To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [290]
Until now, she had never doubted that this was a war that she wanted to win. Now she was terrified. She said something, and went to her room without looking back.
*
Tied to a more juvenile mistress, Katelijne Sersanders was unable to get herself out of Edinburgh until the entire cavalcade of the King’s sisters swept off to Haddington the following morning, spurred on by Mary’s anxiety and held back when ‘she collapsed into tears. The Countess would not believe the two children were well. She would not believe it until she saw them.
Her sister Margaret, whom they called Bleezie Meg in the stables, hurled herself at Phemie when they arrived at the Priory. ‘Where did it happen? Are they dead? Show me!’
Phemie said to Katelijne, ‘I’ll show her. I think you are wanted inside.’
‘Who by? Never mind,’ Kathi said. Everyone in Edinburgh knew that Nicholas de Fleury had returned, and had found his wife and Simon de St Pol at the Castle. He and his lady wife had left during the night, and St Pol, they said, had gone back to Kilmirren. It was observed that Archie of Berecrofts had got his son Robin back from the war, and must be glad of it.
She was thankful about Archie and Robin. As for the rest, she refused valiantly to speculate. All she knew for a fact was that, concerned for the boy, Nicholas and Gelis had come here to Haddington. She had no trouble now in thinking of him by his first name.
Phemie’s remark had been a warning. Thoughtfully, Kathi walked over the yard towards the guest-quarters. A man in a stained gown emerged and stood, his sparse hair blowing about his pink cranium, his pale eyes screwed up at the sky. Kathi cried, ‘Dr Tobie! You came!’
She was so pleased to see him that she had her arms round his neck while he was still staring. He choked, and held her off, and then hugged her, hooting himself. ‘Katelijne Sersanders. You’ve got smaller.’
‘You’ve got fatter,’ she said. ‘Oh, Dr Tobie!’
He said, ‘Is this a welcome for me myself? Or do I have a feeling it isn’t?’
She said, ‘It is for you, if you wanted to come. Everyone likes to be needed.’
He put her down, but kept his arm round her waist. He said, ‘Ah yes. But not everyone that’s needed is wanted. There’s the devil of a mess going on here, and I don’t know what it is. I’ve been with him for two months and he won’t talk.’
‘Why didn’t he come?’ Kathi asked. She was leading him in towards the parlour.
‘He couldn’t. The vicomte de Ribérac kindly stopped him. At second-hand, with six thugs.’
She halted and looked at him. ‘Simon de St Pol told the King that Nicholas had been waylaid and robbed. He said killed, at first.’ Margaret, who gleaned everything, had told her. She added, ‘Apparently Gelis thought he was dead. You know that Simon has been harassing her? Have you heard all that yet?’
‘No. I haven’t seen Gelis. I know something happened at the Castle, but Nicholas wouldn’t say what.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Kathi. ‘Well, you can’t treat a dumb patient. I shall tell you all the rumours. You will repeat none of them, please, and you will kindly forget anything I say that turns out to be irrelevant. But the first thing you should know is that Simon de St Pol seems to have left in disgrace. He is not thought to be returning to Edinburgh. And if that is correct, something truly awful has happened which might stop the persecution from Simon, but which will probably bring the vicomte on the next ship. And if the sire de Ribérac hired six bullies last time, he’ll likely hire sixty next, and make sure that they finish the job.’ Then, calming, she talked.
Her doctor friend was very quiet at the end. She said, ‘Don’t say you want to go home. You haven’t a home. Your home is with Nicholas.’
‘He doesn’t think so,’ he said.
‘He doesn’t think so when he is tired, and hardly recovered from whatever happened to him, and when he doesn’t think he wants to share secrets. Sick people don’t always think clearly.