Page 2 of Halloween Knight (A Knights Through Time Romance #17)
Lucy’s fingers brushed the dark green velvet surcoat she wore, grateful for the warmth it offered. Over the years, she had grown accustomed to the layers of clothing. The chemise was made of linen with beautiful flowers and leaves embroidered on the straps and neckline in gold, brown, and rust.
Next came the kirtle, typically made of wool or silk.
Today, hers was a dark green wool and had gold embroidery all along the hem and neckline of leaves and stags.
Over that went the surcoat. She wore velvet in the winter and silk in the summer.
Though sometimes she left the surcoat off if she was testing out a recipe, as the long flowing sleeves got in the way in the kitchens.
And last was her apron, great for keeping her clothes clean longer, not to mention it had pockets which came in quite handy.
The cook and others had grown accustomed to her desire to try new dishes, even though it made them all nervous. Sometimes the food came out great, like the fried chicken, while other times, like when she’d tried to make pancakes, it was a disaster .
The result was a hard disc that the kids tossed to the animals in the yard. William’s steward had complained at the cost, but her husband had said not to worry, for he knew that while she was happy here, she still missed her family back home.
Even though William was extremely wealthy, Lucy was careful with the provisions on hand, especially with winter coming. It wasn’t like she could get in the car and drive to the store if they ran out of flour or milk.
Her soft brown leather shoes were quiet on the stone floors as she made her way to the solar. Thor dashed ahead of her, no doubt headed to the kitchen to beg for scraps.
It seemed like only yesterday she’d been worried about passing the test for her driver’s license.
Lucy would never forget the feeling of driving over the bridge that connected the beach to the mainland to meet her friends for lunch and shopping.
It was funny how an hour could last a day, yet years passed by in the blink of an eye.
Of course, it was usually warm enough to wear shorts at Halloween at the beach, not cold like here. Shorts and t-shirts were another thing Lucy missed, though a tunic and hose were nice when she worked in the gardens.
The villagers frowned upon Lady Blackford not dressing ‘proper like’ as they called it, so Lucy wore a nice dress and kept her hair up when venturing into the village.
Many of the villagers still held superstitious beliefs about her, and from time to time, rumors of witchcraft still floated in the air, but being Lady Blackford and wealthy had its privileges.
Clement, William’s childhood friend and half-brother, had sown many seeds of superstition about her. It didn’t help that the massive raven occasionally appeared from time to time. The bird had shown up when she’d fallen through time and periodically reappeared, as if keeping watch over her.
When one villager overheard her conversing with the raven, the woman crossed herself in fear.
To reassure the woman, Lucy had claimed she was only talking to the bees, telling them about the day-to-day goings on at the castle.
The explanation had put the woman at ease; apparently conversing with the bees was acceptable, but speaking to ravens was not.
As she reached the solar, a noise caught her attention. Lucy stepped into the room and approached an overturned basket of yarn, gathering a ball that had partially unraveled in the middle of the floor.
“I know you’re in here. Did you get sidetracked on your way to the kitchens?”
A meow sounded, as if Thor was talking back to her.
“We’ve talked about this. No stealing my yarn.
” She bent down, retrieved the stolen ball, and returned it to the basket she kept by the chair.
Lucy always had multiple projects going on so she could switch to a different one when she grew tired of the current project.
She liked to crochet while she sat by the fire at night with William while the kids played.
Movement caught her eye as Lucy turned to gaze through the new leaded glass windows. Several had been broken in a skirmish during the spring and had just recently been replaced.
A bird flew by, and Lucy pressed her cheek to the cold glass, missing her sisters on this first day of October. Halloween had always been their favorite holiday, even more so than Christmas.
During this time of year, she felt their absence so strongly it was like a lingering ache deep in her bones.
She sighed, breath fogging the windowpane. The changing seasons always stirred a mix of emotions, serving as a reminder of the passage of time and the world she had left behind.
Lucy let out a huff. “Enough. They would be happy that you’ve found happiness,” she scolded herself, grateful for the life she had built.
She bent over and picked up the small ball of yarn she’d rolled up for Thor, made up of bits of leftover yarn.
“Thor. Look what I’ve got.”
When she tossed the ball across the floor, Thor leaped out from behind a small chest to chase after it. His claws scrabbling for purchase on the stone floor as he darted around the room, batting the yarn with enthusiasm before carrying it in his mouth to the rug in front of the fire.
Seated before the crackling flames, Lucy stroked Thor’s silky fur. He rolled over and yawned, settling in for a nap by the fire, tail lazily twitching.
A while later, after she’d gathered up the rest of the yarn and put it back in the basket, she made her way through the great hall, nodding and stopping to speak with a few of the servants, already busy with the day’s tasks.
Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. Stepping outside, the crisp air carried the earthy scent of autumn mixed with horses and the ocean.
The sound of the banners rippling in the wind made Lucy gaze up at the towering castle walls. The thick stone made her feel safe, especially knowing the strife and war that was to come in the years ahead.
The banners bore the likeness of a hellhound, though how anyone knew what one looked like was beyond her. But it was William’s crest and it could have been worse… like a goat or boar or a fish.
The sounds of their people going about their day-to-day life had her looking around, her heart full. This life, as peculiar and foreign as it still felt at times, was now hers.
She walked through the courtyard, weaving between servants and guardsmen, nodding in greeting as she passed familiar faces.
The castle denizens had grown accustomed to her.
A few of the knights even teased her about her odd accent though they loved her fried chicken and appreciated the crocheted scarves in the winter.
The sound of approaching horses made Lucy stop and turn toward the gates. The deep voice that boomed across the courtyard reached all the way down to her toes, a voice she’d recognize anywhere.
William was finally home. He would banish the melancholy thoughts and fear that something bad was going to happen.
Everything would be fine.