Daughter of Time: A Time Travel Romance (23 page)

“Well I haven’t!”

“Young Humphrey . . .” the first man began,
but his partner cut him off.

“Humphrey de Bohun is a bloody traitor! He
turned his back on me. He had the nerve to say that though I’d been
loyal through many battles, it was only because of that loyalty
that he would pretend he hadn’t heard my plea. He’ll have none of
this. I’m lucky he didn’t turn me in to Prince Llywelyn.”

Now I knew who the second man was at least:
Humphrey’s companion, John de Lacey, the man sent by Humphrey’s
grandfather. Then heavy footsteps sounded on the other side of the
door, pounding along the battlements. Hywel’s voice penetrated the
stairwell. “You there!”

“Yes sir!” It was the first voice.

“What good is a guard who stands in one
place? You know how close to England we are here!”

“Yes, sir,” the man said.

I’d starting backing down the stairs at
Hywel’s speech, but now turned and fled. My breath came in short
gasps as I followed the curve of the tower. I was out of sight of
the door in a few steps. If one of the men opened it, however, they
would know by the pounding of my feet that they’d been
overheard.

With a rush, Anna and I burst out of the
stairwell and onto the second floor landing—and ran full-on into
Llywelyn.

“What is it?” he said, his hands grasping my
forearms to stop my headlong rush.

“I’ve just heard . . .” I gasped, trying to
catch my breath. “There were men talking on the battlements . .
.”

“In here,” he said, and pushed me into the
room he was using for his office.

“Rutting bastard!” Anna said, her voice
cheery. “Rutting bastard!”

“I gather you’ve been listening where you
shouldn’t, too, young lady,” Llywelyn said, rubbing Anna under her
chin. He turned to me. “Now tell me.”

“I wanted to walk on the battlements, just
to see the countryside,” I said. “Before I could push through the
door at the top of the stairs, I overheard angry voices. Two men,
one of whom sounded like Humphrey’s man-at-arms, arguing about
something—a plot against you, I think.”

Llywelyn’s face darkened. “I misjudged him,
then.”

“No, you didn’t,” I said, hastening to
redirect his thoughts. “They were angry because Humphrey refused to
help them.”

“Ah.” Llywelyn stood in front of me, his
hands on his hips, thinking. “Did you hear any of what they were
planning?”

“No. I’m sorry. I ran because I was afraid
John would come through the door and see me.”

“Understandable.”

“Hywel interrupted them, anyway. He saw
them; he would know who the men were. Maybe he observed something
else that would help.”

“You have a tendency to end up right in the
thick of things, don’t you?” he said. “The solar would be
safer.”

“But not nearly as interesting,” I said. “I
don’t want to bore you.”

Llywelyn’s mouth twitched. “No, we wouldn’t
want that, would we?” And then. “Let’s find Hywel and see what he
says.”

I was pleased he was letting me come—he
certainly didn’t have to—so I passed Anna to Maud, her new nanny,
who was darning stockings in the next room. She was a widow a few
years older than I, whose two children and husband had died in a
sickness two years before. The thought brought me to my knees, but
she hadn’t given up as she might have—as I can imagine I would have
if I’d lost Anna—and was loving and fiercely protective of Anna,
who in turn adored her.

Llywelyn and I mounted the stairs I’d just
run down. This time we went through the door at the top. It was a
gorgeous, spring day, with a scattering of white clouds in the blue
sky. Flowers bloomed, particularly the early bulbs, and Llywelyn
said that the farmers were already planting crops in the lands
along the coast and the warmer, richer lands in southern Wales.

The guard who paced the four corners of the
tower stiffened in salute as Llywelyn walked by him. I couldn’t
tell by looking at him if he was the same one who’d talked to John,
so trailed after Llywelyn. Hywel spied us from his post on the top
of the gatehouse tower, thirty yards on, and met us half-way down
the walkway.

The castle was roughly rectangular in shape,
with the round gatehouse tower protruding from the southern wall
and the square keep taking up another corner. Llywelyn had
explained that the round tower was built first, purely as a
defensive measure, before the keep was built for comfort.

“My lord,” Hywel said, with a quick bow.

“Just now you encountered John de Lacey and
another man arguing, did you not?” Llywelyn said. “Meg overheard
them.”

“Did she?” Hywel said, looking past Llywelyn
to me. “I didn’t see you, madam.”

“I was behind the door.”

“They were arguing about a plot they’d
conceived,” Llywelyn continued. “We were hoping you knew more than
she.”

“No,” Hywel said shortly. “I sent my man,
one Huw ap Cadoc, to his quarters. I was not pleased with his lapse
in attention as it was.”

“We’ll need him now if we are to confront
Lacey,” Llywelyn said.

“Yes, my lord. I’ll bring him to the hall.”
Hywel strode away, back towards the gatehouse tower, and Llywelyn
and I backtracked to the stairs and the great hall.

We’d only just entered, however, when Hywel
appeared through the great double doors to the keep.

“He’s gone,” Hywel said, without preamble,
“along with John de Lacy.”

Llywelyn swung around to stare at him.
“You’re sure?”

“I spoke to Humphrey who is with the squires
in the bailey. Nobody saw them leave, but as the postern gate lies
behind the stables . . .” his voice trailed off at the expression
on Llywelyn’s face.

“I know, dammit!” Llywelyn said. “I built
the place.” He strode to the entrance doors and stared out
them.

“Should I order men to follow?” Hywel came
up beside Llywelyn.

“Yes,” Llywelyn said. “They’re probably long
gone—making for Huntingdon no doubt—but let’s make sure of it.”

“Yes, my lord,” Hywel said. “And your plans?
Have they changed?”

“No. We leave for Brecon tomorrow. Bohun
will come for Humphrey and hopefully we will be rid of the lot of
them.”

I placed a hand on Llywelyn’s arm. “Next
time I’ll listen longer.”

“You certainly will not!” Llywelyn said. He
wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him in a tight
squeeze. I put my arms around his waist and hugged him back.

“Women make good spies,” I said. “Nobody
ever suspects us.”

“Not my woman,” Llywelyn growled. It was
exactly what I would have expected him to say. “It’s bad enough to
have plots and subterfuge every time I turn around without worrying
about you too.”

“Yes, my lord,”—and smiled to hear myself
say it.

Chapter
Sixteen

A
t long last:
Brecon.

I’d entered the keep earlier in the
afternoon with Goronwy, pleased as always that I’d taken it from
Bohun. Humphrey had been several steps behind us, escorting Meg and
Anna, and he’d craned his neck to see what changes or improvements
I’d made to his grandfather’s domain. I’d had to rebuild some of
the craftsmen’s sheds in the bailey, damaged by fire when we took
the castle, as well as make extensive repairs to the several of the
walls. The latest problem was that the Honddu River slid by right
under the southeastern castle walls and was undermining the stone
foundation. The spring floods hadn’t helped.

“I’m glad that you made it without mishap,
my lord,” Tudur said, striding up to Goronwy and me.

I clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad to
see you too, friend. You have news for us?”

“I do,” he said, “though your young
man-at-arms, Bevyn, whom you sent ahead of you to warn of the
traitor in our midst only adds to the uncertainties.”

I glanced at Humphrey, who pulled out a
chair for Meg at one of the tables and then sat across from her
with a chess board. I’d watched him carefully since Lacey left, not
wanting to give away the fact that I knew of Lacey’s potential
betrayal. It was a test of a sort. So far, he’d not passed it.

“Has he played the game of kings with her
before?” Goronwy asked.

“Not that I’m aware,” I said. “Maybe I’ll
stick around to sweep him off the floor when she’s done with
him.”

Goronwy smirked. “You do that, my lord. I’ll
make sure the men are properly settled in their quarters.” He paced
away and I turned to Tudur.

“What did you find? Whose ring was it?”

“Owain confessed it was his, but he’d given
it to Dafydd many years ago.”

“As I feared,” I said. “Dafydd sent a
messenger out of Gwynedd.”

“That is all we know, for now, my lord,”
Tudur said. “The question remains: to whom did Dafydd send
him?”

“And did he reach his destination?”

“And why did he die? Because he was a loose
end that needed tying?” Tudur said. “To destroy any link between
Dafydd and our unknown man? Or to prevent him from reaching
him.”

“We’ll think on it,” I said. “Dafydd has
much to answer for, even without this.”

A commotion from the kitchen caught my
attention. One of my new boarhound puppies burst through the
doorway, followed by Anna. The puppy ran under a table and I
scooped the girl into my arms.

“Careful,
cariad,
” I said. “He
bites.”

“He’s nice,” she said. “Can I have him,
Papa?”

“He’ll be bigger than you someday. Perhaps
we’ll find you a kitten instead.”

Anna put her arms around my neck and
squeezed. My heart melted. I carried her to Meg and sat down to
watch the chess match. “Is everything in order?” Meg said, her eyes
still on the board.

“Yes,” I said, shifting Anna in my lap. “We
should hear soon if Lacey reached your grandfather, Humphrey. Then
you can go home.”

Humphrey looked up, met my gaze, and looked
down again.

I allowed a few heart beats to pass. “Do you
have something to tell me, son?”

Meg’s hand hovered above a pawn. Humphrey
didn’t answer, so she picked up the piece and gently moved it into
position. Humphrey continued to stare at the board, not meeting my
eyes. Then without warning, he upended the chess board, sending the
pieces scattering across the table and floor.

“God damn them to the seventh level of a
fiery hell!” Humphrey surged to his feet and I matched him, afraid
of what he might damage next. Meg reached for Anna and I handed her
over before moving to confront Humphrey.

“Control yourself,” I said.

Humphrey sputtered. He fisted his right hand
and slammed it into the wall behind him.

“Please believe that you are among friends,
Humphrey,” Meg said. “Just tell us.”

Humphrey massaged his right hand with his
left. “John asked that I aid him in some plot against you,” he said
through gritted teeth. “I didn’t—” He stopped. “I sent him
away.”

“But didn’t feel the need to tell me of it?”
Llywelyn said.

“No! I did not!” Humphrey said. “Nor uncover
the details, beyond that it was not for my grandfather that he was
working.”

“Not your grandfather?” Meg said. “Isn’t
John his man?”

“He is,” Humphrey said.

“Was.” Hywel strode across the hall towards
us. “I followed him, as you requested, my lord. But instead of
taking the turning to Huntingdon, he continued past it, on
north.”

“What did you say?” Humphrey spun around to
face Hywel, his face draining of color. “Why would he go
north?”

“I don’t know,” Hywel said. He turned to me.
“My lord, I apologize, but I didn’t want to risk my men by taking
them further into England. We turned back and informed the Earl of
Hereford of his grandson’s imminent arrival at Brecon.”

“Did you tell of him of his wayward
servant?” Meg asked.

“I did,” Hywel said, “and he claimed no
knowledge of his destination. Lord Bohun said, however, that he
would attempt to find out more and would report those findings to
you, my lord.”

“Did he?” I said. “A new spirit of
cooperation indeed among the Bohuns. It is without precedent.”
Humphrey glared at me, but when I matched his gaze, he soon looked
away. Once again he’d not comported himself as well as he might
have, and he knew it. He bent his head and sagged onto his
bench.

The others left, Anna crawled under the
tables to find the wayward chess pieces, and Meg and Humphrey
resumed their game, though neither player’s attention was on it.
Although I could have chastised Humphrey further, Meg was all he
needed.

“Why didn’t you tell us, Humphrey?” She
moved a castle forward and didn’t look at him.

“Where do my loyalties lie, my lady? I am
your prisoner.”

“Are you?” she said. “It looks to me the
only prison you inhabit is one of your own making.”

At her words, Humphrey abandoned any
pretense of playing the game. “You’re speaking of honor again.”

“You knew the right thing to do,” Meg said,
“but you didn’t do it. We are enemies, yes, but not in this and not
today.”

“It would serve my house if Lord Llywelyn
were dead.”

“And it is worth the loss of your soul to
see that happen?”

“I have killed men,” Humphrey said, “but
only in battle. These machinations and subtle plotting are beyond
me. I know that worries my grandfather, who is a master.”

“All you have to worry about, Humphrey, is
your own actions,” Meg said. “It may be your destiny to lead men in
war, perhaps even against my lord. But it’s not your nature to
sneak around in the dark. Prince Llywelyn has been open in his
dealings with you, and as you yourself are a knight, he expects the
same in return.”

“I know it. It was not clear to me that
stopping a plot perpetrated against him by another was also my
duty.”

“And now?”