straight to heart. "I will serve you well. Please, Lady Isabeau, say I may stay."
Oh, hell. The kid needed somebody to love her. Libby didn't know how she Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
could deny affection to someone who needed it that badly. Which was what Lady Sibelle must have counted on when she brought her future daughter-in-law here. There wasn't a Wolfe born that wasn't a sucker for lost puppies, whether the variety was human or canine.
Libby sighed. "Of course you may stay," she said to Matilda.
She looked at Marj again, and at Joe and Ed who had come up to see what she was going to do about the uninvited visitors. It was her call, she realized. She was supposedly in charge here, the Lady of Lilydrake as it were. What was she going to do? She was going to hide her comfortable air mattress and warm Thinsulated bedroll, that's what she was going to do. They were going to hide the coffee and the freeze-dried food and live on dried peas and wild game and other local fare. Yuck. And all their other modern equipment was going to have to be carefully put away—fortunately most of the things they'd brought with them were disguised to look like they belonged in the thirteenth century. The assignment could still be carried out as long as they were careful. After all, the most important reason they were here was to get their memories back. They could do that in the company of a group of locals and not change history in the process. Couldn't they? Of course they could. And surely she could manage to sneak off to study the outlaws without any of the locals observing what she was doing. This would delay rebuilding the timegate, but that couldn't be helped.
She turned to her companions. "Master Edward."
"Yes, my lady?" Ed asked after a moment's hesitation.
"Gather the appropriate materials and use as many of these men as you need to repair the buildings."
"My lady?" Marj said, her voice a high-pitched squeak.
Libby ignored her. "We have returned to Lilydrake to rebuild the castle and Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
rebuild it we will," she said decisively. "Master Joseph."
Joe was grinning. He said in English, "I guess we're not going to send out for Chinese tonight."
"Guess not," she replied in the same language. In Norman she said, "I appoint you seneschal to manage the fields and flocks and household."
He gave her a bow. "As my lady wishes." He actually seemed to like the idea.
She noticed that Marj had an appalled expression on her face. Libby started to take the suddenly pale historian aside to say something reassuring, then she glanced to where Marj's gaze was riveted. More newcomers had ridden into the courtyard.
"Oh, dear."
"Greetings, ladies," Reynard of Elansted called as he swung off his horse.
Marj sidled over to Libby. "What's he doing here?" she whispered without taking her eyes off the sheriff.
Libby would have shrugged, but a heavy, gloved hand landed on her shoulder before she could make the gesture. As Sir Reynard swung her around, he said,
"How fair you look, Lady Isabeau." His gaze was on Marj as he spoke. "All you ladies are lovely today." He smelled of horse and leather and he wore a smirk beneath his luxuriant mustache. "I've come to stay for a few days," he told Libby. He waved back toward the four soldiers who'd ridden in with him. "I and my men."
Libby looked around frantically. "But—," she asked, "why?"
"After yesterday I grew worried for your safety. So I've come to protect you from the outlaws, of course." he answered cheerfully. "I'm sure your father would want me to take care of you. It's my duty."
Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
There was a firm set to his jaw that belied the gently amused sparkle in his eyes.
She could tell he wasn't about to be talked out of camping with everyone else in the ruins of Lilydrake. Libby just barely repressed a sigh. "How—chivalrous.
And neighborly," she added with a helpless look toward Lady Sibelle.
How aggravating, she
Oh, hell. The kid needed somebody to love her. Libby didn't know how she Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
could deny affection to someone who needed it that badly. Which was what Lady Sibelle must have counted on when she brought her future daughter-in-law here. There wasn't a Wolfe born that wasn't a sucker for lost puppies, whether the variety was human or canine.
Libby sighed. "Of course you may stay," she said to Matilda.
She looked at Marj again, and at Joe and Ed who had come up to see what she was going to do about the uninvited visitors. It was her call, she realized. She was supposedly in charge here, the Lady of Lilydrake as it were. What was she going to do? She was going to hide her comfortable air mattress and warm Thinsulated bedroll, that's what she was going to do. They were going to hide the coffee and the freeze-dried food and live on dried peas and wild game and other local fare. Yuck. And all their other modern equipment was going to have to be carefully put away—fortunately most of the things they'd brought with them were disguised to look like they belonged in the thirteenth century. The assignment could still be carried out as long as they were careful. After all, the most important reason they were here was to get their memories back. They could do that in the company of a group of locals and not change history in the process. Couldn't they? Of course they could. And surely she could manage to sneak off to study the outlaws without any of the locals observing what she was doing. This would delay rebuilding the timegate, but that couldn't be helped.
She turned to her companions. "Master Edward."
"Yes, my lady?" Ed asked after a moment's hesitation.
"Gather the appropriate materials and use as many of these men as you need to repair the buildings."
"My lady?" Marj said, her voice a high-pitched squeak.
Libby ignored her. "We have returned to Lilydrake to rebuild the castle and Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
rebuild it we will," she said decisively. "Master Joseph."
Joe was grinning. He said in English, "I guess we're not going to send out for Chinese tonight."
"Guess not," she replied in the same language. In Norman she said, "I appoint you seneschal to manage the fields and flocks and household."
He gave her a bow. "As my lady wishes." He actually seemed to like the idea.
She noticed that Marj had an appalled expression on her face. Libby started to take the suddenly pale historian aside to say something reassuring, then she glanced to where Marj's gaze was riveted. More newcomers had ridden into the courtyard.
"Oh, dear."
"Greetings, ladies," Reynard of Elansted called as he swung off his horse.
Marj sidled over to Libby. "What's he doing here?" she whispered without taking her eyes off the sheriff.
Libby would have shrugged, but a heavy, gloved hand landed on her shoulder before she could make the gesture. As Sir Reynard swung her around, he said,
"How fair you look, Lady Isabeau." His gaze was on Marj as he spoke. "All you ladies are lovely today." He smelled of horse and leather and he wore a smirk beneath his luxuriant mustache. "I've come to stay for a few days," he told Libby. He waved back toward the four soldiers who'd ridden in with him. "I and my men."
Libby looked around frantically. "But—," she asked, "why?"
"After yesterday I grew worried for your safety. So I've come to protect you from the outlaws, of course." he answered cheerfully. "I'm sure your father would want me to take care of you. It's my duty."
Sizemore, Susan - After the Storm
There was a firm set to his jaw that belied the gently amused sparkle in his eyes.
She could tell he wasn't about to be talked out of camping with everyone else in the ruins of Lilydrake. Libby just barely repressed a sigh. "How—chivalrous.
And neighborly," she added with a helpless look toward Lady Sibelle.
How aggravating, she
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