A Knight's Vow Part 13

"Don't you?" William asked. "What would stop him?"

She smiled weakly. "He's a nasty person?"

"Then only saintly souls are allowed to skip about the centuries as if in a dance?"

"One could hope."

"One could hope my blade found home in his chest. I daresay, my love, that such will be the only way he

remains behind."

Which meant he would be keeping watch for a goodly while, until he was satisfied.

But for the moment, what he did know was that he'd been spared, for whatever the reason. He wouldn't

be caught unawares again.

He led the way along a path that seemed to be unnaturally well-trod, past a large pond and into a castle courtyard.

There were strangely formed wagons with s.h.i.+ny wheels and enclosed with brilliantly colored coverings

standing in front of the hall door.

"Cars," Julianna breathed.

Well, an explanation was definitely in order, but perhaps later, after they'd discovered where they were

truly and if the inhabitants were friend or foe.

Julianna slid off her horse near the hall door. William was hard-pressed to tie up their horses to a post and catch her before she'd ascended the three flat steps. He managed to catch her hand before she

knocked. He drew his sword, pulled her behind him and gave her a pointed look. She rolled her eyes and sighed. But she stepped behind him willingly enough.

He turned his attentions to his current task and banged on the door sharply with the hilt of his sword.

The occupants weren't expecting visitors, if the lack of haste employed in opening the door was any

indication.

A young man pulled the door open, drinking deeply from some kind of long, white box. He finished, dragged his sleeve across his mouth and looked at them with great indifference.

"Yeah?"

"Who is lord of this keep?" William demanded. "I'll speak with him immediately."

"And you would be?" the other asked.

William eyed him narrowly. The lad was doing irreparable damage to the peasant's English, but perhaps

he was a servant and knew no better. Though with the way he slouched against the doorframe as if he hadn't any cares, William feared he hadn't yet hit upon the boy's ident.i.ty. Perhaps this was the steward and he was accustomed to men banging on the doors, demanding to see his master. William knew there was no fault to be found with his own appearance. He could thank his uncle for replacing his threadbare garments. Whoever this young pup was, he should have been more impressed. William resheathed his sword with a flourish and put his shoulders back.

"I am William of Artane," he said slowly and distinctly, as if that very utterance should cause all within hearing to back up a pace. "And I demand to know where I am."

"William-" Julianna poked him in the back.

"And in what year," William added for good measure.

"William-"

"Julianna, I can see to this on my own."

"Julianna?"

William looked back at the keeper of the door and was surprised to see a flicker of emotion cross his

face.

"Julianna Nelson?" the young man asked.

"Julianna de Piaget," William corrected, but before he could elaborate on that, his wife had popped out

from behind his back and was blathering on in the same horrific butchering of the peasant's English the lad

had used.

He found, however, that if he concentrated very hard, he could understand most of what was said. That, at least, gave him some small measure of comfort. Perhaps 'twas true he couldn't read. He did, however, have an ear for different tongues. He suspected it might serve him very well.

The lad was holding out his hand. "Zachary Smith. Elizabeth's brother."

Julianna took his hand and William s.n.a.t.c.hed his wife's hand away just as quickly. He threw Zachary Smith a glare. How dare the wretch take liberties with his bride!

"All right," the young man said, carefully backing up so they could enter. "No problem. Come on in."

"Where is Elizabeth?" Julianna asked.

"She and Jamie are away for a week or so. It's just me. Alone. Again."

Elizabeth was Julianna's friend and the maker of the magical map. William suspected he would eventually

thank her for the like. First he would have to see if the Future agreed with him, for though he'd had no direct answer to his question, even he possessed wits enough to know that if he was looking at Elizabeth MacLeod's brother, he'd come to Julianna's time in truth.

The saints preserve him.

"This is the deal."

William stiffened when he found himself being stared at so pointedly by young Zachary Smith.

"No swords down the toilets. No phone calls without supervision. No standing in front of an open fridge

taking a bite out of everything inside. And the remote is mine in the evenings."

William had no idea what idiocy the lad was babbling, so he dismissed it and began to look about him.

There was a very adequate fireplace with several comfortable chairs set before it. William nodded with

satisfaction. That, at least, he found to his liking. He strode out into the hall and looked about him. No rushes, but the floor was pa.s.sing clean and had a pleasant smell. He turned to his left and walked into what he a.s.sumed might be the kitchens.

And then he froze in place.

Several enormous boxes made from materials he'd never before seen in his life stared back at him in a

forbidding, unyielding way.

Zachary Smith pushed past him and walked to one of the boxes. William found he couldn't even hold out a hand to stop the lad.

"Fridge," Zachary said, wrestling with one of the s.h.i.+ny beasts and opening its belly. "Not much food, of

course, because no one's gone shopping. But you can sc.r.a.pe the mold off-"

William looked at his wife and very carefully swallowed. It served him not at all, but he hoped it looked like a manly swallow and not the one of a body about to fall to his knees and weep.

And then bless his sweet lady if she didn't put her arms around him and soothe him in the very comforting French he'd grown to manhood speaking.

"Let's go have a nap," she said.

He knew that word. It was a word from her Future, but one he had grown heartily fond of in the past month.

"We'll put it all to rights later," she added.

"Think you?" he whispered against her hair.

"I do."

William took a deep breath, stepped back and stiffened his spine. "As you say. First, I must see to our

mounts and bring in our gear. Then you may lead on to where we might nap in peace."

He had, after all, put his foot to this path and there was little hope of turning back. He was not one to

walk away from a battle and if the Future wanted to wage one against him, it wouldn't come away victorious.