Here Be Dragons - 1 (37 page)

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ory for dates, be they birthdays, name days, saints' days, whateve Tangwystl finally resorted to laying out tally sticks in our bedchambe to remind me of the days remaining until her birthday. And my chi](jre' do take no chances, talk of nothing else for fully a month beforehand "
"Alas, and I thought you were without flaw," Joanna said lightlv She was suddenly very happy. They'd often sat and talked, but thi conversation was somehow different; Llewelyn was somehow different She could not have articulated the change, knew only that there was an intimacy between them that she'd never felt before.
"I take it I'm forgiven? I should like to make amends, though, so you may ask of me what you will."
"Anything? Anything at all?"
"Well, anything within reason," Llewelyn hedged, but then laughed, realizing she was teasing.
Joanna laughed, too. "I shall have to give it some thought. An opportunity such as this is not to be wasted, must be . . ." And then her eyes fell upon the letter in her lap. Very much in earnest now, she put a hand imploringly upon his arm. "Did you truly mean it, Llewelyn? For there is something I do want, more than you could ever know. My father wrote that he expects to land at Portsmouth within the fortnight. I've not seen him for nigh on seven months, and . . . and it would mean so much to me to be there on the docks, waiting for him. May I, Llewelyn? May I go home for a visit?"
She did not, Llewelyn saw, even catch her slip of the tongue, the use of
"home." Catrin had been right; he'd not done all he could for the lass. "Of course you may go to Portsmouth, Joanna, if that be your wish."
"Thank you, oh, thank you!" For a moment he thought she was about to fling her arms around him; she made an indecisive movement, and then jumped to her feet.
"May I go now? Today? It'll take a week to reach London, after all, and I know not when he's sailing. I could stay with my Aunt Ela, and we could travel together to Portsmouth. And .. and if you'd not mind, I could remain for
Papa's Christmas court?"
"I'd not mind in the least. What could be more natural than that you'd miss your father, your family? Now, if you truly want to depart this noon, you'd best set your maids to packing. Meanwhile, I'll see about getting you a proper escort."
Joanna had begun to thank him again, and he rose, put his arm around her waist. "Why do you not," he suggested, "ask Catrin to help you pack? You did look rather . . . taken aback at sight of her earlier, and I'm sure you'd not want her to think she'd somehow displeased you. She's a good friend, Joanna;
they do come no better. You need never fear that she'd betray a confidence, share your secrets."

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"Was I so obvious as that7" Joanna asked softly, and Llewelyn ndded, gave her waist a gentle squeeze n "go you admit, then, that you have secrets from me7" he mured and
Joanna's eyes widened On the surface, it could have sed for his usual banter, but the undercurrent earned an altogether H fferent message He was, she thought in utterly amazed delight, flirtmg with her
"That," she said impishly, "is for me to know and you to find out " Llewelyn burst out laughing, more than a little intrigued It was a child's answer, the sort of flippancy that any of his daughters might have uttered, but there was nothing at all childlike in the look she gave him, a look impossible to misread, for he'd had it from too many women in the past not to recognize it on sight for what it wasan invitation to further intimacies
BLANCHE was even more excited than Joanna at the prospect of returning to
England, and she completed the packing in record if disordered haste Within the hour, Joanna found herself out in the bailey, watching as her coffers were loaded onto pack horses Enid came forward, made a quick curtsy, and retreated as if she feared Joanna might change her mind, make her accompany them to the
English King's court, after all But Joanna merely smiled, and then startled
Enid by giving her an utterly inappropriate hug Embracing Catherine next, she waited until Sugar was safely settled into her traveling basket, and then moved toward Llewelyn
He was standing with her seneschal, turned at her approach 'Dylan and I have just been determining your route You'll be ferried across the strait at
Abermenai, Dylan will swim the horses across Ordinarily, I'd have you pass the night with the monks at Aberconwy, but you're getting a late start, and I'd as soon you crossed Penmaenmawr in full light So you'd best halt at Aber tonight
"
He drew her away from the others then, put something into her hand "Here, this is a gift for your father I had it looped upon a chain so you could wear it around your neck, for safety's sake "
It was, Joanna saw, a square-cut ruby ring, set in heavy gold "I shall present it to Papa with your compliments," she promised, and LleWelyn shook his head
"No, Joanna I've arranged for a falcon from Ramsey Island as my
^evv Year's gift This will be from you, and you alone " He smiled, for e nng had been taken in one of his grandfather's wars with the En-
°1Sn/ and it amused him to think of the English King wearing booty tr°m a border raid

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Joanna was staring down at the ring. Her father had a passion f jewels, but she had never before been able to indulge that passion t give him a gift so sure to please. "How generous you are, how good t me," she said, and reached up, kissed him quickly upon the cheek.
On impulse, Llewelyn stepped closer, took her in his arms. CurioUs as to what her response would be, he bent his head, touched his lins [ hers.He was half expecting her to recoil,as she hadatRhaeadr Eywnnol but he was, just as
Catherine had predicted, very agreeably surprised Far from shrinking back, Joanna at once put her arms around his neck He tightened his hold; there was a fluid feel to her body, as if she'd flowed into his embrace, so yielding was she, so softly supple and pliant, so utterly unlike the girl who'd once gone rigid at his lightest touch. Her breath was sweet, her mouth opening under his like a flower. When he probed it with his tongue, she clung all the closer, showed herself to be a quick study responding with timid tongueflickerings of her own. It was, for a kiss born of curiosity, one that offered infinite and unexpected promise for the future, and it was with genuine regret that
Llewelyn released her, ended their embrace.
He'd noted before that Joanna had unusually beautiful eyes; they changed with the light, her mood, reflected color like crystal, hazel brown to gold-flecked emerald within the span of seconds. They were very green now, a misty, glowing green, wide with wonderment. She was quite flushed, was running the tip of her tongue over her lips, as if she were still savoring his kiss, and Llewelyn suddenly laughed. Was this how Eve had looked upon first tasting the forbidden fruit?
"Do not," he said, "be gone too long."
19
PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND
Dtumba 1206
«i
H
-LJ.OW long must we wait, my lady? I'm s° cold, am like to catch my death if we . . ."
But Joanna was not listening to Blanche, for she'd caught sight ot

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father He had emerged from the sheltering tent, was watching as lors secured their moorings Beside him, Joanna recognized Peter des c hes, Bishop of Winchester, one of the few churchmen her father med inclined to trust Isabelle was now out on deck, too, looking probably beautiful in a hooded mantle of silvery fox fur, cuddling a mall dog that might have been Sugar's twin Joanna could wait no
I nger' pusned her way to the forefront of the small crowd assembled upon the dock
John was halfway down the gangplank when he saw Joanna He paused, then smiled, kept his eyes upon her all the while the city fathers bade him welcome As the wind was biting enough to curb even the most effusive of tongues, the official greetings were mercifully brief, and within moments Joanna was curtsying before her father He raised her up, then drew her to him in a warm, enveloping hug
"I could ask for no more agreeable surprise than this But how did you manage it, lass7 You are not a runaway wife, are you7"
His banter did not nng altogether true, for all that it was playfully posed, the question articulated a genuine concern What did Papa fear that she was unhappy as Llewelyn's wife7 Or that her unhappmess might jeopardize his alliance with Llewelyn7 Probably both, Joanna acknowledged, but without resentment Papa would be counting up political gams and losses even upon his deathbed So, she suspected, would Llewelyn
"You need not worry, Papa," she said, and smiled at him "I have a very indulgent husband "
"WILL you be coming to me tonight, John7"
Isabelle's ladies were preparing her for bed, and she was clad only m her chemise, her hair loose and flowing down her back A lovely child, she was maturing into a breathtaking woman, John never tired of looking at her, had yet to tire of sleeping with her Crossing the chamber, he drew her to him, into a possessive embrace "Does that answer your question7 But it'll not be till late, so you need not wait up for me
11 wake you " He kissed her again, then turned toward Joanna
"How about a kiss from you, too, sweetheart7" he said, and Joanna mi'ed, came quickly into his arms Stepping back, he looked for a long foment into her face, and she thought he meant to ask for assurance ut he did not, and she wondered why, was it that since he could not ange what was writ, he'd rather not know if the price had been too high?
Isabelle was dismissing her ladies "That will be all The Lady anr>a can see to my needs " As soon as they were alone, she beckoned

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Joanna toward the bed. "Well? Are you not going to tell me ab Llewelyn?" Ut
Joanna nodded. "Yes," she said slowly, "I am." She'd given jf great deal of thought in the last fortnight, had concluded that she had n choice but to confide in Isabelle. She was not blind to the risk; Isabel] was not the most reliable of confidantes. Yet there was no one else. For time she'd considered her Aunt Ela, for Ela was a pious, earnest woman who'd go to her grave before she'd betray a trust. And like Joanna and Isabelle, Ela had been married very young, to a man much older than she. But there'd never been true intimacy between them; no matter how she tried, Joanna could not envision herself discussing so sensitive a subject with Ela. Nor did she think Ela was a likely source for the sort of advice she needed; Ela was too passive, too docile, too
. . . good. Ela would not understand. But Isabelle would. That Joanna never doubted
"I do need your counsel, Isabelle. Things are not right between Llewelyn and me, not as they should be. But ere I say one blessed word, you must swear to keep secret whatever I do tell you, swear upon your very soul."
"That is insulting, Joanna. Think you that I cannot keep a secret?" Joanna merely looked at her in significant silence, and Isabelle yielded, said reluctantly, "Very well, I do so swear. You surprise me, though. I was so sure you'd take to Llewelyn ..."
"I did that, in truth," Joanna said ruefully. "I love him, Isabelle. I did not want to, but I do. And now I'm frightened . . . because for the first time I
think he's starting to see me as a woman. I want so much to believe that, but if I'm wrong ... I do not think I could bear it. I'm afraid to go back, afraid to find out. And I'm afraid, too, that when I do, I'll say or do the wrong thing, that I'll"
"Joanna, I want to help, I truly do. But I know not what you're talking about.
If you love him, what then, is the problem?"
"That he's not yet taken me to bed," Joanna said, before she could lose her nerve.
Isabelle's brows rose. "Why not?"
"I think . . . think I'm not to his liking, not the way a man wants a woman."
Isabelle did not make the conventional polite denial. For several moments, she said nothing, and then she shook her head. "That's not likely, Joanna. I grant you your coloring is unfortunate. But no man thinks of such matters in bed.
Now if you were rail-slat thin or partridge plump . . . but you're not, have high breasts, a waist a man could span with his hands" She broke off, began to laugh. "I sound as if I/rn tallying up the finer points of a filly I hope to sellfifteen hands high/ with a gait smooth as silk!"

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Joanna laughed, too Isabella was unpredictable and irreverent, but . could be perversely comforting, too, and Joanna very much wanted
5 believe her "Why, then, Isabelle7"
"Well sometimes a man can be so besotted with one woman that he has no desire to bed with any others," Isabelle said, rather dubiously, nd at once wished she had not, for Joanna looked stricken "But such men are as rare as unicorns
And you'd know if he were so smitten with a mistress, all the court would know, as when old King Henry doted so shamelessly upon Rosamond Clifford " She signaled for Joanna to pour them wine, added thoughtfully, "Of course, it may just be that he thinks you're too young for bedding or unwilling Have you given him cause for that, Joanna7"
"Yes I suppose I have," Joanna admitted, startled "He did not seem to want me, you see, so I "
"So you returned the favor Foolish but not fatal I daresay you can mend the damage easily enough You need only let him know, Joanna, that you want him in your bed, what could be simpler7" "But how do I do that7 I cannot very well tell him, can I7" "Why not7 I assure you, no man ever took a woman's admission of desire as an insult But there are any number of ways to let a man know you want him Make an excuse to seek him out in his bedchamber, invite him into yours, look upon him with loving eyes, talk softly, tease Dearest, it is so easy, in truth1" "For you, yes, but not for me1"
"You may be an innocent, Joanna, but your husband is not He'll take your meaning quickly enough In the morning we'll go through my coffers, pick out colors that become you Now I want to show you what John gave me for my name day, a necklet of sapphires and silver "
Joanna lay back against the pillows, only half listening to this accounting of
Isabelle's newest acquisition, Isabelle already had, she knew, jewels enough to bedazzle any queen in Christendom But where men were concerned, Isabelle's instincts were sound She must somehow dispel Llewelyn's doubts, let him know she was now most willing to be his wife if, m truth, she had not already done so, out in the November sunlight before half his court And closing her eyes, she gave herself up to remembering the feel of Llewelyn's mouth upon hers, that kiss so sweet, so hot, and so surprising
JOHN had returned to England m good spirits, pleased with the fruits °f his summer campaign His sense of satisfaction had done nothing to curb his innate restlessness, however, and he let neither heavy snows n°r the grumbling of his courtiers slow his pace Landing at Ports-