A Knight Such as This: Enhanced with Interactive Content: (Time Travel Romance) Book 1 & 2 (Ravenhurst Series)

by Lorraine Beaumont

  He was in the perfect relationship, but he found he wanted more. Was that the way of it? He wondered. Even if he did have Marguerite, would he someday look at her while thinking to himself she was not enough, either?

  Mayhap that was why he thought Judith was different. Was he trying in his own way to save her from the same fate as his mother? Could saving Judith from the streets somehow make amends for not saving his mother? He often hoped she could fill the void he found within himself, but she was only a short reprieve as well. It all seemed so useless at times.

  And even now, he no longer knew what drove him to where he found himself. He had everything, but it was still not enough. Now he was close to losing everything he had worked so hard to gain.

  With Isabelle free, she could have made it to Ravenhurst by now. It was only a short ride away. He took a heavy breath. Yes, it would only be a matter of time before he found himself with nothing more than he started with, except this time, he would be sent to the gallows, and that place was so much worse. That realization made him laugh out loud. He shook his head and took another pull from the bottle. The sound of his laughter was bitter and hollow. How did he not see before?

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  Judith burrowed her face deeper into the folds of Isabelle’s cloak as the horse she took from the stables picked its way through the ever-deepening snow. She was a friendly, docile horse, and they were making good time until the blasted snow started falling in earnest again, making the beast unsure of her whereabouts. Somehow, she got turned around and now had no idea where she was.

  “Damn you Devlin!” At least Isabelle was good for something…her cloak kept Judith pretty warm, considering. She amended quickly, Isabelle’s cloak was good for something, not Isabelle, never Isabelle; she was a mean old bat. Lulled by the rocking motion of the horse, her thoughts strayed to Devlin. Being astride the horse reminded her of how much she would miss his insatiable prowess in bed. He really did know how to please a woman…

  The mare stumbled.

  Judith pitched forward and then reared back on the reins, regaining her seat. She turned to check on her goodies and gasped in horror. The satchel filled with all the items that what would turn into her ticket out of this place was sliding off the back of the horse. She wrenched her body around and quickly grabbed the handles but it was too heavy. The satchel clattered loudly to the ground.

  Startled from the sound, the horse reared.

  “Bloody Hell!” Judith yanked hard on the reins. The horse danced backwards. A sharp branch cut into the flank of the horse. The horse whinnied and bucked. Judith lost her seat and flew off the horse, landing face-first in the snow.

  Judith groaned loudly, and rolled over.

  Spooked, the horse took off in a flurry of fur and snow.

  Snow mixed with sleet pelted her in the face. She crawled to her feet. Pulling her hood more snugly around her face, she wiped the wetness in the folds.

  The wind whipped her cloak as she leaned forward and tried to pick up her satchel. She pulled on the handles, but it was simply too heavy. Again, she pulled as hard as she could. The satchel slid this time. The silver clanked and clattered loudly as she followed the trail left by her frightened horse.

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  The invisible noose was tightening on his neck and Devlin was losing all hope of ever finding Isabelle in time. He lingered under the tree, disheartened, drinking every bit of the brandy he took from Hawthorne. Obviously, he would not be indulging in something this fine ever again, so he saw no reason not to partake fully now. Every drink he took burned a path down his gullet. It felt good…at least, he could still feel something. He could not believe his brilliant plan was crashing down around him, and for what? What had he gained? Nothing, that is what, and now he was at his wits’ end. “Where the hell did she go?”

  Draining the last of the bottle, he walked over to his horse and put it back into his saddlebag. Reaching out he balanced himself on the side of his horse, unsteady on his feet. It did not matter. What little hope he garnered was disappearing with every moment that passed. He climbed up on his horse.

  A crash sounded, echoing in the darkness.

  The saddle made a creaking sound when he leaned forward. Thick flakes of snow drifted slowly to the ground. In the distance, he could see a shape, no, a person, moving slowly through the drifting snow. “Could it be?” His pulse picked up. Maneuvering his horse out from under the shelter of the tree, he called out in the darkness, “Isabelle!”

  Judith froze. Good Lord, did someone just yell Isabelle? No, it could not be… her body filled with dread. Her shoulders slumped. She knew who it was… Devlin. She did not think he would be too happy to see her, especially since he would know she was leaving him. It would be impossible not to notice with most of Hawthorne’s valuables shoved in the satchel at her feet. She really had only one choice… run. And run she did. She took off across the field, the satchel quickly forgotten. Snow kicked up in her wake as she ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

  Devlin was not to be thwarted. Not now, not with the balance of his own freedom hanging loosely by a thread. He dismounted quickly and chased after his quarry.

  Judith ran onward through the snow, which was not easy, especially in a gown. Her lungs burned, and her legs ached from running, but she kept going. She felt him closing in. She was so intent on getting away from Devlin, she did not realize where she was headed. The dark crevice of the ravine loomed in front of her.

  Devlin slowed his pace and stopped, trying to catch his breath. He bent over, braced his hands on his knees, and watched Isabelle run straight towards the ravine. In just a matter of moments, she would run right off the side. That would certainly be her fate if he did nothing to stop her. He battled an internal conflict. He could be quiet and let her seal her own fate thereby saving himself or…

  “Oh, Bloody Hell!” he swore. He could not do it. He could not let her die. “STOP, DAMN YOU!”

  Judith pulled up short, stopping on the very precipice of the ravine; still not seeing her doom that lay right before her. Slowly, she turned and looked directly at Devlin.

  Devlin was stunned. Why was Judith in front of him? Dawning came slowly, but when it did, her motives were crystal clear. “Judith, what in the hell are you doing?” His eyes lowered to her hand. She was holding a bag and not just any bag either. It was one of Isabelle’s jewelry bags.

  Judith balled up her fists, ready for a fight. “I am running from you, fool,” she spat out in disgust.

  The wind carried her words towards Devlin and rang out loud and clear. “FOOL?” A bark of laughter split the air. “My God, Judith, you think I am a fool?” He laughed harder. He suddenly found her words hysterical.

  “What is so funny?”

  “Judith, you are a bloody idiot.” He shook his head. “Have you always been this stupid or is this some new proficiency that you have acquired and have finally managed to master? If so, good work, you are doing one hell of a bang up job.”

  It took Judith a moment to catch the meaning behind his words. Her face flamed. “ME, stupid?” she screamed with uncontrolled rage. “How dare you call me stupid? If it were not for me, you would have been forgotten long ago by that doddering old hag you so liked to bed. I saved you from utter monotony. At least I could pleasure you in ways we both know that old woman could never accomplish. And you thanked me how, Devlin?” she asked pointedly. “I will tell you how. You turned on me… ME!” She thumped her finger against her chest.

  Devlin absorbed every verbal blow she tossed his way. “Really?” he asked. “I think I may need some clarification on that subject, Judith. Who exactly, turned on whom?”

  She shook her head, not understanding what he was getting at.

  “Oh, I see, you do not understand the question.” He shook his head as if saying, see you are stupid. “What is in the bag, Judith?”

  “It is mine.” Judith clutched the bag closer to her body. “I deserve it.”

  “You deserve it?” D
evlin studied her a moment. “Interesting choice of words?” When she said nothing more he added, “I will bite. Why do you think you deserve a bag full of jewels? That is what you have in the bag, correct? Isabelle’s Jewels?”

  Judith’s silence was all the answer he needed. He could not believe it. She was not only leaving him when he was in dire straits but also robbing him blind as well. He was beginning to see her with a new pair of eyes. “Judith, I asked you a question.”

  “Fine. Yes, they are her jewels,” she said nastily. “Happy now?” She made a sour face. “Consider them payment for services rendered.”

  “Judith, Judith, Judith…” He shook his head. “I hate to tell you this, but there is no way anyone would pay that much money for your services.”

  “Why not?”

  “You are not that good in bed.”

  Her expression changed and she narrowed her eyes. “That is perfect Devlin, thank you. You can stand on your moral high ground and think you are so much better than me but you are not. You are no better than me.” She pulled the cloak closer to her body.

  “Really, how is that Judith?” he had to ask.

  “You let some doddering old hag have her way with you for coin. You are no better than I am, so I do not understand why you always pretend like you are. Your proficiency at gaining coin for your ministrations in bed astounds me as well, Devlin. Perhaps, you are right, I may not be as skilled of a lover as you, but you can not fault me for that. You were trained by a Master. I was not.”

  “Judith, what in the hell are you talking about? What Master?” Devlin yelled against the raging wind.

  Judith screamed, very loud and clear, “Your mother!”

  The wind died down as if someone turned a switch off.

  Devlin felt the weight of her cruel words chill him to his core. He looked at her but did not see the girl in front of him now, but saw the one she was so long ago, when he met her. How could he have been so stupid to believe she actually cared for him? Perhaps she was right. He was stupid. Stupid for believing someone may have cared for him in the first place. “I misjudged you, Judith. I believe you may be right. I am stupid. Stupid for believing you were worth saving, when it is obvious you are not.” He turned to walk away but paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Oh by the way Judith, you are standing on the edge of a ravine. Pray tell, who is the stupid one now?” He lifted his brow mockingly, then turned on his heel, and walked away.

  Judith peered over her shoulder. He was right. She was standing just a few short feet away from the mouth of the ravine. She turned back around and took a few steps forward. Devlin was walking away as though she was of no consequence. She could not stand it. “DEVLIN!”

  He did not turn.

  “DEVLIN!”

  Devlin heard her psychotic screams. He felt numb; he just did not have the fight in him any longer. So he kept walking.

  Judith seethed. How could he walk away as if she were nothing… NOTHING? She could not stand the way she felt. She had nothing to fight with. She wished she had a gun to shoot him right in his cold-hearted back.

  Without thinking, she threw her coveted bag of jewels at him.

  The bag slammed into the back of his head.

  Devlin staggered forward from the blow. His step faltered but he righted himself and kept right on walking.

  Judith’s whole body shuddered. She gasped for breath. What in the hell was she thinking? She needed those jewels. Of course, rage was controlling her emotions, not common sense.

  But he did not even stop… he kept walking away… as if she was nothing… NOTHING! She covered her mouth to stifle the sobs that were threatening to escape. Having used the only physical weapon she had left, she felt helpless, exposed. Her whole body shook as she screamed in outrage. “You are a good-for-nothing wastrel. You will never fit in. NEVER, do you hear me?” Her sobs turned her taunts into disjointed pieces. “You are nothing but Isabelle’s bitch! You did her bidding just as you did your mother’s!”

  Devlin stopped abruptly. A flash of anger surged through his veins. That was twice now she made misuse of his mother. He turned slowly around. Without taking his eyes from her face, he bent down and picked up the velvet purse. He pulled apart the golden braided cords and looked inside. A shimmering array of jewels lay in the bottom. He lifted his face to hers and pulled the cords closed. He smiled coldly at her and started to walk forward, tossing the bag up and down in his hand.

  Judith’s smile of satisfaction faded as soon as Devlin started to walk toward her. A cold wash of fear poured over her body. “Devlin… I… ah…” She looked over her shoulder and took a step back.

  Devlin stopped. They both faced off at the edge of the ravine. Time seemed to stand still as they stared at one another. He was ready for battle, until the futility of the situation came crashing down around him. What was the point? Conceding the fight, he gave her one, long, last look and then tossed the bag of jewels in her direction.

  The bag landed just short of the edge of the ravine. He took a breath and delivered his last comment with slow deliberation, “Go ahead and take the jewels, Judith. You may have them free and clear. Do not worry about me coming after you either, as I fear they will be all you will ever have.” And with that final statement, Devlin Renquist turned and strode away from Judith, walking a little taller and straighter than he had in a very long time.

  Judith watched him walk away, words eluding her for the first time in her life. He did not care about the jewels? How was that possible… she did not understand. Money is what they schemed for, connived for. This is what she, Judith, had tried to kill for. And yet after all this time he did not care, not a whit? Did he ever? She had to wonder.

  With shaking hands, she pulled the hood of the cloak back up over her head. She gazed over at the bag of jewels, making up her mind. Devlin might believe he reformed and become a paragon, but he was not. He was a dimwitted fool. And even though he was stupid enough to leave the jewels behind, she was not. She deserved them.

  Greed got the best of Judith. It always did. And that greed gave her courage when she may not have had any. She shuffled forward towards the edge of the ravine where the jewels were. Carefully she bent down in front of the big, black, gaping hole and grabbed the jewels up.

  Excitement overtaking caution, she moved too quickly and stepped on the edge of her cloak. She pitched forward. Reflexively, she jerked back and tried to regain her balance, but the weight of the cloak combined with the snow was simply too heavy…slowly, she slid backward in the dark abyss of the ravine.

  The last sight Judith Alexandra Beauchamp’s eyes beheld was Devlin’s silhouette walking away in the distance.

  She really wished she had a gun.

  IF WALLS COULD TALK

  RAVENHURST

  CLUTCHING, the heavy poker in my hand, I tested its heft and swung it like a bat. It was my weapon of choice if the need arose. Suddenly, the wind that was gusting steadily through the hole in the wall stopped. Cold dread washed over me. I stepped back away from the opening, listening intently. I was trying to hear if someone was climbing the stairs. A bone chilling eerie silence was my reward. How did the wind stop, just like that? Was there another entrance? There had to be.

  Well, at least that answered one of the many questions. Obviously, something was down there and whatever it was had stopped the air from coming up the stairs. Now the better question was, who or what had stopped the air and how?

  They were all good questions, but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to find out any of the answers.

  Maybe I should just call it a day and hide under the blankets of my borrowed bed until morning. Right. Then whoever was down in the hole would sneak their gross ass up the stairs and kill me while I slept.

  Nope, not going to happen. Besides, how could I sleep when I knew there was a big ass hole in the wall? No, I was going to have to find out what was down there. The little voice in my mind taunted me… curiosity killed the cat.

  “Oh good
Lord! What would stop it from killing me?”

  Maybe I should give up being a detective and find Milford or the freakishly strong maid with the rag that tried to kill me earlier. If I got her in the room then at least I could shove her ass down the stairs and find out what was down there.

  No, unfortunately shoving the maid down the stairs was not a real option either.

  I could always ask Sebastian. “Oh, sure, sure, like he would be so happy to help me,” I muttered, remembering the look on his face when I ran off in the middle of our heated moment together.

  Accepting my own shortcomings, I sighed heavily. No, it was probably better to fly solo on this. Gathering what little courage I had left, I lifted the poker and walked in front of the wardrobe, my body poised for attack.

  “AH HA!” I yanked the doors open. Imaginary crickets chirped in my mind. Nothing but an exorbitant amount of gowns and rows of shoes on the bottom greeted me. Setting the poker on the floor, I reached inside and pulled out several pairs of shoes. When the first row of shoes were out, I tried another approach. The gowns were too heavy to push aside and there were too many to take down, so I opted for the dive in headfirst approach.

  Holding my breath, I shoved my head into the middle of the gowns and grabbed up as many shoes as I could without suffocating between crinoline, silk, and taffeta. Pulling my head back out, I took a big breath and dove in again.

  After three tries, I had out all the shoes I could find. At least twenty pairs of shoes were in front of me. All kinds of styles, for a Victorian. And here I thought I had a lot of shoes. This girl put my meager ten pairs of shoes to shame. Sitting on my knees, I sorted through the shoes and found a pair of sturdy looking ankle boots. They were not nearly as nice as some of the other shoes but they would work better for what I had in mind….which was run if I found a monster was down in that black hole.