Frantic, she dug in the pockets of her dress before remembering it falling into the water, the screen cracked and black when she finally fished it out of the water, only to lose it in the fall.
“Hellfire and damnation.” She clapped a hand to her mouth. The horrid Southern drawl hadn’t passed her lips since she’d spent every penny she could scrape together working a second job during school to pay to erase it years ago. What was happening?
“Don’t panic.” She’d borrow money from the actor sleeping at her feet, get a phone, and call Mr. Havers. Surely he’d understand an accident. Then she was chartering a helicopter and arriving with a splash. It wasn’t too late to salvage her career. For amoment she thought about waking the guy and demanding his phone, but he looked so peaceful that she let him be. After all, he’d saved her life—the least she could do was let him sleep.
Her shoulders slumped and she hunched over, inching toward the fire to dry the parts of her dress that were still damp. Dispassionately, she took stock of the dress, noting parts of it seemed to have shrunk, and the rest was a wrinkled mess, not to mention she’d lost the beautiful belt. But on the plus side, the dirt and mud she had rolled through had come out, so all in all she guessed it all came out pretty even—which was good, considering someone had stolen her car and belongings, so she’d be arriving in what she was wearing. What a story she’d have to tell.Let’s hope the new guy in charge has a sense of humor.
Careful not to make noise and wake the man, Ashley looked for a path. She wanted to figure out where she was—maybe to the left? But she didn’t get very far before the brush and trees were too thick to move through. She turned around and made her way back, knowing she was stuck until he woke. Reaching out, she hesitated. He slept, but it was like a big cat. One second they were asleep, the next pouncing on a mouse. She was in the presence of a wild beast, and when faced with a tiger, she admired the beauty and savagery while fully understanding at any moment the cat could pounce. The man hadn’t done anything to make her think he would harm her—in fact, she’d felt safe with him—but this morning, in the light of day, he gave off a different kind of energy, something primal. Uncivilized.
Then it hit her: hemustbe homeless. The guy had been polite, but there was a volatile air about him, like if he was crossed, his enemy would be dead in the dirt without the guy even breaking a sweat. Why was she spending time thinking about someone she didn’t even know? She shook her head and sat down. It was cold, she had no clue how to build up the fire, and she heard a rusting in the woods. Scooting close to the man, she decided the unknownmonster in the woods was a lot scarier than the sleeping tiger beside her.
When he woke, she could finally leave Wales behind her. Life worked best on a schedule. Feeling better now that she had a plan, Ashley vowed she’d salvage the situation, turn it to her advantage, and show her new boss she deserved the promotion. Mergers. They were hell on earth.
CHAPTER 9
Christian woke,tensed, and rolled to his feet, sword at the ready, only to see the woman he had pulled from the water watching him.
He was knight of the realm. He would do his chivalrous duty by taking her to Winterforth, then he would aid her in going home when ’twas safe.Dolt. You should tell her what you know.
“Good. You’re awake. I need to borrow your phone.” She held out her hand, looking most displeased.
Nay, he needs know more about her before he told her what he knew. “Did you sleep well, demoiselle?”
“What language is that you’re speaking? You’re in England. Are you English?” She peered at him. “Or are you here on holiday?”
He made her a small bow. “Forgive me, demoiselle. Better now?”
She narrowed her eyes, looking concerned she had woken to find herself in a different country, and he resisted the urge to snort. For she had woken to a different time, as difficult ’twas to believe.
“What was that you were speaking first, French? It doesn’tsound like any French I’ve ever heard, and I spent two weeks in Paris last year on business.”
He arched a brow. “Would you prefer another language? Mayhap Latin or Greek?”
“Everybody’s a comedian. English is fine.”
The woman standing before him, with locks of golden hair falling around her shoulders, astonished him. She was like his brothers’ wives. Though Anna was not outspoken. A knight would tell her what he knew to be the truth. Ride for the nearest inn and dispatch a messenger. While he did not know how the traveling through another time worked, Christian knew each woman had said there was a moment they could have returned to their own time, but each made a choice to stay. Who knew if this traveling would work the same for her?
If he told her about his brothers, he would have to tell her who he was, and she would hear the jests about him. Robert thought the tales amusing. His brothers did not see him as did the rest of England. A laughingstock. Christian had not been back to court, not wishing to hear the tales or stride by as women tittered behind their hands. And the other courtiers, they would look upon him with disgust, admonishing others to stay away from him, for they now considered him less than a man.
Nay, he would not send for a messenger. Not yet. This odd girl was the only person he could just be Christian with, instead of Lord Winterforth or one of the Thornton brothers, or the man who was not man enough to make a babe.
“We’re wasting time.” She held out her hand again. “Did I stutter? I need to borrow your phone.”
“My phone?”
“Is there an echo in here? I’ve got to call my office. They’ll be wondering where I am. It’s important. Oh, do you have the time?”
“I do not have a phone.” Christian looked to the sky. “’Tis morning.” He searched through the bags, coming out with foodand a flask of water, but after looking at her again, he put the flask back and chose another, one with ale.
“Eat first. You will be hungry, and ’tis a long ride.”
“You don’t seem to understand. I have to go.” She threw her hands up and paced around the small clearing. “I’ll grab something on the way. What I wouldn’t give for a latte right now. Please tell me there’s a shower at this campground?”
He gaped. “Shower?” The sky was clear. “’Tis not raining.”
“Not rain. A shower. You know, a bath? To bathe?” She huffed. The look on her face made him want to laugh, but he dared not. She was in a fine temper, and he had no desire to be on the end of a shrewish tongue. From what he had seen, except for sweet Anna, who put up with John, future girls had fearsome tempers.
“You want to bathe? Now?”
