Here Be Dragons - 1 Sharon Penman (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📖

from her father. She stared down at it, telling herself that her gesture had no significance. She did not believe Llewelyn. She could not.Elen stirred, whimpered in her sleep. Joanna stood by the bed untu she was sure her child slept, and then she moved silently toward «>

387nursery door Outside, all was dark and still The air was surprisingly cool against her skin She crossed the bailey with quickening steps, grippecl by the uneasy, irrational certainty that she was being watched, that the darkness was alive with hostile, unseen eyesUpon the table a candle was burning down toward the wick Gwladys was curled up at the foot of the bed, having at last cried herself to sleep Llewelyn was sprawled in a nearby chair, his head pillowed awkwardly upon his arm There was an empty mead flagon on the table, another on the floor by his chair From a shadowed corner, Math's eyes glowed like embers, his tail tipped slightly in acknowledgment of Joanna's right to be in the bedchamber, even at such an hourJoanna moved closer to Llewelyn, stood beside him for several moments His face was in shadow Only his mouth was touched by the candle light, it was tautly drawn even in sleep, communicated so much pain that Joanna began to cry again, silently, in utter despair At last she dned her tears upon her sleeve, backed quietly toward the doorWHEN Joanna returned to her bedchamber, the sun was rising above the hooded silhouette of Moel Siabod, dispelling the dawn mists that overhung the valley like fallen clouds, already the day gave fair warning of what was to come, vagrant winds and sweltering heat Gwladys was sitting on the bed, listlessly pulling a brush through her tangled dark hair She looked up as Joanna entered, said tonelessly, "My father is not here He has gone to see the families of the murdered hostages, to tell them that John hanged their sons "Joanna was appalled, tried not to let Gwladys see it Gwladys was the most passionate of Joanna's stepdaughters, the most like Gruffydd It had been a slow and tentative endeavor, making a friend of this pndeful, spirited girl, but Joanna had eventually coaxed from Gwladys what she'd never gotten fromGruffydd, acceptance Her heart twisted with pity now at sight of the girl's grieving, and she said helplessly, Gwladys, if only there was something Icould do ""But there is " Gwladys flung back her hair, her eyes were as black as jet, and just as cold "You can write to your father, Madame You can ask him to return the bodies of those he murdered Ask him to return m/ brother's body for decent bunal "VER had Joanna so wanted a day to end, never had one seemed so re to drag on into infinity She passed the hours as best she could, " her children, rising every ten minutes or so to stare out into the ailey But by dusk, Llewelyn still had not returned

388"Joanna ... do you want me to talk to Gwladys?"Joanna gave Catherine a grateful look. She'd been badly shaken by her stepdaughter's hostility; that it was understandable did not make it less hurtful. "Thank you, Catherine, no. She is still too distraught. I can only wait till we get word from Nottingham, till it is proven that Gruffydd and the other hostages are safe and well. But Catherine, if it is not soon . . . Jesus wept, the suffering this evil rumor has caused!"She rose, moved restlessly to the window. "Gwladys is not the only one blaming me, Catherine. I see it on other faces, too.""I know," Catherine conceded. "But not all do feel that way Joanna. Llewelyn's people know that John would never have agreed to a truce if not for your intercession. And what you did that day at Aberconwy, defying your father onLlewelyn's behalf, that won you more favor than you realize. There are many who do not blame you, Joanna, who are sorry for your pain.""But I do not want that, either. I do not want them pitying me because they think my father is the . . . the Antichrist!"Catherine did not know what to say to that. She watched in silent sympathy asJoanna turned from the window, began to pace."I find myself haunted by what Llewelyn said. I know it is not true, but Icannot stop thinking of it. It is such a vile accusation, Catherine; how canLlewelyn believe it? We are alone, and I can speak the truth with you. I think it very likely that my father did have Arthur put to death, as his enemies charge. Men do things in anger, give commands they might later regret. I think it happened that way with Arthur."She stopped before Catherine. "But it would take hours to drag thirty hostages to the gallows, Catherine. There'd be time to relent. Even if my father had given such a command in a moment of rage, he'd not have carried it out. As for the other, what Llewelyn said about Maude de Braose, that could never be. Such a dreadful death as that would take days, even weeks ..." She shuddered, for she had the imagination to envision the full horrors of a death by starvation, Maude's slow realization that food would never be forthcoming, that none would heed her screams, that her dungeon was to be her tomb.A silence fell. Joanna moved back to the window. Almost at once she tensed."Llewelyn," she breathed, and suddenly she was very frightened.Llewelyn had dismounted by the time Joanna reached the bottoin of the keep stairs. She started toward him, then stopped at sight o Cristyn. Cristyn had ridden in that afternoon with Tegwared and An ghared, her seven-year-old twins, and her presence was just one rno goad to Joanna's unraveling nerves.Even though she believed LlgWlyn's physical intimacy with Cristyn was over, their continuing friend-

389ujp occasionally gave her some uneasy moments; she would always be alous ofCristyn, if only because