The House on Paladin Court

By AmyBeth Inverness

Martha, Jonah, and Grandpa Donald have lived in the old farmhouse on Paladin Court far longer than anyone can remember. Little do their neighbors know just how long they’ve lived there, or what is imprisoned in their basement.
The three paladins have taken vows of guardianship,chastity, and faith, and have held those vows for more than a thousand years. But as the centuries bring civilization closer to them, they find themselves needing to adapt in new and novel ways.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AmyBeth Inverness
• Release date: Oct 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311567826

AmyBeth Inverness

A writer by birth and a redhead by choice, AmyBeth Inverness writes Speculative Fiction and Romance from her home in Colorado Springs. She is assisted (~cough~) by her husband, two kids, one cat and a very helpful Golden Retriever.

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AmyBeth Inverness

The House on Paladin Court

Written and published by AmyBeth Inverness

Copyright 2015 AmyBeth Inverness

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The following is a work of fiction. All people, places, and events are purely products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is entirely coincidental.

License Notes Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover design by AmyBeth Inverness

Table of Contents

The House on Paladin Court

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

The Bachelor on Paladin Court

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

The Baby on Paladin Court

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

About The Author

The House on Paladin Court

Chapter One

Martha nearly dropped the dish she was drying when Donald banged through the kitchen door. He cleared his throat like a herald about to deliver a royal decree. He had a bad habit of doing that, even when the news was less-than momentous. Martha was certain he’d inspire a heart-attack in her aged chest eventually, although thus far her health seemed to be excellent, especially for a woman her age.

Her nerves, though, were a different story.

The chickens and goats aren't a good enough excuse anymore. Donald made the announcement with all the pomp and gravitas of a twentieth-century news reporter. Martha waited, dishtowel in hand, eyebrow raised, for him to explain himself. Jonah was not so patient.

Good Lord, what did we fail to worm our way out of this time? Jonah asked, lowering his newspaper just enough to make eye contact with the older man. We’ve always been able to say ‘I wish I could, but I have to stay close to home to feed the chickens.’ And it’s not just the fowl; it’s the goats, and the dogs, and I swear I’ve seen a cat coming around although I’m not the one feeding it. We have responsibilities. Who wouldn’t take that excuse?

Martha swatted her husband with a dish towel. Language, Jonah. You should know better. He’d been getting worse over the past few years. She’d even heard him curse once. Martha had already been on facebook that morning, and she suspected she knew what Donald was going to say, but she waited politely for him to deliver the news.

Donald walked over to the coffeemaker and poured out the last dregs into his favorite mug. A wedding. Little Jenny landed herself a man. And instead of doing the proper thing and coming back here, where she grew up, to have the ceremony, they’re doing it out in California where she went to college.

Martha shook her head. People don’t say ‘landed a man’ anymore, Donald, Martha chastised. Jenny is a perfectly sweet and mature young lady who has been dating the same young man all through graduate school. Saying she ‘landed a man’ implies that getting married was her singular goal.

I can’t keep it straight, said Jonah, not bothering to move the newspaper at all. I say we should disappear altogether. Life in the suburbs is too complicated these days.

I’d hardly call this the suburbs, Martha said, looking out the window toward their nearest neighbors, somewhere on the other side of a small copse of trees. And move the furnace? Really? Martha thought about how they’d fixed up the house since the last time it was rebuilt. Except for the fact that she never did get a cute little Victorian style turret, it was almost perfect. The idea of moving was ludicrous even if they didn’t have to worry about the furnace. And exactly how do you propose the three of us do that?

Jonah made some unintelligible old-man noises while Donald stared at the coffee pot. He’d put more grounds in, and it looked like he was trying to will it to drip faster. They could have bought a Keurig. Martha knew someone who was getting rid of their old one, and she could get it cheap. But Jonah would never figure out the new-fangled thing and she’d end up making his coffee for him for the next hundred years.

Martha finished drying the last dish and put it away in the cupboard. You could start by putting down the newspaper and actually using that computer for once. It’s about time you learned. If you would log into that facebook profile I created for you, you would know that little Jenny is all grown up with a degree in sociology and a Master’s degree in…umm…well, something impressive. Martha caught her husband’s eye over the top of his newspaper. She misses you.

Lord knows why, Donald grumbled into his coffee.

Not you too! gasped Martha. I swear, the two of you have been corrupted. The things that come out of your mouths these days—

Civilization was much more civilized a hundred years ago, Jonah stated, returning to his newspaper.

Was not, Donald humphed. All those flappers and… what did we call them?

Flappers? said Jonah. Was that really a hundred years ago? I don’t remember.

Flappers were iconic in the 1920s, Martha said. Close enough to a century for the purposes of this conversation.

Donald whisked the coffeepot out from under the drip and quickly poured what little there was into his mug before replacing it. I liked it here in the 1920s. It was quiet. This was just a lone farmhouse then, out on a back road in the middle of nowheresville. Like it’s supposed to be.

Well, there’s nothing we can do about that now, said Martha, hanging up her towel. It’s the nature of things for humans to form communities. Of course other people would settle nearby. And I quite like it now…it’s a nice little neighborhood in a nice little town. And the people are so…

Nice? Jonah finished for her, finally putting down his newspaper. And speaking of nice people, why can’t we get out of going to little Jenny’s wedding? Can’t we claim we’re too old to cross the Atlantic or somesuch thing? It’s a perfect excuse, because it’s true! Jonah cackled with mirth and Donald snickered.

Martha sighed. Well, Donald might be able to stay behind, but you and I are Jenny’s godparents. We can’t possibly miss her wedding. Martha half hoped the men would agree that the wedding was important. She did want to go. She wanted to see the little girl she loved so much all dressed up in a white princess gown, walking down the aisle to her happily ever after. But she knew such a trip simply wasn’t possible. She had responsibilities. She made a vow.

You know what this means, don’t you? Donald phrased it as a question, but his tone of voice implied it was a simple statement of fact. Somebody has to die.

Chapter Two

Jonah was a terrible actor, so he had to hide in the basement while Martha handled all the calls and thanked everyone for the cards and flowers and prepared meals and whatnot. He strained to listen to her half of the conversation when she called Jenny. Oh, darling, I can’t believe I have to miss your wedding…yes. Yes, peacefully. In his sleep. Jonah has taken his dear dad’s ashes up to the creek to be scattered.

The furnace rumbled. Jonah grumbled back at it. It’s not twilight yet, you beast.

He heard the door at the top of the