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"So it must be," Ian said strongly. "Where there is no honor, there is no man. There is only a beast that walks on two legs." |
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"Oh, tush!" Alinor exclaimed, using her late husband's favorite expression. "There is no lack of honor in Geoffrey, but he does not go about butting walls down with his headat least not often. But what brought Walter de Clare to my mind in the first place was what you said, Ian, before Sybelle came in, about Winchester finally taking fright and not wishing to make enemies. If Walter also feels Winchester will stop urging the king to vengeance, he will almost certainly come to an open declaration of his intention. Or, if it is not now, it will be soon. Thus, Sybelle must know what she wishes with regard to him." |
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Sybelle's color, which had gone back to normal, rose again. "But I do not know." |
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"Do not talk like a silly chit," Alinor said sharply. "You must know whether or not Walter is to your taste." |
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"Alinor!" Ian exclaimed. "If Sybelle is undecided, we can put off Walter." |
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"That is not fair to him," Alinor pointed out, gratefully nothing that Sybelle was looking at her and had not noticed the expression of astonishment followed by cynicism on Ian's face. |
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Ian knew that it was most unlike to worry about what was fair to others when her own family's interest were involved. Alinor could be kind and justand mostly she was. However, to her, the interests of Roselynde and those bound to it by blood were paramount, and everything else was subordinate. Although Ian was not seeing beneath the surface of things, over twenty years as Alinor's husband had sharpened his perceptions. He realized that it was Sybelle, not Walter, about whom Alinor was concernedand yet that was not completely true. Seemingly, Alinor wanted Sybelle to choose Walter, and once he came into the family he, too, would be "hers, to her," someone to be cared for with devotion. While these thoughts ran through Ian's head, Alinor had continued speaking with calm thoughtfulness. |
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"At least, if the answer is more likely to be no than yes, I think Sybelle must tell us now so that we may warn Walter that contract is unlikely. I am not asking Sybelle to commit herself absolutely, only to say whether Walter does or does |
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