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Page 375
impatient and angry that he refused to wait for an escort. If ill befell him, it would be because of her unreasonable jealousy.

After Marie broached her idea to Heribert, he had considered setting an ambush for Walter on the road between Clyro and Hay. He had abandoned the plan because killing Walter on the road might not implicate Marie sufficiently to keep her mouth shut. Besides, the trap at the manor was certain to result in Walter's death even if he did bring an escort. The men would not accompany him into the house and possibly could be disposed of quietly one at a time. And, if the fool did come alone, Marie was probably right about him and they would find him utterly helpless, naked in her bed.
Sir Heribert's reasoning was faultless; nonetheless he was completely wrong. So preoccupied was Walter between his misery over Marie's situation and his misery over his quarrel with Sybelle, that a small child with a slingshot could have disposed of him on the road between Clyro and Hay. It was lucky that Beau was sagacious, or Walter would have drowned in the fording of the river that ran across the track between Clyro and Hay because aside from urging his horse into the water, Walter paid scant attention to the stallion's progress.
Heribert had instructed his men to tie up and gag the stableboy and take his place so that no hint of extra horses or men should come by chance to Walter's ears, but that, too, was unnecessary. It was unlikely that Walter would have noticed a whole army encamped in the stable yard, not to mention four extra horses at the far end of the stable.
It was not until Walter entered the house and came to Marie, who was sitting beside the fire in the main chamber, that any fact penetrated his distress. There had been no one to open the door for him or announce him, but he did not wonder at that, supposing that Marie had sent everyone away. As he crossed the floor, he let his shield down from his shoulder and leaned it against a table, but his eyes were on Marie.
He did not see what he had expected, a miserable huddle of woman, beblubbered by tears. Marie looked as pretty as ever and was dressed even more seductively than usual. As soon as he laid eyes on her, Walter suffered a shock of revulsion. He had rushed away from Sybelle without even trying to calm her because he had envisioned Marie in dire agony of mind,

 
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