Checkmate - Dorothy Dunnett [359]
Nothing of what he thought showed on his face. He found to his pleasure that the main part of the house was quite warm, and that his muscles therefore would obey him in a gentlemanly fashion. His gratitude did not stretch to making any concessions in his appearance. Then they rapped on a wide, four-panelled door, and when a woman’s voice spoke, opened it and sent him in.
She sat, modishly dressed, by a blazing log fire, the splendid woman born of an English king’s sister, in whom the hopes of two thrones, kept alive through three reigns, were still burning secretly. The woman of whose eight children only Harry Darnley and Charles still survived, precocious pupils of their tutor John Elder. Lymond said, ‘Alone? A somewhat disagreeable cop in its coppeweb?’
She had always been glorious, with her green-fair hair and regal stature, and in the eighteen months and more since last they met she had ripened, it seemed, in the sun of royal and Catholic favour, her skin sumptuous, her eyes dark and rich as her jewels. Lady Lennox said, ‘There are four men you know of on the other side of the door.’
He had expected her to assail him with words. ‘And Matthew?’ he said. ‘Gai comme un bonnet de nuit?’ He did not intend to walk halting towards the saving heat of the fire, so he stayed where he was.
‘My husband is in Settrington,’ Lady Lennox replied. ‘I might have had you brought into Bridlington Bay, but I preferred to have you dealt with more distantly, and without Matthew being involved.’
‘Also, young Allendale could put the matter on an official footing,’ Lymond said. So they were, as he had guessed, not too far south of Berwick. He added thoughtfully, ‘I came quite to like Willie Grey. If anything happens to me, won’t there be repercussions?’
He saw then, from her eyes, that she knew a little more than he had bargained for. ‘From whom?’ Margaret said. ‘France has no interest in you now. The English Council don’t want a prominent mercenary bought into the anti-Catholic factions in either Scotland or England. I can think of no one who will mourn you, Francis, and a great many who will be much comforted to learn that God has otherwise disposed of you. Provided it is done with discretion.’
‘Oh, I can see the advantages,’ Lymond said. ‘The Cardinal’s gratitude: the help of the de Guises to get back your lands in Scotland, and perhaps even to work towards better things. Matthew for Regent, and Harry for King. What do you do about Richard?’
‘Show him your grave,’ Margaret said. ‘When finally we agree to allow him to visit you. Unless you have a particular resistance to cold?’
He said, ‘Evading excessive heat so far has been my speciality.’ A plaguing thirst and a growing lightheadedness made him aware that he had lost rather more blood than he could afford to.
Margaret said, ‘So I would gather. I am told that you encouraged an old great-uncle to perform his business of the night with your wife, and that you haven’t bedded her since. It seems a pity. Green wood, they say, makes a hot fire. Can you afford such fastidiousness?’
He had not expected that, either. ‘I don’t suppose I can,’ he said. ‘Now that the field has shrunk so alarmingly.’
‘And I rather doubt,’ Margaret said, ‘if I am in any danger. Don’t move. I want to see how long you can stand there. Allendale tells me your poor child-wife is most unhappy. You have a heavy hand, have you not, for girl children? I remember the young lady who could not see. What was her name? Joleta?’
‘You have my conquests confused,’ Lymond said. ‘I have the same trouble. Joleta was the sister of that charming hypocrite I am sure you remember: Sir Graham Reid Malett of Malta?’
‘I gave myself the pleasure of telling Lord Allendale about her,’ Margaret Lennox said. ‘He knew about Graham Malett. Have you not realized yet that he regards you as a man of that stamp? You are his holy war, Francis.’
‘And yours?’ he said.
He could see, in the swimming heat of the fire, that she was smiling.