To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [292]
‘No more nor less than Simon, I am sure,’ Nicholas said. ‘You colluded with him?’
Her eyes, chilly blue, closed and opened. ‘Did you think it was all aimed at you? He has been attacking Jordan and me for six weeks. Ever since you elected to go to the Loire.’
He refused to digress. ‘But you must have known the King’s interest was being titillated, and by whom. Why did you think Simon was doing it?’
‘To nauseate me and mortify you. I wasn’t nauseated,’ Gelis said. ‘Quite the reverse. And I knew you would have no objection, since you had done the same thing yourself. Although I dare say you were not interrupted so rudely. I think I must claim a repeat engagement for that.’
‘I am not sure who with?’ Nicholas said.
He saw she had forgotten. Then her mind worked and she said, ‘If I am thought to be infected, then so are you.’
‘I don’t see how,’ Nicholas said. ‘We haven’t lain together since you descended on Simon, or vice versa. My doctors forbade it. I lied, naturally, to preserve your good name, but I’m afraid people have noticed our abstinence. If we are both ostracised, the options are certainly limited. You will have to resort to Simon for life, and I to Simon’s old mistresses. Although I don’t know about Ada. Crackbene would be very distressed.’
He stared at her blandly. He wasn’t going to throw things this time. It went too deep for that, to a level he wasn’t going to penetrate. She said, ‘You seem to feel that really, it was all for the best. I’m so glad. And Simon is dealt with.’
‘I’m not glad,’ he said. ‘Simon was supposed to be the subject of a long and brilliant campaign, culminating in a definitive foot on his throat and thirteen penitential Our Fathers in February. Now I have been compelled to excise him. I think perhaps it is worth bearing in mind. Abrupt changes can cut into a programme, and subject the players to premature hazards. All the players.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Gelis. ‘I am inviolate. I am your game, and your life.’
Her words faded and she said nothing more, nor did he for a long time. Then he said, ‘I must go and see about Jordan.’
‘And that is all? You have no answer?’ she said. She was sitting up.
He said, ‘Gelis, I gave you my answer on Sinai.’
She remembered.
Walk over with me.
Die with me, if we cannot live without hurting each other.
Chapter 40
IN TOKEN OF his gratitude that winter, the most noble and right victorious Prince James, Third of the Name, was pleased to appoint Nicholas de Fleury, Baron Beltrees, as one of his councillors and chamberlains, and to add to his barony those lands which were necessary to round off his property. No complaint was heard from the generous donors, one of whom had already forfeited land to my lord of Monypenny, another clever man much in favour with King Louis.
James was grateful to William, first lord of Hamilton, as he was grateful no doubt to the amenable sieur de Fleury. It was popularly agreed, in an undertone, that it was not a bad thing, on the whole, to have one’s lady wife surprised with the King. Especially as the candidature was now so very limited.
Following the same contrary code, the lady de Fleury was likewise allotted a cautious increase of esteem. Convinced that her friend was a victim of Simon, the King’s elder sister was endlessly thoughtful. Gelis attended Court in the Countess’s train, although never close to his grace; and accompanied her husband on as many formal occasions as he had time for, with all his new labours. The sabotage ceased, and in time she moved with her son back to the High Street, although very well guarded; while Lord Beltrees shared his time between that home, his Canongate house and the Castle, unless he were absent in Stirling or Perth or any of the other parts of the kingdom to which he was giving his attention.
Of Simon nothing was heard, and probably nothing would be. He had been banished