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the sailors were set to pulling at the oars because the ship was completely becalmed. Even when there was a breeze, it was so light that the ship moved hardly faster than when rowed. Joanna's outward manner remained placid, but inside she fretted and fumed and feared and her tongue grew sharper and sharper. Sir Léon found the company of a sharp-tongued woman, who could not be beaten, could be very painful. He found himself leaping to his feet and bowing at the flicker of a woman's skirttwice to his embarrassment to Edwina the maid. |
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That, however, brought him a whole new set of lessons. From that merry-hearted slut he learned what Lady Elizabeth had taught Geoffrey, that a man's pleasure could be immeasurably heightened by restraint and the cooperation of his partner. Edwina was, after all, no common, paid whore, no terrified serf girl. When she said do thus and so and I will show you a new delight, he didand was delighted. The only trouble in his mind was that, now and again, he heard an echo of Joanna saying, "I understand well why you are surprised that your wife should want you back." At the time he had thought her mad. Now he began to wonder uneasily what Gilliane was learning from some months of Lord Geoffrey's company. |
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The morals of these high folks, he thought, were as coarse as their manners were fine. Did not Lady Joanna turn a blind eye to her maid's doings? Did she not spend many hours in the alcove curtained off for her all alone with Sir Guy? Would Lord Geoffrey respect the wife of a simple knight or would he use Gilliane as Léon himself used the wives and daughters of his serfs? He began to curse the calm winds as heartily as Joanna did, fret as uneasily at the slow unloading and reloading of cargo in Bruges. |
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At last they came ashore at Dunkerque and were mounted. After that they proceeded at the rate Joanna wished to set. Still, they covered near ninety miles from Dunkerque to Baisieux in remarkably short time. Joanna knew from Sir Léon's rising excitement when they were coming near. When he breathed, "My land, my own land," with tears in his eyes, Joanna made a sharp gesture behind her and Sir Guy was suddenly athwart them, drawn sword |
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