Darkest Knight Read online

Henry hoped so. For he could not bear to lose his brother again. Not after finding out he was alive. A smile spread across his face.

  “I cannot believe John is the infamous bandit of the wood. The tale of him stretches from one end of England to the other.”

  “I’m sure he will have many stories to tell.” She started to laugh. “The story Melinda told us, about carrying James out of the wood.” She was laughing so hard her eyes leaked. “I would’ve loved to see the look on James’ face when Melinda picked him up.”

  And with the image in his head, Henry’s foul mood blew away on the wind. Charlotte always knew how to make him laugh.

  The betrayal from Lord Denby would be paid in full. Letitia had caused enough problems when she was alive, and now it seemed she was still causing problems through her husband from the grave. It was time to put an end to the swine.

  Chapter Nine

  The smell of woodbine drifted back to John. The strange woman in front of him had been silent since their escape. He could almost hear her thinking. He held in a chuckle as he remembered how angry she was when he called her daft.

  Why did she help him?

  He meant what he’d said. He might have been stripped of his title and his lands, but he still took his knightly vows to heart. This time a snort escaped. Mayhap not all of them.

  “Something funny?”

  “Nay, lass. Now that we are away, care to tell me who you are?”

  “My name’s Anna. Anna Waters.”

  “John Thorne. At your service, lady.”

  “You don’t have to call me lady. It’s just Anna. You said you were locked in the tower for treason.” Her voice trailed off. She was such a tiny girl that for an instant he wondered if she was a fairy who’d appeared in the dark tower to save him.

  Her slim, delicate hands trembled as she stroked the horse, giving away her mood.

  “So I was wondering, what year is it?”

  He was glad she could not see the surprise on his face. Mayhap she had escaped from her cell and was addled in the head. Though she didn’t seem to be witless.

  “’Tis the Year of Our Lord 1331.”

  He felt her flinch. Her fetching backside nestled in between his thighs made him think of home. A wife and babes. Things he thought he would never have. And no longer deserved.

  “You know not what year it is?”

  She was silent for so long that John opened his mouth to repeat the question, but she finally spoke. He had to lean forward, straining to hear her. Her voice came out as whisper on the wind.

  “I guess I forgot. I fell and hit my head earlier. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t remember.”

  He heard the lie on her lips. John knew when people were telling the truth or not; the skill was useful in dealing with pirates and thieves. She was lying, but to what end? For now he would let her keep her lies until he learned her intentions.

  “Where are you from, Mistress Waters?”

  She waved a hand about, almost hitting him in the nose. “It’s a long way from here. I’m visiting London on holiday.”

  “Alone? Where is your guard or chaperone? ’Tis not safe for a lady to travel unescorted. There are ruffians about.” As he would know, for he was the worst of them all.

  Her hesitation told him she was about to spew forth another untruth.

  “I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Where I come from, it is not unusual for women to travel alone.”

  This time she definitely managed to surprise him. “I would like to see such a place. Where women think themselves equal to men.”

  John grinned, knowing she could not see his face. He could feel anger radiating through her as she twisted in the saddle to look up at him, her cheeks pink and her eyes the color of the woods, sparking with fury.

  “I’ll have you know, where I come from women are equal to men… Well, we’re not paid the same, but we can have our own property, vote, and live as we choose. You’ll see, the same will happen here in England.”

  As the darkness gave way to dawn, he stared at her hair. The first time he’d looked it appeared to be a plain brown, rather like mud, but when the sun lit her hair, John could see the colors of the forest, the moors, and the gold of the sun all woven throughout the long strands. She wasn’t beautiful, but the longer he looked at her the more attractive he thought her to be. There was something within, a light spilling out that changed her plain features, making her beautiful.

  “I doubt what you say. Women are weak and needs be protected. They cannot wield swords.”

  “They may be weaker in some aspects, but in many others they are equal, if not stronger.”

  He gave thanks she had found him and not another. He had come to have rather odd ideas about the sexes. Views none of his peers would share. Anna Waters intrigued him. He looked forward to learning all her secrets.

  “We will agree to disagree, mistress.”

  “You can call me Anna. I guess since you think men are better than women, I should call you the great one or he who is all knowing?”

  This time he threw back his head and let the laughter escape.

  “Either of those would do, but John will be fine.”

  “Whatever.”

  He heard her huff, and winced as she slammed the back of her head into his chest. He didn’t know what whatever meant, but by the way she said it, he knew it was meant to provoke. For the first time in a long time, John found himself interested in a woman. There hadn’t been anyone…not since Letitia.

  “Are you going to tell me where were going? I don’t have time for gallivanting around the countryside. I really need to get back to the tower.”

  He was incredulous. “You would willingly go back? They would kill you for helping me escape.”

  “I thought I would sneak in when everyone was asleep. I think I left something behind.”

  He heard the lie again. What wasn’t she telling him? Did she have a lover in the tower? The thought made him jealous of the unknown man.

  “Nay. We cannot. The king’s men are after us. We are traveling to the one place they would never think to look. Once we are safe then I will see you to wherever you needs go. But not back to the tower. Go back to the tower and you will die.”

  By the stiffness of her body he knew she was displeased. But he would not risk going back. It would take them a fortnight to travel to Blackmoor Castle. Ample time to find out what she was hiding.

  Chapter Ten

  Anna yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth. She was much too busy trying to find a comfortable spot on the horse. Talk about an aching backside. A spin class had nothing on riding for hours on end.

  “Is it safe to stop? Won’t these people turn you in?”

  “You haven’t eaten and we must change horses.” He tied a mask over his face, making her blink.

  “Is this a robbery?”

  “Nay, lady. I am known.” He bowed. “The bandit of the wood, at your service.”

  Skeptical, she bit her lip. “If you say so.”

  And he was right. One of the women blushed and welcomed him to their home. John purchased bread and ale. The bread had little pebbles in it, and she couldn’t stand the taste of beer, but at least the cherries were delicious. Not her normal breakfast of cereal, but it would do. The lack of sleep was a bigger issue. Anna was an eight-hour girl, and only sleeping for three hours wasn’t working. At least riding with him, if she fell asleep he wouldn’t let her fall off.

  The morning eased into afternoon before they stopped by a rushing brook.

  “Easy. I’ve got you. You are unused to riding?”

  She would have fallen off the horse if he hadn’t helped her dismount. They were so close, his hair brushed her face.

  Stretching, she said, “No one rides where I come from. Except for pleasure or sport. It’s expensive to keep a horse.”

  He blinked at her, a speculative look on his face. “Truly? ’Tis a curious place, your home.”

  Fudge. Oh well, it wasn’t
like she could take it back. Her ideas and words had to sound strange to him. She needed to blend in. And for the hundredth time Anna wished she’d paid more attention during history class instead of drooling over Reed Worth. History was boring and Reed was a blonde, tanned surfer. He never noticed she existed, but she spent hours doodling their names in her notebook.

  Why had she landed in 1331? Why not the 1700s or some other time period? All she could remember about this time was from movies. Fat lot of good that would do. All she remembered was William Wallace had been executed at the beginning of the 1300s, and the big, nasty plague was coming in the next fifteen years or so. She had no clue what was happening now.

  That was the thing about living in America. Most of her friends didn’t pay much attention to what was happening on the world stage. They were all too busy scrabbling to make ends meet. And given the size of America, most people only spoke English. Whereas in many European countries, given their proximity to other countries, people spoke multiple languages. She never thought about being born and raised in Florida. Spending her whole life in one place. But now? Given the circumstances, Anna wished she could have traveled more. Seen the world. And paid attention in history class. Mr. Adams would be laughing his head off if he could see her now.

  This was the first time she’d ever seen a horse up close and personal. The animal finished drinking, and she handed him a carrot they’d purchased from the village.

  “I like carrots too. If we keep having to eat bread with rocks in it, you and I will be fighting over them.”

  The horse twitched an ear, ignoring her while he contentedly chewed his veggies.

  “Where you come from there are no horses? How do you travel about the countryside?”

  Why did he have to be Mr. McNosy? “We have…carriages.”

  “Are they not drawn by horses?”

  When would she learn to keep her mouth shut? Usually she was as silent as a whore in church, but with him…he made her more talkative than LouAnne Hedgepath. They worked together at the diner, and that girl could talk until your ears started to bleed.

  “No.”

  He was stuck with her. And he’d already called her crazy, so what did she have to lose? It wasn’t like he could take her to the local police and have her arrested for witchcraft, given the fact he was an escaped convict.

  “No? How do these carriages move?”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Look, Mr. McNosy. I didn’t get enough sleep and I’m cranky. So back off and let me get a drink.” Anna surprised herself. What was it about him? He brought out the worst in her. And yet…it felt good to be bossy. She knelt down and scooped up the water with her hands. It was cold and clear and tasted delicious.

  John was watching her with a half-smile on his face. He held out a ceramic bottle and she wrinkled her nose.

  “No offense, but I hate ale.”

  Without a word, he rummaged in the knapsack and held out another of the ceramic bottles to her.

  “You can fill this one with water. Though you must take care not to drink water in the villages or city unless you know ’tis not tainted.”

  “I’ll remember, thanks.”

  She filled the bottle and drained it. Much easier than trying to cup the water in her palm. The cool water cleared the dust from her throat. It was warm out, and she wished she had a pair of shorts. When she started to stand, he reached out and helped her up. It was a strange sensation having a man so close. At the diner she was invisible. Nothing more than a way for people to get food and drink. They didn’t actually see her as a person. Treated her as if she had no feelings. Almost as if she were a robot. To feel the weight of his gaze on her, looking into the heart of her, made Anna uncomfortable. She’d grown used to being invisible.

  Chapter Eleven

  “We should be going.” John patted the horse’s neck.

  “Could we walk for a few minutes? I’m not used to riding, and I don’t know if I’ll ever sit without pain again.”

  The sun shone down on him, turning his hair to shades of gold. It was a beautiful, clear day. Even the air smelled different. Fresh and clean.

  He squinted up at the sun. “A few moments. The king’s men will be riding hard to catch us.”

  There was no one in the area. They hadn’t passed a soul in the past hour. He saw her looking around.

  “We must take care.”

  “Thank you. It feels good to stretch.”

  They walked along the water. John was silent. Content with the quiet. She was tired of watching every little thing she said. Lying was hard. It had never come easy to her. Hattie, her only real friend, was so good at lying that Anna sometimes imagined her friend was really a spy instead of a librarian.

  It was exhausting trying to make sure she didn’t say the wrong thing. What did she have to lose by telling John the truth? Who cared if he didn’t believe her? She wasn’t staying in this time. To him she was someone who helped him escape and he owed her a favor in return. The part of her who used to read dreamy romances wished he’d look at her like she’d seen couples in the diner look at each other. They were oblivious to the world, so tuned in to each other that nothing else existed. If he ever looked at her like that, it would be enough to satisfy her and she could go back to her busy life without regret. Maybe.

  “You asked why I’ve never ridden a horse.” She paused, not sure how to tell him, and afraid if she didn’t tell him she would never gather up the courage to try again.

  “I live in America. It’s a country. The state I live in is called Florida. It’s warm there most of the year, and while I’ve never seen a horse up close, I’ve seen plenty of alligators—”

  “I have never heard of America. Or Florida.”

  “It’s very far away.”

  “I’ve heard tell of alligators. One of my brothers wanted to put them in his moat. But ’twas too cold for the creatures. Are they as fearsome as the stories say?”

  “They can be. Where I live, there’s a waterway behind the building. A fat old gator calls it home. He’s almost fourteen feet long. Animal control has relocated him twice, but he always comes back.”

  She leaned closer to him. “I think he comes back because I feed him marshmallows and I sing to him.”

  Before she could tell him her big secret, he roughly grabbed her, throwing her to the ground. “Hey. What’s wrong with you?”

  “Quiet. We are no longer alone.”

  He pulled a blade from his waist. The man had plenty of gold to pay for everything they needed. Where had he hidden the gold while he was imprisoned? Did the guards let him keep it? She couldn’t imagine they would. Anna opened her mouth to ask, and then shut it as the sound of voices reached her.

  “Hand over your gold and jewels and we will let you live. Or die by the order of the bandit of the wood.”

  Anna peeked through her fingers to see a short, squat man missing several teeth and brandishing a blade in each hand. Instead of fearing for her own life, she worried about her teeth. Would she end up like him? What on earth was she going to do for a toothbrush?

  Seriously, you’re worrying about your teeth? You should be worried about losing all the blood in your body. Get out of there.

  “The bandit, you say?”

  John looked annoyed instead of worried, which was crazy, since there were three armed men in front of them. The other two looked even worse than the ringleader.

  She’d only been in the past a couple of days and already she looked like she’d rolled in the mud. Was this what she had to look forward to if she was stuck here? How on earth was she going to bathe? The thought of a hot shower almost had her groaning, but the thought quickly left her head as she heard the sound of a fist meeting flesh. When she pulled a double shift, sometimes on weekends after three in the morning, there would be a brawl in the parking lot. By now, Anna had seen enough fights to know the three men against John would be an even match. They looked chunky and unaware of their surroundings, whereas he was like a s
uper spy in a movie.

  It was over so fast that Anna had the hysterical thought she was actually in a hospital in a coma and this was all a dream.

  But the ringleader was on his back staring at the clouds, his eyes unblinking. His chest no longer moving. The sounds of a small animal in pain made her look around for the critter. It took a few minutes before she realized the sound was coming from her throat. She crawled to the bushes and retched. Over and over, she heaved, as her body seemed to think it could expel the awful images by getting rid of the contents in her stomach. All three men were dead, and she’d watched John kill them. It was nothing like the movies or TV.

  Another round of gagging left her sweaty and worn out. A couple of leaves served as a makeshift napkin. Anna finished wiping off her mouth and sat up. It was quiet.

  “I want to go home,” she whispered, looking anywhere but at the bodies on the ground.

  “John?”

  “I am here. Are you unwell?”

  Her teeth were chattering and she shivered. “I’ve never…seen anyone…die before.”

  He picked up the men’s blades, made a face, and threw them aside. Time slowed. When she blinked, she was in his arms. He murmured softly in her ear. Words she didn’t understand.

  “You’re cold. ’Tis the first time you have watched a man die?”

  A brief jerk of her head was all she could manage.

  “It pains me you were witness to violence. Know this. Those men would have killed me and made you wish they had killed you. Never hesitate when a man means you grievous harm. Strike first.”

  He carried her to the edge of the water and gently sat her down.

  “Drink and wash. You will feel better.”

  The sound of moving water helped calm her nerves. A rancid smell lingered, and Anna discreetly sniffed her skin. She smelled.

  “I thought it was just a saying. Fear does have a smell.”

  Images flooded her head, making her dig her hands into the mud, willing them away. If she’d still had any doubt she was no longer in 2016, the events of the past hour had utterly convinced her. Medieval England. Not only was she stranded an ocean away from home, but she was marooned on an island of time. The thought made Anna want to cry. No tears came. The last time she cried was when she was eighteen. The day she had to drop out of college. And this wasn’t nearly as bad as what had happened then.