less a lie.""I know there has never been a true friendship between us, Joanna. But believe me now, that I am speaking as a friend. For your sake as well as Llewelyn's, leave him be.""Leave him be?" she echoed incredulously. "My husband thinks that his son is dead, and it's not true. I will not stand helplessly by whilst he breaks his heart over a lie, I will not! Now please move away from the door."He did. "I hope you will remember," he said, "that I did try to stop you."IT was unnaturally still. The birds had muted their songs at Llewelyn's approach, and he heard only the sound of his boots on the wet gravel of the riverbank. It had been a dry summer, and the river was shallow and slow-moving; mossy rocks jutted up toward the sun, seeming to offer a safe passage to the far shore for those willing to take the risk. How many youths had stood on this bank, gathering up their courage to put those beckoning stepping stones to the slippery test? For risk-taking was t e measure of a man. Had he not taught Gruffydd that from birth?Llewelyn knelt, cupped his hands, and splashed river water on o his face. Yes, he'd taught Gruffydd about risk-taking and manhood an^ pride. But he'd not taught him how to die on an English gallows, fydd would have fought them, knowing no other way, would have p^ defiance until the rope choked off all breath. Llewelyn could hearfil). own breathing grow ragged; it was coming in harsh, uneven gasp ' ing the quiet woodland clearing with strangled sound.bum6*1For a time he knelt motionless on the riverbank, and there uehind his closed eyelids a gallows laden with bodies, bodies left to rot in the summer sun, because he had been a risk-taker.His instincts for self-preservation had long since become second nature to him; when a branch snapped underfoot, his head jerked up. The sound came again. Someone was following the trail he'd taken from the castle. He rose swiftly, hand on sword hilt. A moment later a large black alaunt broke through the underbrush, bounded joyfully toward him.At sight of the dog, Llewelyn's eyes filled with tears. Math was his son's dog, had been Gruffydd's veritable shadow, and when Gruffydd went away, the big dog's grieving had been heartrending. When he'd begun to refuse food, Llewelyn had taken over the dog's feeding, slowly coaxed the alaunt back to health, and in the past year, Math was never willingly far from his side.Llewelyn bent down, gathered the dog to him. Math began to bark, swiped at his face with a rough, wet tongue, and he pulled back. Only then did he see his wife standing at the edge of the clearing.Llewelyn was the first to speak. "Go back to the castle, Joanna. This is not the time to talk."There was no emotion in his voice; he sounded like a stranger. Joanna
hesitated, and then stepped toward him. "Llewelyn ...""Not now," he said, much more sharply this time. He turned away, began to walk along the riverbank."Llewelyn, wait!" Hastening after him, she found she could not match his pace, and caught his arm, forcing him to stop."My love, you must listen to me. This one time you must believe me. Your grieving is for naught. Gruffydd is not dead.""Joanna, no!" But she clung to his arm with surprising strength; he could not free himself without hurting her.'"rou must hear me out, Llewelyn. Please, beloved, please listen. % father is not a good man. Mayhap not even a kind one. But he would never murder Gruffydd and the other hostages. He is not capable of a "uelty like that, Llewelyn. Iknow he's not, know"'No, you do not know! You've never known John, never!" Llewe-yn jerked free, saying bitterly, "But I did. I knew how vicious he could when cornered, how merciless, for I knew what he'd done to Maude e Braose. I knew all too well, and yet, God forgive me, I still turned my j°n over to him" He broke off abruptly, turned to stare blindly out at1116 sun-glazed water.IjWhat he'd done to Maude de Braose.' What do you mean by that, >vith n?" ^aising ner hand to her forehead, Joanna found it damp asSWeat. She was suddenly aware of the hot, humid air, utterly still, enveloping as a shroud; the sun had begun to hurt her eyes.
told *hem, Llewelyn?" A<'tk ill. " But Joanna seemed not to h1iine amd Rhys rode through the gatai for tier husband's assistance. Slidi^ 'Goanima, disregarded protocol, and en«' -?" Catherine's fair skin was splotcto i ^ffy. *~'l still cannot believe it.Wheiu tedmiit she did not know, and she vaf is in his chamber, Lady Catrin."* d th^m. Tragedy had not made hinin*
384"What do you mean?" she repeated. "Your stepfather told me Maude de Braose died in prison. Are you saying he lied?"Llewelyn swung back to face her. "Maude did die in prison. What Hugh did not tell you was how she died." He paused and then said "All right, then, the truth. Mayhap I should have told you long ago John had Maude de Braose and her son cast into a dungeon at Windsor Castle, and then he starved them to death."He'd never seen anyone lose color so quickly. Joanna's face was so ashen, her eyes so wide and unseeing that he took an instinctive step toward her, put his hand on her arm. But then she raised her chin, swallowed, and said, "I do not believe you."His hand dropped to his side. "Christ Jesus, Joanna, do you truly think I'd lie to you about that?"He did not wait for her answer, turned and walked away. Like most huntsmen, he knew how to make the woods his own, left no trace of his passing. Math had vanished, too. Joanna stood alone in the clearing.WITHIN his chamber, Llewelyn found Ednyved and Morgan awaiting his return.They rose as he entered; he was grateful
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