Time Travel Romances Boxed Set (126 page)

But Niall halted in the street and turned to
face Viviane, his expression wary. “Perhaps you could return the
favor I have done you and do a deed for me.”

There was something about his tone that made
Viviane cautious, as though he knew that she wouldn’t like whatever
suggestion he was going to make.

But she couldn’t imagine how that could
be.

She smiled, sure he had just been flipping
through that book again. Who knew what he had found now? “Like
what?”

Niall did not smile. “Return to Cantlecroft
with me.”

The unexpected words shook Viviane to her
core. “Cantlecroft!” She danced backward when Niall might have
grasped her arms, his expression telling her that this wasn’t a
joke. “I told you, Niall, that I’ll never go back there! How could
you even ask me to go to certain death?”

“
Viviane, ’twill not be
thus.” Niall was earnest and was talking fast. “I shall vouch for
you, I shall see your name cleared, I shall ensure that the
archbishop grants you the hearing you deserve. His is a man of
honor! You shall see that all will resolve itself and your name
will be cleared…”

“
But, Niall, I don’t care!”
Viviane flung out her hands. “What earthly reason is there to go
back and to bother with any of it? Let’s just stay
here.”

Niall’s lips tightened and he looked away.
“Viviane, I cannot.”

Viviane stared at him. Something
was
wrong.

Very wrong. Why did Niall have to go back to
Cantlecroft? Was she going to lose him, after all?

“
Why not?” Viviane
whispered, the words barely making it past the lump in her
throat.

Niall frowned and pushed his hand through
his hair. “I have obligations in Cantlecroft,” he said in a low
voice, his manner that of a man confessing something he would
prefer to hold back.

“
What kind of obligations?”
Viviane asked, refusing to imagine the worst. He was pledged to the
archbishop, that was it. That was why he had gone on about oaths of
fealty before.

Maybe he hadn’t been released from that
man’s service. Trust Niall to worry about a technicality like
that.

The knight in question heaved a sigh so
heartfelt that Viviane’s trepidation grew. “I have pledged to
return to Majella and to ensure the support of the children…”

Majella? Who was Majella?

And
children
? Viviane was quite
certain that her knight in shining armor shouldn’t come equipped
with a woman and dependents.

“
What children?” she
demanded, her voice rising shrilly. “And who is Majella? What
haven’t you told me?”

Niall reached for her hand, his eyes shining
with sincerity. But how could he be sincere? Viviane had always
thought Niall had been honest with her, but his failure to tell her
about Majella and the children was telling.

How could this be a misunderstanding?

“
Viviane, I can explain, if
you but grant me a moment…”

“
No!” Viviane shook a
finger beneath his nose. “There’s nothing to explain. There’s only
one
reason that children are dependent upon a man’s support
and that’s that he’s their father!” She nearly choked on her
disappointment. “Oh, Niall, how could you
do
this? How could
I have been so wrong about you? How could you deceive me this
way?”

“
Viviane, nay! ’Twas never
my intent to deceive you!”

But Viviane spun away from him, not wanting
him to see the sudden rise of her tears. “How could you want to
marry me when you’re obligated to Majella and the children?”

Viviane didn’t really want to hear his
explanation. It could only be a lie.

She just wanted to get away.

Those tears ensured that she couldn’t see
where she was going, so when she spun away from Niall, she promptly
walked right into someone else.

“
Hey, Viviane, like where’s
the fire?” Monty demanded, steadying her with his hands on her
shoulders.

Viviane took one look at him and started to
cry in a most inelegant way. “He lied to me! Monty, Niall lied to
me!”

Monty gave her a hug. “Oh yeah, babe, don’t
I know it.” He glared over her shoulder at Niall, who Viviane could
feel hovering right behind her.

And exuding disapproval. Well, she certainly
didn’t owe anything to a man who mislead her about his emotional
ties!

“
Viviane, I can explain,”
Niall insisted, his voice sounding strained. “Cease your weeping
that we might talk.”

“
I don’t think so, pal,”
Monty interjected coldly. “Besides, the lady and I have a date
tonight and you’re not invited.”

What date? Viviane glanced up, then realized
that this was Saturday. She had forgotten the sabbat until this
very moment. Her move gave her an inadvertent glimpse of Niall
bristling.

“
What nonsense is this?” he
demanded.

“
We’re off to a witches’
sabbat,” Monty confided. “Not something you’d be interested in,
given your dislike of witches.”

Niall visibly simmered. “And what,” he
asked, his voice strained “would be a witches’ sabbat?”

“
Oh, a little naked dancing
under the full moon, a few spells, some drinking and dancing.
Sounds like a good party to me.”

Monty grinned.

And when Niall turned to her, his eyes
flashing like lightning, Viviane wished she was just about anywhere
else on the face of the earth.

Of course, she’d never give him the
satisfaction of seeing that. And she had a few things to tell Niall
of Malloy, starting right here and now.

*

Matters could not have progressed worse, if
Niall had planned for all to go awry.

“
Witches!” he echoed,
stunned that Viviane would even consider such a course. “Why would
you consort with witches? Why would you even consider such
foolishness?”

Viviane tossed her hair with defiance. “You
can’t blame me for wanting to know more about it,” she declared, as
though there was naught illogical about her choice at all. “It’s
only natural to be curious about it, since I’ve been convicted of
being one.”

“
Natural!” Niall flung out
his hands and let his voice rise, not caring who listened. The
woman risked her very hide! “’Tis only
natural
to steer a
wide course of such types, that you not jeopardize any chance to
prove your innocence!”

But Viviane stepped forward, her eyes
snapping fire and her finger jabbing at his chest. “What difference
does it make to you what happens to me?” The hurt in her voice was
unmistakable. “You’ve got Majella and all your little obligations
to worry about!”

“
Viviane!” Niall snatched
at her hand, but Viviane backed away. “My concern for Majella is as
naught compared to that for you.”

Viviane rolled her eyes and folded her arms
across her chest. “That seems unlikely!”

“
How is it unlikely that I
should be concerned for the welfare of the woman I would wed?”
Niall retorted. He did not like the stubborn glint in his lady’s
eye. “How is that good sense?”

“
You mean you didn’t even
marry this Majella? How many little obligations has she given you?
Or maybe I should ask how many you’ve given her! Is that why you
didn’t want me to have my rubbers?”

“
Viviane!” Niall roared,
desperately trying to get the conversation back on course. “Would
you be condemned here as well as in Cantlecroft?” he demanded.
“Would you see a repeat of the past?”

Niall’s voice rose when Viviane seemed
unswayed by this. “Zounds, Viviane! ’Tis said that people of sense
learn from all that has befallen them, and truly, I thought you had
more sense than this! Do not consort with witches, I beg of
you!”

Viviane’s features softened slightly, though
her expression was still wary. “Are you worried about me?”

“
Of course I am worried
about your welfare,” Niall snapped. “What man of sense would not
be?”

Viviane lifted her chin. “Well, you could
temper your response a bit. A person could think that you were
angry with them when you shout so…”

“
I am angered with you!”
Niall roared. “What manner of witless fool needs to be condemned
twice
to die?”

Viviane froze, her expression less than
encouraging, but before Niall could try to repair the damage, Monty
stepped forward. “Hey, don’t sweat it, big guy. We don’t condemn
witches here. That’s pretty medieval stuff.” He smiled so cockily
that Niall longed to force the smile from his face.

As though to add insult to injury, that man
put his arm around Viviane’s shoulders and she did not shrug off
its weight. “So, the lady’s like safe here with me. Feel free to
trot on home to your
obligations
.”

Monty smiled at him, Viviane’s gaze
shimmered with unshed tears though her lips were set tightly. Niall
knew he was losing this argument badly.

And ’twas Viviane who would pay the
price.

“
Viviane!” Niall dropped
his voice with an effort, instead of continuing to shout as he
would have preferred. He could feel his annoyance with her - or
more accurately, her stunning disregard for her own welfare -
thrumming through his voice, but he fought for control over his
unruly response.

He had to make her understand.

First, about the witches. Second, about
Majella. A few moments of level-headedness and clear thinking would
prevail.

Niall hoped.

He met her gaze unblinkingly. “Viviane, you
must consider the wisdom of what you would do. To be sure, you have
escaped the weight of your conviction, and even if this one speaks
aright and there is no such penalty here, a return to Cantlecroft
once you are known to have consorted with witches could…”

“
But Niall, I’m not going
back to Cantlecroft.” Her lips thinned as she took a step back.
“Don’t let me keep you from Majella.”

“
Nay, Viviane, ’tis true
enough that I have a commitment in Cantlecroft, for Majella is ripe
with child and I fear greatly what shall transpire in my absence.
She is not a woman of good sense in the best of
times…”

“
With child?!” Viviane
cried, as upset as Niall had ever seen her. “How could you leave
her pregnant? How could you, Niall? How could you follow me and
seduce me and do all those things with me when Majella was pregnant
and alone? Oh, you’re not the kind of man I thought you were, not
at all!”

Niall frowned. He wasn’t quite certain what
his sister’s state had to do with anything between himself and
Viviane.

He growled beneath his breath and attempted
to seize his lady’s hand. “Viviane, we must
talk
, for ’tis
clear that there are matters which I must explain to you…”

“
Oh yeah, he’s like got a
ton of explaining to do,” Monty interjected so brightly that Niall
fell silent.

What did this one have to say? Naught good,
Niall guessed.

Monty’s eyes narrowed. “You know, big guy, I
picked up a few books from Barb and spent some time reading about
this Cantlecroft you two are always going on about. Funny thing is,
Cantlecroft ceased to exist at Christmas 1390.”

“
1390?” Viviane echoed, her
mouth opening in surprise.

“
Christmas,” Niall muttered
in disbelief. Surely naught could have happened to Majella in his
absence? “It cannot be so.”

“
Oh, yeah, it was so.”
Monty, curse him, smiled. “Oh, its occupants revolted and
slaughtered everyone in the archbishop’s palace.”

Niall felt the blood drain from his face. He
had left near the beginning of October - and he had sent Majella to
the archbishop’s palace. She was too close to her time to have
traveled much further than that so quickly.

Nay, she would have stayed, and delivered of
the babe there. ’Twas for her own safety, after all, that he had
sent her to the archbishop, for Niall knew full well that his
patron would not turn his sister aside.

He could not have sent her to her own
demise!

And what of the children?

“
Nay, this cannot be so,”
Niall argued, dreading that indeed ’twas. “Tell me the truth of
it!” He stepped forward but Monty retreated, that man’s eyes
widening in alarm.

“
It
is
true,” Monty
insisted. “Everyone killed, even the dogs in the hall. Seems the
locals were upset about the death of some jeweler, guy named Aaron
Goldsmith.”

Viviane gasped. “Not Aaron!”

Monty gave her an odd look. “Yeah. Aaron
Goldsmith and his wife - they were convicted and executed for
short-shipping the archbishop on his gold.”

Niall raised a hand to his brow, for he felt
ill. Surely all could not have gone so badly awry so quickly? “This
cannot be,” he said woodenly. “Aaron is a man of good repute, a man
known to cheat none.”

“
He bought my mother’s ring
from me,” Viviane said, her eyes clouding with tears. She clutched
Niall’s hand and her fingers were cold. “And I know he gave me more
than a fair price. You have to be wrong, Monty.”

“
What precisely happened
there?” Niall asked hotly. “Who died? Does this account list their
names?”

But Monty’s eyes narrowed as he looked
between the two of them. “Are you two like confusing real history
with your re-enactment people? I mean, I could like understand if
you knew some guy who took the role of this Aaron dude and didn’t
want to see anything bad happen to him, but you can’t actually know
the
real
Aaron. He’s been dead for six hundred years!”