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It was easy enough for Joanna to guess that the young jackanapes the king had sent with his summons was more spy than messenger. She did not fear violence for he brought no entourage, but unfortunately, however silly his looks, this creature would not be so easy to befool as that vain ass Henry de Braybrook. He was not at all interested in Edwina, and was mean enough to betray her (as he thought) to Joannawho was heartily annoyed at having to pretend to punish her maid. Now, Edwina was pretty as a picture, as clean or cleaner than any gentlewoman, and if not as richly dressed, still very charmingly dressed. Few men would resist such an offer, and not one of John's gentlemennot without a real reason. That fact alone would have set Joanna on guard, even if she had not been well enough versed in political realities to understand her summoning to Alexander's knighting was a complete non sequitur. |
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Thus, Joanna's message to Geoffrey had been sent off in complete secrecy and she sent no other. Moreover, she was careful not to betray the least reluctance or even surprise. Instead she ditheredif that word could be applied to such slow and placid indecisionuntil Sir Guy was forced to excuse himself and go away, knowing he would expose her either by laughing or by some exclamation of surprise. She packed and unpacked and repacked and then, when they were finally on the road, returned twice for forgotten objects. There was some chance that John's man would have heard of her efficiency during the Welsh war and become suspicious, but the delay was worth the risk. Joanna could only believe that this desire to get her early to court was an attempt to further smirch her reputation and she was deter- |
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