Page 29 of Promises Made at Midnight
A short grunt of displeasure escaped Ulrick’s lips. “I do not believe the lady would like to beclaimed.”
“Call it what you will, but how will you feel if you do not take advantage of the gift you have been given for finding what has been missing in your life?”
“How do you know what I am missing in my life?
Bertram scowled nodding to the woman of their musings. “Do not be a fool! That woman crossedTimefor you and you alone. If you are not careful, you might just lose the one person your soul has been searching for.”
“You sound like an old woman spouting tales of romantic nonsense,” Ulrick ranted in response. He ran his hand across the back of his neck in irritation even whilst his eyes returned to the woman he had been avoiding. His gaze roamed over her shapely legs covered in hose until he stopped at the opening of her tunic. The roundness of her breast was tempting him to enjoy their bounty, as no woman had ever done before.
A chortle left Bertram before he cleared his throat. “Even a seasoned warrior gets melancholy occasionally. I am but giving you advice on what you yourself have seen with the other women of Lady Bridgette’s ilk who have crossed Berwyck’s gates. Do not ignore your feelings fer her and let her slip through your grasp. I am most certain you will regret such a decision,” Bertram said, before finishing off his drink. Handing the empty cup back to the squire, he returned to his training on the lists.
“He is correct with his words that ye must choose and do so quickly, Sir Ulrick, lest the decision fer her tae remain, or not, be taken away from ye,” a woman’s words whispered quietly.
He looked down to his right and there stood Lady Amiria’s grandmother as though she were a real living and breathing person instead of the ghost he knew her to be. He thought of another specter who roamed Berwyck’s halls.
“Will not appearing before me as you are now take a toll on you, my lady?” he asked with a raised brow.
“Aye. ’Twill take days fer me tae recover but I am trying tae make a point on the urgency of choosing whether ye will be a foolish idiot or come tae yer senses.”
He frowned at the woman at his side. “I have been told ’tis not seemly to argue with your elders,” he replied, before once more turning his attention to the lady of their discussion. His life was now plagued with events that were clearly out of his control. And yet… would it be so horrible to give in to his growing attraction for the lady not of his time?
“Nay… ’twould not be horrible, ye daft man,” the lady replied apparently reading his inner thoughts. “What would be horrible is if ye remain a stubborn lout and not take advantage of what I have given ye.”
“She must be upset with me for ignoring her this past se’nnight,” he surmised whilst ignoring the further insult that he was stubborn, and a lout for that matter. Lady Amiria’s grandmother was very opinionated.
“Aye and ye have no one tae blame but yerself. Ye made her a promise and then made her think ye broke such a vow by letting her believe ye fergot all about her. But Lady Bridgette is a fergiving soul. I am sure there will be much groveling on yer part in order tae return tae the lady’s good graces. Ye best get at it!”
Ulrick looked down to reply to the lady and was astonished when he watched her transform into a ghostly apparition before completely vanishing from sight. Knowing he could do nothing about his situation whilst the training continued, he went to where he had thrown his helmet, picked it up from the ground, and resumed his habitual task of putting himself back into what was his normal daily routine.Normal… his life would never be normal again!
* * *
Bridgette swung her blade over and over again until she felt as though her arm was going to be pulled from its socket. Amiria was relentless in her ambition to see her fully trained but who was she kidding? Amiria had a sword in her hand from when she was a small girl, or so Bridgette had been told. Until Bridgette slipped throughTime, the closest she ever came to one was when Brad would occasionally humor her and let her attempt to lift his own. It was heavier than she could manage, which always left her ex-boyfriend laughing and she agitated.
But the one she now owned, curtesy of the lord and lady of Berwyck, had been fashioned just for her much like the one Amiria continued to swing with all her might. Given that the woman was pregnant, although barely showing, she fought as though her life depended on her training. After learning about the siege and how eventually the event had gained Amiria her husband, Bridgette supposed that wasn’t too far off its mark.
Distracted, when from the corner of her vision Bridgette saw Ulrick’s fist land in Godfrey’s nose, she barely brought her sword up in time to defend herself from Amiria’s unrelenting training.
“You will never learn the mechanics of fighting if you are so easily distracted, Bridgette,” Amiria called out, before placing her sword in her scabbard. “’Tis imperative that these moves I am trying to teach you become an automatic response to keep yourself alive.”
“I understand and appreciate all you are trying to do for me, my lady, but I highly doubt I am going into battle,” Bridgette said keeping her speech correct and not using contractions, knowing others could easily hear their conversation.
“I will not have a woman who is now considered my husband’s ward unable to defend herself. What do you think these lessons are for?”
“Fun?” Bridgette teased. Amiria’s brow rose causing Bridgette to gulp.
“There is nothingfunabout what we are trying to accomplish.” Amiria began to leave the field and gave a wave of her hand. “Come with me,” she ordered.
Bridgette gave a heavy sigh, knowing some form of reprimand was forthcoming. Thinking Amiria would give up on the training and return to the keep, Bridgette was surprised when they only went as far as a nearby well. Taking the bucket sitting on its ledge, Amiria dropped the pail down into the water with a splash before pulling the rope up. A dipper hung on a bent nail and she filled it with water before drinking. Repeating the gesture, she offered the dipper to Bridgette. She was hesitant at first, remembering her previous conversation with Ulrick but the water was clear and appeared safe enough or else Amiria wouldn’t have drunk it. The water was cool on her parched throat, and she drank greedily until she felt refreshed.
A white stone bench was placed up against a wall and Amiria sat, waving her hand for Bridgette to sit next to her. They sat in silence for several minutes watching the knights train, but Bridgette only had eyes for one, even though she was angry that he had been avoiding her. It was hard to figure out what had gone so terribly wrong when the person you’re trying to talk to wouldn’t give you the time of day.
Amiria readjusted the leather strap of the ponytail of flaming red hair before turning those stunning violet eyes upon Bridgette.Violet eyes!She’d never seen such a color on anyone else in her life, but those orbs drilled silently into her own green ones.
“You are troubled,” Amiria surmised, before returning her gaze to the field. “’Tis no doubt the reason behind your inability to learn the move I have been attempting to instill in you for the entire morn.”
“It’s nothing,” Bridgette answered returning to her normal speech pattern since they were alone and Amiria was more than aware of her origins.
A sarcastic chuckle escaped the woman beside her. “You may wish to ignore the situation but ’twill only make matters worse, my friend. Ulrick is as stubborn as most of my husband’s personal guardsmen, but that does not mean some gentle pushing on your part could not help your situation.”
