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.Hildegard smiled.No unpleasant scenes of torture or spiritual suffering for Roger’s young wife.Danby placed the drawing on the trestle.The details had not been filled in and the face of the Virgin was a mere oval.He spread the others out one by one.Some were plainly bordered patterns, stylised oak leaves, a few shields, interlaced flowers and two figures which must surely be the donors.Roger was recognisable from the rich garments he was wearing, his broad shoulders, horse-rider’s legs, Norman beard exactly replicating their model.Ulf stayed the master’s hand for a moment.“Whose work is this?”Master Danby gestured towards Gilbert.“That young devil’s,” he said.Ulf was grinning.“A most wicked likeness, brother!”Gilbert stared humbly at the floor.The figure representing Melisen was a rough outline of a woman with long hair, and it was this that the two men began to discuss.“He’ll draw her from the life, of course,” said Danby.“It’s what she’s asked for.But be sure to tell Lord Roger that I’m only doing as requested.It’s not my preference.That’s not coming into it.”“You won’t take the blame for anything.Don’t worry on that score.Otherwise, no problems?”The master chuckled.“None whatsoever.Tell him I’m honoured by his choice.”Ulf replaced the sketches on the trestle.“I don’t know whether you know this, but you should.” He lowered his voice.“Your brother asked for a cut of the action.He even sent somebody to the Hutton stand we’re erecting to plead his case.”“He did what?” The master looked put out.“That was somewhat forward of him.”“I told Lord Roger so.He said he’d prefer the organ grinder to the fool.”“I’ll not pass that comment on,” replied Danby with a rueful smile.“Baldwin’s working away a lot, somewhere over in the West Riding, and maybe he’s hoping to spend more time back home.He wouldn’t mean anything spiteful by trying to muscle in, I’m sure.” Despite his defence of his brother he was clearly upset.His wife looked on without comment.The apprentice continued to pound the shards of glass into powder with a faraway expression on his face.“Whatever the case,” Ulf continued, “my lord is very well pleased with what he’s seen of your work so far.” He raised his stoup and clashed it with that of his host.Danby, smiling, looked, even so, somewhat wounded by his brother’s apparent disloyalty.* * *Hildegard left when Ulf did and they came to a stop on the corner of the street before parting.“That journeyman really has a skill out of the ordinary,” she commented.“Danby’s a lucky man.”“He is.Gilbert would be setting up on his own but for the fact that he’s a foreigner.He’ll find it difficult here, even with his master’s support.”“Where’s he from?”“Some way down south, midlands somewhere.He appeared six months ago.” He gave her a sidelong glance.“Oh,” she replied, taking in the possible implication that Gilbert had been outlawed in another shire.“Yes,” he confirmed.“No doubt Danby suspects what he’s taken on as well.”“I believe the master’s a man who runs his life according to where his heart leads him,” she observed.The burden of having to admit to what had happened at Deepdale made her attempt at a smile falter.Ulf, aware of every nuance of her expression, bent his head.“There’s something wrong?”It was then, omitting nothing, she told him about the destruction of the grange.He was enraged by the time she finished.“Why didn’t you tell me straightaway?”“You were at the workshop on business.I’m telling you now.”“So who the hell were they?” He ran a hand through his hair in bewilderment.And so she told him about the poisoned gift of two runaways the prioress had sent from Swyne.He smiled wryly at that description but was clearly furious by what had happened.“You might have been slaughtered.” He gripped her by the forearm and seemed too overcome to say much more.“I sent a messenger to Roger at Castle Hutton,” she told him.“He’ll have a wasted journey then.Roger’s already left.He and Lady Melisen are establishing themselves for the duration of the feast at a place called Naburn Manor a few miles downriver.I’ll let Roger know what’s been going on when I get back there later today.He’s going to be incandescent.”She told him everything she knew, both what Maud had told her and what she had observed herself during the attack.“Their horses were good ones.He was most likely a knight, the other two his henchmen [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]