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ready to send Simon home to be cared for by Joanna, but she wished to stay. She feared that John would see her departure as a first step on Ian's part toward treason. Ian acknowledged that it might arouse the king's suspicions but he would not take the chance that Alinor might be seized and used as a hostage. Geoffrey, who had answered the king's summons, would not take Joanna to court for exactly the same reason. Throughout the hot days of early August, the two women busied themselves as well as they could with the daily duties of the keep and landsand kept one ear constantly cocked for the hasty tread of a messenger. |
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In a few days they knew the worst had befallen. John ordered the men to set sail, and they refused. In an attempt to shame them all, John himself, with his closest companions and his household, took ship. Salisbury was among those who followed and Geoffrey went with his father, unwilling and heavy-hearted at taking part in a fiasco that might turn into a real disaster, but incapable of adding to Salisbury's misery. |
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On shore, the unifying determination not to be dragged into a foreign venture when they were already drained did not last. Two parties formed, those who wished to defy the king utterly and force him to acknowledge that he could call upon the lords only when they wished to be called and those who did not wish to serve abroad but wanted to show that they were willing to obey the king in other things. |
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The more rebellious of the two groups was largely composed of northern lords who had no interest in France at all. These struck their tents and promptly left for home as soon as the king departed. With them went Ian, still hoping against hope that he could bring them to reason and prevent armed rebellion. He left messages for the king to this effect with Peter des Roches and Aubery de Vere, but there was little hope in any of them that John would believe him or, rather, there was little hope John would not seize the opportunity to declare Ian an outlaw. |
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The next news came in an agonized letter from Geoffrey. Seeing that his device had failed, the king returned to Eng- |
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