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Page 14
I am not doing this for you. Partly I am doing it to give Henry and Winchester an additional fright. If they were honorable men themselves, they would know that I would do nothing and say nothing in Wales to their detriment, and therefore their hearts and minds would be at peace. However, they are such fools and so little believe in men's honor that they will doubtless think I intend treason because I go to see my brother-by-marriage wed.''
"But will that not be dangerous?" Joanna asked.
Her husband's expression softened. "Do you mean to William and Ian? My love, you cannot think I would do a thing that would endanger my sons just to teach any man a lesson. The boys are at Oxford. We will take them with us. What could be more natural than that they should attend their uncle's wedding?"
First Joanna looked delighted, but almost immediately a thoughtful frown replaced the expression of pleasure. "Will that not be going a step too farto take the boys without permission? You do not really wish to break with the king, do you?"
To Joanna's surprise, Geoffrey did not immediately assure her he would be faithful to his cousin the king. He acted as if he had not heard her questions. "How could I wait for permission and still come in time for the wedding?" he asked cynically in return. "I shall, of course, write to the king and explain what I have done." For a moment the bitterness disappeared from Geoffrey's face and his eyes glowed golden with mischief at the thought of Henry's probable reaction to such a letter, but the amusement did not linger. Still, his eyes did not dull but grew more brilliant with anger. "And I hope he flies into such a rage that he does cry treason. Let him come here and gnaw at Hemel's walls while Ian and Adam come at him from behind. Between us, we will"
"Geoffrey . . ." Joanna leaned forward and placed a hand over his, which had formed into a clenched fist. "You know you do not mean that. And you know Henry will not cry treason unless you force him. For all his kicking and screaming like a spoiled infant, he loves you."
"Does he?" Geoffrey asked tightly. "Does he? It was only to spite me, to hurt me, that he ordered my father to lead his own men. Poor Papa, he is so crippled he can barely ride. It costs him such pain. . . . That was cruelty, naked cruelty!"

 
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