Knights and Kink Romance Boxed Set (43 page)

I gasp. “But what can I do? Am I going to be scarred
for life or what?”

Bridget takes a cool cloth from the washstand and
dabs it with some witch hazel tonic she finds among my Hall of
Harlots-issued toiletries. “No, lass. It’ll heal itself soon
enough. Even sooner, when I’m done with ye.” She massages cool
water and witch hazel into my rash, which starts feeling better and
looking less red almost immediately. “No harm done, lass. At least
not this time. But next time ye might not be so lucky. Madam
Jasphet, she’s an evil one, she is.”

My mind is spinning. It’s all happening too fast. My
life has been hijacked, and God only knows what’s going to happen
next. I have to figure out a way to take back control of my life,
and fast—or I might not have a life at all. “Bridget, I
have
to get out of here. I have to get back to New Jersey. And I want
you
to come with me. Pembroke too, if I can convince
him.”

“Where’s New Jersey, lass? Is it near Cornwall?”

I laugh. “No, it’s closer to New York City. In
America. You know where America is, right? They had America in the
time you’re from, didn’t they?”

Bridget giggles and claps her hands. “O’ course they
did, lass! I read all about America when Mr. Dickens went there on
tour an’ wrote all ‘bout it in the
Times!
Right afore His
Lordship found me in the square an’ brought me here! Oh, lass, it
sounded like a wondrous place! I should like nuttin’ more than to
go there!”

“Well, the America I’m from is probably a lot
different from the one Charles Dickens wrote about,” I say. “But
it’s still pretty cool. I can take you to see the Empire State
Building. And the Statue of Liberty. And the New Jersey Turnpike,
too. That’s where I work.” I pause, try to collect my thoughts.
“But first things first. We need to figure out a way out of this
place. And I think I know the best time to do it.”

“When’s that, lass?”

“Why, the Harlot’s Ball, of course! You said
yourself that I’d have free run of the castle for that day and that
day alone. What better time to escape than that?”

Bridget frowns. “But even if ye do get outside the
castle, lass, ye ain’t got no idea how to travel ‘cross time.
Nobody does, ‘ceptin’ His Lordship himself.”

“Maybe not for long,” I say, leaping from the bed.
Bridget’s soothing skin treatment and my own excitement have
brought me newfound energy. “Pembroke and I have already talked
about how we’ll work together to unlock the secret of Lord
Verdigris’ time travel. Pembroke’s already figured most of it out
on his own. He just needs
my
talents to take what he’s
already learned the rest of the way.”

Bridget arches a brow. “
Your
talents, lass?
And which talents might those be?”

“Oh, a little of this and a little of that,” I
answer mischievously. “But leave that up to me. First things first.
What do I need to know about this Harlot’s Ball? What happens
there? What should I wear? What should I do? I need to know
everything.”

Bridget smiles. “Well, sit ye down then, lass. Fer I
know
everythin’
there is to know ‘bout the Harlot’s
Ball.”

Chapter
10

“I attended me first Harlot’s Ball more’n thirty
years ago, lass,” Bridget says, settling back into one of my
overstuffed velvet chairs. “An’ ‘twas a Ball fer the ages,
‘twas.

“I’uz newly arrived in the Hall then, a wee girl of
only nineteen. Lord Verdigris has captured me in Edinburgh an’
brought me back in time to this place only three weeks afore. I’uz
but wee an’ timid then, still tryin’ to find me way round the Hall,
not very popular among the lords an’ vassals, either. I was afraid
Lord Verdigris’ud turn me out to pasture if I didn’t find me way
round soon. I’uz scared, I was.

“But somethin’ ‘appened at that first Harlot’s Ball
that ‘elped bring me outa me shell, lass. Somethin’ that may very
well ‘ave saved me life, too.”

“What was that?”
Bridget cocks an eyebrow. “All in good time, lass. First let me
start with what ‘appened the week afore the ball.”

I stretch and take a sip of water, settling back
into my pillows. I get the feeling this will be a long and colorful
tale. “Go on.”

“I’uz not havin’ a good time of it in the Hall of
Harlots, no not ‘tall. His Lordship ‘ad captured me an’ brought me
here, an’ yet ‘e ‘adn’t laid a finger on me. Nor ‘ad any of ‘is
knights or vassals. I didn’t quite know why I’uz here ‘tall, lass.
After all, one can’t well be a Harlot if nobody wants to lie with
ye. I’uz clumsy, an’ slow, an’ not near as pretty as all the other
Harlots—or so I thought. The other Harlots, they’uz makin’ fun of
me lass. They called me ‘Bumblin’ Bridget.’I began to worry I’d be
turned out to sleep with the pigs.

“I honestly ‘ad no idea what Lord Verdigris ‘ad seen
in me when he stumbled ‘cross me washin’ out me chemises in the
Prince Street fountain. Why ‘ad he brought me ‘ere in the first
place, I wondered. There ‘ad to be
some
reason. But just
when I’uz ‘bout to give up an’ turn meself out to live with the
pigs, somethin’ wonderful ‘appened.”

I lean closer. “And what was that?”

“A week afore the Harlot’s Ball, one o’ Lord
Verdigris’ personal bondservants came to the Hall an’ made a
special announcement. ‘E said that there would be a special theme
to the Ball for that year only. An’ that special theme would be the
Thistledown Ball. All the dances, attire, music an’ whatnot would
be Scottish. The bondservant looked straight ‘cross the room at me
an’ said that there’uz only one Harlot in the whole Hall of Harlots
who knew anything ‘bout Scotland an’ Scottish music an’ dress, an’
that’uz me, o’course. He told all t’other Harlots they’d need to
learn how to dance an’ dress an’ sing at the Thistledown Ball from
me. Then he left the Hall, an’ all the ladies just went into a
frenzy, all a-rushin’ me at once. Now back then I’uz quite shy, not
used to talkin’ to strangers, let alone teachin’ twenty score o’
Harlots how to dance a reel an’ wear a tartan. I didn’t know what
to do, lass. So I just ran away down the hall an’ hid in me
chambers fer awhile. But that didn’t last long.”

“Wow,” I say. “Then what happened?”

“Well, all t’other Harlots were a-bangin’ on me
chamber door, demandin’ I teach ‘em how to dance the Scottish reel
an’ how to wear the tartan. But I didn’t pay ‘em no mind. I’uz too
busy tryin’ to figure out how I’uz gonna manage bein’ at the center
of attention at the Thistledown Ball. After a day or so, tho, I
couldn’t ignore th’ bangin’ at me door much longer. I’uz hungry an’
in need of a bath, after all. But when I finally opened up me door,
I didn’t find no Harlots there a-bangin’ no longer. I found Lord
Verdigris ‘imself instead.”

“Let me guess. He planned the whole thing from the
beginning.”

Bridget smiles. “Right ye are, lass. He’d had ‘is
eye on me with th’ Thistledown Ball in mind from the very
beginnin’, he did. An’ now ‘e’d shown up to collect ‘is reckoning,
he had. Lord Verdigris, ‘e swept into me room, an’ picked me up in
‘is arms. Fer Lord Verdigris, he ‘ad a lot o’ plans fer me, he
did.”

“What kind of plans? And what did you and Verd do in
the bedchamber?”

Bridget reddens. “I’m not sure ye want t’ hear ‘bout
that, lass.”

I laugh out loud. “Of
course
I do! Dish!”

Bridget fidgets with her hands a bit, then relaxes.
“All right, lass. But don’t say ye didn’t ask fer it. His Lordship
an’ I—we, well, danced. We danced a reel.”

I have to fight to conceal my disappointment.
“You—danced?
Just
danced? That’s all?”

Bridget nods. “Yes, lass. That’s all. At first.”

“What do you mean,
at first?”

She sighs, remembering. “His Lordship, he’d become
enthralled with Scottish reels the first time he visited me
homeland on a time-travel trip there just afore he met me an’
brought me back here to Bellweather Castle. His Lordship made many
visits to Scotland in many different times, from Robert the Bruce’s
day to Rob Roy’s time to me own, and fell in love with everything
Scottish, he did. ‘E wanted to do and be everything like Scotsmen
were, from wear the tartan to dance the reel to play the pipes. But
‘e didn’t know how. That’s where I came in. Those first few times
His Lordship came to me rooms, I taught ‘im to dance the reel.”

“And nothing else?”
Bridget reddens even more. “An’ nuttin’ else, lass. I’uz but a wee
girl then, ye see. I ‘ad no knowledge o’ things between men an’
women at that time. I’uz but a virgin, lass.”

My eyes widen. Poor Bridget, trapped in the Hall of
Harlots when she was a virgin! It occurs to me with sadness that
Bridget’s body has never, ever been her own.

My sadness must show on my face, because Bridget
reaches over and pats me on the hand. “Don’t cry for me, lass,” she
says. “I ‘ad a right good ol’ time with His Lordship, I did. ‘E was
much younger then too, an’ kinder. ‘E could be right soft an’
tenderhearted in those days, ‘e could. An’ he’s quite a lovely
dancer, even if ‘e kin ‘ave two left feet at first. It took ‘im
quite a while to learn to dance the reel properly. Tho’ sometimes I
reckon ‘e took longer to learn it just so ‘e could spend that much
more time with me.”

Bridget’s eyes are misty, her expression wistful. If
I didn’t know better, I’d say she was once deeply in love with Lord
Verdigris.

As if reading my mind, Bridget confirms my
suspicions, her eyes brimming with tears. “Forgive me blubberin’,
lass. I still ‘ave quite a soft spot for His Lordship after all
these years, even if he is a bloody rapscallion.”

“You were in love with him,” I say.

“Yes, lass, I was. For a time.” She fingers a small
silver ring on her right hand that I haven’t noticed before. “Lord
Verdigris, ‘e treated me differently than t’other girls in the Hall
at that time. All t’other girls, they’uz experienced ladies o’ the
night afore they got here. Me, I’uz but a wee innocent girl. Lord
Verdigris—Verdie, as I called ‘im then—‘e respected that, he did.
He courted me just like ‘e would had ‘e been a-seekin’ me hand in
marriage. And he was, in a way. He chose the Thistledown Ball as me
weddin’ celebration o’ sorts. I spent those few weeks a-preparin
‘im an’ me fer me big Scottish comin’ out party. I didn’t realize
it then, but teachin’ Lord Verdigris to dance the reel was ‘is own
dance o’ seduction.

“The day o’ the ball finally came. I’d made me own
costume for the ball—a red tartan I wore over me white linen
chemise, an’ the kid leather dancin’ shoes I had on when His
Lordship spirited me away from Edinburgh. I strolled into the Hall,
which the Personal Guards ‘ad decked out in red an’ yellow tartans
an’ plenty of wild canola blossoms, a-makin’ look just like the
Highlands in springtime. His Lordship ‘ad even rounded up a
Scottish pipe band from God knew where—probably one o’ ‘is
time-travel journeys—just fer the ball. All t’other Harlots just
stood round, a-tappin’ their feet an’ lookin’ outa place, not
knowin’ how t’dance or what to do. But when His Lordship arrived,
he only ‘ad eyes fer me, ‘e did. We danced the reel with all the
Hall o’ Harlots’ eyes on us.

“‘Twas a magical evenin’, ‘twas. His Lordship spent
it all with me, doing reel after reel on the floor, nivver once
offering ‘is hand to any one o’ t’other ladies. An’ as the evenin’
wore down, he spirited me off to me rooms, where we had our first
lyin’-in together. ‘Twas a simple couplin’, nuttin’ fancy. I’uz
still but a wee girl, don’t ye know. His Lordship’us gentle an’
tender, he was. Gave me this ring, he did.” She holds her hand out
to show me the delicate silver ring, an old-style Celtic claddaugh
tarnished with age. “We ‘ad a nice little fling fer awhile, a few
months perhaps. His Lordship came to me most every night, an’ I
learned all me ways o’ the flesh from ‘im. But like all things in
the Hall, it came to an end.”

I can’t help but feel sad. “Lord Verdigris stopped
coming to see you, then.”

“Not entirely. ‘E still came to visit, oh, once
every few months or so for several years on after our little love
affair. But ‘twas nivver the same. I just became one o’ the scores
o’ faceless, nameless Harlots in the Hall. I missed His Lordship
terribly at first, but soon I’uz learnin’ how to make good from the
bad. Ye see, lass, word got round the shire that I’uz the belle o’
the Thistledown Ball an’ Lord Verdigris’ beloved romantic favorite
fer a time. Afore I knew it, most every vassal an’ knight in the
garrison was a-linin’ up at me chamber door to partake o’ me
favors. I’uz the most popular Harlot in the Hall for a good many
years after, an’ I had many love affairs among me clients. One in
particular, Lord Sean of Cordally, he taught me most everything I
know ‘bout things betwixt men and women.” Bridget blushes deeper,
and giggles like a schoolgirl. “Wild things. Oh, the thought o’
Lord Sean makes me hot even now. ‘E’uz the first lad who ate me
cunt. Oh, how I loved how he ate me cunt. An’ ‘twas from Lord Sean
that I learned the proper way to suck cock.”

I gasp. For some odd reason, I can’t believe the
words “cunt” and “cock” have escaped Bridget’s lips. I guess that’s
because I think of her more as a mother figure than as a fellow
sexpot. “So you became quite the lady about town,” I say. “In a
matter of speaking, anyway, since you were locked up.”

Bridget nods. “Aye, lass. Ye see, Lord Verdigris ‘ad
it all planned from the very beginning. ‘E wanted me to be a great
Harlot among Harlots here in the Hall, an’ he designed the
Thistledown Ball as me comin’-out party. ‘E had ‘is own way with me
first, but when ‘e tired of me—as he always tires o’ his Harlots,
lass, so beware—‘e found me a whole host o’ lads to not only ‘elp
me earn me keep, but also bring me some lads who’d remain dedicated
to me fer years an’ years. Lord Sean, he kept a-comin’ to see me
for years an’ years, all the way up ‘til he died five years ago. My
looks had long since gone, but he adored me still, ‘e did. No
matter how rapscallionous Lord Verdigris acts nowadays, I’ll always
‘ave ‘im to thank fer makin’ me a woman an’ introducin’ me to the
love o’ me life.”