A Matter of Time: Book 4 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “Everyone’s coming, as far as I know. We all know it’s important to get in as much practice as we can before the tournament.” Zeke removed his jacket and hung it on a peg by the door. “Malcolm’s guys are tough. I’m not sure we’ll be able to beat them.”

  “Positive thinking. You must have faith in yourselves. Nick would hate to hear you talk like that.” Angelina’s face registered her disapproval, and seeing the reaction of the men at the door, she softened. “I believe you can do it. Sometimes people who are too cocky for their own good fail to see beyond their own high opinion of themselves.” That seemed to help. They appeared relieved that she wasn’t actually angry with them.

  “Where are Nick and Richard?” Kyle asked.

  “They’ll be here. Probably just stuck in typical rainy day traffic. They were grabbing a cab the last time I spoke with them. Help me mop up the floor so no one slips and falls while you’re practicing.” She handed out mops to a few of the guys, while the others used the towels she’d already laid out. They got the water situation taken care of and then they pulled out the mats, which they placed in the middle of the room to form a large square for their practice space.

  The door flew open and Nick and Richard, looking like two very handsome drowned rats, blew into the room. Richard said nothing. Angelina imagined he was trying to create a strong, silent mystique. Nick, on the other hand, began ordering the others to get their gear on and start sparring.

  “Angelina,” he kissed her cheek. “Was it bad in here?” He perused the large space and seemed pleased that everything was in order.

  “Not too bad. We got it all mopped up before you got here. That roof’s going to need to be repaired though. It may need to be replaced completely.” She pointed to all the buckets lined up on the floor.

  Nick looked up and nodded. “We might not have been much worse off practicing outside,” he laughed.

  Glancing around, she saw that Richard had quickly gotten to work with the guys. She heard him make it clear he would be sparring individually with each of them once again, and she guessed it was to see if they’d retained any knowledge from the last time he’d had them on their backs. Apparently, they hadn’t learned much. He seemed very patient with them as he explained where they’d gone wrong and then gave them an opportunity to try again. When they were successful, he was complimentary as he explained the finer points of swordplay and how they got it right, which went a long way towards making them want to try harder to please him. She couldn’t help but stare at Richard as he worked. Aside from Nick, he was the most masculine man she’d ever met. He exuded man in every way. She was drawn to him, but something told her that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. He was the kind of guy who played for keeps and she wasn’t interested in forever. She was only interested in right now. Best not to get involved with him at all, really. Still as she watched, something inside her chest longed to be near him. She imagined she was under a spell where he was concerned and she didn’t understand it.

  * * *

  Richard cast a quick glance in Angelina’s direction. He hadn’t stopped to speak with her, which he knew was rude, but a conversation with her would take him off his game and he needed to be alert if he was going to whip these men into shape for their competition. Even still, just being in the same room with her was a distraction. She was even lovelier dressed in her practice gear. How could that be? He was used to seeing the women of his time in gowns. To see a woman in breeches was unusual to say the least, but he found it strangely attractive. The curve of her hips and her shapely bottom were outlined for his eyes to explore. Before his conversation with Edna, Richard’s plans had included Angelina, but since he would be going back home, and soon he hoped, he had no intention of getting involved with a woman from this time, no matter how much his heart was drawn to her.

  “I see ye peeking at her,” Nick said, and he slapped Richard on the back. “And I see her sneaking glances in yer direction.”

  Richard didn’t answer, instead getting between Wade and Jayson as they were about to make contact. He corrected their stances and posture, gave them some words of encouragement and then returned his attention to Nick. “I do not understand what you are getting at.”

  “Yer interested… and so is she. I’d wager every cent I don’t have on it.” Nick chuckled as he grabbed Kyle by the back of his shirt and steered him out of harm’s way. “Excuse me for a moment,” he said to Richard and then proceeded to stand with Kyle, having him mimic every move he made as he advanced on his opponent. “That’s it! Ye’ve got it, now go do exactly as I’ve shown ye.”

  Richard watched with interest as Angelina engaged Zeke with her sword. As unusual as it was for a woman to engage in swordplay, she was exquisite in her movements and astonishingly better than a lot of men that he knew. She parried back and forth with Zeke, spinning and jabbing, eventually knocking his sword from his hand and a split second later, she had her own sword at his throat. Zeke stood, arms in the air, in surrender. Richard couldn’t help himself, “That was perfect, Angelina. Zeke, you could learn much from what just happened. Did you see how fluid her movements were? How she followed your every move? How you were so caught up in what she was doing, that you froze and allowed her to best you?” He turned his attention back to Angelina. “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

  “I’ve been at this for a few years now. I started out with Malcolm’s group, but when Nick came along, his methods were more to my liking. It just comes naturally to me. It’s like I know what my opponent is going to do before they do. Do you know what I mean?” She wrinkled her nose in the most fetching way.

  Richard fought to get his thoughts back on their conversation, as his attention slipped to her pert little nose and her full, sensual lips. “I do know what you mean. I feel that way myself. I would venture to say that I am so totally engrossed in what I am doing that everything else fades into the background, making it easier for me to read my opponent.”

  “Yes. It’s the Zen of swordplay,” she teased. Richard didn’t understand her reference and it must have shown on his face. “You know, being in the moment.”

  “That’s a good way to put it,” Richard said. “I believe Zeke is waiting for you.” He turned and walked away before she could read him, the way she had read Zeke. What she would see was a man who desperately wanted her, despite knowing he couldn’t have her. He intended to stick to his decision.

  “We’re making good progress with them,” Nick said as he approached. “With your help I believe we have a chance against Malcolm’s crew.”

  “I don’t care for him,” Richard stated, distaste showing on his face at the mention of Malcolm’s name.

  “He’s a strange one,” Nick conceded. “As I’ve said, we were friends at first, and then rivals. I’m nae sure what changed, but now he tries to act like a man who would be my friend again, while at the same time sending me signals that he wants to show me who the better warrior is.”

  “You would be, of course.” Richard kept his gaze on their students as he spoke with Nick. “He must know that.”

  Nick ignored the compliment. “The men he surrounds himself with are excellent in all forms of the martial arts. Sometimes, I think he believes this to be a real battle and that worries me. For this group, it’s a fun activity. Something they participate in to let off steam after long hours at their day jobs. Not a one of them has that killer instinct that is crucial to being a true warrior. That’s not to say we can’t train them to do all the right things, but if it came right down to it, they’d be hard pressed to actually hurt someone. Malcolm’s men are the exact opposite and that gives me pause. I don’t want anyone here getting hurt.”

  “And they won’t. We’ll see to it. How long do we have before the competition?” Richard asked as he sized up the group.

  “About two weeks.” Nick’s face revealed his concern.

  “Don’t worry. The two of us and Angelina are prepared. Zeke is coming along nicely as are Wade,
Kyle, and Jayson. The others will get there by the time of the competition,” Richard stated with confidence.

  Nick nodded. “As a precaution though, from this point forward I think we should practice every day.”

  Chapter 8

  Malcolm Granger sat in darkness behind the large mahogany desk in his office, which was perched at the very top of a skyscraper he not only owned, but occasionally called home. The floor to ceiling windows offered sweeping views of the city and the Bay and on a night like this, it was breathtakingly beautiful. The lights twinkled and reflected in the rain as it came down, pitter-pattering on the windows with every gust of wind. The east side of the bay was bathed in a soft light and the moon peeked out from behind dark clouds. Soon enough, it too would be experiencing this deluge, but for now it was being spared. Lightning flashed across the sky in streaks, sending brilliant light into the darkness around him. Malcolm felt its power coursing through his body with every display of its majesty.

  A knock at the door drew his attention, “Yes, come in.”

  “Mr. Granger,” Ellie Foster, Malcolm’s administrative assistant, entered the room, apparently not the least put off by the darkness. “I’m going home, unless you need me for something else.”

  “Good night,” Malcolm said. He was feeling magnanimous. “I won’t need you tomorrow, so enjoy a day off.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Granger. I’ll see you on Monday then,” Ellie said.

  “Leave the door open, I’m expecting someone.” He didn’t explain and Ellie knew him well enough to leave it be. “Yes, sir.”

  Malcolm stretched back into his chair. He was expecting Joel Prewitt, the head of acquisitions for his collection of medieval artifacts. He hoped Joel had the news he’d been waiting for. His search for the sword had been fruitless to this point, but Joel had been searching the length and breadth of Scotland to locate it, or at the very least to find any evidence of its existence. Malcolm stood and went to his liquor cabinet. He opened it and light flooded the room as he reached for the crystal decanter filled with his favorite scotch. He poured himself a generous portion and walked to the window where the lightning display continued to light up the night like Fourth of July fireworks. His doorbell chimed and Malcolm returned to his desk, pressing the button that would unlock the door allowing Joel to enter. Moments later, he heard the distinct sound of footsteps making their way down the hall to his office door.

  “Malcolm,” Joel called as he tapped lightly on the door.

  “I’m here,” Malcolm answered. “Come in and hit the light switch on your way through.”

  Joel obliged him and turned on the overhead lights. He carried a briefcase, which Malcolm hoped contained information about the artifact he sought. “It’s raining cats and dogs out there,” Joel stated, shucking off his raincoat.

  “I’m not interested in the weather,” Malcolm said. “What have you got for me?”

  Joel seemed nervous as he placed the briefcase on a nearby table and opened it. He pulled out a folder and walked to Malcolm’s desk. “May I?” he asked pointing to a chair.

  “Of course.” Malcolm was losing patience, Joel seemed to be stalling for time and he didn’t like it. “Spit it out. I’m not paying you to waste my time.”

  “Sorry,” Joel sputtered. “I didn’t find anything helpful I’m afraid. As I told you, I traveled throughout the highlands and visited many of my contacts. Not a one of them had anything for me. Usually they have at least some small thing, but this time they came up empty.”

  Malcolm’s jaw flexed as he struggled to control his anger. “Damn it!” He pounded his fist on the desk, making Joel jump. “Joel, you’re going to have to do better than that!” He stood and paced towards the windows. “Did you retrieve the information I requested?”

  At this question, Joel seemed to relax. “Yes, sir. I went to see the present day Mackall clan and inquired about one Sir Nicholas Mackall.” He opened the folder and placed its contents on the desk. “These are some genealogical records dating back to the early sixteenth century. According to the family members I met with, Sir Nicholas Mackall disappeared while out on a hunting expedition. There is a gap in the records at the point of his disappearance, and family records show nothing more about him. It’s unclear whether he was ever located again, or whether the records were somehow lost or destroyed.”

  Another curse erupted from Malcolm’s mouth. “Was there any record of a Nicholas Mackall in recent times?”

  “There is a Nicholas Mackall living in Edinburgh at this time. He is a descendant of Rory Mackall, who would have been one of Sir Nicholas Mackall’s brothers.” Joel waited while Malcolm digested this information. “They are quite an interesting family, my research shows that there were several brothers and two sisters.”

  “I don’t care about that,” Malcolm interrupted, pacing back and forth across the room. “Is this Nicholas Mackall still in Edinburgh?”

  “He is. They gave him a call while I was there and we spoke briefly. I can say with certainty that he is there.”

  “All right. I have another name I’d like you to research for me.” Malcolm paused, waiting as Joel took out a pen and his notebook. “Sir Richard Jefford.”

  Joel scrawled the name into his notebook. “Am I looking in present day records, or genealogical records?”

  “Both. You’ll be looking in English records and go as far back as you went for Mackall. This is a priority, do you understand?”

  “I do. I’ll get on it right away.” Joel gathered his things, leaving the folder for Sir Malcolm. “I’m sorry about the artifact, sir. I’ve got some colleagues doing research for me and I hope to have more information soon.” He backed towards the door as he spoke, seeming for all the world as if he couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

  “Let’s hope you do,” was Malcolm’s curt reply.

  “Good night, sir.” Joel left the room and Malcolm growled as he listened to the sound of his employee’s feet beating their way swiftly towards the door.

  So, he hadn’t received the news he’d been hoping for. He had absolutely no concrete evidence that Sir Nicholas Mackall, from sixteenth century Scotland, was the same Nick Mackall he knew today. Perhaps it had merely been the ramblings of a drunkard, but Nick had been very forthcoming with the information that he was a time traveller from medieval Scotland when they’d first met. Malcolm had been skeptical at first, but the more he thought about it, the more he believed it to be a real possibility. And, if it were true, he needed Nick to help him get back to that time period, so he could retrieve his artifact before it became an artifact. That part might be tricky and was exactly why he had his man following Angelina Lawson. Nick would likely not want to go back to his medieval life. After all, who in their right mind would want to leave present day San Francisco with all its wonders, for a backwards existence in medieval times? However, from Malcolm’s investigations, he’d discovered Nick had a soft spot for Angelina and if Nick wasn’t willing to help Malcolm, then Angelina was fair game to be used as a pawn in his bargaining. For now, Malcolm would wait for more information from Joel, but the thought of being able to travel back in time to retrieve a priceless treasure was intoxicating and a prospect he simply wouldn’t let go easily. He had Gabe Adamson following Angelina, so that he could track her activities. If the time came when he needed to use her as an end to his means, then he’d know exactly when it was best to strike.

  * * *

  “Come on, you two,” Angelina called from the doorway of the warehouse. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  Richard groaned inwardly. He didn’t think he would survive another ride in that hellish vehicle, but being close to the woman who was causing him such turmoil might just make it worth a short time with his knees wrapped around his ears.

  “Don’t look so excited, Richard.” Angelina had a teasing lilt to her voice. “My car isn’t quite big enough for the two of you, so I stopped by the house earlier and collected Dylan’s truck. It’s much roomier.�
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  Richard’s gaze went heavenward as he thanked his lucky stars for this turn of events.

  “That was quite stealthy of you, Angelina. I had no idea you were there.” Nick turned off the lights and exiting the building behind Richard and Angelina, locked the door. As they approached the truck, he waved Richard into the front passenger seat. “You sit up front, Richard. I’d like to stretch my legs in the back.”

  Richard nodded and strode quickly to the driver’s side to open the door for Angelina, who smiled in surprise at his gesture. “M’lady,” he announced, with a flourish of his arm.

  “Wow! I’m getting the royal treatment here.” She got in the car and Richard closed the door behind her, before getting in on the other side.

  “Seatbelt,” Angelina said.

  Richard glanced back at Nick for guidance. Nick grinned and popped his head between the two seats, snaking his arm around to pull on the seatbelt beside Richard’s shoulder, bringing it across his body and inserting it with a click. “Yes. Put that seatbelt on. We don’t want to get a ticket now, do we?” He winked at Richard and turning to Angelina said, “He’s such a scofflaw, this one.” Chuckling he sat back and put his own seatbelt on.

  Richard admired his friend’s ability to deflect attention from his ignorance of all things twenty first century. Angelina seemed none the wiser. He surreptitiously took in the interior of the truck and was quite impressed with how luxurious it was in comparison to the much smaller vehicle Angelina seemed to prefer.

  “Isn’t this more comfy,” she asked, as she pulled out of the parking lot and headed into the heart of the city. “Looks like it’s starting to rain again.” She touched something near the steering wheel and another modern miracle began to clear the water from the windshield. Fascinated though he was, Richard kept his thoughts to himself. The large raindrops began to fall with increasing speed until they pelted the truck in a constant splattering rhythm. Angelina was complaining about the fact that people didn’t know how to drive in the rain and Nick was agreeing with her. Richard kept silent, having nothing to add to the conversation. Instead, he gazed out the window at the passing sights. It was dark now, but the streetlights lit their surroundings just enough for him to see. The stop and go of the vehicles around them interrupted their progress, but that was fine with Richard. He was enjoying the opportunity to sit beside this woman, who was an enigma to him. She was a rare beauty, delicate and feminine. The smell of her perfume was driving him crazy with the desire to nuzzle her neck with his nose. Self-control was his greatest ally at this moment, the only thing stopping him from giving in to his needs. Despite her dainty demeanor, Angelina had proven she could wield a sword with the best of them, and he didn’t doubt she’d take a dim view of him touching her without her permission. In fact, she was better than their entire group, with the exception of himself and Nick of course.