Conspiracy by S J Parris

Author:S J Parris [Parris, S J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, Mystery & Detective, General, Thrillers, History, Modern, 16th Century
ISBN: 9780007481262
Google: TU6dBAAAQBAJ
Amazon: 0385680015
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: 2016-04-11T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

I was led through the Grande Salle and along a series of corridors, some of which seemed familiar in the way of landscapes in dreams. At the top of a handsome marble staircase we traversed a receiving room papered in violent green; the dwarf pressed onwards into a long, oak-panelled gallery set with window seats at intervals and lined with glass-fronted cabinets of curiosities: Venetian crystal, fine as spun sugar; shelves of polished rocks and minerals; porcelain from Delft, glazed in cornflower-blue; small stuffed rodents posed in tableaux and wearing tiny, hand-sewn clothes; china dolls in elaborate costumes, and one case devoted to the display of reliquaries and minute silver-cased prayer books. In the centre of the gallery stood a large Florentine mosaic table bearing an armillary sphere in brass and silver. Every inch of space on the walls above the cabinets was occupied by portraits of Valois ancestors, creating the air of a family shrine; the King’s father, Henri II, cast a baleful gaze over the room from his canvas in prime position over the fireplace.

The gallery ended in painted double doors; at the dwarf’s knock they were opened to reveal one of the strangest chambers I had ever seen. A reception room of generous proportions, though the sheer quantity of furnishings and clutter which filled it contrived to make the space feel crowded. Tall windows on three sides pointed up to high ceilings, where seven stuffed crocodiles hung in formation by silver chains. A fire roared and crackled in the hearth. On the far wall, opposite the doors, hung a vast portrait of Catherine de Medici as a young queen, her face even then severe and unsmiling. Beneath it, on a raised platform covered by a woven Turkish carpet, the original sat bolt upright in a high-backed chair wearing an identical expression; some of the nymphs from the masque had arranged themselves at her feet, still in their flimsy costumes. Gabrielle was not among them. I was relieved to see there was no sign of Ruggieri either.

The dwarf bowed and swept an arm towards me; I heard the doors shut behind us and the guards step away to either side, leaving me standing before Catherine, my gaze fixed firmly on my boots. When I dared to raise my head I encountered her black eyes boring into me, fierce as a raptor. She was not a physically imposing woman – she was almost as broad as she was tall – but the force of her presence could unnerve a strong man. I understood why Henri had said Guise quaked before her like a child caught stealing sweetmeats.

‘Here is a face I hoped never to see again,’ she announced, in French, for the benefit of her entourage. She had a voice made for speaking over men in halls and council chambers, and age had not weakened it. ‘Our little Neapolitan heretic,’ she continued, leaning forward and clutching the carved arms of her chair. ‘I suppose my son smuggled you in with the players, or some such ploy?’

I hesitated.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.