9
Nottingham Castle
When Joanna’s tears had stopped, she wiped her face and nose on the bed linens for lack of something better. Roger would be coming for her any minute, so she needed to change clothes as Guy had ordered her to do. Sadly, her research had not prepared her for how to put on medieval garments. She struggled first into the chemise, then the skirt, which was so big she had to knot the waist to keep it on. The shoes resembled men’s work boots and were far too large. She was tying the front of the bodice when a man entered. He had a round-chest, thick biceps, and features that had been baked hard in the sun and creased with wrinkles. His eyes were cold and communicated nothing except irritation with her.
She blushed as she fumbled with the cords. “Are you Roger?”
“Are you finished?”
“I guess.” Joanna looked down at her clothing. She was a mess. She knew red splotches must be covering her face beneath her swollen eyes.
Roger reached for her arm, but she pulled back.
“I’ll cooperate. You don’t have to drag me down the stairs.”
Scowling, he motioned for her to follow him. She lifted her cumbersome skirt so she wouldn’t trip as she descended the stairs. Her knees wobbled with every step.
In the courtyard, a groom held the reins of two saddled horses. Joanna hesitated. She was getting farther and farther away from where she had left Jill. Would her sister be able to find her?
“Mount up.”
Joanna reached for the saddle but knew she couldn’t pull herself up. Her arms were shaking and she couldn’t fit the large boots into the stirrups.
“I can’t do it.”
Roger growled as he gave her a boost into the saddle. Once she was on, he did not pass her the reins but held them in order to lead her horse alongside his as they rode out of the castle. The night was dark, and in only a few minutes they were traveling down a road Joanna couldn’t see.
She marveled at the sky alight with stars. Electricity had deprived the modern world of the night sky as it was meant to be seen. To think these same heavenly bodies stared down at her every night in Minneapolis but she rarely took the time to look back at them, and even if she did, they wouldn’t be visible from all the light pollution. She stared up until her neck ached.
“This is what I get, you know, for wanting more out of life,” she mused, not realizing until the words left her mouth that she had spoken aloud.
After a momentary pause, Roger grunted. She took that as an invitation to continue.
“My sister convinced me to take this trip because it would give me an escape from my everyday life, and it’s done that, but not quite the way I hoped.”
“Life rarely works out the way we hope it will.”
“That’s true,” she agreed.
Neither she nor Roger spoke after that. In this exact situation, Jill would probably be plotting her escape, but Joanna was not Jill. What could Joanna do? Wrestle the reins away from Roger and take off on this horse to who knows where? She had a feeling Guy would come after her anyway.
Since an escape attempt was a waste of time and energy, Joanna kept herself awake by imagining the book she could write after this experience, the recognition she would receive, the opportunity she would have to rub her success in Mark’s face. Of course, this was assuming she ever found a way back to the twenty-first century. As the night dragged on and her fatigue increased along with her headache, she wondered if this was all a vivid dream that would disappear when she woke in her own house or the hotel in Nottingham.
Eventually, a dark shape blotted out the stars on the horizon. Joanna imagined the shape was a castle, but she couldn’t be sure. Roger dismounted to knock at the gate. He spoke to the porter, and then a door, large enough for the horses to go through, opened for their entrance.
Roger led her horse inside the castle and then motioned for her to get off. Too tired to control her descent, she slid off. Roger had to catch her before she collapsed. She had no idea if she should fear him or not. Probably best to be afraid of everyone given what she had experienced in the last eighteen hours.
Inside the castle, all was dark except for the torch the porter had given to Roger. Joanna followed Roger to a large building and stumbled behind him up a circular staircase into a dark hallway. Roger unlocked a door, lit a candle inside, and then closed the door behind him. Joanna heard him lock it before his footsteps faded.
She was a prisoner again—and no toilet in sight.
Using the candle, she snooped around the room in search of a chamber pot. The bed had curtains and a table and chair. She felt under the bed until she found a wide bowl. This wasn’t her ideal circumstance for answering the call of nature, but it was better than nothing.
Once she was feeling better, she stood to remove her clothes and noticed she swayed on her feet in the chilly, damp room. With fumbling fingers, she unlaced the corset and stripped down to her chemise. She crawled into bed, too tired to think about bed bugs or who might have slept on the linens before her, and fell asleep, thinking as she drifted off that no mattress had ever been so lumpy.
Ever a light sleeper, Joanna woke when she heard a key turning at the door. Her first thought was that Guy was here to take what he wanted from her. Her heart beat loudly in her ears. She had left the bed curtains open. Pulling the blanket up to her nose, she trembled underneath the covers as she waited to see who would enter.
When the door opened, a heavy-set woman walked in. She wore a brown, sleeveless dress of coarsely spun fabric, a white chemise underneath, and a kerchief that covered faded red hair. On her left arm she carried a pile of multicolored clothing. Behind her followed a young girl with light hair dressed similarly to the older woman and carrying a pitcher.
They stopped at the side of her bed and stared at her. Unnerved, Joanna slowly pulled down the covers to reveal her face. The older woman crossed herself. The younger woman’s eyes grew twice their size. She put both her hands on her abdomen and looked at Joanna like she’d seen a ghost.
“Um. Hi, there.” Joanna waved her fingers in greeting. “I’m Joanna. Is it morning?”
The older woman recovered first. “Mid-morning.”
Joanna nodded and sat up. “Who are you?”
“Call me Elaine.” The older woman pointed at the younger one. “This is Bess.”
Bess nodded, and Joanna thought she detected disdain in the serving girl’s demeanor.
Joanna put her hand to her head and felt the scab which had formed. She had a headache, too. “I must look like a mess.”
“Or a ghost,” Bess replied.
“Who is it I look like?” Joanna asked.
Elaine pursed her lips before speaking. “Sir Guy’s late wife. You’re almost her spitting image although she was thinner.”
Of course she was. “Is Guy here?”
“He’s due back this evening.”
Bess started a fire in the fireplace while Elaine set the dresses she had been carrying on the bed.
“I’m not sure which one of these will be suitable.”
When Elaine held up a red dress, Bess looked up, her eyes full of admiration. “That’s a pretty one.”
Joanna thought it was hideous and silently hoped she wouldn’t have to wear it.
“Yes,” Elaine agreed, “but I think it’s too small.”
“I wish I could wear something like that.” Bess’s voice took on a dreamy quality.
Elaine laughed. “You’re not a lady.”
“I might be.”
Joanna imagined the older woman must have been thinking, Dream on! Elaine held up a royal blue dress and frowned as she studied it. “This one should do.”
The dress didn’t appear to be very figure flattering, and it definitely wasn’t as elaborate as the Renaissance festival costumes Joanna had seen (she had done a few Renaissance weddings, after all), but the color was nice and she decided she could live with wearing it, although she doubted she had any choice in t
he matter.
“A bath first,” Elaine ordered. “I’ve worked too hard keeping these nice since Lady Marian died to have anyone soil them.”
“Wait a minute!” Joanna heard warning bells ringing in her head. “Marian was Guy’s wife?”
Elaine’s glance communicated how stupid she thought Joanna was. “Of course.”
Wasn’t Marian supposed to be Robin Hood’s true love? This was troubling and meant other parts of the legend might not be true at all. She would have to be careful not to make too many assumptions until she knew exactly what was going on.
“I had the boys start the water a while ago. Bess, go look after it.”
Bess shot Joanna a dirty look, indicating she blamed Joanna for the hard work of setting up the bath, and stomped out of the room.
“There’s too much passion and fire in the young ones,” Elaine said after Bess left. “They haven’t learned to accept the hard terms of life.”
“I’m still working on that one myself.”
“You’d better adjust quickly,” Elaine replied. “You’re in Locksley Castle now.”
Joanna could sense the gloom, even through the closed shutters. “I’m not sure what you’ve been told about me.”
“Very little, but I can guess a few things.”
Curious, Joanna encouraged Elaine to share.
“You’re alone with no family,” Elaine began. “You’re incapable of taking care of yourself. You’re some kind of foreigner. You got into a bad scrape, by the looks of you, probably with a man. Sir Guy saved you and offered his protection. Add to that your resemblance to Lady Marian, and it’s quite clear why you’re here. Sir Guy’s had a string of women in his bed since his wife died under mysterious circumstances. You’re merely the latest.”
“I have no intentions of getting into bed with anyone.”
Elaine tapped the side of her nose with her forefinger. “Play the innocent if you wish. But I’ve decided to like you, so I’m going to give you a warning. Sir Guy doesn’t keep his women very long. He uses them, and then they disappear. We had a young one here named Daisy who disappeared in the middle of the night a year ago and was never heard from again. Sir Guy is cursed, and the women he beds come to evil ends.”
“Then I guess the best way to stay alive is to stay out of his bed.”
Elaine chuckled darkly as she sorted out a chemise from the pile of clothes then picked up the remaining dresses. “Once you’re dressed, you’re free to roam about as you wish, although you won’t go far.”
Joanna wanted to argue that she could run away, but given what had happened to her in the last twenty-four hours, she knew this wasn’t true.
“I don’t mean to be a bother,” Joanna said, “but I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
After Elaine left, Joanna ventured out of the bed, feeling her body creak and groan. She had spent too much time on horseback recently. She hobbled to the shuttered window, anxious to get her bearings. She wasn’t sure she could trust Guy, but she did hope he had news about Jill. What had happened to Little John? She hoped the big oaf was all right and had avoided execution. Had Robin come for him as Little John believed he would?
Joanna opened the shutters. She squinted in the sun as she looked out over farmers’ fields with a large forest behind. The men laboring those small plots looked bent and moved slowly. Although the sun shone, Joanna felt a gloomy air about the place. She shook her head in disbelief. She really was in the past. The opportunities for research were astounding!
But it was time to be honest. Joanna didn’t want to write a gritty, historical novel grounded in details of everyday medieval life. She wanted to tell stories of love and adventure. She wasn’t going to waste time getting lost in minutiae. Since she was living in a medieval castle, she was going to explore and make the best of it. She’d never have such an experience again. Unless, of course, she was stuck here.
But never mind that. If Joanna wanted to find a way back to her own time, she would. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right? Yes, with a little sleep, she was already feeling more positive than she had yesterday. She looked forward to cleaning the blood out of her hair and washing away her own stench. Her cheek felt puffy from the slap Sir Horace had given her. Forcing the image of his death from her mind, she wondered what people used for soap in the Middle Ages.
Bess returned with another girl carrying a large wooden tub, which they set in the room.
“The water is almost ready.” Bess gave Joanna a cutting look before leaving.
Worried about all the trouble she was causing, Joanna decided to help out. She pulled the blankets on the bed, smoothing the surface and tucking the ends under the mattress. As she finished, Elaine entered, carrying a small platter of smelly cheese and bread and a mug of ale. Although this wasn’t the full English breakfast with tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, runny eggs and toast Joanna had dreamed of, she was hungry enough to eat it. She sat on the bed and stuffed her face while Elaine settled in the room’s only chair and watched her.
“What did you do to this bed?” Elaine asked.
“I made it.” Joanna’s mouth was crammed with bread. She wasn’t usually this rude, but the smell of the food made her suddenly ravenous.
“No, it was here well before you came.”
“I mean, this is what we do to beds where I come from when we’re not sleeping in them.”
“Well, now,” Elaine commented, her tone indicating the situation was anything but well. “Where do you come from?”
Given how Joanna’s poetic but misguided information download had gone with the sheriff, she should probably be vague. “I came to England with my twin sister. We were riding through Sherwood Forest and were separated. The sheriff captured me and sold me to Sir Horace. Guy killed Horace and offered me his protection.”
“What happened to your sister?”
“I don’t know. Guy promised to help me find her if I would do something for him.”
Elaine’s face was guarded. “What did he ask you to do?”
“He wants me to solve a mystery for him.”
Elaine laughed derisively. “That mystery is in his bedroom, although he’ll tell you differently.”
“You think I’ll end up missing like Daisy.”
“Or dead. This castle is haunted. Ever since Lady Marian died, her ghost haunts the tower.”
Joanna didn’t believe in ghosts and wondered what had caused Elaine to believe one existed. “Have you seen it?”
“I haven’t, but others I trust have. Guy has the tower sealed. If anyone goes up there, the ghost will drag the poor soul straight to hell.”
“You think Marian’s in hell?”
“A ghost is a ghost,” Elaine said, as though that settled everything.
“Was Marian evil? Why would she be haunting the place?”
Elaine leaned forward. “Because she was murdered.” Satisfied that this news had sufficiently captured Joanna’s interest, Elaine continued.
“Marian and Guy used to have terrible arguments. They’d be passionate one minute, throwing things and shouting the next. Marian herself had the devil’s own temper. She’d box a servant’s ears for the simplest mistakes. Many of the young girls were afraid of her. I think she angered Guy and he pushed her off the tower.”
“You saw it happen?”
“No, but Maude and I were the first to get to her body. Maude’s served here as long as I have, and the preparation of the dead usually falls to her since many in the castle don’t have family nearby.”
Joanna knew very well that Guy was capable of murder, but she wasn’t sure he would kill a woman. She had been afraid he might kill her back at Nottingham Castle, but in retrospect, he had probably been mocking her. As she finished the last of the ale, the door opened and Bess entered, carrying two buckets of water. Behind her followed several more girls, all carrying steaming buckets. While none of the wome
n looked happy, Bess’s flushed face looked especially sour as she poured in her two buckets of water.
Elaine frowned. “Bess, what’s gotten in to you?”
The girl shrugged. “I’m not like feeling myself today.”
“Sit a moment and catch your breath. I’ll see the rest of the water is brought up.”
Elaine followed the girls out, shooting a prompting glance at Joanna that she didn’t completely understand. Left alone together, Joanna watched Bess while the girl sat, willing to stare at anything in the room except Joanna.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Joanna asked.
“I apologize, miss. You look so much like Lady Marian that it gives me gooseflesh.”
“You knew Marian well?”
“I was her lady’s maid.”
Bess’s manner didn’t invite further questions, which gave Joanna time to study her. Bess was thin with wavy blonde hair tied at her neck. Her bodice, made of the same coarsely woven fabric Elaine and the other girls wore, was laced loosely especially at the bust and stomach, reminding Joanna of the photos on the covers of romance novels. She had a feeling the bodice didn’t fit like it was supposed to. What caught her attention, though, was the one accessory that didn’t seem to go with the outfit. A long silver chain hung around Bess’s neck, dipping in between her breasts.
“That’s a pretty necklace.”
Bess clutched the chain in one hand, and from the way it hung, Joanna got the impression something big and heavy dangled from it underneath Bess’s clothing.
“Is it a family heirloom?”
“A gift from my lover. I’m not supposed to show it to anyone. He’d be very angry if I did. We can only meet in secret, you see.”
Given her recent experience with Mark, Joanna hoped Bess would wise up before she got into trouble. The poor girl was being taken advantage of and was too young and inexperienced to realize it, or she had such low self-esteem she thought she deserved it.
“Is he married?”
Bess gave Joanna a sharp look. “Why do you say that?”
“When a man wants to keep love secret, it usually means he’s committed to someone else.”
“That’s not it at all.”
“I only say this because I just got out of a relationship in which my boyfriend was seeing at least one other woman besides me. I’d hate to see you get hurt like I was.”
“It’s different for me.” Bess protested, although her voice trembled.
“I didn’t mean to offend you, but if this man really loved you, he wouldn’t have any problem with the entire castle knowing.”
“I know you mean well, miss, but you don’t understand Locksley.” Bess grew paler by the moment.
The entrance of more women carrying the rest of the water put an end to the questioning. Elaine followed, puffing a little, and laid the linens on the bed, all the while casting concerned glances at Bess.
“We’ll let you bathe,” Elaine said to Joanna. “Then one of us will be up to help you dress.”
“I can manage by myself.”
Elaine pointed to the blue gown on the bed. “Not unless you’ve got another pair of arms growing out of your back.”
When she was alone, Joanna eased herself into the hot water and soaked her aching bones. She had bruises all over her shins and her arms. Ducking her head under the water, she did her best to clean the blood out of her hair. She must look terrible. If only she had her purse and could use the mirror to see how deep the cut was or if her cheek was bruised. Lipstick and a comb would be nice as well. To be stuck in the past without even basic toiletries irritated her. Having her purse out of her reach highlighted how vulnerable she was.
The soap was different than she had imagined. Rather than a hard bar, it was a yellowish white ball of tallow mixed with soap. She rubbed a little on her skin, but it burned and she washed it off as quickly as she could. The stuff was powerful enough to whiten bones. Probably best to leave it alone. As she relaxed her aching body, she took stock of the square room. The tub sat in front of the fireplace that now crackled with a good fire. To her left light poured in from the window. The heavy bed with dark blue curtains and brown blankets took up most of the opposite wall. On the right was the door, a table and a chair. The wooden floor had been swept clean and the plastered walls were white with blue fleur de lis spaced about eighteen inches apart painted in a repeating diagonal pattern. Where did the door lead? Last night, she had climbed stairs to get here, but given the darkness and her fatigue, she had no idea what part of the castle she was in or whose room this was. As far as accommodations went, a girl could do a lot worse. The mattress was lumpy, but being a kept woman in a medieval castle was infinitely better than sleeping on the ground somewhere in the forest. At least she had privacy and maids to wait on her. She was, in a way, finally living out her own gothic romance. Unable to hide her grin, Joanna ducked under the water, ashamed that such a thought would go through her mind while she was a prisoner and Jill’s whereabouts were unknown. But since Joanna couldn’t do anything about finding her sister at the moment, she had better make the best of the situation, especially if it fulfilled a girlhood fantasy or two.
The memory of Bess’s face cut short her exuberance. That girl was in trouble. Joanna wished she could do something about it. If Joanna kept working on her, perhaps Bess would share enough about her lover that Joanna could help her end the relationship before she got hurt.
Joanna stayed in the bath until the water cooled. After she dried herself with the linens Elaine provided, Joanna slipped on the clean chemise and rang the bell Elaine had left on the bed. Almost immediately, Elaine entered. Joanna hadn’t required help dressing since she was a child. But now she was completely dependent on someone else to make her look decent. Elaine fussed and pulled and tied the various garments, all the while clucking her disapproval at Joanna’s measurements.
When Joanna was dressed, Elaine brought out a brush and motioned for her to sit down. “We’ve got to do something with this wet mess. The dress makes you look more respectable, but your hair is cut like a boy’s. Were you ill?”
Joanna’s cheeks felt hot. “This is in style where I come from.”
Elaine tugged at Joanna’s hair, and Joanna cried out a few times as the brush ran over her cut.
“How’d you get that wound?” Elaine asked.
“I ran into a tree.”
“Try not to make a habit of that.”
After several painful minutes, Joanna rubbed her forehead as Elaine stepped back and surveyed her with a critical eye.
“How do I look?” Joanna feared the answer but had to ask anyway.
“You’ll do.” Elaine went to the door. “I have chores to finish.”
After Elaine left, Joanna stared at the door, debating her next move. What would happen if she opened it? Would someone be standing guard outside?
Joanna lifted her arms and admired the tight sleeves that laced under her arm and attached to the bodice of her dress with more lacing. Her chemise peaked through the square neck of the bodice which felt tight on her chest. The skirt was long and touched the floor. How would she ever walk in this? She balled some of the fabric in her hand and lifted it to view her leather slippers with thin soles. Knowing her, she would step on a nail or stub her toe before the day was over. She would have to be careful.
Dropping her skirt, she practiced walking around the room and almost tripped on the front hem of her skirt. Great. All she needed was to fall face down on the wooden floors, or worse yet, the stairs. If only she had safety pins or duct tape to bring up the hem!
Time to go exploring. As she approached the door, her heart quickened when she saw the lock. Her opportunity to research an authentic medieval doorknob had arrived!
An examination of the door revealed her first error because no doorknob existed. Instead, there was a metal box with a key hole bolted to the right side of the door. Inside that box was probably a pin and tumbler lock that could be opened
with a metal key. A large metal ring that reminded Joanna of a door knocker hung in the center of the door. She pulled the ring and found the door swung easily toward her. There appeared to be no latch on the door except the lock itself. Obviously, Dad had been right that a person didn’t have to understand everything about a door in order to walk through it. She wondered if there was anything else in her life she had been overcomplicating.
The light in the hallway was dim, illuminated by small windows on either end. She saw three more doors in the corridor, one directly across from hers, and two more down the hall. Her curiosity would have led her to open every door and peer inside, but she worried who or what she might find behind them, so she didn’t investigate further. Cautiously, she crept toward the dimly lit arch to her right that led to the circular stairs. Decision time—should she go up or down first? Up seemed preferable as it would give her a better view of where she was.
Since Joanna was alone, she lifted her skirts in order to climb the stairs without banging any more shins. When she reached another floor with six doors in the hallway, her timidity again prevented her from looking around. Returning to the stairs, she climbed ten more steps before she stepped into the fresh air and sunlight and found herself on top of a square building that was probably the castle keep.
Joanna gasped at the medieval panorama before her. While she and Jill had visited a few castle ruins, nothing had prepared Joanna for what it would be like inside an authentic, working castle in the twelfth century.
The square building Joanna stood on was the tallest and largest in the castle. This fact reinforced her belief that it was the keep as she knew from her research the keep was the most defendable building in the castle and the place of last retreat if the castle walls were ever breached.
The castle was laid out in a rough diamond shape with a tower at each of the four corners. The keep marked the northern point of the diamond and gave her an excellent vantage point to study the buildings below. To her right stood the castle gatehouse, two thick towers with an arched gateway in between them. That must be where she and Roger had entered last night. Between the keep and gatehouse was a long, two-story building with a roof that sloped away from the castle walls. Joanna assumed this was the great hall.
A round tower a little shorter than the keep marked the southern point of the castle. This tower was connected to the gatehouse by a wall walk. Underneath it were stone walls with windows. The ground below had stone arches that supported the floors above. A teenaged boy with red hair led a horse out of one of the arches, wrapped the lead rope around a wooden post, and began grooming the horse. Joanna assumed that area was the stables. If she had a chance, she might be able to steal a horse and escape.
At the eastern point of the diamond stood a short tower, and Joanna guessed it might be the chapel. Castle architects often designed chapels to face the east, so the location seemed logical. The tower appeared to be two stories tall, which made sense because building a room on top of the chapel would be considered irreverent. Two stories of wooden buildings lined the wall between the southern tower and the chapel. A group of ten soldiers stood in formation in front of the buildings while another soldier appeared to be inspecting their weapons. The wooden buildings were probably the soldiers’ barracks.
The smell of baking bread and roasting meat drifted on the air, and Joanna tried to trace its source. In between the chapel tower and the keep where she stood was a small stone building with a smoking chimney. Servants came in and out of that building regularly, carrying hunks of meat or what looked like produce. That was likely the kitchen.
The inner bailey or courtyard of the castle wasn’t as big as Joanna had imagined it would be. She guessed it was about the size of a basketball court. In the center of the bailey, three women with buckets cranked the pulley at the castle well. Now that Joanna knew where the water for her bath had come from, she cringed in guilt at the amount of work she had caused the servants. If she ever got back to the year 2009, she would always be thankful for indoor plumbing.
Which one of these towers was home to Marian’s ghost? The taller, southern tower directly opposite her seemed the likeliest choice. Its height also offered a more logical place for Marian to fall to her death. Joanna needed to use her freedom before Guy returned to find out as much as she could about the castle. She still didn’t understand why she was here or what was required of her, but Guy’s return might impede her ability to research.
She descended the keep steps carefully, again pulling up her skirts and making sure of the placement of each foot before transferring her weight to it. The last thing she needed was to incur more injuries, especially in an era with such poor medical care. Hopefully Jill, wherever she was, wasn’t hurt. Although thoughts of Jill brought a catch to Joanna’s throat, Joanna ignored them, reminding herself she had work to do.
Steeling herself against her returning claustrophobia in the narrow staircase, Joanna hoped she wouldn’t encounter someone walking up while she was going down since there wouldn’t be room for both of them on the stairs. Her chest tightened at the thought of such close quarters, but she forced the feelings away. She counted four levels before she reached the open door at the bottom of the steps that opened into the courtyard.
After her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Joanna pondered her next move. She would learn the most by interviewing the castle inhabitants, which wouldn’t be difficult. She had always enjoyed talking with people. Jill said once that Joanna could carry on a conversation with a rock if necessary. Joanna would charm these castle people with her winning personality, and they would open their hearts to her.
The three women standing at the well in the bailey presented the best option for a first encounter. Joanna took two steps toward them before her foot caught on the hem of her skirt and she tripped. Fortunately, she regained her balance before falling in the dirt. The women stared with pinched faces as she lifted her skirts in order to walk more efficiently. Then, their stares turned to disgust, and the women walked away.
Unclear what she had done to alienate herself, Joanna continued to the well and paused there, plotting where to go next. A whiff of manure from the nearby stables reminded her of her horse from 2009. What had happened to him? Would anyone find him? The old woman had said Joanna couldn’t get home without that horse. Did that mean Joanna was stuck in 1193?
A change in the wind brought the smell of baking bread to her attention. Perhaps one of the kitchen maids would speak to her. But when Joanna reached the kitchen door, the cook shooed her out with a broomstick as though Joanna were a stray cat.
Joanna rested her hands on her hips and surveyed her options. A group of children played behind her near the great hall. She had always liked children. But as she approached, they pointed at her in fear and ran away. Feeling awkward and embarrassed, Joanna looked for a place to regroup in private. She hadn’t explored the eastern tower yet. Keeping her head high, she walked quickly toward its entrance, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.
Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness in the room, a heavy sigh caught her attention. Blinking, she admired the light coming from the stained glass window across from the door. Below it was an altar with a small wooden cross and a kneeling bench before it. On the bench knelt a man dressed in a blue doublet and lighter blue leggings. He sighed again then looked at Joanna expectantly.
“I’m sorry.” Joanna felt silly that she hadn’t noticed him sooner. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“It’s all right.” He got up and brushed off his knees.
“Don’t leave on my account. I can go.”
The man shook his head. “I’ve said my peace, but no one’s listening.”
“It does feel that way sometimes. I’m Joanna.”
“I’m Walter, Guy’s constable. Did you ever marry?”
“No.”
“Good for you. Biggest mistake of my life.”
“I hope your wife doesn’t hear you.”
/> “She’d tell you the same thing.” Walter shook his head. “She’s in love with someone else—always has been. I thought I could win her over with time, but...take my advice and join a convent. The entire world would be better off if we left the opposite sex alone.”
Walter exited the chapel before Joanna could respond. She followed him out and watched as he walked purposefully toward a young woman, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward him. When the young woman turned, Joanna caught a glimpse of her face and recognized Bess. Now this was interesting.
Walter and Bess stood with their heads bent close together, conferring in low voices Joanna couldn’t hear. Remembering her earlier conversation with the young woman, Joanna wondered if the intimate encounter indicated a sexual relationship.
“By the look on your face, you’ve had the same thoughts I have.”
Joanna recognized Elaine’s voice beside her. “So you think they’re...?”
“She’s sleeping with someone. That girl is playing with fire. Walter’s wife, Gwen, is a mean-spirited woman. If she knew what was going on here, you can bet she would take her revenge—and poor Bess wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“I gathered Bess was having an affair with a married man when I spoke with her.”
“I hope you talked some sense into her.”
“I tried,” Joanna said defensively, wondering why Elaine shoved this responsibility on her. “But I just met her.”
“Of course. You’ll forgive me. I have frustrations of my own. How are you finding the castle?”
“No one’s brought out the welcome wagon.”
“We don’t take well to newcomers. Comes from living in fear. It didn’t used to be that way. When I started in service years ago, before Robin was born, this was a happy place.”
“Before Robin was born?”
Elaine nodded. “Guy was a boy then, and a sad, skinny little one he was.”
“Guy grew up here, too?”
“He and Robin are brothers. Didn’t you know that?”
Joanna considered what she had learned about Marian so far. Robin and Guy were brothers, but Marian married Guy? The story was getting more interesting all the time.
“Those were the good old days.” Elaine looked wistful. “Guy was seven years old when his mother, Lady Marguerite, married the old Earl of Huntingdon. Guy’s father was a Frenchman who lost his land and title. The earl had no children from his first marriage, so he agreed to name Guy as heir in his will. Of course, when Robin was born a year after the marriage, that changed everything.”
“How did Guy react?”
“He was such a lonely boy. He seemed genuinely delighted to have a brother. He doted on the little one with absolute adoration.”
“What changed between them?”
“Looking back, I can see how the earl favored Robin—he was his own blood, you know—and Guy took it poorly, especially since Robin didn’t seem suited to running a manor. Dearly as I love Robin, he was more interested in his adventures than his tenants and responsibilities. Guy practically raised Robin himself after the earl died when Robin was eight. All seemed well until four years ago when Lady Marguerite passed away. That’s when Guy showed his true nature and the trouble for poor Robin began.”
Joanna wanted to hear more, but Guy rode in, dismounting in front of the keep. A stable hand ran to Guy’s horse and took the reins. Guy scanned the bailey with a frown, glaring when his gaze landed on Elaine and Joanna.
“I should get back to work.” Elaine was gone almost before she finished her sentence.
Joanna wondered what had happened at Nottingham. She didn’t know Guy well, but his sneer and narrowed eyes indicated something was wrong. Had he seen Jill? He motioned for her to approach. Lifting her skirts, she jogged toward him.
“What happened?” she asked. “Is there any news of my sister?”
“Oh, there’s news and none of it good.”
“She isn’t…?” Joanna couldn’t say the word dead.
“That depends.” Guy positioned his hand in the small of her back and steered her toward the entrance to the keep. “Come with me.”