Joanna (14 page)

What Salisbury forgot was that Geoffrey, knowing the same things, did not react emotionally the same way. It was a boy of nine, already much disturbed by the death of his grandfather and the breakup of his home that Isabella had nearly destroyed. The scars remained. Despite the fact that Geoffrey now knew Isabella was vain, shallow, and stupid, that she was unable to do any real harm, he could not help crediting her with a sort of malign power. When the queen was involved in anything relating to him, it took on a black aspect and was bound, in his opinion, to come to a bad end. He could not, therefore, think of her invitation to Joanna in any way except that it would bring trouble that he must somehow circumvent.

This foreboding, added to a splitting headache, generated   by the injudicious imbibition of a considerable quantity of rather poor quality wine and a lack of opportunity to sleep off its effects, did not produce the best of humors. Geoffrey strode into the hall with two vertical creases in his brow between his eyes and a rather set mouth. As they entered, the music for a dance measure ended and the regimented lines of men and women broke into a chaotic mass, which immediately began to resort itself into groups. Geoffrey glanced slowly around and then made his way toward a rather large group that seemed to be composed exclusively of young men. Salisbury, about to protest that Geoffrey should seek out Joanna and not begin another convivial party, smiled instead. As one of the young men bent forward to kiss a hand, Salisbury caught a glimpse of a jeweled headdress and a bright flash of gray eyes. Geoffrey’s instinct had been unerring. The center of the group of men was Joanna.

Preliminary pipings and lute notes indicated that a new dance was about to begin as Geoffrey reached the group. Henry de Braybrook, who had kissed Joanna’s hand, was saying, “This dance is mine, Lady Joanna,” with all the authority of a gentleman certain of his reception.

“No,” Geoffrey growled, “it is mine and so is the woman.”

Joanna cast Geoffrey one single flashing glance of affront, then curtsied low and bent her head.

“Your manners, sir, are of the gutter,” Braybrook said stiffly.

“You are mistaken again,” Geoffrey retorted, “they are of the campthe same as yours should be but are not. And do not bother to try to insult me. The king will not permit any quarrel between us here and now. I have more serious business in a day or two. When I come back from Wales, try me again.”

“Geoffrey” Engelard d’Atie remonstrated.

Geoffrey glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, he turned to Joanna. “Do you really wish to dance, Joanna?” he asked, but not as if he wanted to know. The tone demanded a negative answer. “My head is splitting,” he added.   “No, my lord. As you please, my lord,” Joanna murmured softly.

“Come away from this noise then,” Geoffrey said, and offered his hand formally.

Joanna curtsied generally to the group of young men and laid her fingers delicately on Geoffrey’s wrist. He led her quickly toward an empty window-seat embrasure where, as soon as small movements and low speech could not be distinguished by anyone whose eyes had followed them, Joanna dug her long, well-sharpened nails viciously into the hand supporting hers. Geoffrey bit back an exclamation and snatched his hand away. A few drops of red showed on the skin. There was surprising strength in the long, siender, white fingers.

“Your manners are rather of the sty than of the gutter,” Joanna hissed, smiling sweetly all the time. “Those of the gutter are at least human. Do not dare use me so in public when I cannot, for shame of my reputation, defend myself.”

“How else was I to remove you from that crowd of rutting stags?” Geoffrey snarled, and then, before she could answer, “For God’s sake, hold your tongue. My head is really splitting.”

“And I can tell why. You stink of sour wine. Why did you not stay where you were and sleep it off?”

“Because my father came to drag me here, lest your ladyship be offended by my absence.”

“I am more offended by your presence!”

“I will not long inflict it upon you. Is there some danger I must know of? What brought you flying here in four days?”

Joanna’s anger was diminishing. In the balance between the indifference implied by Salisbury’s need to “drag” Geoffrey to greet her and the naked jealousy of his action and his reference to “rutting stags,” the jealousy was clearly dominant. The fixed smile on Joanna’s lips became more natural, displaying a genuine and growing amusement. Geoffrey, after all, did not need to be jealous. Her lands and her person were already his. Since no action of hers could deprive him of the lands, it could only be her person of which he was jealous. Moreover, she approved heartily of the quick wit that suspected danger in Isabella’s invitation. Her message had held no details, only the fact of the invitation and her intention to obey it. Although the messenger had been told to be secret, Joanna would not take the chance of writing either her fears or the truth. Messages could go mysteriously astray, especially at a royal court.

“Let us sit down,” she said more pleasantly, and then, unable to resist teasing, “or should we move closer to the garderobe? You are growing quite green.”

“Sit, by all means. You must be weary after so much dancing. And please leave me to the management of my own complexion. Joanna, I am not in the humor for jesting. If there is something you must tell me, then tell it to me quickly. I do not wish to give a reason for suspicion of our conferring together.

Joanna giggled. “You have given safe reason enough for that. Do but lean closeronly do not breathe on me or you will make me drunk tooand whatever suspicion wakes will be only of your jealousy. It was a wise thing to do, Geoffrey. I am sorry I scratched you.”

Since Geoffrey’s action had had no intentional wisdom in it, he was little enough pleased by Joanna’s interpretation and merely grunted irritably at her. However, he did sit down beside her and lean close. Joanna turned her head away a trifle, as a young woman with hurt feelings and too much timidity to quarrel might do. It made an effective picture, shielded her from Geoffrey’s breath, and permitted her to watch the room all at the same time.

“I do not know that there is any danger,” Joanna said seriously, “but I do not understand why Isabella should send for me.”

“Nor I, and I do not like it. I do not like it at all. Could you not have made some excuse for disobeying?”

“It was my first thought, but from Sir Henry’s manner and answers to my protests, I saw that no excuse would be tolerated. It was better to make a virtue of necessity and hide my fears and suspicions.”   “That is true. Sir Henrywhich Sir Henry? There are twenty at least.”

“Braybrook.”

“Oh, that” Geoffrey’s eyes hardened. “Did he attempt you? Was that why you hurried? To be rid of him?”

“To be rid of him, yes, but not through any fault of his behavior to me.”

Joanna paused a moment and struggled with herself. It was true there had not been any overt “fault” in Braybrook’s behavior, but Joanna was not unaware that during the journey he had indeed been eating her with his eyes. The impulse to tease Geoffrey was enormous. After all, she was accustomed to teasing him; they had been children together. But she realized that there was no longer anything laughable in this form of teasing. Geoffrey was no longer her child-friend. He was a man, and the thought came suddenly to her that he was dangerous. She turned her head quickly to look at him. Perhaps his pallor came from too much wine, but his eyes were not those of a drunken man. They glowed a clear amberhot.

“It had nothing to do with Sir Henry personally,” Joanna repeated hastily, and embarked on the story of the escort Braybrook had brought for her and, in a low murmur, what had befallen them. She was relieved to see the set expression on Geoffrey’s face relax and his lips begin to twitch with suppressed laughter.

“Joanna,” he protested, “you might have killed them, and half the castle folk too.”

“Oh no,” she replied confidently. “You know my mother is a most excellent physician and I am also. I knew what I did. There was the reason for my haste. I was sure that they would ride hard to overtake us when they were recovered. I did not wish either to have the company of so strong a troop of men who would not obey me nor to need to find reasons to keep my own troop with us after they came up with us. Now I have my men here and Beorn and Knud seek me out in turns at this time and that time. Thus, a watch is kept upon me. And, of course, Brian is here. He is   chained to my bed above with my clothes and jewels to guard since I did not want him cavorting about on the dance floor.

“I see you have taken all care that is needful.”

Geoffrey’s voice was surprisingly so discontented that Joanna glanced at him again. She had mostly been watching the room while she spoke, not wishing to make such a confession if anyone could overhear. His eyes were downcast this time, and his face told her nothing.

“I hope so,” she answered. “Is there something in this that displeases you?”

“Yes! No, I mean, no, your care is well thought of and reasonable. It displeases me that you are here altogether. No, I do not mean that either, Joanna. I meanJoanna, in heaven’s name”

She had covered her face, and her shoulders were heaving, but, before Geoffrey could offer comfort, her fingers parted enough so that he could see she was laughing. “Do you know what you mean?” she whispered.

“Yes, and so do you, you devil,” Geoffrey growled. He bent his head closer. “You may laugh all you like, but it is true I am not glad to have you here. It will be expected that I dance attendance upon you, and I should be with my men.”

“Of course you should be with the men.” Joanna’s eyes widened. “Do you think it was to draw you away from them that I was summoned here? Can there be some plan to cause disaffection”

“No, that is too far-fetched, and I think all the men too firm in their loyalty.” There was a pause. Geoffrey cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “Then you do not want me here?”

“Not at all,” Joanna concurred heartily. “In fact, you will get dreadfully in my way.”

“What?”

Momentarily, she lifted her eyes to his and her face was completely grave. “Oh Geoffrey, do not be a fool. I do not forget our parting in Roselynde garden, but since I was called here against my will, I would be an idiot to lose the   opportunity to discover which way the winds of rumor blow at court. The king talks to Cantelu and to Braybrookand I talk to the sons. But they will not talk to me if you come dragging me away by the arm or glowering at us across the room. No man will be able to talk to me in your presence. To look at the eyes you had in your head when you came for me could dry the spittle in any man’s mouth.”

“But not in yours, it seems.” His eyes were golden with rage again, but Joanna met them fearlessly.

“No,” she said drily, “not in mine.” Then her expression softened. “If I have fears, they are for you, not of you, Geoffrey.”

He did not appear to have heard that oblique confession of tenderness. “Do you expect me to agree to this?” he snarled.

Joanna blushed fiery red and her eyes shone palely. “I do not care whether you do or not. If the king intends more or less than he avows openly, I must know it so that I can shield my men. That is my first duty, and I will do it without regard to your liking or misliking.”

Geoffrey’s hands clenched into fists, and he became so pale that Joanna feared he would forget where he was and strike her. She swallowed her own chagrin and placed her hands over his.

“Do not be a fool,” she urged. “I am betrothed to you. I swear I will bring you a clean body and a clean heart. Do not waste your time thinking of my doings. They will never be such as can bring shame upon you. I know my duty to you also, Geoffrey.”

He stood up precipitately. “I hope you do,” he said loudly, and walked away.  
p.

It was fortunate that in the next few minutes Geoffrey found his father and found him temporarily disengaged from company. Salisbury had watched his son at first, but when he saw him draw Joanna out of the crowd around her and hustle her away into privacy, he grinned. Apparently Geoffrey’s businesslike attitude had lasted until the moment he laid eyes upon the beautiful girl. So much for his desire to avoid talk and not to drag her off. Satisfied, Salisbury sought out Aubery de Vere with whom he wanted to talk. Richard Marsh found them together a few minutes later and made an announcement that drew surprised protests from both. Richard shrugged his shoulders. He had already remonstrated with the king. Marsh then excused himself to Salisbury and asked de Vere a question about a private matter, which they turned aside to discuss, leaving Salisbury to think over Marsh’s announcement.

“You were greatly mistaken in thinking Lady Joanna desired my company,” Geoffrey said bitterly, breaking into his father’s troubled thoughts. “She”

“Lower your voice,” Salisbury hissed. “Do you think the whole world except me is deaf?”

He was about to add a sharp remark to the effect that men whose judgment was addled by wine should stay clear of it, but the fault was his own. Geoffrey had been drunk, but he had chosen his time and place appropriately enough. If Salisbury had not dragged him off to court, no harm could have come of the indulgence. The trouble was, Salisbury thought, that he had been fooled. Geoffrey did not look drunk by the time they dismounted. Instead of being annoyed, he was aware of pride. The boy carried his wine   well. In fact, except for his pallor and the strident voice, he did not look or act drunk now. But he must be. He must have said something or done something to offend Joanna. Well, that could be mended easily enough, but not if Geoffrey went sulking back to camp.

‘‘It is as well that you decided to stay,” Salisbury began.

“There is no need for that now,” Geoffrey interrupted. “I am going back to camp.”

“Oh no, you are not, orI do not care if you do, so long as you return here for lauds. There will be a war council as soon as we have heard mass.”

“At sunrise?” Geoffrey protested, putting a hand to his throbbing head.

A shadow passed over his father’s face, but all he said was, “Yes, the king is eager to be at the Welsh already.”