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Page 173
she wrapped around her betrothed as he stepped from the tub. He shivered in the damp of the inner chamber, and she drew him toward the fire where she dropped the now-damp linen and began to dry him thoroughly with another cloth.
"Instead of keeping to this plan," Geoffrey continued, his voice sharpening, "John has decided to build strong places all through Wales from which he can rule directly and to build also a great keep at Aberystwyth. They will not endure this. I know they will not, and, fool that I am, I said so. That was when I was told that, since I had craved leave to come to you, I should go and meddle no more in matters of state that I was too young to understand."
Bitterness and hurt pride rang in Geoffrey's voice. Instinctively, Joanna responded with support. "The more the fools they to confuse youth with stupidity. I greatly fear you are right, Geoffrey, right in all ways. I do not think the Welsh princes will cry out against what they see and so give warning either. They will bide their time and then, when all have been lulled into thinking they are cowed, they will overrun the country and wrest it back into their own hands."
Although she did believe Geoffrey's analysis of the situation, Joanna spoke largely to assuage his hurt. Single-minded, she was really concerned only about Clyro, and she thought that was probably far enough out of the strategic path to be safe. She would, of course, warn Sir Peter herself or ask Geoffrey to warn him, but she believed the attacks would be directed against the new royal strongholds, rather than at long-time residents known to be good neighbors. There was another aspect to the problem, however.
"Why does this trouble you so much, Geoffrey?" Joanna asked gently as she drew up and tied his chausses. "Do you fear they will flood over into England to take revenge?"
To her surprise his expression lightened. "No. No. That I had not thought about. Perhaps it was not all wasted. They have tasted England's might. They will try to throw off the yoke, but they will do nothing that can really arouse bitterness here. It lay on my heart that I urged the burning of

 
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