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Page 92
drew his breath sharply at the pain the thought caused him. He had realized from the beginning that Alinor was only a prize that he guarded for another man. He had realized from the beginning that Alinor was attractive to him in a different way from the casual animal interest he had felt for all womenexcept the Queen, whom he had long thought the most perfect woman and worshiped as a goddess. After that he had done his best not to think about the matter at all. It had seemed to him that he had succeeded. He had enjoyed Alinor's company, of course, but he enjoyed many men's company and many women's. What shocked him was the intensity of his pain and the increase in that intensity in the past few weeks. While he deceived himself that he was not thinking about her, he had fallen deep in love with Alinor.
Alinor was so taken up with her own reactions, that she had no eyes or mind for Simon's. For once she was all sixteen-year-old girl with no taint of the woman with heavy responsibilities. She laughed and chattered with Grisel, the wife of Kingsclere's castellan, and then began to worry about her wardrobe.
"Simon," she exclaimed. But Simon was deep in talk with Sir Andre, and the two men had walked away to be free of the high, distracting voices of the women. "Simon," Alinor insisted, running over and tugging at his sleeve.
"My lady?"
Alinor did not notice how withdrawn and chilly the voice was. "Clothes!" she exclaimed. "What am I to do about clothes? Do I have time to have new made? Will I be accounted a fool for not wearing the new styles?"
"How would Sir Simon know the answer to such women's foolishness?" Sir Andre asked sharply, uneasy without quite knowing why.
"In fact I do not know," Simon said slowly.
"And you a courtier!" Alinor snapped scornfully.

 
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