A Dishonorable Knight(67)

As Samuel measured out the cotton, Gareth fingered the soft wool. "Cynan? Do you think this color will look good on Elena?"

Cynan's eyebrows shot up. A smirk crossed his face and he looked like he was about to say something, but paused with his mouth open, studying Gareth's face. He must have seen something in his friend that made his own face soften as he gently said, "I think that is an excellent choice. Lady Elena will look beautiful in it."

Relieved, Gareth turned back to Samuel and counted out the money. Cynan looked down the hall. "Speaking of your lady, where is she?"

Gareth did not remember seeing Elena in the back room or the kitchen. Just a little worried, he said, "I'm not sure." His purchase in hand, he turned to go back to Samuel's living quarters, thinking she may have been cleaning up.

"Are you talking about that bonny redhead?" Gareth turned to see a short wiry man who'd been in the meeting upstairs.

"Yes, have you seen her?"

His arms full of bolts of cloth, the man gestured with his chin towards the door. "She left with some young man to the market."

"What young man? To the market? Why?"

"I think they were going to get something to eat. The man was upstairs. Your friend, I think."

"Bryant?" Gareth asked.

"I didn't catch his name."

"Food sounds like a wonderful idea to me," Cynan interrupted. "Let's join them."

Gareth nodded, suddenly aware of his own hunger. Turning, he tucked his package behind Samuel's counter. "Don't you dare sell that."

"What kind of merchant do you think I am?" Samuel asked indignantly. Gareth laughed and followed Cynan towards the door. As they left the small shop, they heard the wiry man say, "I'll take ten lengths of that brown if I get the same amount of linen for free, too."

Gareth and Cynan's laughter prevented them from hearing Samuel's sputtered response as they headed down the street.

Coming into the crowded marketplace, Cynan said, "I want three sticks of lamb and a huge tankard of ale!"

Gareth laughed. "Control your hunger for a moment. Let's find Elena and Bryant first."

"Find them in this crowd? We'll never eat!" Cynan wailed.

"Some mighty warrior you are!"

"I'm no warrior. I'm a simple shepherd who's used to eating regularly."

"Of course you are," Gareth said.

As they made their way through the crowds of people, Gareth wondered how Elena would react to his gift. Truly, clothing was a rather personal gift, but after all they had been through together, Gareth couldn't see how Elena would think him too forward. Then again, she could fling his gift back in his face. Perhaps, an insidious voice in his head said, what he feared was that she would reject him, not his gift. Gareth shook his head. Reject him? As if he was even offering himself!

"Gareth, what are we going to do with Elena?"

Glad to have something to get his mind off his feelings for Elena, Gareth looked over his shoulder and said, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you return to England, is she going with you?"

"Well, of course. That is her home."

"I know, but what will she tell Richard?"

"Tell him? Why should she tell him anything?"

"Come on, Gareth," Cynan paused as he ducked under a low-hanging sign offering repairs to saddles and bridles. "She's part of his court. You don't think he's going to have worried about her and wonder what she's been through?"

"She can tell him we were simply lost in the forest and made our way back with difficulty," Gareth said.

"Why should she?"

Cynan's question made Gareth stop and look at his friend, forcing people to walk around them. "Why should she? Why shouldn't she?"

Cynan looked uncomfortable. "Look, Gareth, I like Elena as much as you and Bryant do. But our lives are on the line here. Elena still considers herself one of Richard's ladies-in-waiting. She hasn't asked to remain here. We can only assume that she still considers Richard the true king of England."

"But she nearly died trying to warn us of the English soldiers!" Gareth protested.

"I know, I know."

"Then why are you doubting that she will continue to protect us?"

Cynan ran his hand through his hair and then let it drop by his side. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Gareth, Enid is pregnant."