Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [20]
Danny choked. Madame la Maréchale, to do credit to her breeding and initiative, walked forwards, not back, and stood gazing at the long-haired child in the green jacket two sizes too big for it whose liquid brown eyes, one now saw, bore wiped-off traces of fine cosmetics, and whose straggling hair still held a pin with a diamond in it.
The Governor’s wife drew a breath, but how she meant to deal with an unprecedented situation was never to be recorded. Francis Crawford’s lady removed her hand, wiped it, and said to him bluntly, ‘And what do you expect Madame la Maréchale to say to that? There’s no occasion for both of us to be childish.’
When he could speak: ‘I beg your pardon,’ said Lymond. ‘I had some idea it would spare you a flogging. Madame la Maréchale——’
‘I think,’ said his wife, interrupting him, ‘I had better make my own apology. Mr Hislop, how are you?’
Danny jumped. ‘Excessively happy to see you,’ he said, with truth. He altered rapidly the nature of his expression.
The Governor’s wife said, ‘I see, of course, that you have been playing some sort of game with M. de Sevigny. There is no need for an apology. Why don’t we all seat ourselves, and I shall ring for refreshments?’
‘You see?’ said Lymond to his wife. ‘There is no difficulty. You may even sit down, if Mr Hislop will spread his cleaner handkerchief over that chair. I do not think you want any refreshments.’
‘You are so kind, Madame la Maréchale,’ said Philippa gratefully. ‘But of course, we must not impose on you. I didn’t mean to intrude. I had no idea my husband would recognize me. Mr Crawford didn’t even know I was in Lyon.’ She paused, and adding, ‘My breeches are quite clean,’ sat down with a great deal of aplomb on a coffer-seat.
After a moment, Madame la Maréchale followed her example. Only Lymond remained standing, looking down on her, and Danny, watching rapt from the door. Lymond said, ‘No. I didn’t know you were here. Not after you gave the slip at Dieppe to my man who was following you.’
Dirty hands folded primly in her breeches lap, his wife gazed serenely up at him. ‘I didn’t know it was your man,’ she said. ‘Archie said we had better get rid of him.’
Lymond said, ‘I called him off in any case when I heard Archie was with you.’ He looked down at the fan, which he had taken from her fingers, and Danny thought, he doesn’t want an audience. On the other hand, he isn’t going to dislodge the Maréchale. He wondered why in heaven’s name Philippa had come to Lyon in the first place.
Lymond looked up and said, ‘Did you want to speak to me? Or merely have a look at the papers from the Hôtel Gaultier?’
His wife gazed winsomely at him. ‘I thought perhaps I could slip in with the boxes and then sit and go through them at leisure. While M. Schiatti had them, he wouldn’t unlock them for me.’
‘And you didn’t want to risk asking me for permission?’ Lymond said. ‘After what happened in London, you were extremely wise.’
She looked up, found him watching her, and looked away again, smiling nervously for the Maréchale’s benefit. She said, ‘You don’t need to remind me. I stopped you from going to Russia.’
‘Temporarily,’ Lymond said. ‘However, so did Guthrie and Hoddim and Blacklock and Hislop here. Danny will confirm. They survived the experience.’
‘Just,’ said Danny. He didn’t see why he should have to connive at a falsehood. Philippa looked at him. ‘Mr Crawford has dispensed with our services,’ said Danny. ‘Alec and Fergie are fighting for the Constable. Adam and I are with him only until we can be found posts in other companies.’ He could feel, in front of him, Lymond’s unspoken rancour.
The bedraggled child on the coffer turned slowly to look at her husband. Then she said, ‘I wouldn’t call that a very balanced reaction. What will you do to me? I interfered with your freedom of movement a good deal more than that.’
Mesmerized,