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Page 235
tone of voice, a certain touch proclaimed love even while he spoke of business. Sybelle was still jealous, jealous of the fact that Marie had taken a pleasure from Walter's body that she wanted herself, but she knew herself preferred. Sybelle told herself that if she did not act like a fool he would never again think of Marie.
Certainly everything during the ride to Clyro reinforced this conclusion. Guessing that Walter had missed breaking his fast in his desire to avoid Marie, Sybelle proposed an early stop to eat. Before that, Walter had been silent unless she spoke to him and a trifle snappish when he replied. After he had been fedand Sybelle had seen to it that they were provided with suitably delicate fare; no hard journey bread and salt meat for her when better was availablehis mood sweetened. He began to tease her and jest with the men. In fact, Sybelle thought she had never seen him so lighthearted, as if he had cast off an unpleasant burden.

The only doubt raised in Sybelle during the next few days, while they waited for Sir Heribert to respond to the summons to Clyro, was owing to Walter's refusal to be private with her. He would sit with her in the hall for a little while, but soon he would find an excuse to ask Sir Roland or his wife or both to join them. On the third day, toward evening, when Sir Roland had left them in response to a message from the gate guard, Sybelle asked Walter outright if he found her conversation silly or dull.
"Do not be ridiculous," Walter replied. "I am afraid to be alone with you. Even here, where servants come and go, I cannot trust myself to touch you. When we do not have other company, I begin to desire what I cannot have until we are handfast."
Sybelle did not answer him immediately, but when he started to rise she began hastily, "My grandmother said . . ." and then hesitated.
She was torn two ways. To repeat Alinor's cynical remark might be misinterpreted. Even without misinterpretation, to repeat it was a gross violation of maiden modesty. Sybelle was not much concerned with modesty or with the sin of prenuptial coupling, but the freedom to enjoy her body after marriage was one of the prizes she had hoped to use to induce Walter to come to England rather than return to Richard

 
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