Kate Sedley - The Green Man

‘And hasn’t he any children?’

‘Three sons, but all minors. The eldest is, I think, eight. But His Grace of Gloucester tells me that in the annals of Scottish history, there is something called the Declaration of Arbroath which states that an unsatisfactory ruler can be removed by the will of the people and someone else elected to fill his place. The Scots, it seems, do not place so much emphasis on the importance of primogeniture as we do in this country.’

I drew in a hissing breath. ‘And you’re telling me that the Duke of Albany wants me — me! — to accompany him on this harebrained adventure?’

‘That is the request he has made of King Edward. And that is the request King Edward intends to grant him. And who are you to decide that it’s a harebrained adventure? Some of the wisest heads in the land have decided it’s a plan that should be pursued.’

‘Then some of the “wisest heads in the land” have the brains of idiots,’ I retorted vehemently. ‘Do they seriously expect the Scots to allow the English to choose their king for them? It hasn’t happened in the past, and it won’t now.’

For a long moment, Timothy and I stared at one another across the table. Then he lowered his eyes and coughed, but I knew in that instant that he agreed with me, although he would never admit it.

‘That’s not for you nor me to say,’ he answered in a flat voice, without any trace of emotion. ‘The likes of us obey orders, Roger, my lad. We don’t query what we’re told to do.’

True enough! But I still raised objections.

‘But why in the Virgin’s name does Albany imagine that he needs me? He must surely have retainers of his own, supplied by either King Louis or King Edward.’

‘As a matter of fact, he has his own small household, servants of his brother, Mar, who escaped from Scotland to France after the earl was murdered.’

‘He was murdered then?’ I asked swiftly. ‘It’s certain?’

The spymaster shrugged. ‘Not certain, no. But there are always rumours, and the more colourful the better. The point is, Albany thinks Mar was killed on the orders of their brother. He’s nervous. That, it seems, is the reason he wants you. Not just as a bodyguard, but because he’s convinced you’ll be able to sniff out any plots against his sacred person.’

‘This is ridiculous!’ I exploded. ‘The man will be surrounded not only by his loyal Scotsmen and a whole army, but by the officers of two royal households as well. I am presuming that the king leads this expedition?’

‘That is the intention,’ Timothy agreed. But there was a note of reservation in his tone that made me look at him rather sharply. He saw it and once again shrugged. ‘His Highness has been unwell for some time. His health may … just may preclude his taking part in the invasion. It will … It maybe His Grace of Gloucester and my lord Northumberland who will finally — it is hoped — win back Berwick.’

I gathered from these stumbling sentences, from the pauses and qualifications, that King Edward’s health was a great deal worse than Timothy was admitting to. It was on the tip of my tongue to make further enquiries, and I would have done so, but for the realization that I was being sidetracked yet again.

‘You still haven’t explained why Albany wants me to accompany him. Whether the king leads the army or stays at home, there will still be more than enough men to provide the duke with protection from his enemies. Or,’ I added, as a sudden thought struck me, ‘does he not trust these wonderful new allies of his? Surely he doesn’t suspect the English — his old enemy — of plotting to double-cross him?’

Timothy was betrayed into a laugh, but all he said was, ‘Your tongue will land you in trouble one of these fine days, my lad.’ Then he agreed, ‘Oh, I daresay Albany’s sufficiently uneasy to be wary of our intentions towards him once negotiations are opened with the Scots …’

‘That’s after we’ve trounced them in open battle, of course,’ I sneered.

‘Roger!’ Adela cut in warningly, always frightened that I was going to overstep the bounds of other people’s tolerance.

The spymaster nodded approvingly at her. ‘Listen to your wife, my friend. It’s never wise to be too free with your opinions.’

‘All I said was …’

‘I know what you said,’ Timothy snarled, losing his patience. ‘It’s not necessarily what you say, but how you say it. However, to return to Albany and his fears. I gather from what Duke Richard let fall that he — Albany, that is, — is convinced that his life is in danger, not from the English but from one of his own household. From one of the loyal band of the Earl of Mar’s retainers who joined him in France. He suspects one of them of being in the pay of his brother, King James.’

‘Why doesn’t he get rid of him, then?’

Timothy sighed. ‘No doubt he would if he were sure which one of them it is. But he isn’t. In the opinion of Duke Richard — and, I must say, in my own — it’s nothing but a mare’s nest. Albany is in a highly nervous state, jumping at shadows.’

Understandable, I thought, and was inclined to sympathize with the Scotsman until the full purport of this speech suddenly hit me.

‘You mean,’ I demanded hotly, ‘that I’m being taken along simply to protect Albany from his own stupid fears? That is the sole reason for my being torn from my wife and family, simply because Albany doesn’t trust his own entourage? If that’s all that’s troubling him, why doesn’t someone provide him with a bodyguard from the levies? A nice, tough, burly foot soldier who’ll slit throats first and ask questions afterwards.’

The spymaster peered anxiously into his beaker as though surprised to find it empty. Adela, to my great annoyance, refilled it for him. Timothy raised it in my direction.

‘Try not to be as stupid as you look, old friend.’ I was about to remind him furiously that he was drinking my ale, even if he had brought his own victuals, but he gave me no chance, hurrying on, ‘That’s just the sort of mindless violence we want to avoid. The chances are that no one amongst his household is trying to kill Albany, but if it should prove that one of them is, then we want the right man brought to justice.’

‘I see.’ I recharged my own beaker and took a long, hard swig. I could foresee a rather nasty snag. ‘And if there is such a man, and if he succeeds in his object, but I fail to stop him, where does that leave me?’

Our companion swilled the ale thoughtfully around his mouth. ‘It could affect your popularity,’ he admitted cautiously, after a pause.

‘Oh, undoubtedly,’ I snapped back viciously. ‘I’d probably have to flee the country and offer my services to King James for having rid him, albeit unwittingly, of this Clarence of the north.’

Timothy gave another spontaneous bark of laughter and once more advised me to watch what I said.

‘But seriously, Roger,’ he added, ‘Duke Richard firmly believes that there is no such danger threatening Albany. He holds it as nothing but a nervous disorder of the mind. Nevertheless, he is ready and willing to pander to the duke’s wishes, and if it will make him feel any safer to have you along as his personal protector, then Duke Richard has no intention of gainsaying him. I’m sorry, my friend, but however little you may relish the prospect, on this occasion you have no choice but to obey. It’s an order this time, Roger, not a request. You must be ready to accompany me to London tomorrow — a mount has already been provided for you — and from thence to Fotheringay Castle for an assembly of all the commanders and their levies on the eleventh of June, Saint Barnabas’s Day.’

‘And if I refuse?’ I knew it was only bluster, but I was desperate and there was no harm in trying.