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Page 197
and, she thought, very much in love. His good sense would have formidable odds against it.
''In any case, Braybrook is naught," she went on flatly, "because there is real danger now of oversetting the realm more directly. Isabella must have brought this tale of Joanna's lack of virtue to John and he, being what he is, has decided to use her. It was this of which I wished to warn you. The Braybrook matter is nothing."
Geoffrey had lifted his eyes to her, but they held nothing. Dull, mud-colored, they did not even seem to reflect understanding of what she said. Then he shook his head. "Not his brother's daughter-by-marriage"
"He would use his own daughterif any had looks enough to attract him."
"Ela," Geoffrey said, almost smiling, his tension easing, "I do not love him, but you go too far. This must be nonsense."
"Is it? Is it? You have not been near him since last August. You do not know! Your father does not seeor will not let himself see. Since John has subdued Scotland, Ireland, and Wales he thinks himself invincible. Nothing is beyond him. You were there and saw how he treated the pope's envoys. When he heard the pope's sentence he laughed at that toohe almost dared the lords to rebel. He insults them to their faces, debauches their wives and daughters without even a pretense"
"Ela, stop. You will make yourself ill," Geoffrey soothed, hearing the high, hysterical note growing in her voice. "You will warn Joanna. She will come to you, I am sure, as soon as she arrives in London. I will guard her. You will guard her. Among us all, I am sure we will keep her safe."
Dropping her head into her hands, Ela began to weep. Automatically, Geoffrey rose and went to comfort her, but he was thinking of his frantic efforts these past months to keep men loyal to John. Of course, the likelihood of those men coming to court and suffering the effects of the behavior Ela was describing was small, but they would not

 
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