Niccolo Rising - Dorothy Dunnett [219]
Nicholas said, “No. There are other candidates. Your mother knows of them. Since I can’t prove it, you’d better go straight back to Bruges with the money. Take my escort: they’re Bruges men. I’ll hire others.”
“You won’t,” said Felix. “You’re coming back to Bruges as well. Now. Tied into your saddle if need be. M. de Fleury will help me, I’m sure.”
Jaak de Fleury got up, and with deliberation strolled to the door, where he turned, blocking the exit. “Why, gladly,” he said.
Nicholas looked sadly at him. “That’s awkward,” he said.
“That’s stopped your tricks, you mean,” said Felix angrily.
“No,” said Nicholas. “Of course, it would be quite easy to leave, but you can’t really collect the debts and the documents without me. That is, I am sure M. de Fleury’s officers are beyond suspicion, but I do know what is due, and how to check it. Perhaps I could be taken, under heavy chains, to where the ledgers are kept? Or could the clerk bring them?”
He sounded solemn, as he had before, but there was something about his face Felix distrusted. Felix hesitated. If Nicholas was here to collect money, then no one, it was true, could extract it better than he could. After that, all he had to do was take it into his, Felix’s, care and march Nicholas back, under guard, to his mother. Then they’d see about these mysterious caches in Venice. Venice!
In the end, clerks and ledgers were brought to the parlour, and a table carried in at which Nicholas seated himself, opposite an amused Jaak de Fleury, with his officers standing about him. During the half hour that followed the merchant continued to show amusement, although at times clearly bored as polite question followed polite question, and page after page was consulted so that the finger of Nicholas could trace, with gentle clarity, the proofs of his argument. Or rather, his discourse. Nicholas entered into no arguments. The objections, such as they were, came from de Fleury’s officials, looking from time to time at their master when a point appeared to be lost.
When that happened, the merchant allowed the concession without interfering. The final list of money, as a result, owed by Thibault and Jaak de Fleury to the Charetty family was double the steward’s first estimate, and there was even some silver in earnest of settlement. It was put in a box with the documents, which had been signed and witnessed by public notary. Felix, biting his nails, watched the box being locked. Then Nicholas turned to him. “Felix. You wanted to take the box back to Bruges. I’ll come with you. There is the box, and there are the keys. The sooner we get back, the better.”
The clown’s eyes were holding his. Felix hesitated. He longed to get away from the fat, scented hands of the woman and the dark, amused gaze of her husband. They said Nicholas had meant to cross into Italy. Perhaps he still did. Once on the road, there was nothing to prevent him from wresting the money from Felix and turning back south. He had men at arms.
Apparently Nicholas thought all that was behind him. That, somehow, he had induced Felix to trust him. Smiling, Nicholas said, “You wanted to tie me into my saddle, I seem to remember. M. de Fleury would certainly help. He might even send some men with you, if you don’t want to trust mine. But perhaps you feel that isn’t quite necessary.”
Like all servants, he’d got over-confident. Felix, as it happened, thought that all these precautions might quite suitably be put into effect, and he turned to M. de Fleury and said so. Nicholas looked very surprised. He still looked surprised when M. de Fleury not only agreed, but took immediate action. A jerk of M. Jaak’s head, and his steward was standing in friendly fashion close beside Nicholas. M. Jaak left the room with his clerks to summon men and arrange for provisions and weapons and horses. The box was still on the table, so Felix remained. He endured, with abnormal