Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [113]
‘It w-wasn’t your fault,’ said Adam impatiently. ‘He was crazy to go there in the first place, so close to Ham. Why in God’s name did he risk it?’
‘Business,’ said Danny. ‘According to Strozzi. Business with the old biddy who lived there. He must have gone back, I fancy, to rescue her. An essay in strongmindedness expected of Chevaliers of the bloody Order.’
‘They were after intelligence,’ Archie said. ‘Him and Strozzi. They were after intelligence. They left Compiègne on Tuesday together.’
‘And took three days to get to Ham?’ said Adam ironically. Jerott opened his mouth.
‘Wait,’ said Danny. ‘You haven’t heard everything.’
He looked round again at the three diverse, unbending faces. He said, ‘Lymond wasn’t captured by chance. The Spaniards at Ham knew he was coming before the old woman did. He was sold by someone. And I know who it is.’
Sitting very still, Jerott Blyth looked at him. His face was flushed. ‘Strozzi?’
‘If Piero Strozzi or I had betrayed Lymond, we would hardly have interfered with his capture,’ said Danny dryly. ‘In fact, neither of us knew he was making for Flavy. Who did?’
‘Outside this room?’ said Jerott. His flush had become deeper.
‘And inside it,’ said Danny Hislop.
It was Adam’s hard hand that fastened on Jerott’s arm as he scraped his chair back, swearing. He continued to hold him even when Jerott jumped to his feet, dragging the artist half with him. ‘You upstart church-get,’ said Jerott. ‘You serve two years in Russia and run at the first blink of trouble. In all the years we three have fought under Francis Crawford, none of us has left him in enemy hands and come back with a whole skin to tell of it.’
‘That isn’t fair, Jerott,’ said Adam sharply. ‘He went back to Flavy and found it deserted. What we have to do is make plans to get Francis out, not attack one another.’
Under Adam’s hand, Jerott sank into his seat. ‘He made an accusation,’ he said. ‘Let him substantiate it. Who knew Francis was going to Flavy? I didn’t. But of course, I couldn’t prove it.’
Adam ignored the sarcasm. ‘Nor did I,’ he said quietly. ‘But I can’t prove it either. Archie?’
The black hooded eyes in the scarred face turned on Adam, and then without expression, round them all. Finally, ‘Mistress Philippa knew,’ said Archie Abernethy. ‘But she wouldna tell nor let on by mischance. And I kent. But I dinna chittle.’
Jerott was staring at the tough, wrinkled face. ‘You knew, did you?’ he said. ‘I suppose you also knew why Lymond and Strozzi went off together in the first place, if Strozzi didn’t intend to go to Flavy?’
The brown face staring back at him was still impassive. ‘I do,’ Archie said. ‘And it’ll be abroad soon enough. They went to spy for the taking of Calais.’
‘Lymond told you?’ said Danny.
The veteran of many animals and many wars shook his head. ‘I overheard. It made no difference. I can keep ma mou’ clemmed. Ye said ye kent the informer, Mr Hislop.’
‘So I did,’ said Danny Hislop. Since Jerott’s outburst he had become formal and very succinct. ‘Archie: you and Mr Crawford took two days to come from Saint-Germain.’
The black eyes did not waver. ‘We stopped at Saint-Cloud.’
‘I was told,’ said Danny, ‘that you had to stop at Saint-Cloud because Mr Crawford was too drunk to go any further?’
There was a silence. Archie shrugged his narrow shoulders. ‘It was too late to go on. He’d had a drop. Yes.’
‘Encouraged by you. He’d had more than a drop at Lyon, hadn’t he, when you brought him to the door the last night we were there? When the Paris courier came, it took twenty minutes—twenty minutes—to rouse him.’
‘He had had a fair amount taken,’ Archie admitted. ‘It had been a hell o’ a day.’
‘In which he saw a surprising amount of yourself. Considering that you were attached, at that time, to the service of Mistress Philippa. Why did you leave Mistress Philippa and join Mr Crawford at Lyon, Archie? Were two attempts to injure him not sufficient?’
Adam said, ‘Jerott, sit down. He’s doing it all in good faith. He doesn’t know Archie as we do. Danny: what you say