Free First Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 3) by Cynthia Luhrs Page B

She could see through a tiny crack where the barrels weren’t pushed all the way together, and watched as the girl checked to see if the coast was clear. Then she sent the man out, followed, and immediately called out to people in the kitchens, distracting everyone so they wouldn’t see the man slinking out.
    One of the servants caught sight of Jennifer as she stepped out of the pantry in time to see the redheaded girl scowling at her. The servant frowned. “Lady? Why are you not in the great hall, where Lord Somerforth waits?”
    The man with the scar was gone. Jennifer gave the girl a look as if to say, I know you were up to something.  
    “Maude, fetch the bread.” The girl made a face and turned away.  
    “I got lost on my way to the hall.”
    The servant nodded. “Somerforth is overlarge.” The woman led Jennifer to the great hall and up on the dais where Edward was sitting.
    “I am pleased the dress fits. The color reminded me of the darker blue in your eyes. You look most fetching.”
    Jennifer felt the heat travel up her cheeks and, against her will, found herself smiling. He was a force of nature. When he smiled, it lit up the entire room.
    “It’s gorgeous. Thank you.” She didn’t tell him how much the other dress itched and kind of smelled. At least Brom had found her a dress, even if it came from a village wench. The one she wore now came from Edward. To know he’d picked it out with her in mind made her heart flutter.
    There was a shallow basin of water on the table, and as she watched she noticed people washing their hands, so she did the same. As her mom said, If you’re not sure what fork to use, watch everyone else.
    There were pewter plates on the table. “You don’t use the trenchers at supper?”
    “We do, but tonight we have an honored guest, so we feast.”
    “Who?” She stopped at the look on his face. “Me?”
    “Aye.” He poured the wine in her goblet and served her the choicest morsels, sharing his eating knife. There were tablecloths on the tables and large linen napkins for everyone, though instead of putting them on their laps, most people had them over their shoulders.
    The wine was chilled and kept in pottery jugs. His men and the other diners had pottery cups instead of the silver goblets. She already knew a few trenchers would go to the dogs and the rest taken to the poor. Thank goodness she’d been found by the lord of the castle and not a peasant. What a different experience it might have been.
    There were cherries in honey, and she wanted to take the whole bowl for herself. Mustard and salt was available, and most of the dishes were delicious. Edward obviously had lots of money, as evidenced by the spices and state of the castle. Money made a big difference in these times—heck, even in her own time the divide between rich and poor was becoming greater and greater.
    The hearths in the room were huge. The floors gleamed and there was a mosaic inset in the middle of the floor that looked like it belonged in a museum. It must have dated from roman times. Jennifer remembered the professor talking about the mosaics and the first earl. To see them in person…she itched to sketch them.
    “Lady? What are you doing?”

Chapter Seventeen

    Jennifer was tracing the design on the tablecloth with a fingertip as Edward watched her.
    “I was just thinking how much I’d like to paint your home.”
    “You are a painter in your time?”
    “I don’t make a living painting. It’s difficult to do so. In fact, I don’t have a job. Hopefully I was going to get one when the summer was over.” She went on to tell him about the dig and how she’d painted the various scenes.
    “Would you paint Somerforth?”
    “Are you kidding? I’d love to.” She took his hand, heard a noise, and found several pairs of eyes watching her intently. Snatching her hand away, she felt the heat bloom across her chest.
    “Then it shall be so. After you break your fast on the morrow, I would show