uncomfortable in armour and padded surcoat. Politely, Edward saw the ladies and Delwyn settled, then claimed the next best seat for himself, quickly divesting himself of what little armour he wore and exchanging it for a long robe that matched his gloves.
‘You have been here before, too, sir,’ said Fychan, addressing Sear as he served his guests with a platter of roasted meat, bread and a peculiar mash of boiled vegetables that Geoffrey suspected had been prepared for the pigs. ‘I recognize your fine warhorse.’
‘The King gave it to me,’ replied Sear smugly. ‘I am one of his favourites. Which is why it is strange that Geoffrey was entrusted with the business His Majesty wanted done in Kermerdyn. There was no need for him to have made this journey.’
‘Well, I am glad he did,’ said Hilde mildly. ‘It has been two years since I saw Isabella, and I am eager to know how she fares.’
‘Is she anything like you?’ asked Roger, a little warily.
‘No,’ replied Hilde shortly. ‘She is thinner.’
‘She shares your love of cleanliness, though,’ said Alberic. ‘Gwgan’s home is always spotless. And your love of water has certainly rendered Geoffrey more congenial company, Lady Hilde. He let himself grow filthy between La Batailge and Goodrich, but now he wears clean clothes, shaves, and even washes on occasion.’
This was certainly true – Hilde’s fastidiousness extended to her husband as well as taverns – but Geoffrey did not think it was polite of Alberic to remark on it.
‘Then you could do with a wife, too,’ said Hilde frostily, before her husband could respond. ‘Do not criticize Geoffrey when you leave rather a lot to be desired yourself.’
‘Nonsense!’ cried Alberic, stung. ‘I washed just a week ago. Geoffrey, on the other hand, would probably not have seen a bowl of water since he left the Holy Land, were it not for you.’
‘Well, he is perfectly tidy now, and we should say no more on the matter,’ said Edward, ever tactful. ‘I should like to visit the Holy Land. Will you tell us about it, Geoffrey?’
‘ I will,’ offered Roger eagerly. ‘It is a lovely place, full of willing whores and fabulous brothels. What are the brothels like in Kermerdyn? Are they worth visiting?’
‘I would not know,’ said Edward in distaste. ‘I do not frequent such places.’
‘I do,’ said Sear. ‘The one by the church is better than the one in the market.’
‘Is it?’ asked Richard, startled. ‘I always thought it was the other way around. Of course, I have not visited a brothel in years – not since I was married. You should take a wife, Roger. You will find they are cheaper than whores. I would not be without mine.’
‘I imagine that rather depends on the wife,’ said Delwyn, lips pursed.
‘And the whores,’ drawled Gwgan, smothering a smile.
Talk of whores reminded Geoffrey of Pulchria, and he looked for her, but she was not in the tavern. Bale was still outside seeing to the horses, and Geoffrey stifled a sigh, knowing the woman was taking advantage of the situation. Cornald had not seemed to have noticed her absence and was stretching his plump hands towards the fire, humming to himself.
‘Richard knows as much about brothels as he does about soldiering,’ said Sear unpleasantly. ‘You want to listen to me, Roger. I know what I am talking about.’
‘I have a headache,’ said Leah quickly, as Richard surged to his feet, sword half out of its scabbard. ‘Will you take me upstairs, husband? I need to rest.’
Richard obliged, although he did so reluctantly; it was clear he would much rather have challenged Sear. Geoffrey thought Leah was right to distract him: Richard was competent, but Sear would chop him into pieces.
‘Is there anything in the Holy Land besides brothels?’ asked Cornald pleasantly. ‘There must be plenty of churches.’
‘Churches?’ echoed Roger in disbelief. ‘You do not want to hear about those! But do you remember Abdul’s Pleasure Palace, Geoff?’
Because they had stopped early, a long evening lay ahead of them. Geoffrey’s descriptions of Jerusalem’s churches had intrigued Gwgan, who responded about some in Wales. Edward added several intelligent observations, and the three of them were soon deep into a complex analysis of flying buttresses and crown posts. The others quickly grew bored.
Cornald berated Delwyn for leaving Abbot Mabon in the yard when there was a church to hand, and Delwyn responded with a snipe about Cornald not being in a position to offer advice about how to look after others when he was so patently bad at it himself. Cornald looked bewildered, although it gave Roger an idea. He jumped to his feet and made a feeble excuse about taking the air. Moments later, Bale appeared, rumpled and sullen. Sear and Alberic settled to a game of dice, and Richard joined them when he returned from settling Leah. The atmosphere around the three of them was tense and icy, and Geoffrey suspected it would not be long before there was a fight.
‘You will be pleased to see Hywel, I warrant,’ said Edward amiably to Gwgan. ‘I am sure you will want to know what has been happening in your absence.’
Gwgan smiled. ‘I will be glad to see him. He is like a brother to me, and I am proud to serve as his counsellor. But he does not require constant monitoring. He is wise, just and good, and there is no man I trust more to rule a kingdom.’
‘William was the same,’ said Edward, nodding. ‘Perhaps living at Rhydygors brings out the best in people.’
‘Or Hywel has inherited William’s secret,’ probed Geoffrey.
‘There is no secret,’ said Edward. ‘I have told you this already – it is a silly tale invented by foolishly gullible minds to explain something they cannot understand. Namely that some men do suddenly reflect on their past lives and decide it is time to turn over a new leaf.’
Gwgan agreed. ‘And if there is a secret, then it lies in the fact that this is Wales. Hywel is a good man, but he was decent long before he was given Rhydygors.’
‘He did not undergo some miraculous change, then?’ asked Geoffrey. ‘Like William?’
‘Oh, no,’ said Gwgan. ‘Hywel has always been decent.’
‘In what way?’ asked Geoffrey.
‘Well, his men admire him and will follow him into any battle – as you will have heard last summer, when he fought on the Marches for Henry. He inspires confidence and respect, and he has an affable, likable disposition. He is compassionate to those less fortunate than himself, he is devout, and he exudes an aura of fairness that tells men he will deal honestly with them.’
‘It is true,’ agreed Edward. ‘You will like him, Geoffrey. Indeed, I would go as far to say that there is no man – Norman, English or Welsh – that I would sooner have as a neighbour. But it is getting late, and my wound still pains me. I shall bid you goodnight.’
Gwgan stood and stretched, too. ‘I am weary, too. But I have friends in the village, so will stay with them tonight. This tavern is too small for all of us, and I am tired of sharing a chamber with Sear and Alberic. They both snore.’
‘So does Leah,’ said Richard, overhearing. ‘Especially when she has taken her medicines. I will join you.’
As they opened the door to leave, Roger stepped inside, straightening his surcoat and pulling straw from his hair. Immediately, Bale aimed for the door, but Geoffrey was disinclined to stop him. If Cornald chose to be blind to his wife’s antics, then that was his affair.
‘I heard what Gwgan and Edward were telling you about Hywel,’ said Alberic, looking up from his dice. ‘It is true: he is a fine man.’
‘He is,’ agreed Sear. ‘He was awarded Rhydygors at the same time I was granted Pembroc, so we travelled to Westminster together. It gave us time to get to know each other. He is brave, as well as noble. Like me, he fought courageously on the Marches. You two were there, too, I understand.’
The implication was that Roger and Geoffrey had not performed well enough to have been rewarded. Roger immediately bristled, but Geoffrey laid a calming hand on his shoulder.
‘It is very warm in here,’ he said, to change the subject. ‘I am surprised you think it necessary to have such an enormous blaze, Master Fychan.’
Fychan glared at Hilde. ‘Yes, but, unfortunately, I have been told by visitors that a welcoming fire makes an important first impression. And I dare not disagree.’
‘That was because I was here in winter,’ said Hilde with a sigh. ‘And a dead hearth is not something a
