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

that not many co', Sh°Ulder with equanimity. It was not3 uncommon for these L^*^?to f e/° ** hearths ^Z Uve-in concubines, and while e Ulurch officially decried these liai sons, they were tacitly accepts "*' *PeoPle as inevitable and even natural. Unlike so many of his ^ °W dencs'Morgan had never taken a wife or hearthmate, and the o/^! ere few when he'd found his vow of chastity too onerous fo/"Y3 flesh" He wa« always quite dis creet, and it was purely by cha^"" , Llewelyn had found out aboutGwynora. He had told no one, a^W°Uld never have dreamed of savine a word to Morgan; it gave him S W3rm glow of Pleasure to keep a secret for this man he so loved."I know all about carnal 1/^*1' Morgan'" he said loftily "But what has that to do with one of /

that he yearns t/7 cross-""You mean go on pilgrimag/ tO the Holy Land?" Morgan nodded and then h/SI*fed again" "The fact remains however, that Richard has been knov^" mdu]8e in an unnatural vice He would rather satisfy his lust with me" with women."Llewelyn's eyes widened "E^Ut' ' ' but how?" he blurted out then saw Morgan frown, and lapsed Jnt° a chastened silence. Men lavine with other men? How was that P°SS K'? He'd SCen enoug* animal! mating to be able to envision a coJP ng betwee" a man and woman but when it came to coupling betwee/* f6"' his imagination failed him' "Morgan ... do Richard's bX share this sin?""It is not a hereditary vice tle^elvn- it does not pass with theS' M°rgan S3id dr^ " ?Cnry WaS hWU though h,ld,ess, Geoffrey's sins are be/°"d "Ttin8> but he does confine youn^ fleSh f° adultery- As <1Op'ng hlm in a Plumed cloud C' darling, I thought you ^°Uld have a Pi]l tonight. And I

18brought you thisShe opened her palm. "See? It's a coralPatet noster.You put it under your pillow and you'll not be troubled by x dreams."She began to adjust the covers, tucking him in, all the while keep; up a running commentary about his "battle scars," telling him of fight his father had gotten into as a youngster. He had reached the age whe he'd begun to shy away from caresses, and she confined herself to playful kiss on the tip of his nose, saying cheerfully, "Get some slee now, sweeting, and when next there is a full moon, we'll go out by th moat and catch a frog. Then we'll draw a circle around it, throw a handful of salt about, and you whisper to the frog the name of the wretch who gave you that fearsome black eye . . . and within a month he'll find himself covered with loathsome, hairy warts!"She got the response she was aiming for; her son grinned. But as she straightened up, Morgan touched her elbow, drew her away from the pallet."I do wish, Madame," he murmured, "that you would refrain from filling the boy's head with such fanciful thoughts. Superstitions of that sort are rooted in pagan rites and have no place in Christian belief."Marared laughed, unrepentant. "Do not be such a stick, Morgan!" But then her amusement chilled as if it had never been. The dark eyes narrowed, the full red mouth thinned noticeably. It was as if he were of a sudden looking at a different woman altogether."I want the names, Morgan.""Names, Madame?""The names of the hellspawn who did that to my son," she hissed "I know he told you, he tells you everything.""He does not want you to know, Madame. It's better forgotten.""Forgotten? That is my son, flesh of my flesh! I'll not let""Mama?"They both turned back toward the bed. Marared leaned down, smiled at her son."Are you not sleepy yet, sweeting?""Yes . . ." The day's trauma and the medicinal wine had loosened Llewelyn's tongue at last. "Mama, I do hate it here. So does Adda. I'D1 so homesick, Mama. I miss Rhys and Ednyved and Uncle Gruffyd^ and""Ah, Llewelyn ..." Marared's eyes filled with tears."Please, Mama, can we not go back where we belong? Can we not go home?""You will, lad," Morgan said quietly. "I promise you that the daj shall come when you will."Llewelyn stared up at him and then turned his head aside on "1 pillow. "You mean we have to stay here for now."

19"Yes . ror now." Morgan stepped back, stood looking down at boy- "But y°u wi^ *>° kack to Wales, Llewelyn. You will go home."SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND]unc 1187UnriJ.HINK you, then, that there'll be war?"Hugh Corbet hesitated. It was no easy thing to be a younger brother in an age in which all passed by law to a man's eldest son. But Hugh had been luckier than most. His was a family of considerable wealth; the Corbets held lands not only in Shropshire, but in Normandy, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Wales.Robert Corbet had inherited the barony of Caus, but there were manors to spare for Hugh, too, and his relationship with his brother was blessedly free of the poisonous jealousy that bred such strife between a fortunate firstborn and his landless siblings.Much of the time they were in harmony, working in tandem for the common Corbet good. But in this they were at odds. In this they were a House divided, much like the rival royal masters they served, for Robert's loyalties lay withRichard, King Henry's eldest son and heir, and Hugh's sympathies went out to the beleaguered, aging King.Hugh was silent, considering Robert's grim query. "I would hope to God it will not come to that, Rob," he said at last. "Father against sonthat is the ugliest of all feuds; it goes against the natural order of things."nev R hbert t0°k thiS 3S a Veiled Jab at Richard'the unfilial son. "It would as IT £ave,,come to this if Henry would but formally recognize Richard defend"8^ had to concede the truth of that. Finding himself forced to the indefensible,