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Page 404
ard mounted a few whores, and he has never had a lady mistress. He is well known for the purity of his behavior with his vassals' wives and daughters. What could he babble that could"
The suddenness with which Joanna stopped speaking showed that the rumors of Richard's strange appetites had even reached Sicily. Joanna had put such ugly hints down to hatred and envy, but added together with Richard's behavior toward his wifenot a moon married and, what? five times in her bed? It was not as if he had a women he loved elsewhere. It was not as if he had been forced to take a woman he found repellent. Joanna did not feel any particular revulsion. The Greek population of the island her husband ruled was too prone to that particular vice to make it very shocking to her. Even William had occasionally supped from that cup. Joanna was only considering the political implications; the rest of Europe was not nearly as tolerant as Sicily.
"Is it true?" Joanna asked.
Alinor was in no doubt as to what Joanna meant, but she was no fool. "That men babble of strange, often unreal things in a fever is certainly true."
"You learned this from Sir Simon?"
Alinor's face froze and her eyes looked out of it as coldly and unmeaningfully as speckled marbles. "I learned it when I nursed my wounded vassals and my maids too, when they were stricken with a putrid fever. In private Sir Simon has said to me three things about the King: that he is a perfect soldier, except a slight foolhardiness as to his own safety; that he does never forget an injury done to him by way of deceit; and that he is devoted heart and soul to this Crusade."
Joanna made a gesture of impatience. "I mean you no harm, nor Sir Simon either, who has been a good friend and devoted servant to my brother."
"The Queen, your mother, once said to me that giving a secret to Sir Simon was like throwing a gold coin

 
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