Free One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland

groupings of chairs in front of each hearth and a long table at the back of the hall, boasting heavy, high-backed seats. She fully expected to see servants dressed in authentic medieval peasant gear come spilling out of the kitchen, carrying trays of delicious edibles.
    “What’s the tofu quotient in your dinners?” Pippa managed.
    “Nonexistent. We only use good English beef here, with quite extensive vegetarian selections for those so inclined.”
    Pippa looked at her sister, then laughed. “You sound like you know what you’re doing.”
    “I would say that’s only because it pays the bills, but the truth is, I love it,” Tess admitted. “I don’t think the reality of the Middle Ages would have been at all to my taste, but pretending for the evening while still having the conveniences of modern life upstairs is wonderful. And speaking of upstairs, I put you right next to Stephen, on the off chance that you encounter him in the middle of the night on your way to the kitchen to hunt for snacks.”
    “I imagine you just put me there to have something between him and Cindi.”
    Tess smiled. “Might have.”
    Pippa followed Tess up the stairs and down the passageway that was lit by lights in the shape of torches. The rock was smooth under her hands, as if countless fingers had been run along its surface over hundreds of years, and cold. She waited until Tess had opened a door, then found herself inside something that surely had looked in medieval times just as it did at present. There was a bed with a wooden canopy, hung with heavy drapes, and other less austere things that were obviously of a more recent vintage. Pippa walked in, feeling as if she were walking into a dream. She stopped in the middle of the room, then turned around slowly.
    “It’s spectacular,” she managed. She felt her way down into a chair. “I can’t believe this is yours.”
    Tess sat down on the edge of the bed. “I agree, but before we’re both overwhelmed by the thought, why don’t I let you get some rest, then we’ll go have lunch in the tea shop?”
    “I didn’t see the tea shop,” Pippa said, “but I’ll admit I was a little distracted at the time.”
    “It’s tucked away in the forest. I initially wondered about the location of it from a business perspective, but I’ve come to appreciate that keeping all signs of modern life out of a person’s initial view of the castle is the best idea. I might as well make the experience as authentic as possible.” She pushed herself to her feet and smiled. “I’ll be back in an hour. I’m going to go pour coffee down Cindi and see if I can get her sober in time to flutter tonight.”
    Pippa was tempted to stop her sister and ask her a few pertinent questions about paranormal activities, but Tess escaped before she could. She watched the door shut, then went to look for some cold water to splash on her face. The last thing she wanted was to sleep through introductions to a man she was sure held the key to her future.
     
     
    A couple of hours later, she was yawning at herself in the bedroom’s full-length mirror and wondering if she might have gone a little too far on the discreet scale. She could see the extra touches to her dress—the drape of her skirts, the shape of the bodice, the points of her sleeves—but she wasn’t sure anyone else would. Subtle might not be what got her more than one date with Stephen de Piaget’s deep pockets. Unfortunately, it was all she had at the moment, so she would just have to go with it and hope her scintillating personality made up the difference.
    She made sure her backup stick was in her pocket, then adjusted her fairy wings and turned toward the door. No time like the present to get on with her future.
    She opened the door and jumped a bit in spite of herself. A man was standing against the far wall under the light of a torch. He straightened immediately and made her a little bow.
    “Miss Alexander? I’m Stephen de Piaget.”
    Yes,