David the Prince - Scotland 03 Read Online Free
pointed, wordl ess, to the dai s, and led the way, to climb on to it - watched askance by the servitors but not interfered with.
"I shall await William here," he declared, sitting on a bench.
"I think that he cannot be back from the hunt, yet," David said. "I have seen none of his friends."
His brother nodded. He beckoned one of the servants. "Fetch us wine, fellow."
The man looked doubtful. "The Deputy Chief Butler dispenses the wine, sir. Later."
"Aroint you, fool - wine!" Sir Eustace barked. "Are you telling the King of Scots to wait?"
"Eh . . . no. lord! Yes, lord!" Bowing, the man hurried off.
There was some considerable delay before the wine appeared, nevertheless. And when it did, the servants were accompanied by two or three others, richly garbed, the foremost of whom was a fleshy but smooth man of early middle years, round-faced, balding, smiling, with shrewd small busy eyes.
"Flambard!" David groaned into his brother's ear. "Now the King's chiefest minister and right-hand. A man hateful."
"Ah - here is a surprise," the newcomer said, his voice high and light, but pleasingly modulated. "Do I see the Lord Edgar of Scotland? You take us unawares, my lord."
"Do I? It might almost have seemed so - only the keeper of your poors' asylum here was ready for us, at least! Under instructions from one Flambard, it seems."
"That is my humble self, my lord. I hope that you found all to your comfort at St. John's? The town is plaguey full, I fear, folk roosting in every corner. But you will have all St. John's Hospice to yourselves, I promise you. The . . . inmates have been removed."
Edgar made no comment. "Where is King William?" "His Grace has just returned, my lord. From Somborne Forest. I heard his company ri de in but a few minutes ago.
Let us pray that he has had a good day's sport so that he is in genial temper!" Despite the lightsome voice there was a grating behind that somewhere, a warning or threat.
"We had looked to see him before this," Edgar said flatly.
"Your patience will soon be rewarded, my lord."
"My patience is not the best of me, Monsieur . . . what was the name?"
"Flambard, sir - Ranulf Flambard. His Grace's humblest servant."
"Are you, then, this Deputy Chief Butler?"
"Ah, no. Scarce that. I am, all unworthily, the Lord Chief Justiciar of England, my lord." "Indeed. I am . . . surprised."
For a moment those small eyes gleamed daggers. Then the man bowed. "Here is wine for your refeshment, my lords. But — may I suggest that you drink it otherwhere? This dais-table is set and reserved, you will understand, for the King's Grace." Flambard backed away.
"I am sufficiently comfortable here, sir," Edgar told him. "And it is usual to name a monarch Highness or lord King."
"Ah - but there is only one lord King in England . . . Highness!" the other asserted, smiling, and swept out.
"That low-born scullion Chief Justice!" Sir Eustace exclaimed. "A priest's bastard, from the Cotentin. Red William must have run mad!"
"He is named the most cruel man in England, as well as the Justiciar," David said. "But - that was well-spoken. I wish that I could speak like that, Edgar. You, you are not going down from this dais?"
"No."
"Good lad!" the Earl of Angus chuckled. "Er. . . Highness."
So they sat drinking, as the hall filled up, seeming at ease but wary-eyed. They were stared at, as guests came to take their seats at the lower tables, but none actually came to speak with them, although there was much whispering and head-shaking. No women were present. William Rufus did not like women. They all had quite a lengthy wait, with only the Scots party drinking. The musicians played now.
Then, at last, the music stopped and a trumpeter appeared in the gallery, to blow a loud and stirring fanfare. All men rose -all men, that is except the King of Scots.
A door was thrown open behind the dais area, and as the trumpet-notes faded, a herald cried, "Attend on the King's Grace!"
There was a pause, quite
"I shall await William here," he declared, sitting on a bench.
"I think that he cannot be back from the hunt, yet," David said. "I have seen none of his friends."
His brother nodded. He beckoned one of the servants. "Fetch us wine, fellow."
The man looked doubtful. "The Deputy Chief Butler dispenses the wine, sir. Later."
"Aroint you, fool - wine!" Sir Eustace barked. "Are you telling the King of Scots to wait?"
"Eh . . . no. lord! Yes, lord!" Bowing, the man hurried off.
There was some considerable delay before the wine appeared, nevertheless. And when it did, the servants were accompanied by two or three others, richly garbed, the foremost of whom was a fleshy but smooth man of early middle years, round-faced, balding, smiling, with shrewd small busy eyes.
"Flambard!" David groaned into his brother's ear. "Now the King's chiefest minister and right-hand. A man hateful."
"Ah - here is a surprise," the newcomer said, his voice high and light, but pleasingly modulated. "Do I see the Lord Edgar of Scotland? You take us unawares, my lord."
"Do I? It might almost have seemed so - only the keeper of your poors' asylum here was ready for us, at least! Under instructions from one Flambard, it seems."
"That is my humble self, my lord. I hope that you found all to your comfort at St. John's? The town is plaguey full, I fear, folk roosting in every corner. But you will have all St. John's Hospice to yourselves, I promise you. The . . . inmates have been removed."
Edgar made no comment. "Where is King William?" "His Grace has just returned, my lord. From Somborne Forest. I heard his company ri de in but a few minutes ago.
Let us pray that he has had a good day's sport so that he is in genial temper!" Despite the lightsome voice there was a grating behind that somewhere, a warning or threat.
"We had looked to see him before this," Edgar said flatly.
"Your patience will soon be rewarded, my lord."
"My patience is not the best of me, Monsieur . . . what was the name?"
"Flambard, sir - Ranulf Flambard. His Grace's humblest servant."
"Are you, then, this Deputy Chief Butler?"
"Ah, no. Scarce that. I am, all unworthily, the Lord Chief Justiciar of England, my lord." "Indeed. I am . . . surprised."
For a moment those small eyes gleamed daggers. Then the man bowed. "Here is wine for your refeshment, my lords. But — may I suggest that you drink it otherwhere? This dais-table is set and reserved, you will understand, for the King's Grace." Flambard backed away.
"I am sufficiently comfortable here, sir," Edgar told him. "And it is usual to name a monarch Highness or lord King."
"Ah - but there is only one lord King in England . . . Highness!" the other asserted, smiling, and swept out.
"That low-born scullion Chief Justice!" Sir Eustace exclaimed. "A priest's bastard, from the Cotentin. Red William must have run mad!"
"He is named the most cruel man in England, as well as the Justiciar," David said. "But - that was well-spoken. I wish that I could speak like that, Edgar. You, you are not going down from this dais?"
"No."
"Good lad!" the Earl of Angus chuckled. "Er. . . Highness."
So they sat drinking, as the hall filled up, seeming at ease but wary-eyed. They were stared at, as guests came to take their seats at the lower tables, but none actually came to speak with them, although there was much whispering and head-shaking. No women were present. William Rufus did not like women. They all had quite a lengthy wait, with only the Scots party drinking. The musicians played now.
Then, at last, the music stopped and a trumpeter appeared in the gallery, to blow a loud and stirring fanfare. All men rose -all men, that is except the King of Scots.
A door was thrown open behind the dais area, and as the trumpet-notes faded, a herald cried, "Attend on the King's Grace!"
There was a pause, quite
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