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

expect her to beg his forgiveness, to disavow the action that might well have saved Davydd's life? Yet if he was still angry, what choice would she have? She'd have to placate him, to be properly remorseful and contrite, if that was what it took to heal her marriage. And while she did not question the cost, for she loved her husband, she could muster up no eagerness for a reconciliation such as that.Glynis had insisted upon packing a basket for her, and when it began to rain, Joanna spread a blanket upon the hafod floor, prepared to eat a picnic meal under Topaz's hopeful eye. The sun soon broke through the cloud cover, spangling the dripping trees with iridescent light and giving false promise of abiding summer warmth. However brief this respite from the rain, it was heralded by a resurgence of meadowland music, the trills of thrush and wren, the raucous cawing of jackdaw. Joanna even thought she heard the nightjar's whistle and quickly crossed herself, for it was known to the Welsh as theAderyn corff, the corpse bird.When Topaz bounded up, darted for the door, Joanna rose, too. Although she reached for her eating knife at sound of the dog's barking, hers was a gesture more of inbred caution than of alarm, for she knew there were neither wolves nor boars on the island, and she did not fear men; it was inconceivable to her that any Welshman would dare to offer insult or injury to Llewelyn's wife."Topaz, come!" she called, and the dog came frisking back into the hafod. Amoment later a man's shadow fell across the doorway, blocking out the sun."Jesii, but you're a hard woman to track down," Will complained, bending over to pat the spaniel, who wasto Joanna's intense annoyancefawning upon him as if he were family."You admit it, then?" she demanded. "You were following me?""Of course I was. I had no choice, what with you bound and determined to shun me at court. I thought if I could find you alone, mayhap you'd not be so quick to bolt."Joanna was infuriated by the imagery his words suggested, that she was a skittish, high-strung filly to be gentled with soft words and sugar lumps. She was also faintly afraid, instinctively sensing danger of some sort. "I do not want you here. And if you do not leave, I shall."He shrugged and moved aside so he no longer blocked the doo way. Nor did he attempt to touch her as she brushed past him. But a she stepped out into the sunlight, he said softly, "You truly are afraw me, Joanna. Why?" , Joanna stopped, turned reluctantly back to face him. "Just wha you want from me?"

597"To talk. I think I owe you an apo]ogy » He was standing in shadow, and she moved cautiously back jnto tne ftafod so she could see his face. He did not seem to be mocking ^ but she was still assailed by doubts; who knew the depths of those inscruW^'6 grey eyes?"You said you like me not. I expect j gave you cause, that night at ChesterCastle. But you do not strike me as ^ vvoman who'd nurse a grudge. Can we not agree that I was in my cupg and put it behind us?""Yes ... if I could be sure you me^n wnat yfu say-""I do." He smiled, ever so slightly

j califiot Sa7 l reSret kissing you;that would be both unchivalrous and untrfe' But l d° regret hurt' jng you, andI regret lying to you."Joanna took a step closer. "Lying to me? vVr'en'>""When I told you I now believed in blood gf'Jt for women- For l do not, Joanna, not for you."Joanna bit her lip, said nothing. R9re]y nad sne been so torn' s° pulled by ambivalent emotions. Will's wOrds could not have been better calculated to disarm her defenses; she wanted to believe him'to believe Maude's ghost could be exorcised at long ]ast 0tit a second self stood apart and jeered: What was this if not the sugar lumP? she wavered, and then chose to heed the voice of her heart. "* would rather bury a grudge than nurture it. If you truly want that flight forgotten, it is, then."Will smiled. "Let us say, then, that ve are ffi^nds reunited for the first time in many years, that we last rr,et on tjiat beach at Cricieth. Agreed?"And when she nodded, he gesti,recj tow3rd tne basket- "Have you enough for two? I'm famished."Taking her consent for granted, he sat down 0n the blanket' began to root in the basket. "Glory to God, roast chicken!" he exclaimed' with such boyish exuberance, such irrepressit,]e enifri)siasm tnat Joanna could not help herself; she sat down, too.Will pushed the basket toward her. "lSfovv that J think on it, I lied to you once before. You remember asking me wrtv I'd c°me to your rescue fl>at day on the beach? I told you it was because j wijf>ted to do Gruffydd an "II turn, and that was true enough. But jt was ^o^ than that- I was ra*her taken with you, Lady Joanna, thougnt you quite the most allurmg< exotic creature I'd ever seen!" He grinned su^denly' "Eveiy lad sh«uld have a memory like that tucked away remenlbrances of a beau" °ful older woman who helped to guide him ajong fre way to manhood, ^rettably, we never reached that road, but "Joanna suspected she should be offended 'but in a11 honesty she h as not.Instead she felt a certain guilty pleasure in |cnowing Wil1 found .Desirable, even now at thirty and seven. But she d'd not think if wise >How the conversation to take too intimate a turn, 3nd she Said hast"' allo-

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598ily, "Will, I think I'd best say this plain out. I know that for many the line between friendship and flirtation blurs, but not for me I 'V6s friend, not a lover." nt aWill laughed. "Who has been telling tales on meGwladvs?" u was one of those men who