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before and was suddenly ravenous. He put out a hand to wake Rhiannon, but he remembered the quarrel of the preceding night before he touched her. Better to let her wake on her own. Simon's irritation with Rhiannon had evaporated with his exhaustion, but his memory of the scene with Winchester was more, rather than less, troubling. Grabbing a bedrobe, he went out and found his parents already eating. |
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To Simon's relief, his father looked quite normal this morning. His eyes were still worried, but the frightening gray tinge was gone from his skin, and Alinor's smile seemed quite natural. Thus, he was able to tell the whole tale of the none-too-subtle confrontation with Winchester. Ian was appalled, but Alinor shook her head at him. |
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"I do not say I would have taken the same path," she remarked, "but I can see a useful end to this one." A snap of the fingers summoned a servant, whom she sent to fetch Geoffrey. ''Rhiannon must not come before the king again," she went on when she had finished the message to the servant. "At least, not while we are here in Oxford." |
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I am glad you agree with me," Simon said. |
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"Yesterday I did not agree with you," Alinor pointed out. "Today is different because Rhiannon did go yesterday." |
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"I cannot believe Winchester ever intended such a thing," Ian protested. "He is devious, but not mad. Holding Rhiannon would never stop Llewelyn, but would only make him more ferocious." |
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"That was what Rhiannon said, but I am not sure Winchester realizes that Llewelyn would react that way," Simon insisted. |
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"It does not matter a pin what Winchester intended or understood. He may be innocent of all evil designs," Alinor snapped. "What does matter is that he has given into our hands another needle with his name on it to thrust into the king's hide." |
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