< previous page page_17 next page >

Page 17
of course, and it did bring war."
"You would have thought Winchester would have learned something from that," Simon remarked caustically.
"Yes. I am disappointed in him. We were good friends once," Ian mused.
"Oh, he loved you well. You were always faithful. Why should he not love you? And you always see the best in everyone, my love," Alinor said. "Those who desire power seldom see the truth and never learn."
"That is true and not true," Geoffrey amended. "Winchester assigned the wrong reasons to the resistance toward John. He thought it was because John was hated for himself."
"Well, he was," Adam put in, his mouth set in grim lines.
"Yes, which made men spring to arms faster," Simon cried passionately, "but even had they loved him, they would not have permitted the king to trample on their rights, seize their property without reason or justice, and set himself above the law. Nor will they endure it now."
"Nor should they,", Ian agreed, "but Henry is not John, and there is no reason to fly to arms. I did not take up arms against John, and I certainly will not offer violence to the king who trusts me and to whom I swore when he was a child."
"There is no question of taking up arms," Joanna said quickly. "Even Richard Marshal has no intention of taking up arms. We are only discussing what to do about this summons to a council on the eleventh of July."
"What is there to discuss about that?" Ian asked.
"Whether to go or notthat is what there is to discuss," Simon snapped.
"Do not be a fool!" Ian responded sharply.
"Are you afraid to defy him?" Simon taunted.
"Simon!" Alinor exclaimed. "You shame me! I knew

 
< previous page page_17 next page >