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Lady Alinor allowed her maid to brush her hair the full number of strokes and determinedly kept her eyes away from Ian's squire, who seemed to be taking ten times as long as usual to disrobe his lord. She did not clench her teeth nor her fists, and she even made shift to smile at Gertrude and thank her in the usual way. Ian said nothing to his squire, staring absently over the boy's head at a handsome tapestry that adorned the wall and somewhat moderated the chill damp which oozed through the stones. However, that was usual. Lord Ian was not a great babbler of idle nothings. |
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When he was naked and ready for bed, Ian tousled the squire's hair and said, "Court dress for tomorrow, Stephen." The boy groaned and Ian laughed and slapped him lightly on the shoulder as a dismissal. |
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He followed Gertrude out of the room, closing the door behind him. Almost instantly Lady Alinor leapt to her feet, but Ian shook his head and she sat down again abruptly and began buffing her nails with a chamois fastened to an oval piece of wood. In a few minutes there was a scratch at the door. Ian, who had climbed into bed and propped himself against the pillows, flashed a smile at his wife and called, "Come." One of Isabella's ladies entered promptly. She asked most solicitously whether Lady Alinor had everything she needed, whether the queen could provide any comfort, any article that might have been sent on ahead to Roselynde because Alinor had not known that her journey would be interrupted. |
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"I am not so improvident a traveler," Lady Alinor replied, smiling. She noted how the lady's eyes scanned her face, Ian's, and the room. "But thank the queen and |
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