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Page 343
either of those to Thornbury and Foy. Barbury you need not consider, as you can summon that castellan to the manor at Braydon."
"You remember the country in the, west aright, Lady Alinor," Walter said, "and to summon the men to Clyro is wise for another reason than distance. Not all of them may be as fearful or, perhaps, as treacherous as Sir Heribert. There is even a chance that one or more are decent men. There is no need to add to their unease by having them see that I have already changed not only the castellan of Knight's Tower but also the garrison."
"And it will be most natural to summon them there at this time," Sybelle added, "for you must announce our marriage to them and they may serve as witnesses to Sir Roland's homage to meat which time you can point out that Roselynde's strength is behind you."
"There was a murmur of agreement from the family. Walter settled himself more easily into the cushioned chair that had been added for him to the group near the fire. He had wondered during the early part of the discussion, which had centered so wholly on national affairs, whether his personal interests were so small in comparison that they would be pushed into the background. Now he understood that having been absorbed into Roselynde, nothing of his would ever be forgotten. He grinned, remembering Simon's exasperated description of his mother and sister as women who would cheerfully give away ten bushels of grain, but only after counting every kernel on every head and calling out a major court of inquiry if even one kernel should be missing.
Actually, Walter could see no fault in that. He found Simon's attitude more incomprehensible; having offered to play their parts at court, he and Rhiannon had lost interest in mere details and had wandered away. But Walter did not like to be cheated himself, and he was not averse to putting effort into determining that he would not be. And as he looked around the group, his satisfaction grew even stronger. He could see no fault in anything this familynow his familydid.
All was decent and in order. Despite the fact that every woman in the group was far richer and more powerful than her husband, only Lady Alinor sat in a chair, and that was lower and less elaborate than Lord Ian's. Moreover, her age gave her that privilege. Joanna, Gilliane, and Sybelle occu-

 
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