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

talked with his hands, and as he ge h now, he brought his drumstick too close to Topaz's nose. She took th as an invitation, snatched it as Will gave a startled yelp and Joanna c H* "Stop her, Will! A chicken bone can choke her!"It took several chaotic moments before they managed to retrieve th bone from the disgruntled dog. Will finally collapsed, laughing, on th blanket as Joanna stripped the bone of meat and hand-fed it to Topaz "I cannot believe all this bother about a dog. Are you always so tende toward those you love? If so, your husband is indeed a lucky man.""Yes," Joanna said very evenly, "he is." Will was sucking on a finger, claiming the dog had bitten him. His hair had tumbled down across his forehead; it shone like silver where the sun touched it, and she wondered how it would feel. "I ought to be getting back," she said abruptly, and he sat up at once, began to protest."Not yet. If you go, I'll have nothing to do but return to Rhosyr, brood about the exorbitant ransom your husband will demand for my release. Or try to coax a civil word from the sour-tongued Senena. On my first day here, I did but bid her good morrow, and she drew back her skirts as if she'd just come across a pox-ridden beggar!"Joanna had to laugh. "You have not changed as much as I first thought," she said, and Will grinned."By all accounts, that holds true for Gruffydd, too. He was God's greatest fool at fourteen, is no less of one today. Tell me, Joanna, just how did he end up at Deganwy Castle? I've been indulging in some discreet eavesdropping, enough to gather you had a hand in it."Joanna's jaw muscles tensed. "Yes," she said defiantly. "I did. I deliberately provoked Gruffydd into a heedless rage, hoping he'd force my husband into banishing him. Why? Are you going to stand in judgment upon me, too? I suppose you think a woman has no right to me die in the concerns of men, that I ought to have done nothing, just le my son lose" ^"Do I get a chance to speak? I think you ought to be proud yourself.""Truly?" Joanna said uncertainly. "You mean that?""Indeed I do. I'll grant you, I might feel differently if you were^ ^ wife and pulled such a trick on me. But since you are not, I am ^ give credit where due. It was a deed well done, Joanna. Just1 tnneu, what befell Rhys Gryg last year. His own son lured him to Llan*r CaStook him prisoner, and held him till he agreed to yield Llandove

599rniffydd may be half mad, in truth, I think he is But so is a woodj and if it bites you, you're like to die ""You do understand11 had to give Davydd time to reach manhood, WJ1, had to put him first "He nodded "Is this why you've been so unhappy, Joanna7 Because r husband blames you for what happened?"Joanna had no intention whatsoever of discussing either her unhap-ss or Llewelyn's anger "My husband does not blame me, Will If % ,e seemed disquieted, it is because of Senena " Casting about for a fer topic of conversation, she said hurriedly, "But I do not want to talk / },er I'd rather hear about you I know you wed the Earl of Pembroke's sister And I seem to remember Gwladys telling me you have daughters How old are they7 What are their names7""Daughters I have, indeed, in overabundance," he said ruefully "No less than four1 My oldest is nigh on nine, the youngest still in her cradle We christened them with the family names of de Braose and Marshal Isabella, Eva, Eleanor and Maude "Maude Of course he'd have named a daughter after the grandmother he loved.Fool that she was, had she truly thought they could ever be friends7 Joanna rose, sought to busy herself in brushing off her skirt "I have to go," she said, not meeting his eyes.He rose, too "Joanna, wait There is something I must ask you Your son Davydd told me that you and John were estranged during the last years of his life Is that true7""I do not want to talk about it, Will ""Joanna, I wantnay, need to know "Joanna's throat had tightened "Why7 What does it matter now7""It matters," he said grimly "You could not have loved him, not a man like that What sort of father could he have been7 The Angevin temper was one with legend The Devil's brood And John John was*e worst of the lot You had to have suffered at his hands, to have"ed him "'No, Will No, it it was not like that My father was always good me "I do not believe that, do not believe you Why do you defend him m*' Christ, if any man knows the truth about John, I do1"am not defending him11 am not denying what he has done You e every reason to hate him But I will not he to you Whatever evil he " ave committed, he was still a kind father, even a loving one "A 1n loving father7 God in Heaven, do you hear yourself7 He was "utter'y evi' and beyond redemption, and for you to"0Joanna's voice was shaking "My father repented his sins,

600died in God's grace. His soul is in Purgatory, not in Hell. The Almighty says there is forgiveness for all, that""Not for John. Never for John!""Do not say that!" Joanna was appalled. "He did repent ere he died, and God will forgive him. He was not utterly evil, he was not! He was capable of kindness, too, and the Almighty will take that into account when judging him.""Kind? Because he gave you hair ribbons and sugared quince? Do you truly think such trifles can be balanced against the gallows, the rotting