Knight in Shining Armor

by Jude Deveraux

Genres: Romance; Contemporary Romance; Historical Romance

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Jude Deveraux will capture your heart with signature classic novel, a time travel romance featuring a present-day heroine and a dashing hero from the sixteenth century! Abandoned by a cruel fate, lovely Dougless Montgomery lies weeping upon a cold tombstone in an English church. Suddenly, the most extraordinary man appears. It is Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck…and according to his tombstone he died in 1564. Drawn to his side by a bond so sudden and compelling it overshadows reason, Dougless knows that Nicholas is nothing less than a miracle: a man who does not seek to change her, who finds her perfect, fascinating, just as she is. What Dougless never imagined was how strong the chains are that tie them to the past…or the grand adventure that lay before them. Hailed worldwide as one of the most romantic novels of all time, A Knight in Shining Armor is “a glorious love story that spans centuries, worlds, and souls. It is the epitome of every woman’s fantasy” ( Daily Herald, Chicago).

Release date: April 24, 2002

Publisher: Pocket Books

Print pages: 400

Sample

Chapter One: England

1988

Dougless Montgomery sat in the backseat of the rental car, Robert and his pudgy thirteen-year-old daughter, Gloria, in the front. As usual, Gloria was eating. Dougless shifted her slim legs to try to make herself more comfortable around Gloria's luggage. There were six large pieces of matched leather luggage to hold Gloria's belongings, and since they wouldn't fit in the trunk of the little car, they were piled in the back with Dougless. There was a makeup case under her feet and a big wardrobe on the seat beside her. Every time she moved, she scraped against a buckle, a welt, or a handle. Right now, she had an itch under her left knee, but she couldn't reach it.

"Daddy," Gloria whined, sounding like an invalid four-year-old, "she's scratching the pretty suitcases you bought me."

Dougless clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and counted to ten. She. Gloria never said Dougless's name, but just called her She.

Robert glanced over his shoulder at Dougless. "Dougless, could you please be a bit more careful? That luggage is quite expensive."

"I am aware of that," Dougless said, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "It's just that I'm having a difficult time sitting back here. There isn't much room."

Robert gave a great sigh of weariness. "Dougless, do you have to complain about everything? Can't you even allow a vacation to be pleasant? All I asked was that you make an effort."

Dougless opened her mouth to reply but closed it. She didn't want to start another argument. Besides, she knew that it would do no good. So, instead of replying, she swallowed her anger -- then rubbed her stomach. It was hurting again. She wanted to ask Robert to stop to get something to drink so she could take one of the tranquilizers the doctor had prescribed for her nervous stomach. "Keep this up and you'll give yourself an ulcer," the doctor had warned her. But Dougless wouldn't give Gloria the satisfaction of knowing that she'd yet again managed to upset Dougless and to, yet again, drive a wedge between Dougless and Robert.

But when Dougless glanced up, she saw Gloria smirking at her in the makeup mirror on the sun visor. With determination, Dougless looked away and tried to concentrate on the beauty of the English countryside.

Outside the car window she saw green fields, old stone fences, cows and more cows, picturesque little houses, magnificent mansions, and...and Gloria, she thought. Dougless seemed to see Gloria everywhere. Robert kept saying, "She's just a child and her daddy has left her. It's only natural that she's going to have some hostility toward you. But please try to show some sympathy for her, will you? She's really a sweet kid when you get to know her."

A sweet kid, Dougless thought as she looked out the window. At thirteen, Gloria wore more makeup than Dougless did at twenty-six -- and Gloria spent hours in the hotel bathroom applying it. Gloria sat in the front of the car. "She's just a kid and it's her first trip to England," Robert said. "And you've been to England before, so why not be generous?" That Dougless was supposed to read the road map when she could hardly see around Gloria's head didn't seem to count for much.

Dougless tried to concentrate on the scenery. Robert said Dougless was jealous of his daughter. He said that she didn't want to share him with anyone else, but that if she'd just relax, they'd be a very happy threesome. "We could be a second family for a little girl who has lost so much," he said.

Dougless had tried to like Gloria. She'd tried hard to be an adult and ignore, and even understand, Gloria's hostility, but it was more than Dougless could do. In the year she and Robert had been living together, Dougless had made every possible effort to find that "sweet kid" that Robert had told her of. Several times, she'd taken Gloria shopping and spent more money on Gloria than Dougless's small elementary school teacher's salary allowed her to spend on herself. Several Saturday nights Dougless had stayed at the house she shared with Robert, babysitting Gloria while he went to professional functions, usually cocktail parties or dinners. When Dougless had said she'd like to attend with him, Robert had said, "But time alone is what you two need. You need to get to know each other. And, remember, babe, I'm a package deal. Love me, love my kid."

Sometimes Dougless had started to believe that it was beginning to work because she and Gloria were cordial, even friendly, to each other when they were alone. But the minute Robert appeared, Gloria changed into a whining, lying brat. She sat on Robert's lap, all five foot two inches, one hundred and forty pounds of her, and wailed that She had been "awfully mean" to her.

At first Dougless had laughed at what Gloria was saying. How absurd to think she would ever harm a child! Anyone could see that the girl was just trying to get her father's attention.

But to Dougless's utter disbelief, Robert believed every word his daughter said. He didn't accuse Dougless. No, instead, he just asked her to be a "little kinder" to "the poor kid." Immediately, Dougless's defenses had gone up. "Is that supposed to mean you don't think I'm a kind person? You do think I would mistreat a child?"

"I'm just asking you to be the adult and have a little patience and understanding, that's all."

When Dougless asked what he meant by that, Robert had thrown up his hands and said that he couldn't talk to her, then he'd walked out of the room. Dougless had taken two of her stomach tranquilizers.

After the arguments, Dougless had wavered between guilt and rage. She had a classroom of children who adored her, yet Gloria seemed to hate her. Was Dougless jealous? Was she somehow unconsciously letting this child know she didn't want to share Robert with his own daughter? Every time Dougless thought of her possible jealousy she vowed to try harder to make Gloria like her, which usually meant she bought Gloria another expensive gift. And she'd again agree to babysit on the weekends when Gloria stayed with them. While Gloria's mother had a life, Dougless thought with bitterness.

At other times, all Dougless felt was rage. Couldn't Robert just once -- one time -- take Dougless's side? Couldn't he tell Gloria that Dougless's comfort was more important than the blasted suitcases? Or maybe he could tell Gloria that Dougless had a name and wasn't always to be referred to as she or her? But every time Dougless said something like that to Robert, she ended up apologizing. Robert said, "My God, Dougless, you're the adult. And I only see her on alternate weekends, so of course I'm going to favor her over you. You and I are together every day, so why can't you stand to play second fiddle now and then?"

His words sounded right, but at the same time, Dougless fantasized about Robert telling his daughter to "be more respectful" toward the "woman I love."

But that didn't happen, so Dougless kept her mouth shut and enjoyed the time she and Robert had when Gloria wasn't around. When Gloria wasn't with them, she and Robert were perfectly suited, and she knew, through age old intuition, that very soon she was going to receive what she wanted so much: a marriage proposal.

Truthfully, marriage was what Dougless wanted most in life. She'd never been burning with ambition the way her older sisters were. Dougless just wanted a nice home and a husband, and a few children. Maybe someday, after the kids were in school, she'd write children's books, something about talking animals, but she had no desire to fight her way up a corporate ladder.

Already, she'd invested eighteen months of her life in Robert, and he was perfect husband material. He was tall, handsome, well-dressed, and an excellent orthopedic surgeon. He always hung up his clothes, and he helped with the housework; he didn't chase after women, and he always came home when he said he would. He was reliable, dependable, faithful -- but, most important, he needed her so very much.

Not long after they met, Robert had told Dougless his life story. As a child, he hadn't been loved very much, and he told Dougless that her sweet, generous heart was what he'd been looking for all his life. His first wife, whom he'd divorced over four years ago, was a cold fish, a woman who Robert said was incapable of love. Just three months after he met Dougless, he told her he wanted a "permanent relationship" with her -- which she took to mean marriage -- but first he wanted to know how they "related" to each other. After all, he'd been hurt so badly the first time. In other words, he wanted them to live together.

What he said made sense to her, and since Dougless had had a number of "unfortunate" previous relationships with men, she happily moved into Robert's big, beautiful, expensive house, then set about doing everything she could to prove to Robert that she was as warm and generous and loving as his mother and wife had been cold.

With the exception of dealing with Gloria, living with Robert had been great. He was an energetic man and they often went dancing, hiking, bicycle riding. They entertained a great deal and often went to parties. She'd never lived with a man before, but she had easily settled into a domestic routine, feeling as though it was what she was made for.

They had problems other than Gloria, of course, but Robert was so much better than any of the other men Dougless had dated that she forgave him his little quirks -- most of which revolved around money. True, it was annoying that when they went to the grocery together he nearly always "forgot" his checkbook. And at the ticket window of theaters and when the check was presented in restaurants, half the time Robert found he'd left his wallet at home. If Dougless complained, he'd talk to her about the new age of liberated women and how most women were fighting to pay half the expenses. Then he'd kiss her sweetly and take her somewhere expensive for dinner -- and he'd pay. And Dougless forgave him.

Dougless knew she could stand the small problems -- everyone had idiosyncracies -- but it was Gloria that sent her screaming. When Gloria was with them, their life turned into a battleground. According to Robert, his daughter was perfection on earth, and because Dougless didn't see her that way, Robert began to see Dougless as the enemy. When the three of them were together, it was Robert and Gloria on one team and Dougless on the other.

Now, on this holiday in England, in the front seat Gloria offered her father a piece of candy from the box on her lap. Neither of them seemed to think of offering any to Dougless.

Still looking out the window, Dougless gritted her teeth. Perhaps it was the combination of Gloria and money that was making her so angry, because, with this trip, Robert's little "money quirk" as Dougless had always thought of it, had turned into something more.

When Dougless had first met Robert, they had talked for hours about their dreams and they'd talked many times of taking a trip to England. As a child, she had often traveled to England with her family, but she hadn't been back in years. When she and Robert had moved in together, in September of last year, Robert had said, "Let's go to England one year from today. By then we'll know." He hadn't elaborated on what they would "know," but Dougless was sure that he meant that, in a year, they'd know whether or not they were compatible for marriage.

For a whole year, Dougless had worked on planning the trip, which she'd come to think of as their honeymoon. A "pre-honeymoon," she called it in her mind. "The decision maker," she said to herself, then smiled. She made reservations at the most romantic, most exclusive country house hotels England had to offer. When she had asked Robert's opinion of a hotel, he'd winked at her and said, "Spare no expense for this trip." She had ordered brochures, bought travel books, read and researched until she knew the names of half the villages in England. Robert's only stipulation had been that he wanted an educational trip as well as fun, so she'd compiled a list of many things to do that were close to their lovely hotels -- which was easy to do, since Great Britain is like a Disneyland for history lovers.

Then, three months before they were to leave, Robert said that he had a surprise for her on this trip, a very, very special surprise that was going to fill her with joy. His words had made Dougless work even harder on the plans, and she found their little game of secrecy exciting. As Dougless planned, she thought, Will he propose here? Or maybe here. This place would be nice.

Three weeks before they left, she was balancing Robert's household-accounts checkbook when she saw a canceled check for five thousand dollars made out to a jewelry store.

As she held the check, tears of happiness came to her eyes. "An engagement ring," she'd whispered. That Robert had spent so much was proof that even though he was a tad stingy on small things, when something really counted, he was generous.

For the next few weeks Dougless had walked on clouds. She cooked wonderful meals for Robert and had been especially energetic in the bedroom, doing everything she could think of to please him.

Two days before they were to leave, Robert punctured her bubble a bit -- not enough to burst it, but it had certainly been deflated. He had asked to see the bills for the trip, plane tickets, advance reservations, whatever she had. He had then added the amounts and handed her the calculator tape.

"This is your half of the cost," he'd said.

"Mine?" she'd asked stupidly, not understanding what he was saying.

"I know how important it is to you women today to pay your own way, so I don't want to be accused of being a male chauvinist pig," he'd said with a smile. "You don't want to be a burden to a man, do you? You don't want to add to all my responsibilities at the hospital and to my ex-wife, do you?"

"No, no, of course not," Dougless had mumbled, feeling confused, as she often did when confronted with Robert's reasoning. "It's just that I don't have any money."

"Dougless, baby, please tell me that you don't spend everything you make. Maybe you should take a course in accounting." He lowered his voice. "But then your family has money, doesn't it?"ar

That was one of the times Dougless's stomach had begun to hurt, and she remembered the doctor's warning about giving herself an ulcer. She had explained to Robert about her family a hundred times. Yes, her family had money -- lots of it -- but her father believed his daughters should know how to support themselves, so Dougless was on her own until she was thirty-five, then she'd inherit. She knew that if there was an emergency, her father would help her, but a pleasure trip to England hardly counted as an emergency.

"Come on, Dougless," Robert had said with a smile when Dougless didn't reply to his question. "I keep hearing what a paragon of love and support that family of yours is, so why can't they help you now?" Before she could speak, Robert raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Ah, baby, please try to get the money. I so much want us to go on this trip because I have such a very, very special surprise for you."

Part of Dougless had wanted to shout that he wasn't being fair. He should have made it clear that she was going to be required to pay for half of the trip before she'd made reservations at such expensive hotels. But another part of her asked why she'd expected him to pay for her share. They weren't married. They were, as Robert often called them, "partners." "Sounds like John Wayne and a sidekick," Dougless had muttered the first time he'd said that, but Robert had just laughed.

In the end Dougless couldn't bear to ask her father for money. It would be like admitting defeat to him. Instead, she'd called a cousin in Colorado and asked him for a loan. The money had been given to her freely, no interest, but she'd had to endure her cousin's lecture. "He's a surgeon, you're an underpaid teacher, you've been living together for a year, but he expects you to pay for half of an expensive trip?" her cousin had said. Dougless had wanted to explain about Robert's mother, who had used money to punish her son, and about his cold ex-wife, who had spent everything Robert earned. Dougless had wanted to explain that money was just a small part of their lives and that she was pretty sure that Robert was going to propose marriage on this trip.

But Dougless said none of that. "Just send the money, will you?" she'd snapped.

But her cousin's words had upset her, so, during the few days remaining before they left, Dougless gave herself several little lectures. It was only fair that she pay her own way, wasn't it? And Robert was right: it was the day of the liberated woman. Her father, by not dropping millions in her lap before she could handle them, was teaching her to take care of herself and, now, so was Robert. And, most of all, she told herself that she had been an idiot for not realizing beforehand that she was supposed to pay her own way.

After Dougless had contributed her half to the bills, for the most part, she recovered her good humor, and by the time she'd packed their suitcases, she was again looking forward to the trip. Happily, she filled her tote bag with necessary toiletries, travel books, and as many gadgets as she could cram into it.

In the taxi on the way to the airport, Robert had been especially nice to her. He'd nuzzled her neck until she'd pushed him away in embarrassment when she saw the taxi driver watching.

"Have you guessed the surprise yet?" he asked.

"You won the lottery," Dougless answered, still playing the game and pretending ignorance.

"Better than that."

"Let's see...You've bought a castle and we'll live in it forever as lord and lady."

"Much better than that," Robert said seriously. "Do you have any idea what the upkeep on one of those places is? I'll bet you can't guess anything as good as this surprise."

Dougless had looked at him with love. She knew just what her wedding dress would look like, and she imagined all her relatives smiling at her in approval. Would their children have Robert's blue eyes or her green? His brown hair or her auburn? "I have no idea what the surprise is," she said, lying.

Leaning back against the seat, Robert smiled. "You'll soon find out," he'd said enigmatically.

At the airport Dougless dealt with checking the luggage while Robert kept looking about the terminal as though he were searching for something. As Dougless tipped the porter, Robert threw up his hand to wave to someone. At first Dougless was too busy to realize what was happening.

She looked up at the cry, "Daddy!" and saw Gloria running across the terminal, a porter trailing behind her pushing a hand truck loaded with six new suitcases.

What a coincidence, Dougless thought as she checked the tags the baggage handler gave her. Imagine meeting Gloria at the airport. Distractedly, Dougless watched as Gloria flung herself on her father. Moments later they broke apart, Robert keeping his arm tightly around his precious daughter's plump shoulders.

Once Dougless had finished with the bags, she gave her attention to Robert's daughter, and it was difficult to keep the frown off her face. Gloria was wearing a fringed jacket and cowboy boots, and a too-short leather skirt. She looked like an overweight stripper from the sixties.

Where was her mother and how could she allow the child to dress like that? Dougless thought as she glanced about the airport for Robert's ex-wife.

"Hello, Gloria," Dougless said. "Are you and your mother going somewhere too?"

Gloria and her father nearly collapsed with laughter at Dougless's words. "You haven't told her," Gloria squealed.

It took Robert a moment to sober himself. "This is the surprise," he said, pushing Gloria forward as though she were some huge trophy Dougless had just won. "Isn't this the most wonderful surprise you could imagine?"

Dougless still didn't understand -- or maybe she was too horrified to want to understand. All she could do was stand there and stare at the two of them, speechless.

Robert put his other arm around Dougless and drew her close to him. "Both of my girls are going with me," he said with pride.

"Both?" Dougless whispered, her throat closing down on her.

"Yes," Robert said, his voice joyous. "Gloria is the surprise I've been hinting at for weeks. She's going with us to England. I knew you'd never guess! You didn't, did you?"

No, Dougless had not come close to guessing. And now that she was finally understanding that the beautiful, romantic trip she'd dreamed of wasn't going to happen, she wanted to scream, to yell, and to refuse to go. But she did none of those things. "All the hotel rooms are just for two people," she'd managed to say at last.

"So we'll have a rollaway bed brought in," Robert said in dismissal. "I'm sure we'll manage, because we have love going for us and that's all we need." He dropped his arm from Dougless's shoulder. "Now for business. Dougless, you won't mind getting Gloria's luggage checked in while I catch up with lambykins, will you?"

Dougless could only shake her head. Numbly she went off to the ticket counter, the porter and the suitcases following her. She had to pay two hundred and eighty dollars in overcharge for Gloria's four extra bags, and she had to tip the porter.

They didn't have much time to spare before the plane took off, and Robert and his daughter were absorbed in each other so, thankfully, Dougless wasn't asked to speak. If she had been asked anything, she wasn't sure she could have answered. With each passing minute, she saw one dream after another disappear. Champagne dinners gave way to fast food eaten in the car. Afternoons spent lazily strolling on wooded paths turned into visions of arguments about "finding something Gloria can enjoy, too" -- a request that Dougless had already heard too many times.

And then there was the privacy issue. The three of them would share one room. When could she and Robert be alone?

It was when they boarded the plane that Dougless saw that Robert had put quite a bit of work into Gloria's trip. Her boarding pass said she was in the same row as they were, in the aisle seat.

But Robert set Gloria between them, so Dougless ended up on the aisle, which she hated because no matter where she put her arms or her legs, she was always told by the flight attendant that she was blocking the passage of the cart.

It was during the long flight that Robert, smiling, had handed Dougless Gloria's ticket. "Add this to our list of expenses, will you? And I'll need a penny by penny -- or should I say shilling by shilling," he added, winking at Gloria, "accounting of all the money spent. My accountant thinks I can deduct this whole trip."

"But it's a pleasure trip, not business."

Robert frowned. "Dougless, please don't start on me already. Would you please just keep track of the money we spend so that when we get home, you and I can split the expenses in half?"

Dougless looked at Gloria's ticket she was holding. "You mean in thirds, don't you? Me one third, two thirds for you and Gloria."

Robert gave her a look of horror as he put his arm around Gloria protectively, as though Dougless had tried to hit the kid. "I meant in half. Gloria is for you to enjoy too. Money spent is nothing compared to the joy you'll receive from her company."

Dougless turned away. She wasn't going to get into an argument now; they'd discuss this further later -- when they were in private and Gloria wasn't watching them with interest.

For the rest of the long flight, she read while Gloria and Robert played cards and ignored her. Twice Dougless took a tranquilizer to keep her stomach from eating itself.

Now, in the car, Dougless rubbed her aching stomach. In the four days they'd been in England she'd tried to enjoy herself. She'd tried not to complain when the first night in their beautiful hotel room, Gloria had moaned so much about the trundle bed the hotel had put in the room -- after the owner had crossly lectured Dougless about not having expected Gloria -- that Robert had asked Gloria to get into their four poster with them. After nearly being pushed out of bed twice, Dougless had ended up sleeping on the trundle bed. Nor had Dougless complained when Gloria ordered three entrees at the expensive restaurant. "I just want my baby to have a taste of everything," Robert said. "And, Dougless, please stop being so stingy. I don't know what's come over you. I always thought you were a generous person," Robert said, then handed Dougless the enormous bill that Dougless was to pay half of.

Dougless managed to keep her mouth shut by constantly reminding herself that she was the adult and Gloria was just a child. And Dougless consoled herself with the knowledge that somewhere in Robert's baggage was a five-thousand-dollar engagement ring. The thought of that ring made her remember that he did love her. And she reminded herself that all the things he did for Gloria were done out of love, too.

But after last night, Dougless was finding it impossible to keep up her appearance of good humor. Last night at yet another hundred-and-fifty-dollar dinner, Robert had presented Gloria with a long blue velvet box. As Dougless watched Gloria open the box, she had a sinking feeling.

Gloria's eyes lit up when she saw what was inside. "But it's not my birthday, Daddy," she'd whispered.

"I know, Muffin," Robert said softly. "It's just to say, 'I love you.'"

Slowly, Gloria withdrew from the box a wide bracelet made of twisted wires of gold and silver, from which dripped diamonds and emeralds.

Dougless couldn't prevent the gasp that escaped her, for she knew that her engagement ring was being fastened about Gloria's chubby wrist.

Gloria held her arm up triumphantly. "See?"

"Yes, I see," Dougless said coolly.

After dinner, in the hall outside their room, Robert had been furious with her. "You didn't show much enthusiasm about the bracelet I gave my daughter. Gloria was trying to show it to you. She was trying to make overtures of friendship to you, but you snubbed her. You've hurt her deeply."

"Is that what you paid five thousand dollars for? A diamond bracelet for a child?"

"Gloria happens to be a young woman, a very beautiful young woman, and she deserves beautiful things. And besides, it's my money. It's not as though you and I were married and you had any legal rights to my money."

It was the first time they'd been alone in days, and Dougless wanted to keep her pride, wanted to tell herself that it didn't matter that Robert bought his young daughter diamonds but gave the woman he lived with half his bills. But Dougless had never been able to conceal her true feelings. With her eyes filling with unshed tears, Dougless put her hands on his arms. "Are we going to get married?" she whispered. "Is it ever going to happen?"

Angrily, he jerked away from her touch. "Not if you don't start showing a little love and generosity to both my daughter and me." He gave her a cold look. "You know, I thought you were different, but now I'm beginning to think that you're as cold as my ex-wife. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to go comfort my daughter. She's probably crying her little eyes out after the way you treated her." After one last glare at Dougless, he turned and went into their room.

Dougless slumped against the wall. "Emerald earrings should dry her tears," she whispered to no one.

So now, in the car, she sat with her body twisted around Gloria's suitcases and knew that no marriage proposal, and certainly no engagement ring, was going to be given to her. Instead she knew that she was going to spend the month-long trip acting as a secretary and navigator for Robert, and being taunted by his daughter. At the moment Dougless wasn't sure what she was going to do, but the thought of taking the first plane home appealed to her.

Even as she thought of leaving, she looked at the back of Robert's head and her heart lurched. If she got on a plane in a rage, she knew she'd have to return to the U.S. and move out of Robert's house. She'd have to find an apartment; then she'd -- What? Start dating again? As a schoolteacher, she didn't meet too many men. She could go to her family and -- Admit that she'd had yet another relationship fail?

"Dougless," Robert said. "I think maybe we're lost. Where is this church? I thought you were going to watch the road maps. I can't drive and navigate." There was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there yesterday and Dougless knew he was still angry about her reaction to the bracelet.

Quickly, Dougless fumbled with the map, then looked around Gloria's head to try to see the road signs. "Here!" she said. "Take a right."

Robert turned down one of the narrow English lanes, bushes on either side nearly covering the road, and drove toward the remote village of Ashburton, a place that looked as though it hadn't changed in hundreds of years.

"There's a thirteenth-century church here containing the tomb of an Elizabethan earl." Dougless checked h