Thanks for all the great reviews! I would love to address each individually, but since I'm working fifty hours this weekend I really just need to get some sleep! Hope You like this chapter as much as the last…
Oh, and I still own squat!
Vanora looked up when Sarah came into the tavern. The girl was humming a tune and smiling as she walked. She thought for a moment and realized this was the first time she had ever witnessed the girl being, well, just happy. "You're in a fine mood this morning. Gawain must be doing better." She greeted Sarah. "He is, Vanora. He ate the biggest breakfast this morning and he didn't look so pale." She replied as she grabbed a rag and started wiping down the tables.
"You mean he was well enough to get up and go eat?" Vanora knew better, Bors had already told her that Sarah was in the kitchen bright and early personally making Gawain's food. She just wanted to see how Sarah would explain it. "No, almost, but not quite. He should be up and about tomorrow or the next day." She didn't explain anything. At least, she didn't tell Vanora why she had felt it necessary to fix his food herself instead of having one of the cooks do it for her. The only time a woman cooked for a man was when she was trying to impress him.
Vanora occupied her mind as she worked, wondering if the girl knew she was attracted to Gawain. Considering the heartbreak she faced if she took the trip home, she hoped she realized it before she left. At least she would have a strong arm to lean on when she got there.
The two women quickly took care of all the morning duties, even having a little time to take a break before the first group was expected to eat the mid-day meal. Vanora had taken care of making the stew and the smell of fresh bread was wafting through the air. Sarah sat at one of the tables with Vanora. She watched the other woman play with her baby. She was amazed at how the woman could handle everything she did. Eleven children, a demanding lover, and a tavern to run! It was amazing that she could have the energy to bounce the baby and still laugh.
Number Eleven let out a huge squeal, causing both women to laugh just as Galahad and Bors came into the tavern, followed closely by Lancelot. "Is this all you two can find to do with yourselves this fine day?" Lancelot asked cheekily. Vanora gave a snort, "We've probably done more this morning than the rest of you will do the whole day!" Then she handed the baby to Bors, "Here take him, and I'll get your food." Lancelot was grinning, "And who'll get mine?"
Vanora scoffed, "For my part, you can get it yourself." Sarah saw him turn to her with his eyebrow raised. "Fine, I'll get it, but you'd better appreciate the effort." "Maybe I should get shot, then you could bring me a meal to my bed?" She shot him a scathing look, "What does that mean?" She asked quietly.
"Oh, nothing, I just heard that Gawain got served a huge breakfast by a very pretty maiden this morning." He replied innocently. She started to say something hateful, then shrugging her shoulders, she said as she walked away, "Somebody has to make sure he eats so he can heal. Remember, I'm stuck here until he's well enough to travel."
He watched her walk away, then shook his head. When was she going to see that she was attracted to his friend. He knew Gawain was interested in her, all the signs were there. If there was anything he could do to push them in the right direction, he would do it. He was trying to come up with a plan when she came back and put the bowl of stew in front of him. He had decided that the only way to help bring the two together was to stay on her good side. "Thank you, Sarah. And thank you for helping take care of Gawain. I didn't mean anything before, I just like to tease." Then he smiled at her, "You're such an easy target."
He saw her face change from being aggravated to being suspicious. He waited for his smile to have the desired effect, then he saw her features soften and knew he'd won. "That's alright, but in the future, I'd appreciate it if you would find someone else to tease." The smile she flashed made him realize just what Gawain found intriguing about her. After she walked off to wait on someone else, he went back to his planning as he ate the stew. He'd probably have to get the help of some of the other knights if this was going to work. He'd have to check around and see which ones would be willing to get involved.
The noon crowd had finally begun to leave and Sarah was in the wash room cleaning up all the dishes for the evening crowd. She wanted to hurry and get through so she could take Gawain his evening meal. Dagonet had told her that he was in good spirits when he visited him before coming to eat. He'd thanked her for changing the bandage and said the wound was healing nicely. He agreed that he'd be up and about by the next day and she was looking forward to seeing him around the tavern again. It had been a little boring without him in the group.
If she'd taken the time to analyze her thoughts, she would have wondered that most of them were about the blonde knight. It would have frightened her to think she was getting so wrapped up in the man. It would have been enough for her to break her word and run again. She wouldn't have taken the time to remember that running wouldn't solve her problem. She was falling in love and nothing she could do would change the fact. No amount of guilt would belie what was truth.
She was almost through when Vanora told her to go ahead, she'd finish up the washing. Sarah started to protest, then realized she really did want to leave. She thanked the older woman and pulled her apron off and headed toward her room. She wanted to change into her pants and tunic and straighten her hair before she went to see him. For some reason, she wanted to wear a dress, but since the only one she had was extremely dirty, she knew it would have to be britches.
She walked through the hallway in the knight's quarters and heard Gawain laugh. She wondered who could be saying something so funny when she heard Lancelot's voice. She stopped and shamelessly eavesdropped. "I'm telling you she is interested. Why else would she fix your breakfast herself?" She heard Lancelot say. Listen as carefully as she might, she couldn't hear what Gawain said in answer. All she heard was Lancelot laugh as he said, "We'll see Brother, we'll see."
When she heard movement, she rushed back toward the hallway so she wouldn't be caught listening. She waited a few moments, mostly to catch her breath, then headed back toward the room. When she got there, she knocked and heard Gawain call, "Come on in." When she stepped into the room Lancelot was sitting in a chair looking extremely innocent and Gawain was sitting on the side of the bed dressed in only his pants. "Hello Sarah. Lancelot says the stew is better than average today. Did you make it?"
It was then that she remembered that in her haste to get to his room, she had forgotten to go back to the kitchen to get his food. "No, Vanora made it. I thought you might feel like going to the tavern to eat, so I didn't bring any with me." It was a good thing she could think fast. "So, you up to a short walk?" She saw Lancelot start to shake his head so she put her hands on her hips, "Look, even Dag said he would be able to be up and around no later than in the morning. All we're going to do is walk slowly to the tavern, he can sit and eat a bowl of stew, then we'll walk back as soon as he feels the least bit tired."
Lancelot held up his hands in surrender, "Fine, I'll come along, just to make sure he doesn't need someone to carry him back later." He thought she was rushing things, maybe to head toward home sooner. Well, not if he could help it. He saw as Gawain began to protest, he furrowed his brow toward the other man to stop him. He quickly shut up and looked from Lancelot to Sarah. She was looking at Lancelot with suspicion.
She thought the two of them were up to something, at least Lancelot was, and Gawain was reluctant to go against him. She would make sure to keep a close eye on them for the rest of the night.
The three of them walked into the tavern to cheers from all the knights sitting around their usual table. Gawain gave a slight bow of his head and sat in his usual seat while Sarah went to the kitchen to get his evening meal. When she returned he was laughing and talking with Galahad. She noticed that Galahad gave her a strange look when she walked up to the table. She knew he didn't like her and even understood why. But she thought he should understand that she was sorry about what had happened. She didn't like being the object of such dislike and made a mental note to talk to him sometime in the near future.
Gawain pulled out the chair next to his for her to sit down. She hesitated, "I really should help Vanora for a little while. She really looks harried right now." He nodded and she told him, "If you get ready to leave before I come back, just let me know and I'll tell Vanora I have to leave." He nodded again and she headed toward Vanora to offer her help. She glanced back to the table and saw that Lancelot and Bors had their heads together. Once or twice she saw Bors look in her direction, then he'd lean back toward Lancelot and nod. Whatever Lancelot was up to, it seemed he was recruiting help.
As she worked the room, she tried to figure out why he seemed so intent on the two of them getting involved. She had made it well known that she was in love with someone else and she thought that Gawain was only trying to help her get back home. She was willing to admit that there was an attraction between them, but that was all it was and she thought they both understood that nothing could ever happen between them. At least she knew that and until today she had thought he felt the same way.
She thought back to the time she had spent around him, trying to figure out what, if anything, she could have done that might give him the idea that there might be a chance of some kind of relationship. Even if he was interested. It was probably only a physical thing on his part and even if she wasn't betrothed to Derek, she would never settle for warming a man's bed and nothing more. She wondered if she should just talk to him about what she had overheard. Then remembering how badly the discussion had gone when she confronted him about the kiss he had given her, she decided she would just have to be careful what she said and did around him.