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7 The Ball & the Woman
It seemed but a few moments later that little Walter nudged him. Iggy yawned and stood up slowly. When he was doing his stretch, he noticed that Mac was fully awake and regarding him with a grin.
‘Well, brother?’ said Iggy.
‘I heard the music first,’ Mac said with some complacency. ‘Shall we go?’
The trio moved out into the darkened hall following the sound. They had to go into the old wing again and little Walter shivered.
‘What’s amiss?’ asked Mac. ‘It’s only the cold air in this old corridor.’
‘Someone bad is here,’ Walter answered quite simply. ‘Uncles, we must go on quickly.’
‘Be calm, lad,’ Mac whispered. ‘Remember, we come with Iggy as guests of the queen. And before her and her courtiers, it is essential that we retain our composure.’
‘Have no fear,’ said
Walter steadily. ‘Mother trained me in equanimity.’ In the darkness he did not
see Mac nudge Iggy nor could he see the brothers smile.
Iggy remembered the old ballroom and knew the door. They slipped in and found themselves at the top of a broad stairway. The man standing at the door looked down on them with very little pleasure.
‘Off with you!’ he hissed. And Mac gave a low growl. There was a great silence.
‘Come, come,’ said a voice impatiently and the man choked. ‘Well, man, announce them.’
‘Majesty,’ said the man who prided himself on knowing everyone, ‘I do not know their names.’
She came forward in a dress so crusted with jewels that she seemed to be aflame. The revelers parted like blazing waves so that she stood alone. ‘They are the Proud Pugs of Penzance: Ignatius Oliver, his brother . . .’
‘MacMichael,’ volunteered Mac.
And Walter quickly added, ‘Little Walter. Sometimes called Merlin.’
The usher announced them with perfect diction and they came down the steps like lords, moving behind Iggy until they stood before the queen. Then all three bowed (and if Walter wobbled a little no one remarked on it) and she stooped down to touch each glowing black head.
She looked at Iggy carefully, ‘I have had cushions prepared for you just in case. Feel free to join in the dancing. Are you hungry?’
‘No, majesty,’ answered Iggy with composure.
‘Then sit and observe and enjoy.’
The three pugs bowed again and moved to some beautiful cushions, which gave a superior view. The girl came over and touched Walter on the head. ‘See, little Merlin, I’m wearing my new bracelet. Is it not beautiful?’ Walter kissed her hand and Iggy and Mac looked about for the young man.
‘Where is he?’ whispered Mac.
Iggy hazarded, ‘With someone else?’
‘In her own house? Before her family?’ even Mac was appalled.
Then Walter saw him. He was up in the minstrels’ gallery with the musicians, talking and laughing. He looked over the place as though he owned it and, over the head of the girl, he smiled at someone else. Iggy heard Mac gasp, which was remarkable, and curse under his breath, which was even more unusual. But when he followed Mac’s gaze, then he understood.
The woman stood in the shadows but the darkness did nothing to disguise the smile of confidence or the haughtiness of her look. She moved slightly into the light and before them stood the double of the woman whom Rattle had brought to the house two days before.
‘The woman of the tower,’ whispered Mac. ‘Can she too cross time?’
‘No,’ said Iggy confidently–though where the confidence came from was a mystery even to him–‘she lived then and she lives again now for us and for the honour of our family.’
‘Shall we go up to her?’ asked Mac.
Iggy nodded and nudged Walter who, looking at the girl, jumped from the cushions and with a backward glance beckoned her to follow the pugs. All four moved to the corner and the woman and the darkness.
The dancers gave way, smiling and laughing, as the troupe passed through. The girl was puzzled but amiable, yet the queen, turning at the outburst of laughter, lifter her brows with surprise and a little anxiety. Quickly, she turned back to her courtiers and demanded their attention. Walter stopped before the woman in the shadows and bowed. She tossed her head and bent down to him,
‘You’ve a clever beastie there, cousin,’ she said, rubbing Walter’s ears with restrained enthusiasm. Then she saw Mac. ‘But what is this creature with one eye?’ she wrinkled her nose and withdrew slightly.
‘You’ve heard, cousin, he is one of the Proud Pugs,’ said the girl staunchly and spontaneously bent down enfolding Mac.
Iggy knew then why they had been sent. She was a good girl; such a lovely girl. Like Bess. And it could have been Bess. He drew himself up. Whatever wrong was in their power to right, it was their duty to persevere. Love and loyalty demanded it.
He walked up to the dark woman, bowed, allowed himself to be petted, then turned to his young cousin and bowed with a full heart. When she embraced him, he blinked and swallowed hard.
‘So, the entire family is here.’ It was the young man, down from the gallery. Kissing hands, scratching pug heads and all the while looking about to assure himself that his beautiful doublet was being noticed.
‘We are to be married,’ the girl whispered to the pugs. ‘It’s still a secret but Merlin must have told you.’
‘Hush, sweetheart,’ said the man and fingered the golden bracelet.
From a distance, the queen watched. She was intrigued but she was not amused.
‘He must talk to the queen first,’ she explained and Iggy saw a look pass between the man and the dark woman.
‘When will it be?’ asked the girl–all innocence–and Mac growled under his breath.
The dark woman came into the full light. Iggy knew that even in the blazing sun she would be dark to them. Her dress was a deep purple and the sheen of it was like oil on water.
‘Patience, cousin,’ she cooed. ‘The queen spends several days here. There is much time.’
‘Just keep your bracelet guarded,’ said the young man. ‘It becomes you far too well to lose it.’
‘It is,’ said the girl, ‘as safe as my heart.’
The music began, signaling a festive dance. The queen called for the pugs and, amazingly, they found themselves at the centre of the floor. The courtiers smiled and gathered round. The queen began to move and the pugs did their best to move with her. It was less like a dance than a little procession to a measured beat. Mac had always been the best dancer. Many a time in the pug corner he had beguiled puggish damsels with his roguish swagger and swirling tail beating time to a tune. Now, he pranced before the queen and, twirling, danced before her as she urged him on. Iggy and Walter escorted her on either side and managed to see a little more than the dance. The young man moved between the two girls and all three joined in. The queen looked down at Iggy, ‘See how they all move in time to the music? Do you not think they are in harmony?’
Iggy concentrated on his steps, then looked up at her. ‘Perhaps your majesty sees only from afar.’
‘And you?’
‘The eyesight of the pug is best close to the object of his interest.’
‘Then you have my permission to close in–and report back.’
Iggy paused, ‘Report, ma’am?’
‘The truth—as you see it.’
Iggy bowed as well as he could while keeping time to the music. ‘I shall remember, ma’am.’
They finished with much bowing and applause. ‘This is greatly diverting,’ said Mac, ‘haven’t had so much fun since old Ross’s wake.’
Iggy smiled at his brother, ‘If we didn’t know that this jollity would all end in tears, I could quite like this time.’
They turned to observe young Walter, but the boy was gone.
Suddenly Iggy pushed Mac toward the queen. ‘What’s to do, brother?’ asked Mac.
‘Bid our lady goodnight.’
She was standing by the cushions that had been placed for them and looked down with no little interest.
‘You have had a good evening?’
‘Amazing, majesty,’ said Mac, who would like to have counted the stones in her dress and report back to Hortensia.
‘Our family is sensible of the honour done to us,’ said Ignatius, ‘and we are your majesty’s servants.’
‘But your family’s first?’ noted the queen. And turning to Mac added, ‘You fancy the stones in my dress. Perhaps a reward when all of this is done?’
Mac swallowed, ‘No, Highness, not the stones. Only our sister Hortensia wears her bits of jewelry. I was looking at the bows. Our sister Louisa fancies bows and she is a new mother—first time. I was wondering what they were made of. Never have seen such rainbow colours. And they shimmer quite wonderfully.’ His voice dropped, ‘No offense was intended.’
The queen looked down and spoke quickly for Mac had begun to hang his head, ‘How could I take offense from a gentleman who thinks of his sister’s joy? You have been my favourite dancing partner this evening and I take your observation as a true compliment.’ She turned to her courtiers and indicated the pugs, ‘With them it is always the family—and loyalty. Take a lesson.’
‘It must be so for us,’ said Iggy and Mac straightened up proudly. ‘It is all we know.’
She smiled her strange smile and looked about the room, ‘Your young nephew is missing–as is your young cousin. See to it that all is well when I return to this house. I expect them to show me the famous bracelet and announce their engagement to me.’
‘We will be vigilant,’ said Iggy.
The brothers bowed themselves out and Mac gave a wink to the usher who had been so annoyed at having had to announce them.
‘Where to?’ asked Mac who hadn’t a clue.
‘Garden,’ said Iggy, ‘all lovers go to a garden.’ So they went out into the cold. After the brilliance of the ball, everything seemed quiet and dark. To Iggy’s surprise, the figures of the revelers were still visible and the flaming hair of the queen was seen more than once as she moved to the window, clearly looking for them.
After a bit of searching, Mac stopped suddenly, ‘We’ve been all about the garden, and they’re nowhere to be found.’ Iggy agreed but stayed put. He plopped down and thrust his head between his paws.
‘They’ve got to be outside. I feel it. Absolutely.’ Then he jumped up. ‘We’re in the wrong place.’
‘How can we be?’ argued Mac. ‘This is the garden.’
‘Now. It is now. But in her time–perhaps not.’
‘Ah,’ said Mac.
They circled the house slowly and were just giving up when a voice close by whispered, ‘Uncles, what are you doing here?’
‘We were looking for an old garden where you might be found.’
‘We were there,’ said Walter slowly, ‘but they’ve gone their ways now.’
‘Was all well?’ asked Iggy who had noted the boy’s hesitancy.
‘She was very happy,’ Walter volunteered.
‘And the man?’ asked Mac who was beginning to shiver. ‘Come on, lad, get on with it.’
‘He smiled,’ Walter faltered, ‘he charmed and . . .
‘And what, boy? This cold is unearthly.’
‘And he deceived,’ said Walter with the flatness of sorrow in his voice.
‘Both himself and her?’ asked Iggy.
‘Yes, uncle.’
The three fell silent and each felt the bitter chill of that long ago night. Finally, Iggy shook himself, “We must go in, lads; it wouldn’t do to catch cold.’
Mac was sniffing as they trotted to the nearest entrance, ‘Maybe I’ll feel better in our own time,’ he muttered, hoping for a roaring fire.
CHAPTER 8 THE ARRIVAL OF THE FAMILY
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