Chapter thirty-seven - The Hooded Man

They watched the video through to the end again before Jess even considered moving. Being held close, by Gareth, was a position she was in no hurry to change, but they couldn't spend all day in this dark dungeon. The hard bench would soon leave her too numb to walk anywhere. She lifted her head, keeping her voice low. "Should we explore more of the castle?"

His sigh sounded loud in the darkness. "Do you want to?"

"I think we should."

His hand slid from her shoulder to the small of her back. Then he stood, stretching his legs, and Jess felt bereft of the warmth and comfort that only came from Gareth. He helped her up and they made their way towards an arched entrance on the opposite side from where they'd entered.

The narrow passage beyond was only wide enough to walk in single file. Apart from the occasional arrow slit letting the daylight in, there was no other light, and in some places Jess could barely make out Gareth walking ahead. The passageway went around corners, up a few steps, down a few more; the flagstones worn by centuries of passing feet.

Reaching another staircase, they climbed to the next level. The passages here had more natural light, and more frequent arrow slits so they could see where they were going. Still, walking along a narrow path through almost solid stone in single-file was disorienting, and Jess had no idea where she was in relation to other parts of the castle.

The only constant point was Gareth and, thankfully, he seemed to know where he was going.

They came across another turret staircase and went up again, following more thin corridors, occasionally having to squeeze into stone rebates to allow other visitors to pass. Eventually, they reached a dead end. The cell-like room contained what used to be an arched window, now broken and barred with vertical iron rods. The only entrance was the one they'd walked through. There was nowhere else to go without retracing their steps.

Jess slid past Gareth to peek through the bars. She looked down onto the grass below, populated by a handful of tourists and surrounded by the high walls. "This must have been where the English lords locked up the Welsh prisoners."

He examined the view over her shoulder. "How would they do that then? There isn't a door."

"Not now, but there must have been once. It's probably rotted away after all these years." She turned away from the window. "Either that or they might have chained them to the wall."

Gareth was standing in the middle of the small space, effectively blocking her from leaving, and he didn't seem in a hurry to move. "I don't see any rings for attaching the chains. Besides, this room is far too clean and dry to make a good dungeon. They would have stuffed their prisoners below ground, in the dark...with the rats."

"If you think I'll squeal and jump into your arms at the thought of rats, you'll be waiting forever. Rats don't bother me."

"Handy to know." His gaze met hers and she held it. After a moment's pause the expression around his eyes softened. "Purely for curiosity's sake, if rats won't make you jump into my arms, what would?"

Jess laughed. "I'm not keen on spiders, especially the big ones with long twitchy legs." She touched the tips of her finger and thumb together. "Anything that size would make me nervous, particularly if it's running around on the floor. They're so unpredictable."

"In that case, I'll have to keep an eye out so I'm ready for it. Maybe do a few stretches...a couple of squats. Catching someone when they jump can be tricky, especially if it's unexpected. It's all in the knees, you know."

Although Jess appreciated his efforts to lighten the atmosphere, there were other, more weighty matters on her mind. She took a deliberate step forward, and then another, until she was forced to tilt her head up to maintain eye contact. "Perhaps we should practice ahead of the spider's appearance...you know, block out the moves and get the choreography right so you don't sprain anything."

The thump of her heartbeat grew louder, as though it was echoing off the enclosing stone. Feeling awkward, she placed a hand on his chest, steadying herself. The weight of his hand came to rest against her hip.

The air in the small silent room was saturated with anticipation. Outside, beyond the stone, a seagull screeched, but inside the small cell a pervading silence slowed time. She paused, wondering what he would do next, but Gareth seemed content to wait for her.

Of course he was content. He had to be one of the most patient men she'd ever met.

They could mess around for a while, pretending they were rehearsing a scene, but Jess didn't want to play games. Gareth deserved better. To overcome his reluctance, she needed to show him just how much her opinion of him had changed.

She slid her hand up to the hood, still covering his hair, and tugged it down until it sat around his shoulders. That same hand then curled around his neck as she urged him closer.

Jess held her breath. This was a leap of faith. Had Jon been right about Gareth still having feelings for her? She couldn't rely on one comforting embrace in the dark. If Gareth didn't move, if he couldn't bring himself to meet her half-way, then she would know she was too late.

After the briefest check, his body responded to the pressure of her hand, and her heart jumped eagerly up to meet him. He lowered his head slowly towards her. Their lips hovered, scant inches apart, when he paused, his voice almost a whisper. "Are you sure?"

A nervous, fractured laugh broke from Jess, like butterflies disturbed by a gust of wind. Her hands rose to caress his jaw, drawing him towards her in a way that could leave no doubt in his mind.

Soft yet strong. Gareth's kiss reaffirmed everything she knew of him. As their lips came together, tender care spoke louder than passion. His careful kisses were still intoxicating, but not in a way that overwhelmed her. He was being careful; his whole personality encapsulated in that moment. Jess wanted to sink into him, to learn more...to know more...

Then he was gone.

Confusion swirled around her, as though she'd been yanked forward through time. One minute he held her in his arms, the next he'd let go and turned towards the window, hurriedly raising his hood to cover his face. Leaving her adrift and furiously blushing in the middle of the tiny cell.

Still breathing heavily, Jess heard the echo of low voices and the soft shuffle of feet in the dusty hall beyond the doorway. An older man and a younger woman, possibly his daughter, appeared out of the semi-darkness. Like them, they'd followed their curiosity to the end of the passageway.

Jess ducked her head and squeezed past them into the corridor. Footsteps followed behind, but she didn't stop or turn around.

"Jessica."

She continued down the narrow passage, embarrassed by the speed at which he'd distanced himself from her and fervently hoping she wouldn't meet anyone coming the other way.

"Jess...wait!" Fingers touched her upper arm, slowing her down. "Stop a minute."

They'd reached the nearest of the steep spiral staircases. Jess could hear more voices below. It sounded as though someone was climbing up to their level, but she couldn't see anyone yet. There was no sound of anyone coming down the stairs from above. She brushed Gareth's hand aside and started upwards.

Tangible disappointment filled her, like a thick, viscous mass. It spread through her veins, squeezing the air from her lungs and pushing out the tears that pricked at the corners of her eyes. Sounds bounced off the stone, echoing up and down the staircase, making it hard to tell whether the footsteps she could hear were immediately behind her or two floors below.