Game of Kings - Dorothy Dunnett [157]
The hair was different, the skin was different, the clothes were different, but the voice with its rapidity, with its lowering excess of mental agility, were the same. “The Spaniard; we were right; it’s the same man. You’ve got him!” pealed Lord Grey, and came to a halt.
Lymond looked over his shoulder and back. “Spaniard? Behold,” he quoted sadly, “my countenance and my colour. It’s only Sweet Cicely awaiting the bees, and blushing in young modesty like a seraphim; two wings over the eyes and the other four pinned with some damnably hard knots: God save Flamens and keep all the knotless from high winds and short memories.”
Paying not the slightest heed, Lord Grey pursued his idea. “The Spaniard who stole my horses and supplies at Hume Castle. Deny if you can that you’re the fellow.”
A delighted smile spread over Lymond’s attentive face, and then faded in consternation. “You want your tawny velvet, and I gave it away.”
“You insolent blackguard!”
“Muy illustrissimo y excellentissimo señor,” responded Lymond politely. “How did you find out, I wonder?”
Lord Grey said frigidly, “You made two obvious mistakes. One was to show yourself to Somerville here, and the other was parading your miserable polyglot talents before the Countess of Lennox.”
“Ah!” said Lymond; and a moment later continued. “Manerly Margery, Mylk, and Ale. Por vos suis en prison mis; Por vos, amie! I wondered at the Protector’s sudden tenderness for poor Mr. Harvey.”
“And you may as well know,” said Lord Grey, high colour in his cheeks, “that you’ll have plenty of time to reflect on the folly of your tricks. Plenty of time. I mean to have you hanged—”
“—Higher than Haman and the ramparts of Hume—”
“—And burned—”
“—More successfully than Polycarp. And ripped, salted and stuffed with myrrh and cassia and set up painted to remind all low people, all boasters and braggers and bargainers, that villainy is mortal. And what about Douglas? Does he suffer the same if Will Scott doesn’t appear? He’s present, as a matter of fact, though you might not think it—somewhere.” He looked wildly around. “But where? My joy, cry peip! where ever thou be!”
Lord Grey also looked around. Part at least of Sir George must have been visible because the Lord Lieutenant said irritably, “Get up, man: are you broody? No need for that yet. The boy will be hours yet by all accounts.”
A derisive groan broke from the bound man. “Nay, not so. I am too brittle; I may not endure.…”
“Hold your tongue!”
The prisoner smiled and settled himself as luxuriously as he could against the cold stone while Lord Grey and Douglas conferred.
Gideon, watching the relaxed profile with its veiled eyes and lightly contemptuous mouth, was gifted by remembered anger with an extra insight.
The man was coiled like a spring, waiting. Waiting for what? With the whole might of the English army lying behind them at Cockburnspath, Gideon couldn’t imagine. But this was no broken Colossus, waiting to be whisked off for old metal: it was a clever man, and an expert actor.
Gideon left Grey’s side and strolled unobtrusively over to the pond, where Lymond greeted him without expression. “Any friend of Meg Douglas has my respect.”
Gideon looked down, hands clasped loosely behind his back. “As it ha-happens, I don’t greatly care for her. What are you waiting for?”
The impudent mouth widened. “Rescue,” said Lymond. “Why not?”
Somerville gave him back the same smile. “Not while I’m here.”
“You probably won’t be. Lord Grey is leaving.”
Looking round, Gideon saw that this was true. Satisfied at having identified Lymond and unready to abase himself behind prickly evergreens, the Lord Lieutenant was preparing to go back to camp.
Gideon crossed to him quickly, and in a brief exchange, got permission to stay behind, having pleaded in vain for more men to stay with him. On a billow of diminishing comments, Lord Grey disappeared. Gideon manfully selected a gorse bush which happened to be the nearest cover to Lymond, and the little clearing settled down to comparative silence.
* * *
Since Johnnie Bullo took the summons