by Frank Payton
“You are most kind,” I replied, “but I shall require a small bodyguard with me—of, say, twenty men. They could perhaps be housed within your compound and fed from your kitchens. We have plentiful supplies of food.”
“Of course they could. But that is not the problem. Foreign soldiers are excluded from entering the city by order of the Doge. It might be possible to arrange for a slightly larger number in your personal following, but twenty would not be tolerated. But have no fear, I shall explain that yours is a peaceful mission—an embassy, even.”
“Oh, I have no fear,” I replied. “I do but take care. Of course, I have every trust in you personally.”
So it was that the main body of the men set up camp on a military training ground outside the city walls. As for myself, I entered the city with Jack, Giles, Marco, and Huw. In addition there were three more archers and four men-at-arms, all chosen for skill and experience. The archers’ bows and arrow cases were wrapped in cloths, and carried by two packhorses as secretly as possible.
I was not surprised to see Orlando, the Count’s shadow, appear as we passed under the wide arch of the city’s gates. He nodded to me and rode his mount alongside that of his patron. What passed between them I do not know, but all appeared to be well, at least for the present. I could afford to take no chances, and urged vigilance on all my companions.
*****
We were lodged in a separate wing of the Count’s huge town house. This was convenient both for him and for me, as I could make arrangements to suit myself. Our rooms included a kitchen, with a small staff who would produce whatever was required in the way of food and drink for Huw, the archers, and men-at-arms. Jack and I, together with Giles and Marco, took the main meals of the day with the di Lucantis.
There was another matter upon which I felt myself content, and that was how we should appear before the Doge and his Council. Before leaving the Company I had sent for Will Turton and ordered him to produce the finest attire which had been taken into his care at Lanzo and other places, so as to enable us to make as good an impression as possible when we arrived in Genoa. Thus, our dusty and stained travelling clothes and armour were for the time being packed away, and we each arrayed ourselves from the store of clothes as we thought best. Will had also passed over certain items of men’s jewellery—rings, chains, and medals of gold and silver—which would help serve to mark us out as persons of substance.
Thus we four appeared at the evening meal in the Great Hall that first night in Genoa, well attired, but with not too much ostentation. I intended that we should keep our magnificence for the audience I hoped to have of the Doge.
As before, I was seated on Ludovico’s right, with the Lady Proserpina to his left. The others took up their places, including Niccolo, Ludovico’s nephew, and two elderly male members of the family. Grey haired and clad in dark robes, they joined in conversation very little, and by the way they regarded us, clearly felt us to be some kind of northern barbarians. They both ate little, drank little, and excused themselves early from the table.
Ludovico breathed a sigh of relief at their going. “Our Uncles, Domenico and Matteo, have no homes of their own, never having married, nor having left the family circle. They are both very bookish, and spend most of their time with their collections and in talking with like-minded souls. To me has fallen the responsibility of their care. Sometimes, however, it becomes irksome and akin to having a black crow on each shoulder.”
“At all events,” I said, “Your activities with regard to them do you great credit, and doubtless bring you a just reward in Heaven.”
“Pah! A reward in Heaven?” cried Proserpina. “He is more like to burn in Hell! He regrets every soldi he expends on their care, a duty laid on him by our dear father. They have little enough income of their own from a few farms, and that they spend on books and a few comforts. He cannot wait to get his hands on their property!”
Her brother exploded with rage. “Proserpina! That is enough! You will go to your room. I will not have this infamous talk from you. You know nothing of which you speak. Go!”
“Certainly not, Ludovico!” she replied stoutly. “I am no child to be thus ordered. I have life and property of mine own, and I shall do as I please with either, and I know exactly of what I speak.”
Her grey eyes met mine, flashing over the heightened colour of her cheeks, and once more I felt as if shot through by an archer’s arrow. She was magnificent, with her dark blonde hair streaming free, save for two heavy plaits, one over the front of each shoulder, framing the jewels of her bosom under the heavy blue silks of her gown. It was then that I told myself that by the God in Heaven above, I would have this woman to wife if I had to pass through the hosts of Hell to win her. I returned her glance, I hoped, as sympathetically and encouragingly as I could, but it was essential that I did not antagonise Ludovico. A slight smile adorned her lips, as if to say, “I know, I understand.”
I picked up and drained my wine cup. “Signore di Lucanti, how shall you proceed with your approach to the Doge on our behalf?” I asked to change the subject.
Ludovico lifted his head from between his hands, and recovered his composure. “Thank you, Sir John, for bringing me back to reality and matters of moment. It will be necessary for me to make overtures on your behalf to those members of the Council who are likely to be sympathetic to your request. This may well take several days, and naturally you will understand that I have other business to which to attend. In the meantime, I suggest that I find you a guide to show you this great city of ours, and to direct you whilst in our midst.”
“I will be your guide, Sir John,” interrupted Proserpina, leaning forward eagerly. “No, Ludovico,” she held up her hand to stem the flow of his protests. “I will brook no opposition to this!”
“Don’t be a fool, girl!” he blustered. “You cannot go about the city in that way. It would not be seemly. It—”
“Dressed as I am, I agree. I shall put up my hair and go as a boy, a young man, and Niccolo shall attend me. Sir John will have Marco, his squire”—here she smiled sweetly at the two of them— “and I shall be quite safe. So, you see, it is all arranged. Now I shall retire. Taddea, it is late, and we should be abed. Good night, Sir John, Ludovico and all.” Thus she swept regally from the hall, with Taddea in her wake.
Ludovico sat back in his chair, and placed a hand over his eyes. Our talk had died away, and we had ceased our eating. Now I reached out for a portion of the dish called ravioli, thin pastry that seemed to be enveloping a spicy meat filling. I had found this to be much to my liking. The others followed my lead, and so we resumed our meal and conversation.
Ludovico seemed momentarily to have forgotten us, and muttered to himself in Italian under his breath. Soon, however, he roused himself and took more wine. “You now see, Sir John, what a problem I have with my dear sister. She is beyond all reasonable control. I have even considered confining her to a nunnery, where she may be taught some humility and regard for others. She plays upon your good regard for her, and uses it against me, her brother.” He tapped his chest with a bejewelled forefinger.
To my surprise it was Jack who spoke up. “To mew up a lady of your sister’s spirit would be as if you were to put a falcon in a cage. You should make use of her in your affairs. She may well be of great help to you. As she is, she has no purpose, except to decorate your table. In any event, you can surely find for her a good husband from amongst the young men of your noble families.”
Ludovico laughed. “You think so? She will have no one who has been put forward as a suitor. Her wildness turns them away. Our young men are scandalised by her pranks. They expect dutiful humility in the young women they are to marry, as well as some attention to religion, and to a wife’s domestic responsibilities. Proserpina shows none of these. No, I fear she will end badly, or in a convent.”
“I pray you will at least indulge her in her wish to show me your great city,” I said. “She can come to no harm with such an escort as
we can provide. One more good-looking youth on horseback can surely arouse no undue attention.”
He smiled. “How can I refuse you, Sir John? But for you, she and I would be dead. Yes, I will relent, since you plead her case so well. But, I warn you, you know her not.”
With that we rose from the table, and went to our sleeping quarters. I had arranged for one of the archers or a man-at-arms to stand guard on that part of the house, and I was glad to see that the man was still awake. Giles stayed to talk, since this one was one of his own men, but we others passed in and went to our rooms.
Huw was already snoring on his pallet before the door of my chamber. I stepped over him and went inside. He did not stir. There was a single lamp burning which must have had some aromatic oil for fuel, as the air was heavy with the scent of it. I flung off the heavy robe I had worn earlier, and laid the jewelled neck-chain on a low carven table, together with the gold rings Will had given to me.
One of these I examined more closely. It was of thick heavy gold with the mask of a lion embossed upon the bezel. Tiny green gemstones formed the beast’s eyes, which glinted in the lamplight. A fair thing, I thought, and although not caring much for frippery, resolved to keep it by me. It was nothing then, but later I came to prize it greatly.
Laying my boots and other garments aside, I put on a sleeping robe and went to the window. It was such a night as previously at Ludovico’s country estate, and I thought again of Orlando’s riding in the dead of night, and the dream I had had thereafter. It then came to me, as I gazed out over the rooftops of the great city, that this was the first time I had slept in such a place since leaving London for France eight years before.
I pondered on the wisdom of becoming close to the Lady Proserpina. It was clearly unwise to take her from her family home and its comforts, and fling her into a military encampment to such as I was accustomed. At first she would find the life exciting, free, and might revel in being the object of so much male admiration that would surely come her way. That in itself could cause many problems, such as I did not wish to encounter. In the end, no doubt, Proserpina would tire of the need to be constantly on the move and would begin to pine, perhaps, for her settled family life in Genoa, or at least for more feminine company. With these thoughts in mind, I went to my bed, where the effects of the day’s journey, and plentiful food, and most especially wine, soon sent me into a mercifully dreamless sleep.
Chapter 6
Genoa
I awoke early the next morning and sent Huw to the kitchen for hot water with which to wash and shave my face of two days’ growth of beard. Unlike many at that time, I never felt really comfortable unless I was clean-shaven. That done, I was dressed and ready for the day when Jack entered the room shortly after. He looked me up and down.
“Very fine, Sir John. Very fine. I suppose you to be bent on this ride about the city with the young mistress? For myself I shall go and see what the men are doing at the camp. By now, I’ll wager, they’ll be wanting to break out and visit a few wine shops, and go in search of some willing women.”
“Yes, I am quite set on this ride, as you name it, and for more reasons than the Lady Proserpina.” Jack’s eyes widened at this, and I continued. “This ride is also an opportunity to see just what this city contains, and how it is laid out. I know we can’t see into the future, but such knowledge might just be very useful sometime. Apart from pleasure, this ride will be for me something in the nature of a scouting expedition. So far as the men are concerned, you must ask the Count what rules apply to their entry to the city. I can’t see the authorities allowing over a hundred well-armed foreign soldiers to roam around their city all at once. You may say from me that I will hang any man found to have been guilty of any crime, or to have been the cause of any trouble within the city walls.”
“As you wish, Sir John, but it seems very harsh. What if a man is provoked?”
“Come, Jack, you know full well that I do not wish for any pretext which might be used to turn these people against us. We need their assistance. There is already a faction opposed to our request for that assistance. No, I will not be gainsaid on this. You had better order that no swords are to be carried into the city, and tell the authorities beforehand.”
He left me then with a long face, although I think he was happy to be going back to the camp and his command. He would feel more at home there. Jack was a fine soldier, and could be relied on to carry out whatever I required of him. But he was no courtier. He remained at heart a simple countryman. The loss of his family was something to which he did not refer, but it could never have been far from his thoughts. Indeed, I had thought from time to time that his reckless bravery and ferocity in the field was born of a desire to embrace Death as a final escape from his anguish, and mayhap in the hope that he might thus be reunited with those he had lost.
Musing in this way I made my way to the Hall where I was to break my fast. Marco and Giles, already seated, were companionably discussing the relative merits of the bow and the crossbow.
“I am explaining to Master Ashurst how we could obtain a faster rate of shooting with the crossbow, Sir John. If you recall, I spoke to you once before about this.”
“Yes, I do remember your words, Marco, but as you know, Giles and I would still find the weapon too slow.” His face fell, and I hastened to reassure him. “But be sure I shall find a use for the crossbow when we are at a siege, and elsewhere. I do not decry its power.”
I reached out for my wine cup, which Huw had filled with watered wine, and drank deeply. As I replaced the cup, my glance passed along the table. Niccolo was seated a little way beyond Marco, and next to him sat a young man whom I had not seen before. I called to him. “Who is your companion, Niccolo? Is he a new guest?”
“Ah, good morning, Sir John. This is my cousin Agnolo, who has been sent here with a special message for the Count.”
The young man bowed his head and raised his wine cup to me, and then returned to his food. He was richly dressed in the bright colours affected by the young, and wore a cap of soft blue velvet. I noticed that he contrived to keep his face away from me, but there was something about the set of his head which seemed vaguely familiar. For myself, I took some bread and cut a piece of the fine white cheese which I had favoured since arriving in the country. On the table was also a basket of apples, pears and plums, of very good quality, and delicious to eat. There were some peaches too, large golden fruits which I had not seen before.
In the middle of each was a stone almost the size of a pigeon’s egg. I found this fruit to be much to my liking, the flesh being sweet as honey, but in the centre of the stone was a flat, oval nut as bitter as gall.
Marco broke into my thoughts. “If you wish it, I shall go and see that the horses are made ready, Sir John. Do you wish aught else to be done?”
“No, there is nothing else, thank you. I shall stay and speak to Giles on certain matters.”
Marco bowed and left the Hall. Giles moved into the seat opposite, and as he did so, Niccolo and Agnolo walked swiftly from the Hall. I stared after them.
“What is it, Sir John?” Giles asked with something of a grin upon his face.
“Why, that boy Agnolo reminds me of someone, but I can’t say who. It is most annoying.”
“I should think many of these young Italians look alike, and if he is a cousin of Niccolo’s, well then, there’s the answer.”
“Yes, I suppose you to be right. Now, this ride about the city; I shall send Marco and Huw in front, and will follow with the Lady Proserpina. You will ride behind we two. Then, unbeknown to the others, I want two of the men who are with here to follow at a short distance, in the event that any trouble should befall us. Explain to them that they are to keep a close watch on the people about us. Also, I expect you and they to observe carefully the way in which this city is laid out. I have already told Jack that this knowledge may be useful to us at some time in the future.”
He nodded. “I understand, for I have had t
he same thoughts. The militia here seems to be very strong, and even at a glance the city is seen to be well defended. These people live by the sea, and that is a great defence for them. They have many ships to fight off attackers from that direction. There are strong walls which face the land, too strong for us. They could sit behind those ramparts and shoot bolts at us all day.”
“That may be so, but the strongest city will fall. You know it as well as I. For the present all we need to do is keep our eyes open, and remember what we see. Now let us away, or the Lady Proserpina will have cause to name us sluggard.”
*****
Marco and Huw were already mounted and waiting as Giles and I stepped out into a street thronged with people hurrying by, both to left and to right. I took Boy’s reins from Huw. The big horse sidled in alarm at the press of people, and neighed in greeting to other passing horses. I scratched his forehead, and stroked my fingers down his long silken nose. He threw up his head as a horse will do, and pawed at the cobblestones with heavy hooves.
One of the di Lucanti grooms had combed out his mane and tail, and brushed his chestnut coat until it shone. Boy was a good horse, and had carried me into many a skirmish and battle over the years. He had been taught to fight with his front hooves, and many men had gone down under those thrashing steel-shod hammers. I gave him an apple from the table, and he crunched it between strong teeth, and the sweet juice ran down onto the stones. He was thus content, and I swung up into the saddle and looked about me. As I did so Niccolo appeared before me, followed by the mysterious Agnolo, who urged his horse next to me and looked me full face for the first time, and spoke thus.
“Do I not make a handsome youth, Sir John?”
Then she laughed loud at my puzzlement. It was, of course, the Lady Proserpina. I joined in the merriment with a will, having been quite deceived by her disguise.