A Dishonorable Knight - By Morrison, Michelle Page 0,145

ride through the bailey again so that she might catch another glimpse of Gareth. She had just finished dressing and was waiting for the young servant girl to finish with her hair when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Elena called, but Catherine, who was having her hair washed, called out angrily, "No, do not enter! Elena, if you do not mind, I am not prepared to receive anyone."

"For heaven's sake, Catherine, it's not likely to be the pope calling for confession. What matter if a page sees you with wet hair?"

"It is not seemly and I, if no one else in this room, am well aware of the importance of behaving in a seemly manner at all times."

Elena almost smiled at the crudely delivered insult. Catherine was referring to her weeks spent with Gareth. More than once had Catherine implied that Elena could not be a true lady after allowing herself to spend nights on the road alone with no chaperon. Elena had managed to grit her teeth and say nothing, knowing that was the only way to deal with someone like Catherine, but now she had remained silent long enough.

"You only behave in a 'seemly' manner when there is someone of import to impress. Were you to behave all the time, you would not be so catty to the very women who have made you who you are in this court today."

"Don't you dare try to tell me you are the reason His Majesty treasures me so!"

"Ladies, please!" interrupted Margaret. When Elena and Catherine continued to bicker, she yelled a little more loudly. "Will the two of you shut your mouths for one moment? I will answer the damned door myself."

Despite her anger at Catherine, Elena laughed. "Are you sure they allow language like that in the convent, Margaret?"

"They would if they had to deal with you two," Margaret said over her shoulder as she reached the door. She stepped outside and in a moment returned, looking apprehensively at Elena. "The summons is for you, Elena. The Earl of Brackley has returned and King Richard calls you to his meeting chambers."

"The earl is here?" Catherine said, sitting up, heedless of the water dripping from her hair.

"Yes, he is here," Margaret said, answering Catherine, but staring at Elena. "But the summons was for Elena and Elena alone."

"That's ridiculous. I am sure the earl will wish to see me as well." Catherine grabbed the linen towel from the serving maid and began vigorously drying her hair.

"Would you like me to call the messenger back? He was most specific in relaying the king's words. The earl is, after all, betrothed to Elena, not you."

Catherine glared at the other women, but Elena ignored her. "Did he say why?"

Margaret smiled sympathetically and shook her head no. Elena suspected Margaret alone knew of her secret dread of marrying the repugnant man and for the first time, Elena felt camaraderie with the other woman she had never before experienced. Returning the smile, Elena stood and left the room, forbidding her knees to shake as she walked down the stairs and into the large map strewn room in which Richard was sitting with the earl.

Richard was the first to notice her presence. "Ah, Edmund, here is Elena now." When she was but a few feet from the men, Elena curtsied gracefully and slowly rose. From beneath her lashes, she watched Brackley, dismayed to find him even crueler looking than she had remembered.

For several seconds, not a word was spoken. Elena could not imagine why the king had called her forth if not to tell her of her impending marriage. When the king finally spoke, however, it was not to her.

"Look on her well, Edmund and decide if you will have her though she be a fallen woman."

Elena looked up, stunned. "Your Majesty?"

"Do not play the naive chit with Us, lady. Lady Catherine has kept Us well enough informed and she is convinced, as are We, that you did not hold yourself as befits a member of Our entourage. Now it is up to the earl to decide if he will have you anyway. We have offered him wife of any of my other ladies, ladies whose virtue We can be certain of. Edmund?"

The earl leaned back in his seat, surveying Elena from head to toe. "I care not if she is pure. In fact, I rather think I will prefer bedding a new wife who is not a virgin. Perhaps your experiences," he put an