A Dishonorable Knight(63)

Gareth smiled, remembering Elena's performance. "Elena told the soldiers we were traveling to Cardiff to visit her family."

"Quick thinking," Morgan mused.

"Did Bryant tell you how she escaped the convent to warn us of that Godless abbess?"

Morgan nodded. "A brave lass," he said with a knowing smile.

Suddenly looking around, Gareth asked, "Where's Cynan?"

"He's on watch--Richard's men have been thick as flies around town trying to find out our meeting spot," Bryant answered.

Gareth looked at the fifteen or twenty men in the small room. "Isn't it going to look a little suspicious if these men leave a weaver's shop all at once?"

"Some of the men will exit out the back," Morgan explained as Bryant was called away by one of the other men. "When the men leave here, they'll go in ones and twos, many with packages of cloth to make it appear as if it is business as usual." Morgan laughed. "I think Samuel was anxious to have the meeting here so he could force us to buy fabric!"

"That reminds me. Do you have any money with you I could borrow?"

"Borrow? You needn't borrow money from me. You've never taken a dime for your work at Eyri Keep. You'll take what I have as little enough payment. But how does Samuel's textiles remind you of money?"

Gareth paused, embarrassed. He glanced over his shoulder, relieved to see Bryant leaving the meeting room. "I...I promised Elena I would buy her a new gown."

"A what?" Morgan's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Cynan told me that you attended Lady Elena when she was ill in her room for several days. Did you take advantage of her? Damn it, Gareth, she's not a simple country girl you can seduce and then forget about! Have I taught you no better than that?"

Gareth was stung. "Da, how many times have I seduced any innocent girl and abandoned her? Of course I didn't take advantage of Elena." Well he didn't, he thought, she kissed him first and nothing actually happened! "’Tis just that she's been through so much and she's used to having more than one dress. So I thought it was the least I could do," Gareth argued defensively. "May I have the money or not?"

"Of course, lad, of course." Morgan pulled a leather pouch out of his shirt. "You'd better take it all. It will cost a fortune to have a dress made in a day or two."

"Why a day or two?" Gareth asked. He thought they could spend at least a week in Aberystwyth before returning to Eyri Keep.

"Wait until we're alone with Lord Stanley for me to explain."

Gareth looked from his father to Stanley who was just saying goodbye to the last two men in the room other than Gareth and his father.

"Morgan, I assume this is your son?"

"Yes, Lord Stanley. This is Sir Gareth. He has of late served in Richard's court and could prove valuable if your lordship wishes to go ahead with our earlier idea."

"Is he in agreement?"

"I'm quite sure there will be no problem," said Morgan.

Gareth, increasingly confused and irritated that he was being spoken of as if he were not present, broke in. "Excuse me Lord Stanley, father, what am I agreeing to?"

"Why don't you sit down," said Lord Stanley, "and we will answer all your questions." When Gareth and his father had made themselves comfortable, Lord Stanley turned to Morgan. "Shall I explain or would you care to?"

Morgan sat forward and said abruptly, "Gareth, we would like you to return to Richard's court and try to discover any plans he may have regarding Henry's attack. See if you can discover how much he knows of our plans."

Gareth stared at his father with disbelief. "You want me to spy on him?" Morgan looked distinctly uneasy, but Gareth pressed on. "I am a knight of Britain. Is it not enough that I have forsworn to protect the king's life with my own? Should I now have to spy on the very man I am sworn to protect?"

Morgan gazed at Gareth understandingly, but Lord Stanley slammed his hands on the table and stood up, addressing Morgan.

"What is this man doing here, Morgan? Why are you wasting my time with someone who is still committed to that murdering--"

Gareth's fury rapidly matched Stanley's and he broke in, "I do not stand for Richard! But I do stand for Wales and England and by my knightly vows must defend their king."

"Enough!" Lord Stanley bellowed. "Your are either for Richard or against him. If you are for him, you would not be here. If you are against him, you will do anything in your power to bring about the end to his treacherous reign!"