My Heart Stood Still by Lynn Kurland (best book club books of all time .TXT) 📕

"He had no personal experience with it. Just rumors."

"As with this place," she stated.

He nodded. Then he looked around. "Do you think Charles knows about these gates?"

She snorted. "How could he? Angus had no idea of them. The only way he would have learned about them was from me, and I can assure you I said nothing."

"I'm sure you didn't," Thomas agreed.

"Besides, the secret he's after isn't that one."

Thomas pursed his lips. "The jewels in the fireplace?"

"You know about that, too?" she said faintly.

"Yes." He looked around them uneasily. "Did your father know?"

"Nay, just me." She smiled briefly. "So perhaps Angus hadn't guessed amiss to send me with the English butcher."

"I suspect," Thomas said, "that no one found those things until Jamie did. His keep looks very good—and no wonder. He's probably had the money to hire people to do his remodeling for him." He sighed. "Let's go. We'll try north."

"Where is Falconberg?"

"Lord Roger said it's almost two week's travel south. Even with all our supplies, I don't think that's what we want. Not if another hour can get us where we're going."

"I am losing my faith in your landmarks."

"We don't have a choice, Iolanthe. Either we try, or we stay here. To tell you the truth, I'd be perfectly happy to spend the rest of my days at Artane with you on the beach, but that doesn't answer many of your questions."

She had no choice but to agree with him. She swung up into her saddle. "North it is. Lead on, Thomas."

He mounted as well and kept hold of the packhorse. "This will work."

She nodded. One could hope.

They had gone only a pair of miles before Thomas was again leading them off the road to a clutch of rocks that looked very much unlike the new-breed animal he claimed they resembled. But she'd promised herself that she would have faith in him, so she did her best.

Then she heard the shouts from the way they'd come. She looked back along the road and saw the dust being kicked up.

"Ruffians," she said, jerking her horse's head up.

"Wait," Thomas said, grabbing her reins. "Just wait."

Iolanthe could scarce believe that he'd brought her all this way and at such peril to die in such a foolish manner.

He reached over his horse and grabbed her hand. "Concentrate on me," he commanded urgently. "Believe, Iolanthe."

She stared into his eyes and wished with all her heart that she might live long enough to have faith in him. She stared into his pale blue eyes, felt the warmth of his hand around hers, strong and sure, and did her very best to believe that he could do what he said.

After all, hadn't he saved her from certain death?

He blinked, then hesitantly looked over his shoulder.

And then he smiled.

Iolanthe looked back the way they had come. She had to blink several times just to make certain she wasn't imagining what she was seeing. Or wasn't, actually.

The ruffians were gone.

And then a sound so horrendous and terrifying surrounded her the moment before it exploded and receded into the distance. If she'd had any wits left, she would have screamed in terror, much as the horses were. As it was, she could only manage to keep herself in the saddle and watch as Thomas did his best with his two beasts.

She looked at him and wondered if he was just as terrified.

But the fool was grinning madly.

"Military jets," he said.

"Military jets?"

"It means we're in the right time, give or take ten years. It's close enough."

She looked around her. "Where are we?"

"About fifteen yards from the A1," he said, pointing to the road nearby.

It was only then that Iolanthe noticed that although the horrendous noise had abated, there were other kinds of noises nearby—noises that were reminiscent of a sword slicing through the air near your ear or a bolt buzzing past your face. Only these were scores of times more powerful.

"Cars," Thomas said.

Iolanthe followed his arm and marveled that it didn't shake. Her hands were shaking so badly as she held the reins, 'twas a wonder her horse didn't bolt.

"Cars?" she managed.

"The things with wheels," he said.

He pointed to shiny boxes that flew past with a speed she had never in her life imagined.

She was powerfully tempted to get off her horse and lie down until the nightmare passed.

"Iolanthe?"

She looked at him and tried to smile. She failed.

"It'll be okay," he said.

Well, he at least looked vastly relieved. And if this was his time, then surely he could see to their needs.

So she took a deep breath and nodded. "Where do we go?"

"Back to the inn," he said, looking around him with a frown. "Now how to get there."

"You don't know?" Maybe she'd been too hasty in crediting him with being able to see to them.

"In a car? Sure. On horseback? Well, that'll take some doing."

She couldn't understand the trouble, but perhaps there were several things she wouldn't understand at first.

Such as what she was going to do with the rest of her life now that she had it to worry about.

By the saints, she hoped Thomas hadn't made a mistake in rescuing her.

Chapter 36

Thomas decided, as he rode up to the inn and dismounted, that he would never again complain about the miracles of modern travel. He'd done probably three hundred miles on horseback over the past month, most of it at a gallop, and all he wanted was to sit on something that didn't move. Sitting for a week at Artane hadn't counted. He wanted to sit in an overstuffed chair in Mrs. Pruitt's sitting room and vegetate until he was sure his backside had recovered from its abuse.

The good news was, he was now positive he'd made it back to the right century. Mrs. Pruitt's little car was tucked snugly against the house.

The bad news was, he just wasn't sure what was going on inside Iolanthe's head. He looked up at her still sitting astride her horse. He could hardly believe that she was real.