“I understand.” She smiled at him, so thankful for him. Through him she hoped she could stay in contact with Elia and with her father.
“I helped her find your father’s apartment building. Mr. Lancaster is in Egypt for the next month according to his doorman, Carlo. Elia gave him the code and he let her in.” He cast them a furtive smile. “She claimed to be his girlfriend.”
Kes closed her eyes, thanking God it had worked and their dearest friend had a place to live at least for the next month. Egypt. It was his favorite place to go. She knew he was there mourning her. Soon, Dad. Soon, I’ll be talking to you again.
King Henry called to them to follow him to the head table.
He’d arrived a week ago, understandably more eager to see Lizzie than he was to see them. Elizabeth had been staying with them through the harvest for all the festivals. She stayed in Richard’s old house and redecorated it as her own.
They turned to head for the table and Mr. Simeon whispered, “You look lovely in that dress.”
She smiled up at him as they walked. “What did you ever give Queen Berengaria in exchange for it?”
He clasped his hands behind his back and grinned. “A snow globe.”
She stopped and blinked at him. “You gave the queen a snow globe for this dress?”
“I most certainly did. I left it on the table by her bed and watched in secret when she picked it up. She shook it. Snow and glitter dazzled her eyes as it fell all around a tiny hamlet. She held it in her hands all night long, Kes. Think of how magical it must have appeared to her fourteenth century eyes.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Kes let him know with a pat on his arm.
“Can you stay for the celebration?” she asked the time traveler. But he couldn’t stay anyplace too long. It was part of the curse.
“I heard the brooch was sent out again. And back to the twenty-first century, no less. To a New York City detective, whom if I hear correctly—and I usually do—is at his wits’ end with life and uses whiskey to get through his day. I want to follow him and see where it leads him.”
“Oh,” Kes gasped a little. “Will you come and tell me about it?”
“Of course.” He grinned at her. “If your husband doesn’t mind.”
When they reached the table, he excused himself and disappeared into the crowd. Kes reached for Nicholas’ hand and sat at the head of the table. She looked out at all her friends enjoying the celebration. She was glad she didn’t go back to the future, glad she wasn’t lost for a month somewhere in time and sorry that her friend had gone through it. She was glad she was having Nicholas’ baby, even if there wasn’t much for the pain. She would endure it and give him children.
She had no idea why the brooch sent her here or if it was just a mistake, but she didn’t believe that it was. Nicholas was too perfect.
He leaned in to speak close to her ear. “How do you feel, my love?”
“Fine,” she told him with a smile.
A baby. She wished her father were here to see it, but she would write to him and tell him all about it. She wished Elia were here to see and to be with her but, hopefully, she would be with her father in the future and finally get to live her own life. Kes would write to her, too. The less people who knew of this the better, so she had to let Kim and Jack, Lilith and Constantine go.
She wiped a tear from her cheek and let Nicholas put her other hand in his while he spoke to the king.
Oh, what she gained. Did he sense her sadness without even looking at her? When he wasn’t smiling, he was menacing to behold. But, as so many of the people of Scarborough, especially his men, had told her, because of her, he smiled often. Could she truly make a man so happy? She had done nothing differently than she would have in the twenty-first century, except react to his kindness, thoughtfulness, and valor. Traits she couldn’t find all in one man, at least not the ones she and her friends had dated.
And then by some act of God, or crazy twist of fate, she was sent back here. To him. She loved Nicholas, therefore it was easy to make him happy.
She waved at Claire and Hilde as they made their way to the table.
“Did you see all the food that has been prepared?” Claire asked and then gasped at her own question. “Cook is dumbfounded! There is pheasant and, oh, all sorts of fowl! Tarts and puddings and pastries—”
“This will all go straight to my hips,” Hilde cried out and patted them.
“We will work it off in class tomorrow,” Kes told her. “Enjoy today. When we will eat like this again?”
“And we did not have to lift a finger!” Caitlyn reminded her.
“All thanks to Kes!” Claire exclaimed.
“Aye! Thank you, Kes,” the other girls added.
None of them knew she came from a time when people who did what they did were paid wages and had rights just like anyone else. Kes didn’t consider Claire or Cook or any of them as lower than she. She didn’t care that the king and future queen sat to her right and the castle’s head laundress and a handmaiden sat to her left. It was her and Nicholas’ celebration and everyone was where she wanted them.
His hand disappeared under the table. He rested it on her thigh. It seemed that touching her drew his attention away from King Henry and onto her. His lashes shadowed his deep silver eyes as his gaze rose to hers.
“I do not know how much longer I can stand to be away from you,” he leaned in and said against her cheekbone.
She knew he
