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del but he had not even kept Ascalon, which they had worked so hard to rebuild. The positive facts that the cities of the northern Holy Land were secure and in the decently capable hands of Henry of Champagne, that Christians were to have free access to the Holy City and the holy places therein, and that those holy places were to be honored remained overshadowed by the failure to achieve the greater objects of the Crusade. The black pall came back to Acre with the King and the army and settled over Alinor's wedding arrangements. |
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When Simon did not come to her on the day they arrived, Alinor sent the priest who had charge of the wedding contract to him. The priest returned with the documents still unsigned. |
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"What displeases him?" Alinor cried, half enraged and half terrified. |
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"Nothing," the puzzled priest replied. "He said at first that you were overgenerous, but I pointed out that any other arrangement would be an insult not only to him but to the King who has chosen him to be your husband. At that he laughed a little, but said no more than that the day of the wedding would be soon enough to sign." |
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On the morning of his wedding, Simon laid aside his white tabard and red cross and sought out the gray silk tunic and gown that Alinor had sent him the previous day. He held them long in his hands, running his fingers over the silver embroidered collar and facing. Alinor's work. It was a wonder she was not blind, he thought, guessing how thin a needle, how fine a thread, how many stitches had been needed to portray the beasts with their gold-dot eyes and claws that climbed among the silver leaves in the silver trees. She is blind; she is blind, his heart hammered. If she were not blind, she would have seen you are too old. |
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He almost made himself sit down and write to herAlinor, refuse me, I am too old. It would be a cheap |
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