In spite of everything, Kathryn found herself liking Christina. And that made her feel doubly guilty about what she and Marc had done last night.
“What was the book called?”
“Christina’s Tapestry. It’s actually quite a beautiful book. I cried near the end when I thought you were leaving.”
“Imagine that.” Shaking her head, Christina pinned Kathryn with her pale blue eyes. “What year do you come from? You said you thought we were from much different times.”
“If the book is correct, and it seems to be accurate so far, then we’re a little over one hundred years apart. It was 2133 when we left. September to be accurate.” Christina’s mouth was wide open and she closed it abruptly. “I don’t know why I’m so shocked. I mean the tapestry came into my life and brought me here. Why shouldn’t it go to other times? It’s just so…” She waved her hand around as if searching for the right word.
“Weird,” Kathryn offered.
Christina laughed. “Exactly.” She sobered, straightening the skirt on her long, fitted dress. “So you know that the tapestry will be back tomorrow night. You’ll have to decide if you’re staying or going.”
“I’m going.”
Christina’s eyes widened. “I thought that after last night…” she glanced at the tangle of bedclothes behind her.
Kathryn felt embarrassed to the tips of her toes. So Christina did know what had happened last night. “That was an aberration. I mean, I know that Marc is technically yours, even though he isn’t your husband.” God, she hadn’t even thought about that last night and the guilt was overwhelming her. As far as she was concerned, Marc was a free agent but that wasn’t quite how things worked here.
“No, Marc is not mine. Not anymore. I’m not sure he ever was,” she sighed. “He hasn’t been with me in over a year. He’s pulled away from us because he knows that I love Jarek.” Christina rose and began to pace. “I tried to embrace the customs of this world but it felt strange. I mean, I love Marc but not in the way I love Jarek.” Kathryn nodded, not quite knowing what to say.
Sadness emanated from Christina as she continued her restless pacing. “There is no need for you to feel bad about what happened between you and Marc. Our relationship is complicated, but it’s not sexual. Not anymore. Marc is a good friend, a brother-in-law.”
The other woman seemed so distressed that Kathryn reached out to her. “I understand. You can’t just throw off your own background and upbringing.” She wanted to do something to help but didn’t quite know what to do. She’d never had a female friend before. “Would you like some chocolate?” she offered. “I’ve got a half a bar and its kinda squashed but you can have it.” Now how lame was that.
“Chocolate.” The tone of Christina’s voice bordered on reverence as she sidled up alongside Kathryn. “You have chocolate?”
“Ah, yes.” Going over to her bag, she dug around inside but couldn’t find it.
Upending it once again, she dumped everything on the bed. The bar tumbled out along with everything else. A small leather-bound book fell out. Kathryn frowned. That hadn’t been there a few minutes ago. Picking it up, she gasped as she realized it was the journal she’d found in the attic. She glanced at Christina but the other woman was staring raptly at the candy bar.
“Help yourself.” Kathryn casually tucked the book under her purse, not quite sure why she felt the need to hide it but she did.
“I haven’t had chocolate in years.” Peeling back the wrapper, Christina sank down on the edge of the trunk took a delicate bite and moaned. “Oh God, this is so good.
Thank you.”
Kathryn laughed. Seemed that some things didn’t change over time. “You’re welcome.” As she dug through the clothing and found a tunic that looked as if it would fit, she dropped the robe and tugged it on. “How is Tienan?” She berated herself for not asking Christina immediately.
The other woman paused and swallowed, her eyes closed in obvious enjoyment.
“He’s fine. Better than fine actually. Mara is amazed by how well he’s doing. He had a slight fever last night and she gave him a few of the aspirin you left.” Christina nibbled off another corner of the bar and moaned. Laughing self-consciously, she glanced away.
“You must think I’m nuts.”
“Hey, if I hadn’t had chocolate in…” She stopped. “How many years have you been here?”
“Six,” Christina managed between bites.
Kathryn shook her head in amazement. “If I hadn’t had chocolate in that long, I’d probably be doing the same thing.”
“The only thing that came with me when the tapestry brought me was the nightgown I was wearing.”
Kathryn thought about that for a moment. “I had my purse slung around my neck and shoulder.” She shrugged. “Maybe that made the difference.” She paused as she examined the fit of the tunic. Long-sleeved, it came down to her butt and had two deep pockets. She liked it. The dark brown looked good. “Although the guns that Tienan and Logan had in their hands disappeared somewhere along the way.”
“Maybe it’s technology that doesn’t travel,” Christina surmised. “We have leather and medicine and basic tools here, so maybe that’s why your purse made it.”
“Guess we’ll never know.” Reaching under her purse, she pulled out the journal and tucked it in her pocket as Christina munched on the final square of the chocolate.
She had to find the time to read it later. She had a feeling it wouldn’t have traveled through time if it weren’t important. Not for the first time in her life, Kathryn was thankful for the fact that she could speed read and she had a photographic memory.
While Christina finished the last piece of the chocolate, Kathryn strode back into the bathing chamber long enough to grab her shoes. Socks or no socks, she had to wear something on her feet. She pulled them on, grateful that they were flat with rubber souls and laces. They were sturdy and comfortable. Perfect shoes for working in the lab all day. They’d do.
Christina was crumpling the paper when she returned and staring longingly at the wrapper. Giving it one final look, she turned to Kathryn. “If you’re ready, I can take you to them.” Standing, she wiped her hands together.
The tension was back. There was something the other woman was keeping from her. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I didn’t want to tell you this. Not right away.” She met Kathryn’s gaze squarely.
This was so not going to be good. “There is a crowd here at the moment to celebrate the birth of our latest child. A girl—Allina.”
“Congratulations.” Kathryn knew what a big deal the birth of a girl was here in Javara.
“Thank you. But there are families here. Families with unmated males.” Kathryn took a step back, then stopped. “You mean…” She broke off, not quite sure how to put it.
“They all want you. You’re a potential tapestry bride and a healer as well. That makes you doubly valuable in their eyes.”
“Of all the archaic bullshit!” She’d barely escaped from one group of maniacs. She didn’t want to fall in with another. “Can we just say that Tienan and Logan are my husbands?” They’d fall in with that if she asked them.
Christina shook her head. “Someone already asked Logan if you were married and he said that you weren’t. They all know.”
“Damn.” She’d known that this was a possibility but she’d hoped to avoid it. After all, she only had to get through another two days, less than that really, and she’d be on her way back to her own planet and time.
“There are five families who want to challenge for the right to have you.”
“To have me.” Anger filled her. It was all fine and good to read about the customs of a land, another thing altogether to experience it firsthand. “I’m not some object to be passed around. A toy that they all want.”