Part 39 (1/2)

”I don't wonder,” said Sybilla pleasantly. ”And if you never try to help yourself you'll be wholly paralysed soon, and you will enjoy that. I've brought you a litter. Two of my men are coming up in half an hour to lift you down..

A tiny spark of alarm showed in the black eyes, but the grey, crumpled face remained contemptuous. ”Money has given you a fine, arrogant manner, Sybilla, but I should prefer you to keep it for Midculter. I hear your son has left his wile..

”He hasn't, but you won't change the subject by being rude,” said the Dowager. ”There's warm fire and a comfortable couch in the hall. You'll like it very much..

”Sybilla. I am neither a child nor an imbecile. I dislike being humoured and I particularly dislike being managed. Because of my disability I am unable to leave this room. You can hardly expect me to undermine for your benefit the little health I have left me..

The Dowager said coolly, ”There's no need to be frightened. Your surgeon has given me full permission..

The black eyes snapped. ”The child is dead, I hear..

”Yes..

”Did your younger boy kill it, or did she get rid of it herself?.

”Neither. Don't be silly, Catherine. You don't really want me to go..

”I didn't say I did. Don't be too clever, Sybilla..

The Dowager said, ”The child was n.o.body's fault, if you really want to know. Mariotta and Richard are together and very happy. Francis is in ward in Edinburgh. He is to appear before Parliament in a week, and we hope very much he will be acquitted..

The little figure on the pillows looked pityingly at Sybilla. ”Acquitted! My dear woman, even the Culters haven't quite enough money for that..

”Then we shall have to use our beaux yeux,” said Sybilla placidly. ”Perhaps if I made appropriate advances to all Her Majesty's lords of the Session . . . Or do you think I should hardly get through them all in a week?.

The quality of the black stare was changing. There was a tinysilence, and then Lady Hunter said in her cutting voice, ”This is alittle overdetermined, even for you, Sybilla. Something is wrong, Itake it. n.o.body visits me unless something is wrong..

The Dowager didn't prevaricate. ”A little. It concerns Dandy..

The thin lips compressed themselves. ”Of course. What stupidity has he committed now?.

Sybilla said, ”Any-stupidity he has committed, he did for your sake. You've been a very hard mistress to serve, Catherine..

”The boy needs hardness,” said the old woman. Her breathing had quickened. ”Toughness. Other people run estates and make a success of them-get on at Court-become popular-bring home heiresses. My other son-.

”Dandy did his best for you,” said the Dowager. ”That's what I have to tell you. He felt he could never succeed in-orthodox-ways, so he tried some which were outside the law. Too far outside..

”He's in trouble?.

”Serious trouble. If he's caught..

”You came to warn him. Is that it?.

”Yes,” said Sybilla. ”That's it..

There was a long pause. Then, with an effort, the invalid pulled herself up in bed and spoke in her normal voice. ”Well!” she snapped. ”I suppose he'd better get out of the country. Tell him to come here and I'll give him money. And he'd better not show his face here again until it's safe.” She did not ask what he had done.

Sybilla stretched out her two fine hands and took the small, limp, puffed one in them. ”He has money. He has gone,” she said. ”There was no time to see you. He sent you his love..

The small hand lay inert in hers; the black eyes were without visible emotion. ”Inept!” said Dame Catherine. ”Disorganized, as usual. Good riddance. Now perhaps I can get a good paid factor to make the place profitable..

Sybilla released her hand and rose. ”I'm sure you will. You'll enjoy arranging it. Now, here's the litter and your maid to help them move you. Slowly and carefully . . . and you'll do very well..

Lady Hunter made no protest at all as, wrapping her in her own soft blankets, they transferred her gently from bed to litter, and laid pillows beneath her head. With a manservant carrying each end the invalid moved for the first time in years across the blue tiles of her bedroom and toward the open door. As they carried her, the suncaught the s.h.i.+mmering cap, the jewels and the bright black eyes and flashed for a moment, before the door closed behind her, on the tears lying silently in the bitter troughs and seams of her face.

* * *At Midculter, Mariotta and Richard heard the story in silence. As Sybilla ended, her son drew a long breath and said, ”The charter chest. Is it really here?.

”Yes,” said the Dowager. There were circles under her eyes and her back, although she held it straight, was tired and aching. ”Jolinnie Bulb got it for me. It has all the papers on Sir Andrew's transactions with Carlisle..

Richard's eyes met hers. ”What are you going to do with them?.

”That is for you and Mariotta to decide. You are the person most injured by him. It's only fair you should take what redress you can..

”I don't want revenge,” said Richard shortly. ”I only want to forget about it..

”You don't want to publish them?.

”No. Only the paper that affects Francis..

”Mariotta?.

The girl's eyes were fixed on Richard. ”Oh, no. No. It's as much my fault as his..

”Rubbish, child,” said Sybilla. ”But I'm glad, all the same. He's not worth it. We'll keep them as surety for his good conduct abroad, and I hope we never hear of him again..

Richard suddenly dropped beside his mother and tilted her chin. ”I don't think you've told us everything. You had no right to attempt a thing like that on your own..

”Attempt!” said Sybilla indignantly. ”It was a tour de force!” They smiled at one another, and then the Dowager's expression changed. ”Only five days!” exclaimed his mother. ”How could I be hard on her?.

* * *Only five days. Will Scott, sitting bleakly in his father's empty lodging, could think of nothing more to do. How could he rescue Lymond, even if he were well? Even if he were rescued, how could he force him again into this death within life.

Four days. Sybilla, Mariotta and Richard moved their household to Edinburgh, and a surprising number of their friends came visiting, with an echo of Lady Hunter's tart ”good riddance” on their lips.

Three days, and the Lord Justice General issued an order and let loose a thunderbolt. On the instructions of the Crown, he desired the prisoner, if his state permitted, to appear for questioning before a Judicial Committee of Parliament on the day before his trial.

Regardless of the tenor of their previous meeting, the boy Scott burst in on Lord Culter with the news. The brisk red hair was wild.

”It isn't legal!” said Scott. ”They can't have an a.s.size without a jury, and it isn't a meeting of the Estates. They can't condemn him without a technical court: they can't!.

”They won't,” said Richard briefly. ”They won't pa.s.s sentence, but they'll examine, and make up their minds, and force the result through Parliament the day after. You ought to be able to guess why. Lymond knows too much. He could shatter half the Government at a public hearing..

Scott brightened. ”He should insist on it. Either they let him off, or else-” At the expression on Culter's face he broke off. ”No..

”No, indeed,” said Richard. ”I really can't think of any surer way of signing his own death warrant. . . . And does it matter, anyway? They'll be out of their minds if they don't conDemn him..

2. The Queen Moves to Her Beginning

Rumour of the hurried a.s.size had reached the streets by midday, and by two o'clock the Lawnmarket from the b.u.t.ter Tron to St. Giles was thick with people.