Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [40]
‘I was tempted,’ said St Pol of Kilmirren. ‘Drink. Look, the child does not understand, even yet.’
Erect and muscular in the embroidered cloth and glittering armour of the Royal Guard, Henry de St Pol stood and gazed at his grandfather. He said, ‘I am sorry, my lord? You are not, I assume, speaking of me.’ His face was drained.
The fat man glanced up and waved him away. ‘Chut! Don’t play-act with me because someone at Court needed money and was willing to sell a man’s place to a boy. Do you not understand what this fellow is saying?’
‘De Fleury?’ said the youth. So far as he knew, clearly, Nicholas hadn’t said anything. And, of course, to anyone less sharp-witted than Jordan, he hadn’t.
Nicholas said, ‘Your grandfather has realised that I know you tried to kill me at Bonnington. From which you will gather that he also must know.’
A tremor ran through the boy. He looked down, and then away, at the window. He drew a long breath to speak.
Nicholas said, ‘There is proof. Wodman also knows. No one else.’
The old man still did not speak. Henry stole a glance at him. Henry said, ‘He thrashed me in France. He made the van Borselens disown me. He killed my aunt. He had you sent out of France. He made us all go to Madeira. None of you ever did anything.’
‘Does it seem so?’ said Jordan. ‘I am sorry. As I have been trying to indicate, I mean to do my best to make up for it. Or intended to. But do you see what you have done, once again? You have taken an unwise, unauthorised step, without proper advice. It has failed, you have been caught and, as a result, we are all once more in thrall to this man. He denounces you, and you are dead.’
‘But he hasn’t,’ said Henry. He looked at Nicholas.
‘And provided you all keep the peace, then I won’t. The kiss of reconciliation,’ Nicholas said. His unforgiving stare rested on Jordan.
Jordan said, ‘You have a strange iron cage of a mind, have you not, which enjoys laying traps? If I knew it, I should probably savour the detail of this one. So you have proof that poor Henry waylaid and tried to kill you. You will publish it unless what?’
‘This feud will stop,’ Nicholas said. ‘Will stop. No more lives will be lost. And, as from now, Henry will combine his post with another. The shifts are easy; he is allowed to live partially elsewhere. So when he is not on duty, he will live with me. And when he is not serving the King, he will train as my factor.’
‘What!’ said Henry. He had his sword in his hand.
‘Put up, you fool!’ said his grandfather. And to Nicholas, ‘Henry is the heir to Kilmirren. The estate will need him, and that is where his training should be.’
‘The estate will have him,’ Nicholas said. ‘I hardly mean to keep him for ever. As it is, I don’t suppose he’ll average more than a few days in my house every week. But with a training by me, I promise you he will be able to run anything, anywhere, better than he does now.’
‘So you are staying?’ said St Pol. He suddenly lifted and drank off his wine. Nicholas had not set hand to his.
‘For a while,’ Nicholas said. ‘It depends.’ He looked up at Henry, suddenly standing between them.
Henry said, ‘So it’s settled? Two old women carve out my future. You didn’t ask me? Some byblow wants me as his lackey, and my father’s father tosses me over, like a husk to a pig. Well, I won’t do it. And when my lord Simon comes home, you’ll be sorry.’
Nicholas rose. ‘I think,’ he said to Jordan de St Pol, ‘that I had better leave him to you. I shall send a messenger in a day or two to find out when he can begin. If, that is, my lord of Kilmirren agrees?’
‘You haven’t drunk your wine,’ the fat man said. ‘That you drink it is my only condition. I have no other choice, have I, my serpentine Nicholas?’
Nicholas lifted and drained off his wine. It wasn’t poison, and he felt better for it. He said, ‘No. I trust that you don’t.’
Henry trembled. On his way to the door, Nicholas