As though Gaillard’s words had conjured up the man himself, Lord Dristan appeared through the falling snow. “What goes on here, and why have the two of you left the training?”
Thomas bowed. “It appears there is a woman here who is in need of our protection, my lord.”
Dristan came forward to kneel down at the woman upon the ground. “I see…” he remarked, continuing his inspection.
Gaillard at last found his voice. “Lord Dristan, I claim—”
Dristan stood to peer down upon the knight afore him. “You claim nothing on my lands,” he warned. “Sir Thomas, come and take this woman up to the castle. We will call for Kenna’s aid and the Lady Amiria.”
Satisfied the situation was now in control with his lord’s appearance, Thomas came to pick up the woman. Gaillard leaned in to whisper in his ear whilst he carefully cradled the lady in his arms.
“This is not finished,” Gaillard hissed with clenched teeth.
Thomas peered at Gaillard whilst he heard Dristan telling him to hurry. He looked down into the angry eyes of the knight whom he disliked even more now that he was attempting to claim someone who did not belong to him.
He gave a short laugh. “Aye, ’tis finished if you have any sense in your head,” Thomas threatened.
He did not wait for a reply but carefully began making his way to the castle. Servants were scurrying up the stairs to ready a chamber for the woman. Her soft moan caused Thomas to hold her even tighter as he made his way up the turret stairs.
Lady Amiria stood at one of the bedchamber doors, holding it open for him to enter. “Quickly, Thomas, bring her inside so Kenna can see to any injuries she might have.”
Thomas did as he was bid and at last laid the woman upon the coverlet of the bed. He watched in fascination when her blonde hair spilled upon the pillow ’til Thomas moved the tresses hiding her face.
His eyes widened when he at last recognized the woman who had haunted his dreams since he was a young lad. Her eyelids fluttered open, and a smile etched itself across her visage, but ’twas those mesmerizing green eyes that left Thomas speechless.
“Thomas…” She said his name like a gentle caress, striking a chord in his heart that he could not deny even if he wanted to.
“Jade,” he replied, taking ahold of her hand. “You are safe.”
“I knew you would find me…” Her voice trailed off as she once more closed her eyes.
Thomas stood, completely stunned afore his gaze turned to Kenna, who only gave him a brief nod. She then began ushering him from the chamber.
“Your lady is in good hands, Sir Thomas,” Kenna stated with another kindly smile.
“I should stay,” he attempted, only to have Lady Amiria come forward, pushing him toward the door.
“I think not, but you may check on her later. I am certain she will have as many questions as you no doubt have yourself,” Amiria ordered.
And that was how Thomas found himself outside in the passageway standing by a door being firmly shut in his face. He paced the corridor, his mind full of questions only the woman inside possibly had the answer to. Or did she? For perchance, this whole situation was far bigger than anyone could have ever imagined.
* * *
Jade bolted up in her bed. “Thomas,” she called out with a sense of déjà vu. Her eyes quickly scanned an unfamiliar bedroom until she saw two women, one with hair as black as the midnight skies and the other red as the fire they sat beside.
“Praise God, you are awake,” the red-haired woman said before turning toward the other woman. “I will let the men know she has risen.”
Jade had no time to question her because the woman slipped through a door. Her breathing quickened as she noticed the room had walls of stone. This was certainly not her hotel room, and Jade began to panic when the black-haired lady dressed in medieval garb came to the bedside. She perched herself on the edge and offered Jade a calming smile.
“Ye must have many a question, Jade,” the woman said with a light Scottish accent. “First, my name is Kenna.”
“How do you know who I am?” Jade croaked out, uncertain of what the hell was going on.
“I know many things, whether I wish it or not,” Kenna replied. “Can ye tell me what ye last remember of yer journey here?”
She began searching her memory of what had happened and recalled the ring on her finger. She gasped and tried to remove the metal, but it remained in place. Jade frowned. This was certainly odd as she could move the ring easily around her finger. Why couldn’t she get this blasted ring off? It wasn’t like the thing was stuck because it was too small for her finger. She swallowed hard before looking into Kenna’s green eyes, so similar to her own.
“I saw… people throughout time…”
“Aye. What else?”
A vision of a dark-haired warrior with searching blue-gray eyes came to her mind. “Thomas… is he here?”
Kenna’s smile broadened. “Aye, he is, and most concerned for yer welfare, I might add. Do ye not also wish tae know where ye are?”
Jade scratched at her temple. “I felt as though I was falling.”
“Aye, and fall ye did. Slipping through time as some of the women afore ye have also done.”
Jade laughed. “That’s completely impossible.”
“Is it?” Kenna went back to the fire to plunge an iron rod into the red-hot coals while she poured something into a cup. “Tell me… how does Zoe fare?”
Jade sat straight up in the bed. “You know my friend?” she asked, thinking this was all some kind of a stupid joke.
“Not in the conventional way, I suppose.” Kenna took the iron from the fire and plunged it into the cup. The room began to fill with the smell of spiced wine.
“You’re not answering my question. How do you know Zoe?”
“I do not know of her physically, but she is my great granddaughter… or will be someday, many generations from now.”
A laugh escaped Jade’s lips as she sat back upon the pillows of the bed. “Now I know you’re trying to pull something over on me. Why are you and Zoe making fun of me?”
Kenna came back to the bed and offered her the cup. Jade reached out hesitantly for the goblet to sniff the contents. Wine on an empty stomach was never a good idea. Besides, how was she to know she hadn’t been drugged, given the hallucinations crossing her mind?
Kenna chuckled. “We are not poisoning ye, Jade, and only have yer best interest at heart.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
Kenna shrugged. “I see many things, including my granddaughter having speech with ye in yer future world.”
“Go on,” Jade urged, wondering what other tall tale this woman would weave for her amusement.
“Ye shall learn all there is in good time, my dear, but fear not. Ye are safe here at Berwyck Castle and under the protection of Laird Dristan. Do not listen tae the serfs who gossip about him. Most of their tales are but stories tae scare those into submission who would fight against him.”
Jade took a sip from the cup and found the mulled wine soothing. “Berwyck Castle? Fighting? You sound as though I’m stuck in some medieval stronghold with a siege at the gates.” She took another sip, thinking of the foolish notion of her traveling through time.
“We have not had a siege upon Laird Dristan’s lands for many a year, praise be tae God. Our liege lord shall keep ye safe, as will Sir Thomas.”
Jade looked upon Kenna, who appeared as sane as the next person. “Just where the hell am I?” she asked, placing the cup to her lips.
“As I have told ye afore, ye are at Berwyck Castle that is situated on the border of England and Scotland. I suppose the castle’s location is not necessarily important tae this conversation, but I have not told ye when ye are.”
“When? I’m pretty darn sure I know what year it is. I don’t feel like I hit my head.” She tested her theory by running her fingers across her scalp. Nope, no signs of a bump to her noggin.
&nb
sp; “Aye, when,” Kenna continued in a kind tone. “Dearest Jade, ye are in the year of Our Lord’s Grace 1182. In fact, ye are just in time to celebrate Christmas with the MacLaren clan and Laird Dristan’s knights.”
Wine spewed forth from Jade’s mouth as the cup tumbled from her hands to land on the stone floor. The remaining contents drained from the goblet to leave a red trail as the cup rolled toward the hearth. Jade had no words, nor could any sound pass her lips, especially when the door slammed open, and the man from her dreams stepped through the portal. Good Lord! It was him!
Chapter 7
Thomas stared in disbelief at the terrified woman upon the bed. He turned a frown at Kenna, knowing the woman most likely was telling Jade more than she was ready to hear. God’s Wounds! Even Thomas was having a hard time accepting the truth she was really here.
“Leave us,” he ordered Kenna. “I must needs have speech with the lady.”
Kenna rose, picked up her satchel of herbs from upon a table, and came to stand afore him. “Remember she is under Laird Dristan’s protection. Do not harm her.”
“Harm her? What jest is this, Kenna? I could no more harm the Lady Jade than I could my own sister.”
Kenna peered at him overly long, making Thomas feel as though he had done some wrong. “Very well, Sir Thomas, but treat her with care. She has had a bit of a shock,” she replied, afore turning her attention back to the lady upon the bed. “Jade, I know this is all new tae ye, but as Zoe has told ye, ye must think of this as a journey and the possibilities it may offer ye.”
“Thank you, Kenna,” Jade stated in a soft tone.
Thomas’s stomach lurched in nervous jitters just to hear the sound of her voice.
Kenna nodded. “Please call out if ye have need of Lady Amiria or me. I will ensure a servant is just outside the door in the event ye need aid.”
Thomas held open the door. Once Kenna left, he closed it and put the bolt in place to ensure their privacy. Jade quickly moved off the bed to stand behind a chair, clutching the wood with white knuckles, as if that would protect her. Her green eyes appeared damp and overly bright whilst she gasped and expelled her breath as though pained.
“I shall not harm you, my lady, but you and I must needs have speech,” he stated carefully, afore nodding to the vacant seat. “May I?”
He observed her slow nod, and he went to sit afore the fire. Her expressions changed from fear to curiosity, and he hid the smile that threatened to form upon his lips.
“Your name is Thomas,” she stated the obvious and finally took a seat opposite him, but she perched on the edge of her chair, at the ready to take flight if the need arose.
Thomas leaned back, attempting to appear calm when he was anything but composed. “Aye, I am Thomas Kincaid, lately of Berwyck, and you are one of those future women who continues to plague this place.”
“How do you know that?” she questioned, afore reaching for the jug of wine and pouring a cup. She offered him the chalice, and when their hands briefly touched, tingling sensations ran up his arm.
“We have met afore in my dreams. I will assume the same holds true for you since you knew my name as well.”
“Yes… I have dreamed of you, too,” she whispered, afore standing to pace the length of the room. “How is this even possible?”
Thomas shrugged, but he watched her every move, expecting her to disappear from view. “One does not tend to question such a gift, or so I have heard from the others who came afore you.”
She cocked her head to one side as though reliving some memory. “A gift or a curse?” she whispered, afore she crossed her arms and placed her hands beneath her underarms as though hugging herself.
“I would prefer to think on it as a gift and certainly nary a curse that you are here with us.”
“I am a long way from home, Thomas,” she murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Perchance ’tis a Christmas blessing you appear to us for the holiday,” he mused aloud. He leaned his arms upon the chair, his hands forming a steeple whilst inspecting her further. “Will you be missed? In your own time, that is?”
She shook her head, and Thomas was thoroughly captivated as her blonde hair swayed to and fro. “No. Well, that isn’t necessarily true, I suppose. I have a few friends who might wonder where I am, but I have no family that I can claim.”
He nodded, feeling her plight. “I, too, am without my family, although I had hoped such circumstances might change in my future. Berwyck has been my home now for many a year. The MacLaren clan took me in when my father disowned me.”
Jade stopped her pacing. “Oh, Thomas, I’m so sorry. How horrible that must have been for you.”
Thomas let out a low curse. “I am not certain why I even shared such a private matter with you, my lady.”
“You don’t have to call me that.”
“Call you what?” he asked, pondering where he had erred.
“My lady. You don’t have to call me that.”
Thomas’s mouth dropped open. Was she mayhap of yeoman stock or a woman of ill repute? He frowned for he had never thought of her as such when he dreamed of her. “Of course, I do. You are a lady, are you not?”
She laughed, and the pleasant sound rang through the room like a fresh breath of springtime. “Well, I am a woman, Thomas, but I certainly don’t have a title or anything. I’m just me… Jade… from America.”
A-mer-i-ca, he silently mouthed the words of her origins. “You are a long way from home, for I have not heard of such a place.”
“So, I have been told. Out of place and time it appears,” she whispered so softly, he almost missed her words.
Silence descended upon the room with only the crackling fire to break the mood that had come upon them. He stood and went to her.
He was pleasantly surprised when she watched him as carefully as he observed her. “You are not afraid of me?”
A small smile lit her face. “No, of course not, unless you think I should be.”
“Nay, I do not,” he answered honestly before giving her a short bow. “Mayhap, we should start again. I am Sir Thomas, ever at your service, my lady.”
“And I’m Jade. A pleasure to finally meet you, Sir Thomas.” A short giggle escaped her afore she held out her hand for him to take.
“I am certain the pleasure is mine,” he murmured. Bending to brush a kiss across her knuckles, his eyes widened when he became distracted by a strange glow coming from her opposite hand. ’Twas then that he recognized she wore his ring!
Suddenly, her left arm swept around his neck with alarming speed. The force brought their bodies together, and he could feel for himself when Jade attempted to catch her breath. “Thomas! I swear I didn’t do that on purpose.”
“Aye, I know,” he muttered as his eyes widened in surprise when a power bigger than either of them could have imagined began to bring their lips closer together.
“Thomas…” she said in a breathy whisper.
“Jade…” he returned as their breaths mingled on a heartbeat afore they surrendered to their first real kiss.
Chapter 8
Jade was unsure what madness had overcome her to be kissing a man she barely knew, but, in many ways, she felt as though Thomas had always been a part of her. Crazy as it may seem to even have such thoughts, she gave in to the invisible energy surrounding and pulling them together.
The moment their lips touched, everything changed. Where before she felt as though she were being forced into something she didn’t want, now, it was as if this was where she was always meant to be. With Thomas… in his arms… kissing him with all the love she could muster up for another human being.
Their kiss ended just as quickly as it had started. Their breaths ragged, they could only stare into each other eyes. Thomas reached down to caress her cheek, and a sense of wonderment filled her, knowing she had truly crossed time. He gave her a half smile as though he had heard her thoughts before he leaned down to taste what she now free
ly offered. It was as though they were now in control of their destiny.
Thomas deepened their kiss, and she heard his moan of pleasure even as she held back one of her own. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been kissed before, but there was a reason she had remained single for so long and not married right out of high school like so many had done. No man had ever stepped into her life that seemed to be the other half of herself or just the piece of her that had been missing. She had sworn to herself she would never settle, but with Thomas, she had an instant connection she knew she would never find again in any other man. In an instant, the universe tilted as though they became as one, almost as though Zoe’s words pulled them together from across the centuries.
As though she watched the scene in a movie theater, his arm wrapped around her waist, and he held her even tighter, bending her over. He made her swoon as no other man had ever done before. Her hand reached up and took ahold of his hair. Gosh, she never wanted to let him go. Emptiness surrounded her when he abruptly tore his lips from hers and pushed away from her. The cooler air of the room coming into contact with her flushed skin caused her to shiver.
He muttered something, possibly in Gaelic, giving Jade the impression he was of Scottish descent. But whatever his words meant, Jade couldn’t understand any of them. He began to pace the room, much like she had done but moments before. She went to him and gently laid her hand upon his arm.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, almost afraid to hear his answer.
He stared at her hand for several minutes until his words exploded from his lips. “St. Michael’s wings! Where did you come by this?” he growled out before taking her hand and inspecting the ring she couldn’t seem to get off her finger. He began to pull at the shiny gold band, but it wouldn’t budge for him any more than it had moved for her.
Roughly, she tore her hand from his. “Stop that. You’re hurting me,” she shouted.
One Last Kiss: The Knights of Berwyck: A Quest Through Time, Book Five Page 4
