Forever Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 2) (6 page)

Curled up with a book, she blinked when Featherton poked his head in the library. She had to reorient herself to this time and place.

“We’ll bid you a good night. If you need anything, ring.” He paused in the doorway. “Highworth creaks and groans when the wind blows, but don’t let it scare you. Old places have a life of their own.”

A nervous laugh escaped. “I felt the castle breathing earlier in my room.”

“We’ll see you in the morning. Breakfast at eight.” As he stood in the doorway, he looked down the hall toward the study. “Best not to wander about at night.”

With that nerve-racking statement, he left her alone. Elizabeth finished her tea and went back to reading the book she’d found tucked back on a shelf. It was an old book by an author she’d never heard of, some kind of mystery about a killer stalking stonemasons in Scotland. The cheesecake she’d enjoyed for dessert was fantastic, and she decided when she went back home, she’d drink tea every day.

When she kept rereading the same page over and over, Elizabeth decided she’d stayed up late enough to reset her internal clock. She closed the book, deciding she would finish it tomorrow. With every step up to her room, a yawn escaped.
 

The castle had been updated and boasted electricity and running water. She flipped lights off as she went, the darkness swallowing the space behind her. In her room, she still had the same unsettling feeling. And while technically she’d promised, she’d crossed her fingers, which in her book negated the promise. One quick look couldn’t do any harm.

Which room to snoop in first? Elizabeth started at the door closest to the stairs. Featherton telling her to stay out should have been enough, but in her mind he should have locked the room if he really didn’t want her nosing about. The door swung open with a creak and she coughed, waving away the dust cloud. When she stepped into the empty room, a drop of water landed on her nose and she looked up to see a gaping hole in the roof. A cloud drifted by and moonlight filtered in, illuminating the stone floor. While it might be empty, this room, like hers, gave off a cold, creepy vibe.

“Well, that won’t do at all.”

The next room was also empty, though there was no hole in the ceiling and no scary feelings. A noise that sounded suspiciously like a squeak made her hurry out of the room, yanking the door shut.

“Nope. Not that one either.”

There was one last room—the room Featherton said was locked. But it wouldn’t hurt to try, would it? She stood in front of the door at the end of the hall, her hand poised above the handle. Wind blew across the stones, making the castle sigh, and she snatched her hand away, feeling like whatever she did next would irrevocably change her life. “Now you’re being silly. It’s only a room.”

Grasping the handle, Elizabeth pressed down, bouncing on her toes when the door swung open without a creak. Cold stone met her fingers as she searched for a light switch like she’d seen in the rest of the rooms. It was too dark to see inside, so she went back to her room, lit a candle, and placed a glass globe over it to keep the flame from blowing out. The candlelight provided enough light to see a few feet ahead of her as she stepped into the room. The drapes were drawn, so the first thing she did was to pull them open, letting moonlight spill into the room.
 

“It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

The hair on her arms and neck stayed put. Nothing made her feel like malevolent eyes tracked her every move, and, like Goldilocks, Elizabeth found this last room to be just right.

The walls were stone on two sides, the other two finished in deep blue, as if someone had updated half of the room, gotten bored, and left. The space oozed hedonism and masculinity. The bed had curtains at each corner, ready to shut the inhabitants inside a cozy nest, keeping out the biting cold. The expanse of bed made her itch to stretch out and see how far her fingers would be from the edges. While this room didn’t have a bathroom, there was something about it that called out to her, tempting Elizabeth to sleep here tonight. The fireplace was empty. And as much as she wanted to, there was no way she could light a fire without giving away the fact she was snooping where she wasn’t supposed to be.
 

“If I sneak back to my own room now, no one will ever know I was here.” The room stayed quiet, waiting. Back in her own room, Elizabeth mussed up the bed so it would look like she’d spent the night. Book in hand, she padded back down the hall, into the welcoming room. As long as she removed all traces by morning, she thought she’d get away with sleeping here tonight. Tomorrow she’d try to stay in her assigned room, hoping the creepiness would move elsewhere.

The sound of thunder made her drop the book. Pressing her nose to the glass, she peered into the darkness. When lightning illuminated the grounds, she could see the storm clouds creeping closer, blotting out the moon. The next crash made her squeak. She jumped into the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. They were soft, the linen worn smooth from years of use.
 

Between the cold and the storm, she was wide awake. A few chapters before bed would help ease the nervousness flooding through her body. The storm felt sinister as it crept closer and closer. Perhaps not the brightest idea to be reading a novel of psychological suspense before bed.

What if a crazed killer came out from a secret passage while she slept? “Rainbow Elizabeth Smith, now you’re being ridiculous.”

Saying it out loud helped. Losing herself to another time and place in a book would also help. After a few chapters, she had to go to the bathroom. Too much tea or nerves. The book landed on the floor as she slipped out from beneath the covers, and the cold made her flinch.
 

As she knelt down to pick up the book, the candlelight illuminated something under the bed. Her fingers touched a scrap of fabric. It felt like linen and was beautifully embroidered with flowers and vines. It also looked really old, like something she shouldn’t touch. Probably priceless. But it was a scrap with frayed edges. Maybe a ribbon at some time?
 

But she didn’t want to relinquish the piece. It comforted her. “Surely it won’t hurt to use it as a bookmark for one night?” Elizabeth knew she had a bad habit of talking to herself out loud whenever she was alone. Hearing the sound of her voice in the quiet made her feel less alone.
 

She hurried to the bathroom, wishing she’d brought slippers. A gust of wind blew down the hallway, extinguishing the candle. That was odd. The glass should have protected the flame, and she’d sworn all the doors and windows were shut. When she crossed the hall to check the room with the hole in the roof, Elizabeth tripped over the rug and went down hard on the stone.

“Ouch.” Her knee burnt. Limping to her temporary room, she lit the candle again. The drops of blood welling up on her knee were the color of rubies in the warm light. A tissue stopped the worst, and she went back to the book.

Thunder rumbled and she slammed the book shut, the scary chapter not helping her overall mood. “Nope, no more creepiness tonight. Next time I’m going with a cotton candy romance.” Yawning, she checked the time on her phone.

“Busy day tomorrow. Better get some sleep.”

She turned on her side, and the crack of thunder was so loud the windows rattled. Elizabeth jolted up in bed, and her knee hit the nightstand, knocking the book to the floor. The lightning cast shadows in the room, and as she watched, they climbed the walls and oozed across the ceiling. As she picked the book up, the strip of fabric fell out, landing on her knee.

“Oh no. I’ve ruined it. With my luck it was probably worth thousands and thousands of dollars.” Holding the linen to the candle, she gasped. Three spots of blood dotted the artifact. Her stomach flipped over. In the morning, she’d have to confess. Not only to breaking and entering but to ruining a piece of history. The look on Featherton’s face would be one of disappointment. He’d politely ask her to leave, and she’d have to say goodbye to Highworth, all because curiosity once again got the better of her.

The windows crashed open, wind blowing through the room, sending the room into blackness. Elizabeth screamed, throwing the covers over her head, cowering, holding tight to the scrap of fabric.

The storm raged, and she knew if she didn’t get out of bed and close the windows, everything in the room would be wet and ruined. “You can do this. Do it fast and get it done.”

She jumped out of bed, blinking rain out of her eyes as she pushed against the wind to shut the windows. Water pooled on the floor dangerously close to the priceless rug. There was no time. Lightning flashed so close it left a jagged imprint on the back of her eyelids. No way no how was she leaving the safety of this room. The hallway would be dark, and her room… She shuddered. It would be even scarier. Elizabeth yanked the flannel nightgown over her head and mopped up the water on the floor. There was a hook on the wall near the fire. The gown would be dry in a few hours. Tonight she’d sleep in her birthday suit. Her creepy room needed the light of day before she’d venture back in there.

The windows rattled again and she leapt into bed, finding she was still holding tight to the scrap of fabric. The thought of cleaning it crossed her mind, saving her from telling Martha and Featherton what she had done. But what if it disintegrated? The lightning turned blue and green and she threw the covers over her head like a child. Underneath the thunder she heard the faint sound of music. Nope, she wasn’t looking. What if there was a ghost in the room? This wasn’t the kind of adventure she’d had in mind. She wanted fun, not a horror movie.

Elizabeth didn’t know how long the storm raged before it finally settled down. Risking a peek, she peered into the blackness, unable to see anything but a few rough shapes. For a brief moment she swore the room seemed different. The smell of leather and wool and something spicy. But she chalked it up to nerves. As the adrenaline wore off, exhaustion set in and Elizabeth fell fast asleep.

Elizabeth woke to the sound of snoring. Snoring?

She shrieked. The body next to her pulled her close, throwing a rather hairy leg over hers. The body in question was a large man who reeked of alcohol and cheap perfume. He mumbled and touched her again, his hand stroking her breast, whispering what sounded like French into her hair.

The slap echoed across the room. “Take your filthy hands off me this instant.”

The man sat up, bare-chested, with muscles in all the right places—not that she noticed.

“Didn’t I pay you enough, demoiselle?” Bloodshot blue eyes roamed over her, making her snatch the blanket from the bed, wrapping it tightly around her.

“Why are you here? None of you are allowed to sleep in my bed. And you know my rule: you are never to spend the night.”

What a player. Steam came out of her ears, or at least she imagined it would if she were a cartoon. How dare he. “Pay me?”

“One does pay a whore for her services, yes? Or were your soft mewing sounds last night a gift?” He arched a brow, staring at her pale pink toes and leisurely making his way up to her face. “You are naked and in my bed, therefore you are a whore…or you are a reckless maiden seeking to trap me into marriage.” He narrowed his eyes. “Know this: I care naught for your reputation. This is a mere trifle. Leave my chamber and go home to your sire.”

Fury burnt through her. As she spluttered a scathing reply, a commotion sounded beyond the door. Great. Featherton was going to have her head. Right after she threw a fit. This room was supposed to be off limits. The lord of the castle never visited. Was it a prank?

The blood drained from her face, making her sway, dizzy for a moment. Oh, hell. Did this man own Highworth? He would make her leave, and she’d only arrived last night. No way—she wanted her full week here. Without him in what she’d decided was her room.

As the door slammed open, Elizabeth drew herself up to her full height. All five feet and five inches. Though it was a bit hard to look intimidating when you stood with a blanket wrapped around your naked body.

Several men and a boy barged into the room. The boy’s mouth dropped open. “My lord, there’s a faerie in your chamber.”

The men with him crossed themselves.

“Look at her feet.” One of the men pointed.
 

Another made a sign of horns with his fingers. “Begone, evil faerie.”

The third man grabbed his hand and tried to whisper. “Do not. Look at her hair. She will curse us all.”

Elizabeth barely resisted the urge to laugh.
 

“My lord. Er, you aren’t wearing any clothes.” The boy looked back and forth from her to the man in question.
 

Nice. Not only was he the owner, he’d brought a bunch of idiots with him. Elizabeth didn’t find any of this a bit funny.

“Now that you mention it, Rabbie, she does look like a faerie.” He made her a low bow. “My apologies. You are not a whore, you are a faerie.” He tapped a finger to his lips. “Or are you a faerie whore come to take me away to the faerie hill?”

She made a face, instantly despising him. He sounded much too intrigued by the idea. Before she could retort, the sound of metal scraping against metal made her turn to find four swords pointed at her.

The tall man sniffed. “She smells nice. Best remove her before she curses all of us.”

“Call me a whore one more time and I’ll punch you.” She pointed at each man. “I’m not a faerie or a maiden. My name’s Elizabeth and this castle is mine for the week. What’s with the swords?” Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. “Bit over the top, don’t you think?”

This guy had serious delusions or a Renaissance faire fetish. But Elizabeth had to give them credit—the French they were speaking sounded surprisingly authentic. The bad words she recognized, but the rest was gibberish.

One of the men stepped forward. He must be the leader of these faux-knights. “Robert, she is no whore, nor is she faerie or witch. She is a lady, mayhap witless, and you have compromised her. Send a messenger to her father, telling him you will do right by the girl.”