Knight Moves: Merriweather Sisters Time Travel (Merriweather Sisters Time Travel Romance Book 2) (4 page)

“The reason I’m here is to find out what really happened to my sister. Maybe she was lost at sea, maybe not. I need to know how they fell.”

Melinda took a sip of tea, thinking about how to frame what she wanted to tell him without sounding like a crazy person. After all, there was eccentric Southern crazy, and batshit crazy.

“I was sitting here on the bench when this big black bird, I think it was a raven, flew down and landed on the wall next to me. I swear the bird was trying to tell me something. He cawed and flew away, and when he did, a rock fell out of the wall. There was something in the opening. It was like the bird knew it was there and he’d just been waiting for me to get here.”

Henry grinned. “Let me guess. Buried treasure? Or gold from a pirate’s booty?”

“Well, of a sort. It was a bundle wrapped in cloth. When I unwrapped it, I could tell it had been some kind of paper, maybe parchment? But it crumbled to dust as I held it. Though not before I saw writing.”

She paused, knowing what she was about to say would sound like she was some New Age hippie, like her sister.
 

“I know the sea air can corrode and destroy almost everything it comes into contact with. So I realize the letter could’ve been written, what, a few weeks ago? Months ago? It looked really old. But the handwriting…it was my sister Lucy’s.”

Henry pursed his lips, a thoughtful look on his face. “There are tales about Blackford.” He gestured toward the castle. “The old priest said your sister and her boyfriend weren’t the first ones to be lost to the sea.”

“What? There have been others?” Melinda jumped up and started pacing in the dirt. “I need to talk to him.”

 
Henry shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s going to be difficult. Father Moore suffered a stroke. He can’t talk. Given his age, they’re not sure if he’ll recover.”

 
“Oh. Sorry to hear. Is there anyone else who might know? Or maybe articles in the paper?”

He scratched his head. “Might be. My brother would know. We’ll ask when we get back.”

Henry stood and put a hand on her arm to stop her from pacing. “I’m sorry. If my brother died here, I’d tear the place apart looking for answers.”

She looked up at him. “Thank you for not thinking I’m crazy.”

Melinda turned in a circle, thinking of all the places she could search. “I think I’ll spend the few hours of daylight I have left exploring the castle.”

“Then let’s get started, aye?” Henry efficiently packed up the remains of their lunch, finished off his beer, and shot her a blinding smile. “Let me stow this in the boot and I’ll help you search.”

For the next several hours they wiggled rocks, climbed over debris, and searched for any kind of clue. Henry was right: it was faster with two people. Melinda didn’t know what she hoped to find, only that she had a feeling there was something she was missing.

When they got back to the pub, they would talk to Brad. See what else he might know. Was there a serial killer on the loose? Or some shadowy group kidnapping people?

Melinda rolled her eyes. She was getting punchy. Coming up with all kinds of implausible ideas. What was the saying? The simplest explanation was usually the right one. Too bad she didn’t have a simple explanation. Not one she liked.

 
Some of the walls were unstable, rooms ended in jagged openings, and she was afraid to climb several of the staircases. The growing darkness made her swear. Unable to see, she had to give up.

“Where’s your car?”

He grinned. “I walked. Figured you’d drive me back so I didn’t freeze my arse off.”

The ride back to the pub was short, and she gratefully sank down next to the fire to warm herself.
 

“I added whiskey to your tea. To help take the chill off.” Brad handed her a mug of the steaming liquid.

Melinda inhaled. “Thank you. I feel like a giant Popsicle.”

The two brothers joined her around the fire, along with two of the older men Melinda had decided were permanent fixtures of the pub.

Brad pointed to the older gentleman on his left. “This is Angus.” He pointed to the man sitting across from her. “And Magnus.”

He grinned at her. “Yes, they’re brothers.”

Both men smiled at her, inquisitive blue eyes watching her behind thick glasses.

“I was hoping either of you could tell me anything you might know about people disappearing around here.”

She sipped the tea, feeling the warmth spread to her stomach as the whiskey did its job. She could feel her toes again thanks to the fire. Melinda pulled the soft blanket tighter around her. Henry had brought it over for her when they arrived.

Angus spoke first. “You’re the American lost her sister, yes?”

She nodded.

“Saw her come through here with some rich fop from London.”

Magnus jumped in. “He was a rude one. Stepped on my toe, didn’t even apologize.”

“We thought she was too good for him. Sorry you lost her.” Angus turned to his brother, silent communication passing between them. He turned back to her. “The old stories say they always come back.”

She leaned forward in the chair. “What, like fairytales?”

Magnus nodded. “You might say that. Father Moore liked to talk about the strange happenings at the castle. He said in all his time here, one other person disappeared, a young boy. He was found six months later wandering around incoherently. He told a fantastical tale of other lands, but no one believed him.”

The man shrugged and took a long pull of his drink. “Your sister might not be dead. She might be with the fairies.”

Fairies. Melinda didn’t know whether to laugh or to scream. There was no such thing as fairies. But she listened as they told various tales. Each one more outlandish than the next. She would bet most of the tales could be traced back to somebody being drunk.

She yawned for the third time. Brad ushered the men back to the bar.

“Sorry about them. They can get a little carried away.” Henry took her teacup before it slid off her lap. “What do we do now?”

Maybe the thoughts had been swirling around her mind all this time, but suddenly Melinda knew what she was going to do.

“I’m going to check out in the morning. Head back to London and do some research on missing persons in the area. I don’t know what I’ll find, but at least I’ll feel like I’m doing something.”

“We have internet here. You don’t have to go off to London.”

She let him down gently: “I appreciate it, but I need a change of scenery. Walking around the city will help me think. Thank you for all your help today.”

She stood up and yawned again. “Dinner was great, but I’m exhausted. I think I’ll have a hot shower and turn in early. See you in the morning.”

She left Henry staring into the fire. Another time, if she were at a different place in her life, she might be tempted to start something with him. But now she had only one focus, to find out what had really happened to Lucy. And there was no way she believed Lucy was in fairyland.

The simplest explanation. She should accept Lucy was gone. But if there was another explanation, she was determined to find it.

Melinda enjoyed her breakfast at the fancy hotel. The drive back yesterday had taken her all day. Of course, part of that was because she got lost several times, and then there were the sheep. At least three different times she found them blocking the road and had to wait until they decided to move on. By the time she got to London and checked in to the hotel, Melinda had been so exhausted she fell asleep without bothering to change out of her clothes.

The next morning, after a long, hot shower and a hearty breakfast, she was feeling more like herself again. Time for a plan.

Walking always helped Melinda come up with her best ideas. She was known for pacing around her office and then calling out an idea or five. There was so much to see in the city that it wouldn’t matter which direction she chose. Walking down a cobblestone street, Melinda felt lost, untethered to the world. It was something about all the history here that made you feel you could turn a corner and find yourself in another time. Now she was being fanciful. All the tales Magnus and Angus had told her going to her head.

She made her way to Trafalgar Square, where she aimlessly meandered, exploring shops and stopping for lunch. Not noticing where she was going, Melinda found herself in front of the National Gallery. She wandered through the museum, stopping and looking at whatever caught her eye.

Afternoon tea was something she could get used to. Melinda made a note to start the practice at home. It would be a nice way to break up the day of her boring corporate job. Taking the time to have a cup of tea and a little snack would refresh her during the dreaded afternoon slump. She liked her job, it just wasn’t something she loved, and every day from three to four she felt like taking a catnap.

As she turned down one of the corridors in the museum, Melinda found herself all alone in the gallery. She admired the paintings, stopping to read some of the plaques. She was ready to call it a day, but a small painting in the far corner caught her eye. Something about the bright colors among the darker colors on the wall.

As she leaned close to get a better look, the world dropped out from under her. Melinda placed a hand on the wall to steady herself. The room started spinning and black spots somersaulted over each other before her eyes.

“Miss, are you okay?”

She opened her eyes to see a kindly guard looking down at her. She was sitting on the floor.

“What happened?”

“I was doing my rounds and saw you go down right hard. You women today. You don’t eat enough, always trying to be skinny.”

He looked her up and down. “You look fine to me. Better get some food in you.”

“I will. Thank you for your concern.” She got up, made sure she wasn’t going to pass out again, and put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for helping me. I’ll sit here for a few minutes then find something to eat.”

The guard looked doubtful. Melinda crossed her fingers behind her back. “Promise.”

She waited until he was gone. Coast clear, she stood inches from the small painting. Well, small compared to some of the works taking up half the wall from floor to ceiling. The canvas looked about sixteen by twenty inches. The piece was untitled. The card next to it read,
Noble family, fourteenth century
.

The painting depicted a sexy man with long black hair and emerald eyes. There were five children of various ages. Four boys and one baby. But it was the woman in the painting that caused Melinda to wonder if she was hallucinating.

The woman in the painting was Lucy. How was it possible her sister was the subject of a painting from the fourteenth century?

Melinda uploaded the picture of the painting she’d taken at the museum. She felt vaguely guilty. But it was more important to find out what had happened to her sister and why Lucy was the subject of a painting created at least seven hundred years ago than it was to worry about the light from the flash affecting the painting.

She ordered room service, put the
Do not disturb
sign on the door, and went to work on her iPad. One thing she knew: she was good at research.