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Page 319
but so long as she agreed he did not really care if she were angry. He went on to explain the political situation and the effect that their marriage would have.
"So you see," he wrote finally, "there can be no question of delay. Each day that the wedding is not announced will harden the conviction that Lord Ian (and because of his intimacy with him, the earl of Pembroke) is seeking to sever his bonds to the king. I cannot deny that this gives me the greatest pleasurenot for the reasons it should, that our marriage may save this realm a bloody war where brother might be pitted against brother, but out of pure selfishness. Joanna, my Joanna, anything that will bring you into my arms would be welcome to me. I am glad that our wedding may do much good, but were it otherwise, were it even that every good I have named would be an evil instead, I would still insist that we be married forthwith. Make ready then, dear heart, for I hope in only a few weeks you will be really, completely, and entirely mine."

After an initial thrill of pleasure which his handwriting always gave her and which Joanna firmly repressed, she read Geoffrey's letter with relative calm until she came to the final part. It was no surprise to her that John's subjects had been driven to conspire against him. The possibility of conspiracy and rebellion had seemed very strong to her the last time she had been at court. She was grateful to Geoffrey for his quick warning. There would be time enough to inform her mother's vassals and castellans to prepare to defend themselves, to avoid all contact with those suspected of rebel sympathies, and to offer no aid or comfort to the king's men either. They should arm well and keep to themselves, using the good excuse that their lord and lady were out of the country and they had no orders as to what next to do.
As for Clyro, Joanna thought, it would be safe enough. Sir Peter need only be told not to house nor defend the king's men and to send a discreet messenger to Lord Llew-

 
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