To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [278]
‘What are you looking for?’ Tobie said. ‘They say de Commynes has left the Duke for the King.’
‘I’m still with both,’ Nicholas said.
‘Hence the beating?’
‘Not at all. The beating was a private commission. Six former Archers of the King’s guard, if I am not mistaken, in the employment of the vicomte de Ribérac’
‘Jordan!’ said Tobie. He added, after a moment too long, ‘Because of what you did to Henry?’
Nicholas was unable to smile, but the idea amused him. He supposed he must look exactly like Henry. He said, ‘Partly. Also, I played a trick on the fat man which he didn’t like. He has threatened to finish the chastisement in Scotland. We’ll see.’
‘Where is Henry?’ said Tobie.
‘In Ribérac’
‘The vicomte told you?’
‘I haven’t seen him. I guessed.’
‘You didn’t ask?’ Tobie said. ‘You thrashed that boy, and saw him captured by strangers, and you didn’t ask?’
‘I didn’t need to,’ said Nicholas. ‘Where is Jordan? My Jordan?’
‘Henry is your Henry,’ Tobie said. His face shone with temper. He said, ‘Why do you make me do this? You need rest. This is not the time to discuss all of this.’
‘It is. You made a promise to Godscalc. Henry is the heir-male of my body, and I, too, swore to protect him. He is safe. He was captured by his grandfather’s orders and his grandfather sent him to Ribérac. Perhaps he will even take him to Scotland. If you give me my pendulum, I can tell you where both my sons are.’
Tobie said, ‘They are both safe. I am sure you are right. Go to sleep. It is too early to talk.’
He heard himself murmur a protest, but his strength had waned, and he could feel his mind losing its grip. He said, ‘I put Robin in Bruges,’ and, frowning, sank into sleep.
When Tobie came next, he was awake, half sitting back on the pillows, breathing deeply. Darkness had fallen, and moths rapped on the ceiling and whirred round the blazing wax lights by his bed. The perspiration ran down his skin. Tobie said, ‘What have you done? You shouldn’t move.’
Every inch of his body told him that. He said, ‘Send Robin in.’
Tobie said, ‘He is busy.’
Then Nicholas lifted his hand from the sheet and showed the cord, and the pellet, and the map. Tobie looked at them; and went out of the room.
Nicholas lay back on the pillows. Although the shutters were open, the night seemed to have swallowed the air: his throat ached. His limbs would mend, he had been told, but he could neither walk nor ride till they did. If he over-extended his strength, the fever would attack him again. Tobie had known all of that.
Robin of Berecrofts came in. Nicholas had not seen him since that senseless dismissal at Bruges; he had tried to make amends. The boy looked pallidly resolute, like a trader caught with counterfeit stock. Nicholas said, ‘Thank you for coming. You don’t need to hide anything now. I know my wife and son have left Antwerp. I suspect they are travelling to Scotland, and you decided, rightly, that I ought to be told?’
‘Ser Diniz agreed,’ Robin said. ‘I didn’t know where you were. I’d reached Captain Astorre when the message came that you were here. Dr Tobie said I should come with him.’ He paused. ‘I can go back. I wasn’t trying to disobey orders.’
‘Henry has gone,’ Nicholas said. ‘You can stay if you wish. Do you want to fight?’
The boy’s eyes gazed at him, considering. The boy said, ‘It depends, my lord. The Duke has taken Eu and St Valéry-sur-Somme, but not very securely. The troops have gorged themselves in the orchards, and there is a good deal of sickness and not very much food. Captain Astorre says the rumours about secret truce talks are probably true, and he is sticking to the job of guarding Master John’s guns in the rear, since M. d’Orson has – has died of his wounds. We were to tell you that his men are properly fed and in reasonable health, but he doesn’t expect to see anything much more done this season. That’s the situation, my lord.’
‘In other words, “No”,’ Nicholas said.
‘It is for you to say, my lord,’ the boy said. Tobie, who