Read Online One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland - Free Book Online Page A

and Dad to England when you were fourteen.”
    “I had to wear fairy wings,” Pippa returned. “Every day for two months. I was Persephone Alexander, Medieval Fairy. I still have scars from the straps.”
    “Cry me a river. You got to travel while I stayed home and pulled anything that looked like a weed from Aunt Edna’s Victory Garden. I still have nightmares about morning glory wrapping itself around everything in sight.”
    Pippa smiled to herself, then watched the road for a bit longer. The tight walls were giving away to less claustrophobic hedges, but the road was still not as large as Pippa thought it should have been, given its reputation on the map as a fairly popular thoroughfare.
    Tess turned off on another smaller road that led through yet more bits of forest. “We’re getting close.”
    Pippa looked out her window and watched the scenery go by, feeling as if she were stepping back in time. They’d left civilization behind a village or two ago, and her sense of leaving modern life behind grew with every moment.
    It was spooky.
    “I’m sorry about the change in day for the party,” Tess said. “The birthday girl had an unexpected invitation to go to Paris with her grandmother on Friday, so I couldn’t say no—especially since all I had to do was convince the caterers to come a couple of days early.” She looked at Pippa briefly. “I hope jet lag doesn’t do you in.”
    “I’ll be fine.” Pippa yawned. “All I need is time to hide Cind’s designs before Lord Moneybags sees them.”
    Tess looked at her mildly. “You mean the stuff she sent over last week that fell off the roof into the moat? It needed a good cleaning so I sent it out. Should be back in about a month.”
    Pippa closed her eyes briefly. “I shouldn’t thank you.”
    “It was my pleasure, believe me. Now all you have to do is wow our lovely specimen of nobility with your stuff while I keep Cindi locked in the attic. It’ll be great.”
    Pippa shifted in her seat to look at her sister. “Tell me about him. Again.”
    Tess smiled briefly. “He’s Stephen de Piaget, son of Edward, the Earl of Artane.”
    “Artane?” Pippa echoed in surprise. “I know that castle.”
    “Everyone does,” Tess said. “It’s a spectacular place up the coast. I’ve been a couple of times, though only as a tourist. Why Stephen chose my castle to put on a birthday party for a friend’s daughter when he could have used his father’s place, I don’t know, but I wasn’t going to argue.”
    “Maybe he likes your castle better than his. Or he just likes you.”
    Tess shook her head. “He’s not my type, in spite of his academic credentials. He’s way too familiar with the mechanics of medieval geopolitics.”
    “Are you telling me he’s packing a Claymore?”
    “He’s English, not Scottish, but no, it wouldn’t surprise me if he had ventured over the border to add to his unwholesomely extensive collection of weaponry that I’m fairly sure by the look of him he uses. He doesn’t seem to hang out at his father’s castle much, so I’m wondering if he’s harboring secrets he doesn’t want the family to know—which I completely understand as I’m not into pointy metal things, my fascination with all things medieval aside.”
    “I can hardly believe he wants to see my designs.”
    Tess glanced at her. “He’s already seen most of them, so you can believe it. And if you can stay awake, here comes another miracle.” She pointed out the front windshield. “Look.”
    Pippa looked. And she felt her mouth fall open.
    There, in front of her, was a medieval castle.
    In fact, it was so steeped in its medievalness that she had to take a quick gander at her surroundings to make sure she was still in the twenty-first century. The countryside was of no use whatsoever in determining that. The forest was thick and lush and completely free of anything that might have passed for a Mini Mart. If she hadn’t been riding in a car, she would have