The Good Knight (A Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery) by Sarah Woodbury Page A

his head in her lap. “We must be closer to the answer than we think. But to me, the list of potential culprits is only getting longer.”
    “No, no,” Gareth said. “It’s shorter. We know that whoever is responsible for Anarawd’s murder is here , at Aber. Otherwise, he couldn’t have reacted on such short notice.” He paused. “Admittedly, that does leave us half of Gwynedd and more.”
    “Yesterday afternoon, I met Cadell, Anarawd’s brother, in the courtyard,” Gwen said. “He’s come for the wedding too.”
    “And it is he who inherits.” Gareth chewed on his lower lip. “Could Bran—” He stopped.
     “Could your milk-brother have been working for Cadell?” Gwen finished for him. Her fingers worried at a worn spot on his shirt. If she didn’t stop, it would soon turn into a hole.
    “Perhaps Cadell objected to the match,” Gareth said, “though probably not for the same reasons Hywel did.”
    Gwen looked down at him. “Why wouldn’t Hywel want Elen to marry Anarawd?”
    Gareth lifted a shoulder. “He had been known to mistreat his women.”
    “Oh.”
    Gareth managed to turn his head to look at her without throwing up. She looked a little ill herself. “Regardless, this moves Cadell to the top of our list,” he said. “He stands to gain the most from Anarawd’s death.”
    “And he’s smarmy,” Gwen said. “The way he spoke to Hywel…”
    Footsteps sounded in the passage outside Gareth’s cell, and the man himself reappeared. “Well, isn’t this cozy,” Hywel said, his eyes alight as he took in the sight of Gwen cradling Gareth.
    “Did you speak with King Owain?” Gareth pushed up from Gwen’s lap. He struggled into a sitting position and came to rest with his back against the wall beside her.
    “I did. He grants that you are unlikely to have poisoned yourself. With reluctance, he is setting you free for the time being within the confines of the castle.”
    Gareth leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “I’m delighted to hear it,” he said, but didn’t move. He opened his eyes far enough to catch the glance Gwen and Hywel shared.
    “It’s a start,” Gwen said. “Was anyone else there when you spoke to your father?”
    “Taran and Cristina,” Hywel said.
    Gwen wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Now everybody will know.”
    “They would have anyway, the moment Gareth appeared in the hall.” Hywel braced his shoulder against the frame of the door. “While we wait for this dashing fellow to recover, why don’t you give me news of your travels, Gwen. It’s been months since I’ve seen you.”
    “Someone tried to marry her, you know,” Gareth said before Gwen could say anything.
    Gwen stuttered and shoved Gareth’s shoulder. “Not that kind of news.”
    “You turned him down?” Hywel said.
    “My father did,” Gwen said.
    Hywel smirked. “Families are complicated, aren’t they?”
    Gareth looked away and found Gwen watching him, amusement and the words they certainly are in her eyes.
     

Chapter Eleven
     
     
    “ G et up! Get up!” The words hissed in Gwen’s ear.
    She sat up with a start, thinking that her unsettled dreams had become reality. This most recent one had been full of fighting men, their swords swinging wildly in her direction. Gwen calmed as Gareth settled on the edge of her pallet and put a hand to her arm to hush her so she wouldn’t wake the woman next to them. A dozen ladies, many of whom had come for the cancelled wedding and would go home disappointed, slept around her on the floor. Cristina, King Owain’s assumed intended, occupied the only bed.
    “Anarawd’s body has disappeared.”
    Gwen swallowed hard as she gazed at Gareth, finding it difficult to marshal a reasonable reply. “Will it never end? This gets more complicated by the hour.”
    Gwen pushed at Gareth to move him out of her way so she could gather her things and get out of the room. With her dress under her arm and her boots in her other hand,