She stared up at him, her chin raised with challenge. “Let me go.”
“Nay, I’ll not have my wife insult me in front of my men, Tanon,” he said to keep his concentration where it belonged…on his anger.
“And I’ll not suffer the same from my husband,” she flung back at him.
Gareth’s jaw jumped.For a moment, he considered that his spirited woman might in fact be a little hellion. She looked very much like one right now with her springy curls peeping out from beneath her wimple, and her green eyes shooting fire. She looked enticing. A pang of desire went straight to his groin, making him ache to find out if he was right. He’d never suffered such belligerence before. He led men home alive from battle. No one ignored him. He guessed it was better than arguing with her at every turn. Then again, he was rather enjoying watching the battle she fought with herself to maintain her mild-mannered temperament.
“You’ll obey me, else I cannot—”
She feigned a yawn. “Are you going to go on much longer? I’m very sleepy, and you’re only adding to my drowsiness.”
He growled something in Welsh, then turned away from her when Alwyn and Tomas burst through the trees.
“Gareth!” Alwyn vaulted from his saddle and ran to him. “There’s a small band of men not two leagues from here. They’reCymry.”
“Are you certain?” Gareth asked, “How did they get past the marches?”
Alwyn shook his head. “I don’t know. Tomas and I were able to get close enough without being seen. They are planning an attack on Winchester.”
“Non!”Tanon clutched his arm. “Gareth, you must do something!”
“Fools.”
“Did you hear me?” She tugged on him again. “We have to warn the king. My family is there.”
“Your family is in no danger,” he assured her, “Those fools will be killed the instant they fire their first arrow on the castle.” He turned to find Madoc across the fire. “Who could have given them the order to attack when there are a thousand knights visiting for the tourney?”
“Gareth,” Tomas said, returning his lord’s attention to him, his dark eyes somber. “They carry your banner. They know they have no chance at victory. Their plan is to attack and make King William believe you are behind it.”
Gareth’s expression turned deadly in an instant. “How many are there?”
“At least fifty.”
Hereward rose to his feet and went to stand beside Gareth. “William knows you’re not so foolish. He’ll never believe the order to attack came from you.”
“He might,” Gareth told him. “I don’t intend to take that chance. Someone doesn’t want peace with the Normans, and they want me to be William’s first casualty.” He flicked his gaze back to Madoc. “We take them out.”
“Just before dawn,” Madoc agreed and swung his gaze to Bleddyn.
Gareth nodded slightly and turned to Bleddyn next. “You’ll ride back to Winchester and inform the king that there’s a plot to make us enemies. Tell him what we know and that we have put an end to it.”
Gareth watched him mount his horse and ride away, disappearing into the trees.
“Who’s behind this plot?” Hereward asked while Gareth returned to the fire. “We must find out and tell the king.”
“I don’t know. Prince Dafydd, any one of his brothers in the north…Prince Rhydderch of Powys, Cadwr of Glywysing… my brother.” Gareth scanned his eyes across the shadows around them. “We’ll know soon enough.”
*
Tanon couldn’t sleep.She spent most of the night with Rebecca while Gareth sat with his men and Hereward, planning the attack on the Welshmen.
When Rebecca finally drifted off to sleep, Tanon returned to her pallet and watched her husband while he spoke. The wind stirred his hair around his shoulders. Firelight skittered across his face, tempting her to study the strength in his jaw, the firm set of his lips. He glanced at her and she thought she saw his features soften.
She chewed her lower lip. In just a few hours he was going to fight against men who wanted him dead so badly they were willing to give their own lives to see it done. A quiver of dread coursed through her. She hugged her knees to her chest. What if they killed him tonight? She wasn’t so angry with him that she wanted to see him dead. Just the thought of it tore at her chest.Enfer,she liked him, when he wasn’t acting like an arrogant prince. She almost pounded her fist on her thigh. She’d tried not to, but he had a way of looking at her that felt so familiar, so safe. In fact, he was the only person who protected her from Roger. Even William and her father hadn’t done that.
She would be free to return home if Gareth was killed.Non,she admonished herself, that was a terrible thing to consider. Besides, God only knew who she’d be forced to marry then. No one in her mind even came close to Gareth. Even if she had to live in Wales, he was her first choice for a husband. She pleased him, and heaven help her, he pleased her as well.
She didn’t want him to fight, or get killed, but what could she do about it? Her mother always prayed for her father when he left for battle. Tanon thought about it. She was Gareth’s wife. She should pray for him. Clasping her hands together, she lifted them to her mouth and closed her eyes.