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Page 334
busy with the projected marriage. Isabella apparently was pressing for a court affair under a misapprehension, and her insistence could be cured by a few clear words from Alinor. However, the political reasons for a court wedding still held good, and a court wedding it would be. That, however, meant the presence of every enemy she and Ian had, and a few more who did not love her quick-tempered son-by-marriage or her daughter's odd humorsas well as their friends. The presence of enemies meant the sheets must be stained and Joanna must be prepared to use trickery if nature should betray her.
Alinor patted Joanna briskly on the shoulder. "That pain will be in the future, I hope, unless you allow yourself to become as silly as Ela and turn faint at the thought of a tourney or a practice passage of arms."
"I am not so bad as that," Joanna said with a faint smile. "Does it indeed appear that this trouble will pass without war?"
"There is good hope of it, at least at present. I will tell you the whole later, but for now what will help best to keep the peace is that you and Geoffrey marry at once and at court."
"Geoffrey wrote of a great marriage, but at court? Oh, very well," Joanna agreed.
"You do not object?"
"Why should I?"
Apparently, Joanna did not see the implication or else was confident, because she was a virgin, that all would be well. If so, matters must be explained to her clearly. Of course, there was always the chance that she and Geoffrey were lovers already and had arranged for proof. Alinor wanted to know what they intended to do, in that case. Considering the queen's suspicions, there would be some effort made to catch them. A clumsy trick would not serve. Alinor tried to recall how hairy Geoffrey was, but she could only remember his body as it had been when he was a boy. She had had occasion to see him naked when he was a man, but

 
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