Through The Leaded Glass (9 page)

“
Kate, you have some interesting
ideas on my world. I’d like to see yours someday to discover where
you learned such things. But a nunnery is an acceptable place for
you to have resided after your husband died.” His arched eyebrows
dared her to contradict him, but Kate let him finish. “I stopped
there in my travels and it was then that we met.” He studied her
and Kate felt like something under a microscope as he rubbed his
chin. He sighed. “It will be a love match.” He sighed again and
closed his eyes briefly.

“
A love match? I can’t go around
here pretending to be in love with you. I’m not that good an
actress.” Now, lust, on the other hand, was a whole different
matter, but she didn’t want to do that either. At least,
consciously. Her subconscious, though, was jumping up and down in
agreement. She willed it to shut up.

And almost succeeded.

“
We must present a love match,
Kate, or no one will believe I turned aside Isobel and her lands
for you.”

There was an ego stroke.
Not
. But she
shoved her pride out of the way. “Fine. Whatever. We’ve got a
bigger problem on our hands, though.” She would have smirked at his
questioning look, but it wasn’t a laughing matter. “I really don’t
know all that much about your world, the country, or the daily life
here. I’ll probably screw up big time. I’m a twenty-first century
American, for Pete’s sake.”

“
What’s an ‘American’?”

“
See? I shouldn’t say things like
that. Who knows how it’ll affect history? My history, your
future... Let’s see.” She closed her eyes, calculating Columbus’s
soon-to-be discovery. “Yep, five years. Definitely your future. And
I’m not saying anything about that.”

“
Very well, Kate.” Alex tapped her
arm. “You were widowed young, have been in seclusion since your
husband’s death, and know little of the world. It will have to do.
Now, I must defeat Farley in the tournament. After that, we’ll
discuss the rest of our plans.”

“
And my window?”

“
We’ll look for it immediately
after the joust.” Alex retrieved his gauntlets and held out his
arm. “So, Lady Katherine, will you accompany me as my
betrothed?”

Kate tucked her hand in the crook of his arm,
committing herself. “I guess I don’t have a choice. Just don’t get
any big ideas,
my lord
.” She sniffed. “And don’t expect me
to keep calling you that, either.”

“
Expect you? Isn’t it enough I
believe in time travel and fortune-telling? Now you wish me to
believe in miracles as well?”

Chapter Five

The faire grounds were bustling around them
and Kate tried to take in as much as possible. How could she have
assumed this was a re-enactment earlier?

The clothing, for one, should have been a dead
giveaway. For the most part, gone were the decorative jewel-covered
gowns she’d seen in the twenty-first century. Here people were
poorer,
villeins
freed from a day of work. If this was their
finery, it was decidedly lacking in beauty.

And although the cloth was brightly colored,
their clothing had been made for function. The homespun dresses and
woven breeches all bore signs of wear. And just passing these folks
gave her pause; bathing was not a daily occurrence and washing
machines were eons away from invention.

The air around her, however, was fresh. She
hadn’t realized she didn’t know what truly fresh air was. No
fluorocarbons polluted the air, no car exhaust or industry waste;
heck, the ozone layer was still intact. She breathed deeply—then
choked on the stable smell. Oh, well, at least horse exhaust was
better than car exhaust.

Horses neighed, musicians sang, and the
townspeople’s laughter and the clang of metal-working all provided
a surreal backdrop as she looked at the jousting field.

Ringed by a post and rail fence, a long oval
of hard-packed earth stretched out before them. Freshly cut oaks
divided the field for the opponents to face off against each other.
Dozens of men in suits of armor sat on similarly attired horses,
jockeying for position against the fences while the crowd cheered.
Squires scurried here and there, carrying loads of armor almost
bigger than they were while vendors milled about the ringside
hawking meat pies and mead, sweetmeats and pastries like
current-day peanut vendors at sports arenas.

Benches ringed the field, filled with
spectators waiving the colors of their favorite knights whose
heraldic banners snapped in the breeze. The covered dais was as she
remembered it, and the blue banner was in the same place it’d been
in the twenty-first century. And Alicia was probably just as MIA
there, too

“
Alex.” Kate leaned close to be
heard over the crowd’s noise. “Alicia told me to meet her by the
blue banner.”

Alex nodded. “The Shelton area.”

If she’d needed further proof of Alicia’s
intentions, that was it. Mixed with the annoyance of Alicia playing
both God and Cupid, was the awe that her friend had found out how
to do this in the first place. She better know how to
undo
it, too.

Horses charged across the lists in all their
jousting glory, encased in shining armor, the riders’ colors and
heraldry flashing from their headpieces. They met at the middle
with cringe-worthy clashes of lances to shields, and jarring thuds
as the unlucky opponent was butted from his saddle to the dusty
field.

A man dressed in thigh-molding breeches—not a
good look on him—and a tunic stretched almost to bursting at the
seams approached them. “Shelton. Heard the news. Does this mean the
Marston lands are fallow?”

Alex grabbed her hand and started walking. In
the opposite direction. “Wexham. You may inquire to the state of
the lands from Lady Marston herself.”

“
Boy, you weren’t kidding,” Kate
said when they were out of earshot. “Word does travel fast. Who was
that?”

Alex shrugged, but it wasn’t nonchalantly.
“Many will scramble for Isobel’s lands now that I have no claim on
her.”

“
I’m sorry. I had no idea the ring
would cause such problems. It’s not as if I was expecting to be
dropped back here like Dorothy.”

“
Who?” He patted her hand and she
felt the tension leave him. “Never mind. I understand, Kate. But
Wexham, and others, won’t do well by Isobel. I fear it is she
who’ll be the most harmed by your arrival.” A man and a woman
interrupted them, more proof of Lady Aubridge’s efficient
gossip-mongering.

Alex had just made the introductions when a
shout diverted his attention. “Ah, there are Nick and Tristan. I
must speak with them.” He squeezed her arm and left her to chat
with her inquisitors.

Great. Somehow she had to perpetuate their
lie, keep the conversation to a minimum, and avoid anachronistic
behavior. Piece of cake.

***

“
Are you mad? The
future
?”
Nick gaped at Alex. When he’d first seen the ring on the woman’s
finger, his heart had leapt. He knew of Lady Aubridge and her talk.
Knew, as well, that Isobel would be the first to be told. But this…
This Nick hadn’t expected.

Nor did he know if he could trust it—no matter
how much he wanted God to have sent him a reprieve.

“
You know me better than that,
Nick,” Alex answered. “Her story’s true.”

“
Have you considered that she and
the gypsy woman are plotting together?” his friend, Tristan, asked.
“A novel way to force you into marriage.”

Novel indeed, for no other woman had tried it,
Nick knew. He’d held his breath as Alex had rebuffed one after the
other. Until, that is, the king had suggested Isobel, and his own
hopes in that arena were dashed forever.

“
I’ve considered it, but she has
items I’ve never seen. She knows things—”

“
What things?” Tristan
asked.

“
Things that will come to
pass.”

Nick had to step in. He was all for Isobel
being free to marry, but for Alex to have lost his wits…”So you
can’t know if they’re true, Alex. Very clever, especially because
she now has what she wants.”

“
Harsh, Caversham.” Tristan smacked
him in the shoulder. “And what about you? You haven’t been yourself
of late.”

True. Because he’d been unable to think of
naught but Isobel in Alex’s bed. The image tormented
him.

But Alex was his friend and the king’s loyal
subject. He wouldn’t defy the king by not marrying Isobel no matter
how much Nick wished unless he had a very good reason.

“
Henry wants land, Alex. Does this
woman bring you any? Will you change your mind when she brings you
nothing but a shield and a ring?”

Alex rubbed a hand over his face. “What would
you have me do, Nick? There’s a thief in my keep threatening my
son, Isobel won’t accept second best, and everyone believes Kate is
my betrothed. I have no choice.”

“
And when she returns to her
time?”

“
I’ll find another. Someone young
and able to bear heirs.”

“
But Isobel may not be free.” Would
that it were true.

Alex nodded. “True. The king will not leave
her lands available for long.”

Which was why Nick had to make certain that
events unfolded as
he
wanted.

***

Alex rescued Kate with a quick dismissal to
her grand inquisitors, pulling her behind one of the scaffold
supports.

It was about freaking time. She could only
smile and nod and try to pass for pious for so long.

“
I’ve explained everything to Nick
and Tristan. They’ll help us in our search for the
villain.”

“
And they believed you?”

“
Let’s say, they believe I wouldn’t
be so foolish as to take your word without very good reason. That I
believe your story convinces them.”

“
Can you trust them?”

“
My lady, you presume too much. I’m
the earl of Shelton. You can depend upon my word. Let this be the
last time I assure you of that.” He shook his head. “You’re either
highly impertinent, or the men of your time have lost their—”he
coughed—”to allow their women to behave so.”

“
Look here, oh lord and master. You
can just knock off the chauvinistic attitude. This is my life
you’re entrusting to them. I have a right to know.” She put her
hands on her hips, warming to the tirade. He’d pushed the wrong
button with that state-of-the-union speech. “And you can stop
impugning my era. We’ve accomplished quite a bit you can’t even
dream of.” She poked him in his oh-so-expansive chest, making a
point to look him in the eye. “Men
and
women.”

A man as big as Alex, with mahogany hair a
shade darker than his tunic, rounded the corner, laughing. “If I
hadn’t believed it before, I do now.” He nodded at her. “There’s
not one woman, nay, person, who’d dare give Alex such a
dressing-down. Though—” The look he gave Alex was smug. “I’m
certain he deserved it.”

“
I like your attitude.” Kate smiled
and stuck out her hand. “Kate Lawton.”

“
Tristan Baxter, Viscount
Hambledon, at your service, my lady.” He kissed the back of her
hand, his lips lingering just a smidge longer than was
polite.

And she only knew that because Alex got a
funny look on his face and tugged her hand back with a look capable
of slicing skin. “If you’ve quite finished, Tris, I must prepare to
meet Farley in the lists. Please accompany Kate to the Shelton
area. I’ll return shortly.” He raised her hand to his lips, giving
her a momentary reminder of what had transpired between them in the
tent. “
After
I win.”

Kate pulled her tongue off the roof of her
mouth, drew in a deep breath, and followed his friends to their
seats beneath the blue banner, scanning the crowd for
Alicia.

No luck. She wasn’t sure what Alicia hoped to
achieve by her continued absence, but Kate was more than ready for
this nightmare to be over. “I wonder where the little rat is now,”
she muttered.

“
There,” Tristan pointed to an
orange banner. “Beneath the banner with the phoenix at the center.
Ironic since Farley can never hope to rise above Alex’s
heels.”

She’d meant Alicia, but yes, the guy Alex was
supposed to have lost to fit that description as well.

So would Alex win now? Had she altered his
destiny enough by appearing with the ring or was he about to get
hurt in some other way by this guy?

She hadn’t thought about that.

Farley rode into the arena, his snorting,
prancing horse nearly as silver as the armor on its back. Orange
and brown plumes rose from the horse’s headdress, and the lance
jutted above its head, aimed at the other end of the
field.

Alex rode in next to thundering applause.
She’d thought he’d looked amazing in the tent, but now, seated on
his stallion, armor gleaming—he was a true knight in shining armor
out of a fairy tale. The mighty prince riding in on his white horse
to save the day.