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Page 352
Then Marie remembered that after the cold had broken and before Richard had left for Ireland, they had ridden out and visited a manor house at Hay. The bailiff there would remember her and raise no objections to her spending a few hours and using his bedchamberand even if he did not remember her, he would not dare protest if she were accompanied by Sir Heribert and his men. And Hay was very close to Clyro, a mile or a little more. They had passed Clyro when taking a longer route back to Clifford.
Then she bit her lip with chagrin. How could she be accompanied by Heribert and his men when Heribert was in Craswall? If only she were at Craswall . . . Well, why not? All she need do was tell Gervase that she could not bear to be in the same place as Walter and that she wished to retreat to the priory. Gervase knew what had passed between her and Richard when she tried to claim to be with child by Walter. Now that peace was near at hand, Gervase was intent on remaining on good terms with her husband so that he would take her to court when he went. She would not wish to take a chance that Marie would cause trouble; she would rather do without her company for a few days.
Marie jumped to her feet. There was still time to get to the priory today so that Heribert could send for his men tomorrow. Walter had said he did not expect Sybelle until the day after tomorrow. Heribert could send some men to watch for her arrival. One could ride back to warn Heribert and herself, and another could deliver Marie's letter. Marie giggled. If Walter did not happen to be in Clyro, the letter might be handed to Sybelle. If she read it . . . If she read it, all kinds of additional possibilities for making trouble would arise.
Since Gervase had been uncomfortably aware of Marie's peculiar behavior at dinner, she was not at all averse to her sister's request. If the thought that Marie was more interested in obtaining Sir Palance's company than in avoiding Walter's crossed her mind, she made no comment about it. She was aware of the attention Sir Palance paid Marie and that Marie enjoyed it, but she understood her sister and was not in the least afraid that Marie would get involved too deeply. The fact that Sir Palance had returned to Craswall so suddenly had puzzled her, but Marie said glibly that Sir Palance did not wish to become involved in the war and had retreated to avoid being asked to accompany Bassett and Siward on the pro-

 
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