A Dishonorable Knight(91)

Within minutes, Bryant had returned to her and they quickly found their way through the maze of narrow alleys to the correct street.

"Let me think," Elena said as she gazed at the identical shops that lined the street. "I know it was on this side. There was a baker's shop nearby...Ah, there it is."

"Are you sure?" Bryant asked as they approached it. "There isn't a sign and the inside looks empty."

"That's how I know this is the right place." Elena pushed opened the door and called out for Annie. The five-year-old boy came tumbling down the staircase to answer their call.

"Mama says you is to come dupstairs," he said importantly.

They followed the young messenger to the spotless room upstairs. Nothing had changed except that the mound of cloth burying the large table was now cranberry-colored instead of blue, as it had been the day before. Annie was sitting at the table, crouched over a seam.

"If you'll just give me a moment, ma'am, I'll have it ready for you to try on."

"Ready to try on? How have you managed to get so much done?" Elena asked, amazed at the woman's speed.

Breaking the thread with her teeth, Annie stood and shook out the dress. "You said you needed it ready by day after tomorrow. I worked on it all yesterday and today. I still have to put the collar on and hem it, but otherwise 'tis done."

Elena took the gown from Annie, her eyes glowing with pleasure. "It is beautiful." Holding it up to herself, Elena flared the skirt out. "Where can I try it on?"

"Oengus, take this gentleman downstairs until I call for you."

The child, obviously remembering the game from yesterday, immediately took Bryant's hand in his own and pulled him down the stairs. As soon as Annie closed the door, Elena began working herself out of her dusty cotehardie. "I will be glad when I can see the end of this gown."

"Tis beautifully made, my lady," Annie said.

"That may be, but I cannot stand the sight of it after wearing it for the last month straight!" Elena pulled the new dress over her head and held her hair out of the way while Annie quickly laced it up the back. "Oh it fits wonderfully!" Elena exclaimed. She craned her neck to see the dress from every angle. "Leave the hem long in the back." Spinning around crazily like a child, she laughed in delight. "I can't believe I'm so excited over such a simple dress!"

Annie's smile disappeared. "Should I change it, milady?"

Elena stared at Annie, perplexed. Why in the world should Annie want to change the dress? Belatedly, she realized that Annie may have taken her exclamation over the simple dress in the wrong light. "No, of course not, it's perfect. What I meant was, I'm so used to having beautiful dresses..." That wasn't helping, Elena thought. Oh curse Gareth for making her worry what miserable servants thought! "What I meant was," Elena began again, "I'm used to wearing beautiful dresses and this one is the most beautiful I've ever worn."

Annie's eyes widened. "Oh, do you mean it, my lady?" She clasped Elena's hands in her own work-roughened ones.

"Well of course I do. You have done an admirable job on this gown. I can't wait until it's finished."

"Oh it will be finished tomorrow, my lady. Even if I have to stay up all night working on it!" Annie vowed.

Elena smiled and disengaged herself from Annie's grip. "I'm sure you will." Turning so the seamstress could unlace her, Elena said, "Sir Gareth and I will be by in the afternoon to pick it up. Will that be late enough."

"Oh yes, my lady."

Downstairs, Elena found a distressed-looking Bryant holding a sleeping Oengus. With obvious relief, he relinquished his armload to its mother and took Elena's arm. Once outside, Elena had to figure out which direction they needed to travel. After a false start down a dead end, she remembered where they needed to go in order to reach Samuel's shop. Consumed in her thoughts of her new dress and new book, not to mention Gareth, Elena did not hear Bryant when he first spoke to her.

"My lady?" he repeated.

"Oh, yes?"

Bryant cleared his throat and tugged on the neck of his brown tunic. "About Gareth..."

"Yes? What about him?"

"Please do not misunderstand. Gareth is one of my best friends, along with Cynan. We grew up together and I think of him as a brother."

Elena waited for him to continue, but when he merely looked uncomfortable, she prodded him. "And?"