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is enough, Lady Alinor," Rhiannon said, coming forward and sitting on a stool hastily vacated by Joanna's youngest daughter. |
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She was immediately more comfortable because of Alinor's calm acceptance of and interest in what she had exposed. Beginning to explain, she was interrupted by eager questions. Some she answered, some she looked to Simon to answer. One at least, was unanswerable. |
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"So you do not know whether Llewelyn really has reason to believe that Henry intends to make peace with Pembroke, or is only blocking every mousehole in his usual way," Geoffrey said. |
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"I think it must be the latter," Rhiannon replied. "Since the Earl of Chester died, he has no source really close to the king except Lord Ian." |
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"I agree," Simon said. "It was more likely that he just saw a way to solve several problems at once." |
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As he went on to explain how he had reasoned out Llewellyn's intentions, Rhiannon realized she had been accepted, absorbedjust as simply as that. She was now a part of this family. Simon was presently the focus of questions and attention, and there was time to watch the interactions. It was fascinating to her that the women were as interested and as involved in the discussion as the men. It was very different from her father's court. Lady Joan had been included in the political talk when relations with England were concerned, but that was an exception. |
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Of course, Rhiannon admitted to herself, she had never tried to be included. She had never had any interest in affairs of state, aside from discovering whether there would be any danger to Angharad's Hall. She wondered what her father's reaction would have been had she wished to be involved. But it did not matter. Rhiannon knew that her interest would fade again when the matter did not concern her directly. There was a more important aspect to it, however. |
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