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"Why should you not consent if you had heard him offer marriage?" Marie whined. She had caught Gervase's look and realized the sneer had been ill-timed. "Betrothed couples may be excused for a little love play. I am no maiden who should show red sheets on my marriage morn." |
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"That may be true, but Richard will blame me for permitting such freedom before he had approved the match, and he will say that if we cannot be trusted in company, we had better go where there is none." |
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Marie, whose mouth was already open to accuse Gervase of selfishness and lack of pity, swallowed her words. It was too likely that Gervase was right. She began to weep. "Am I to have nothing," she sobbed, "not even revenge for so cruel a hurt?" |
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"I do not know," Gervase said in a softer voice, for she understood her sister's rage and did sympathize with her. After all, Gervase had herself suffered from impotent rage. "It is for you to decide whether to take the chance. I swear I will do all I can to help you. But there is another problem, even more important, that you have not considered. It can do no good at all to make this accusation unless Sir Walter and Lady Sybelle are both here. If you tell Richard and he writes to Sir Walter, the chances are that Sir Walter will reply by letter or, if he comes, he will come alone. How, then, will those of Roselynde bear of Sir Walter's prior contract?" |
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"He would have to tell them of a prior contract that would make his marriage to that bitch invalid," Marie said. "Or if he does not, Richard would have to tell them. Or I will write to Lord Geoffrey myself." |
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Gervase shrugged. Marie seemed to have made her decision in favor of attacking Waiter at any cost, regardless of the difficulties involved, but she herself was growing more and more doubtful of the efficacy of the claim Marie wished to make. Even if Richard believed Marie, Gervase doubted that he would rate her claim high enough to quarrel with a friend over it, especially after she said she had miscarried the child. However, there was no sense in arguing with Marie, who would only scream and cry and grow sullen. It was bad enough being alone in the keep again without that. And the whole thing might come to nothing anyway. For instance, if Richard were away for several months, it would be self-evident that Marie was not pregnant. |
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