me. My hands shook as I tore the box open. As the injectors came into sight, I realised I’d been holding my breath and exhaled in a rush. They looked all right. I picked one up and examined it more closely. Nothing seemed to be amiss. What about the use by date? Yup. That was all right too. They would last until next year. As for the epinephrine they contained – who knew? We’d have to hope they would work well enough if they were ever needed.
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