Read Online The More I See You by Lynn Kurland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lynn Kurland
Ads: Link
than I remember it.”
“Maybe you’ve just forgotten how it looked the last time you saw it.”
He flashed her an embarrassed grin. “Perhaps.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Can you smell the sea? By the saints, I’ve missed it!”
Jessica couldn’t smell much beyond sweat, leather, and horses, but she didn’t bother to say as much. If Warren thought he was smelling something other than those things, he was more than welcome to the fantasy. Jessica pulled both Richard’s cloak and his blanket more closely around her and wondered if she’d ever warm up. Part of her chill might have come from her suppressed panic, but most of it came from just the air around her. Oh, and the fact that she’d just spent the last two nights camping out without the necessary gear, like a suite at the nearest Hilton.
She had the feeling she was going to hate medieval England much more than she’d hated girls’ camp.
She had to get back to her time. Maybe if she wished hard enough for a swine like Archie, she would be hurtled back to 1999. Unfortunately she couldn’t seem to muster up as much enthusiasm for him as she had managed to for that unknown man who would value her as he valued himself. Not that
that
wish had come true. As Richard de Galtres continued to remind her, she was nothing but a trouble he would be glad to get rid of as soon as he could.
And that presented her with an entirely new set of problems.
Her very mention of Henry’s name had somehow convinced Richard and Warren that she was the king’s cousin and any denials were met with skeptical looks and Warren’s fingers creeping up to his temple, where he would tap meaningfully. It was really starting to get annoying. But that wasn’t the worst of it. What was worse was the thought of being presented to the king of England and trying to explain to him why he didn’t know her. If he didn’t burn her as a witch, he would probably toss her in his dungeon and then she’d never get home.
No, keeping herself out of the royal sights was definitely high on her list. But even higher was figuring out how to get home. She suspected that the best thing to do was try to head back to Hugh’s castle, but she remembered vividly her last encounter with him and she wasn’t looking forward to having another. She wasn’t sure how she was going to work it, but she would have to get back to his garden without being noticed. That would take planning and it would probably take a disguise.
And that was why she was still traveling with Richard’s company. She would spend a few days at his house, gather her thoughts, and work out her plan. At least she kept telling herself that was the reason she was still there. That she was simply too overcome to do anything but be carted across England was something she didn’t want to think about too much.
The company began to move again and she moved right along with them, even though her first instinct was to bolt the other way. The closer they drew to the wall, the harder she found it to breathe.
It was no wonder Hugh didn’t like Richard. The outer wall of this place alone made Hugh’s castle look like a cheap imitation. Whoever had built this wall had intended that it keep all enemies at bay by its sheer size alone. It had to have been at least thirty feet tall. Jessica looked up and didn’t bother to keep her mouth from hanging open. She continued to stare up as they rode beneath a heavy metal portcullis. The spiked edges at the bottom of the gate made her nudge her horse ahead quickly. She had no desire to be impaled by one of those.
The tunnel was long, maybe fifteen or twenty feet. Which meant . . . she caught her breath. The walls were that thick? She looked behind her as they exited the tunnel. What army could ever hope to topple that protection? She turned her face forward and stared over the dirt field that greeted her. She saw men jousting, others honing their skill with the bow. To her left were
“Maybe you’ve just forgotten how it looked the last time you saw it.”
He flashed her an embarrassed grin. “Perhaps.” He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Can you smell the sea? By the saints, I’ve missed it!”
Jessica couldn’t smell much beyond sweat, leather, and horses, but she didn’t bother to say as much. If Warren thought he was smelling something other than those things, he was more than welcome to the fantasy. Jessica pulled both Richard’s cloak and his blanket more closely around her and wondered if she’d ever warm up. Part of her chill might have come from her suppressed panic, but most of it came from just the air around her. Oh, and the fact that she’d just spent the last two nights camping out without the necessary gear, like a suite at the nearest Hilton.
She had the feeling she was going to hate medieval England much more than she’d hated girls’ camp.
She had to get back to her time. Maybe if she wished hard enough for a swine like Archie, she would be hurtled back to 1999. Unfortunately she couldn’t seem to muster up as much enthusiasm for him as she had managed to for that unknown man who would value her as he valued himself. Not that
that
wish had come true. As Richard de Galtres continued to remind her, she was nothing but a trouble he would be glad to get rid of as soon as he could.
And that presented her with an entirely new set of problems.
Her very mention of Henry’s name had somehow convinced Richard and Warren that she was the king’s cousin and any denials were met with skeptical looks and Warren’s fingers creeping up to his temple, where he would tap meaningfully. It was really starting to get annoying. But that wasn’t the worst of it. What was worse was the thought of being presented to the king of England and trying to explain to him why he didn’t know her. If he didn’t burn her as a witch, he would probably toss her in his dungeon and then she’d never get home.
No, keeping herself out of the royal sights was definitely high on her list. But even higher was figuring out how to get home. She suspected that the best thing to do was try to head back to Hugh’s castle, but she remembered vividly her last encounter with him and she wasn’t looking forward to having another. She wasn’t sure how she was going to work it, but she would have to get back to his garden without being noticed. That would take planning and it would probably take a disguise.
And that was why she was still traveling with Richard’s company. She would spend a few days at his house, gather her thoughts, and work out her plan. At least she kept telling herself that was the reason she was still there. That she was simply too overcome to do anything but be carted across England was something she didn’t want to think about too much.
The company began to move again and she moved right along with them, even though her first instinct was to bolt the other way. The closer they drew to the wall, the harder she found it to breathe.
It was no wonder Hugh didn’t like Richard. The outer wall of this place alone made Hugh’s castle look like a cheap imitation. Whoever had built this wall had intended that it keep all enemies at bay by its sheer size alone. It had to have been at least thirty feet tall. Jessica looked up and didn’t bother to keep her mouth from hanging open. She continued to stare up as they rode beneath a heavy metal portcullis. The spiked edges at the bottom of the gate made her nudge her horse ahead quickly. She had no desire to be impaled by one of those.
The tunnel was long, maybe fifteen or twenty feet. Which meant . . . she caught her breath. The walls were that thick? She looked behind her as they exited the tunnel. What army could ever hope to topple that protection? She turned her face forward and stared over the dirt field that greeted her. She saw men jousting, others honing their skill with the bow. To her left were
Similar Books
