Knight Moves: Merriweather Sisters Time Travel (Merriweather Sisters Time Travel Romance Book 2) (23 page)

Why was Melinda overcome at the sight of his ring? Before his eyes, she started to fade. Panic rose up in James at the thought of losing her. He could see the castle through her form. The storm raged, and James saw the crimson blood, stark against her pale flesh, as she clasped his ring in her hand, blood dripping onto the ground to be washed away by the pounding rain.

She was disappearing before his eyes. He could not lose her. James reached out with both hands, bellowing to the heavens. “I beseech you, do not take my heart. I will gladly remain a beast forever, if only you let her stay.”

Melinda came to. She was in a soft bed in a richly appointed room. It was warm, and the smell of wood smoke and cloves filled the air. A fire crackled in the stone hearth, the mantel carved with flowers and vines. Where was she?

More importantly,
when
was she? She sat up, putting a hand to her head to stop the spinning.

“Please don’t let me barf.”

When Melinda opened her eyes again, Lucy knelt beside the bed.

“I thought I’d lost you, Mellie.”

“The voices told me the choice was mine.”

Lucy hugged her so tightly, Melinda squeaked.

“Okay, let me go, you’re choking me.”

Both of them had tears streaming down their faces. At least she didn’t have to worry about looking like a raccoon. No makeup, no mess.

“Saints be, what happened?”

Lucy helped Melinda sit up then moved away from the bed. Melinda looked to James. His hand shook, his normally golden skin pale as hers. He fell to his knees, threw his arms around her waist, and rested his head against her chest.
 

“Do not ever do such a thing again. I thought I lost you to the future.”

She sniffled. He looked wavy through her tears.

“I saw you reach for me through the voices and the lights.”

Melinda glanced up to see Lucy quietly leaving the room.

“I kept you from returning home.”

Melinda pulled him up to look him in the eye. “You are my home. I wanted to stay.”

“You are certain?”

Anger rose within her. She slid off the bed, looking for something to throw. But it was Lucy’s room, and she’d feel bad if she broke anything, so she’d settle for yelling.

“Why would a woman as intelligent, kind, and beautiful as you want the beast of Falconburg?”

Melinda turned and punched him in the stomach. It was like hitting rock. “Ouch, that hurt.”

His head jerked up.

She would try to make him understand. To see the man she saw so clearly. Put it in words he could relate to.

“Why do you hide in shadow and darkness? Come into the light.” Melinda took his face in her hands. “Can’t you see? All your life, you have used your looks as a shield. Something to hide your true self behind. Now that shield has been broken, cast into the dirt. And you must rely on what is inside.”

She pulled him to the bed, sat beside him, taking his hand in hers.

“As your face is your shield, your actions are your sword and the code you live by. Powerful and sharp. We use what we are given in this life. If something is lost, we use the other tools given us. Can’t you see how much others look to you, value you?”

His insecurities had become a crutch. She kicked it out from him.

“I love you. People age, looks fade, and all that remains is what is inside. You are no beast.”

Melinda touched his face, tracing the scars with a finger.

“You see me for who I am. Why can’t you believe I see you for the man you are?” She held her hands up. “Look at me. I have no title, no money, no lands. You should not want me. I would make a poor match.”

A fierce look crossed his face and something flickered in his eyes.

“I would be the most fortunate man in all the realms to have you for my own.”

“So why can’t you believe I feel the same?”

James discreetly wiped dust from his eyes. The servants should be dismissed for not doing their duties. He did not weep. ’Twas merely something in his eye. Before him stood a great warrior queen. Melinda loved him for the man he was. Not for his looks or gold. She truly did not see his scars. Only the man.

“I will love you the rest of my life. And beyond. Through whatever lies waiting for us after death. Will you be the Lady of Falconburg? Marry me and make me the happiest man in all the realms.”

James pulled her into his arms. As he did, his tunic ripped, the hastily mended garment giving way. He shrugged out of the tunic, turned, and threw it in the fire. Melinda gasped. Doubt crashed down on him.

She walked around him, touching each scar. James stiffened. He knew what his back and chest looked like. A mass of scars. Old white lines crossed with faint pink lines, marred by angry red slashes.

“Do not pull away. You are an amazing warrior and beautiful to me. I do not care how many scars you have. Your skin tells the story of what happened to you on the outside. Others carry their scars on the inside, hidden from everyone but themselves. We all have scars. They make us who we are. I swear I will love you for the rest of my life. And if you will have me, I will marry you, James Rivers.”

He gathered her in his arms. A drop of wetness dripped from his face onto her hand. He didn’t think he’d cried since his family died. With Melinda he was reborn. A new man. His scars no longer held sway over him.

Lucy breezed into the solar, a crochet hook and yarn in her hands. “Where are the men?”
 

“They’re out in the stables. James said they needed to discuss horses.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “They’ll be out there all day.”

Melinda couldn’t stop looking at her sister. She was still pretty; it was just startling to see her twenty years older. Melinda kept expecting her to look the same as when she’d disappeared less than a year ago. In time, she’d get used to the change and no longer notice.

“You look good with silver hair.”

Lucy touched her hair and laughed. “And the wrinkles around my eyes?”

“Laugh lines are always beautiful.”

They sat in front of the fire, eating lunch. While Melinda had less than a year of her life to catch Lucy up on, Lucy shared twenty years worth of news. Talk about a lot happening.

“Thank goodness I saw the merchant at the market wearing one of your scarves. Have you been teaching everyone to crochet?”

“I’ve taught a few of the serving girls. Just think, my scarf is what brought you to me. Though you would’ve made your way to Blackford and found me eventually.”

“I’m not sure. The man described you—well, let’s just say he said you were older and had silver hair. I would have thought it was someone else.”

“You were going to call me old. Go ahead and say it.”

“It’s a lot to take in.”

“Who would’ve ever thought we’d be living in a castle?”

“I still can’t believe you have five children. And went through childbirth at home, not in a hospital. And without drugs.”

“At the time I couldn’t believe it either. You should have heard me screaming. But if I were back home, I would’ve been one of those women other pregnant women hated. All of my pregnancies were easy. I was sick for the first month and that was it. Otherwise I felt great. When I went into labor, the midwife came, I pushed five or six times, and out came baby.”

“Some of those pregnant woman, like that awful Caroline Smith with the fake boobs, would’ve strung you up by your toes.”

Lucy’s eyes filled with tears. “What are we going to do about Charlotte? By now she’s gotten the news you’re missing or presumed dead. She’ll think she’s lost us both, and she doesn’t even have Aunt Pittypat anymore.”

“She knows about the painting. I told her when I found it. We can hide a letter, but if we do, we need to make sure we seal it in wax or something to protect it.”

“I’m so happy you’re here, Mellie. The only thing that would make me happier would be if Charlotte were here too. Could you see her in medieval England?”

“She’d have everyone doing yoga at sunrise, meditating in the afternoon, and giving up meat.”

“I’m not sure she’d survive without her high-powered blender.”

They laughed, and Melinda felt her throat close up. She’d been so lost without her sister, missed her so very much. It was wonderful to be reunited, and yet bittersweet, for now she and Charlotte were separated by an ocean of time. It was hard to let go.

“So…what’s the deal with James?”

Melinda scooted her chair closer to Lucy. She leaned in, and Lucy leaned in too, so close their heads almost touched.

“He’s wonderful. Actually asks what I think. Listens.”

“I always hated that about Carl. It was like he couldn’t see past your looks. What happened to James?”

“He’s enemies with some family named Bolton in the south. He said it happened during a battle. From how awful the scars are, I think they did it on purpose.”

“He’s still handsome.”

“The scars don’t bother me at all. Half the time I don’t even notice them.” She looked up to see Lucy looking at her, a skeptical look on her face.
 

“Really. I see him for who he is on the inside. A good man with a strong personal code. Someone who cares about me as a person, not an object or possession. And someone who would risk everything to save me. I love him with all my heart.”

She told Lucy about James saving her from bandits and saving her from almost drowning. And then she told Lucy how she’d saved him.

“You should’ve seen his face when I made him do a piggyback. He said he was humiliated.”

“That huge man on your back? How did you even take a step? He must outweigh you by a hundred pounds.”

She and Lucy burst into giggles.

“I felt like I had an elephant on my back. That man is solid muscle. But I knew I had to get him out of there. So I put one foot in front of the other and tried to focus on not falling over. Maybe the core exercises Charlotte made me learn helped.”

Lucy touched her stomach. “I do planks every morning, but never when the servants are around. William would have stomped and bellowed around for a week if he’d been saved by a woman.”

“James was so angry at first. I think his pride was damaged more than anything else. He’d never been rescued by a woman before.” She snorted. “I don’t think he’d ever been rescued, period.”

“They definitely believe the whole ‘me man, you woman’ thing.”

She and Lucy talked through the afternoon, so happy to be together again. One of the servants knocked on the door.

“Lady Blackford? Lord Blackford is in the hall with Lord Falconburg and the men.”

“We will join them presently.”

Lucy put the crochet away in a basket by her feet. “We better go down before they start gnawing on the tables.”

Melinda took Lucy’s arm in hers. “I’m starved. What’s for dinner?”

“I’m not sure. We’ve been so busy catching up, I told cook to come up with whatever. After dinner, we need to put our heads together and write down what we know about traveling through time. Charlotte needs to know. Anything that can help her get back to us.”

“But we have to be really careful. We don’t want the wrong people finding a letter. Think of all the havoc someone could cause by coming back and assassinating a king.”