Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [209]
‘My good man,’ said Lymond. ‘Don’t you know the court has opened a book on it? At the last hearing there were eight separate contenders, and offers still coming in from abroad, like wolves forced out of the forest by famine. I hear the odds at the moment are in favour of a triple union with the Schiatti cousins.’
So he knew about that. ‘I am making no secret of the truth. The incumbent will be properly selected by open competition,’ Philippa said.
‘Jesus Christ … And the rules?’ Lymond said. Someone, approaching, blessedly spoke to and led away Master Elder, who bowed and retreated.
‘No rules. Just mincing knives,’ said Philippa aggressively. Common sense told her at any cost to avoid the personal. Deaf to common sense, she said, ‘I gather you are holding a competition as well. We are dazzled by the goguettes and gaudisseries.’
‘Osse sur Olympe et Pelion sur Osse. They call me the darling of the masses,’ Lymond said. ‘Has Richard asked you to visit Sybilla?’
His gaze, full upon hers, was as searching as she had feared it would be. Returning it with unblinking candour, Philippa said, ‘He didn’t require to ask. I am going there in a day or two. I’m glad to note that Catherine is managing all her own marital arrangements. You wouldn’t expect me to make social calls if you had the remotest idea of the work entailed in bringing two unfortunate persons to the altar.’
Careless words. ‘It takes ten minutes, in my experience,’ Lymond said. He glanced round. ‘I must go look after my lordlings. We shall meet on the happy day of our annulment. I should be glad, by the way, if you would kindly refrain from escaping Osias. Your excursion the other day, wherever it took you, cost him a whipping.’
‘I shall allow Osias to follow me to my private engagements,’ Philippa said, ‘if you will allow Célie to follow you to yours.’ She took a deep breath. ‘You haven’t heard any more from, or about Grand-Uncle Bailey?’
‘No. Platfut he bobbit up with bendis and then went home. Or so it would appear. My men can’t trace him. It doesn’t alter the fact. I still require you to——’
‘… In all my doings to offend none but to please the godly. And the brightness of the light of the sun of our Justice and Equity hath caused the darkness of Injuries and Molestations to vanish away. I am sure,’ said Philippa with that particular acerbity called forth by the deceived from the deceiver, ‘that there must be a psalm to fit the occasion?’
There was; but not of the kind she had expected. He recited it, staring at her:
‘And with a blast doth puffe against
Such as would her correct.
Tush, tush (sayth she) I have no dread
Least myne estate should change.
And why? for all adversity
To her is very straunge.’
‘Are you implying,’ said Philippa coldly, ‘that I enjoyed being brought up surrounded by eunuchs?’
‘No,’ said Lymond. ‘But I expect you enjoyed it more than the eunuchs did.’ He hesitated, and she waited.
To be condemned eternally to choose his words in her company must be as irritating to him as it was painful to herself to suffer it. She knew she would hear nothing of Dieppe, or of Catherine, or even of Marthe’s disappearance, since it related to another of the disasters in their relationship. He had made no effort to excuse himself for that either, although she thought the faintly febrile nature of his conversation today owed something to his awareness of it.
He said, ‘I remember Gideon, your father. Austin is like him. He dislikes war. But he fought a fine battle at Guînes.’
To no one else, probably, would that sound like an apology for interference; and a question. Philippa said, ‘If … When he asks me, I propose to accept him.’
‘Lord Grey will be relieved to hear it,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid of the Lennoxes. They are out of favour in France.’
If that was all he had observed, she was safe. ‘The smylere with the knyf under the cloke? I’m not afraid of John Elder,’ she said. ‘But I’d be both i-hangyd and to-drawe before I’d turn my back on Margaret Lennox.’
‘Or on anybody,’ Lymond said pointedly. ‘Instead you prefer