Forever Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 2) (19 page)

Robert smirked at Connor. “See, my lady loves Highworth. Didn’t the last lass you brought home run screaming? All those cold stone walls with no tapestries.”

“She was prone to the vapors. The less there is on the walls, the less there is to steal.”

While Robert would never admit it to Connor, he had come to value the man’s opinions. He asked interesting questions about Elizabeth’s time-travel adventures. And if he hadn’t been a friend, Robert would have run Connor through for how he gazed at Elizabeth. But then he’d have to cut down most of his garrison. They followed her about like lovestruck lads.

He’d talked with Connor, and the man had convinced him to let Elizabeth go if she wished to return. Then the Scot clouted him on the shoulder. “She will stay, though I still say she prefers me.”

“If she goes, I will run you through.”

“I look forward to it.”

He’d left Robert to spend time with her, knowing their time together might be ending. Perhaps meeting Anna would convince her to stay here at Highworth with him.

The next day, they were outside. Robert was showing her the gardens, though there wasn’t much to see. “In spring they are beautiful.”

He’d sent Gavin and Janet to help the cook make sweets so he could talk with Elizabeth. Connor had declared himself healed, and was working up a sweat in the lists. Soon he would leave, returning home to Scotland.

“I have sent a messenger to John. Asking he and Anna to visit.”

She threw her arms around him. “He will understand.”

“I did it for you. You have much in common with Anna.” While she might be angry, he wanted to watch her face when she met Anna and figured out they were the same.
 

He held her, inhaling the scent of roses from the soap she bathed with. He leaned back, looking in her eyes. The moment seemed to stretch out in front of them. Robert leaned down, lightly touching his lips across hers. Elizabeth pressed against him as he fisted her hair in his hands, lowering her down to the stone bench. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing into his mouth as his tongue caressed hers. How foolish he’d been to push her away. If he had not, they might be married by now.

He captured her mouth as she made a small noise in the back of her throat, deepening the kiss. Claiming her as his. Pouring out how sorry he was for how abominably he’d treated her. Letting his kisses say what he could not. All that he wished and wanted. That he would never hurt her again.
 

A throat was cleared once, then again, louder. “Release her, Robert. You are not betrothed.” Connor stood there, hands on his hips. Robert barely refrained from striking him.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be getting beaten by my men?”

“They are no match for a Scot.” Connor turned serious. “You must release her. It is not proper.”

Reluctantly Robert pulled away, knowing Connor was right. Elizabeth looked dazed, her lips swollen, her gaze unfocused.

Connor offered his arm. “I will be your chaperone. You will walk with me and I will keep you safe from his unwanted attentions.”

“Whatever you say.” But she turned and winked, and Robert felt his heart smile. They walked for a bit longer then Connor stopped. “The lass is cold. We should see her inside, settled in front of a fire. I will sit beside her.”

“And find my fist in your face.”

Elizabeth held up her hands. “You can sit on my left, and you on my right, Robert.”
 

As they entered the hall, Gavin and Rabbie danced around Connor, begging him to show them how to throw a dirk.

“All right, ye wee bastards.” He looked to Robert. “I will take them down to the cellar. We can practice on the empty barrels.” Then he scowled. “Behave appropriately whilst I am gone.”

Once they left, Robert pulled her onto his lap in front of the fire, capturing her mouth. When they came up for air, she giggled. “I’m glad you weren’t as charming when I first met you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I would’ve spent all my time kissing you.” She turned a fetching shade of pink, and Robert grinned.

“As I would have you, lady.” He kissed her again. Then leaned back and looked at her, running a finger down her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin.

“I worry I cannot keep you safe here in my time.”

“No one in this world can keep another safe. Safety is an illusion that allows us to sleep at night. I am a grown woman; I accept my choices. I’m not going to waste time trying to go back. Not if there’s a place for me here.” Her voice went soft. “Is there something worthwhile I can do here at Highworth?”

“Is there something you wish to do, lady? Tell me, and if it is in my power to grant, I will make it so.”

She looked up at him. “I want to help the women at Radford’s, and any other women who may be facing the same treatment. I don’t know how, but I want them to know they can say no and mean it. And somehow I want the men to respect their word. I know it might sound impossible, but that is what I would like to do.”

“I can take the three women from Radford. Best him in a wager.” Robert scratched his nose. “But what you ask, Elizabeth—’tis no small thing. Servants are property. Like a cow or a horse. As much as you do not wish to hear, it is the way of the world. Will take time to make these kinds of changes, if ever.”

She took his hand as he marveled at how small her hand was resting inside his palm. Then she kissed the scar over his thumb. “If I’m not going anywhere, I have the rest of my life to try to bring about change. And to me that’s a worthwhile endeavor. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“What was the kind of woman you told me about? The ones trying to earn women the right to vote?”

“A suffragette,” she said.

“Then you shall be a suffragette for the word no.”

A tear fell from her eye and he caught it on his finger. “Do you weep because you are happy?”

“Happier than I’ve been in a very long time.”

After that, there was no talking for a while.

The next afternoon there was a commotion in the courtyard. Robert pulled Elizabeth by the arm. “Come. You’re going to meet my eldest brother Edward. He’s terribly arrogant.”

“Give me a moment to fix my hair, then I’ll be out.” She grinned at him. “I think I’ve had experience with arrogant. I’ll be fine.”

The door to the carriage opened and Robert’s face fell. John stepped out, followed by Anna and then Edward. Robert could no longer avoid his brother. John reached out to embrace him, and stopped.

“What have I done, brother?”

Edward clouted him on the arm. “Yes, what have we done for you to ignore us thus? About time a messenger arrived. We were plotting to overrun your castle and pick through the remains of your larder.”

Robert thought his eldest brother looked tired from battling the Scots across the border. How would he react when he met Connor? And John. He looked happier than the last time Robert saw him.
 

“Who have we here? Now it makes sense why you did not want us here.” He bowed before Elizabeth. “I am Edward Thornton. The finest of all my brothers. Come away with me and leave this wicked man.”

She giggled when he kissed her hand. “I’m Elizabeth Jones. It’s lovely to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about all of you.”

“Don’t drool on her, Edward.” Robert saw the look pass between John and Anna and knew they were likely thinking the same thing. Elizabeth was a future girl.

He pulled her from Edward. “Elizabeth. Meet John and Anna.” As she smiled, he added, “She came to Highworth rather unexpectedly.”

John took her hands in his. “Has my brother been treating you well?” At her look, he turned to face Robert. “I think I will be seeing you out in the lists, brother.”

Elizabeth held her hands up. “No. We got off to a rocky beginning, but now we’re all good.” Robert watched the pink spread from her chest to her neck and cheeks.
 

Edward frowned. “Methinks we have arrived just in time, John. Robert requires a chaperone. Henry has taken Charlotte to see her sisters. Christian went along hoping to find a bride.”

Anna pushed her husband out of the way. “I’m Anna. Let’s leave them alone before they start brawling in the mud.”

Robert watched as the two women looked at each other. Saw the curiosity in Anna’s face. She no doubt wanted to hear news of her future time. And Elizabeth—she was looking at Anna as if she couldn’t quite figure something out.

“Shall we go inside where it’s warm?” Edward gestured to a wagon behind them. “I have brought food and wine. I was afraid your larder would be bare and your cellars empty.”

Elizabeth giggled and Robert scowled at her.

“What? He knows you pretty well.”

Edward threw back his head and laughed.

At that moment, Connor appeared on horseback. As he dismounted, Robert saw Edward’s eyes narrow. “What is he doing here?”

Robert moved to stand between his brother and Connor, trying to prevent blood in the snow. He spoke quietly. “I owed him a life. He showed up to collect.”

The blow rocked Connor back on his feet. The Scot landed a blow to Edward’s side that made him swear. The sound of blows being exchanged drew the garrison knights. Soon they were calling out encouragement and slurs.

“Come on, ye wee bastard,” Connor taunted as he landed a blow. Edward swore as blood poured from his face.

Robert cleared his throat. “Might we go inside before Elizabeth and Anna take a chill?”

His brother and Connor leaned over, gasping for breath, hands on their thighs. Satisfied they were finished for now, Robert said, “Let us go inside and have speech together. There is much to discuss.” He clapped his brother on the back. “I will ask a favor, Edward. That you take Connor back with you and across the border.”

“Bloody hell,” Edward and Connor said at the same time.

Elizabeth led Anna to the solar and called for wine while Anna chattered about their journey and how excited she was to meet her. After the wine and tarts were served and the girl left the solar, Elizabeth leaned forward, her mouth dropping open.

“You’re like me.”

Anna dropped the tart but managed to catch it before it hit the floor. “I’m not the only one.”

“I knew it. Wait. What?” Elizabeth threw up her hands. “I knew there was something about you. You have to tell me everything. And what do you mean
I’m not the only one
?”

“What do you know about Henry’s wife, Charlotte?”

Elizabeth swallowed a mouthful of tart. “Just her name. No way—is she like us?”

“Yep, and she has two sisters, Lucy and Melinda. They are here too. Though Lucy came through twenty years apart from her sisters.”

Reeling from the news, Elizabeth didn’t know where to start. She had so many questions, and she knew then Robert had wanted her to be surprised instead of telling her himself. Instead of wasting energy being mad, she was taking her mother’s advice and finding the fun.
 

“I can’t tell you how incredible it is to meet you, knowing you traveled through time too. And then you tell me there are three others.” She sat on her hands so she wouldn’t leap and jump around the room in glee. “This has been one upside-down, crazy adventure. I’m dying to hear how you ended up here and what year it was when you left. Oh, and then you have to tell me all about the three sisters.”
 

Elizabeth kept staring at Anna. She couldn’t help it.
 

“I also came from 2016. Don’t know why I ended up in the summer of 1331 and you came through in the winter of 1333.”

As Anna talked, Elizabeth refilled the wine. She had a feeling they were going to need it.

“One of my friends gave me the trip. Her wedding didn’t work out, and England was supposed to be her honeymoon. So she cashed in the two tickets for one and gave me the most amazing trip. I was visiting the Tower of London when it happened…and when I came to, things were different. At first I thought John was an actor.”

Elizabeth giggled. “They sure are good-looking. Are the rest of the brothers as hot? I haven’t met Henry or Christian.”

Anna leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. “Oh yes. They are just as handsome. It’s like the angels above sprinkled an extra helping of incredibly good-looking down on all of them.”

“So you went through a terrible storm when you came through?”

“I did. And there was the locket.” Anna leaned back in the chair, pulling a warm woolen blanket over her lap. “My experience was a little bit different, though.”

“How? There was an awful storm the night I fell through time. And there was a scrap of fabric. It looked really old, so worn the pink thread faded to almost white.”

“The object and the storm was the same for both of us.” Anna took another one of the fruit tarts. “What I meant was the difference was more when I could’ve gone back.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked like she was trying to decide what to tell Elizabeth.

“You see, my dad was in a facility suffering from Alzheimer’s. My mom had already passed. For the longest time all I thought about was going back. Even when I knew I was falling for John, I didn’t want to leave my dad alone. I was the only one paying the fees of the facility. So when I cut myself on the locket, it was different than when I came through. Instead of seeing my own time again, I was sent somewhere else. Call it heaven or whatever. All I know is my mom and my dad were there and I had a chance to talk to them. And that’s when I knew my dad had died. I believe they gave me their blessing, and I’m so very grateful I had that closure, didn’t have to spend the rest of my life worrying I’d let my dad down. So I came back instead of going to 2016. Came back to John.”