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Page 536
London and complained because it was necessary to drink beerthe wine had run out. Toward the end of that month, the most dismal of winter, when freezing rain lashed the battlements and the breakers roared on the beach and exploded against the rocks of the low cliff, a ship struggled into Roselynde harbor, near sunk. They had put out from Le Havre when the weather seemed to be fairing up, intending only to run a little way along the coast and the storm had come up suddenly and swept them away.
The master of the ship, brought up to Roselynde keep, told Joanna without the slightest hesitation that Louis had convinced his father to support him and was gathering ships and men. He would come in the spring, in April or May, the master said, smiling. It was so very apparent that he expected Joanna to greet this news with pleasure that she made an effort to do so. It seemed that the French were now convinced that England would welcome them with open arms. Philip had letters containing oaths and promises from more than half the barons that they would join his son and make him king if only Louis would come. This was a far cry from the promises of one single lord, even a powerful one, and Philip now felt it was worth a chance.
Joanna listened until she was sure the man had no more to tell. Since he was not a regular trader in Roselynde port, had never been there before, she ordered that he and the crew be put to death, the ship and cargo impounded. She sent word of what she had heard to Alinor and to Geoffrey. By now she had given up hope of receiving any reply, so she was surprised when her returned messenger handed her a letter from Salisbury in the first week of March. Her father-by-marriage thanked her for the information, although he had heard it from other sources. He had taken the liberty of reading her letter, he explained, since he did not know exactly where Geoffrey was at the moment and he feared, because the letter was sent to his camp, that there was some emergency that required immediate response. Salisbury had sent his own messenger on with her letter to Geoffrey, but it might be some time before the man caught up with his son.
Unbelievingly, Joanna reread what was written. She

 
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