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By Root 2167 0

suicidal triumph in Trèves, Nicholas had resigned his shares in the Bank: some to his son, the rest to his partners. The latter had used them as he intended: Diniz his step-son to take over the business in Bruges, with Father Moriz to help him; Captain Astorre and John le Grant to make his mercenary troop fully independent; and the lawyer Gregorio to run the Banco di Niccolò in Venice with (according to Kathi) the help of Gelis, his wife. Whatever else that might do, it should improve the health of the Venetian business: Gelis had acquired half his fortune when he married her. And now Julius had spotted, of course, the opportunity that existed — not through the blocked road to Cathay, but in the broad, fertile lands east of the Oder.

Julius was going on. ‘We heard you turned down Callimaco. You should have let him explain. Poland needs every skill that you’ve got: your divining alone would refill your coffers. And when Duke Charles gets what he wants and rules Germany, you can go back to Burgundy with a solid reputation behind you and your old sins forgotten. Keep in touch with Gelis, why not? And the little one. You’ll be back in Bruges and Antwerp and Venice one day.’

‘And in Scotland?’ said Nicholas encouragingly.

‘Well …’ Julius began. He looked doubtful.

Anna laughed and, stretching across, touched her husband with her knuckles. ‘You still don’t know when he is joking. Go and get us some wine, and give him a chance to think it all over.’

Julius left them. Nicholas watched the door close, and then met Anna’s astonishing eyes. Her regard was as direct as a man’s. She said, ‘I should feel more apologetic about Julius if you didn’t know his enthusiasms so well. His heart is set on this scheme. I am sure that you find it disagreeable: it must remind you of Scotland. If you did steel yourself to agree, your success would be brilliant, of course. But it isn’t fair to hold out false hopes. I believe it is too soon to judge whether you would ever be allowed back in Burgundy. Forgive me for saying so.’

‘Not at all,’ Nicholas said. ‘You know what happened. I drained the reserves of my Bank to finance a private vendetta. They think I might do it again.’

‘Would you?’ she said.

‘If you have to ask,’ Nicholas said, ‘I rather think that it would be unwise to employ me. But I expect you will manage perfectly well on your own. How is your daughter?’

Sudden questions seldom disconcerted her. ‘Bonne is well,’ she said, smiling a little. ‘There is a fine school at her convent, and the priest is teaching her Greek. And your son? It must be hard not to see him. How old is he now?’

Nicholas withdrew his eyes from the throng outside the window. ‘A year or so short of learning Greek: Jodi is five. But there can only be six years between my son and your daughter. There might be a place for another sort of contract between them one day. What do you think?’

She caught her breath. Her pale face had flushed. ‘Would you give it your blessing?’ she said. The words were French: sometimes she used a mixture of French and Flemish with him and with Julius.

Nicholas said, ‘I know nothing but good of young Bonne. Jordan would not object. And by marrying Julius’s shares to my son’s, we should have reconstituted two parts of the Bank. A blessing all on its own, don’t you think?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Anna said. ‘I thought you were serious.’

‘I thought I was, too,’ Nicholas said. ‘But sometimes I delude myself. Is Julius serious?’

He watched her slowly relax. ‘About things that matter,’ she said. ‘He was a good friend to you, when you were young.’

‘Did he tell you that?’ Nicholas said.

Her mouth quirked a little. ‘Of course. But other people say so as well. The greatest pair of practical jokers in Flanders, I have heard. Nicholas …’ She paused. ‘He misses you. I know this scheme is wrong, and it doesn’t tempt you. But if there is any part of it that you like; or if you can think of a better, would you tell us? Don’t reject him and leave. Give him a few days of your time. You won’t regret it.’

‘I should like to stay,’ Nicholas said. ‘In fact, I was