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both. If he must, he may resist Longchamp, even to the point of war, but by no means must he request aid from Lord John, neither men nor money nor arms. On the other hand, by no means should he offer defiance or insult to Lord Johnremember that no matter what Richard says, it is not like a three-year-old will be accepted as King. If death overtakes Lord Richard, Lord John will be King, and he has a long memory. Sir Andre must find sweet words to resist any offer made to him." |
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This close attention to her affairs abated Alinor's jealousy not one whit. She knew quite well that wherever Simon's affections wandered, he would neglect no detail of his duty with respect to her property. Alinor pinned her hopes on winning Simon back, but for that purpose she had to be with him. She set herself to win Berengaria's confidence. This was no hard task, nor a distasteful one. The Princess was a charming girl of very sweet disposition only two years older than Alinor and, because of lack of responsibility, seemed in many ways younger. |
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At first Alinor did not press too much. Berengaria had her own friends and ladies. Once they had left Sancho's Court, the two girls drew together. This was the natural attraction of similar age and some similar interests. As it turned out, Berengaria did not need information about Richard. She knew him quite well. Richard and her brother had been friends, traveling together to the jousts, and Richard had stayed some time at Sancho's Court. He had, in fact, favored Berengaria with as full a treatment of courtly love as Simon had bestowed upon Alinor. It was this that Berengaria needed to talk about to a person of her own agea true dream of love. She described at great length the delicacy of Richard's attentions to her, how he had declared himself unworthy even to beg for a kiss. |
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Alinor was so horrified that tears came to her eyes, |
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