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ily and very strongly to his older sister whom he supported in her worst troubles. It seems that she has infected him with her hate and," Gilliane swallowed and her next words came out in a rush, "and Louis plans to set upon your husband when he leaves and" |
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"How can you know this?" Joanna breathed. She was more than chilled with apprehension now; she was icy with terror. |
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"When I stopped her fromfrom what she intended, she was so angry that she" Gilliane flushed unbecomingly. "She believes II betrayed Léon with your husband. She said I could not save my lover thus, and she told me" |
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"How will Sir Louis know when Geoffrey leaves?" Joanna asked, pressing terror down, fixing on practicalities. |
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"We are near neighbors, as you know. The serfs, the servants, they are all bound together. Louis has been substitute master here so often that if he bid them send him word they would do so, any or all of them." |
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Joanna knew that the male servants paid little attention to Gilliane. She did not ask for her help. "Cannot Sir Léon" she began and, seeing the terror in Gilliane's eyes realized what she was asking. |
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If Sir Léon was apprised of his uncle's plans, either that would start a quarrel between them, or, what Joanna feared much worse, being intent on Geoffrey's welfare rather than that of her host, he might be convinced to join the plot. It would be madness to hint such a thing to Gilliane. Joanna stared sightlessly at the floor, driving her mind to stop squirreling around and fix on some plan that would save them. |
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"We must not begin any quarrel between your husband and his uncle," Joanna began again, her voice only slightly tremulous. "We must arrange somehow that both of them be gone, best together so that neither can blame the other. Only for a day or two. Think, Gilliane, what do Léon and Louis customarily do together that takes them from their keeps for a few days at a time?" |
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The first response to that, to Joanna's surprise, was an angry flush. Then she understood. Louis and Léon went whoring together. Gilliane herself was surprised by her |
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