A Dishonorable Knight - By Morrison, Michelle Page 0,159

my father, whoever he may be. Her name was Catherine. She told me right before she hit me with the tankard. Her name was Catherine and she was real pretty and she smelled good. I think her dress was red and she had long silky hair," Osgood was obviously making up things now, so worried was he that Sir Jasper would have him flogged. "She was real fair, too."

With a loud sigh, Sir Jasper said, "You are dismissed, Osgood. Return to the barracks and do not leave until I grant you permission. If you remember anything else, send word to me immediately."

Osgood bowed awkwardly and backed out of the room, congratulating himself for having so cleverly gotten out of that mess.

In the small antechamber where he had questioned the simple-minded guard, Sir Jasper wondered what in all of England would have possessed Lady Catherine to assist Gareth in escaping. Had she taken a fancy to the young knight? Sir Jasper didn't see how the two would have even come in contact with each other, but there was no accounting for the fancies of the young. What the king would do to the chit, he knew not. Shaking his head in pity for the no-doubt love struck lass, Sir Jasper rose and left the room to search out the king.

***

"Lady Catherine."

"Your Majesty," Catherine said with a deep curtsey. This was it, she thought. He was now going to tell her that she would become a countess as soon as her wedding trousseau could be prepared. She had been nothing but honeyed sweetness to Earl Brackley and she had no doubt he was well taken with her. She had even thought of a way to convince her new husband to allow her to remain at court for a while so she could lord her exalted position over the other ladies who had thought her a ninny since she first came to court, nine months before. Smoothing her face into a pleasant expression that could instantly pinken with surprised pleasure at the news the king was sure to impart, she looked up into Richard's narrowed gaze. What she heard made her mouth drop open in an unbecoming gape.

"Lady Catherine, how is it that you came to help Gareth ap Morgan escape from Our prison this day? Do you not know that you have committed an act of most heinous treason?"

"What? Gareth who? Your Majesty, I--"

Richard slammed his hand down on the arm of his chair. "Do not toy with Us, lady. We are well enraged at your betrayal as it is. Where is Gareth ap Morgan? Has he left for France to meet up with the dog Tudor or is he headed for Wales?"

Though her legs were quaking with the effort to remain standing, Catherine cleared her throat and said, "Your Majesty, I humbly beg your forgiveness, for I do not know of what you speak. Who has escaped? What have I done?"

"That is what We would like to know." Richard's voice was hoarse with anger.

Sir Jasper stepped forward and without the king's permission, addressed Catherine. "Good Lady, were you in the lower chambers anytime today?"

"Heaven forbid, no! It's horribly nasty down there. Why on earth should I go there?"

"Would you mind telling us where you spent the day?"

"I was with His Majesty's entourage as he hunted! Remember Your Majesty? I rode with the Earl of Brackley? I was wearing a blue gown."

Sir Jasper turned to Richard for confirmation. Grudgingly, the king answered, "I do not remember seeing you with Us, but I did authorize your presence with Us."

Turning back to the nervous Catherine, Sir Jasper asked, "And what did you do upon returning to the castle?"

"I went upstairs to bathe and dress for the evening meal. Margaret was in the room, you can ask her."

"That won't be necessary." Pulling the broken necklace from his pocket, Sir Jasper asked Catherine, "Is this yours, my lady? A guard found it and thought he had seen it round your neck."

Catherine recognized the expensive piece as Elena's and was tempted to claim it since Elena would never be back for it. Her lingering fear over being barked at by the king stopped her. "No, Sir Knight. That necklace belongs to Ele--Lady Elena."

King Richard stood so abruptly and forcefully that his chair tipped backwards, crashing loudly against the stone floor. "Of course it does," he bellowed. "Why have you wasted Our time, Jasper? By now that conniving bitch could be anywhere. She's probably met up with Morgan