A Time for Love Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Winter - THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1200

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Fall - THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1202

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Winter - THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1206

  Chapter 25

  Summer - THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1206

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  If I Had You

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author Lynn Kurland

  Till There Was You

  “Proves Kurland’s mastery of time travel, and has forced this reviewer to impatiently wait and see who she will write about next.”

  —Romance Novel TV

  “One of those feel-good romances that expertly mixes past with present to prove that love endures all things and outlasts almost everything, including time itself. With an eye to detail and deliciously vivid imagery, this paranormal tale of matchmaking comes fully to life . . . Spellbinding and lovely, this is one story readers won’t want to miss.”

  —Romance Reader at Heart

  “A fantastic story that will delight both readers who are familiar with the families and those who aren’t.”

  —Romance Reviews Today, Perfect 10 Award

  “This is an amusing time-travel romance starring a terrific, fully developed hero whose good intentions present and past are devastated by love . . . Fast-paced.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “Enjoyable . . . A strong romance.”

  —All About Romance

  With Every Breath

  “As always, [Kurland] delivers a delightful read!”

  —Romantic Times (4 stars)

  “Kurland is a skilled enchantress . . . With Every Breath is breathtaking in its magnificent scope, a true invitation to the delights of romance.”

  —Night Owl Romance

  When I Fall in Love

  “Kurland infuses her polished writing with a deliciously dry wit, and her latest time-travel love story is sweetly romantic and thoroughly satisfying.”

  —Booklist

  “The continuation of a wonderful series, this story can also be read alone. It’s an extremely good book.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  Much Ado in the Moonlight

  “A pure delight.”

  —Huntress Book Reviews

  “A consummate storyteller . . . Will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, unable to put the book down until the very last word.”

  —ParaNormal Romance Reviews

  “No one melds ghosts and time travel better than the awesome Kurland.”

  —Romantic Times

  Dreams of Stardust

  “Kurland weaves another fabulous read with just the right amounts of laughter, romance, and fantasy.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  “Kurland crafts some of the most ingenious time-travel romances readers can find . . . Wonderfully clever and completely enchanting.”

  —Romantic Times

  A Garden in the Rain

  “Kurland laces her exquisitely romantic, utterly bewitching blend of contemporary romance and time travel with a delectable touch of tart wit, leaving readers savoring every word of this superbly written romance.”

  —Booklist

  “Kurland is clearly one of romance’s finest writers—she consistently delivers the kind of stories readers dream about. Don’t miss this one.”

  —The Oakland Press

  From This Moment On

  “A disarming blend of romance, suspense, and heartwarming humor, this book is romantic comedy at its best.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A deftly plotted delight, seasoned with a wonderfully wry sense of humor and graced with endearing, unforgettable characters.”

  —Booklist

  My Heart Stood Still

  “Written with poetic grace and a wickedly subtle sense of humor . . . The essence of pure romance. Sweet, poignant, and truly magical, this is a rare treat: romance with characters readers will come to care about and a love story they will cherish.”

  —Booklist

  “A totally enchanting tale, sensual and breathtaking . . . An absolute must-read.”

  —Rendezvous

  If I Had You

  “Kurland brings history to life . . . in this tender medieval romance.”

  —Booklist

  “A passionate story filled with danger, intrigue, and sparkling dialogue.”

  —Rendezvous

  The More I See You

  “The superlative Ms. Kurland once again wows her readers with her formidable talent as she weaves a tale of enchantment that blends history with spellbinding passion and impressive characterization, not to mention a magnificent plot.”

  —Rendezvous

  Another Chance to Dream

  “Kurland creates a special romance between a memorable knight and his lady.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  The Very Thought of You

  “A masterpiece . . . This fabulous tale will enchant anyone who reads it.”

  —Painted Rock Reviews

  This Is All I Ask

  “An exceptional read.”

  —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  “Both powerful and sensitive . . . A wonderfully rich and rewarding book.”

  —Susan Wiggs

  Titles by Lynn Kurland

&nb
sp; STARDUST OF YESTERDAY

  A DANCE THROUGH TIME

  THIS IS ALL I ASK

  THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU

  ANOTHER CHANCE TO DREAM

  THE MORE I SEE YOU

  IF I HAD YOU

  MY HEART STOOD STILL

  FROM THIS MOMENT ON

  A GARDEN IN THE RAIN

  DREAMS OF STARDUST

  MUCH ADO IN THE MOONLIGHT

  WHEN I FALL IN LOVE

  WITH EVERY BREATH

  TILL THERE WAS YOU

  The Novels of the Nine Kingdoms

  STAR OF THE MORNING

  THE MAGE’S DAUGHTER

  PRINCESS OF THE SWORD

  A TAPESTRY OF SPELLS

  Anthologies

  THE CHRISTMAS CAT

  (with Julie Beard, Barbara Bretton, and Jo Beverley)

  CHRISTMAS SPIRITS

  (with Casey Claybourne, Elizabeth Bevarly, and Jenny Lykins)

  VEILS OF TIME

  (with Maggie Shayne, Angie Ray, and Ingrid Weaver)

  OPPOSITES ATTRACT

  (with Elizabeth Bevarly, Emily Carmichael, and Elda Minger)

  LOVE CAME JUST IN TIME

  A KNIGHT’S VOW

  (with Patricia Potter, Deborah Simmons, and Glynnis Campbell)

  TAPESTRY

  (with Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Karen Marie Moning)

  TO WEAVE A WEB OF MAGIC

  (with Patricia A. McKillip, Sharon Shinn, and Claire Delacroix)

  THE QUEEN IN WINTER

  (with Sharon Shinn, Claire Delacroix, and Sarah Monette)

  A TIME FOR LOVE

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Copyright © 2010 by Lynn Curland.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  BERKLEY® SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / September 2010

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Kurland, Lynn.

  A time for love / Lynn Kurland.—Berkley Sensation trade pbk. ed. p. cm.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-44275-3

  I. Title.

  PS3561.U645T

  813’.54—dc22

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  Another Chance to Dream

  To Lynn Rowley, dearest of friends,

  whose opinion of my work given

  via a gas station pay phone truly

  changed the course of my life

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  No author is an island, as it were, and that was never truer than with the writing of this book. The author most gratefully acknowledges aid from the following exceptional individuals:

  Elane Osborn, for such fabulous title inspiration;

  Dr. Kirk Lorimer, who never fails to enthusiastically ponder the gruesome possibilities of medieval wounds and their complications;

  Gail Fortune, editor extraordinaire, for consistently giving the author the freedom to follow her heart;

  and Matthew, who gave up vacations and other precious free time to be the author’s hands while those hands were tending to the needs of a little one.

  Winter

  THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1200

  1

  Ayre, England

  She was going to die.

  It was a pity, though, to die so soon, seeing that so much of her life remained before her and that ’twas only now she’d had her first taste of true freedom. But there was no denying the direness of her current plight. Who would have thought it took such skill to ride a horse? Perhaps she should have spent more time in the stables learning of horses and less time loitering in her mother’s solar working heroic designs on fine linen. That she could scarce tell one end of a horse from the other should have told her that she knew too little about them to handle one with any skill.

  Too late now for regrets. All she could do at present was cling to the saddle with one hand and the horse’s mane with the other and watch as both the surrounding countryside and the more noteworthy events of her life rushed past her with dizzying speed. Her sins, too, seemed determined to present themselves to her with all haste—likely before the horse either ran her into a tree or managed to scrape her from his back and leave her in a broken heap on the wild grass.

  Stealing. Aye, there was that grievous folly for which she would unfortunately have no time to make a penance. At the time, though, thievery had seemed her only choice. She’d needed a sword to aid her in her new choice of vocation and ’twas a certainty no one would have given her one had she asked for it. It had taken her a pair of days to study the inhabitants of her fiancé’s keep intently enough to decide on a likely victim. Fortunately the hall was in enough disrepair and the knights drunken enough for the most part that filching a sword had been an easy task. She half suspected her prey had laid it beside him in the marshy rushes on the great hall floor and then thought he had lost it in the filth. Obviously the like had happened to others, for the lout had only cursed heartily, received condolences from his fellows, and then gotten on with his business.

  As far as repenting went, perhaps she also should have done so for the bodily damage she’d done to a pair of knights and a serving wench as she’d struggled to get herself and her newly acquired sword to the stables without being marked as who she truly was. One wouldn’t have thought merely walking about with a blade strapped to one’s hip would have been so hazardous to others nearby.

  Lying. She squirmed in discomfort, but what else could she have done? ’Twas perfectly reasonable to have won booty while dicing—never mind that she’d never thrown a die in her life. And if she were going to win some beast while gambling, why not Alain of Ayre’s finest stallion? The stableboy had swallowed her tale readily enough and seemingly been impressed with her wagering skills.

  Besides, lying and stealing were perfectly acceptable traits in a mercenary. Indeed, she suspected such talents were more than desirable; they were necessary. Perhaps they would make up for her lack of ability with a sword.

  And, of course, with a horse. Her teeth snapped together as she bumped along furiously on the back of her racing steed. A pity the reins were naught but a fond memory as they dangled well out of her reach. They likely would have aided her in con
trolling the beast.

  Her third sin fought mightily for her attention, but she ignored it. Yet the harder the horse’s hooves pounded against the earth, the more the very sound of the word seemed to echo in her head: covetousness. She coveted a man and that surely was something to repent of. Never mind that his very reputation should have sent any sensible maid fleeing for cover. ’Twas said he wanted nothing to do with wedded bliss, though she believed otherwise. But it had been a handful of years since she’d seen him last, so ’twas possible things had changed. She had cause to wonder. He should have returned from France long ago.

  But the man hadn’t, so she was left with speculation about not only the state of his feelings for her, but the truth of the tales circulating about him. She had decided to take matters into her own hands and seek him out. And if the rumors were true that he no longer wanted a wife, perhaps he wouldn’t be opposed to having another sword to guard his back. And if it took her even as long as a pair of months to hone her skills so she could offer them to him, then so be it. She would have Sir Rhys de Piaget, whether he willed it or not.

  His battle prowess was a desirable thing. His foul temper could be ignored. His singlemindedness could eventually be turned from swordplay to her. Convincing him to wed her might entail tidying her person up a bit and unlearning the warrior’s skills she currently sought to acquire, but she felt certain she would manage it. No matter the perils of pursuing him, no matter the rigors of living as a mercenary while her swordplay improved, it would be worth the effort if he were the prize.

  It certainly was preferable to the hellish future she’d left leagues behind her at Ayre.

  She stiffened in fear as a low fence of rocks appeared suddenly before her. Her mount, however, seemed to find it much to his liking if the equine glee with which he sailed over it was any indication. Gwen was reunited with the saddle, accompanied by a mighty clacking of her teeth. She realized immediately that dwelling on her destination was a dangerous activity, given that all her attentions should have been focused on her mount.