“She’s powerful angry.” The boy grinned. “Women.”
Christian scrubbed a hand over his face. “Aye, women.”
She whirled around, stomping and grumbling down the stairs, through the hall and outside as the boy ran to catch up with her. He held the door for her as she stormed out. They walked around the castle grounds, but she felt trapped and closed in.
“Is there someplace we can go to get higher? To see more?”
She knew what it was like to be laughed at. Had put up with it at her job, which was dominated by men. And if she really thought about it, she was mostly angry because she knew she had fallen for him. Begun thinking about what it might be like to stay, give up everything she cared about. That was, until she found out he was engaged.
Up on the battlements, the boy gave her his cloak. “To keep you warm.” He frowned at her. “Might the lady want to change clothes and have a bath?”
“Thanks for the cloak. Do I stink?”
“A bit.”
“I know. First I need to think, then a bath, a gown, and food.”
He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked so much like Christian that she had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. The boy obviously had a severe case of hero worship.
“I will be here while you pace, lady. Even if we are here all night.”
CHAPTER 17
Ashley didn’t knowhow long she’d been up here, only that she could no longer feel her toes and it was dark. Hungry or not, she wasn’t ready to face him.
“I brought warm spiced wine.” Christian held the cup out to her.
Talk about the devil himself. The wine warmed her and took away the anger. Why be mad at someone she had no chance of a future with? Maybe they could be friends and she’d attend the wedding? Not. She planned to go home before then. Somehow.
“I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid you would think I was a witch.”
“You don’t remember, so I will say so again. I am a learned man and I have seen things which cannot be explained, so yes, I believe you.”
She’d been thinking. “Which Edward is king?”
“Edward III.”
“It’s sad. Castles will fall out of favor as cannons come into standard use. There is so much uncertainty ahead.”
He looked around to make sure they weren’t overheard. “What else do you know of my time?”
“Only the highlights, I’m afraid.” She sat on the wall, looking out into the darkness, unable to believe all of this was his. “I never paid much attention to history in school. I’m a big believer in looking forward, not back. If I’d been born in Europe I would know more, but as an American, I don’t know why, but we tend to pay less attention to history, even our own. I don’t know if it’s because we’re a younger country or because the country is large. I don’t know.”
She readjusted her hair, taking out the elastic and quickly doing a messy bun so it would quit blowing in her face.
“I know there’s war coming. And the plague. I know this is your life, but to me it was a story in a book, and not a particularly interesting one at that. I was always more interested in meeting the next item on my list of goals.”
“Are all women in your time educated?”
“Many. I finished high school a year early—college too. I’m twenty-three.”
She looked at him, realizing she didn’t know how old he was.
“How old are you?”
“A score and four.”
The light from the torches cast half his face in shadow. It was hard to tell how he was taking all this information.
