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it really did not surprise John's man that Beorn should hail the leader with joy. It was all of a piece with the frustration, delay, and bad luck of this entire enterprise that the troop should be that of Lord Geoffrey FitzWilliam. It was fated, he knew. It must be that God's hand was raised to shield this woman. The depressed conviction left no room for suspicion. It seemed natural enough that Lord Geoffrey should be summoned to the knighting and should come to escort his betrothed into the city. |
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The same conviction did not touch the king. He knew Geoffrey was not supposed to receive a summons. He cursed his man soundly for a fool and a clod. Doubtless someone, perhaps even the messenger himself, had given information of John's summons to Salisbury and Salisbury had sent for Geoffrey as the easiest and most direct way to control the girl herself and suppress the tittle-tattle regarding her. John was annoyed, but not really angry. Obviously, his brother did not trust the little slut but, equally, he was not prepared to forgo her enormous dowry and inheritance. That was quite reasonable. The son, of course, was just the sort of hot-headed prig to repudiate the betrothal. John shook his head. William should have understood that he would be discreet with his brother's daughter-by-marriage. |
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The matter was of very little importance, however. John was not hungry at the moment. He was well employed trying to get Isabella with child again, and there were a few other tasty pieces around. Besides, it would be more amusing to tumble the girl after Geoffrey was irrevocably tied to her by marriage. He smiled a slow smile, put back into complete good humor by the thought of Geoffrey's torment. How his cockerel-proud nephew would squirm and rage. By then, even that loud-mouthed hothead would not be able to raise a protest. When Philip of France was humbled and Normandy was his own again, no man would dare complain even if the king should choose to spread-eagle that man's wife on the high table in the midst of dinner. |
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To add a note of comedy to the whole, it was Geoffrey who was furious when he saw his betrothed safe and sound |
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