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The early morning sun spilled slowly through the windows, chasing shadows from the room. He sat silently in the corner where the light did not reach, watching her every move. Each step she took in the bright morning light gave him another glimpse of her naked body through the prim, little gown she was wearing. Her dark hair tumbled down her back, barely touching the top of her heart-shaped derriere. She stopped in the middle of the room, slowly turning, giving him another peek of her full, round breasts as the palest shade of pink, cresting the tips came into view. He had no idea she was such a delectable treat. Pity he did not know from the start, or he may not have been so opposed to the marriage in the first place.
Teri Gibson aka Editing Fairy,
For working your magic on my book
You really made it sparkle!
Thank You!
The stately grandfather clock groaned out its sixth chime to mark the hour. Katherine stood and smoothed the wrinkles from her pencil skirt, shoving her feet back into her sweet, new Betsey Johnson peep-toe pumps, waiting patiently. It would only be a few seconds more.
The floor began to vibrate.
They were moving fast today. The glass doors flew open as gusts of cool air blew her long, dark hair away from her face. “Have a good weekend!” she waved, calling after them, the Evening Stampede.
A few, blurred air-waves were thrown back as they flew past.
She lowered her arm and sat back down.
It was amazing how fast her co-workers could move when it was closing time. Now they were all huddled in a group, waiting for the elevators to come up to the twelfth floor. Biddle & Bailey, the high-end auction house she worked for, owned the building. The reception area was in the center of the twelfth floor. Bronze statuary and Chinese ceramics were some of the items showcased in lit alcoves throughout the room. A large, still-life painting hung on the cream colored, textured walls above an Eames-era sofa.
Two separate sets of glass doors flanked either side of her desk and led to different departments. A lone glass door near the elevators; was completely off limits. It led to a set of private offices for the owners.
The elevators dinged. Everyone squeezed on except Dane and Candy; they were too busy flirting with each other. They were both married, but not to each other.
Katherine could not leave until everyone else left, so she busied herself with inane tasks, attempting to look occupied.
Of course, it was a lie. She was really trying to see if they were hooking up tonight. Her best guess was yes.
The elevator was coming up fast…
Suddenly a blob of black blocked her view. She knew who it was. She also knew what he ate for lunch today… sushi.
She shoved her chair back before his burst of fish breath reached her. The elevator door dinged shut. They were gone.
She let out a breathy sigh. Oh well. Now she guessed she would never know if they were doing the deed or not.
“Hey Ned, what’s up?” she asked. He was one of the appraisers and the infamous blob who blocked her view.
He lifted his finger in the air, asking for a moment of her time. He was chewing something.
She hoped it was a mint.
Katherine grabbed her Michael Kors logo bag and stuffed it with her Midnight Rendezvous nail polish from her Friday manicure, iPod, and BlackBerry. She closed her W magazine and shoved it into her Warhol Marilyn tote as she glanced at the clock. It was already six-twenty; traffic was going to be a bitch. She noticed Ned had finally stopped chewing and was now digging in his pockets. “Ned, do you need my help with something?” she asked, trying to hurry him along so she could leave.
He shook his head back and forth.
Letting out a deflated sigh, Katherine pulled her chair over, and sat back down. Who knew how long this was going to take? She grabbed a magazine and leafed through it.
“Ah, here we are,” he said as he pulled a white envelope out of his pocket and leaned forward.
“So Katherine, what is on your agenda for this weekend?”
Katherine carelessly tossed the magazine back on the desk. She leaned back and pulled her loose hair into a messy bun. “Oh, the usual: hanging at home, seeing what’s going to be On Demand.” She hoped something good was on. Her mind wandered; maybe they would play a triple feature of Twilight. Right, then she should really pick up some tasty take out and something yummy for dessert. Maybe some chips to counter the sweets. Damn, were her sweats clean? Well, she guessed she could do the wash. Then it wouldn’t seem like she was such a lazy ass.
Ned cleared his throat loudly.
Katherine smiled awkwardly, embarrassed to have completely spaced. “Sorry, my mind,” she said stupidly, rolling her eyes, and twirling her finger in the air.
“Oh posh, there is no need to apologize,” he stated simply, dismissively waving his hand at her. “The reason for my question is that it seems I have been fortunate enough to procure tickets to Biddle & Bailey’s Historic Society’s Preservation Ball.” He paused a moment. “It’s to be held at Ravenhurst estate,” he said, his voice rising higher, flapping the coveted invitation in the air.
“Ravenhurst,” she echoed in disbelief.
Ned nodded his head up and down.
Katherine’s fingers suddenly itched for the invitation. She had half a mind to jump from her seat and wrestle him to the ground to get her hands on it.
Ravenhurst was one of those places everyone talked about, especially in the appraisal business. It was a magnificent creation, erected as far back as King Arthur’s realm, and steeped in as many legends.
“Ned…”
“Shush,” he said, curling his lip up and wagging his finger in disproval.
Katherine visibly tensed. She felt like a reprimanded child.
“I say, are you all right, Katherine?” Ned asked, concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Ned.” She lied; she hated when people did that.
“As I was saying, I do realize this is extremely short notice, but you did make a point earlier that you do not seem to have any pressing engagements for this evening, correct?” Ned questioned, raising his brows slightly.
Wait… he was asking her to go… Katherine’s irritation with Ned faded quickly away; she could certainly forgive him this once for shushing her.
She weighed her options quickly. She could either stay at home, lusting after some fictional characters from a movie, stuffing her face all the while … or she could go to a ball?
No brainer, she was all over the second option. Bummer though, she had nothing to wear and her fatty pants weren’t going to cut it, not there.
Ned continued, “I was appointed a driver and the evening is to be a costumed affair. Everyone must dress in a particular era. I thought the Victorian era would be perfect. I do so love all things Victorian, you know, and it really does promise to be jolly good time,” he said, rubbing his hands together in excited anticipation.
Holy crap, this was getting better and better. Not only was she invited to a freaking castle, but she was going to get to dress up in a costume too. She clasped her hands together; just think of whom I might meet? she thought happily.
Oh hell, who cared? Even if she didn’t meet anyone, just to have the opportunity to see the inside of Ravenhurst’s formidable walls would be all the enticement needed; the rest was just icing on the cake. Her mind sped off to another time and place. What had it been like to live in a place like Ravenhurst? She could envision the balls and the hunts that must have taken place on long weekend parties. What an adventurous time
! The clothes alone were enough to make a girl swoon.
Oh, and the gallant men! How they must have courted their ladies. Were they like Rhett Butler, in Gone with the Wind? Dashing, debonair, and rich? Or more reserved, brooding, and rich like John Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility? She sighed loudly, resting her chin on her hand, her head in the clouds.
Ned tapped the top of the desk with his fingers, pulling her from her stupor. “Heck yeah, I would love to go!” she practically yelled in excitement.
“Wonderful!” Ned exclaimed, smiling broadly, his elation clearly showing.
Hell, she was elated. Katherine could tell he had a small crush on her since she had started working at Biddle & Bailey. He was a bit old for her, and not even close to being her type; but hey, he was nice. Still, nice only got you so far. A platonic, brotherly type date was about as much as he would get. He should try for Janice. She was Katherine’s age and did anyone who gave her the time of day and had some money. The UPS guy was her latest conquest. Janice would not shut up about how handsome he was in his brown uniform. All Katherine noticed was his uniform was the same shade of brown as the doggie bomb she almost stepped in on her way to work one day.
Speaking of crap, reality set in. “I can’t go. I have nothing to wear,” she whined. Leaning forward, she let her forehead smash on the cool marble of the desk in theatrical defeat.
Ned laughed brightly at her antics. “No worries, my sweet. Have you forgotten that I am Biddle & Bailey’s sole appraiser of antique textiles? My job has some pretty nice perks,” he boasted, smiling broadly. “I have just the thing for you to wear down in storage. Give me but a moment, and I will retrieve it for you.”
Once the coast was clear, Katherine broke into her staple, happy dance across the floor, singing out, “I’m going to a castle!” She had her foot lifted in the air and her head shaking to the unheard beat, when the elevator dinged. She froze mid-shake, lowering her arms quickly, feeling stupid.
She was half expecting to see Ned doing the “Speedy Gonzales” (her name for his fast-paced walk) across the reception area floor. However, it was not Ned coming across the room; it was a good-looking, older man. Katherine’s mouth fell open stupidly as he strode forward. He took his time and had a casual elegance. He carried an umbrella in one hand, tucked under his arm, and a small box in the other. His hair was white, but you could see glimpses of the dark, almost black color it had once been.
Katherine quickly ran her hands down the sides of her skirt, trying to smooth the wrinkles out from sitting all day. She looked down at her blouse, and of course, the stain she thought she washed out from her morning coffee spill had reappeared… wonderful. She gave up trying to fix her appearance; it was useless. Squaring her shoulders, she plastered on what she hoped was her most flattering: I am a professional smile. “Good evening. May I help you?” she asked, full of fake, bubbly brightness.
The gentleman smiled, making his eyes twinkle. “As a matter of fact, my fine lady, you may.” He smiled again. “I have an item in my possession that I would like to have you look at,” he said simply.
Katherine was about to tell him that she wasn’t an appraiser, but then he started to pull something sparkly from the box and her desire to see what he had won out instead. His hand paused in mid-air, just long enough for her conscience to kick in. “All the appraisers are gone for the evening,” she said quickly, watching his hand.
“Is that so?” He looked thoughtful. “Perhaps you could help me?” he questioned, quirking a brow.
Katherine cleared her throat, trying to remove the lump that took up residence in the middle of her neck suddenly. “I may not be of much assistance to you, but I will certainly try,” she squeaked.
“My dear, sweet Katherine, I feel quite certain that you, of all people, are the only one who can help me.” He smiled playfully.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up. How did he know her name? She had a strange feeling that she should remember something. Her mind raced, trying to recall if she somehow met this man before. She thought not. The man moved her nameplate on the desk and the creepy feeling she had receded a bit, but not entirely. The light above glinted off his ring as he withdrew the contents of the package. Where did he come from? He had such an old world charm about him. He looked like he was from another century.
His hands stilled.
All of Katherine’s thoughts turned to vapor as her mouth dropped open once more. A ginormous, blood-red stone, encased in gold, glimmered under the lights. She instantly had an overwhelming urge to take it from the man, but shook off the feeling before she did something stupid.
Katherine knew, all too well, that you do not ever ogle consigners’ items no matter how sweet they were, and still, she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch it.
The gentleman chuckled and pulled the necklace just from her reach.
Blast! He may be old, but he sure was fast. She narrowed her eyes, never taking them off the prize. It swung haphazardly back and forth. She forced her gaze away from it. She had to; she could feel his eyes boring into her own, giving her a reprimanding stare. She cringed with embarrassment.
He raised his brow, his eloquent voice echoing through the room. “Do not let the beauty of this necklace fool you,” he warned. “Legend has it that every one of the previous wearers mysteriously disappeared.”
Katherine pulled her gaze from the necklace for a minute, his words finally registering in her mind. “What? How can the wearer disappear and you have the necklace? That doesn’t make any sense,” she asked awkwardly.
He smiled, making his eyes twinkle once more. “Goodness, you are a quick one, aren’t you, Katherine?”
She had no answer to that.
“The necklace does tend to show back up through time. Who knows? Perhaps there is more than one of these floating about,” he said dismissively, setting the necklace back down on the desk.
Katherine’s body stiffened reflexively as her ears perked up. There was more than one necklace? Her mind raced, trying to figure out where she might find one for herself. She looked back at him; he was staring right at her, she felt stupid. “Yeah, that does sound, um, weird.”
He looked perplexed and then continued on, “Well, the story is that this necklace was made by a gentleman from Arthurian times.”
“Arthurian times? You mean King Arthur’s time with Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table?” she asked eagerly, her mind beginning to envision it all.
He chuckled. The sound reminded her of a Christmas cookie, warm and sugary.
“I personally have never seen the actual Knights of the Round Table, or Merlin, for that matter. He was known to be a bit of a recluse, always keeping himself closeted away, spying on Morrigan.”
Katherine shook her head. Was this guy serious? Maybe he was crazy after all. She took a reflexive step backwards as he picked up the necklace again. He had a faraway look on his face.
“This particular necklace was created to bring a knight back his lost love.”
“Bring her back? From where?” she asked stupidly.
“I cannot say,” he replied sadly.
“What?” she asked again.
“Unfortunately, we will never know,” he said offhandedly.
“What? Why won’t we know?” she asked, getting irritated that he was just going to leave her hanging like that.
“I apologize, dear; the tale has been lost through time. Who knows? Mayhap there was another reason altogether for the making of the necklace or necklaces.” He chuckled lightly.
Katherine narrowed her eyes at him, noticing his laugh wasn’t all warm and sugary this time. It sounded strained and tight instead. She stared at him to see if his countenance would falter. His expression didn’t change. He was probably an awesome poker player.
He set the necklace on the desk, running his fingers down the length of the chain. “This necklace is supposed to have power within,” he commented distantly.
She watche
d his every move. “What kind of power?”
“Apparently, if this necklace is worn when the moon is full, and the stars align just right, otherworldly things will happen.”
She opened her mouth and shut it again, shaking her head. “Um… okay… if you say so.” she tried not to roll her eyes but couldn’t stop her disbelief from showing.
“I am completely serious, Katherine, take heed to what I say,” he said sternly, leaning in. “This is no mere necklace; the wearer will become captive to the whims of another,” he warned.
Well, okay then, that did it. He may be handsome and regal, but obviously, his poker deck was missing a few too many cards for her taste. Right, held captive by a necklace, not likely. If that were possible, she would have had one of the suckers made years ago and slammed it around the neck of her first crush. She imagined that for a minute, then immediately tossed the notion from her mind. Ah no, on second thought, good thing she didn’t, since he turned out to be a gigantic LOSER. She shook the unpleasant memory from her mind and turned to get a consignment contract for the gentlemen to look at.
Of course, Biddle & Bailey’s stout rules bobbed through her mind. Rule number one; never ogle the consigners’ belongings. Just broke it.
Rule number two: never touch, try on, or lust after consigners’ valuables. We at Biddle & Bailey are better than that.
Unfortunately, she found herself contemplating breaking that one as well. Crap.
She regained her composure, plastering on her best “I am a professional” smile again, and turned around, holding the contract firmly in her grasp. A chill swept through her body. He was gone. An uneasy feeling gathered in the pit of her stomach. She tried to come up with a simple explanation for his sudden disappearance, and how in the hell he moved so fast. Maybe he was related to Ned: Speedy Gonzales II.
Katherine’s eyes zeroed in on the necklace that was still lying on the top of the desk, its cold, dark marble the perfect backdrop for the fiery stone. It sparkled like liquid fire, tempting her.
She stole glances at it, like she did with Dane and Candy, always pretending not to look, but keeping it within sight. Surely, he would be back in just a moment, especially if it held all that mystical mumbo jumbo he claimed it held.
Forgotten Time (Ravenhurst Series, #1) A New Adult Time Travel Romance Page 1