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Page 487
ing. Joanna was fulfilling his sweetest dreams; why should he try to run away from her?
What was more singular and therefore more absorbing to him was the deferential attention paid Joanna by all the men, not only her own servants. Sir John, the master of this great keep and wide estates, bowed to her, kissed her hand, assisted her every step, although he must have known she was strong as a dray horse. Even the big, magnificent fighter that Sir Léon now knew was Lady Joanna's brother bowed and scraped, pulling the bench out for her to sit upon and serving her attentively, cutting all the best pieces from the haunch for her trencher.
Inside, Sir Léon grew a little cold, wondering what awful power the woman wielded. Perhaps she was a witch. He turned to Sir Guy, planning a question that might clarify the matter, and noticed that the knight was paying very similar attentions to the young girl, Sir John's daughter, who sat beside him. The sneers at his manners began to make senseat least, not sense. To Sir Léon it did not seem to be at all sensible to waste such attentions on a woman, but, if that was the way the great ones lived, why should he mark himself as a lesser being by omitting what cost nothing to perform.
Attentive watching taught muchthat "manners" were ingrained and rather meaningless habit among these people. Young Adam certainly stood in no awe of his sister, Sir Léon soon realized. He spoke to her with great familiarity and, from time to time, they squabbled like children, breaking into laughter moments later. Sir John's wife bore bruises that surely spoke of a beating administered by her husband, yet he used the same forms of courtesy to her. Carefully, Sir Léon began aping the ways of his betters and Sir Guy, anxious for a pleasant journey that would irritate his mistress as little as possible, helped with hints and advice.
There was plenty of time to practice. Although only a few days were spent at Mersea waiting for the ship to load, during which time Lady Joanna's maid arrived from Kemp where she had been left, the weather was so good after they set sail that the passage was made at a snail's pace. Often

 
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