Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [254]
‘And when did he tell you that he felt the same?’ Austin asked. And then, seeing her face, said jerkily, ‘Or … Was it …?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It was the night in the Hôtel d’Hercule when I ran out of his room. I challenged him with being in love with someone else, and he told me. It made no difference, then. He still meant to go through with his marriage to Catherine.’
‘If she would still have him, after that evening,’ Austin said. ‘If not, he had you prepared for the next sacrifice. He is so clever, Philippa.’
She closed her eyes, and opened them again. Under the dark lashes, free of all paint, were blue stains of utter weariness. Then she gave a small sigh. ‘He is so clever,’ she said. ‘It is a pity he cannot manage things better for himself. He acted with honour that night. He made me leave without touching me. Will you believe that?’
‘Yes,’ Austin said. ‘He still wanted the St André marriage. And now? He will cancel your annulment on Monday?’
‘He won’t,’ Philippa said. ‘Austin, I think we should stop talking about it. The situation exists. There is no room for a third person in it. Leave me. Hate me, if you like. But best of all, forget me.’
He paid no attention at all. ‘I don’t understand. He wants your marriage dissolved?’
‘Yes,’ Philippa said wearily. She moved to a buffet table between the two windows and sat on the corner among the silver, her skirts half-bated, sinking about her. ‘I shall try to keep him to it, but I may not succeed.’
‘Dear God,’ Austin said. ‘If he doesn’t wish to stay married, how can he love you? Or does he want to be free to find another rich heiress and marry her? What happens if he does annul your union on Monday and marry somebody else? Does he invite you to his rooms again, and this time make you his mistress?’
‘He didn’t invite me,’ Philippa said. Her hands were gripped hard together. ‘I have told you. He wants me to leave him. I am the one who is begging him to stay married to me. I am the one who is trying to force him to take me as his mistress.’
‘Then you shall be prevented,’ Austin said. And walking to the door, flung it open. ‘What you mean to do, if you carry it out, could hardly be kept private. Let Lymond’s mother and brother be the first to hear of it.’
She said, ‘It will only make it worse,’ and when he took her arm, he could feel her whole body was shaking. But he pulled her none the less to Sybilla’s bedchamber and throwing open the door, placed her before him, in front of the Earl of Culter and his mother, slowly rising.
‘Your son,’ Austin Grey said, ‘is striving to make of this lady his whore. Do you approve, or are you prepared to try and prevent it?’
Chapter 6
Lettres trouvées de la royne les coffres
Point de subscrit sans aucun nom d’autheur,
Par la police seront cachez les offres
Qu’on ne sçaura qui sera l’amateur.
His elder brother Richard and Austin his prisoner were the first people Francis Crawford saw when he returned that afternoon to the Hôtel d’Hercule, and entered his long, exquisite gallery.
Also awaiting him in the quality of temporary hosts were his two colleagues, Adam and Jerott. The conversation, it was plain, was not sparkling.
Lymond paused. Though dressed for court he was not, Adam saw, in one of his more extravagant moods. But he came forward readily enough, glanced at Jerott and himself, and then gave all his attention to his brother and his captive, grimly standing together. ‘Defective,’ he said, ‘in affableness, like the natives of Angus. I apologize in advance. What have I done now?’
‘I want to talk to you about Philippa,’ Richard said. ‘I think it had better be done in private.’
Adam rose. So did Jerott, but not to leave. ‘What about Philippa?’ he said.
Lymond emitted a brief sigh. ‘As you see,’ he said to his brother, ‘the lady is not lacking in champions. Whatever you say to me, I shall simply have to repeat to Jerott afterwards. What is it? You aren’t convinced by her story of what happened here last month in my