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Page 58
life, it was his fault and not hers. She had certainly put no impediments in his path. Isabella came as close as it was possible for her passionless nature to hating William of Salisbury and Geoffrey FitzWilliam, but she did not dare attack either of them openly. They were never far from the surface of her thoughts, however, and if she could say a spiteful word or do them an ill turn, she did.
There had been a short pause after Isabella spoke while both John and the bishop of Winchester stared at her. They were not surprised at her remark. Isabella did not have much sense, but she had sense enough always to agree with and praise her husband. The pause was simply for a pleasurable contemplation of her loveliness. Isabella knew it and sat perfectly still for a time. When she felt she had conferred a sufficient favor by allowing their admiration, she spoke again.
"You know, my lord bishop, that every plan my husband has designed that rested upon the support of the barons has fallen apart through their cowardice and disloyalty. It is only when he is strong enough to act upon his own that they rush to take credit for his glory and act as if it were their doing alone."
"It is true enough," John sneered. "When I had none but my own household guard, they deserted me rather than sail for Normandy, but when I had a good mercenary army readied to subdue Ireland, then they rushed to my support." He laughed without mirth. "Many came who were not even summoned. And the same was true when I marched north to tame Scotland."
Peter des Roches did not contradict the king, although he was no fool. The barons had refused to sail for Normandy because an aroused Philip of France in control of every stronghold in the province was waiting to cut them to pieces. No one had refused the king's summons to Ireland because, by 1209, William, earl of Pembroke had been fighting there for two years already and the country was nearly beaten into submission. When King John arrived with his army, he had little to do beside march the massive

 
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