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An initial wash of relief was ousted by rage. Alinor's brows shot upward. "Without informing me? To what purpose?" she asked in a voice that made Lady Grisel shrink back from her side and even caused the doughty castellan himself to blench slightly.
"To ride. To hunt." Sir Andre's reply was so blank, so colorless that Alinor's rage congealed.
"Oh." She waved an airy hand. "So long as he does not meddle with my lands when I am not by."
Sir Andre choked. The castellan turned to look at him. "Our lady has used that poor man worse than a serfmore like a slave." It was all he could think of to say.
"Why not?" Alinor commented, quick to see the advantage of Sir Andre's lead. "He is very wise in the ways of war. Since the Queen has appointed him my warden, let him guard me in truth."
"He has a right to a day's freedom, my lady," Sir Andre warned.
"Oh, yes," Alinor agreed lightly. "I said I did not mind if he hunted."
Then she turned the talk as if she had dismissed Sir Simon from her mind completely. This was not possible, Sir Andre knew, but he felt considerable relief at her skillful pretense. The castellan, who knew nothing about the byplay of the morning, put down Alinor's seeming deep absorption in the affairs of Kingsclere to a desire to know more about the estate than Simon could learn. Loyally, he related every fact he could think of that might be of help to his very kind and gracious lady.
Enough was enough. Soon after dinner Alinor retreated to the women's quarters, but she did not wish to sew and was too restless to read. The long evening and a good part of an equally long night were spent in checking over what furniture she had with her and making a list of what she would need in addition to furnish a house in London. If by any means she could make the Queen agree, Alinor thought she might pre-

 
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