In Brist's Time - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Brist, Regan, and Raven somehow managed to get all the way back to Nicholas’ room without being seen. Brist helped the twins back into their dresses, but decided that she didn’t want to change back into the much hotter dress she had been wearing.

Nicholas – who was looking for them – had decided to look in the twins’ room once more in case they had returned there since the last time he had looked. Passing by his room, he heard them giggle. What are they doing in my room?

“Where the hell have you three been?” He asked, rather more harshly than he had intended. Nicholas noticed how scantily clad Brist was, and then he noticed that his sisters were also half-dressed. It appeared that they had been changing when he interrupted them. Abruptly, he shut and locked the door in order to preserve their modesty.

“Watch your language!” The twins exclaimed. He largely ignored them, glaring at Brist.

“Answer my question.”

“We went on a picnic. Why are you so upset?” Brist wondered in confusion.

“Why am I upset?! Any number of things could have happened to the three of you!”

“They were perfectly safe in my company,” Brist stated dismissively.

“Well, how was I to know that? For all I know, you could have kidnapped them to hold for ransom. You could be in league with the thieves. You’ve already proved yourself to be quite dangerous,” Nicholas argued.

Neither he nor Brist noticed the pounding on the door, accompanied by stern demands to open up. Nor did they notice when the twins, now dressed, opened the door.

“How dare you accuse me of consorting with thieves and kidnapping! What kind of person do you think I am?” Brist raised her hand to slap him lightly.

Nicholas, who was half expecting the move, caught her hand and twisted her arm behind her back, bringing her body into close contact with his. Despite the fact that her arm was being held behind her back, Brist enjoyed the way he held her. She stared into his crystal blue eyes.

“A violent person who has delusions about being from the future, and definitely not one to be trusted around impressionable young ladies like my sisters.” Nicholas liked the way her body felt against his. She'll make an interesting mistress for certain.

“Nicholas David Evans! Let her go this instant!” Regina demanded regally, causing Nicholas to drop his guard for an instant. Brist took full advantage of his moment of inattention by bringing her knee into his groin. Not too sharply though, for she didn’t wish to truly hurt him. Immediately, he dropped her hand and bent over slightly.

Nicholas’ reason left him, driven away by a desire to get her back for causing him pain. Without thinking, he made a move to strike her. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how he had gotten there.

“Nicholas, what is the meaning of this?” David demanded of his son. Brist answered for him.

“When I took the twins out on a picnic, I didn’t realize that we’d worry anyone, but apparently we did. We had just returned when Nicholas burst in here and accused me of kidnapping and consorting with thieves. I guess it’s not his fault though. He doesn’t know me, and we are in his room, so he did have every right to burst in here. I only hurt him because he was man-handling me, and I never allow anyone to do that without my permission,” Brist explained, trying to be diplomatic.

“Of course my dear, you have every right to defend yourself. I am so sorry! I know I raised my son to be better than this. As soon as he realized that you were not fully dressed, he should have left immediately. A lady should not have to defend her honor!” Regina was appalled by her son’s lack of manners.

Nicholas could not figure out how everyone had managed to make him out to be at fault. Carefully, he picked himself up off the ground.

“Son, I realize that you are mistrustful of our guest, but I suggest that you at least make an effort to be civil to her. Whether it's true or not, I believe her. You must remember that her ways are different, and she is struggling to adjust to our time period. She cannot be expected to act in an expected manner just yet,” David explained to his son. Nicholas shook his head in disbelief, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

Brist noticed the looks she was receiving from Nicholas’ brothers; Jonathan and Richard. David was looking at her also, but his appreciation was much less obvious. Amused by their ogling, she laughed lightly. Regina growled in outrage; how dare my sons! Have I taught them nothing?!

“I think it would be wise if we made a hasty retreat,” David advised his sons.

“Nicholas, please move Brist’s bag to a guest room. Come my dear, we shall find you something suitable to wear until we can recover our horses.” Regina led Brist to her room. Brist couldn’t help the wave of homesickness that hit her as she entered what would one-day be her parents’ room.

“Is anything wrong?” Regina asked her.

“I miss my mom... She must be worried about me! What if I never return home? I wish I knew how I got here, maybe then I’d know how to get home.” Brist fell silent, and Regina, not knowing how to help her, searched her closet for something Brist could wear. She laid out a rather plain dress that could be considered almost prudish in it’s modesty.

“Why can’t I just wear what I’m comfortable in? Besides that will never fit me.” Brist protested the very thought of wearing anything that hot and uncomfortable looking.

“You must wear a dress that is both proper and modest, because if you don’t, and if someone should see you, it would cause the most horrendous scandal, and then you could never show your face in public again. Also, you saw the looks my sons gave you. While I trust my sons to behave themselves around a young unmarried lady, there are those who might try to force themselves on you if you dress like a…” Regina sighed, tactfully declining to say the rest.

“You see my dear, men in this time are highly susceptible to temptation. They are very weak when it comes to matters of the flesh. Ever since Eve, all women are seen as sinners just waiting to be ravished, and we must strive to prove that image wrong. For men, you see, they only want one thing, and until you are properly married, you must never give in.” Regina tried her best to explain, but she sensed that Brist was not concerned with propriety, and so she stopped. Brist had listened patiently, anything to avoid putting that dress on just yet!

“Regina, I appreciate that things are different now than in the future, but I cannot suppress everything I believe in to conform to ideals that exist only to keep men dominate over women. If any man tries to do anything I don’t want, then he will quickly learn that I will not be messed with! Please let me wear what I’m comfortable in around the house. I promise I’ll wear whatever you want me to when we finally get to go shopping. Please,” Brist near begged.

“If it means that much to you, I suppose that it would not be too much to allow you to wear your own clothes for now. However, I will have one of my dresses modified to fit you so that when we go shopping you will have something proper to wear. After the dresses are finished and delivered, you will have to promise that you will wear them, even around the house. It would not do to have you running around half-naked for too long,” Regina relented.

“Thank you so much!”

*******

For the remainder of the day, everyone occupied themselves with entertaining Lucas once he had awakened. Each person took a turn keeping him company. Lucas was informed of what had happened while he had lain unconscious after being shot. How Brist had literally talked the bullet out of his arm.

At first he did not believe it, but by the time the third person had related the same story, he had no choice but to accept it as the truth. Even so, Lucas had no trouble at all believing when he was informed of the events that had taken place in Nicholas’ bedroom.

“I wonder why those two dislike each other so?” He asked of Jonathan.

“You know Nicky! He has never seen a use for a woman other than to warm his bed. He probably feels that Brist is too… Well, I’m not sure I know a word to properly describe just exactly what she is.” He tried to explain, but failed miserably. Richard had come into the room at the time of Lucas’ question, and felt he understood the situation fairly well, and so he tried to answer it also.

“Brist is unlike any woman we will ever know because she is from the future, and she has obviously been trained in things that most men know nothing of. She is strong-willed and independent, and she doesn’t take kindly to being treated the way we treat our women in this time. She obviously violently objects to it, and Nicholas is strong-willed when it comes to women. I think it’s only natural that they should get along so adversely.”

“I like Brist. I’m not sure who I feel more sorry for, Brist or Nicholas. From everything I’ve heard, Brist is going to take up residence and possibly work here, and Nicholas is going to have to find a way to live in peace with her. I fear they may kill each other!”

“Fear? Oh I’m betting on it! In fact, I’d say it’s only a matter of time,” Richard laughed.

“I wish I could bring Brist with me. I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t be tempted to kill her,” Lucas murmured.

“Well you are 26, it is about time you married,” Jonathan, 23, suggested. “In fact, if you don’t ask her, I may do so myself.”

“I’m not interested in marrying Brist. I want her as a friend, and I suspect that it’s the same for you, no matter what you think at the moment,” Lucas stated pensively.

“Why? Isn’t Brist good enough to marry?” Jonathan asked.

“Yes, she is. What I mean to say is that I don’t think you are ready to marry. You like having a woman in every port too much, and if you got married, you’d have to give that up,” Lucas answered.

“Oh… I hadn’t thought of that,” Jonathan replied, half grumbling.

“Well, if I were just a few years older and had more money of my own, I might consider marrying her. She would be worth giving up all other women,” Richard said with a grin.

“Not you too!” Lucas exclaimed.

“What? Are you jealous? After all, it is time for you to marry, and it’s obvious that she likes you. She tended to your wound herself,” Richard goaded him.

“I hate to disappoint the two of you, but I really don’t have any romantic interest in Brist,” Lucas stated.

“That’s because you didn’t see what she was wearing earlier,” Jonathan retorted impishly. Richard nodded in agreement.

“What who was wearing?” Brist asked as she walked into the room. The three men were at a loss for words for a moment at her unexpected intrusion. “Oh, I see,” Brist smirked, guessing correctly the answer to her own question. “How is this, at least I’m covering almost everything.”

“You’re wearing pants!” Lucas exclaimed in astonishment.

“Would you prefer me to take them off?” Brist asked, knowing full well that they probably would, and yet would never admit this to her.

“Off?” Was all Jonathan could manage to spit out.

“Yes, opposite of on,” Brist responded sarcastically. There was a moment of silence while the three brothers tried to think of something to say that didn’t involve Brist in a state of undress.

“Dinner’s ready,” Nicholas informed them upon his entrance to the room.

“Dinner?” Jonathan mimicked, his mind still trying to remove itself from the thoughts of Brist being naked in his bed that had formed when she mentioned taking her pants off.

“Dinner; a meal eaten at night to sustain you until breakfast,” Brist teased, laughing at Jonathan’s inability to think at the moment.

“Dinner! A splendid idea! Come Jonathan, let’s adjourn to the dining room,” Richard suggested, seizing the excuse to leave the room. Lucas laughed as Richard dragged Jonathan out of the room.

“You really shouldn’t do that around Jonathan, his mind is much too occupied with women as it is. However, that is the first time I’ve seen him speechless because of one,” Lucas informed Brist.

“Do what?” Nicholas asked suspiciously.

“I’m afraid I was making jokes at poor Jonathan’s expense. Apparently, the sight of me in pants was more than he could handle,” Brist answered. Still chuckling lightly, she left to join the rest of the family in the dining room.

“A servant will be up shortly with your dinner,” Nicholas informed Lucas.

“Did she really knock you to the ground and kick you in your-”

“Yes,” Nicholas answered gruffly before Lucas could even finish his question. Then, without another word, he left his brother to convalesce alone.

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