To Lie with Lions Read Online Free PDF
Author: Dorothy Dunnett
to change his mind for him.’
‘He has taken a child?’ said the Persian thoughtfully.
‘Because the mother annoyed him. He himself is no more than a scab on the good name of huckstering. But of such persons the Lord can make use – with your help and mine,’ said the Patriarch.
The news came in April to Scotland, where Nicholas de Fleury had several homes. The high-born ladies of Haddington Priory were especially shocked. ‘A baby so young! He snatched the child from its mother and vanished! What will the poor lady Gelis do now?’
A letter from Bruges had acquainted them with the news. ‘Sir Anselm declares,’ said Phemie Dunbar, to whom it was sent, ‘that the lady Gelis was quite wild in her despair, combing Venice for news of the boy. Sir Anselm grieved for them all, and so did young Katelijne, but they could do nothing about it. We are to give the news to Sersanders his nephew.’
‘So what will the lady Gelis do now?’ said Betha Sinclair her cousin.
‘In her place,’ said the lady Phemie, ‘I should wait.’
‘Obviously. M. de Fleury will tire of the child,’ the Prioress said.
‘No,’ said Betha. ‘But I’ll make you a wager. When he’s ready, he’ll make sure his lady wife knows it. And if she wants the boy, she’ll have to come to him, not the other way round.’
‘How terrible!’ said the youngest nun, her face rosy.
Most importantly of all, the news came that same month to Picardy, where the armies of France faced the armies of the dukedom of Burgundy across the banks of the Somme. Trivial though it might seem, the report caused each ruler to act.
The Duke of Burgundy sent for his captain of mercenaries. ‘I am disappointed, Astorre. Your company is serving me well. But I am told that your patron has vanished – fled, some are saying, to the detriment of his Bank. Is this true?’
Captain Astorre had fought under better men than the Duke, including the Duke’s own late father. He employed his comfortable voice. ‘My lord Duke, you well know that Master Nicholas turned his back on the gold of the East in order to help you settle this quarrel with France. No doubt he or his officers will come to tell you themselves, but I can assure you of this: the Bank stands in good name, and I and my men have all the arms and silver we need to keep our bond to the Duchy of Burgundy.’
As it happened, the Duke knew this was true. It didn’t lessen his annoyance with the vanished Nicholas de Fleury.
In the castle of Ham, over the river, the King of France sent for his fiscal adviser. ‘You were in Venice. Indeed, my dear vicomte de Ribérac, you have been absent these two months when we needed you. Now we hear this troublesome banker is to support Duke Charles instead of ourselves. Or has he some other patron in mind? We are told he has vanished.’
One could seldom tell, within such a volume of flesh, whether Jordan de Ribérac was disturbed. His voice remained mellow. ‘Monseigneur is well informed. M. de Fleury has left his lady wife, and wishes apparently to deny her access to their son. The situation will resolve itself. The Bank is secure.’
‘We spoke of this before,’ said King Louis. ‘You were unable to bring me the child.’
‘I have not given up hope,’ said Jordan de Ribérac. ‘A banker’s son reared at the Court of France might prove a jewel of some price. We speak of maintaining Lyons, reversing the Tyrol, seducing Savoy, keeping Scotland in thrall. My lord knows what de Fleury has done to our harm.’
‘He may be reconciled to his wife,’ said the King. ‘He may have many more sons. Where is the lady?’
‘Searching for him, of course,’ said the vicomte. ‘But I am told that latterly she has abstained from her quest, no doubt recognising that her husband cannot remain absent for ever. She is on her way to Cologne, I am told, with the company notary Julius.’
‘A comely man?’ said the King.
‘A man who has found a fortune and a place in
‘He has taken a child?’ said the Persian thoughtfully.
‘Because the mother annoyed him. He himself is no more than a scab on the good name of huckstering. But of such persons the Lord can make use – with your help and mine,’ said the Patriarch.
The news came in April to Scotland, where Nicholas de Fleury had several homes. The high-born ladies of Haddington Priory were especially shocked. ‘A baby so young! He snatched the child from its mother and vanished! What will the poor lady Gelis do now?’
A letter from Bruges had acquainted them with the news. ‘Sir Anselm declares,’ said Phemie Dunbar, to whom it was sent, ‘that the lady Gelis was quite wild in her despair, combing Venice for news of the boy. Sir Anselm grieved for them all, and so did young Katelijne, but they could do nothing about it. We are to give the news to Sersanders his nephew.’
‘So what will the lady Gelis do now?’ said Betha Sinclair her cousin.
‘In her place,’ said the lady Phemie, ‘I should wait.’
‘Obviously. M. de Fleury will tire of the child,’ the Prioress said.
‘No,’ said Betha. ‘But I’ll make you a wager. When he’s ready, he’ll make sure his lady wife knows it. And if she wants the boy, she’ll have to come to him, not the other way round.’
‘How terrible!’ said the youngest nun, her face rosy.
Most importantly of all, the news came that same month to Picardy, where the armies of France faced the armies of the dukedom of Burgundy across the banks of the Somme. Trivial though it might seem, the report caused each ruler to act.
The Duke of Burgundy sent for his captain of mercenaries. ‘I am disappointed, Astorre. Your company is serving me well. But I am told that your patron has vanished – fled, some are saying, to the detriment of his Bank. Is this true?’
Captain Astorre had fought under better men than the Duke, including the Duke’s own late father. He employed his comfortable voice. ‘My lord Duke, you well know that Master Nicholas turned his back on the gold of the East in order to help you settle this quarrel with France. No doubt he or his officers will come to tell you themselves, but I can assure you of this: the Bank stands in good name, and I and my men have all the arms and silver we need to keep our bond to the Duchy of Burgundy.’
As it happened, the Duke knew this was true. It didn’t lessen his annoyance with the vanished Nicholas de Fleury.
In the castle of Ham, over the river, the King of France sent for his fiscal adviser. ‘You were in Venice. Indeed, my dear vicomte de Ribérac, you have been absent these two months when we needed you. Now we hear this troublesome banker is to support Duke Charles instead of ourselves. Or has he some other patron in mind? We are told he has vanished.’
One could seldom tell, within such a volume of flesh, whether Jordan de Ribérac was disturbed. His voice remained mellow. ‘Monseigneur is well informed. M. de Fleury has left his lady wife, and wishes apparently to deny her access to their son. The situation will resolve itself. The Bank is secure.’
‘We spoke of this before,’ said King Louis. ‘You were unable to bring me the child.’
‘I have not given up hope,’ said Jordan de Ribérac. ‘A banker’s son reared at the Court of France might prove a jewel of some price. We speak of maintaining Lyons, reversing the Tyrol, seducing Savoy, keeping Scotland in thrall. My lord knows what de Fleury has done to our harm.’
‘He may be reconciled to his wife,’ said the King. ‘He may have many more sons. Where is the lady?’
‘Searching for him, of course,’ said the vicomte. ‘But I am told that latterly she has abstained from her quest, no doubt recognising that her husband cannot remain absent for ever. She is on her way to Cologne, I am told, with the company notary Julius.’
‘A comely man?’ said the King.
‘A man who has found a fortune and a place in