Read Online The Unlikely Spy by Sarah Woodbury - Free Book Online

you’ll forgive
me, Gwen, I think Prince Rhun should be my other pair of eyes in
this.”
    Gwen wasn’t offended. She’d been silently
calculating the length of time it would take to ride to the
festival grounds, if that was where Iolo was, question him, and
return—and if she felt comfortable leaving Tangwen all that time.
She’d already decided that she would have to be excused and was
trying to figure out how to tell Gareth. “It’s a relief, actually.
I don’t want to go far from Tangwen anyway.”
    As Gareth moved towards the door, he trailed
a hand down Gwen’s spine. She looked into his face, and he gave her
a brief nod, which she returned. They’d spent too many days apart
since they’d found each other again three years ago, but she knew
him and he knew her. Their life together had changed after Tangwen
had come into it, and Gwen couldn’t be as active in these
investigations as she used to be, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t
help.
    At this moment, Gwen interpreted Gareth’s
knowing look as a reminder to ask Hywel about the knife, just to
get it over with. Since Rhun didn’t know the truth about how King
Anarawd died, it was better that he departed with Gareth, so that
Gwen could speak to Hywel alone.
    Hywel had gone back to surveying the body,
bringing a candle closer to peer into the eyes, and then he fixed
his gaze on the knife wound.
    Gwen took in a breath, taking a chance.
“What do you see there?”
    Hywel scratched his cheek. “The man was
stabbed in the chest.” He glanced at Gwen. “Is there more that I
should be noticing?”
    “You tell me.” Gwen’s tone was a more
combative than she intended, and she softened it. “Gareth saw it
too, you know.”
    “Saw what exactly?”
    Gwen looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“That wound should look familiar to you.”
    Hywel straightened and took a step back from
the body. “You’re going to have to explain more clearly what you
mean, Gwen, because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “My lord, we’ve stood here before, over a
man killed in identical fashion to this man, with an identical
wound.”
    Hywel sucked on his lower lip. “Why would
Sioned have killed this man?” Sioned had been one of the culprits
back at Aber two years ago during their investigation of the death
of Hywel’s cousin. She’d killed a man with a knife to the
chest.
    “Sioned remains in Gwynedd,” Gwen said. “My
lord, I’m talking about Anarawd.”
    “What does Anarawd have to do—” Hywel’s jaw
dropped. “You think my knife killed this man? Gwen—”
    Gwen kept her eyes on Prince Hywel’s face.
He stared at her through a few heartbeats. And then he laughed.
“Ah, Gwen. I didn’t kill Gryff. I am not lying to you.”
    Gwen let out the breath she’d been holding.
“All right.”
    Hywel’s brow furrowed. “All right? That’s
it? You believe me?”
    “Why would you lie to me?” Gwen said. “If
you did kill him, it would hardly be something I could openly
accuse you of. You are the Lord of Ceredigion and a prince of
Gwynedd. But it would mean we could stop investigating this
death.”
    “And you said Gareth noticed the wound too?”
Hywel said.
    “Yes.”
    Hywel ran a hand through his dark hair,
mussing it so it stood on end. “I suppose I would have been
disappointed if he hadn’t. His skill in these matters is one reason
he leads my men.” He gestured to Gryff. “The man didn’t drown. It
is murder, but not by my hand. You aren’t wasting your time looking
for the killer, I assure you.”
    Gwen hadn’t realized how tight the muscles
in her shoulders had become out of fear of what Hywel might have
done until the tension left her. “Do you understand that I had to
ask?”
    Hywel barked a laugh. “Oh yes. You could do
nothing else. But really, Gwen, do you think I’d be fool enough to
kill a man with the same knife I used on Anarawd—especially knowing
that both you and Gareth would be among those to investigate