Darkest Knight

by Cynthia Luhrs

  “I have brought servants and food. And furniture.” Robert looked at his brother as if waiting for him to notice something.

  Anna saw the moment it hit John. “My furnishings.”

  “I cleared out Blackmoor after…” He tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep the place up.”

  John clapped his brother on the back. “Nay, Robert. I am grateful for all you have done. You should not have brought all this. I will not be here long enough. The king’s men will come. They will take me back to the tower. And then where will everyone go?”

  “You worry overmuch,” Robert said softly to his brother.

  Anna wanted to leave the hall, leaving them to have a private conversation. She started to inch away but John turned that all-seeing gaze upon her.

  “Anna, stay with us.”

  Robert placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It will not come to that, John. But if it should, everyone will come back with me. We have all taken your people. They will be safe. What is family if not to help when there is need?”

  “You were so young when our family lost everything. I will not have such a thing on my conscience again.”

  “’Tis no longer your choice. We will aid you. The old king is dead. Letitia was a silly girl. Lord Denby is a bastard who will get what he deserves. The Thorntons stand together. Edward is seeking an audience with the king. He will ask him to pardon you.” At this Robert grinned. “After all, he is the best of us all at keeping his temper.”

  The love John and his brother had for one another…Anna yearned to know the feeling. The knowledge you had another in the world that cared for you. A brother or sister who would help you whenever you needed them. As an only child, she longed for a big, boisterous family. Her first boyfriend after high school came from a family of six brothers. She stayed with him for too long because she loved his family—as it turned out, much more than she cared for him.

  She leaned against the wall, sipping a cup of water, content to listen to them talk. Something Robert said made her pay attention.

  “We have sent messengers across the land. They report seeing you in York. Others tell the king’s soldiers you were spotted in London, and others swear they spoke with you near the border of Scotland.” He grinned. “’Twas James’ idea.”

  “He is aiding us?”

  “Aye. As is William Brandon.”

  John’s brother filled the room with his presence. She or John didn’t have a prayer of getting a word in. Robert practically hopped around the kitchen with glee. Anna couldn’t help smiling at the younger version of John. He must give the women around England fits.

  “A small band of soldiers came to Falconburg. The Red Knight told them to do something I rather thought was impossible. He learned the saying from his wife, Melinda.”

  Robert turned to Anna. “You remind me of her. Something about the way you speak.”

  Weird. She didn’t think much of the comment until she saw the look on John’s face. He was as pale as the moon. Who on earth was Melinda? A spark of jealously flared. Anna hoped she wasn’t an old girlfriend. She didn’t want to interrupt, so as soon as she had John alone, she would ask.

  “Do not forget, brother, we’re at war. The king is in need of gold and men. The years have been good to the Thorntons and to the bandit, from what I hear. We have plenty of both and would offer it gladly to keep you safe and back among us.”

  John quickly wiped his sleeve across his eyes. “The servants are stirring up dust. I have a bit in my eye.”

  Robert snorted. “As you will, brother.” He looked around the hall, hands on his hips. “Tomorrow we will drink and feast.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  A hundred times a day or so, it seemed to Anna, she tried to wish herself home. Morning, night, inside, outside. Different days of the week, storms or sunny days. She tried every combination she could think of and nothing worked. So either being at the tower would take her back to her own time or she was stuck here. In medieval England with a man she was falling in love with and who wasn’t attracted to her at all.

  Almost a month had passed, and with every day, home seemed more of a distant memory. A place she dreamed of with a father who needed her.

  “Mistress?”

  She jerked up from the pile of hay she’d been sitting in, talking to Brown Horse and Black Horse. So they were awful names, but she hadn’t come up with good ones. If she named them, it felt like she was accepting her life here. One more block cemented to keep her here.

  “Sorry, you startled me.”

  The woman—Sara, maybe?—looked like she was in a hurry.

  “Come along. Your bath is ready and then the girls will help you dress in more…er, proper clothing.”

  The servants Robert had brought stared at her filthy jeans and shirt, but none said anything. After hearing of some of Robert’s activities, she thought they were pretty jaded to anything shocking.

  “A bath would be heavenly.”

  She patted the horses as she left the stables. They looked so much better. The men had worked on the stable first, saying there wasn’t much damage. Right now, the horses had better sleeping arrangements than she did.

  When had Robert grown up to be a man? And one so eager to bathe all the time? John was an idiot, so lost in his own problems he had given little thought to Anna wearing the same clothes for weeks. Not once had she complained. Most ladies he came into contact with would’ve have complained long and loudly until he procured what they desired. She never said a word. Washed as best she could. He chuckled. She had been vexed that he laughed when she said she smelled. Spending so much time on the road, one would have an odor. He thought she smelled nice.

  John was bewitched by the hose she called jeans. Women did not wear such garments. Mistress Waters was a fetching sight, and he’d scowled at more than one guard lingering about.

  “Thinking of the enchanting lass?” Robert smirked. “She will prefer me to you now that I brought her clothing, food, and a bathing tub. And rose-scented soap.”

  “Nay. She does not like castles. And yours looks like it is a folly the king requested.”

  “All women like pretty things. Truly she does not care for castles nor titles?” Robert stroked his chin. “She must be the only woman in all the land. I should take a closer look. A woman such as Anna would make a fine wife.”

  “Touch her and lose your hand.” John stretched out in front of the fire, grateful for the chairs his brother had thought to bring along. “You are much too picky and will never find a wife to suit you. You prefer to wager and drink and hunt.”

  Robert peered into his cup. “Tell me more about Anna. There is something about her…”

  “First, there is something I should tell you. James Rivers and his wife Melinda knew I was alive.” Things he thought strange about Melinda suddenly made sense. Why Anna reminded him of someone. Could it be possible?

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Nothing.”

  “If James and Melinda know, then so does William Brandon. William is married to Melinda’s sister, Lucy.” Robert shut his mouth and stared into the fire.

  “Out with it.”

  “You would not have heard. Henry is married.”

  “Little Henry?”

  “Not so little anymore. He married the third sister, Charlotte.”

  “Bloody hell. How many sisters are there?”

  Robert chuckled. “Only the three.”

  The more John thought on it, the more he was certain. Anna and Melinda were the same. Melinda spoke with a different accent, but Anna said America was a vast country, and there were many accents. Could all three sisters be from the future? Anna assured him people did not travel through time. How did the Merriweather sisters come to be in the past? Did they know how to get back? Perchance they could aid Anna?

  Did he want her to go?

  “You are thinking so hard ’tis making my head hurt. Tell me, John. You know I would do a
nything within my power to aid you.”

  “Have you noticed anything odd about Melinda or her sisters?”

  Now it was Robert’s turn to look as if he had a secret. His brother turned his head toward the stairs as if he could peer through the stone.

  “The girl dresses strangely.”

  “She is not a girl. Mistress Waters is a score and three. Anna is different.”

  “You have been the bandit of the word for far too long. I am your brother. You can tell me anything.” Robert sat there and stared at him, waiting.

  John knew he could trust Robert, and yet…after the betrayal of Archie, he found the words lodged in his throat. ’Twas her secret. Did he have the right to tell?

  “You asked how I came to meet Anna. Pour the wine and I’ll tell you.” John added more wood to the fire—the servants were busy, and they were alone in the hall. He leaned back in the chair, fingers steepled his fingers under his chin, and gazed at his brother.

  “I was thinking of all of you. The dishonor I brought to the Thornton name. When I looked up, she was outside the cell. As if she’d sprung up from the very stone itself.”

  He looked into the flames, remembering seeing her for the first time, struck by the innocence on her face.

  “The guards had been up late and were still sleeping. She was dressed as you saw her tonight. I asked for her aid. She took the ring of keys from the wall and released me. ’Twas strange; she did not want to leave the tower.”

  “Was she imprisoned? How did she escape?” Robert was leaning forward in his chair, one booted foot tapping against the stone floor.

  “Nay. She was visiting the tower. In her time the tower is a place people come to gaze upon. ’Tis no longer used as a prison.”

  He waited, watching the words sink in to his brother’s mind.

  “What do you mean, in her time?” Robert paced back and forth in front of the fire. He whirled around to face John. “She said whatever. Just like Melinda and her sisters do. Where is she from?”

  “The right question would be when is she from.”

  Robert gaped at him. A thoughtful look crossed his face.

  John added, “Anna says she is from the future. The Year of our Lord 2016. Did you know in her time, a queen rules over England?”

  In the dim firelight, Robert turned the color of marble. He looked unwell. “So many things make sense. I thought the Merriweather sisters odd. But now…”

  He looked at John. “Think you they too are from the future? I would very much like to see what the world becomes. Think one of them can travel back to their own time?”

  “Nay.” John shook his head. “Anna has been most distressed. She needs go home. She has family dependent on her.”

  “Is she married?” Robert asked. John scowled. “What? I see the way you look at her. You care for her. Why haven’t you wooed her?”

  “Aye. I do. But I will not have her in danger. With me, Anna is not safe. She is kind and decent and deserves better.”

  “I would woo her.”

  John was about to strike his brother when he saw Robert grinning.

  “Do I tell Anna about Melinda and her sisters?”

  “Who’s Melinda?” Anna said as she stepped into the room.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The tone of their voices stopped Anna from entering the room. John and Robert were speaking in low voices. Standing still, she closed her eyes and listened. While she knew you shouldn’t eavesdrop unless you wanted to hear something you might not like, she couldn’t help herself.

  After a long, hot bath, she felt human again. Two of the women Robert had brought with him helped her undress, gaping at her bra. Their looks had made her so nervous that when they left the room to let her soak, she tossed it in the fire, happy she was small-chested. At least if she put her old clothes back on, it wouldn’t be too obvious she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  The steam rose up around her, making her drowsy. The women bustled in, soaping and washing her hair. Bits of leaves, twigs, and straw floated in the tub. It was heavenly to feel and smell clean again. The dress they provided was stunning. A deep brown with embroidery at the bottom and all over the sleeves. She felt like a princess. One of the women dubiously eyed her clothes, saying she’d launder them. Anna wondered if they were headed for the fire.

  A younger girl had braided her hair, trying the end with a gold velvet ribbon. Anna felt beautiful for the first time in a long time.

  John raised his voice. She caught something about someone named Melinda. Did he have a girlfriend? He hadn’t mentioned one so far. Why would someone as good-looking and rich as him want someone as poor and plain as she? He had been nothing but kind to her. Gave her no indication he had deeper feelings. He was a knight before becoming a bandit and was helping her. Even if he was the first man who had ever looked at Anna like he saw her for who she was. A person of value.

  Smoothing her hands over the dress, she took a deep breath and stepped into the room. “Who’s Melinda?”

  They both stared at her, their mouths hanging open. Robert recovered first.

  “A vision of loveliness. Methinks you are a fairy princess come to live among the humans.” He pretended to swoon.

  She laughed, not believing a word he said.

  “Sit here by the fire. Away from my dolt of a brother.” John helped her to the chair. They sat after she did.

  “You are the most beautiful woman in the realm, mistress.”

  Robert was a total playboy. “Please, call me Anna.”

  “Then you must call me Robert.”

  He slid John brother a look. One Anna had seen between the brothers of her ex-boyfriend. It always meant one of them was about to tease the other one. And they would usually end up rolling around on the floor punching each other.

  “Are you married?”

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “John says you have family awaiting your return.” He tapped a finger against his chin, ignoring John, who was making faces at him. “I have to wonder how you came to be in the Tower of London, alone and unescorted?”

  She looked at John. “Didn’t you tell him?”

  He fidgeted. “A bit. ’Tis your story to tell. Robert is a bothersome lad, but he has a good ear. He will keep your secrets.”

  She looked at Robert, who pressed a hand to his heart.

  Anna rolled her eyes. These two together were going to be more trouble than a pool full of alligators. “Okay. Here goes.” She sat upright in the chair, afraid to wrinkle the dress. Anna told Robert the same story she’d told John. This time, though, she told them the rest of the story. The part she had left out before.

  “I am an only child. My mother died after a long illness when I was eighteen. I was away at college…university. In my first semester, I had to drop out to take care of my dad. He had a stroke when my mother died.”

  She sniffed but did not cry. A cup was thrust into her hands, and she gave John a grateful smile as she took a sip.

  “Water. You remembered.”

  Robert looked horrified. “Why did you not give the lass wine?”

  “She prefers water.” He looked at his brother and smirked. “’Tis what she prefers, and she shall have what she desires.”

  “So I found a full-time job. But it still wasn’t enough. So I also found two part-time jobs to help pay for the facility.” She saw the look on their faces and clarified: “My father was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. It’s where you start to forget things and no longer recognize those you love. A stroke is when you lose control of part of your body. My dad can no longer move the left side of his body, and requires someone to watch over him day and night. There are places to help with his care. But they cost a great deal of money.”

  “You worked? For money?” They both looked extremely interested. Feeling self-conscious, she continued.

  “Yes. For forty hours a week I worked as an assistant.” She looked at the blank looks on their faces and added, “It’s where some
one tells you they need things done and you do them. So the full-time job I worked Monday through Friday, all day. In the evenings I worked in a small shop, and on the weekends I worked as a waitress in a diner. It’s like the tavern we stopped at. We take people’s orders and bring them food.”

  “A serving wench?” Robert pursed his lips.

  “No. There are no serving wenches anymore.” She paused. “Well, there are, but if they’re like the ones I’ve seen so far, we call them hookers.”

  Her throat was dry from talking so much. She was used to sitting on the sidelines, not being the center of attention. It was discomforting having two men such as the Thornton brothers turning their full attention on her. But she was almost through with her story, and she had to get it all out before she lost her nerve.

  “So you can understand why I have to get back. The place where my father stays, I have paid for this month and the next, but after that, if there is no money, they will make him leave and he will have nowhere to go. Then they put you in a place the state pays for, and the one near our town is a terrible, dreadful place. I must go home.”

  “I’m sorry you lost your family,” John said. Robert looked at John, who nodded. “We may know someone who can help you.”

  “The Melinda you heard us talking about when you came in has two sisters,” Robert said. “I am not certain, but I believe they may also come from the future. ’Tis something about their speech, they use the same words you do. Such as whatever. A most useful word for many occasions.”

  Robert held his hands up.

  “Do not get excited. We do not know if they can travel forward to their own time. But we will find out. Our brother Henry is married to the third sister, Charlotte. He is on his way and should be here on the morrow. We will ask.”

  She couldn’t help it—the excitement filled her entire being. A possible way to go home. And the chance to talk to others who had traveled through time. To find out how and what their experience was. And if they could go back, had they all stayed of their own free will? Was it for the men they married?