“Jehan,” she murmured, and stretched out a hand. He took the hand and looked down at it. It was like the hand of a skeleton.
Poor Anne! It was long since she had been a wife to him and on the rare occasions when he had been unfaithful to her it had grieved him. He had had a happy life with her until this sickness had come upon her, this lingering sickness which would not let her live the life of a normal woman, yet would not release her from a life grown irksome.
She was gentle and patient in sickness as she had been in health; and he would sit with her each day and tell her where he had hunted that day and what game he had brought home.
But she knew that he could not stay with her forever. He was a man of action with duties at Court and perhaps far away across the sea.
Scotland! It was never far from her mind, nor from his. They were importuning him now to return, and Margaret the Queen was now adding her pleas to those of the lords who had been his supporters; and that was an astonishing thing, because previously they had been enemies, rivals for the Regency.
He often thought of her — a fine woman, handsome, perhaps overproud, too much like that brother of hers who caused so much trouble in Europe.
He would not tell Anne, but he guessed that erelong a summons would come from François; then he could delay no longer. There had been a time when François had not wished him to go to Scotland, but that was when he was feigning a certain friendship with England, when the Kings had had that uneasy meeting, which had proved both costly and meaningless to them both, when the Princess Mary was betrothed to the Dauphin. But the political scene had changed. The new Emperor, Charles V, had visited his aunt Katharine in England, and England was inclined to friendship with the Emperor; which must mean that the brief amity Henry had professed with France was at an end. Wolsey was responsible for English foreign policy, and he undoubtedly had his eye on the Papal crown; doubtless he believed that the Emperor would now have more influence in that quarter than François. Thus France would need to court Scotland again.
Anne turned to him and said: “Jehan, are you thinking of Scotland?”
He nodded. “Every time I hear the sound of a horse’s hooves in the courtyard I wonder whether it it a summons.”
“And you will go?”
“I fear François will command it.”
She was silent, thinking of herself, a helpless invalid, and of him — tall, strong, vital. We have become an incongruous pair, she thought. He is not a man who should spend his time at a sickbed. Nor would he for long. The messenger would come; she was certain of it.
She was right. Within a week the summons came from the Court of France. Albany’s presence was needed in Scotland. He should prepare to leave without delay.
When Albany rode toward Stirling the people had come out of their houses to line the roadside and cheer him. They looked to him to put an end to the petty strife between the Douglas and the Hamilton factions which continually threatened to break into civil war. Only the Douglases and their friends had no welcome to offer. They feared the great soldier and his men, for they knew that not only had he come at Arran’s invitation but the Queen’s.
Margaret was waiting to greet him at Stirling Castle, dressed in her state robes of purple velvet lined with ermine, and she wore her golden hair loose, because in that way it was most becoming.
Albany bowed over her hand and his eyes told her that she was beautiful.
What a man! she thought. Why was I ever impressed by the looks of Angus? He is like a pretty boy compared with Albany.
This was a man who had been victorious in battle; a strong man, a man who was born to govern. He had the blood of kings in his veins even as she herself had. He was a king in all but name — a fitting mate for a queen.
The banquet she had ordered to be prepared was sumptuous; he sat at her right hand at the table on the dais, with his feet resting on the carpet. She noticed his gracious manners, his courteous smiles, the way in which he took his meat from the carvers, eating with a delicacy never seen in Scotland, so that he spilt no fat on his garments and only his fingers were greasy. These he delicately washed in the bowl halfway through the meal instead of waiting until the end.
French manners! thought Margaret. And I like them well when they are combined with manly strength.
He gave her his full attention; he behaved as though she and only she was of real importance to him. He told her that he had indeed been happy to come to Scotland when he received her letters of invitation.
“My lord,” she answered, “I see full well that since you are come we shall have peace in the land.”
“My one desire is to keep the King secure and happy.”
“Then we share the same desire.”
Margaret’s eyes were shining. He would allow her to be with her son; he would understand how important a mother could be to a growing boy. Oh, how glad she was that he had come! His proximity excited her.
She said in a low voice which was faintly hoarse with emotion: “I see that there will be friendship between us.”
“It is my earnest hope,” he answered.
The musicians played and they talked of music; they discovered similar tastes. Later he and she led the dancers and, although they talked no more of the purpose of his visit but gave themselves up to the joys of the dance and the masque, she believed that a bond had been established between them.
And when she retired that night she found it difficult to sleep. She was like a young girl who had been to her first ball.
What has happened to me? she asked herself. And she knew that she felt thus because hope had come back into her life.
They left Stirling together and set out for Linlithgow. Here Albany was entertained royally; there was more feasting, more dancing, and Margaret was like a young girl in her newly found happiness.
Albany was thinking: Why not? It would be a solution. Yet he was glad that as yet no decision could be reached. Neither of them was free. He had a wife who was sick and could certainly not live much longer; she had a husband from whom she was trying to obtain a divorce.
She was a beautiful woman; Albany was a lusty man. None would blame him for a little dalliance. He was fond of his wife, but he was far from home and even Anne was realist enough not to expect complete fidelity in the circumstances. All that she would ask was that he should never desert her while she lived; and that he would never do.
So he allowed himself to follow whither Margaret beckoned and if people were watching them and spies were taking an account of their conduct to the English Court, what did that matter? It was his duty to sow discord between the Scottish and English Courts.
As they danced in the hall of Linlithgow Palace he said to her: “We will go together to visit the King at Edinburgh. If I come with his mother he will know I come as his friend.”
“That will give me great pleasure.”
“Then I shall fulfill two desired objects at the same time… See the King and please his mother.”
She lowered her eyes that he might not see the desire for him which she could not hide. It was long since she had been so happy.
The next day they set out for Edinburgh and, as they rode into the city to the cheers of the people, their eyes fixed on the Castle rising ahead of them, Margaret said: “I wonder if James is at a window watching for us. He will be so excited, but not more so than I.”
“He must be yearning to see his mother.”
“I believe he is, but not more so than she is to see him.”
As they rode up to the Castle gates the Captain of the Castle came out and kneeling presented the keys to Albany.
He took them, and turning to Margaret, gave them to her.
This was a moment of great triumph because it was tantamount to saying: The freedom of the Castle is yours.