The Lion of Galloway: A Historical Novel of Scotland (Archibald the Grim Series Book 4) by Tomlin J R

Author:Tomlin, J R
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albannach Publishing
Published: 2023-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

June 1360, Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

June 1360

One of the serjeants brought me word that a large entourage of monks befitting an important churchman was approaching up the steep road to the castle from Edinburgh. I brushed the wrinkles in my surcoat from bending over the tax accounts, though I had taken nothing of them in except that there was not enough money. When I rubbed my cheek, I wondered how long it had been since I shaved. It had not seemed to matter any more than the food I pushed away at the table. But I could not greet guests to the castle looking so.

I shaved, nicking my cheek and cursing as I blotted the blood. When I looked at the red splotch, my stomach heaved. The towel with the scarlet splotch could have been the linen in the bed where Cateline had lain. I had sent the bed, the mattress and all the coverings soaked with her blood to be burnt. I spat out the sour bile out of my mouth, scrubbed my cheek hard to get rid of the blood, and dressed in fresh doublet and hose to meet the monks.

The white-clad Cistercians reminded me of a flock of gulls, most of them mounted on mules but the abbot on a fine brown palfrey. The blue banner with gold fleur-de-lis fluttered overhead.

I bent a knee as William de St. Andrews, Abbot of Melrose Abbey, dismounted. He gave me his blessing as the stable boys scurried to take the mounts. We entered the keep on the importance of his mission to consult with Bishop de Landallis, who would leave within the week for Avignon. The King would be eager to hear what had been said about the vital mission of finance to the pope, as would I, so I begged the abbot to refresh himself in our best guest chamber and join the King to bless and partake in a fine dinner in two hours.

After a page led him away, I sent a squire running to summon Cateline's brothers and sister to perform for our guests. They would be well rewarded. Another went to tell the seneschal we had an important guest, so the dinner should be the best that could be managed on such short notice. It would be foolish not to extend every courtesy to the head of such an influential abbey. The abbot was angry with the Earl of Douglas, and we needed to keep him on our side. King David had kept his head low while he did everything possible to gather knights and nobles to his side. The one thing the nobles who had attacked him could not do was grant titles.

If the abbot objected to dining with the king's leman at the high table, he was diplomatic enough not to say so. Joanna de Moravia sat next to Katherine. She was, if not Katherine's lady-in-waiting, then her constant companion. The Earl of Angus, sitting beside Will and Isabella, talked of preparing to leave for Edinburgh for a short time to go to his own lands.

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.