Paul Doherty - The White Rose murders

Benjamin swilled the wine around in his goblet.

'God knows,' he replied. 'It could be anyone. Agrippa, Angus, his hired assassins, or someone under orders from the arch murderer at Royston.' He leaned back against the wall, oblivious to the raucous din around us. 'Recite the verses again,' he said.

I began to chant quietly:

'Three less than twelve should it be,

Or the King, no prince engendered he.

The lamb did rest, In the falcon's nest.

The Lion cried, Even though it died.

The truth Now Stands, In the Sacred Hands,

Of the place which owns Dionysius' bones.'

Benjamin sat forward. 'We know James is, or was, the falcon and the Lion; the Earl of Angus is the lamb. But the rest?' He paused and shook his head. 'I wonder,' he continued, 'what Selkirk meant by the phrase he could "count the days"?' He stared round the noisy tavern. 'And why are we envoys?' He looked anxiously at me. 'You heard d'Aubigny – Queen Margaret is welcome back in Scotland so why this farce of a meeting with the "Scottish envoys? The Queen must be frightened of something. What secrets does she share with her second husband, the Earl of Angus?'

'The dead child,' I answered. 'Alexander, Duke of Ross. There's a mystery there.'

Benjamin tapped the table top with his fingers. 'Aye,' he said, 'I wonder…'

'What, Master?'

'Nothing,' he replied. 'Just a wild thought.' He rested his head between his hands and stared at me. 'But,' he continued, 'I think I know how Selkirk and Ruthven died. Still, I must reflect further, look around, marshal my facts.' He straightened up. 'One thing is certain – we cannot stay with Queen Margaret's party. We have already been warned by the white rose left in our chamber. It's time we left!'

'We cannot run back to Uncle!' I mocked.

Benjamin grinned. 'Oh, no, not that, Roger! We must separate. Agrippa has blank warrants and letters from the Cardinal. We will return to Royston for a while but then it's Scotland for me and France for you. Paris, in fact!'

'France! Paris!' I yelled. 'Master, surely not?'

Benjamin grabbed my hand. 'Roger, we are finished here. What more can we discover? So far we have gone where other people have sent us, being told to go here, go there, like children in a maze. It's time to take some control of events and do what is not expected.'

'But why Scotland?' I queried. 'And why me to Paris?'

'Our dead friend Oswald mentioned something about Kelso. Some Scots fled to the abbey there after Flodden.'

'And Paris?'

'Selkirk lived there. Remember, he talked about Le Coq d'Or tavern? You know some French?' he challenged.

'A little,' I replied, 'culled from a horn book. But let's go together.'

Benjamin's face grew serious. 'We cannot waste the time, and you'll be safer in Paris than Scotland. The Earl of Angus would not interfere with the Cardinal's nephew, and the French have no interest in this. So, you will be secure, provided you keep your own counsel and stay well away from any English envoys there.' He smiled. 'Not that any would have anything to do with you! Look,' he said, 'you are to be in France by the beginning of December. I shall join you at Le Coq d'Or by the fourth Sunday in Advent.' His dark eyes beseeched me. 'You will go?'

'Yes,' I replied, 'I will.' And added my own selfish after-thought that the whores in Paris were the most skilled in the world, whilst cups of claret were as cheap as water there!

We returned without incident to the castle and slept safely in our own chamber. The next morning Benjamin rose early and said he wished to watch the clerks at work in the scriptorium. He came back an hour later, looking as smug as a cat who'd stolen the cream. I asked him why but he just smiled, shook his head and said he would tell me in his own good time. The castle was now a hive of activity. The Scots, their mission completed, packed coffers and chests and prepared to leave, intending to go under safe conduct to Yarmouth where their ships would take them back to the Port of Leith in Edinburgh. Doctor

Agrippa, who surprisingly had kept well out of our way, now came to dance attendance on us. We made no mention of Oswald or his murder; he seemed totally oblivious of that, being more concerned to hear about our private conversation with Lord d'Aubigny. The Earl of Angus, too, had not forgotten us. His two silent assassins, Corin and Alleyn, attached themselves to Agrippa like dogs to a new master and where he went, they followed. The magician didn't seem to mind, especially as the two clansmen seemed very much in awe of him although they studied Benjamin and myself like two hawks would chickens, as if savouring the thought of a meal to come.

The following day Agrippa announced we would leave and we slipped quietly out of Nottingham and took the road south. Behind us, loping along like two white wolves, trotted Corin and Alleyn, seemingly oblivious to the miles we covered, padding silently behind our horses without murmur or protest. At night, when we slept in taverns, they stayed in the outhouses, fending for themselves like two animals. If Agrippa gave an order they obeyed with alacrity, but sometimes I caught them watching me and shuddered at the amusement in their icy, pale-blue eyes.

We found Royston much as we had left it. Of course, Queen Margaret and Catesby questioned us, paying particular attention to how d'Aubigny looked, what he said and how he treated us, until my head reeled with their constant petty questions. Strangely, never once did they mention the mysteries of Selkirk's and Ruthven's deaths; I got the distinct impression that both of them were relieved by what they heard. Indeed, Catesby seemed quite excited and both he and his Queen openly announced they would return to Scotland as soon as possible.

'We shall go back to London!' Catesby grandly proclaimed. 'Re-order the household, gather our possessions and, when the Council of Scottish lords sends us safe conduct, travel north to the border.'

Now Agrippa looked withdrawn and quietly anxious.

'But Les Blancs Sangliers!. he protested. 'The deaths of Selkirk and Ruthven, not to mention Irvine – these must be investigated and avenged!'

'Nonsense!' Catesby replied. He pointed to the two killers the Earl of Angus had sent south. 'We have protection enough. Let the Yorkist traitors plot in their secret covens. Such matters do not concern us now.'

I was as bemused as anyone by the sudden resurgence of optimism in Catesby. I also noticed how Corin and Alleyn, once we had reached Royston, switched their allegiance to him. If they obeyed Agrippa, they openly fawned on Catesby and Queen Margaret, with a subservience which belied their previously threatening attitude and hostile intentions towards myself and Benjamin. Agrippa, of course, protested again.

'There are still matters which need to be resolved,' he stormed angrily.

Catesby ridiculed his suggestion and Queen Margaret jubilantly derided it.

'The Council wish me back!'; she announced pompously. 'My young son the King wants to see his mother. Surely,' she added slyly, 'my good brother would not put obstacles between a queen and her throne or a mother and her son?' She turned to us, her fat bottom moving smoothly over the polished seat of her chair. 'Master Benjamin,' she cried, her voice echoing through the Chapter House, 'your uncle the Lord Cardinal cannot object! After all,' she added slyly, 'I shall report how your mission to Nottingham was a great success.'

'Your Grace,' Benjamin replied coolly, 'I thank you for that but I must agree with Doctor Agrippa – there are matters still unresolved.'

'Such as?'

'Selkirk's verse and his death. Ruthven's murder, and the violent destruction of John Irvine, the Cardinal's special envoy to Scotland.'

'And how,' she asked sweetly, 'can these matters be resolved?'