Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles (77 page)

"Because you were stinking, and drunk, and repulsive to me!" she
said.

He let out a cry like a wounded animal.

"I shall never be your wife nor lie with you nor rest content till I
give you as wounded a heart as I have now!" She turned to Jean. "I
beg you, go see what has happened, where they have taken him."

Jean ventured out and returned within a few minutes.

"It is as they said, Madam. Riccio is indeed dead, stabbed all over,
and with his" she nodded to Darnley "dagger left in him. They flung
his corpse down the grand staircase, where it landed on his very own
trunk, the trunk he himself brought from Italy. Then the night porter
stripped him. He lies there, naked and bruised and covered in blood.
The porter counted fifty-six wounds on his body."

Mary felt hot tears trickling down her cheeks, and a knot in her throat
so she could scarcely breathe. "No more tears," she whispered. "I
will think upon revenge."

Ruthven suddenly appeared in the doorway, sagging and wheezing. He
dragged himself to a chair and, with scrabbling fingers, hunted for a
cup and a wine flagon among the scattered vessels. His sleeves were
bloody, and his hands smeared with red.

"So this is your infirmity," said Mary coldly.

A great noise arose in the courtyard, and the Earl of Morton came
panting in. "There's fighting out there between my men and the palace
servants, led by Bothwell and Huntly." He sounded mildly annoyed, like
a man who has had an extra errand forced on him.

"I'll go!" said Darnley eagerly.

"Nay, I'll go. You stay here," said Ruthven, rising to his feet.

"There's almost two hundred of us," said Morton. "And the gates are
locked. But if the townspeople "

"We'll placate them," said the pistol-wielding henchmen of Ruthven, who
had reappeared at the door, like cats returning from a kill licking
their whiskers. One of them, Andrew Kerr of Eawdonside, waved his gun
like a bouquet of flowers.

Morton the Lord Chancellor of Scotland a common murderer. Mary glared
at him, at his smug face and neat black attire. One of the original
Lords of the Congregation. One of Knox's men.

"Why have you done this?" she asked. "Did you mean to kill me, too?
To what end? Who would rule instead? Elizabeth? My Lord Darnley? No
one kills for an empty throne."

"Be silent, Madam!" said Morton. Why was this woman interrogating
him? She was supposed to be in shock, miscarrying, or reduced to
quivering silence. He clapped his hand on his sword and rushed outside
to command his forces.

Mary went to the window and watched as the Douglas men, expert
fighters, gave no quarter to the small band of Bothwell's retainers and
those of the new Earl of Huntly, allied with her serving men and
kitchen workers armed with spits, cleavers, and mallets. They were
driven back, as the Earl of Morton joined the Douglases and gave them
heart. His bright red hair peeked out from under his helmet, making
him easily visible.

"So," she finally said to Darnley, "you win. What is it you want? You
must want it badly, to murder and cause such mayhem."

"The Crown Matrimonial," he said without hesitation.

"Do you not realize that such an insurrection weakens the crown? It
gives nobles the idea that they can threaten kings and queens with
death and make and unmake them at will."

"You would not have given it to me otherwise."

"So you turn her subjects against your own wife? And you wonder that I
do not love you."

I hate him, she thought. He has betrayed me and was even willing to
have me murdered. He wants the Crown Matrimonial. Perhaps that is all
he ever wanted, perhaps that is the only reason he sought me, married
me

The pain was so great it felt like a labour pain.

No more of that, no grieving, not for something that never was, she
told herself. They mean to depose me in some manner, rule for me.
Darnley will be their figurehead. He is weak, and they can use him.
After my child is born, they will set him up as King and depose Damley
in turn. I must escape from them. I must escape.

Darnley still loves me. They mean to use his weakness, but I can use
it better.

"Ah, if only we could be happy again," she said as if to herself.

He heard it and leaned over to her, gingerly putting his hands on her
shoulders. She did not flinch or pull away, but seemed to lean toward
him. Or was it his imagination?

"I would give anything," he said, "if "

Just then a mob of Edinburgh citizens, led by the Provost, stormed the
palace gates, yelling and threatening to invade the palace itself.
Flaring torches indicated the size of the crowd: it was at least five
hundred. They had heard of a tumult, they shouted, an attack on the
Queen's person. Let her show herself and tell them the truth.

The alarm bell of the city was ringing loudly.

Rescue! Mary jumped up and flung open the window, but Kerr pulled her
forcibly back and, caress sing his dagger, said, "If you utter one
word, I shall cut you in little pieces and feed you to the carrion
crows."

Damley looked on helplessly as Kerr nodded to him and shoved him toward
the open window. "Get rid of them!"

The pitiful coward! Was he made of blancmange? No wonder his
complexion was so creamy! She hated the cheeks she once had marvelled
over.

"Good citizens!" he cried. "Thank you for your loyalty and concern!
But there is no need for alarm! The Queen is quite well, safe, and
resting. The Italian secretary is dead, punished for having been
discovered to be a Papist spy in an intrigue with the King of Spain.
Thus perish all the Queen's, and Scotland's, enemies!" His voice rose
gleefully.

The people, reassured, turned away and began trudging back up the
Canongate, their staves and pitchforks and pikes lowered.

"Well spoken," said Kerr. "Of course they would believe their King.
They will learn to trust and obey you, Your Majesty."

With Kerr here I can do nothing, Mary thought. She turned a beseeching
and submissive look toward Damley.

I can do nothing until we are alone, she thought. I must get him
alone!

She sank back into the chair and allowed herself to slump. Kerr turned
and looked at her.

Even my slightest movement is noticed, she thought.

Silence had fallen in the courtyard outside. Silence reigned in her
quarters. Where had everyone gone?

"Mary? Mary Beaton?" she called.

"All gone." George Douglas stood in the doorway, his thick arms braced
against each doorpost, as if he would tumble them down, like Samson in
the temple. His hands were dark with blood. "They are how shall I put
it? dismissed, Your Majesty." He managed to make the title sound like
an insult. "And we" he nodded to Darnley and Kerr "think it best you
should retire now. After all, it is late."

"Not so late, to have accomplished so much," said Mary. "It was seven
o'clock when we sat down at the supper table. And it is now "

"Half past nine," said Darnley.

"Only two and a half hours. And half past nine is yet early."

"For you, yes!" said Darnley. "For you are were wont to stay up until
two with Signer Davie!"

"Riccio is already abed, fast asleep," sneered Douglas. "His slumbers
cannot be interrupted. And now we deem it proper that you should
retire also."

"Where are my women? I must needs have attendants."

"They are detained."

"Is there no one to keep me company on this foul night?" she cried.
"My husband "

"Nay, not your husband," said Douglas firmly. "We have need of him.
There is much to discuss."

"Pray do not leave me alone in this chamber, here " She stood up and
pointed to the places on the floor where blackening globs of blood lay
like scabs. "Have mercy!" She commanded her voice to tremble
piteously, and it obeyed, when all the while anger was raging in her
veins.

"There is one, perhaps, available," ventured Damley. "Old lady Huntly,
dowager of the Earl."

Douglas raised his eyebrows. "Clever. Very clever. Yes, the old
lady, made a widow by the Queen. She can be trusted. Go find her."

He orders the "King" about like a servant. And indeed, he will soon be
their servant, thought Mary.

She waited, while Darnley left the chambers. She became aware of a
dull pain that came and went within her abdomen.

O Blessed Mother, do not let me lose the child! It is too early yet;
he cannot survive.

The pains rose and then subsided by the time Darnley returned with Lady
Huntly.

"Your servant, Your Majesty," she said, bowing. She looked nervously
about the room, smoothing her skirts. The disarray, the blood, was
everywhere.

"Put the Queen to bed," Douglas ordered. "Permit no one to enter or
leave. If anything untoward happens, I shall be stationed just
outside, on the landing of the great staircase. Come!" he motioned to
Darnley. They left the chamber, Darnley casting one backward look.

As soon as the doors were closed and a moment or two of silence had
followed, Lady Huntly whispered, "What has happened?"

"My secretary Riccio has been slain, and in my presence, by an armed
faction of lords. But there is more to it than that. It has to do
with the exiled lords, with the coming censure of them in Parliament,
with the King's ambition, with even a threat to the throne and my own
life. I do not understand all the threads of it yet, but in time the
pattern will emerge and clarify itself. I only know that they
threatened my very life, and only God saved me tonight."

"Holy Mother of God," said Lady Huntly, crossing herself.

Mary's pain stirred itself again.

"I must rest," said Mary. "Perhaps it is best that I lie down." She
started to stand up, but felt dizzy.

"Stay seated, Your Majesty," said Lady Huntly. She knelt and removed
Mary's shoes, then came behind her and unbuttoned her gown. "Raise
your arms," she said, and slid the dress off. As she took it to the
little wardrobe room, Mary saw the spray of blood across the yellow
satin.

Lady Huntly found the chest where the sleeping attire was stored, and
brought out a pearl grey woollen garment. Mary stood up, suddenly
feeling tremulous, and retired behind the screen, where with clumsy
fingers and heavy hands she removed her underclothes and put on the
gown.

Lady Huntly was waiting for her on the other side, and with a gentle
touch she guided Mary toward the bed. She had already turned the
covers back.

"You an earl's wife, a great lady how do you know how to perform these
duties?"

"I am a woman, Your Majesty, and you are a woman in distress and with
child. One does not need training. Now, where is your rosary?"