Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best ebook reader android TXT) 📗

window A week from the morrow would be anniversary of her wedding Twenty-four years since that fourteen-^ar-old girl had shyly clasped Llewelyn's hand upon the steps of St rt)urgh's abbey church, twenty-four years She almost spoke her th S a^oud to Glynis, caught herself just in time She was learning the ° ^le^ to memones was to embrace pain beyond endurance, wasSUfest route to madness

640There was a knock upon the bedchamber door. Bran opened the door but did not enter; instead he stepped aside, allowed Ednyved to stride into the room.Ednyved was brutally blunt. "I've come to tell you that Will de Braose was hanged yesterday at Aber." He was watching Joanna intently, but whatever reaction he might have expected, it was not this; she merely looked at him, showing no emotion at all, and he said curtly, "You did hear me?""Yes." He seemed to be waiting, and Joanna wondered what he wanted her to say.Was she supposed to show surprise? She'd known from the moment Llewelyn walked into her bedchamber that Will was a dead man. Was she supposed to grieve forWill? Mayhap one day she might, that he should have died at four and thirty, died so needlessly. But she would have to forgive him first, and she could find no forgiveness in her heart.Ednyved moved farther into the chamber. "I think he did not truly believe it, up to the last expected Llewelyn to relent. But when he realized there was to be no reprieve, he died well, with courage.""Yes," Joanna said again. Will had never lacked for courage. If only he had, he'd still be alive, and she'd be at Aber with her husband and son. She swallowed, said softly, "Ednyved . . . tell me. How is Llewelyn?""Bleeding."His answer was so graphic, so unexpectedly expressive that Joanna shuddered.Turning her back upon Ednyved, she moved blindly toward the window. He followed, grasping her shoulders and compelling her to face him."What would you have me do, sugar the truth for you? Nay, no tears. The time for tears is past. Ere I go, I want you to tell me why. You weep for Llewelyn and not for de Braose. You did not love him?"He was hurting her, his fingers digging into her flesh, but she neither protested nor pulled away. She shook her head and he released her, stepped back, staring at her in baffled bitterness."That only makes your betrayal all the more unforgivable. Sweet Jesus, woman, why? I've watched as you struggled and schemed and fought to secure the succession for Davydd, only then to play into Grutfydd's hands like this! And for what? A tumble in bed with a swaggering cock, a rakehell not worthy ofLlewelyn's spit!""What . . . what do you mean that I've played into Gruffy^8 hands? Whilst Idaresay he is taking great satisfaction in my fall "* shame is mine, notDavydd's.""You think not? When you've given Gruffydd's supporters

I641weapon they'd never dreamed within their grasp, an opportunity to cast doubts upon Davydd's paternity7"Joanna gasped "But but that is the most outrageous of lies' And utterly impossible Will was just a lad when Davydd was born, could not possibly""You truly do not see, do you7 A woman's honor is verily like her maidenhead, in that once it is gone, it cannot be regained Now that you've been taken in adultery with one man, there will be those who'll think de Braose was not the first, that there must have been others ""My God " No more than a whisper "My God, what have I done7""Madame Madame, sit down " Glynis was beside her, putting a protective arm around her shoulders "Just sit there and I'll fetch some wine "A cup was hastily thrust into Joanna's hand, the stem felt cool to her fingers, wet and sticky with wine She drank deeply, without tasting, holding the cup with both hands "Llewelyn Llewelyn does not believe this7 Tell me he does not, Ednyved," she pleaded "Tell me he knows Davydd is his1""No he does not believe it I am sure of that " Answering her unspoken question then, he added, "Nor do I Nor would most people, I'd wager Given your extreme youth at the time of Davydd's birth, I think it unlikely that such a suspicion would gam widespread belief " His voice hardened "But do not deceive yourselfThere will be some who'll give it credence, if only because they want to believe it Davydd's enemiesand he does have themwill seek to use it against him, as they'd use any weapon at hand ""And I I gave it to them," Joanna said, sounding so dazed, so devastated thatEdnyved felt a flicker of unwelcome pity But he did not contradict her"Well, I've had my say," he said, thinking Llewelyn was wise in refusing to see her, to spare himself yet more pain For as easy as it was to hate what she had done, it was not as easy to hate her, not as easy as it should have been"Ednyved, wait There is something you must know I did allow myself to enter into an intrigue with Will de Braose, in a moment of Weakness, of madness if you will, during that time Llewelyn and I were es'ranged, whilst he was waging war in Cen But I ended the affair Almost ere it began I did not ask Will to my chamber that night, and ft°thing happened between us, nothing "When he did not reply, she fumbled for her crucifix chain "You do

642I643not believe me? I'll swear it, then, swear it upon the lives of my childre upon their very""That is not necessary. I think I do believe you, if only because y0l] version makes more sense. I've known men like de Braose; they scom the merlin hawk nesting free in the heather, must have the one unde guard in another man's mews. But women rarely share that lust for risk taking, and I could not see you bringing a lover into