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father. "All is not yet lost. You should have known, Ian, that Winchester could not be bent, but the king is not so inflexible." |
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"Not so inflexible, but more dangerous," Adam pointed out. "Winchester might have decided to hold Ian or may act against him in some other way for political reasons, but he is not likely to fly into a fit of rage and say or do something out of spite which, later, he cannot back away from." |
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"I did not intend to go to the kingnot at first," Geoffrey said. "If we have any hope, it will come from Richard of Cornwall." |
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"But Cornwall has already done and said everything," Simon protested in disgust. |
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"He has done and said too much," Geoffrey admitted wryly. "You know his temper. He called Henry an ungrateful cur for being so harsh with de Burgh and a long-eared ass when he dismissed the officers of the court. He has bellowed like a mad bull in council, threatened violence, stormed out of Westminster, and ridden back to Wallingford, refusing to speak to Henry at all. . . . No, I do not need to urge Richard to say more, but perhaps I can convince him to say the same words in a manner that will not make the king too angry to listen." |
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Geoffrey went out in midafternoon, soon after dinner, but returned almost at once accompanied by Walter, who had been staying with Cornwall, whose wife, Isabella, was his brother's widow. The earl, Walter reported, had ridden away to attend the funeral of the father of a very close friend. |
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"Is it an excuse?" Simon asked, his eyes glinting with interest. "I thought he intended to attend the council." |
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"The council is canceled," Walter told them. "The earlsCornwall, Norfolk, and Ferrars, who are the only ones who have comerefused to hold a meeting when nearly no one else is here and, in particular, when Richard Marshal is not here. It is mainly his |
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