A Matter of Time: Book 4 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “Hmmm… I don’t like the fact that this Jefford guy is getting involved here. While Gabe is watching Angelina, I’d like you to watch Jefford. Hopefully, the two of you won’t be tripping over one another. I suppose we should watch Mackall as well, just in case,” Malcolm concluded.

  “I’ll assign Dane to him, unless you have someone else in mind.”

  “No. He’ll do.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, sir, why don’t we just get this over with now? Why are we waiting? We’ve got a handle on all of them and it would be easy to set the plan in motion.” Pierce waited silently on the other end of the line for Malcolm’s response.

  “Yes, it would be easy to do it now, but I fully intend to beat Mackall at the tournament at the end of November. That arrogant bastard deserves to be put in his place one more time, before I get what I truly want out of him.” Malcolm disconnected the phone call and tented his fingers. It was only a matter of waiting a short time longer and then, with any luck at all, he’d be in the early part of the sixteenth century and well on his way to finding the sword that would bring him all the power and glory he wanted.

  * * *

  “What did you think of the fish and chips?” Angelina asked.

  “They were very good,” he responded.

  “As good as what you would buy back at home?” she asked, showing great interest in his response.

  He knew this was a test of his ability to fool her – not that he wanted to, of course, but he needed to out of necessity. She’d think him a crazy fool if she discovered the truth. “They were excellent, but I think not as good as what I’d get at home.”

  “Oh, boo. I guess next time I’m in England, you’ll have to give me the name of your favorite place, so I can try it out for myself.”

  Angelina walked along beside him and Richard acknowledged to himself that it felt good. It seemed as though she belonged there, by his side. He thought he was capable of doing anything if she was with him, but then he reminded himself he was not staying, and she wasn’t looking for love. It was a shame, because she would be so very easy to love.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Angelina said, her pure blue eyes gazing up at him.

  “I was just thinking what a wonderful day I’ve had here with you. We had an adventure, some good food and the conversation and company were excellent.” Richard was surprised by how completely at ease he was, walking with her. He wanted to hold her hand, but knew she wouldn’t like it, so instead he let his arm brush up against hers and enjoyed the sensation that travelled up his arm each time he did so. They reached her front door and she looked up at him with such clear admiration, it astounded him. How could he stop himself? He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he knew he couldn’t do that to her. He’d already hurt her feelings the first time he’d kissed her.

  She reached up and touched his cheek and he held his breath, afraid that if he moved, the spell would be broken and she’d remove her hand. He needn’t have worried though, because her damnable cell phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket.

  “It’s Nick. Probably wondering where we are,” she smiled before she pressed a button on the phone and held it to her ear. “Hi. We’ll head your way right now. See you soon.” She put the phone back into her pocket. “I guess we’d better get going if we don’t want to be late.” She seemed a little wistful as she opened the door and went inside. “Let me get my things and we’ll go.” She hurried around the room, picking up her purse and practice equipment, which was in a duffle bag by the front door. She breezed past him, heading towards the car. “Richard, close the door, please.”

  He did as she requested and followed her to the car saddened to think their idyllic day was at an end.

  * * *

  Although she was irritated by Nick’s impeccable sense of timing, she was actually grateful he had called when he did. There had been a very real chance she was going to kiss Richard again and Nick’s phone call had saved her the embarrassment of Richard telling her for a second time that he couldn’t go down that road with her. Yes, she had definitely been spared the consequences of her own foolish actions. But damn it, he was getting more and more difficult to resist!

  They drove to the practice space in silence. Angelina was lost in her own thoughts and she assumed from Richard’s silence that he was as well. He never even glanced in her direction, instead focusing on the scenery passing by his window. She pulled into a parking spot and they both got out. She ran around to the back of the car to get her equipment out of the trunk and ran straight into Richard. “Oh… I’m sorry,” she said, the apology covering much more than just accidentally running into him.

  Richard cleared his throat and he seemed as if he was about to say something, but she turned away and hurried into the warehouse, not daring to look back. She was, no doubt, the biggest coward in the world, but right now she needed some breathing room.

  “There you are!” Nick’s voice boomed across from the far end of the warehouse. He was surrounded by students, working intently with their partners. Tonight’s group not only consisted of the men who would participate in the tournament against Malcolm and his crew, but a number of women, teenagers and even small children were going through their paces. Nick was moving around from group to group, but it was obvious that he was in need of some help from Angelina and Richard.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Angelina said. “Who do you need me to work with?”

  “Let’s have you work with the ladies, if you don’t mind,” Nick suggested.

  She didn’t mind in the least, it was a pleasure to work with this group. They loved the class and she felt good about providing them with the skills they needed to take care of themselves.

  “Richard,” Nick said, “would you please work with the little ones?”

  Richard looked puzzled by Nick’s request, but he agreed. Angelina watched as Richard approached the group and introduced himself. He had the children sit in a circle and she listened as he asked them to tell him something about themselves.

  “Angelina,” Nick said, nodding in the direction of the women.

  “Sorry.” Angelina headed off towards her group and began pairing them off so she could evaluate where they needed help. She noticed that Nick had sent Zeke over to work with the teenagers and they seemed very happy about it.

  The evening passed in a blur. She made good progress with her ladies’ group and was impressed with their ability to follow her instructions with just one simple explanation. She couldn’t help but be mesmerized by Richard as he worked with the children. They ranged in age from about six through to twelve. It was adorable watching him parry with the youngest child. He was sweet with them. A little voice in the back of her head was telling her to take note. So he’s good with dogs and children. Is that supposed to make me fall for him? I can’t let that happen, no matter how perfect he seems. He’ll only hurt me in the end, just like the others I’ve made the mistake of giving my heart to.

  Still, she couldn’t quite reconcile her warning with the man she saw in front of her. He wasn’t anything like any of the men from her past. She’d always been able to walk away from any man, with her independence intact. Richard made her feel things she wasn’t sure she wanted to feel. Even though she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, there were times she was exhausted by it. Times when she wanted to be taken care of, wanted to turn to someone at the end of the day and say, ‘Hold me. Love me.’ She hadn’t allowed herself to do that up until now and she was frightened of the prospect of trying it. She tore herself away from thoughts of Richard and pulled herself back to the here and now, congratulating the women on their great progress and then heading off to hide in the back office and pull herself together before she drove Richard and Nick home.

  * * *

  Richard couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed working with the children. He hadn’t had much cause to spend time with the young ones around the castle, so he was surprised by their friendly natures and how hard
they’d worked, to gain his approval. He’d never really thought about having children of his own before now, but this experience had him thinking about starting a family, and soon. Richard wasn’t sure how that was going to happen, but he fervently hoped it would. He just needed to learn those lessons Edna had spoken of and then he’d be able to go home, the changed man he wanted to be.

  “Ye did well with the wee ones,” Nick said as he approached. “They seem to love ye.”

  “Love me?” Richard repeated blankly.

  “Aye. I heard them all chattering happily about ye as they prepared to leave. Ye’ve made quite an impression on them.” Nick began the cleanup work that was a natural byproduct of their classes. “I believe we’ll have them do an exhibition at the tournament. The teenagers and the ladies can participate as well. It will be good publicity for my school and should bring me new students by the New Year.”

  “Where has Angelina gone off to?” Richard asked. He spun on his heel, searching for her among the departing students.

  “She’s here somewhere. She cannae leave without us, she’s our ride home.” Nick continued picking up items that had been left on the floor. “I’ll need to send an email to the students informing them of the exhibition times, once I’ve spoken with the event organizers about adding them to the program.”

  “You amaze me, Nick. You’ve adapted so well to your surroundings. Even though I know you’re not from this time, it’s easy for me to forget when I hear you talking about the school.”

  “’Twasn’t always like this, I can assure ye. I made many mistakes and got many funny looks when I first arrived. I made it a point to quickly learn what would make me blend in.” He stopped what he was doing and stood up straight, stretching his back as he rose. “There she is,” Nick announced, pointing to Angelina as she exited the office.

  “We were wondering where you were.” Richard smiled appreciatively as he watched Angelina walk towards them.

  “For the record, I wasnae wondering. ’Twas him,” Nick nodded his head in Richard’s direction.

  “I was just cleaning up your desk, Nick. I don’t know how you can find anything in there.” She gave Nick a disapproving scowl and then immediately smiled, to let him know she was just teasing. “Are you almost done out here? I want to get home as early as I can.”

  Richard didn’t like the thought of her returning home alone. “Why? Why must you go home?” He realized immediately that he sounded like a besotted schoolboy, but it was too late, the words had already left his mouth.

  Angelina, for her part, appeared unfazed by the question. “I have things I need to do there. I’ve been spending so much time with the two of you, I’ve let some things go and it’s time for me to take care of them.”

  “I see.” But he didn’t really see at all. He wanted her here, where he could keep an eye on her. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the idea that she might be in danger, and he would prefer she was by his side.

  “Richard, she’ll be fine,” Nick stated quietly, so that only Richard would hear. In a louder voice, he spoke to Angelina. “Let’s go then. I believe we’re done here.”

  They locked up and walked to the car. “Angelina, how are the three of us supposed to fit in here?” Nick asked, surveying the sporty little car.

  “Oops! I forgot I was going to need to get you both back home. If I’d been thinking, I would have brought the truck. Oh, well, we’ll have to make do. Nick, you sit in the back this time. I know it’s cramped back there, but I’ll try not to go over any bumps and I’ll get you both home as quickly as I can.” She exchanged an impish grin with Richard as Nick tried his best to fold himself into the back seat.

  “Richard, move your seat forward,” Nick grumbled.

  “What?” Richard asked. “How do I do that?”

  “There’s a button on the side of your seat. If you push it, your seat will move forward,” Nick harrumphed impatiently.

  Richard had a difficult time locating the button Nick spoke of, and he was surprised when Angelina leaned across his body and reached down beside the seat to operate it for him. Richard felt the seat lurch forward, but he was completely focused on the sensation of Angelina’s breasts nestled between his legs and he groaned involuntarily.

  “There, is that better, Nick?” Angelina asked.

  “Much,” Nick answered. “How is it for you, Richard?” Nick laughed, peeking around the seat back to observe his friend’s pained look as Angelina slithered back into her own seat.

  Richard offered Nick a dirty look, but didn’t bother answering. It had been a rhetorical question and Nick obviously knew everything he needed to about the situation. As far as Richard was concerned his friend was enjoying the situation far too much.

  As they pulled out of the parking lot, Richard gazed silently out the window, his head filled with thoughts of Angelina.

  Chapter 14

  Thanksgiving morning arrived in the form of a clear, but cool day. The sun was shining brightly and showed promise of warming the air for the afternoon football game that was planned in the field next to Estella’s home. Angelina had eluded Richard and Nick over the past few days. She had gone to practice, worked with her students and prepared all the paperwork necessary for the tournament and the exhibitions with little or no interaction with the men. Overall, it had made the time fly by and now here she was, getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in the way it was meant to be celebrated – with a real family. Over the years, Angelina had spent many holidays on her own and she’d gotten used to it. Being used to it didn’t mean she didn’t long for the type of holiday she imagined everyone else in the country celebrating.

  Nick and Richard would be joining her soon. Zeke was dropping them off, on his way to his own mother’s house, which had left Angelina plenty of time to make the pies for dessert. Between Estella and her daughter, everything else was under control – the turkey, stuffing, gravy and vegetables were all taken care of and Estella had told her they’d made an assortment of quick breads as well. When Angelina had visited earlier, the aroma from the kitchen had permeated the entire house and had her mouth watering. Just as she was getting her own mincemeat pie in the oven, the front door opened and Nick and Richard walked in, both carrying bouquets of flowers.

  “Good day to ye, lass,” Nick said. “We come bearing flowers for ye and the Lady Estella.”

  “They’re beautiful! Thank you!” Angelina kissed Nick on the cheek and hesitated a moment before doing the same to Richard. “I just put my first pie in the oven and I’m about to get the others prepared. Would you like to help me?”

  “If ye dinnae mind, I believe I’ll take these flowers over to Estella and see what wondrous food she’s cooking,” Nick said, heading for the door. “Richard, would ye like to join me?”

  “I’ll stay and help here,” Richard said. He sauntered into the kitchen, bouquet still in hand.

  Angelina took the flowers from him, retrieved a vase from under the sink, filled it with water and then set the flowers in a pretty arrangement. She stood back and admired them. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

  “Their beauty is a mere shadow of your own.” Richard was standing too close for comfort, making the small kitchen seem even tinier in his presence.

  “If you want to go visit Estella with Nick, it’s okay, I can manage the pies on my own.” She realized she was already trying to get rid of him, but was uncertain why she was reacting in this manner. She’d been thinking about him all morning, imagining him walking through the door, tall, dark and handsome. And here he was, and she hadn’t been disappointed. He was all of that and more. So why was she so determined to avoid him?

  “I’d like to stay,” Richard said. His eyes seemed to be burning holes right through her.

  “Okay, then. I’m going to put you to work, so I hope you’ve got some cooking skills.”

  “I follow directions very well, m’lady. I promise I won’t disappoint you.” He did a little mock bow and his eyes danced with
amusement.

  Angelina fastened an apron around his waist and handed him a rolling pin. She instructed him on how to roll out the pie dough and true to his word he did exactly as she showed him and made a perfect round for the pie plate. Next he cut up the apples while she prepared the pumpkin for the pumpkin pie. They worked side-by-side in the kitchen with hardly a word spoken between them, other than the occasional question from Richard on what she needed him to do next and her brief answers. Angelina found it to be a comfortable silence and she gradually began to relax. Having Richard here helping her, gave Angelina a warm, fuzzy feeling she hadn’t expected. When the last pie was in the oven, she removed her own apron and untied his.

  Richard turned to Angelina with an amused expression on his face.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  In answer, he grazed his thumb across her cheek. Trapped as she was between him and the counter, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his smoldering eyes. She stood perfectly still as he reached behind her for a towel and proceeded to wipe some flour from her face. The air between them was thick with emotion and Angelina found it difficult to take more than a shallow breath. She couldn’t get past him without touching him, so she stayed exactly where she was and hoped he would move. He didn’t. Clearing her throat, she made small talk, spouting words that sounded inane, even to her own ears.

  “Once those pies are done, we’ll set them to cool and head on over to Estella’s.” She fidgeted nervously with her hair and finally, unable to take another moment of awkwardness quickly turned her back to him. That was a mistake, because she could feel his hot breath on her neck. His calloused fingers sent chills down her spine as he moved her hair away from her neck. “Angelina, I know you’ve been avoiding me these past days, but I don’t understand why.” His deep voice rumbled through her body as she waited to see what he’d do next. “Why are we fighting this attraction we have for one another? You’re all I can think about, all I want. Would it be so wrong, to let down our guards and enjoy each other?”