Hearts Across Time (The Knights of Berwyck: A Quest Through Time Novel ~ Books 1 & 2)

by Sherry Ewing

  Emily reached over and firmly grasped Juliana’s hand. The two women turned as one to look upon each other, with tears in their eyes until, in unison, they began to stare once more with loving fondness at the picture of their dearest friends.

  At last, they had the answer they had been searching for, and yet, perhaps, they had known it in their hearts all along. Just as Emily and Juliana had found love and never regretted their decisions to return to the present, the same held true for their twelfth century sisters. They, too, had found true happiness, for it was as if the pinkish cherry blossoms depicted along the edges of the picture were a sign made just for them.

  The faintest smell of their floral essence reached Emily’s nose just as surely as she watched Katherine’s smile broaden, ever so slightly. She turned to Juliana and they both broke out in laughter as they hugged one another.

  Time truly was endless. Their friendship had and would always endure…

  Only for You

  Chapter 1

  The Year of Our Lord’s Grace 1179

  Bamburgh Castle, England

  Countess Katherine de Deveraux shook beneath the calm façade plastered on her face. Never in all her twenty-six years had she felt so much animosity in one room and, apparently, it was all directed at her. It certainly wasn’t her fault if she was married to one of the most gorgeous men who had ever walked the face of the planet, was it? From the looks she was receiving, without hesitation any number of the women in the king’s chamber would have given up their soul to the devil himself to be standing in her shoes.

  She took her free hand and tugged at the silken wimple, wrapped so securely around her neck and chin it was choking the very life from her, and she felt as though she was suffocating. Pulling harder offered no relief, and she regretted having listened to the older woman who had informed her that all the ladies would be dressed in a similar fashion. The woman had tied and wound her hair in such tight, uncomfortable braids around her head that even her skull ached. It only added to her distraught feeling she couldn’t breathe.

  Gazing around the room, she noticed there were plenty of other women with their hair unbound and only a small veil covering their heads. Even their bare chests showed more skin than was allowed by the high necked gown she wore. She should have dressed as she had seen fit, rather than cave in to a servant with whom she was not familiar. Katherine felt as if she were dressed like a nun instead of the vibrant young woman that she was.

  With narrowed eyes, she espied the maid who had attended her. Katherine instantly cringed inside when the old biddy walked up to a group of what she would have termed high maintenance girls. They turned as one to look in her direction and promptly burst into rambunctious laughter. If there had been a hole big enough for her to hide in, she would have willingly fled to its safety. They continued to glare at her with utter hatred until their attention was drawn to the knight walking beside her. Maybe she should have thought of them as bitches in heat, given the stares they gave her husband while they all but undressed him with their eyes.

  Katherine supposed it wasn’t really her fault she had screwed up by trusting the maid. She was completely out of her element here at court and already didn’t care for the intrigues swarming around her. Maybe if she had grown up in this time period instead of over eight hundred years in the future, she would have stood a fighting chance with these vicious, catty women. Where in the world was that spirited lady of modern times, who didn’t take crap from anyone and stood up for herself, she wondered? Surely, things were far more complicated in the future than what was found here in twelfth century England. What was wrong with her?

  Katherine glanced behind her to fondly watch her dear friend Brianna, who had decided to remain with her here in the past. She laughed inwardly, since she had the feeling Brie, as she was endearingly called, had truly stayed here due to her own infatuation with her husband’s younger brother Gavin. That hunk of handsome, blue-eyed man candy, his brown hair streaked with blond highlights, was currently escorting Brie about the hall and hanging on her every word. Katherine gave her a slight smile that Brie returned. From her friend’s look, she too had her own reservations, clearly evident on her beautiful face, regarding the tension in the room.

  Inwardly, she sighed, knowing they shared a common bond and at least had each other to lean on when things became too complicated here in the past. Was it really only several weeks ago that Katherine had watched her other dear friends Juliana and Emily, along with their own knights Danior and Tiernan, disappear through the time gate in one of Bamburgh’s towers? She shuddered with its memory. If it hadn’t been for her sisters of her heart, Time would have reclaimed her, as well. The thought of only being able to see the love of her life while she was sleeping caused her to shudder. It was no small wonder she wanted to leave Bamburgh as quickly as possible. They had tempted fate enough as it was.

  He must have known her thoughts for his hand brushed gently over her own before he gave her a reassuring squeeze. She clutched at his arm to prove to herself that he was truly standing next to her. It was something they were both still trying to get used to...this strange connection between them that Time had blessed them with. She gazed up into his deep blue eyes and got just as twitterpated as the first time she had seen them in her dreams. She had never seen the color on another and doubted she ever would again.

  Awestruck, she took in his handsome, muscled physique and hair as dark as the midnight sky. Silently, she wondered how on earth a man could appear so gorgeous, tall, and all powerful yet not be a conceited bore. There was nothing vain about the man she had married that she had seen thus far in their relationship. Katherine was still in a state of shock she could call this man her husband and that he loved her. She attempted a smile for his benefit despite the agony she was in. From his expression, she was sure it came off as a grim look of complete displeasure.

  “Stop fidgeting, Kat. All is well, my love,” he whispered for her ears alone.

  “Easy for you to say, Riorden,” she retorted in a snit, although inwardly she was pleased with his nickname for her. “You’re not the one smothering with this death trap wrapped around your head.”

  He gave a merry chuckle. “A thin veil of silk is nothing to complain about, Katherine. Try wearing a helmet and armor made of iron, during the heat of the summer day, whilst you heft a sword just to stay alive. Then, I will listen to your grievances with a bit of cloth.”

  “Are you mocking me, sir?”

  “I would never dare, my lady. I was just trying to prove my point that there are worse, more annoying things than a little fabric,” Riorden explained. “Besides, you look beautiful.”

  “Ha! You just don’t understand at all,” Katherine complained, ignoring his compliment. “I’m not used to being covered from head to toe in an amount of material only the dead would feel comfortable wearing. I never could stand to even wear a t-shirt close around my neck without feeling claustrophobic.”

  His dark brows arched in confusion at her words. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek. “I still must needs get used to your language, Kat. Your speech is passing strange sometimes.”

  “I just don’t know why you wouldn’t let me wear hose, tunic, and boots. I sure as heck would have felt more at home.”

  “I sincerely doubt the king would have approved, my dear, but do not worry overly much. You can change soon, once we are again in our chamber.”

  A groan escaped her lips as perspiration began forming on her upper lip. Was it just her, or did the room quickly become stifling with unbearable waves of heat?

  “Katie, are you all right?” Brianna inquired in concern.

  “She does look a mite pale, brother,” Gavin chimed in.

  Katherine wiped at her dampening brow. “I think, I’m going to pass out,” she whispered in a low, miserable tone.

  Katherine felt herself being ushered to one of the windows where a faint breeze brushed lightly across her face. It barely calmed the panic overcoming her. She b
egan to breathe faster, trying to take in great, big, gulping breaths of air, but it seemed her lungs just wouldn’t fill to satisfy her need.

  “Come here, Katherine,” Riorden offered, placing her in a chair. “Let us see if we can get you more comfortable.

  Katherine made a strange wheezing sound. “I can’t breathe−”

  “Put her head down between her knees,” Brianna ordered. The two men looked at her as if she had lost her sense. “Truly...it helps.”

  With Brianna and Gavin providing a mediocre of privacy as they blocked the view from curious eyes, Katherine didn’t care what Riorden did to her, as long as this insufferable cloth was removed from her head. Without delay, he swiftly removed the silk wrapped around her chin, but the dress collar close around her neck only added to her distress of not being able to inhale. If she didn’t calm her breathing, she was going to hyperventilate and really give everyone something to talk about when she fainted in a heap on the floor.

  Riorden seemed to understand her sense of emergency and made quick work of tearing the fabric to give her more air. The dress was ruined, but she didn’t care as long as she didn’t feel tied up like a Christmas goose! She at last was able to take a deep breath and looked at her hero with worshiping eyes. He in turn only stared at her with a frown upon his handsome face. “What?” she asked with a still shaking voice.

  He placed his fingers on his chin, contemplating her until he at last replied. “Why did you allow that old harpy to bind your hair so, ma cherie? You know how I love to see it flowing freely down your back.”

  Before Katherine could answer, he set to work again, and, in no time at all, the braids around her head were unbound in a riot of tawny colored waves, much to her delight. Perhaps there was hope for her after all.

  “Is that better?” he asked.

  “You have no idea how much better this is,” she replied in relief with a grateful shake of her now free hair.

  Laughter rumbled in his chest. “You might be surprised how much I understand, Kat.”

  She felt his touch upon her shoulder, and slowly her breathing began to return to normal. Looking down, she was appalled to see the actual condition of her torn gown, now that her moment of crisis was at an end. At least the king had not as yet summoned Riorden before him; although, she wondered how much longer they were to wait for an audience. She was tired of just hanging around this castle, doing nothing, and wanted to go to her new home. Riorden had tried to assure her it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary to linger for weeks on end at the whim of King Henry II. His Majesty did everything in his own time, and waiting was all part of showing one’s fealty to one’s sovereign.

  As if Murphy’s Law suddenly decided to play a spiteful prank on her, Katherine felt a sudden hush come over the room. Horrified she would be presented to the King of England with her neckline sagging around her breasts, she hastily grabbed at the ripped fabric, trying, to the best of her ability, to make it appear presentable. She was failing miserably.

  The knights and ladies in the Great Hall all began to bow and curtsey, as was customary when in the presence of their monarch. Katherine could do no less as her worst nightmare came to pass. As if Karma were paying her back for some offense, she heard Riorden’s name being called. The words, reverberating throughout the chamber and in her head, sounded much like a death summons. Again, the room began to swirl around her. Only God above would be able to help her if she passed out now!

  Chapter 2

  Riorden took one look at his wife and was concerned for her welfare even as his name was announced a second time. The paleness of her skin did not bode well, and he watched as beads of sweat broke out again on her forehead. He took her shaking hand and kissed its back.

  “Wait here and rest, Katherine. The king knows nothing of you or our marriage yet I must advise him immediately afore he learns of it from the whisperings of others,” he said, stroking her hair to offer what comfort he could.

  “We’ll look after her, won’t we, Gavin?” Brianna answered with a cheerful smile.

  Riorden nodded his thanks. “You will be well, my dear? Perchance, you would care for something to eat?”

  He watched in dismay as Katherine brought her hand up to her mouth. Was it his imagination or did she turn slightly green? She was clearly not well. “Urp...no, I couldn’t stomach it. Go on...don’t keep him waiting, for heaven’s sake, Riorden,” she declared. He continued to look on her with doubt. “I’ll be fine, really. Brie and Gavin are here to look after me. I’ll be all right.”

  He leaned down, kissed her cheek, and, with much reluctance, left her side. He had not gone but a few steps when a far from quiet conversation reached his hearing.

  “What does he see in her, do you suppose?” one woman asked another.

  “You would think a man of his wealth and looks would be with someone more beautiful than some plain miss who brings nothing to their marriage,” was the snide reply.

  “She’s hardly a hag, my friend, although there are certainly women far lovelier than her here at court...myself included.”

  “Ha! She does not even know how to dress to impress a man of his stature!” the woman at her side returned. “I would certainly know how to keep a man such as that at my side.”

  “I have heard tell he has married her−”

  Aghast, the second woman turned to the one who had spoken. “He would not dare do so without consent from the King, would he?”

  “─and ’tis a love match,” the lady continued, giving her companion a scathing look for interrupting her.

  “Love?” the woman scoffed. “Bah! What does love have to do with anything if she does not bring wealth to his coffers?”

  Riorden did not wait to hear the reply, knowing he would pay heavily for his impudence to his liege. As he made his way forwards to the raised dais where King Henry was impatiently pacing back and forth, he espied his squire Patrick and Patrick’s older brother Aiden. With a nod of his head, they fell into step behind him ’til all three knelt down afore their sovereign.

  He waited there with head bowed, and yet still King Henry did not address him. Wondering at the delay, he raised his eyes to see his Majesty glaring down at him with an angry expression upon his visage. He gave Riorden a brief nod. Rising to his feet, Riorden waited for the inevitable.

  “I am displeased, Riorden de Deveraux,” the King began. “Perhaps you are not fit to hold the title of the Earl of Warkworth after all.”

  He stood tall and would not cower, not even to his liege lord, nor would he regret his decision to wed with Katherine. “I can explain, sire.”

  “Explain?” King Henry bellowed. “You did not ask my permission to wed, and yet I hear from others that you have done so. Why I am not hearing such a confession from you first hand is beyond my comprehension!”

  “She means all to me your majesty. I−”

  “Do you think I care what you feel for this woman?”

  “My pardon, sire,” Riorden answered in respect, “but the marriage has been consummated and cannot be undone.”

  The king began his pacing again. “I had plans for you and Warkworth, and it certainly did not include marrying some woman with no wealth or lands to call her own!”

  “An adequate dowry was bestowed upon her, my liege,” Riorden answered and turned to Patrick, who handed him a pouch of considerable wealth. He stepped forwards and handed the bag to one of the king’s aids. “Surely, this will compensate for my slight to the crown.”

  Riorden watched as the king’s man tossed the pouch to assess the worth of the contents with the confidence of someone who had done so numerous times in the past. The man nodded to the king, who sat down calling for wine. His chalice was quickly filled, and Riorden waited with bated breath for his fate to be determined by an irate king.

  After several moments, the king placed his chalice down on a table and began drumming his fingers on the wood in a show of impatience. “Well?” he asked.

  “Sire?”


  “Bring her afore me! I assume she is here, is she not?”

  “Aye, sire, she is here...but not feeling herself at the moment,” Riorden replied with worry, wondering how Katherine would get through an interview with the king.

  Conversation stumbled to a hushed whisper ’til silence descended inside the chamber. All eyes turned in his wife’s direction, including his own. He was only slightly surprised to see her, not where he left her, but standing several paces behind Aiden and Patrick. Riorden supposed ’twould not be the last time she would be defiant to his requests by not remaining where he had told her to stay put.

  King Henry flicked his fingers, and Katherine came forward then dropped down into a deep curtsey. Riorden helped her rise when she was bidden to do so and held her arm to steady her stance. They waited together in silence, not daring to speak. He did not miss when Katherine raised her head a notch in a display she had more courage than her health, but a few moments afore, would have determined. He could not have been more proud of her.

  “What is your name, my lady, since your disrespectful, impudent husband has not seen fit to give one to me?”

  “Katherine, Your Grace,” she answered calmly.

  “’Tis a lovely name,” King Henry replied whilst he scrutinized her gown.

  “You are most kind, Your Majesty.”

  “Harrumph! Mayhap your husband will see a seamstress brought to Warkworth so you may be more adequately attired when next we meet,” he suggested with a stern look.

  Riorden bowed. “Of course, sire. It shall be done. We welcome the opportunity to serve thee at Warkworth.”

  Chalice in hand, King Henry stood again and came to stand afore Katherine. “And from whence to do you hail, dear lady?” he inquired in mild curiosity.

  “I am from far abroad, my liege,” she returned softly, lowering her blue-green eyes.