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Page 133
"Would you like to learn to read and write as I do?"
To her surprise, the girl drew herself up. "Madam, I am not a child. I have read and written since I was nine."
"You have? I had no idea. Oh." The Queen hesitated, even more deeply disturbed, studying Alinor's dissatisfied face.
The child was dangerous only because she was bored. Alinor could have no wide political purpose, but she might make mischief just out of desperation. It would be best for her to be directly under my eye, the Queen thought. Others are deceived by that look of youthful innocence, but there is a devil of determination under it. She repressed a smile as she remembered Simon's distress when he asked her to speak to Alinor. He thought of her as a wayward child better handled by a woman. Then she allowed the smile to flower. She would keep Alinor busy in right earnest.
"Alinor, how would you like to serve as a scribe to me?"
"Your scribe? Oh, Madam, I would butbut I have no Latin. I deeply regret it, but"
"No Latin is needed. If you write a fair hand in French, it will be sufficient."
The plan had worked. It had worked far better than Alinor had dreamed it would. Impulsively she knelt and kissed the Queen's hand. "Madam, I thank you. I thank you, Your Grace. You have saved me from that terrible black cloud that was wrapping me round. I will serve you faithfully. Indeed, I will."
"The labor will be long and hard. You will have no time to dally with gallants," the Queen teased.
"Pooh to gallants," Alinor exclaimed, and then chuckled. "Nay, I will have time enough. You always come to the evening entertainments. I can make merry then."
In fact it was not so easy as it sounded. For the Queen to tell Alinor what to write took no long time.

 
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