Prince - John Shakespeare 03 - by Rory Clements

Author:Rory Clements
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: John Murray
Published: 2011-05-11T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

THE VIDAME DE Chartres cut an elegant and rather unlikely figure as he reined in his horse in the neat courtyard outside the Vespers bawdy-house in the old convent of St Mary at Clerkenwell. A lantern burned outside the door. He could have brought an escort from the French embassy, where his father held sway; instead he came alone.

He dismounted, tethered his horse and pushed through the unlocked door into the spacious, well-draped and brightly lit interior.

For a moment he stood in the entrance hall taking in his surroundings. He wore no hat and his head was tilted back as he looked about him, his long dark hair swinging as though it had a life of its own. He stood with his shoulders back, a proud man, pleased with himself, afraid of no one. His doublet of sunflower yellow was exceedingly tight, accentuating his slender, muscled body. He enjoyed beauty, a pleasure that extended to his own appearance.

A woman appeared and smiled at him. ‘How may we help you, kind sir?’

‘I am looking for –’ he was about to say Monique, but quickly corrected himself – ‘Lucy.’

‘Shall I say who wants her?’

‘Prégent. Prégent de la Fin.’

‘Wait here, master.’

‘No. Take me to her.’

‘I think she is with someone, sir.’

‘I care not.’ He took the young woman’s upper arm in a firm grip. ‘Come, mam’selle, take me to her.’

‘Please, sir, I cannot. She will not allow it. You are hurting me, master.’

The vidame released her. ‘Well, I shall find her myself.’ He strode forward into the great hall and looked about him. Without hesitation, he climbed the stairs.

The unfortunate whore trailed in his wake. ‘Sir, it cannot be seemly to barge in on a lady. She may be—’

‘This door?’ The vidame pushed open a door and peered in. A man knelt over the end of the bed so that his naked arse was exposed. A woman, also naked, was just behind him clutching something that looked very like a parsnip or carrot. The naked man turned at the creak of the door. His eyes met the vidame’s in horror and astonishment and he began scrabbling away to cover himself. The vidame laughed and moved on to the next room.

He was about to go in when the whore who followed him put her hands together in supplication. ‘Sir, please not that chamber,’ she begged.

‘Where then?

‘Along the way. The great chamber.’

‘Very well. You may go, mam’selle. I will not need your assistance.’

He strode to the door indicated and walked straight in. Lucy was stretched out naked, eyes closed. Beside her was a short, fat man with a hairy back. The vidame approached the bed and hauled him up. The man protested volubly, but the vidame ignored him. With little ado, he threw him from the room, tossing a selection of garments after him, and kicked the door shut. He then turned back and stared at Lucy.

Her eyes were open now, shining. She sat up in bed, reclining against a bank of pillows beneath the four-posted canopy, glaring at him.

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