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Page 45
lands, they are yours,'' Gervase said. "There is no question of contested ownership, for instance, from the Earl of Gloucester?"
"Richard is only a boy," Walter replied automatically, wondering if perhaps Gervase and Marie had somehow not heard what he said about the war. "Gloucester has no power to contest my ownership, and, besides, he never would. He loves me and is of a singularly sweet nature. Yes, the lands are mine, but one does not, is such times as these, simply ride up to a keep and say one is its overlord. No, that is not true. There are many castellans who would honor their oaths, but not, I fear, my brother's men. At least . . . perhaps I missay them. In any case, my affairs can wait."
"Why?" Marie asked.
"The whole realm is in turmoil," Walter pointed out patiently. "I do not wish to add to that."
"But if you came with a strong army," Gervase persisted, ignoring what Walter had just said," and took the keeps, they would be yours. Am I correct?"
"Yes," Walter agreed, again mechanically.
It had by now occurred to him that Gervase and Marie had known about the war; it was simply of no interest to themso they ignored it! Walter was stunned by this attitude, since if Richard were defeated, their situation would surely be very difficult. And then he realized that to Gervase, anyway, it might not seem that way. Nothing that happened to Richard would affect her property in France. She probably believed she could simply go back there. Perhaps she even wished for it.
That thought ran into another. There could be no doubt that Richard did not desire Gervase's company. Then why had he brought her to England? Because he could not trust her alone in France? Walter told himself it was not his business. His business was to pacify Gervase so that she would not offend Llewelyn. That was the duty Richard had laid upon him, and he must perform it without regard to his feelings about the woman.
Walter smiled. "Well," he continued, "the lands would be mine if the leader of the army does not decide to keep for himself what he had won for me."
"Richard would not do that," Gervase said. "You may

 
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