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summoned to the Queen before she needed to listen to any more of Isobel's waverings. Here matters went with unusual smoothness. Although Alinor was sure she would not be punished severely, she had expected a real scolding. Simon must have been unusually persuasive to convince the Queen to be so mild. All she did was remind Alinor that it was she who had rejected the idea of marriage and point out the danger and foolishness of her behavior.
"You are not really foolish, Alinor," the Queen concluded. "Why have you misbehaved yourself?"
"The Devil breeds work for idle ones," Alinor responded with a sigh. "I am sorry, Your Grace. I will amend my ways, butbut you had better send me back to Roselynde."
"Send you back?" the Queen's voice was devoid of expression, but a variety of suspicions pricked her. The last place she would send Alinor was to her own estate. At the moment she could have murdered the girl for adding another problem to her overburdened mind. "Are my other maidens unkind to you?" she asked, choosing the least likely cause of dissatisfaction she could as a bait for Alinor to talk. Not that it was unlikely that Isobel of Gloucester and the group that licked her feet would be as nasty as possible, but the Queen did not believe Alinor would care a pin for that.
"Oh no," Alinor replied, "but you see, Madam, they are really great ladies and are accustomed to being idle all day. They have ways to fill the long hours. I am accustomed to being at something from dawn to dark. At home I have maids to oversee, justice to listen to, farms and ships to inspect, accounts to keep, letters of instruction to write to my vassals. Madam, I beg your pardon for my seeming ingratitude, indeed I do, but I am being driven mad by boredom. I must have something to do."
"My poor dear child," the Queen exclaimed, all

 
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