Free The Unconventional Maiden by June Francis Page B

had a temper and who was to say that if she wanted something badly enough she might not commit murder to get her way? He made for the door and could not resist calling over his shoulder, ‘I’m surprised you never thought of
having me hung, drawn and quartered
, Mistress Llewellyn.’
    ‘Maybe I should have,’ she said through gritted teeth, ‘only it was far too horrible to contemplate.’
    ‘Should I be grateful for that?’ he asked, pausing by the door. ‘Or perhaps you really would like to murder me?’
    ‘I do not find that the least bit amusing,’ snapped Beth, considering picking up one of the items on thetray and flinging it at him, only the door was already closing. Oh, why did she have to write such nonsense? Sir Gawain would now rate all her thought processes as emotional, foolish and inferior to his own. If only she could prove to him that she could reason as sensibly as many a man. A thought struck her. Perhaps she could begin by trying to recall at least some of the names of the customers in her father’s account book!
    Her stomach rumbled and she remembered the food he had brought and was glad to see that he had thought to include a cup of wine, as well. Perhaps she should be grateful to him for thinking of it and she felt ashamed of her behaviour. Had he meant the food as a peace offering? A sigh escaped her. Should she beg for his pardon again on the morrow?
    The mutton broth had cooled, but it was still tasty and she ate the lot and downed the wine. She decided not to wait for Jane to come and help her undress, but did so unaided and performed her
toilette
before saying her prayers and climbing into bed. The mattress felt as if stuffed with sheep’s wool and the boards beneath were hard. Even so, the wine had made her drowsy, so she turned on her side and fell asleep, only to dream that she was trapped in a tent. There seemed to be no opening and she was trying to crawl beneath the walls but there were too many pegs holding them down. Suddenly she sensed that there was someone in the tent with her. Then she saw a figure dressed in red and the head was hooded and a mask covered the face. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
    She tore herself out of the dream, her heart thudding. What had the dream meant?
    She slid out of bed and, still drowsy, made her way over to the table, meaning to write down the dream whilst it was fresh in her mind, only to remember that Sir Gawain had removed her writing implements. Exasperated, she returned to bed and tried to hold the dream in her mind. Perhaps in the morning she could go into Tenderden and find a stationer’s. That was, of course, if Sir Gawain did not prevent her from doing so.
    It was the following morning and Gawain had slept little due to spending too much time thinking of Beth and whether she was capable of murder and arguing with himself that was nonsense. She was obviously not herself at the moment after the terrible shock she had received and had behaved stupidly and out of character. His thoughts had veered between giving her a good spanking and taking her into his bed and making love to her, which proved that he was capable of thinking and behaving just as foolishly as she, as well. Due to the shock he had received on reading Mary’s missive, no doubt. But he did not want to dwell on that right now when there was a murderer on the loose. Beth must stay here when he eventually travelled to London. In the meantime he would entrust Sam to take a message to the Llewellyns’ man of business. He only hoped that when he did leave Beth alone, her curiosity about people did not mean she would go prying into his business or that of his neighbours.
    He dressed practically in brown hose, plain greyshirt and a brown, unadorned, broadcloth doublet, clothes that were very different from those he wore when he attended court. Later that morning he would visit the boatyard. He left his bedchamber and went downstairs and found not only