Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [182]
He turned to James Stewart. ‘I shall either return to Russia, or, if your forebodings are totally realized, I shall remain in France with my bride, adorning and strengthening, if I may so put it, the court of your sister Queen Mary. She is a fervent Catholic. She will be bitterly disappointed to hear of the course you have chosen in Scotland.’
‘You threaten?’ said Lord James, smiling.
‘Hardly,’ Lymond said. ‘There is nothing you say or do that is not already known to the Queen Dowager and her daughter, and also, of course, to messeigneurs her uncles. I think you should take care, that is all. Religion in recent years has become a political sport, and politicians are more skilful than honest men at extracting themselves from disasters.’
‘I rather think,’ said John Erskine of Dun, ‘that Mr Crawford intends us a compliment.’
‘It is the least I can do,’ said Mr Crawford, picking up his neat bales of cloth, ‘after your gallant intervention of yesterday. You did not say what colour of stockings you fancy? Or perhaps your faith restricts you to black. Nothing, as every advocate knows, shows off a fine leg to better advantage. Black then, and a lace handkerchief to weep into at the wedding. Have you brought the Crown Matrimonial?’
The unexpected question, as he turned at the door, caused Lord James to look at him sharply. ‘The Scottish Regalia are in Scotland,’ he said.
‘Good. I should keep them there,’ said Francis Crawford. ‘Gentlemen, until we meet tomorrow, I am your grateful and admiring servitor.’
The bow he made, with the bales, was quite admirable; and presently they saw, from the casement, the same bales being affixed to a packhorse. A short while after that, the comte de Sevigny himself emerged, followed by his man and the woman Martine. He kissed her hand, mounted, and accompanied by Abernethy, crossed the yard and disappeared into the streets of Dieppe below the castle.
A difficult young man, they had been told, thought John Erskine. How difficult he could not have dreamed; nor could James, standing silent beside him. Then James said, ‘A brilliant rogue. We do better without him.’
‘Perhaps,’ said the other man thoughtfully. ‘Indeed, he blocked every sally but one. Until you told him, he did not know his brother was a Calvinist.’
‘So? You heard him,’ said James.
‘Ah, yes. I heard what he said,’ answered Erskine. ‘But I rather think the interest will lie in what the comte de Sevigny does.’
*
Riding side by side to the castle of Dieppe, Archie Abernethy glanced at his lord and master.
‘Ye’re fit?’
‘For anything. Including another Hôtel de Ville banquet.’
‘You’re riding to Paris with the Commissioners?’
‘And with my mother and brother. Exactly.’
‘I hear ye left Mistress Blyth fair put out,’ Archie continued. ‘And ye ken Master Blyth’s no blessed wi’ discretion.’
‘You are afraid,’ Lymond said, ‘of an almighty clash between my sister and the rest of my family, and you think I should do something about it?’
‘Aye,’ said Archie.
They were in the open space approaching the gatehouse. In a moment they would be inside, receiving the salutes of the liveried guard and the greetings of the Lieutenant-Governor and all his people under the laurel boughs and the dressed flags of France and the banners of Scotland. Francis Crawford turned to his escort.
‘It was as catastrophic as you think,’ he said, ‘if not worse. But I have in mind the difficulty with Marthe. There are other pitfalls, too, which a word in the right quarter may shield them from. They will be here until April. And so shall I.’
The cracked, seasoned face had turned scarlet. ‘All right,’ said Archie. ‘Ye should take to mind-reading and write bloody almanacks. But if I’ve got the night off, there are two addresses yon woman gave me.’
‘Two addresses!’ said Lymond. ‘You’ll never find strength to climb the hill afterwards. Have you coin for it?’
‘Plenty,’ said Archie.
Lymond looked at him. ‘Well, you’ll need more than coin with that face. Take the mule with the cloth. They’ll go mad over night-robes in heliotrope satin. They’ll stand on