The women left tittering and calling out a few more suggestions. They’d left a plate with some fruit, cheese, and bread, along with plenty of wine.
She sat in front of a low fire staring into the flames. A quiet knock sounded and Henry came into the room. It was a relief he wanted to talk. Stubborn as a mule, her sisters liked to say. At least she’d listened without throwing anything. She was still embarrassed for totally going ballistic and throwing the pitcher at him. Never in her whole life had she behaved in such a way. Aunt Pittypat would have been horrified.
They’d spend the remainder of the night sleeping next to each other. When she woke, she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all. Too much emotional upheaval over the past few days and the added energy drain from their talk last night.
The door opened as she dropped the cloth in the basin and reached for her chemise. Henry gasped. “You have writing on your body.” He walked over to her. “May I?”
Charlotte held the chemise in front of her, baring her side. “They’re called tattoos.”
He knelt, tracing the words with a finger, raising goosebumps on her flesh. What would it be like to feel his touch over the rest of her body?
“‘The soul is here for its own joy.’” Henry looked up at her, his breath warm against her skin as he spoke. “’Tis a beautiful saying.”
On his knees, he leaned closer, his hair tickling her flesh.
“Om. What is Om?” Henry peered up at her. “The sound of the universe smiling.”
He leaned back on his heels, looking at her, then it was as if he suddenly realized she was standing there naked before him, except for the chemise covering the important bits.
Henry stumbled to his feet and turned around. “My apologies.”
She pulled the chemise over her head, then the dress. “I’m afraid I can’t do the rest by myself. I’ll call for Addie.”
“I will aid you.” Henry fastened up the dress. It was oddly intimate, him helping her dress. Every day now it would be this way. She was aware of the tiniest movement, his fingers tying laces, his breath on her skin, and the smell of him. Charlotte leaned into him. There was a charge in the air. He gave her a look so full of heat she felt like she was the only woman in the entire world.
“You are the kind of woman men go to war for.” He captured her mouth, and Charlotte kissed him back like a drowning woman given oxygen. They were perfect together.
Henry dispatched a messenger to the bishop to inform him of the good news. “Make haste, man. The bishop will surely want to send his blessing to the new lady of Ravenskirk.”
He smirked as the messenger rode out. And continued to smirk as the man rode across the bridge and out of sight.
The swordsmith hastily jumped up. “My lord, how may I be of service?”
“I would like to give my lady two daggers as a wedding gift.” Henry opened the pouch at his waist, pulling out two stones, which he handed to the man. Fulbert was a bear of a man and kin to his brother Edward’s blacksmith.
Fulbert examined the stones. “The amethyst and sapphire are a good size for the hilts. Was there anything in particular you wanted on the hilt and blade?”
“Flowers and vines carved on the hilt around the stone. On the blade with the amethyst, the word Om seven times and then the words The sound of the universe smiling.”
The man looked dubious but nodded. “And the sapphire?”
“The same carvings and the words The soul is here for its own joy.”
Fulbert grunted. “’Tis a lovely saying.” The man scratched his beard. “Boots.”
“Boots?”
“Aye. The lady can keep her daggers in the boots. Much easier than reaching through her skirts or in a belt at her waist.”
Henry nodded. He would have a new pair of boots made for her. He clapped the man on the back. “I thank ye.”
It was time Henry took Charlotte to Falconburg and then on to Blackford. The sickness was abating, and it would soon be safe to travel. If they found no answers, he would take her to each of his brothers’ castles. He wanted them to meet his new wife. And to aid her in finding her sisters. Charlotte would be pleased. Henry was happier than he had been in a long time. As he strode across the courtyard, his captain ran up to him. The look on his face wiped away Henry’s high spirits.
“We are under siege.”
“Bloody hell. Get everyone inside. Dismantle the bridge and close the gates.”
“’Tis already underway.”
Where was Charlotte? He had to find her. Ensure her safety. She liked to leave the castle and forage for wildflowers. As if in answer to his unasked question, Royce placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder.
“Do not fear; your lady is safe. She is in the kitchen going over the contents of the larder and storerooms with Mrs. Benton.”
“How did this happen with no warning? Who was on duty?”
“The three men watching the north and west should have sounded the alarm. They are now missing. In league with Timothy.”
Henry swore.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The castle was under siege. Henry assured her this had never happened before. They would be trapped on what amounted to an island. Charlotte forced herself to stop, stand still, and practice breathing. There wasn’t time for a panic attack. Wasn’t time to fall to pieces. She must do whatever she could to help. Not only because anyone would, but because she was now the lady of the castle and was expected to do so.
She’d been outside the castle walls looking at land to plan an orchard and another garden when Liam threw her on the back of a horse and rode like hell for the castle.
That was when she spotted the army of men coming out of the woods. It looked like rush hour in the Tokyo subway, or an anthill knocked over. She’d never dreamt her heart could beat so fast or so loud. Charlotte was wild with fear, panting for breath and seeing spots by the time they thundered across the bridge.
“Thank goodness the villagers are already here.” She tugged on Liam’s tunic. “What about the people outside the walls?”
“They are here, lady. And look, the rest come.”
She watched men, women, and children running for the safety of the castle. No sooner had the people crossed the bridge than men set to work dismantling the thing. Would they get it done before their attackers reached them?
“Come inside the castle, lady.”
“No, Liam. I want to see. When the portcullis slams shut, I’ll go in.”
He looked dubious, but turned to help the other garrison knights.
“Chester, I don’t see one of those big siege towers. That’s good, right?”
“The land is too uneven for such a tower. They will have the trebuchet.”
She gulped. It felt like she was in the middle of a movie. Except this was all too real. And now, along with Henry, she was responsible for the life of every person within the walls. If the village hadn’t been burnt to the ground, how many would still be out there? The castle was filled to capacity. Would they have enough food? Hadn’t she read somewhere that sieges could last years? Thank goodness they had the two wells within the castle walls so there would be clean drinking water.
The bridge dismantled, the gate slammed down just in time. There were so many men out there. Charlotte was totally out of her depth.
“Open the damn gates, Henry. By rights, Ravenskirk belongs to me. Your father stole it and I will take it back.”
Henry stood on the battlements looking down on his enemy. “Fight me. The winner takes Ravenskirk.”
“You cheat. In every tourney you cheated. I am the better warrior. I have no need to fight you or steal another man’s wife,” the man blustered.
“Hallsey, you are weak. I bested you as my sire bested your sire. Leave my lands now and I won’t run you through.”
“I will starve you out. Then I will kill anyone left alive within the walls and let the crows feast on your bones.”
An archer let loose an arrow. Hallsey jumped bac
k, his face mottled with rage. “You will die by my sword, Thornton swine.”
Henry threw back his head and laughed. “Come and get me, you great bloody whoreson.”
In the kitchens, Charlotte talked with Mrs. Benton as they went over the foodstuffs.
“Do not fear, lady. We have enough.”
“Even with all the extra villagers?”
“We will have enough.”
Charlotte thought she looked worried. Didn’t it figure? She wanted to stamp her foot and throw a tantrum like the cute little girl who’d lived down the street from her back in Holden Beach.
Every time she thought it would be the right time to finally come clean and tell Henry she was from the future, to tell him the whole story, something happened. When she woke this morning, she’d decided today was the day. Now they’d cleared the air, she didn’t want such a big secret between them.
He was her husband even though he’d only married her to save her. She was still his wife, stuck in medieval England. And since her sisters had never come back to the future, Charlotte had to assume she was here permanently. So she would make the best of the situation. And, truth be told, it could be worse. He could’ve been an old, bald, mean man. Instead she’d gotten the movie star guy. Let’s just hope he lives up to the hype, said the voice in her head.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlotte wandered aimlessly around Henry’s room. Although she had to start thinking of it as their room. All her things had been moved into his chamber. It was large and spacious and smelled of him. The smell of outdoors and sunshine, with a hint of leather.
He pulled her down onto his lap in front of the fire. Out the window, she could see the enemy fires blazing, reflected in the water outside.
“Charlotte Thornton, my lovely wife, I know we will be happy together.” He reached into the pouch at his waist and drew something out that sparkled in the candlelight.
“Hold out your arm.” It was a bracelet, and as he fastened it around her wrist she felt the room start to spin. She knew the bracelet well. It was an amethyst bracelet set in gold. The gold carved with leaves and flowers. The amethysts rounded and polished, gleaming darkly.
Her vision started to tunnel in as the room receded, everything focusing inward to a tiny pinpoint, until the only thing in her line of sight was the sparkle of gold and amethysts. As if from faraway, Charlotte heard Henry talking to her but couldn’t make out the words.
Was it happening? No! She couldn’t go back. Not yet. She hadn’t found her sisters. Seeing the bracelet on her wrist, the one she’d bought in the shop in London, in 2016 London, made her feel as if her world were about to implode.
There wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. Charlotte desperately gulped in air, trying to force breath into her lungs. She wasn’t going back to her own time. She was dying. Please don’t let me die. Not yet. I have to find Lucy and Melinda first. I want a chance with Henry. I care deeply for him. Don’t let it end before it’s begun.
She came to slowly. Cracking open an eye, she found herself in bed, a cold cloth across her forehead. She felt like she’d been run over by a truck.
“You cried out and fainted.” Henry handed her a glass of wine. “Drink. You’ll feel better.”
“I’m sorry. It was a panic attack. I’ve gotten them on and off for years. I thought they’d gone away until everything happened with my sisters and I came…here.”
“Panic attack?”
“It’s hard to explain. It's like you feel as if you're going to die. Like you can't breathe.” She drank a little more of the wine and sat up, swaying. He steadied her.
“I won’t let you fall.”
“When I was eighteen, a boy I liked took me on a boat. It turned out he wasn’t very nice, and I spent the night hiding in a tiny closet while he searched for me. I should have known better. There was a terrible storm and it brought back memories of the night my parents died. They were killed in a boating accident when I was little.
“The guy left me on the boat. I was found two days later. He knew I was in the closet, and locked the door so I couldn’t get out. My aunt said I didn’t speak for a month. And after that, whenever something would upset me or scare me, I would have one of these attacks.”
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, stroking her hair and mumbling words into her ear. Gently he pulled out each pin, letting her hair tumble free. He combed it with his fingers, listening to her talk. He didn’t say a word. He just waited.
“That was almost five years ago. Sometimes it will be months before I have another attack.”
“I would never harm you. You do know this, don’t you?”
She kissed his cheek. “I know you would not.” Should she tell him? It seemed to be the right time, and yet something held her back. So instead she said, “I think it’s just the idea of marriage. Finding myself married when I thought I would never get married.”
“Mayhap we are suited to each other. Though I think suitors would be lining up to court you.”
“I had boyfriends. There were just so many things I wanted to do. I assumed at some point in the future I would get married. I thought had all the time in the world. But as time went by, I realized I wasn’t a very good girlfriend. After the two relationship disasters, I never seemed to get it right again. I came to believe I would never marry.”
“You know my mother and father hated each other. I did not want to risk the same misery. And marriage is forever. No matter what happens, we must agree to talk to one another. To treat each other as we wish to be treated.”
“I wish my sisters could’ve been here to see me get married.” She was wife to a medieval lord. Who would’ve guessed? Charlotte wondered under what circumstances her sisters might have gotten married. Surely they must be married. Were they happy? Did they love their husbands?
After all she had been through, so many failed relationships, she was afraid of the word love. So she would say she cared a great deal for Henry, but she would not utter that four-letter word.
Chapter Thirty
“How fair thee?” Henry sank into the chair in the solar with a weary sigh.
Charlotte passed him a platter of food and a cup of wine to drink.
“What’s happening doesn’t seem real to me. I’ve never experienced a siege before, only read about them.”
A dark bruise bloomed across his cheek. A villager practicing with a wooden sword had whacked him in the face. The man fell to the ground begging for mercy. Charlotte watched as Henry wiped the blood from his nose and helped the man up. He showed him a few more moves and sent him off to practice. She would have cried like a baby and not have been nearly as nice.
“I’ve sorted everyone out and assigned jobs. I know we have a large store of food, but do I need to be worried? How long do these things usually last?”
Henry ran his hands through his hair and rolled his shoulders.
“I do not know. The last messenger we sent out was killed before he cleared the woods. I will try again to send word to my brothers. They will send their armies and ’twill all be over soon.”
She could tell he was tired by the circles under his eyes. It had been four long days since the siege started. During that time he’d constantly checked on her to make sure she was okay. That she didn’t need anything and wasn’t afraid. His kind manner and the care he showed to everyone in the castle made her realize she was falling in love with him.
Would they live long enough to enjoy their marriage? Knowing they were surrounded by men who wanted to kill them was turning her into a pessimist.
Charlotte was about to ask him a question when she looked up to see him sound asleep, his chin resting on his chest. She moved the platter away so he wouldn’t knock it over and took the cup from his hands, setting it on the table.
For a while she sat and stared at this man who had been kind to her, gone out of his way to help her. Was trying his best to change his views about marriage. She didn’t know any men in the future
who would have risked so much for her.
Were the men in this time so different, or was it simply a different mentality, the way things were? If it were true, Charlotte thought she would be happy here in the past. She’d come to enjoy the rhythm of the days, the people, and the lack of noise. From cars, planes, and trains, to the overwhelming amount of electronic devices. It was funny; she hadn’t noticed all the noise until there wasn’t any.
Royce strode into the room. Charlotte put a finger to her lips, rising to greet him. “Let him sleep. He was up all night.”
“My lady, that fat bastard has a trebuchet on the way. We heard the men’s voices carrying across the water.”
“Wait. Those things that throw stuff and smash walls?”
“Indeed. Though it will take time to arrive and be assembled. When Henry wakes, ask him to find me.”
“How far is the reach? With the water in between us and them, is it far enough?”
The man shook his head. “Nay. We must send a messenger out. We cannot allow Ravenskirk to fall. Lord Hallsey is a cruel man. He has a dungeon and makes good use of it. He would not hesitate to kill everyone within the walls. Slowly and for his wicked pleasure.”
Wasn’t that just a delightful thing to hear so early in the day? Charlotte softly closed the door behind her.
Charlotte couldn’t believe she was living through a siege. Although she guessed it could be worse. Next year, the war with Scotland would begin, and six years after that the Hundred Years War kicked off. And let’s not forget, eighteen years from now, in 1348, the Black Plague would sweep across the lands. Charlotte almost wished she didn’t know what was coming.
Lonely is the Knight (Merriweather Sisters Time Travel Romance Book 3) Page 12