Here Be Dragons - 1, Sharon Penman [e novels to read online txt] 📗

... about me?""I've always known what I ought to do." He reached for a strand of her hair, entwined it about his fingers. "But now . . . now I know what I want to do.""What?" she whispered, not daring to move, to risk breaking the spell."This," he said, and leaned toward her. The kiss was very gentle, almost tentative. But then her arms went up around his neck, and he felt her tears on his face. When he kissed her again, her mouth clung to his, and it was as if they'd never been apart. Theirs was suddenly a world bounded by bed hangings of Tripoli silk, a world without yesterdays or tomorrows, just the here and now and two halves made wholeall too briefly.-all tooJOANNA'S breathing had yet to slow; it still came in loud, uneven gasP ' She heard Llewelyn panting, knew his climax had been no less intens /

679no less overwhelming than her own. When he started to withdraw^ s^ tightened her arms around him. "No," she entreated, "no, not yet."-" j_j snifted so that his weight no longer bore down upon her, and the-^ ^ jallghed, a soundJoanna had never thought to hear again. "I was just thinking," he said, "that there's more to be saicg fo laying one's ghosts to rest than most people realize." *She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Llewelyn . . ."Their eyes met, held. "No, breila," he said. "Not now."She nodded, disappointed but not surprised. She was afraid ty, a{ tach too much significance to their lovemaking. It was too easy tQs, ex plain it away as a one-time occurrence, a natural male responSve j.. intimacy and opportunity. Common sense warned that there wa^ n place in a Prince's life for a discredited, sullied wife. But lying no^ j^ Llewelyn's arms, his breath upon her cheek, his hand upon her hip^ g^ could not help but hope, and she settled back against him, closing^ ^e eyes. After a time, the change in his breathing told her he slept. 5^, watched the hearth log burn down, listened to the lulling rhythm of rajj. upon the slate roof. Shortly before dawn, she fell asleep, too.When she awoke, the rain had stopped, the room showed the s]^ajs owy half-light of early morning, and she was alone. She sat up, pusl^mR her hair out of her eyes, her brain clouded with sleep. "Llewely,n?'. Reaching over, she jerked the bed hangings all the way back; the chyarris her was empty. If not for the sight of her discarded clothing scatt^recj about the floor, she might almost have believed she'd dreamed it ajj The fire had gone out and the air was chill; she shivered, fumbled for> ^et bedrobe, and began numbly to follow her routine upon rising, as sl^g'^ done every morning for the past nine months.Five minutes later she halted her brushing in mid-stroke, sat d<^wri in the closest seat. She'd known that what happened between a t^n and woman in bed was not a reliable indication of intent. But how^ver acute his morning-after regrets, how could he have left her like t^jg without even a word of farewell?A knock sounded at the door and a young man entered, carrying a tray. "Where shall I put this, my lady?"Joanna had never seen him before. "Who are you?"He was staring past her at the bed, at its telltale dishevelment, j^s eyes wide and wondering. When he turned back to Joanna, his exp res. s'on made it clear he thought her a practitioner of sexual sorcery, a Ijor_ ttian-FrenchCirce. "I am Phylip, Madame," he mumbled. "I came Q4Ver ast night with my lord; he ordered me to fetch this from the kitcho>n " ^d only then, as he set the tray upon the table, did Joanna see th^t it held food for two.Although she caught the enticing aroma of hot baked bread, Joa^,na

T680.,.hpre the tray untouched before her, did not stir. She was still *£**£'« ner Je and he crossed swiftty whenLlewelyn returned - One gia To her side. "Joanna?" gone/- she said, and he drew her to her irSnds « - ^^ With . jerk of his head "Gone? What did you thmkth^ ^ ^ume g sake?toward the canopied bed, tne»"?L »,«« w» »«*"-«*- q"-tad'°^a^^«-^^^^s^^= c^^--saS?i»-----'-'^.^^'S^^Ud-.***-^Sh« sounded so ^ted haS to teak, ]o,nn>." .«M"»5-K^5£»s^s-^^^---^'*HeWd her face up to J»- tOU*^tomises, can only say I«» »*S^:^^^""^'1"''"*SonLlthinUfswo^then*.«u-*.««, - -£ ;rh»rs «£*£ s;^:r^^rsr^^^the sky, the turquoise of the M' and her mantle was soon^r^T^S-^TS=^?^jbs=«s.-"-^%^S±^^fSBangor. Ahead, a herdsman and_tas d g^.^ ^ foad and the,r=5K^^tfc5se.i?.i=S'Si"Good morrow to you, my His jaw dropped; his woi saX£=MK~683Llewelyn appeared indifferent to this peculiar behavior. Glancing over his shoulder, he beckoned to one of his men. "Seth, give this fellow a hand."The herdsman did not even acknowledge his lord's kindness, for he could not take his eyes from his lord's wife. He was gaping at Joanna as if she were an apparition, one to be warded off with incantations and henbane. Only then didJoanna comprehend the true magnitude of what Llewelyn meant to do."Llewelyn, wait!" She urged her horse forward, caught at his sleeve."Llewelyn, this is madness. Your people scorn me as an adulteress, feel Ibetrayed you both as wife and consort. They'll never understand, never accept me.""They may not understand, but they will accept you," he said, and his voice was suddenly grim.Joanna bit her lip, stared at him in despair. "But.. . but what if they will not? They hate me now, Llewelyn, and that hatred might well spill over onto you if you take me back. There will be those who'll say I've bewitched you, and . . . and others who'll think you've grown soft, weak . . ." There was no need to continue; she saw that. She was warning him of dangers he knew far better than she. When had he ever acted without considering the consequences?She'd been the blind one, the selfish one."How can I let you do this?