Part Four. The End Game. Chapter II. The Ultimate Check 2. The Tragic Moves

Thursday, June 21

Lymond left Flaw Valleys on Tuesday, June 19, to meet George Douglas in Edinburgh. The first part of The Tragic Moves cuts back and forth among the travels and travails of four different sets of characters:

1. Lymond and the courier, 
2. Richard and Tom,
3. Margaret Lennox and Christian Stewart,
4. Gideon Somerville.

A tragic chain of events is literally set into motion on Thursday, June 21. Dunnett goes out of her way to portray the day with a calm that belies the turmoil and tragedy it holds:

The day was breathless with promise; the cobbles shining like milk glass in the quiet; the gables asleep in blanket rolls of mist. In the streets there was no sign of the grumbling, scraped-up army of men who were preparing to face battle in the warm summer weather.

Lymond leaves George Douglas's house in Edinburgh bound for Berwick--unarmed--with a character we have not met before, Adam Acheson. Acheson, a courier with "a reticence like a warden oyster," is carrying George Douglas's letters and safe conduct. Just after they leave, Tom Erskine returns to tell Richard Crawford the terrible news: their plans to bustle the Queen out of country to France have been discovered by an English spy and already passed along to another man, who at that moment is heading to England with a safe conduct and letters from George Douglas.

Richard and Tom, accompanied by Erskine's men, set out after the
courier, who they believe is heading for Berwick where Grey is supposedly located. At various stops along the way, they learn there are two men as different in appearance as "corbie and doo" (raven and dove). Notice how Dunnett gradually pieces together the puzzle of the two men at each waystation? Each description adds more detail until finally Richard, "exultant" and savage, knows beyond doubt the "dove" is his brother.

On the same day, a "third caravan" heads out in a different direction. Margaret Lennox, with a reluctant and recalcitrant Christian in tow, heads away from Berwick at a leisurely pace towards her home, a long "weary journey" of approximately 160 miles, which would require numerous overnight stops. They arrive late that day at Warkworth Castle, about 35 miles south of Berwick.

Friday, June 22

The next day, the Lennox party travels another 30 miles to Newcastle, arriving late in the afternoon, the same day that Gideon Somerville arrives from Flaw Valleys expecting to find Lord Grey. Grey is instead in Hexham.

That same night, Tom and Richard finally make it to Berwickshire, where Richard presses one of Oswald Wylstropp's men for information. Grey is not in Berwick but Hexham. Lymond and the courier also know where Grey is. Everyone, it seems, is now heading for Hexham.

Oswald Wylstropp appeared earlier:

Lord Grey had been as good as his word. Setting out with foot and mounted hackbutters from Jedworth and Roxburgh, Sir Oswald Wylstropp and Sir Ralph Bullmer marched west with orderly authority, reducing everything in their way to ashes. They took thirty prisoners, all the sheep and goats they could manage, and reduced Hawick to a series of ovens in which the resisters were cooked in their skins like new lobsters. (Pt 3, Ch I, Bitter Exchange)

Wylstropp has shown himself to be a brutal commander, willing to torture to death "resisters," undoubtedly civilians trying to defend their homes.

At Newcastle, Gideon, violating his own vow to avoid Margaret, secures a short interview with Christian. She tells him that Samuel Harvey is dead. Gideon explains to Christian that Lymond must have also just learned this from his meeting with George Douglas in Edinburgh.

Christian learns from Gideon that Lymond knows by now that Samuel Harvey is dead, and he is prepared to surrender himself to save her. Although she expresses "contemptuous rage" at the idea the English would harm her, she immediately recognizes it is possible when she says, "Even if they did, he [Lymond] must be stopped" from turning himself over to the English. We have two souls--Christian and Lymond--competing to see who will sacrifice herself or himself for the other.

Saturday, June 23

Next morning, Margaret Douglas decides to take a detour to meet her husband in Hexham. She is accompanied by her prisoner Christian and a very unhappy Gideon Somerville, who is still puzzling over what if anything he can do to help Christian and Lymond. Overnight, he had made what small efforts were available to him, posting his men at various points to try to intercept Lymond and warn him off. His worry and distraction lead to a terrible consequence, or so he later believes:

Gideon, sunk in thought, rode in the rear and left Margaret Lennox and Christian to their own devices in front: a small lapse, but one that afterward he found hard to forgive himself.

---

Very occasionally Dunnett uses this type of flash forward to create dramatic irony in which we the readers know something that the characters do not know now but will at some later date.

---

The previous night, Lymond and Acheson on the one hand and Richard, Tom, and his troop on the other slept remarkably close to each other in the Redesdale Hills of Northumberland. Acheson, "the most hardened of them all," awakes early on Saturday morning and makes a fateful decision. He breaks the seal on a mysterious third letter from George to Grey, one he is to deliver personally to Lord Grey.

Shortly after resuming their frenetic journey, Lymond and Acheson are waylaid by Somerville men with the news that all the interested parties are converging on Hexham. Lymond proves himself to be more than "considerable" by easily overwhelming Acheson before heading out with Gideon's men towards Flaw Valleys. For the moment, Gideon's plan appears to be working better than he dared hope.

***

On the road from Newcastle to Hexham, while Gideon is brooding, Christian perceives another broody chick: Sym (Simon Bogle), her servant. Sym's silence is filled by Margaret's cheerful chatter. But as the day wears on, Margaret's easy banter slows sharpens until she reveals she knows more about Christian's deathbed encounter with Samuel Harvey than she should. Under the influence of alcohol supplied by Margaret for this precise purpose, Sym has betrayed his mistress. He let slip that Christian's story about tending the dying man just to learn his address was less than a half truth. Christian's purpose was "listening to a dying man’s confession; or even in getting it recorded and signed by a priest and thereafter hiding it..."

Margaret knows that Christian got from Harvey precisely what Lymond has been after all along.

The terrible realization that he has betrayed Christian and put not only both their lives but the life of the Master of Culter in danger is too much for Sym. He jumps up behind Christian and spurs her horse furiously away from Margaret's cavalcade. Despite what must have been a bone-chillingly terrifying experience for her, Christian keeps her wits about her and tries to persuade Sym to stop and turn the horse around. There is no reasoning with Sym. He is in the grip of a guilt-induced panic to save his beloved mistress, Lymond, and himself. Perhaps he might have come to his senses if he had had a minute more to calm down, but that decision is taken from him by an arrow.

Notice how beautifully Dunnett conveys these events from Christian's perspective where sound and feeling must substitute for sight:

...above the thud and jangle and creak of the galloping horse there came an odd, rustling noise. It stopped suddenly with a bump, and Sym gave a little grunt. The arms about her slackened and the pressure at her back shifted. Christian cried once, “Simon!” and then with a clatter the whole body behind her shook itself loose and, rolling over the gelding’s haunches, thudded on the heather.

The frightened horse takes off at a gallop with Christian hanging on to its uncut mane, the reins out of her reach. We experience this frenzied ride from inside Christian's mind...bushes and branches tear at and sting her; the countryside is enemy territory, out to help her foes and punish her. But with the capricious irony that often accompanies such moments of terror, Christian still perceives the natural beauty and calm of the countryside:

Ahead, the soft air of her passing pressed freely against her and the sound of birdsong came from great distances, as if spread sparkling through the warm air: a singing dust. Singing sand.Would she ever visit the islands again? Or be with the children? Or Sybilla. Or Wicked Wat. Or the man for whom she was now flying blind...?

Hadrian's Wall

Behind her rises "a great shout" because her pursuers can see what she cannot: the Wall. It is Hadrian's Wall, built centuries before, with undergrowth now concealing a twenty-foot ditch. The horse has no chance, and neither does Christian.

The Lennox party and Gideon quickly come upon the dead horse and Christian's broken body, barely hanging on to life. Gideon will take her to his home to die "among friends," while all Margaret can think of is finding the hidden Samuel Harvey papers. Gideon's reaction to her "strangled laugh" upon viewing the papers evokes a memorable reaction. If there was ever any doubt about Margaret Douglas, Lady Lennox's character, this comment dispels it once and for all:

“She was blind. It’s too great a handicap. She’s better out of it,” said Margaret in a staccato voice, and mounted her horse.

Gideon, shrewd observer of human beings that he is, knows that Margaret is disguising a big truth behind a little truth:

“Was that her sin?” said Gideon, watching the cavalcade move off. “I had come to fancy it might be something quite different.”

Favorite Line

"The deficiency [in conversation] was made up by the Countess of Lennox, who unrolled mellow conversation through the small dales like a Turkey carpet."

Questions

1. The English do not interfere with Tom and Richard. Why? If these two Scottish noblemen cross over into England in pursuit of a wanted man, what will be the repercussions?
2. Among the men involved in "the chase," Dunnett describes Adam Acheson as "the most hardened of them all."  Does it surprise you that Dunnett describes Acheson and not Lymond thus?
3. Why did Acheson, a courier known for his reliability and "reticence," break the seal on the third of George Douglas's letters and read it? What do you think is in the letter from George to Grey?
4. Did you notice that during the wild ride Christian thought of Lymond, not Tom? What do you make of that?
5. When Margaret looks at the papers Christian had concealed, she makes "a curious sound, so close to a laugh that Gideon turned sharply on her." What do you think she saw that caused this reaction?

Words that Describe Lymond in The Tragic Moves

• determined
• driven
• quiet
• stoic (imagine the pain he is in)
• crafty
• sardonic

Part Three. The Play for Samuel Harvey. Chapter II. The Queen's Progress Becomes Critical

1. A New Pawn is Taken (Early February - February 21, 1548)

Tom Erskine has come to Boghall to retrieve Christian and take her to Midculter so she and Lady Culter can go to Dumbarton as nurses to the sick baby Queen. Ladies of high birth and family would fulfill this function. Even though there was little they could do other than make the sick child more comfortable, there was no way a royal child would be left alone for a moment during an illness and could only be tended by women of utmost trustworthiness, loyalty, and high birth.

Christian seems more concerned with the renewed fighting, which is news to her. Her reaction to the wishy-washy way in which Arran has handled John Maxwell's demand of Agnes Herries as his bride shows just how passionate a patriot and person she is:

"I should take her to Threave [Maxwell's home] by the scruff of her neck and beg John Maxwell on my knees, if I were Arran, to come to our side."

Tom's marriage proposal is not the stuff of romantic legend. It is as awkward and faltering as Christian's reply is eloquent and expressive. Dunnett draws a clear contrast between the halting, prosaic Erskine and the passionate, incisive Christian. Of course, the comparison between Tom and Lymond is inevitable not only for the reader but also for Christian. How much does her experience with Lymond affect her refusal of Tom's offer? It is not mentioned, but surely the excitement he inspired has lingered in her mind and set her emotions swirling. She cannot give Tom a good reason for her refusal and, ultimately, in showing Tom mercy she buys herself some time to make a final decision. At this point, it seems as though she will not accept his proposal.

***

Sybilla is also preparing to leave for Dumbarton and, unaccountably, is distracted and smelling of sulphur. Neither Richard nor we know why, except she has a foul-smelling potion from Lady Catherine Hunter designed (supposedly) to protect Richard in the upcoming battle. Was Sybilla checking out this potion to learn its ingredients and potential dangers? We do not know, but she does not want Richard to take it; she just wants him to know about it so he can effectively lie to Andrew Hunter if he brings it up. 

And now the parting from Mariotta. Mariotta has been quiet of late, but so has Richard, yet again not confiding in his wife. She has learned about Richard's interference with Buccleuch and his son from Sir Wat and Sybilla. And she has been listening carefully to the discussions of Scottish war and politics, absorbing mainly Sybilla's points of argument that she now throws at Richard just waiting for him to criticize them so she can triumphantly tell him they are his mother's ideas. He does not bite but is patient and sincere, if a bit distracted, with his replies.

Mariotta does quite a nice, subtle job of weaving the political arguments in such a way that they equally apply to her marriage. The woman is deeply unhappy and Richard is not doing anything to change that. She wants to be part of his life and for him to be part of hers and their child's, that is, something more than a shadowy figure coming and mostly going about his own business. Even in this exchange, Richard's mind is clogged with "the millrace of pressing business in his brain" and not fully engaged in or attentive to what Mariotta is trying to tell him. That is, until she mentions "the wicket gate at the back."

***

Aside: A wicket gate (or door) is a person-sized entry inside or next to a much larger gate or door. The idea of a wicket gate is to allow someone to enter or exit without having to open the large gate or door. Still in use today, we refer to them as pedestrian entryways.

***

When Mariotta for the first time in her life sees blood drain from a man's face, she realizes she has gone too far. But she has stepped onto the field of battle and cannot retreat. Moreover, Mariotta has her husband's undivided attention, and she likes the feeling of power she is wielding: "at last she was laying him bare." But the cudgel is a clumsy weapon, as Mariotta quickly learns, because Richard, far from having his defenses crumble puts on a "stiffer armour." Before, he was wooden and detached; now he is a stone battlement and burning with a cold rage, at her and at Lymond. 

And now bad goes to worse. Mariotta stumbles into admitting that she shared her confidences with Andrew Hunter. Richard's initial vacant shock and dismay finally give way to a hardened resolve: his obsession with Lymond just intensified to a level that even Richard probably did not think possible. It is no longer sufficient to hunt his brother down; Richard now must have Lymond "on his knees, and weeping, and begging aloud to be killed." Be careful what you wish for, Richard. 

Left alone at last, Mariotta starts packing, preparing to leave Midculter and Richard and the rest of the Crawfords behind her.

***

February 21, 1548

The three-pronged English invasion is underway:

• Wharton and Lennox leave Carlisle for Dumfries.
• Grey's forces leave Berwick and dig in at Haddington (less than 20 miles from Edinburgh).
• Lord Culter's Scots discover Wharton and Lennox's route and approach their flank.
• Wharton's son Harry (he of the hot helmet at Annan) leads a spearhead of mounted soldiers towards Durisdeer, bypassing the Douglas home at Drumlanrig where Angus's daughter Margaret Douglas is located.
• Harry and his men are attacked by John Maxwell with the aid of the supposedly fleeing Douglases, including Angus.
• Harry's "forsworn Scots" (Scots who swore allegiance to England) turn on him and join the Douglases in routing the English.

In an hour, it is all over: "the annihilation of the whole of Lord Wharton's army." A messenger is sent to Lord Grey to tell him not only of the "total overthrow" of Wharton and Lennox's forces but of the deaths of Wharton and his son Harry. Grey, seeing his own defeat in the offing, immediately heads back to Berwick, there to learn that indeed neither Harry nor his father is dead. Rather, they are, along with Lennox and a sizable portion of their troops, safe at Carlisle. The one person who seems to have disappeared without a trace is Margaret Douglas.

The news of the Scottish victory is left to Sybilla to deliver to the Queen Dowager. The little queen is recovering from her illness when Sybilla brings word to an exhausted Mary of Guise. Sybilla's own emotions are no doubt raw from worry and fatigue: she blows her nose, as one who is suppressing tears would.

2. But Proves to Be Covered

Lymond is nearby when the fighting occurs, but "except for an episode which he made memorable both for John Maxwell and Lord Wharton's son, he took no part in the fighting..." What is that episode? Dunnett does not tell us, but in the previous section she notes that Richard is "always gifted with special intelligence in the field," strongly implying that Lymond is (indirectly) the source of the "special intelligence" that lets his brother find Wharton and Lennox's route and avoid Harry's spearhead, which John Maxwell attacks. I believe this is the memorable episode Lymond set up, possibly with the assistance of George Douglas. Perhaps we will find out later.

***

Aside: A bit more irony: Will Scott is reading The Buke of the Howlat, a book celebrating the virtues of the Douglases (a very small book?) with a focus on themes that are all central to The Game of Kings: 

"The Buke of the Howlat was composed in the late 1440s for Elizabeth Douglas, wife of Archibald Douglas, earl of Moray. It is one of the great monuments of fifteenth-century Scots verse ... telling a comic fable of an owl's borrowed feathers, his pride and ultimate fall, and a bird parliament which decides his fate. At its centre is a heraldic excurses which leads to a celebration of the virtues of the Douglas family and their service to Robert Bruce in the Scottish Wars of Independence. Its themes therefore focus on Scottish freedom, aristocratic achievement, and good self- and political governance."
From the website of Boydell & Brewer.

***

Will has been left at the Crawfordmuir tower during the excitement at Durisdeer and surrounding environs, but the real fun is about to begin with the arrival of Margaret Douglas. During the confusion created by the fighting, Turkey Mat slipped into Drumlanrig and kidnapped Margaret. Lymond wants her to stew for an hour or so before revealing himself as her captor. And he wants Will to watch the ensuing display. Why?

There are a number of possible reasons to explain why Lymond wants Will to watch his encounter with Margaret, but I think the primary reason is a simple one: Francis wants a witness, one who is high-born, educated, and from a respected family just in case he needs someone to confirm what really was said and done to and by Margaret Douglas. Lymond does not trust Margaret one iota, and he knows she is quite capable of lying about what he did or did not do or say to her. Will Scott's testimony to the actual events would make it virtually impossible for Margaret to get away with any serious distortion of the events.

Of course Lymond also wants to continue Will's "education" in the ways of the world. He wants Will to learn more about his (Lymond's) past from him, not from Buccleuch and others. He wants Will to see exactly what Margaret Douglas is and of what she is capable. Will is still naive, especially when it comes to women (remember, he thinks of the majestic Christian as a "girl"). Lymond also probably wants Will to learn that Margaret is his hostage to use as a bargaining chip. Although Will does not know about Lymond's meeting with George Douglas in which he promised to turn Will over in exchange for Samuel Harvey, he knows Lymond needs someone to exchange for Harvey. The fact that Lymond now has Margaret in his grasp means she is that bargaining chip; certainly that is how Will will perceive it.

Will, however, spends an agonizing hour waiting for Lymond to begin his interview with Margaret. She is no slouch. To be kidnapped by unknown foes, blindfolded and taken to who knows where, and held in suspense for what must seem like an eternity takes a very strong will to wait with patience and calm, but she must, because Will does not hear a sound from her. During this time, Will suddenly recalls a "revealing expression" used at Annan. I think that refers to Lymond saying he was brought up in "bad company. From oar to oar," referring to "the Pearl of Pearls," Lennox's wife Margaret. The name Margaret derives from the Greek word for pearl, as Lymond and Will would both know. 

I am sure Will is vigorously searching his memory for everything that was said at Annan, especially by Lymond and Lennox, Margaret's husband. Note that Will wonders what a "majestically reared young woman" like Margaret will make of Lymond, the "wildcat eccentric." Clearly, Will has not yet figured out that there is a robust history between them. He is about to learn differently.

What Will sees when Margaret encounters Lymond is first recognition, then fright. Interesting that she shows momentary fear. Will (and the reader) has no idea why. Also, it is very important that Margaret calls Lymond by his given name. Almost no one calls him Francis. In fact, thus far only his mother has called him Francis, and then only once. This makes Margaret's address of Lymond as Francis a very significant fact: she has had a close acquaintance with him.

Lymond has deliberately dressed as Will has never seen him, in virginal white. Recall that Lymond's face seems "virginal" to Will only an hour before when he revealed that the woman in the tower is Margaret Douglas. And Lymond's very first words in the book are "I am a narwhal looking for my virgin." One thing that must be abundantly clear about Dorothy Dunnett by now is that she does not leave things to chance or make arbitrary allusions. Her word choices are deliberate and essential to the overarching story and its meaning. The association of 'virgin' and 'virginal' with Lymond and Margaret is important, but exactly why we do not yet know.

What else does Lymond's conversation with Margaret reveal?

• Margaret has been told what happened at Annan between Lymond and Lennox, et al.
• Lennox once saved Lymond's life, but how and when?
• Lymond says he regrets not killing Lennox at Annan.
• Lymond wants to exchange Margaret for her son Henry.
• Lymond plans to offer the child to the Scottish government for money and to gain the favor of a government that wants him for treason.
• With Margaret and her son traded, who is left to exchange with Grey for Samuel Harvey? Who indeed!?
• From Margaret's point of view, Lymond suffered "one accident, one reverse" that he should have been able to overcome by now.
• Margaret claims King Henry VIII sent Lymond to Calais to protect him from the Scots.
• By "stupefying bad luck," Lymond fell into the hands of the French.
• The bad luck appears to be that "ill-timed dispatch" implicating Lymond in the convent's destruction because an English agent left it "by mistake" where the Scots could and would find it.
• Margaret swears she knew of no duplicity involving the dispatch.
• Lymond implies her uncle the king would have had no compunction about framing him for the destruction of the convent. 
• Lymond was a galley slave! Wow! This is quite a discovery.

Now the full meaning of the insult at Annan becomes clear. Remember that Lymond says of Margaret, "I was brought up in bad company. From oar to oar, you might say." Why was Lennox angry enough to want to attack Lymond over this comment? Because Lymond is saying he went from being kept by a "whore" (the 'ore Margaret) to being a galley slave (at the oars) thanks to Lennox, Margaret, and King Henry. There is also the allusion to the Viking sport of jumping oar to oar to prove one's agility and prowess, and that also fits Lymond's situation.

***

Aside: The Viking sport of oar running appears in Dunnett's later novel The King Hereafter.

***

Margaret keeps trying to get Lymond to agree that he has over-reacted to the events and should "move on" with his life. Even she has to admit that his being forced into the life of a galley slave is good enough reason for his bitterness, but now, luckily for Lymond, she is here to help. Margaret as good as ditches Matthew Lennox, who is only a useful stepping stone to a possible throne, and promises Lymond he will take his place. She tells Lymond she can convince the Lord Protector of England to let her replace Lennox with Lymond, but he points out that there is still his "savoury reputation" that needs fixing. Lymond helpfully suggests a way: a believable story of strategic betrayal and forgery, with witnesses. This is important.

Margaret gets the Lymond treatment once she has agreed to dump her husband and arrange for some poor soul to swear the incriminating dispatch was a forgery. Once she realizes Lymond has been playing her all along, all the Tudor venom comes spewing out. But Lymond is more than a match for her. He even throws Thomas Howard in her face. Howard (Anne Boleyn's uncle) and Margaret were lovers and secretly engaged. Henry VIII found out and sent both to the Tower. Margaret, of course, broke with Howard and survived. Howard was to be executed, but died of an illness before the sentence could be carried out. It does not pay to be Margaret Douglas's lover or husband, as Lymond knows. He has no interest in her except possibly as a means to getting her son as his bargaining chip. 

Henry VIII by Hans Holbein

When Lymond says that King Henry's use of him as a scapegoat was no accident, he clearly believes that Margaret was in cahoots with her uncle to use him as a pawn in their game. Margaret acknowledges as much. But when Lymond refers to pleasing his mistresses, Margaret's eyes fill with tears of rage and she asks why he cannot "forget"--forget what? Lymond says he thinks of the past often, with "a certain aged melancholy," like the old lion, full of years and crying for its ancient prowess. Whatever happened between Margaret and Lymond had a profound effect on him.

But now Margaret gets the upper hand. She reveals that Wharton's son Harry captured Mariotta when she left Midculter after her disastrous encounter with Richard, and she has the letter to prove it. It is interesting that Margaret has waited until now to use this weapon against Lymond. Clearly, she is a strategic thinker and equal to the task of dealing with Lymond. His voice and words do not reveal much about how deeply this news affects him, but Will can see the impact in his white hands as they fumble with the cords of his shirt.

Lymond acts quickly to ensure he exchanges Mariotta for Margaret before anyone else starts searching for either woman and potentially discovers his location at Crawfordmuir. Margaret thinks Lymond's plan is to kill Mariotta (and, thereby, her child) to ensure his inheritance. She leaves him with a scathing critique of his mental state and his relationship with women, who Margaret believes Lymond "hates" because they are so inferior to him and cannot understand or appreciate him. Her words do sting because there is some truth to them. Not many people, male or female, can cope with Lymond. Margaret can and does in her own warped and malevolent way, at least with the Lymond she thinks she knows.

The last act in this melodrama involves the embarrassing disclosure of Will Scott lurking in the next room. Margaret is not content to humiliate Lymond; she has to make sure Will suffers the same fate, and with him her abilities are far more overtly effective. The imperious way she hands her cloak to Will and simply expects him to put it around her without a word of request or thanks shows she is used to handling people in general and men in particular as if they are all her servants.

***

Aside: Margaret's reference to "Krishna among the milkmaids" is an anachronism. There is no way she or Lymond or anyone in Europe at that time, no matter how educated and well-read, would know about Krishna or anything associated with Hindu writings, religion, or tradition. 

You can read the great Sanskrit scholar Friedrich Max Muller's Gifford Lecture, "The Veda as Studied by European Scholars," which was, ironically, given at Edinburgh.

***

Will gets drunk but Lymond gets drunker. Unfortunately for Will, his judgment deteriorates rather more and faster than the Master's, even if Lymond has a head start on Will. Will's petulant insistence on sleeping in his own bed is yet another indication of Buccleuch stubbornness and poor judgment: "a Buccleuch is incapable of leaving well enough alone." Will just cannot do the prudent thing and let Lymond drink off his anger and frustration and failure in private. Turkey Mat at least and probably all Lymond's other men seem to think it perfectly natural for the Master to get rip-roaring drunk in response to the stresses of the day, but Will has enough of his wits about him to realize there is potential danger in their leader getting snockered under the circumstances.

What Will does not realize is that Lymond never starts to drink until after he has put a plan in motion to deal with any potential dangers. Furthermore, Lymond is "a good deal less drunk and a good deal more dangerous" than Will first thought. The Master is sober enough to detect Will's real motives: he believes he, not Lymond, ought to be leading the men. Will is disgusted by Lymond's drunkenness and his unchivalrous treatment of women. 

So Lymond offers Will "what he had prayed for; what he had dreamed about and, more recently, what he had longed for to sting Lymond into shame." Will really does not understand Lymond, does he? It is as if Will is looking at one square inch of a magnificent stained glass window and thinks he is seeing the whole. But Lymond calls his bluff and offers Will a chance to wrest command from him through a drinking contest. If Will knew Lymond at all, he would know he has no chance of defeating him, even if the Master has "some hours' start" on Will. 

Lymond makes the insightful, humorous remark that he usually has an excellent reason for everything he does, "except perhaps recruiting redheaded predicants from the more notoriously pigheaded of our families," a reference to Will's predilection for high-handed moralizing. The comment also shows that Lymond is well-acquainted with the character of the Buccleuchs despite being away from Scotland for years. 

***

The opening of the next section is another example of Dunnett's masterful use of language to set a scene and build suspense: dawn, sleeping men and dogs, a door opening, Turkey Mat snoring on his back, a door closing, someone descending the stairs, the unsteady approach of a man who has been drinking all night...but which man? Lymond or Scott? The quiet tension and slow build to the inevitable is exquisite. 

Lymond is all business, the exchanges, the excesses, the embarrassments, and the inebriation of the past night seemingly forgotten. Unbeknownst to Will, Lymond had planned everything about the exchange of Margaret for Mariotta and given the orders to Mat. Confident all is well in hand, Lymond tells Matthew he is leaving for a little while, but he does not say where he is going. And Mat does not ask because, unlike Will Scott, Turkey Mat is someone "not prone to asking questions," a soldier used to following orders and trusting his commander. Even Matthew, however, cannot resist asking one question: what about Will?

What is interesting about how Matthew finds Will is not that he is snoring ferociously in an alcoholic stupor (as expected) but that "someone" has "loosened his clothing at the neck, put a cushion under his head, and laid a towel and a basin neatly and squarely on his stomach." Even after the insults, the threats, the anger, and the copious amounts of alcohol consumed, Francis Crawford has seen to Will's comfort as kindly and efficiently as any nursemaid. 

***

February 22 - early March, 1548

Lymond is off to meet George Douglas at Corstorphine, west of Edinburgh, to arrange for the exchange of Will Scott for Samuel Harvey. However, the meeting is delayed by more than five days because Lord Grey has finally realized he cannot trust George and is keeping him on a short(er) leash with his son as surety. George and Lymond ultimately make the arrangements for the exchange.

While Lymond is arranging his meeting with George, Matthew Lennox is exchanging Margaret for Mariotta. He does so, and afterwards Mariotta goes into premature labor. A royal surgeon is brought blindfolded to the Crawfordmuir tower to attend Mariotta, but the child is stillborn. Mariotta tells the surgeon who she is and also the identity of the man responsible for bringing her to the tower, and by this means the sensational news travels to astonished ears at Dumbarton and beyond.

Questions

1. Why does Lymond leave Will at the tower during the excursion to Durisdeer (where the English and Scottish troops clash)?
2. Do you think Lymond is responsible for the false reports about Wharton and his son's deaths?
3. Why is Lymond dressed all in white for his encounter with Margaret?
4. What does Margaret want Lymond to "forget"?
5. Was Lymond really going to trade Margaret's child to the Scottish government?
6. Lymond takes great care of Will Scott after their all-night drinking contest. What does this say about Lymond's character?

Favorite Line

High on the hilltops, among the wet scrub by the burn, a blackbird was singing. The notes, round as syrup, melted into the raw air of dawn and coaxed the cold, reddened sun to its day.

Words that Describe Lymond in the Queen's Progress Becomes Critical

• scheming
• manipulative
• duplicitous
• clever
• cunning
• frustrated
• surprised
• disappointed
• depressed
• considerate
• circumspect
• determined

Part Three. The Play for Samuel Harvey. Chapter I. Bitter Exchange

Betrayal Upon Betrayal

1. Offer of a Pawn is Discussed (early February 1548)

We begin the third part of the story still mulling the meaning and importance of Margaret Douglas, this time from Will Scott's point of view. He knows only that she holds some special significance for Lymond, but he does not know what. Will has at least learned that Lymond is unique among men and thus his relationships with women are bound to be less than conventional, including the way in which Will believes Lymond has (mis)used the blind "girl" Christian Stewart.

It is interesting that Will still sees Christian as a girl, someone who is his own age, when he would hardly view himself as still a boy. In fact, his mind immediately goes to that point, thinking how he is toying with his father by making the rendezvous in order to show off how much he has matured and "make self-satisfied comparisons," all of which indicates a marked immaturity. Once again, as before the Hume debacle, Will is playing his own private game using his father and Lymond as unwitting pawns, or so he thinks.

Also as with the Hume excursion, Lymond has put Will in charge of something, this time the dismantling of their location at Peel Tower. The new hideout is at Crawfordmuir, where gold mines have fallen into disuse ... well, almost. Now we learn the broader significance of Sybilla's spying the pale yellow gold at Patey Liddell's shop. The gold came from Crawfordmuir and was not mined legally. No doubt Lymond's men brought out a "sparkling fragment" or two for Patey to use in decorating Lymond's gloves and as payment for services rendered.

Next day, Will leaves for Peel Tower before Lymond departs for his own rendezvous, so Scott is not the only one holding back information.

***

Tantallon Castle

Lymond is off to see George Douglas at Tantallon Castle, a mid-14th century castle belonging to the Douglases, which had briefly fallen into the hands of James V of Scotland until his death in 1542 when Archibald Douglas returned to reclaim it. As is clear even in this image, the castle sits atop a promontory protected on three sides by "hundred-foot cliffs." It seems a fitting location for George and Lymond to spar.

George really, really wants and needs to produce Will Scott: "Sir George badly needed Will Scott to bolster his tattered prestige with Lord Grey." Dunnett rarely spells things out this directly, so this is a very important point. Lymond is doing his level best to exude insouciance and present alternatives. George is equally adroit in offering options; both men are dancing carefully around the central issue: each has what the other desperately wants. When Lymond says to George that "in the siècles de foi you would be irresistible," he means that if he were to take any man's word on faith, it would be George's. Alas, they are now living in the age of reason, so Lymond requires actual proof before he hands Will over. Of course, George Douglas is a man Lymond would trust just so far and no farther in any age, and that is not very far at all.

Also of note is the fact that George lets Lymond know he figured out his identity some time ago. George wants Lymond to think he knew who he was at their first encounter at Dalkeith (Pt 1, Ch VI) when Lymond, disguised by a black mask, was still seeking Jonathon Crouch. That's why George mentions Andrew Hunter. However, we cannot be sure exactly when or how George discovered (or deduced) Lymond's identity.

George, however, does momentarily get the better of Lymond when he discloses Mariotta's pregnancy. But even this ability to read Lymond's reaction does not assuage George's exasperation with Lymond, who steadfastly (if blandly) refuses all George's attempts to employ his talents or reward him with a barony (which Lymond would lose should Richard and Mariotta have a son). Douglas still cannot get his fingers on Lymond, and it galls him. Lymond's parting words on Will Scott are callous and cold as befitting a traitor and spy. I am left to wonder if George Douglas thinks he is witnessing the real Francis Crawford or if he has misgivings about the persona Lymond has presented.

The section ends with yet a second rare occurrence: Lymond is again surprised and caught flat-footed: Will Scott has up and gone, and Lymond has no idea where.

2. Brief Return to Home Squares (Sunday, February 5, 1548, on the Julian Calendar)

The scene between father and son plays out so vividly and cinematically reading it is like watching it happen in real time before your eyes. You can feel Wat Scott's roiling frustration and barely contained anger warring with his passionate desire to bring his son back into the Buccleuch fold. And you can feel Will's pride and determination to show his father the man he has become under Lymond's tutelage, even to the point of throwing vicious punches with his arm and his mouth. The two men's pent-up need to have it out with one another is palpable. The old lion needs to roar and the cub needs to flaunt his new-found strength.

The reader also learns some other important new pieces of information. First, that Lymond is excommunicated. This is one of the few mentions of religion in the story, and it is a very serious matter. Second, we learn about the destruction of the gunpowder dump that was purportedly planned by Lymond. And finally Wat Scott claims Lymond's perfidy was rewarded by King Henry VIII with money and land. By Buccleuch's account, Lymond is monstrous. However, Will and the reader are kept from learning "the other thing" about Lymond's treachery with the arrival of Johnnie Bullo.

Buccleuch almost convinces his son to come back with him, first with his argument that the family is caught in an impossible position between Lord Grey and the English on the one hand and the Queen Dowager and the Scots on the other. The appeal to Will's family feeling is powerful and compelling. Then the unfolding of Lymond's crimes against Scotland, including the explosion at the convent, have Will about to turn when Johnnie Bullo shows up with the news that the men are surrounded. All the good will and arguments for Will returning with his father evaporate like a whiff of smoke as the younger Scott believes it is all a trap planned by his father.

The fact that Richard Crawford is leading the men to capture Will so enrages Buccleuch that he threatens Culter with "death or maiming" if he tries to interfere again with Buccleuch's efforts to get his son away from Lymond. Once again, we see Culter as obsessed with his brother to the exclusion of all else: wife, mother, friends, country. Remember, Richard had earlier told Janet that he did not want to go behind Buccleuch's back, but now he has done just that. Richard is in a bad place, and everyone, including Richard himself, is convinced he wants Lymond dead.

***

Peel Tower

The scene back at Peel Tower provides a deep insight into Lymond's ethos. His primary concern with the fact that Will Scott kept his meeting with his father a secret is that, had Johnnie Bullo not picked up on a rumor about the meeting, Culter's men might well have found not only Lymond but all his men. Lymond is not about to allow Will to "endanger sixty men through maudlin sentiment and a watery schoolboy defiance." Will's immaturity in the face of his scolding is reflected in his petulant retort that Lymond doesn't "catechize Cuckoo-Spit every time he disappears with his women!" The difference between Lymond and Will Scott in terms of temperament, maturity, understanding, self control, and depth of insight is clearly delineated in this exchange.

Lymond lays out explicitly to Will just how short-sighted and perilous his private meeting might have been--and just how selfish. Will has far less to lose than anyone else. He would be accepted back into the Scott fold while everyone else in Lymond's band would be imprisoned or executed. Will only gets in one decent punch against the Master when he brings up the explosion at the convent. Lymond's silence and lack of reaction is interesting but not revealing.

On his way home to Branxholm, Buccleuch discovers the horrors wrought by an English raid on Hawick, part of Grey's larger plans to invade and punish Scotland. Once home, all Wat Scott's anger towards his wife's probable betrayal of the meeting to Culter goes out the window the moment he sets eyes on his newest child. As Dunnett says of Wat earlier in the chapter, he is a "man crammed with sentiment, which account[s] for the peculiar harmlessness of half his explosions." Buccleuch's feelings for his family, especially his children, are deep and vast, making his failure to bring Will back into the family all the more heart wrenching.

The chapter ends with many plans set in motion and many expectations:

• George Douglas expects to trade Will Scott to Grey for an ambassadorship 
• the Lord Protector of England expects better results from Grey than simply harrying Buccleuch
• Grey expects Wharton and Lennox to invade Scotland as he moves towards Edinburgh

But what no one expects is for the little queen to fall mortally ill.

This chapter could be called Betrayals Upon Betrayals:

• Will Scott betrays Lymond by secretly meeting his father.
• Will almost betrays Lymond and his men's location through this meeting.
• Lymond agrees to betray Will Scott.
• George agrees to betray Samuel Harvey.
• Janet betrays Wat Scott.
• Someone betrays the Scott rendezvous to Johnnie Bullo.
• Will thinks his father has betrayed him.
• Richard betrays Wat Scott.
• Johnnie Bullo betrays Will Scott.
• Lymond is accused (again) of betraying his country.

Questions

1. Was Lymond really going to turn Will Scott over to George Douglas in exchange for Samuel Harvey?
2. Just how and when did George Douglas figure out who Lymond is?
3. Do you think George believes the conniving, self-serving Lymond he sees is "the real thing"?
4. Why does Janet Beaton betray her husband's meeting with his son to Richard? 
5. Why does Will refuse to believe his father has not betrayed him (that is, it's not his father's men waiting in ambush)?

Favorite Line

A raffish smile struggled up from the depths of his beard and he covered it with one hand, but the eyes bent on his wife were as soft as a spaniel's.

Words that Describe Lymond in Bitter Exchange

• laconic
• cagey
• cruel
• callous
• self-serving
• deceptive
• disingenuous
• slippery
• concerned
• threatening
• sober
• impeccable
• harsh
• authoritarian
• imperious
• condescending
• genuinely angry
• surprised (twice, once by Will and once by George) 

Part Two. The Play for Gideon Somerville. Chapter II. Discovered Check 1. Diagonal Mating Begins

1. Diagonal Mating Begins

Richard is being a pain again, this time to Mariotta. He isn't injured enough to warrant her care or slow him down (or keep him at home and in her bed). Rather than confide in her mother-in-law, Mariotta turns to the only other readily available woman for advice. Unfortunately for Mariotta, Janet Beaton is about as subtle as an andiron. She thinks Mariotta ought to be grateful that Richard is off doing manly stuff and leaving her alone. This is not the advice Mariotta hopes for.

The Jewelry

To add to Mariotta's woes, two anonymous packets containing expensive jewelry arrive for her. The "arrogance" and "insolence" both of the gifts and the messages convince Mariotta they must be from Lymond (who else?). She fails to show the brooch to Richard and Sybilla, so by the time the bracelet arrives, she is in a corner: the first thing Richard is likely to say to two gifts is, "why didn't you tell me about the first one when it arrived?" Richard is a man of unquestioned probity, and he expects the same from everyone else, especially his wife. Her failure to inform him immediately of an unasked for gift, accompanied as it was by a suggestive note, is beyond unacceptable. It would be for Richard a form of betrayal.

Mariotta's rationale for withholding these facts--she fears it would make matters between Richard and Francis worse--would fall on deaf ears with Richard. Mariotta's failure to inform Richard is not entirely because she is worried about her husband. She continues to be plagued by her memories of Lymond who, you will recall, moved her in a way her husband never had. Mariotta does not handle the situation well. Instead of the direct, honest approach, she wears the jewelry to see if Richard notices. He does not.

It is Janet who seems to draw the connection between the jewelry and Lymond: seeing Mariotta's jewels, Janet instantly recalls the shooting glove dropped at the Papingo shoot, which has "some jewellers' work on the back." Richard failed to follow up on the glove, which Sybilla says remains in a cabinet in Stirling.

The Philosopher's Stone, Part 1

Sybilla has invited Johnnie Bullo to visit her, Mariotta, and Janet at Midculter to discuss the Philosopher's Stone. On the surface, it appears the reason for inviting Johnnie to her home, other than satisfying Sybilla's intense curiosity, is to give her an opportunity to use him as a messenger between her and Lymond.

The Alchemist

Johnnie was not anticipating Janet Beaton's presence and is "not altogether pleased to see her" because she dabbles in magic and medicine, which are his domain. She might be a problem for him because she will undoubtedly question his knowledge and credibility, but he accepts the challenge "without diffidence." That is such a fine way of showing Johnnie's character: can you imagine Johnnie Bullo ever being meek or uncertain?

Johnnie's disquisition works his magic on Janet, who now is eager to engage in creating the stone. Janet, ever practical, focuses on making sure a commercial agreement is worked out on how to handle their profits from the gold while Mariotta is now completely caught up in the mystical aspects of the project. And Sybilla thinks through and plans for all the necessary items required for the project. Johnnie is eager to comply.

The Letter

This section is a challenge to understand because the letter operates on so very many levels.

I admit to puzzling over the opening for quite a while. What is the significance of beginning with the strange phrase "the great Pan is dead"? Lymond expects Christian, a highly educated woman, to know the reference to Plutarch, in which a boatman is exhorted by an anonymous, unseen voice to make the proclamation "the great Pan is dead." Lymond seems to be telling Christian (and Sybilla) that he is the anonymous voice speaking through John Maxwell.

The Great God Pan

Also, Pan is the god of shepherds and flocks: that, I think, is another clue to why this quote is included in the letter. Pan liked to frighten men and animals so he could inspire, yes, "PANic." That reminds us, the readers, of Lymond's use of the horses to create panic in the supply train headed for Hume and, perhaps, imply to Christian and Sybilla an incident in which animals will be used to create havoc. Perhaps they will reflect on this reference when they learn about the cattle raid.

My husband suggested a very plausible reason to start the love letter with this phrase. Pan, the satyr, suggests sexual desire; the double meaning here is that Maxwell cries in woe that his desire for Agnes is thwarted by her betrothal to another while Lymond subtly tells Christian that his desire for her must also "die."

Or perhaps the quotation is just one of the "sly absurdities" that Christian takes note of.

"Mercury's finger," on the other hand, is an excellent and more delineated clue. In palmistry, "the small finger is known as the mercury finger. This is the key to individual’s balance or abuse of power. If the finger is long, the individual is witty, and will have success in business. ... It is a good sign if this finger is straight and long. When pointed, it shows eloquence, tact and diplomacy." Mercury Finger: Palmistry Illustrated Guide

We know Lymond's fingers are long and slender, and I think we can safely assume that his Mercury finger is pointed. I am confident this is a message for Sybilla, who reacts to this one thing in the whole letter. She has already shown her interest in things mystical, and it is not unlikely that she and Francis would have read and discussed the arcane "sciences." Also, the Mercury finger and Mercury in general are associated with communication, and this is something Sybilla and Christian (and Janet) would have known. Lymond is communicating to his mother and Christian through Maxwell's letter. 

Remember: Lymond told Christian he would write to her, and he has, through Maxwell. Christian knows that while the letter itself is for Agnes, the subtext of the letter is directed to her. She receives Lymond's messages, and the flowery language and "sly absurdities" are part of his means of letting her know he is the voice behind the written words. His primary goal seems to be to tell Christian he is making good progress toward achieving his goal of tracking down the man he has been seeking with her help. 

Interestingly, Christian does not ruminate on the "love letter" aspects of Lymond's message, although they surely were clear to her. The "Spanish"* quotation at the end of the letter, included by Lymond to ensure Christian is asked to read the letter, is an unmistakable message to her since she recently heard him sing the song. Here's the full verse in English:

Rose of all roses, and Flower of all flowers,
Lady of all ladies, and Liege of all Lords.
Rose of beauty and truth,
and Flower of joy and of youth;
Lady enthroned in great holiness,
Liege Lord, who bears our sorrows and sins.
This is the Lady I hold as Liege
and of whom I long to be the troubadour,
so that, in this, I may have Her love,
giving myself over all other loves.

*The language is Galician-Portuguese, not Spanish, but none of the ladies (except Christian) seems to know the difference, and she is not telling.

Sybilla makes sure that Agnes answers the letter--with Christian's help--right away; there is no doubt that she sees Francis's fine mind behind the overwrought, almost silly letter. I'm amused that Sybilla says, with her fine sense of irony, "you can never tell a man from his letters." Is that ever true in this case!

***

The Plan

Wat Scott arrives after the ladies have dined. Notice Richard did not eat with them, showing up after they were finished. He really is making himself scarce. Sybilla is unhappy that Wat himself came to get Janet, as evinced by the excellent control of her facial muscles, because she has been trying to keep Richard and Wat apart for Lymond's sake. 

The women now learn from Richard and Wat's conversation about the plan for a cattle raid, supposedly hatched by Maxwell. Richard wants to know if Wat will participate in the raid and he is loathe to answer, so his wife does for him, as if pulling divine intervention from above: "Will you listen to this?" demanded Dame Janet of the ceiling. "The man's lost his tongue..."

The River Tyne (with cattle)

Wat has received the Queen Dowager's permission to pay lip service to the English as long as he shows proof of his Scottish loyalties. Participating in the cattle raid is one such proof, but Wat runs the risk of being spotted by the English, who will then know he's playing them for fools.

John Maxwell gets credit for the cattle raid, an idea planted by Lymond, nurtured by Maxwell, and harvested by the Scottish lairds, which somehow involves Wharton's next border incursion. Remember: George Douglas came up with the idea for Lennox to lead the English raid in the dead of winter and apparently it is going to happen after all. Lymond knew about this planned raid and, at the Ostrich Inn, suggested to Maxwell he attack Lennox and thereby get credit with the Scottish court for stopping another English incursion.

We get a glimpse of just how keen Buccleuch is in his analysis of John Maxwell's precarious situation. Both he and Richard know it is risky to trust Maxwell, given the fact that the Protector (of England) "has him by the short hairs," but they agree they should chance it. Maxwell's love letter to Agnes helps seal the deal because it is evidence that Maxwell really is trying to get into the good graces of the Queen Dowager. It appears from all the evidence that John Maxwell has cast his lot with the Scots and not the English.

The final scene in this part is a hasty private conversation between Janet and Richard in which she lets him know Wat has not changed his mind about hunting Lymond and his men. The most interesting part of the exchange is the one Richard does not hear. Janet knows there is trouble--deep trouble--between Richard and Mariotta, but she is also wise and experienced enough to know from Richard's demeanor not to bring it up now while he is chewing on his obsession with his brother.

Questions

1. Why is Sybilla so keen on having Johnnie Bullo create the Philosopher's Stone?
2. What does Johnnie Bullo hope to achieve from trying to create the Philosopher's Stone when he knows he cannot turn base metal to gold?
3. Why is Richard so cold to Mariotta?
4. When Sybilla suggests Christian help Agnes write her response to Maxwell, do you think Lymond's mother knows he is secretly communicating to Christian as well as her?

Favorite Line

The small panes of the Dowager's window became grey, and then ultramarine, and the hot, scented air fondled and set about itself strange words.

The hot air fondled the strange words...what an amazing image!

Words that Describe Lymond in Discovered Check 1. Diagonal Mating Begins (he does not appear in this section)

• Clever
• Conniving
• Manipulative
• Duplicitous
• Unscrupulous
• Subtle
• Sly

Part One. The Play for Jonathan Crouch. Chapter VII. A Variety of Mating Replies 1. Play with a Rook Proves Dangerous

Stirling Castle

This chapter is filled with challenges, discoveries, mysteries revealed and mysteries concealed. It is also a chapter that perplexes many Dunnett readers, so here we go with part one (in which Lymond does not appear but makes his presence known)...

1. Play with a Rook Proves Dangerous

It is the morning of the Wapenshaw and Sybilla is having her portrait painted in miniature by the roguish goldsmith Patey Liddell. Sybilla had hoped, of course, that this year's Wapenshaw (remember: a count of arms and a troop review that is also an excuse for a fair) might be called off given the defeat at Pinkie Cleugh occurred so recently (September 10, and it is now mid-October). But it was not and so Sybilla chooses this morning to continue sitting for her miniature, surely in part to take her mind off the potential danger to her son (or sons, perhaps) at the papingo shoot. We learn a couple of things during the conversation with Patey. Sybilla is 60 years old; Richard and Patey had occasion recently to meet, but where or why we do not know. 

Once Andrew Hunter and George Douglas show up in the shop, things get more interesting because Dandy confesses the truth to Douglas about what happened to his face. He also asks George if he knows the two names that Black-mask and his men threw out: Gideon Somerville and Samuel Harvey. Douglas says he does not know them, but with George, one must wonder if he is telling the truth. We know Hunter came to fetch the brooch he was having Patey alter, presumably the same one his mother had rejected as vulgar. Sybilla saw the brooch as it was being altered and admired it, so Patey did a good job of transforming the gaudy bauble into something more refined. I assume the alteration includes the removal of Henri and Diane's initials. I wonder if Sybilla saw the brooch before or after the initials came off? 

***

The scene abruptly shifts to a conversation later that day with Christian and Richard in which Sybilla reveals that the story Dandy Hunter had told them about how he sustained his injuries was untrue. She also learns from Richard that Hunter did not get the money for the brooch from ransoming an English prisoner, so how he paid for it and its alteration remains a mystery.

Richard, remember, overheard Dandy and George arranging for Hunter to take Crouch from Douglas (Ch. IV) to exchange for his cousin being held by the English. (George Douglas does get around, doesn't he?). Sybilla is openly skeptical of the "favorite cousin" story. 

She is also worried about Richard, who has barely spent any time with Mariotta for weeks and who somehow has completed the tasks she had surreptitiously planned to keep him busy -- and away from the Wapenshaw. Using her most imperious style and a substantial quantity of alcohol, Sybilla almost succeeds in keeping Richard (and Wat Scott) away from the papingo shoot until the ubiquitous Dandy Hunter shows up to insist Richard must compete because, well, because everyone expects it. And Richard is not about to avoid the shoot because to do so would make him look the coward, something Richard would never do.

Notice "the briefest possible" look that passes between Buccleuch and Andrew Hunter. This is Dunnett letting us in on the fact that Dandy and Wat Scott conspired to have Wat go get Richard for the papingo shoot, probably because Wat is a very close friend of the Crawfords. Dandy only shows up at Bogle House when Wat fails to appear with Richard.

And Christian once again shows herself as both perspicacious and direct by her comment that "the crowd" is eager for the entertainment of a bloody assassination, not a parrot shoot.

By the way, Sybilla again mentions that Lymond is "at the horn." This is a peculiarly Scottish tradition. Letters of horning were issued denouncing a person as a rebel. They were traditionally announced with three blasts of a horn; thus, the person was said to be "at the horn."

***

We are again treated to the special charm of Agnes Herries, who says too much and says it too loudly. Unaware of the challenge Lymond made to Richard (and all the attendant intrigue), Agnes expounds on the shoot with vigor, undoubtedly to Mariotta and Tom's extreme discomfort.

The Papingo "winking blue and yellow"

Tom Erskine has drawn the unhappy duty of escorting Agnes and Mariotta to the Wapenshaw. As Mariotta's escort, he acutely feels the embarrassment of Richard's absence and the potential danger to Culter. The whole mess with Lymond has become fodder for public gossip and humor, largely at Richard's expense, and Tom, being the thoroughly decent chap he is, intensely dislikes the whole ugly turn of events. Tom is relieved when Andrew Hunter shows up, jovially explaining why he isn't joining the parrot shoot: no bow and "I'm a fool at perch shooting." The parrot is hoisted high on a crossbar at the top of a tall pole, so the shot must be made at a very sharp, almost vertical, angle.

Tom takes off on an errand in town, leaving Mariotta and Agnes in Dandy's care. Mariotta is suddenly in a much better mood and even Agnes seems to have quieted down for the moment. Dunnett's description of the crowd is masterful and her comparison of protocol to a fancy jelly is priceless. One particularly interesting member of the crowd that Mariotta sees is "the one-eyed man who had called at Bogle House selling fumigating pans." Is this important? Who might he be? 

Regarding the Culter motto: I am just going to tell you what the Companion, vol. 1 says because this is an old and unsolvable controversy. It means something like:

“Despite the (misleading) evidence of ours lives, we die honest” or 

“We die honest, despite Life’s efforts to thwart us.”

Both impart the idea of overcoming life's travails not to gain worldly glory and success but to "die honest." An interesting motto, and worth watching to see if it is relevant for the Culter family.

***

Tom Erskine rushes off to look for his "loved one" Christian, who will soon leave Bogle House to resume her duties at Boghall. Tom is unaware that Richard is going to compete in the papingo shoot or he would not have left the Wapenshaw, but Christian persuades him to escort her and Sybilla around the fair until the shoot is over. Sybilla isn't "tolling the passing bell" (to announce a death) but she is understandably anxious. Tom is shocked by Christian's reaction when he says she seems as upset as Sybilla. Christian's remarks about the Culters and Tom are revealing: she loves and reveres Sybilla; she likes Mariotta and admires her spirit. Notice she does not mention Richard -- or Francis. But she does make a scathing remark about Tom, referring to his penchant for games and horses rather than serious pursuits. 

Also, Christian's comments about her closeness to Sybilla make Christian's absence from the welcoming party for Mariotta all the more perplexing. Theirs seems a friendship of longstanding.

The scene with Sybilla buying out the fair is hilarious (Dunnett-style humor in the midst of a deadly serious business), especially the bit about the leaky ox feet (yuck). Also notice that Sybilla throws out quotations in a fashion similar to Lymond's: erudite, pointed, and often over people's heads (Tom isn't sure if she is making fun of him with the quote about music making men effeminate).

The gypsies who performed at Midculter in August (when Lymond robs the guests and sets fire to the hall) are also at the fair offering a variety of entertainments, including fortune telling. Christian recognizes the voice of the gypsy who takes her by the arm: Johnnie Bullo, Lymond's go-between. He must have a message for Christian, but she is unable to get away from Tom and Sybilla to hear it.

As the trio are heading home, they are met by Dandy Hunter, who is not with Mariotta and Agnes. Sybilla instantly senses something is wrong.

***

The next scene is set before the end of the previous one in which the Dowager Culter proclaims something is wrong.

Most of the first part of this section is devoted to a rather long and involved discussion of marriage, first by Agnes and then joined by Dandy and Mariotta. Recall the chapter title: "a variety of mating replies," which has the delightfully ambiguous meaning of marriage and a chess game. It is fascinating if a bit odd to have this discussion during the papingo shoot. It is also fascinating to listen to 13-year-old Agnes Herries' remarkably astute analysis of the arranged marriage game, of which she wants no part. Agnes may be loud and indiscreet but she is quick and bright. The start of the shoot shuts her up momentarily.

Who could help loving the swearing parrot with the Aberdeen accent?

Of course Dandy Hunter cannot control his mouth any more than Agnes can as he starts speculating about where Lymond will shoot from. He seems terribly eager to see if he can find Lymond and stop him, perhaps to impress Mariotta? Mariotta will have none of it.

Agnes starts up her complaints against forced marriages again, making a number of cogent observations. She doesn't see the point in getting married unless you get something you don't have, presumably to include lovers, which she concludes in her matter-of-fact style one could get nine times out of ten without marriage. 

What do we learn about Dandy Hunter and Mariotta's attitudes towards marriage (their "mating replies")? He still believes in a romantic notion of marriage (a man who puts his wife before business or politics), but he is too keenly aware of the enormous financial and emotional burden ("claims and duties" of friends and family -- his mother). He wants Agnes (and Mariotta) to understand that men just as much as women are often forced to marry where they must instead of where they will. And Mariotta's opinions? They are few and rather trite. She is keeping her own council on the subject. What must Mariotta be thinking after the unauspicious start to her own marriage?

Dandy uses the excitement over Menteith's attempts to hit the parrot as an opportunity to slip away without Mariotta noticing it. 

Richard steps up to shoot and confusion reigns. There are four arrows, not three:

1. Richard's arrow (shot vertically from below the pole) is aimed at the parrot.
2. The second arrow (shot from "the farthest suburbs of the crowd") hits the crossbar and frees the bird.
3. The third arrow (called the second arrow by Dunnett) hits the parrot in flight.
4. The fourth arrow (called the third arrow by Dunnett) hits Richard.

There is a lot of speculation as to why Dunnett does not count the arrow loosed by Richard, but I assume she is only counting the "extra, unscheduled" arrows, not that she is purposely misleading us. But that is a possibility. We do not know exactly where the third and fourth arrows come from, but the third seems to come from the same direction as the second. All we know about the fourth arrow, which hits Richard, is that it could not have been shot from below because it "arched in the air, a gleaming parabola."

After the third arrow (which kills the parrot) but before the fourth (which hits Richard) Dandy rushes up to higher ground, presumably to where Lymond is hiding and shooting. The fourth and last arrow fells Lord Culter. 

Now we are back to the point in time when Sybilla, Tom, and Christian encounter Andrew Hunter and Sybilla says "something's wrong."

Questions

1. Why is George Douglas at Patey Liddell's shop? 
2. What does Richard mean when he says to his mother he'll teach her the "proper meaning of Moral Philosophy"?
3. Why won't Mariotta let Andrew Hunter try to find Lymond and stop him? Is it only because she doesn't want him to risk his life to save Richard? 
4. Why does Sybilla invite the gypsies to perform at Bogle House? Is it purely for entertainment or could she have an ulterior motive?
5. Andrew Hunter wanted to find Lymond and stop him, but we see him soon after the last arrow hits Richard. If he were searching for Francis Crawford, why did he give up when he seemed so close?

Favorite Line

"Reduced, singlehanded, to coping with so much potential gunpowder, he felt himself, like the bird which cleans crocodiles' teeth, assailed by hideous doubts."

Words that Describe Lymond in A Variety of Mating Replies 1. Play with a Rook Proves Dangerous

• dangerous 
• crafty
• possibly a shirker (but proven not to be)
• reliable (he shows up at the papingo shoot as promised)
• treacherous
• murderous
• vindictive
• expert archer
• elusive
• very dangerous

Part One. The Play for Jonathan Crouch. Chapter IV. Several Moves by a Knight

Who is missing from this chapter? Lymond. He does not appear at all, and he is only briefly, but tantalizingly, discussed.

1. Mishap to a Queening Pawn

The chapter begins the day after Christian and Francis meet on the banks of the Lake of Menteith. Dunnett's sardonic humor in drawing the comparison between the Crawford brother is exquisite:

"Lord Culter was also taking aquatic exercise..."

We learn that Culter has been very busy leading his men to unexpected successes against the English near the border. His style could not be more different from Lymond's. Richard's leadership is remote and laconic, not words anyone would ascribe to Lymond. However, Richard's style is highly effective. He not only successfully harries the English troops under Wharton as they turn tail towards England, he also shows himself an accomplished diplomat who is remarkably effective at convincing these nineteen hundred Scots near the border either to withhold or reduce their support to the English. 

Richard may not be a flamboyant or passionate leader, but he should not be underestimated. In fact, compare Richard's successes to what Lymond has thus far done. Lymond has:

• broken into Mungo Tennant's house and robbed him;
• robbed his family and guests at Midculter;
• set Midculter on fire;
• sneaked into Annan, attacked Henry Wharton, stolen Lord Wharton's money;
• attacked Richard and his men outside Annan.

In short, Lymond's activities are at best questionable, and all seem small and self-serving, while his older brother's are significant military and political successes against Scotland's enemy. Who's the hero here?

Certainly the answer to at least one person is Richard. Enter a new and refreshing character in the person of 13-year-old Agnes Herries. Yes, Agnes is a historical personage. I only hope she was like the Agnes Dunnett created! Agnes is wrapped up in her fantastical world of troubadours and knights in shining armor...or no armor at all. Agnes is like a 16th century female Walter Mitty. She is in love with being in love, and her very active imagination fills in the blanks and turns all the dull grays of her world into bright and vivid colors. 

Agnes, in short, is a lot of fun. She has not let the fact that she is awkward and loud and not at all pretty spoil her enjoyment of life one little bit. She "has her own resources," which she calls on at will. Her protean imagination uses whatever raw material is at hand, whether the "prosaic back" of the unsmiling Lord Culter or the twinkling eyes of Dandy Hunter. Her hero conveniently shifts with the changing scene.

Lord Culter is painstakingly oblivious to Lady Herries's girlish infatuations and daydreams. Imagine Lymond were in his place. It is inconceivable that he would not have been sharply attuned to Agnes's mood and fantasies. Surely he would have relished playing the role of knight, troubadour, and hero. Francis Crawford has many failings, but indifference and abstruseness towards women of all ages is not one of them.

The River Nith looking bucolic

I wonder if Agnes notices that the real hero of the moment may not smile but indeed has a rare dark sense of humor. It takes a remarkably prepossessing wit to say, immediately upon saving his charge from a swirling death by drowning, "My God, we need practice at that. Shall we do it again?" 

Thinking back to the chapter's epigraph, Richard embodies all the best qualities of a knight: he is wise, liberal, true, strong and full of mercy and pity...and sometimes his art, craft, and energy is worth more than strength or hardiness. Lord Culter, in short, shows he is everything Lady Herries dreams of--and everything Lymond appears not to be.

2 A Knight Wins an Exchange

After the disaster at the Nith, Lord Culter, Lady Herries, Andrew Hunter, and Culter's men end up at James Douglas's "overornate" estate instead of Hunter's "exhausted" one. The point of Richard's heroism is driven home by the fact that he single-handedly saved Agnes because his own men were upstream and Dandy had ridden on ahead (without making sure Richard and Agnes had safely crossed the river). 

Not surprisingly, the house is full of Douglases, most interestingly, the splendid George Douglas. Dandy takes this opportunity to ask George if he would be willing to exchange his prisoner, Jonathan Crouch, for one of Hunter's cousins (a "favorite" of his mother). Remember in the last chapter Tom Erskine told Dandy that George Douglas had been in Stirling but had left for Drumlanrig, so Hunter knew where to find George and seemed eager to do so. Now we know why. Dandy also seems overly eager to get his hands on Crouch and make the exchange happen.

At the end of the section, Richard Crawford's singular, droll sense of humor is again on exhibit in his response to the wily, astute George Douglas, who knows Richard has indeed heard his conversation with Hunter. George may be a half-tamed leopard, but Richard is a disciplined thoroughbred.

The following morning's breakfast finds Agnes fully recovered and eager to resume her adventure with her oblivious hero. Richard and Dandy both seem to enjoy teasing Agnes with the prospect of the papingo and the fair, but there is a strong undercurrent of danger as well. Hunter is again the one to bring up the threat Lymond poses to his brother at the papingo shoot, quite probably to gauge Richard's response: "Hot water under cold ice." Passion well disguised and hidden under the Baron Culter's "remote, laconic" exterior. 

And now, in the chapter's last scene, we are privy to a delectable conversation between three Douglases, brothers Archie and George and their brother-in-law James (who is also a Douglas). The most important disclosure is that the Douglases in general and George most particularly are playing a very, very dangerous double game. They are trying to work both the English and the Scots, giving each side just enough to keep them satisfied but not enough to disclose their duplicity. I can imagine how difficult and stressful it must have been to walk this tightrope at a time when one slip could topple one's home and one's head.

Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus

Archie, George's not-so-subtle elder brother, makes a vicious comment about Richard Crawford's effectiveness in influencing the border families. George's remark about Lymond's "intelligence system" is also telling. George Douglas no doubt has one of the best intelligence networks in the border region, so the fact that he is impressed by Lymond's is something indeed. Just as he did with Will Scott, George sees Lymond as a kindred spirit (a mercenary out for himself alone), and wants very much to use Francis Crawford's formidable talents to his own advantage. 

But George knows he is missing some important puzzle pieces. For example, as connected as George Douglas is, he does not know the back story about Lymond, Lennox, and Margaret Douglas. And does he ever want to find out! It could very well give him leverage not only with Lymond but also with members of his own family.

Thanks to George we finally learn why the English left Scotland. The Protector only had food for his troops for a month, planning, as always to rely upon the border Scots to replenish his food stores. That did not happen, first, because George Douglas made sure his family held back supplies from the English and, second, because of the effectiveness  of Lord Culter in persuading the border lairds not to help the English this time. In short, without the aid and comfort of the Scottish border landowners, the English could not sustain their offensive.

Billhooks

George thinks he has it all figured out: with winter coming, no military action is going to take place, so for the moment everything is frozen in place. George again displays his conniving, self-serving cynicism with his suggestion that Archie wait for really bad weather to set in and then suggest Lennox come north with his troops, knowing it won't happen. But simply suggesting the invasion will put the Douglases once again in the good graces of the English.

The chapter ends with some of George Douglas's most memorable lines, showing just how clever and devilishly witty he is. One important thing to remember: Lord Grey of Wilton now commands Berwick and is still recovering from an injury. He was injured in the mouth by a billhook (a curved blade at the end of a polearm weapon), and it has affected his speech rather profoundly. 


Questions to Ponder

1. Why does Andrew Hunter want Crouch in particular when any English prisoner would do in exchange for his cousin?
2. How does Hunter know George Douglas has Crouch as his prisoner? We know Dandy was in Annan (he mentions it in this chapter and the preceding one) but we do not know how he learned who was holding Crouch. 
3. Why isn't Hunter surprised to discover Lord Culter's "hot water under cold ice"?
4. Why is Richard determined to compete in the papingo shoot?

Favorite Line

George Douglas says Lord Grey is "...a clammy, stiff-backed old pike. The billhook, I'll bargain, came out lichened over."

Words that Describe Lymond in Several Moves by a Knight (even though he does not appear)

• treacherous
• duplicitous
• slippery
• well-informed
• mysterious