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Page 102
wished to come to blows with his own father. Lord Geoffrey was not usually touchy, but the circumstances were not exactly an everyday occurrence.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey had looked vaguely at the whore, who had rolled hastily off the cot and was now crouched at the far side of the tent. He held out a hand toward his father. "Have you a purse? Give me some money. II do not know where"
Salisbury fingered out the two smallest coins in his purse and pressed them into Geoffrey's palm. The young man walked across to the crouching woman, who, image of fear though she was, still held up a cupped hand. Geoffrey dropped the coins in and told her indifferently to get dressed and go, adding that there was nothing to fear. Then he swung his head back toward his father and blinked owlishly. "I am drunk," he announced.
"Then you will be no different than half the other men at court. Can you sit a horse?"
Geoffrey drew himself up with great dignity, which was a little marred by his nakedness and by an enormous hiccup. "That is a ridiculous question. I have never been so drunk that I could not sit a horse."
"May such abstemiousness long prevail," Salisbury replied drily and went to help Tostig dress him.
Now that the shock that had briefly sobered Geoffrey was receding, Salisbury could see that his son was, indeed, "well to live." He was not unduly worried. The ride in the cooling night air would doubtless sober him considerably, enough anyway to behave respectably. If not, he could take Geoffrey to his own chamber first and apply some rough and ready measures. It seemed, however, that Geoffrey had spoken the truth as far as his ability to rideif not to mount. Tostig had to hold him upright, fit his foot into the stirrup, and hike him aloft while Salisbury grinned. But once in the saddle, Geoffrey was steady enough.
The father did not mind. He was rather pleased. Like most sons, Geoffrey kept his peccadillos within his own age group, presenting to his parent and his elders in general an

 
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