A Dishonorable Knight(95)

With a newfound maturity, Elena realized that she would not coax Gareth into marriage simply based on their two nights spent together. She had given herself to him freely and to backtrack and say that he now owed her something was not honorable. Besides, she wanted a man who felt obligated to wed her even less than one who saw her as a witless prize to be won.

Wishing her problems would simply solve themselves and determined not to spoil the present by worrying over them, Elena pushed herself to her elbow and began nibbling on Gareth's ear. He swatted lazily in the general vicinity of his ear before slipping back into a deep slumber. Elena giggled as she wiggled up further on the bed to gain a better position. Taking a strand of her long hair, she tickled his nose with the end of it, straining not to laugh as he wiggled and rubbed it. Finally unable to stand it any longer, Elena rolled Gareth onto his back and climbed on top of him, tickling him and poking him playfully.

Gareth squinted at the bright light and groggily raised his head.

"Wake up, you slug-a-bed, wake up! Or I shall tickle you until you do!"

"You think so, do you?" he grumbled, his voice deliciously deep and raspy with sleep.

"Aye, that I do!" she said with a laugh.

So quickly that she did not even realize what was happening, Gareth bucked her off of him and rolled over to smother her with his weight, his fingers tickling her ribs, her ears, and the tender skin behind her knees. Elena's short scream of laughter was swallowed by Gareth's mouth. Immediately, Elena's mirth subsided as she gave herself over to the languorous pleasure of his kiss.

A knock on the door caused them both to jump guiltily and move to opposite sides of the bed, clutching the covers between them. "Yes?" Elena called out. The door, which never quite latched all the way, was open a crack.

"Pardon, good lady," came Samuel's voice through the door. "I was wondering if you were alright. We heard you yelp."

Elena's experience at fabricating excuses for Lady Elizabeth quickly rose to the surface. "Oh yes, I'm quite alright. I stubbed my toe as I was getting back into bed, that's all."

"Oh, of course, my lady. We have some fresh milk and early berries if you will be arising soon."

"Thank you but I'm not feeling well this morning. I think it must have been the mead last night. I believe I will remain abed this morning if not all day." Elena smiled mischievously in response to Gareth's raised eyebrows.

"Ah, um, very good." The voice paused hesitantly. "My lady?"

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't have happened to know where Gareth disappeared to, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Elena said, enjoying the look of horror in Gareth's widened eyes. "He knocked on my door earlier this morning to check on me and he told me he was going down to the dock today to see if he could sail out with one of the fishermen."

"Fishermen, my lady?"

"Yes, I believe he is thinking of becoming a fisherman, should his career as a knight not prove lucrative."

Gareth bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

"Oh," said Samuel. "Well, uh, I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Thank you." They could hear Samuel shuffling from foot to foot outside the door. "Sleep well, Lady Elena."

"Thank you Samuel."

"If you need anything, just holler, er, call."

"I will do that. Good bye Samuel."

"Er... goodbye."

Elena pushed the door closed again, wedging her boots against it to keep it from opening again, and flopped back down onto the bed, her arms cradling her head as she looked at Gareth with a cocky grin.

"Remind me not to believe a word you say through a closed door," Gareth said before he bent down and kissed her on the nose.

"You don't know how many times I had to tell King Richard that Lady Elizabeth was ill, when really all she wanted was to avoid his continuing attempts to convince her to marry him."

"Was he that persistent?"

"Oh yes." Elena said, preoccupied. She wondered if Elizabeth had viewed wedding Richard with the same distaste she viewed wedding Brackley. Against her will, Elena thought of the other complaints against King Richard. There were the missing nephews, of course. She had always avoided thinking of them because if Richard had caused them to be done away with, what might he do to a mere lady-in-waiting should she displease him?

"Why do you think he was so adamant that she marry him? Did he love her?" Gareth asked.