Forever Knight: Thornton Brothers Time Travel (A Thornton Brothers Time Travel Romance Book 2) Read Free

The church bell at the end of the square rang out, calling worshippers to the early morning service.
    “I’m so glad you brought Lulabell. I was worried she’d be towed.”
    Darla hugged her. “She’s fine, and so is the camper. I explained to the guy who owned the furniture store what happened and he said we could pick it up today.”
    Lulabell was her vintage Beetle. A mechanic whose daughter she’d befriended at a sit-in offered it to her after his darling daughter decided enough with the protests, time to make real money. She went into finance and drove a huge Mercedes. The man had lovingly restored the car, and Elizabeth had fallen in love with the quirky bug at first sight. It was a deep metallic sapphire blue with huge white daisies painted all over it. Talk about an attention getter. The interior matched. Blue with daisies covering the seats. And it coordinated perfectly with her apple-red vintage camper.
    Darla held up the keys. “You feel up to driving?”
    “I couldn’t sleep at all. It was so noisy, and something about the sensation of being behind bars…” Elizabeth shuddered. “It’s the worst feeling ever.” She held up her hands. “I know. I say every time, no more arrests. Honestly, I don’t know how people in jail survive. Without the sun on my face or the freedom to go where I want, and when I want…I think I’d curl up and die.”
    She hugged Darla tight. “Thank you again for bailing me out. And coming down here with my lawyer. I’m sure by now he’s tired of bailing me out. So you drive and I’ll relax.”
    From the police station it was a twenty-minute drive to the furniture store where the camper was parked. Darla chatted while she drove, catching Elizabeth up on life. Her dear friend was a lawyer in private practice. She had recommended Elizabeth’s present lawyer, saying he had more experience. Darla’s two older sisters shared the firm, taking on a variety of interesting cases. As they drove, something peeking out from the seat caught Elizabeth’s eye. It was a glossy magazine with a knight in shining armor on the front.
    “What’s this? Is it yours? Boy oh boy, if all medieval knights looked like this, I’d be all about giving up hot showers.”
    Darla pushed her glasses up. “It was the strangest thing, I found it under the windshield wipers on the car. I meant to throw it away, but with all the commotion, I hadn’t gotten around to it. Who leaves a Renaissance faire magazine under somebody’s windshield wiper?”
    Elizabeth flipped through the pages, stopping to read an article on swords. Ever since she was a child, she’d load up at the library, devouring books. After she’d worked her way through the children’s section, she’d read anything she could get her hands on. Turning the page, a jolt shot through her. The advertisement took up the entire page, the picture pulling her in, tempting her to read the accompanying text.
    It was the pinnacle of a princess castle straight out of a fairytale. More ornate than she had ever imagined as a child. Someone with a serious royalty complex must have designed the place. And the countryside—it was breathtaking. All the verdant green, gardens, and the surrounding landscape… Her fingers itched to pick up a paintbrush.
    She was so busy imagining herself walking through the grounds that she almost missed it. The advertisement was actually a contest. It seemed all she had to do was write an essay, and the winner would spend an entire week in an authentic English castle. Her excitement mounting, Elizabeth read on.
    “Listen to this, Darla…the winner of the contest will enjoy a week at Highworth Castle located near Sutton. The castle has been privately owned and beautifully maintained… Can you believe it? Look at this.” Elizabeth waved the magazine in front of Darla’s face.
    “Driving here, remember?” Her friend looked over. “I don’t know; it looks like a wedding cake designer threw up and a castle came out.