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wanted to hear, Ian's kind speech served no particular purpose beyond exasperating his wife. Alinor understood that Joanna, although she might not admit it, would cheerfully have precipitated a cataclysm in England if that would keep Geoffrey at home. She inspected her daughter's figure carefully, but there was no sign in the narrow waist and small, high breasts that Joanna had conceived. Apparently, the girl took after her in being relatively unfertile. That was unfortunate. A full nursery and carrying a young one beneath one's heart was a great comforter of the spirit. |
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"But you must not feel that you will suffer from ennui just because Ian says the land will lie quiet," Alinor suggested with a lift of one brow. That was obviously a jest. With the responsibility for Alinor's and Geoffrey's lands, even if Adam were given the responsibility for Ian's vassals, Joanna would have more than enough to keep her busy. "I will leave Simon with you," Alinor continued, laughing. "He will as easily keep you from dullness as any war." |
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Joanna's face lit with pleasure. In fact, her mind and her mother's had been very close. She, also had been regretting bitterly that she was not with child. Geoffrey did not seem to care. A few times, believing that her barrenness might be the cause of Geoffrey's half-concealed dissatisfaction, Joanna had mentioned her regret at being unable to provide him with an heir. Instead of showing any sensitivity on the subject, he only laughed, asked if she were taking this subtle way to complain of his efforts in that direction, and promised to try harder. When he saw she was really troubled, he had comforted her more seriously, pointing out her mother's case and that of the queen, who had not conceived for seven years and then, in a shorter span, had had five healthy young ones. |
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It was not the fear of being permanently barren that bothered Joanna. She was only afraid that Geoffrey would get himself killed before she had something of him to keep. Simon was no substitute for a child of Geoffrey's of course, but Joanna knew he would certainly keep her busy and |
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