A Dishonorable Knight(134)
Gareth must be freed. That was all there was to it. She would free him and together they would escape. They could go to France for a few years, perhaps until Richard died, and then they could return to Eyri Keep. The fact that she was no longer a lady-in-waiting to the king, that she was no one of any great importance suddenly dawned on her, and rather than feeling dismayed, she found tremendous relief in the fact. No more would she have to worry about acting just so, or pretending to like people she detested. Now if that foul Brackley came her way, she could turn her nose up and walk away. The new sense of freedom further resolved her to helping Gareth escape. Together they would begin a new life.
Brushing the now-forgotten tears from her cheeks, Elena began to plan their escape. They would need money, but she had plenty of jewels, surely enough to buy safe passage to France. Since Richard didn't want to see her again before she left, once outside the castle gates it should surely be no problem for her to change her destination. Once she freed Gareth from the dungeon, he could meet up with her down the road and they would head for France. Once there...well, once there Gareth would have to make some plans.
Accustomed to getting her way, Elena saw no reason why things wouldn't go according to her plans. Smoothing her hair and shaking out her skirts, Elena headed back to the main building. Once inside, she raced up a smaller back staircase and entered the room she shared with Catherine and Margaret. She prayed that she would not have to face Catherine again. Though she had found herself relieved to no longer be a lady-in-waiting, she did not think she could stand to see Catherine smirk and preen over the news. Nay, if she had to endure one spiteful statement from the brat, Elena felt sure she would not be able to stop herself from ripping every hair from Catherine's head.
Opening the door to their chamber as quietly as possible, Elena was relieved to discover it empty. She quickly rushed inside and threw open her trunk. Packing as carefully as she could, she crammed her best gowns and half of her jewels into the trunk. The rest of the jewelry, she placed in an embroidered pouch. She fastened the pouch under her full skirts and moved about to see if it was evident. Satisfied that it was well hidden, she fetched her cloaks from the hooks on which they were hung. One of these she would have to sneak down to Gareth to help disguise him when he made his escape. Elena looked at both of them, trying to decide which would be the least conspicuous for Gareth to wear. With a sigh, she realized that neither of them would work. One was a rich red velvet with ermine lining and the other, though a simple dark blue wool, had gold couching covering every inch of it. With a sigh, Elena looked up. A thin grey cloak with a full hood hung on the farthest hook on the wall. It was the cloak Margaret wore when she visited the convent she soon hoped to join. It would be perfect, but--
The door creaked open and she started. When Margaret entered, she breathed a sigh of relief that it was not Catherine and took it as a sign that she should ask for the cloak. Before she had a chance to voice the question, Margaret spoke.
"Is it true you are to leave immediately? Tonight?"
"Is it tonight now? When last Richard spoke, it was merely before first light," she said dispassionately.
"It is true then?
"Aye, it's true."
"But why? You have long been one of Richard's favorites." Margaret walked closer and surveyed Elena's packed trunk.
"I have not been a favorite since I was in the company of a man not my husband or father for weeks. A man Richard now thinks is a traitor."
"That is ridiculous. It was all well explained! Surely he would not send you away on a mere suspicion!"
"On no, that is only why I am no longer his favorite. I am being sent away because I refused to marry the Earl of Brackley."
"You did? But why?" Margaret's face pinkened. "I mean, I know of his purported cruelty, but I thought you were pleased with the new rank it would give you."
"I told Richard I could not marry Edmund because I was in love with another man. I even said I was going to have his child."
"Are you?"
"No. At least, I don't think so." Elena expected to see condemnation in the pious Margaret's eyes, but instead she saw something that surprised her. She saw compassion and...respect? Before her "adventure," Elena and Margaret had always been at odds, Margaret making no effort to conceal her disapproval of Elena's methods to gain favor and attention, and Elena scorning Margaret's avowals that a life in the church was the only way a woman could gain any sort of freedom. Now, Elena thought, I too see the uselessness of life as a lady-in-waiting, and court life, for that matter, where we walk on eggshells hoping we don't annoy the king and we agree to marry ugly old men just to gain a title or the king's favor.