by Sherry Ewing
As soon as the door closed quietly behind her, conversations erupted inside the solar. She smiled, listening to the siblings squabble, but didn’t give it another thought as they chirped away in a tongue completely foreign to her. She made her way to her chamber, ready to leave everything behind her, knowing her time here in the twelfth century was almost over.
She would have been panic-stricken had she observed the lone rider who practically flew through the gates of Berwyck a short while later.
Chapter 31
Marguerite wrapped her silken limbs around Riorden’s neck ’til her fingers pushed inside his shirt. She cared not that the man was in a daze and had called her Katherine more often than not. All she cared about was word from the king, granting them permission to wed. Then, and only then, would she feel he was truly hers once more.
There was not much of a response from him. There never was. She had attempted to crawl into his bed on numerous occasions, but even that course had been barred against her. It seemed the only use he had of her was to replenish his ever present bottle of whatever he chose to drink that hour. She had begun alternating the few drops of potion she had put into his drink, learning that only one drop was generally enough. She had sent another missive for Warin to bring her more but had yet to have any word from the lout.
She was thankful, however, that Riorden had never drunk the wine she had left for him at her dower house. She had stupidly put several large drops in the decanter and knew if he had tasted of it, he would have been slumped over dead, much like his sire had died. It had been a close call.
Everard had been silent lately, which was of great concern to her. She didn’t understand why he left her alone, but her slumber of late had been so peaceful. At least she was able to take advantage of sleeping the night away as she had not done in some time.
Her fingers ran lightly across Riorden’s chest and she closed her eyes, thinking how fine ’twould be to at last see him naked once more. It had been so long since that fateful day when all her plans had finally worked in her favor. Katherine was dead, Everard was leaving her alone, and Riorden would soon be her husband. Life could not get much better than that.
She began placing loving kisses on his neck, hoping that, for once, he might take advantage of what she willingly offered him. To her dismay, he waved annoyingly at her, promptly laid his head down on the table, and snored.
A snicker filled the Great Hall, or so it seemed to Marguerite’s ears, as two of his knights turned from her sight and went back to drinking their fill at the hearth. At least she did not have to see the knowing leer in Aiden’s eyes when she was all but rejected. As far as she was concerned, they were well rid of the annoying Scotsman.
She pulled up her chair next to Riorden’s and draped her arm around his shoulder. He looked so peaceful and carefree as he slept, as if nothing troubled him. That she was the cause for all his misery, never crossed her mind as she laid her head down on his shoulder and stroked his hair.
Marguerite was enjoying the moment of acting the wife, giving her husband comfort ’til there was a commotion at the keep’s door. She could feel a chill as the cold winter wind came whipping through the vestibule and made its way into the hall. The door slammed shut, and the noise echoed throughout the keep. A shiver went through her, as if death were breathing down her neck.
“Katie!” a woman’s voice sang out.
“Come out you pansy! We’ve come for a visit,” another called.
Marguerite raised her head, and she saw two women taking off their snow covered cloaks. Her mouth hung open as she stared at their strange garments. Never had she seen clothing such as theirs, and she wondered from whence they hailed.
“Lady Juliana! Lady Emily!” Ulrick announced, coming quickly to their side.
“We are so surprised to see you here,” Nathaniel chimed in. “Are Danior and Tiernan with you, as well?”
“I’m afraid not,” Juliana answered as she wiped the snow from her hair. “We...ah...had a little mishap, if you take my meaning.”
“Yea...seems like Bamburgh isn’t the only place where one should be careful where one steps,” Emily added, and both women burst into laughter. “Where’s Katie?”
Marguerite’s brows drew together, not liking where this conversation was leading, and yet she could not for the life of her move, nor help herself, as her arm tightened around Riorden’s shoulder. ’Twas as if she was already losing her claim to him with the presence of these two strangers.
Nathaniel cleared his throat. “I am afraid, Lady Katherine is no longer with us.”
“Where’d she go,” Juliana asked. Emily tugged at her sleeve.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Emily cursed.
Marguerite, hearing these strange women’s accent, began crossing herself but still listened with interest, trying to comprehend who these women were.
“Emily, how many times have you told us to watch what we say, or are you forgetting your own rules about the fabric of time issue,” Juliana whispered between clenched teeth. She then proceeded to put a forced smile on her face afore turning her attention back to the knights standing afore her, who shifted uneasily upon their feet. “So, where’s Katie?”
“Jewels, we have a problem,” Emily muttered, giving the other woman a poke.
“What? Geez, Em, can’t you hold your horses for a sec so we can find out where Katie is?”
Marguerite rose from her chair in irritation as the woman called Emily pointed in her direction.
“Who the hell is that?” Emily inquired with knitted brows.
Marguerite raised her chin a notch. “I am Countess de Deveraux and soon to be Riorden’s wife! Who are you to come barging into my home unannounced?”
Emily began closing the distance between them.
“Emily...wait!” Juliana yelled.
“Bullshit!” Emily bellowed.
Marguerite was unable to move fast enough as that evil woman’s fist slammed into her eye. An unladylike scream was forced from her lips when she fell over backwards whilst her head felt as if it had been knocked off her shoulders. The irrational woman then had the nerve to stand over her, clenching her fist, as if she was unsure if she should continue her assault.
“You keep your God damn hands off my friend’s husband. Do I make myself clear?” Emily threatened.
“I am not afraid of you,” Marguerite answered with clenched teeth.
“Ha! You should be,” Emily declared knowingly.
Marguerite watched Ulrick pull Emily away from her as the woman sputtered curses. She had never heard a woman use such profanity openly in the company of men. Nathaniel came and assisted Juliana to a chair near the hearth, and still no one offered to help her from the floor. She picked herself up from where she had fallen and made to sit back down in her chair at Riorden’s side. She changed her mind when Emily cleared her throat, waving her fist in her direction again. Mayhap, for the time being, she would let this stranger have her way. She took a small sip of her wine and heard the conversation of Katherine’s death swirling about the four people who hovered around the fire.
“We searched everywhere for Lady Katherine,” Ulrick was saying, “but her body was never found.”
Startled gasps escaped the two women, who looked at the knights in total disbelief, causing Marguerite to hold back a satisfying grin that the rival for Riorden’s heart was now out of the way.
“But that’s impossible, Jewels,” Emily began with a furrowed brow.
“Not now, Em,” Juliana firmly said.
“But we have─”
Juliana held up her hand, all but cutting off Emily’s words. “I said, not now,” she repeated sharply. With a severe expression on her visage, she gave a nod of her head in Marguerite’s direction. The two strangers then proceeded to look upon each other ’til their cheerful laughter rang out. ’Twas not long afore their common sense returned, and they clamped their hands over their mouths to cover their mirth.
Marguerite fo
lded her arms across her chest in indignation, wondering at the jest they made that must surely be about her, not that she cared what these strangers thought of her. Ulrick and Nathaniel’s expression’s showed their dismay that these women would find humor in their friend’s demise.
“My ladies,” Nathaniel interjected ’til Juliana held up her hand once more.
“Emily and I didn’t mean to appear disrespectful,” Juliana murmured with a strange smile on her face, “but are you perhaps trying to tell us that Katie is dead?”
“Aye, she passed on several months ago, but we continue to pray for her soul to rest in peace,” Nathaniel declared in a solemn whisper of reverence. He made the sign of the cross and then lifted his eyes upwards in a brief moment of prayer.
Ulrick peered in confusion at the two women afore he leaned forwards, and Marguerite strained to hear his words. “Riorden has not been the same since and blames himself for her death, and that of their unborn child.”
“Aye, Ulrick speaks the truth. Riorden is never without a bottle of spirits in his hand that continues to be replenished by the Countess,” Nathaniel answered, as if the current state of Riorden’s health was grave. Marguerite should not have been surprised when all four heads swiveled in her direction.
Juliana had a grave expression on her features. “Are you trying to tell me that Riorden has become an alcoholic?”
Marguerites brows furrowed at the strange words coming from this lady’s mouth. She didn’t understand half of them. Apparently, she was not the only one, as Ulrick and Nathaniel looked just as confused.
Emily began to clarify. “You know...he drinks too much, day in and day out.”
“Aye,” Nathaniel answered as he stared at Marguerite with hatred in his eyes. “We have attempted to reason with him, but he has lost his will to live without Lady Katherine at his side.”
“I see,” Juliana said. “Excuse me for a moment.”
She made her way towards Marguerite, who watched in puzzlement as Juliana picked up the bottle Riorden had been drinking from. Juliana lifted the cork and sniffed the contents then turned her glaring green eyes upon her.
“Damn you for what you’ve been doing to him! You’re lucky you haven’t killed him!” Juliana swore at Marguerite afore she turned away, turning her attention to those near the fire. “It’s not the booze he’s become addicted to. She’s been drugging him.”
Marguerite stammered her retort. “How d-dare y-you...a-assume...I would do such to the man I love?”
Juliana’s emerald eyes flashed with fury. “Honey, you don’t know the first thing about love.”
Marguerite sputtered, trying to justify herself as her ruse was quickly unraveling right afore her. Ulrick and Nathaniel looked as if they were about to lead her away in chains, but she was spared the humiliation, as their attention was drawn to the woman named Julianna, who picked up two buckets set by the hearth and went outside. She returned shortly with them filled halfway full of snow.
“Where’s the kitchen?” she asked, and Ulrick pointed her in the correct direction. “Emily, come with me.”
They were not gone long, and when they returned to the hall, they each carefully tried not to slosh the water that was filled nigh to the brim of the buckets they carried. The women crossed the floor to Riorden then stood behind him whilst he still slept on, with a soft snore.
“Ready?” Juliana asked Emily.
“You betcha!”
“Get ready to jump back. He’s not gonna like this. One, two, three!” Juliana said, and they let the freezing water sail through the air to drench Riorden to the bone.
Marguerite did not think the man could move so fast, considering how drugged he was, but he roared like the lion he was, reaching for his sword that was fortunately not to be found at his side. His stance wavered from the drink and potion she had been feeding him ’til he slipped back down, into his chair. Marguerite made to come to his aid but stopped short of her target.
“I think you’ve done enough, Countess. If you value what little patience I have, you will get yourself out of my sight, or I won’t be able to stop my friend there from most likely ripping the hair right out of your skull,” Juliana warned.
“How dare you speak to me like this? You’ll answer to Riorden for this insult,” Marguerite swore.
Emily grabbed a dirk that had been lying on the table. “Oh, I don’t think we’ll be thrown out anytime soon, especially when Riorden learns what we know. If you were smart, which I doubt you are, you’d take Juliana’s advice and go to your chamber. We’ll take care of Riorden now.”
Marguerite could only stammer, trying to form some kind of a response. ’Twas the first time she was ever at a loss for words. Reluctantly, she began to make her way to the stairs.
“Sober him up, and fast,” Juliana ordered the two men. “If you have to go dunk him in a horse trough, then do it.”
“But, my lady, he will be mad as hell when he wakes from his stupor. ’Tis the only thing that dulls the pain of knowing his wife is dead,” Ulrick proclaimed, as he and Nathaniel each took one of Riorden’s arms and draped them around their shoulders.
Juliana and Emily gave them a knowing look and began to smile.
“Dead?” Emily giggled.” Katie’s not dead, and we have the proof.”
“And it’s long past time Lord Riorden went to fetch his wife,” Juliana answered.
Marguerite’s eyes widened in shock as she hurriedly made her way to her room. Knowing all her plans were falling apart, she slammed the door. How can Katherine not be dead? She had paid a large sum of coins to ensure the woman no longer graced this earth. Yet, she had a bigger problem that must needs be solved. Once Riorden was no longer indulging in the spirits she provided him, she would be sent posthaste to Dunhaven, without a backwards glance.
She began to pace. Suddenly, she shuddered, for with her fear of losing Riorden, his father made his presence known again and proceeded to renew his efforts in his revenge. Everard’s laughter would fill her head for the remainder of this night, and many more to come.
Chapter 32
Riorden was about to enter his solar when he heard the laughter of the two ladies inside. He had been astonished to learn they had traveled, yet again, back in time. And that ’twas no more of their own choosing this time than it had been the last. At least he finally had a clear head on his shoulders, although it had taken almost a whole fortnight to come out of the daze he had been in. He knew ’twould be a long time ’til he felt once more in control of himself.
He was actually surprised that Ulrick and Nathaniel were yet alive. He had lost count the number of threats he had made against them since that first night when his head had been dunked in a frigid water barrel by the two knights. His teeth still ached, he swore, from spitting out large chunks of ice that managed to find their way into his mouth when he bellowed out his frustration.
He grimaced, thinking that he had sunk so low as to fill himself with drink, as he had. Yet, he wondered, not for the first time in the past few days, what Marguerite had been putting in his wine and whiskey. As he opened the door, it appeared the women were soundly trouncing his knights in another round of cards. They looked most pleased with themselves at their accomplishment.
Emily was the first to smile brightly at him. “We’re playing Euchre. Would you care to learn the game, Riorden?”
He shook his head, never having heard of such a thing as a game called Euchre, but the women were enjoying themselves, and he was glad of it. However, he had more important things that needed discussing than the rules of a game of chance.
Juliana rose from the table and made herself comfortable in front of the hearth. “I think Lord Riorden has questions that only we can answer. Are you ready to learn the truth of the matter of why we have, most likely, been sent here?” she asked hesitantly.
The others joined her and awaited his seating. But he remained standing at the door, not sure where to start. He watched as Juliana motioned to his c
hair, as if he had no idea where he should sit. Merde, he was a mess of confusing thoughts!
“Why are you here?” Riorden at last managed to form a few brief words on his lips. They were raspy, at best, proving even to his own ears that he had been drugged.
Juliana and Emily exchanged glances afore Emily finally answered him. “To make things right, of course.”
Riorden ran his hand over the stubble on his chin. “Nothing can make up for my mistakes, for my losing Katherine. You cannot make any of that right.”
Juliana leaned over and took his hand. “Yes, we can, my lord. If Katie were sitting here with you now, she would tell you everything happens for a reason. We may not comprehend the why of it, but sometimes these things take years for us to understand. Only God above knows for sure why He puts us through the trials in our lives as He does. It’s been said, He does it to make us stronger.”
“You cannot possibly under−” Riorden began to protest. She held up her hand when he was about to renounce her words. His lips snapped shut as she continued.
“While I won’t try to guess the ins and outs of what you have gone through, I will tell you that there is no reason for you to be grieving. Katie is alive, and for that we’re very thankful.”
“Do not jest with me, Lady Juliana, for I cannot bear it,” Riorden whispered.
Emily reached for a satchel she had sitting on the floor next to her. “Ulrick and Nathaniel have kindly filled us in on how you believed that Katie drowned in the river, but that’s a falsehood. We have the proof of it here.”
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a fairly large piece of parchment, though none that was from this day in age. She handed it to him, and he noticed some strange kind of clasp on it. He looked on her, not sure what he should do with it.
“Oh...sorry,” Emily said, knowing she had embarrassed him. “I sometimes forget where I’m at, and that you’ve never seen anything like this.”
