Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [173]
Tobie had come gasping beside her, and she could see Robin, his fist flung up like a wrestler in victory; caught, as she was, between weeping and laughter.
She said, ‘Nicholas … Jordan de St Pol will be so very annoyed.’
HE DIDN’T RIDE after Sandy. It was too late, for one thing. The repercussions of all Sandy was doing were already reverberating through Edinburgh when he got there. He did visit a few men who owed him a favour, and a number of them rode off south—willing, amused or cross according to temperament—to visit, placate, explain, and gather what information they could. Tom Yare had already raced back to Berwick in a shower of Browns, with instructions to get hold of Jamie Liddell, no matter what. Alec Brown was at sea with John le Grant. The Prestons and Sinclairs stayed out of it. Colin Campbell came back from Clackmannan, not having, thank God, lost himself in the wilds of Lochfyne-side, and called a council of war in his tavern. Lang Bessie presided. When Argyll hosted a meeting, all he ever served was drink and rough fare. At Avandale’s house, there would be nothing short of a banquet. It amused Nicholas and, he deduced, Colin Campbell of Argyll. Some of us are more royal than others.
There had been some contact already between them: a brief encounter between Nicholas and Whitelaw to establish what was known, and what still had to be done. Nevertheless, the Duke of Albany was not the first thing that they spoke of when they met in the high back room of the handsome timber-built tavern, with its stone gable and smoking peat fire.
Through the low door was the bedchamber that Argyll occupied, for convenience, when he wanted to remain in the High Street. The reason was usually a business one, although he had no objection to the company of women. Nicholas had met the pleasant Highland heiress his wife, who came to Court for the regular festivals, as did some of his nine children, from their various households. They all spoke Gaelic, and enjoyed trying to teach him. He could see Colin watching him, sometimes, trying to calculate how much he knew.
Colin. Drew. Master Archie. Now their footing was changing, it was even more necessary to remember, in public, the formalities which the Lords Three forsook sometimes in private. And even in private, Nicholas took no liberties, especially now, after Craigmillar. Exposing David Simpson had become a political necessity: his influence was becoming too strong. Sandy had been delighted to be part of the plot. It had gone astray for other reasons: that a trace of the poison, by some means, had reached the company; that the King, misunderstanding, had been moved to accuse Sandy in public. That he, Nicholas, had been forced to divine.
Colin … The Master of the Household was curious about that little episode, and held up the meeting to enquire. ‘Tell me now. Is it a true gift that’s in it? Or does it perform as it pleases? Or as you please, perhaps? What did the pendulum really say?’
He could have lied. He didn’t. He said, ‘It spelled the first name of Simpson’s hostage, Robin of Berecrofts. It was how the Conservator was able to trace him so quickly. And yes, it is usually correct, but it can be misleading. I prefer not to use it.’
‘I think you are very wise,’ Avandale said. ‘These things may confuse. You showed the King all its drawbacks quite plainly.’
‘He has an astrologer,’ Nicholas said. ‘As far as the Court is concerned, I cannot divine. And the truth is that I won’t. I can’t tell you what is going to happen.’
‘Or, I imagine, you would have thought twice before blowing up Beltrees,’ said the Chancellor, erupting in silvery laughter. ‘What do you think, Archie? What will the law say to that?’
The Secretary took off his spectacles and held them out to Nicholas who, in a recently established routine, pulled out a clean kerchief and worked on them while the owner rattled through his opinion, mostly in Latin. Plain words appeared from time to time: the Council, the Sheriff