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Page 232
"Whatever threats were made I swear no harm will come to you or yours or to me either. I know the men wear the king's livery. Who was the man, Joanna?"
"The king's livery? Oh, no!" Joanna took a deep breath and tried to control her shuddering. "I do not hide knowledge out of fear, Geoffrey. I really do not know. They were all masked."
There had been no masks when Geoffrey came aboard, but that was so odd a thing for Joanna to say that it must be true. It was reasonable that as soon as danger threatened the masks would be torn away. One needed to see and breathe without obstruction in a fight. Still, Geoffrey had to voice his worst fear. He had to know.
"Joanna, look at me. Was it the king?"
Her eyes met his, still dilated with fright but concealing nothing. Her surprise at the question was genuine. "No. I know it was not he."
"How do you know if he was masked? Did he speak?"
"Not a word. No one made a sound." Joanna began to tremble again, and Geoffrey put an arm around her and drew her close. "That made it worseso awful! No one said a word, but I could feel the hate. Hate!" Her eyes closed and tears squeezed out under the lids. "Why should anyone hate me, Geoffrey? I have never willingly done any man or woman ill. It was terrible! Terrible!"
"Hush, love, no one hates you. No one could." Geoffrey tightened his grip and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the heel of his hand. "But there are some who hate meaccursed that I am to have left you alone to face their spiteand, beloved, the king hates your mother. Are you sure"
"That it was not the king, I am sure," Joanna replied steadily. "He was the wrong shape for John. Who could mistake the king? He is a tub upon legs. And, whatever he feels about my mother, John does not hate me. He looks at me as if I were a particularly tasty tidbit on his platewith no more emotion than thatand sometimes with a flicker of malicious humor, but not hate."

 
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