Jack Whyte - Order in Chaos

She greeted both men brightly before going directly to look behind the screen that shielded young Henry’s cot. There was no sign of Marjorie, which surprised her slightly, for the girl had not come seeking her. The boy was still asleep, his face peaceful and the deep-graven lines of pain already lessened in repose. She pulled the wicker screen back into place and turned to the two men, who were still in quiet but intense conversation, standing with their heads almost together.

“I expected my niece Marjorie to be here. Have either of you seen her?”

Tam answered. “Aye, my lady, she was here when we came in not five minutes ago. She went to find us some ale, for the jug on the table was empty when we arrived.”

“Ah, that explains it. Thank you, Tam.” She smiled at him. “Will you not sit down? It is drawing on to evening and will soon be cool in here. I will have Hector light the fire for us.”

“Thank ye, my lady, but I canna stay. A drink o’ ale to wet my throat, and I’m away.”

“At this time of day? Where will you go?” She saw the rising of Sir William’s eyebrows and spoke on before either man could respond. “Forgive me, I know that is none of my affair. ’Twas but idle curiosity that prompted me.” Oh, Will, still as fierce and disapproving as ever. I had hoped you cured of some of that at least . “Gone within the hour, you will yet have a good three hours of daylight in which to travel.”

“Aye, my lady. I can reach where I’m going within an hour after dark.”

And where are you going? Why such a rush?

Will surprised her by speaking into the silence. “He rides on an errand for me, Baroness … and for the King’s grace. King Robert has instructed me …”

He fell silent as young Marjorie came into the room, clutching a heavy wooden jug of beer in both hands and clearly threatened by the weight of it.

Tam went quickly towards her. “Here, lass, let me take that, and our thanks for your kindness.” He grinned. “You could ha’e brought a smaller jug, or carried less in this one … it would ha’e been less taxing.”

The girl smiled back at him and dipped into a curtsey, holding her skirts daintily. “I wouldna ha’e dared, sir,” she answered in Scots. “But I couldna carry more. Guests in this house never go thirsty.”

“Aye, nor hungry, either.” Tam took the heavy jug to the table and busied himself pouring the ale into clay cups, one for Will and one for himself, before he turned to Jessie. “My lady, will you ha’e a cup?”

She glanced at Will. “Have you two finished what you were discussing, or should we leave you to conclude your affairs without interruption?”

Will shook his head and his expression was pleasant and open. “No, madam, our business is concluded.”

“Excellent. Then gratefully, Tam, I will have some ale.” She turned to Marjorie, who was standing watching her, a tiny smile tugging at her mouth. “But you, young lady, have matters to attend to. We will have Sir William at table tonight, and I would like you to appear as what you are, a proper young woman. Marie is waiting for you upstairs and will help you to prepare, so off with you now, and on your way send Hector to me.”

Marjorie curtseyed again, managing to address a smile to all three of them as she did so, and let herself out without word.

Will looked inquiringly at Jessie. “This is the child about whom you wrote? The niece?” Jessie nodded. “I am impressed. She is a young woman. I had expected more of a child.”

“She was a child when first she came to me, but that was five years ago, and years have an aging effect on all of us as they pass. Come, sirs, sit ye down.” She stopped, struck by a sudden thought. “What became of Brother Matthew, do you know?”

Will Sinclair actually smiled, and Jessie had to will herself to make no remark on it as he waved a hand towards the screens behind her. “I have no idea, but I presume he is in there, asleep, like his charge, exhausted by his journey. He slept even less than the lad did, all the way from Lanercost, so he has earned his rest. But permit me to finish what I was saying when your niece came in.” He glanced at Tam, who kept his eyes studiously on the rim of his cup as he raised it again to his lips. “King Robert has requested that I visit St. Andrews, to talk with his friend and adviser Master Nicholas Balmyle.”

“Oh, I know Master Nicholas well. We are friends, he and I. Have you met him before?” Will shook his head. “Well, you will like him, I think. He is very old, and very dignified and highly regarded, but he has a wondrous warmth and sense of humor, and I found him unusually pleasing, for a cleric. A man unafraid to speak his own mind. The King sets great store by his advice.”

“Aye, so His Grace told me. But the trouble is that Master Nicholas will not remain long in St. Andrews. He is bound from there to Arbroath, and under a certain urgency, to meet with the Abbot there. Therefore I am dispatching Tam and Mungo MacDowal to ride on ahead of me and alert him to my coming and to the King’s wishes. They will leave immediately …” He broke off, frowning.

“You appear unsure of something.”

“Aye, madam, I am. I must ask you if you object to being saddled with my young squire while I ride on. It strikes me as a great imposition.”

“The alternative does not bear thinking about. You will leave him here and we shall tend to him happily, as part of our duty to King Robert, if for no other reason. You may return for him when he is healed, or when your business is concluded with Master Balmyle. There, the matter is closed.”

The door opened quietly after a discreet knock, and Hector the steward thrust his head inside. “You sent for me, my lady. Should I light the fire?” Jessie nodded mutely, and the steward threw wide the doors to admit two men behind him, one of whom carried a thick, burning candle in a sconce while the other lugged a heavy bellows.

Tam Sinclair quaffed off his ale and rose to his feet before asking Will’s permission to depart. It was given, and Tam bowed deeply to Jessie, thanked her for her hospitality, and expressed the hope that he would see her again soon. He then nodded cordially to Will and made his way in search of his traveling companion, Mungo.

Neither Jessie nor Will rose as Tam left, and both of them sat watching in silence as Hector’s men attended to the fire. The two had crossed rapidly to the big stone fireplace where the first of them had already lit a long, thin wooden taper from his candle and was using it to set light to the fine kindling piled in the grate, stooping to blow gently into the nest of tiny, glowing sticks until they burst gently into flame. The other man had laid down his bellows by the fireplace and stood idly by in the meantime, his fists filled with larger sticks, watching closely and waiting for the flames to catch sufficiently to permit him to add his larger pieces of dried and seasoned firewood, stacking them carefully to allow the air to circulate between them, and when those caught fire he began to use his bellows with great skill, blowing air into and among the burning fuel in just sufficient quantity to feed the hungry flames without blasting sparks and ashes into the air.

“That will do it,” Hector said when he was convinced that the fire would no longer be in danger of dying out. “Well done. Now add logs and then be out of here. Will there be anything else, my lady?”

Jessie shook her head and then watched as the two firelighters made their way back towards the bowels of the house, followed by the steward. When the door closed behind them she turned to look again at Will.

“Come, it grows cool in here. Pull a chair close to the fire and I will join you. We have matters to discuss.” She half expected him to react angrily to that, but again he surprised her by simply doing as she had asked, rising to pull a heavy chair to the front of the hearth and then bringing a second one for her, and while he was doing so she brought the ale jug and filled his cup again, adding a little to her own as well before returning the jug to the table. He took the cup from her and nodded courteously before sitting down and swallowing a mouthful of the beer.