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Page 383
cursed it vilely. Portsmouth was far too close to Roselynde. Joanna would expect him, and Geoffrey feared he would be unable to resist riding home. He wanted to be there, but if he was at Roselynde he could not properly do his duty. In his efforts to explain to Joanna why he would come the few miles between Portsmouth and Roselynde so seldom, Geoffrey inadvertently painted a picture of his central importance to the enterprise.
To Joanna this was instantly equated with a spearhead position in the fighting. Her one desire was to embrace her husband's knees and weep and plead until he promised to withdraw from the action. Since Joanna knew quite well that such behavior could only add an enormous burden of worry to what Geoffrey would be carrying and would not turn him from his purpose, she could only listen to him in silence. Eventually, she gained sufficient control of herself to reply with outward placidity that Geoffrey must, of course, do his duty as he thought best. In one way this calm acceptance of his absence was a relief to Geoffrey, but it also increased his conviction that he meant little more to Joanna than her favorite dog.
At Portsmouth Geoffrey found Salisbury in charge. This was not surprising in spite of the fact that Salisbury knew very little about the sea or seamen. The armada which was devised to stop Philip at sea was easily as important to the defense of the country as the army assembled on Barham Down. To whom else would John entrust it? Salisbury was intelligent and adaptable. Perhaps he could not learn to steer or sail a ship in a few days or weeks, but he could certainly learn the principles of fighting afloat.
Geoffrey did know a good deal about the sea and seamen. He had sailed with the merchants and fishermen from Roselynde, had fought pirates and sea reavers all along Lady Alinor's coastal possessions when he was Ian's squire. Salisbury seized upon him with bellows of delight, and Geoffrey was soon as busy and burdened as he had been at any time during the Welsh campaign. He did not have time to think about Joanna and whom she loved best. All but the

 
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