Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [284]
‘He was not his own master when he left Russia,’ Sybilla said. ‘Nor was he his own master when you brought him to France. He is like a river forced into glass and driven from stem to stem of a conjurer’s maze without ever reaching the sea. Would you rather I sent Richard?’
It was an empty threat, but the fact that she was driven to make it was enough. Next day he left.
*
He had forgotten how beautiful Sevigny was. He rode to Orleans through wood-smoke and the song of birds and came to the river, strung like a rosary with its palaces, their bowered turrets stitched in the water like tapestry. He sent no warning before him but spent the night at Blois, and set out with the sun at his back in the morning, past the vineyards and through the spring flowers and between the slender tree trunks gloved in ivy, until ahead of him he saw the wall, and the beeches, and beyond them the château, distinct in the sun as a Cellini tiara.
He was told at first, courteously, that my lord was not at home; and then suddenly Archie was standing before him, his hands on his hips, saying, ‘Oh. It’s yourself.’
The tone was exasperated. But behind the lined and leathery face Adam caught a glimpse, before it vanished, of an expression which could have been pure relief. Then Archie said, ‘Give me your saddlebags. They’ve been riding. You can wait for them in the parlour.’
‘You bloody Indian clam,’ Adam said. ‘I wrote you.’
‘I didn’t get it,’ said Archie.
‘I wrote Applegarth as well,’ said Adam angrily.
‘He didn’t get it either. He’s away for a day or two. Jesus,’ said Archie, ‘are ye not keen to come in? You must be fair wore out with ali that writing.’
So whatever there was to tell, Archie did not intend to convey it.
Then, clean and combed, he was waiting rigidly in a tidy, well-appointed room which seemed to be full of books, and the door opened, and Lymond came in.
Quel changement, Strozzi had said, and it was true. The change was there, and not only in the chamois and lawn, replacing the velvet, the rubies, the gold tissue. It was as if all about him had been stripped down and cleansed and reduced, without blurring, to its true structure. And his eyes, which were smiling, were clear.
‘Poor Hermes,’ said Lymond. ‘And without even a winged staff to pawn. Don’t look so apprehensive. Someone was bound to try again, once they got Piero to stop talking. O cruell Mars, thou dedly god of war; O dolorous tewisday, dedicate to thy name! We hoped it might be you.’ And taking Adam’s hand at the same moment to draw him to a chair he turned his head and said, ‘And here is Philippa.’
They had walked, for whatever reason along the passage together and, not to embarrass him, were entering separately. We, Lymond had said instead of the familiar, imperious I. They’ve been riding, Archie had said, without requiring to identify them. Such a sovereignty, Adam thought, resentment starting up for the first time in his thoughts. Such a sovereignty, to be pulled down so quickly.
Then Philippa came in, and looking only at himself said smiling, ‘I’m sorry. Signor Strozzi said it was like being received by the Dioscuri. Would you rather be entertained by one of us at a time?’
Which was altogether too near the mark to permit him to reply with a truthful assent. So he grinned and said, ‘I came to see both of you. Kate has been writing to ask how you are.’
Neither of them queried the excuse. ‘Sit down,’ Lymond said, ‘and have something. I suppose it is too early for anything but Hippocras. Where did you come from, Blois?’
And as Adam nodded and he busied himself pouring spiced wine, Lymond said, ‘We are as you see. It was not given to us to make this change with proper consideration for our friends, for which you must blame an obtuseness of mine. That it was a change of great … importance to us, I hope you will understand. Later, I hope you will find us more communicative. When there has been … what do they call an earthquake?—a wondernous of earth, it takes a little time to recover.’
He presented the wine. ‘Now may we leave the subject? You must