the advowsons of various churches. There was nothing personal in it for Hywel.’
‘What about in Richard’s?’ asked Geoffrey. ‘He told me he was going to ask you to read it to him.’
‘His message was even briefer than mine.’ Gwgan’s rueful smile indicated that the sullen knight had not been best pleased when he had heard it. ‘It just ordered him to patrol the river, because Irish pirates have been at large.’
‘River patrols sound tedious,’ said Hilde. ‘Was he disappointed that the King did not ask him to do something more significant?’
Gwgan laughed. ‘He was livid! I suspect the instruction was Eudo’s, not Henry’s. But there is not much for Richard to do in this area. Hywel is more than capable of keeping the peace and does not need Norman help. Personally, I was hoping the letter would be an order to deploy elsewhere. So was he – he is wasted here.’
‘No wonder he has been surly all the way from Goodrich,’ said Hilde. Then she shrugged. ‘Of course, he was surly before he had his letter.’
‘Let us not spoil our day with talk of that black-faced villain,’ said Gwgan, spurring his pony into a trot. ‘We are almost home, and Isabella will be delighted to see you.’
Twelve
Rhydygors was a typical Norman castle, with a wooden tower atop a large mound. It afforded excellent views of the river, and although Geoffrey would have located it nearer the town, the site chosen by William fitz Baldwin had its advantages. Its garrison would be able to react sooner to an invasion by water, and the marshes that surrounded it conferred their own line of defence.
Besides the motte and bailey, there was also the usual jumble of outbuildings – halls for sleeping and eating, stables, kitchens and huts for storage. Hywel was in the process of rebuilding some of them in stone, and Geoffrey imagined that, in ten years or so, it would be as stalwart a bastion as any he had seen. He wondered how he was going to search it for William’s secret without anyone guessing what he was doing.
Isabella’s face split into a delighted grin when she saw Hilde, and Geoffrey saw immediately the resemblance between them – both had honey-brown eyes and thick hair – although Isabella had been rather more fortunate with her looks. She was exceptionally beautiful, and Geoffrey found himself uncharacteristically tongue-tied when Gwgan introduced her.
‘You have made my sister very happy,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘We had all despaired of her finding a man she considered worthy.’
‘She was given no choice in the matter, I am afraid,’ said Geoffrey, acutely aware of his filthy surcoat, battle-stained armour and grimy hands. He wished he had followed Hilde’s suggestion and washed in the river along the way. It had been wilful obstinacy that had led him to decline – a stubborn refusal to acknowledge that she was right.
Isabella shook his arm, releasing it quickly and surreptitiously wiping her hand on her gown. ‘You are wrong. She refused plenty of suitors before you came along, and our father could not have made her marry a man she did not like. She chose you.’
‘Oh,’ said Geoffrey uncomfortably.
‘Here is Prince Hywel,’ said Isabella, indicating with a graceful sweep of her hand a man walking down the stairs from the tower and heading towards them. ‘He will want to meet my sister and the man who captured her heart.’
‘Christ!’ muttered Geoffrey, wondering whether anyone would notice if he grabbed Hilde’s cloak and used it to conceal the worst of the mess.
Hywel ap Gronw looked every inch a Welsh prince. He had jet black hair and blue eyes, and was tall, handsome and strong. He wore a plain but elegant tunic of blue, and there was gold thread in his cloak. He carried himself with a light grace, and there was none of the arrogant swagger affected by Normans. His people smiled and nodded at him as he passed, and it was clear they served him for love, not like the frightened minions in Richard’s service.
He embraced Gwgan like a brother, his eyes shining with boyish delight at the return of his friend and most trusted counsellor.
‘I have missed you,’ he said in Welsh. ‘You have been gone too long. There is much we must discuss, but not now: today belongs to your wife.’
‘You shall come to my home tomorrow night, then,’ said Gwgan. ‘We shall prepare a feast and talk until the cockerels announce dawn. I have much to tell you.’
‘You have brought guests,’ said Hywel, turning his smile on Geoffrey and Hilde, and speaking Norman-French. ‘Your wife’s sister, I believe? And a Jerosolimitanus?’
‘Sir Geoffrey Mappestone,’ explained Gwgan. His eyes gleamed with wry humour as he continued to speak Welsh, knowing perfectly well Hilde would not understand a word of it. ‘He went to some trouble to make himself presentable, as you can see. But do not judge him by his surcoat. He speaks passable Welsh, which more than compensates for his wild appearance.’
Hywel laughed. ‘I hope you do not mind Gwgan’s mordant sense of humour, Sir Geoffrey. But he is your kin now, so you will have to forgive his liberties.’
He indicated they were to follow him to the hall, where food had been prepared. He led, his arm thrown around Gwgan’s shoulders, and Isabella and Hilde followed. Geoffrey brought up the rear, a little chagrined when a servant stepped forward to offer him a bowl of water. Once he had scrubbed his face and hands and had exchanged his stained surcoat for a clean one Hilde had to hand, he felt considerably more presentable.
The food was plain, but fresh and plentiful, and it was not long before someone began to play a harp. Isabella and Hilde sat together at one end of the table, talking incessantly, while the men took the other. Politely, Hywel enquired after their journey.
‘You might not have seen me, had Geoffrey not been with us,’ said Gwgan soberly. ‘He saved me this morning. We were ambushed constantly by outlaws after Brechene, and we are fortunate to reach Kermerdyn alive.’
‘Outlaws?’ asked Hywel, frowning. ‘But we have had no such trouble since Belleme’s louts were ousted last year.’
‘Well, we were plagued by them,’ said Gwgan firmly. ‘Alberic was killed today, and another knight wounded. Edward was injured just outside Brechene, and Geoffrey was knocked half-senseless last night in Lanothni. I have never known a journey like it; there was no trouble on the way to Gloucester.’
‘This is worrying news,’ said Hywel sombrely. ‘I had better send some patrols to find them. I cannot have my territories infected by law-breakers.’
‘They stole money from the taverner in Lanothni, too,’ Gwgan went on. ‘He is famous locally for having a lot of it, apparently. Foolish man! He should have kept it quiet.’
‘There should have been no need to keep it quiet,’ said Hywel sternly. ‘Every man has the right to keep what he has honestly earned. I shall see to it immediately.’
He started to rise, but Gwgan waved him back down. ‘I will do it. You can entertain our guests.’
After Gwgan left, Hywel began to tell Geoffrey about his plans for the region. The knight found him easy company, and he had an engaging, infectious laugh that made it impossible not to like him. How different it would be, Geoffrey thought, if Hywel, not Henry, had been King. Geoffrey would not have minded serving a man like the Prince.
After a while, Hywel stood and indicated Geoffrey was to walk with him outside. Like many military men, the Prince quickly grew restless sitting and preferred to be active.
‘Gwgan tells me you carried a letter to him from the King, about taxes and advowsons,’ he said. ‘I assume there is a personal message for me, too?’
He held out his hand.
‘It was a verbal one, My Lord,’ said Geoffrey, silently cursing Henry for his shabby manners. ‘He sends you his felicitations as a fellow prince and trusts he finds you well and strong.’
Hywel smiled wryly. ‘I suspect he forgot, and you are being tactful. But I appreciate your thoughtfulness in not wanting me to feel neglected. However, whereas other men might feel slighted, peace is important to me – to this region – and I shall not let Henry’s lack of grace spoil it.’
It was an admirable stance, and Geoffrey thought Henry could learn much from Hywel.
‘This is a fine castle,’ he said, trying to decide how best to assess it for William’s secret without making
