A Knight's Vow Part 10

"It's a lot to take in."

He dropped his arm and bowed his head. "Aye. It is."

She had the sinking feeling that maybe he was beginning to have serious regrets. She contemplated going

back to bed and trying to reawaken after William had dealt with things, but that would have been

cowardly and she wasn't a coward. Or, not much of one, anyway.

No, she wasn't and it didn't matter if she'd just decided that a medieval kind of gal should have a medieval sense of courage. William was, literally, all she had in the world and she wasn't going to let something as stupid as his discomfort come between them.

"All right," she said, kneeling down next to him, "talk. I can't guess what you're thinking and I'm not going

to try. If you have regrets, you'd better tell me now."

"Me?" he said, looking at her with an expression of surprise. "Rather you should have them, I'm thinking."

"Me?" she asked in much the same tone. "Why would I have regrets?"

He held up a sportswear catalog. "Look at this," he demanded. "Look at what you've given up for me."

"That?" she asked with a half laugh. "William, there's more to life than clothes."

He blinked, silently. Then he smiled a bit ruefully. "I suppose there is. But Julianna, these marvels-"

"Mean nothing if I had to trade you to have them," she finished. She smiled up at him. "I'm pa.s.sing fond

of you, you know. You're well worth trading my birthright for."

He kissed her and she was almost certain she felt the tension ease out of him.

"I feared," he whispered against her mouth, "that you would wake and regret having given yourself to me.

Especially when I understood what you had given up."

She didn't want to tell him that he didn't understand the half of it, so she merely nodded and let him kiss

the socks off her. If she'd had socks on, that was. Soon she didn't even have on a blanket, and she was just sure she soon wasn't going to be able to walk anymore.

"Will you read to me?" he asked much later as he snuggled happily next to her in bed with her Chaucer in

his hands. "These stories are pa.s.sing amusing."

She smiled at him and touched his cheek. "I could teach you to read them yourself."

"There is no use in it. The priest here at Artane tried to teach me, but without success. My father, on one

of his rare visits to see if I lived still, said I was too feebleminded to manage the feat."

"Your father is an a.s.s."

He smiled briefly. "Aye, I suppose so."

"What was the problem?"

"I couldn't fathom the letters," he said. "They moved about and turned themselves around until I wept in

frustration. So I conceded the battle and turned my energies to other things."

"It's probably dyslexia," she ventured, hoping she was right. "The same thing happens to me with my

numbers. Half the time they're not in the same place I left them when I go back to read them again. It's very confusing."

He leaned up on one elbow and looked at her in astonishment. "Nay," he breathed. "For you too?"

She took a deep breath. She didn't want to promise him something she couldn't deliver, but maybe with

enough time, she could help him. And after all, she had all the time in the world and not a lot of distractions.

"I think you can learn to read," she said slowly. "But it wouldn't be easy."

He looked as if she'd just come down from heaven and given him his heart's desire. The terrible hope on his face almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Think you?" he whispered.

"Anything's possible," she said quietly.

He rifted one eyebrow as he looked at her, then smiled. "I suppose, lady, that you are proof enough of

that. But for now, read me another tale or two and I'll be content."

She took the book and opened it only to have something fall from the pages. She unfolded it.

It was Elizabeth's map.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's what got me into trouble in the first place," she said dryly. "My friend drew me a map of England.

According to her, these places are spots where if you stand on them, you can travel through time."

"And you stood on one of these?" he asked, tracing the outline of the island.

"Nope. I sat on a bench in a park. It's the same idea though."

"Tell me what they say," he urged.

"Well, I guess they're all to different centuries. The Picts-those were the ancestors of the Scots up

north. Vikings-""Aye, I know them," he said with a shudder. "Unpleasant lot.""Pirates in the seventeenth century, Jousts in the Middle Ages-""A fine destination," he noted."And this one... here..." She squinted to make out the words-and when she thought she might have the faintest idea what they said, she sat bolt upright. She scrambled out of bed and practically leaped to the

table.

William soon came up behind her, wrapped a blanket around her, and peered over her shoulder. "What does it say?"

She pulled the candle toward her and held the paper behind it where she could see the words clearly. "It says," she began, squinting to make out Elizabeth's tiny writing, " 'Return to Scotland of the Future.' And there's a note at the bottom that says 'Good from Any Century.'"

"By all the saints," he breathed. "Think you 'tis true?"

She could hardly breathe. To think that she might be able to get home. To think the possibility existed and she'd had the answer in her bag all the time. She turned her head to look at him.

"I can't imagine why Elizabeth would be lying."

"Julianna!" he exclaimed suddenly.

She looked back at the map and screeched.

The paper was on fire.

William yanked the map away, tossed it on the table and beat the flames out.

"c.r.a.p, c.r.a.p, c.r.a.p," she said, hopping up and down. "Did I ruin it?"

He looked at her with a rueful smile. "Came close, I'd say. You tell me what's gone."

She took the map and noticed that Trip to the Picts was nothing but a black curl, as was any reference to

Vikings.

"We weren't interested in those anyway," she said, holding the map well away from the flame and peering

at it closely. "It's okay," she said with relief. "There the little circle is, right there. Now, if we just had anyidea where there was."And then she realized what she was saying.She had just married a medieval knight and committed herself to a life with him. Even contemplating returning home was something she couldn't allow herself to do.

Unless he wanted to come along.

She looked up at him to find him studying her with a thoughtful expression.

"What?" she asked.

He smiled faintly. "I'm wondering if we're considering a like foolish notion."

"A little jaunt to the future?"

He nodded, then shook his head. "I cannot believe I'm even considering it. It seems pa.s.sing improbable."

She sighed. "It's probably a really silly idea anyway-"

"But one worth considering," he finished. "What think you of a walk on the sh.o.r.e? I've always done my

best thinking there."

"Is there a possibility of breakfast first?"