Margaret the Queen (61 page)

"I do not think so, I
know
so, my dear. Ask yourself, is it not the simple truth?"

Abruptly the Queen threw down the crucifix on the bed and ran forward to hurl herself into Magda's arms and burst into a flood of tears. There, rocked like a child by the other woman, she sobbed her heart out.

Maldred tip-toed to the door, and out.

* * *

The next afternoon the first companies of the Scots army began to appear out of the Lammermuir passes, laden down
with loot, driving herds of cattl
e. The King, these said, was holding the Tweed fords — for how long God alone knew, for the English were close behind and in vast strength. Cospatrick sent couriers to suggest to Malcolm that he left off that difficult confrontation and came north to Dunbar where, he asserted, a more profitable and effective stand might be made and where his own force was waiting., Whether the King would heed him was another matter.

But the following forenoon it was evident that Malcolm was coming, as more and more parties arrived, separate and strung-out after threading the hills and passes between Lothian and the Merse. Almost certainly the word that a fresh Lothian and Border host was awaiting him there had had its effect, however much he might distrust Cospatrick.

All day the Scots were coming in, burdened by the fruits of their campaigning. But no sign of Malcolm before nightfall. It was, to be sure, some thirty-five miles from Coldstream and the other Tweed crossings, and he was presumably fighting a rearguard action all the way.

The King arrived, with Prince Edward and his embattled rear, just before noon next day, weary, grim, declaring that William Rufus was out of the passes now, only five miles behind. He did not appear to be rejoiced to see his wife and certainly not Edgar Atheling, nor for that matter Cospatrick or any of them, save to find some satisfaction in the fresh force of about two thousand men waiting here, beside the previously-arrived units of his own army which Cospatrick had gathered up and prevented from retiring further.

The cousins had not seen each other for long, and did not attempt to hide their lack of affection.

"Why did you wait here?" Malcolm demanded. "If you had brought these men, these subjects of mine, to me earlier, at Coldstream, Lennel and Birgham, the English would still be behind Tweed."

"Perhaps. But not for long. If they are in the strength all tell me, twenty thousand men, then it was only a question of time. How many have you now? Eight thousand? With mine, ten thousand. Even if you had held the fords, some English would have marched westwards up-Tweed and crossed higher, at Kelso or Roxburgh. You could not have stopped them. Then you would have been out-flanked, finished, with nothing left but flight all the way through Lothian. And had to come to terms with Rufus in the end, weak, broken and in the heart of your kingdom."

"And this way, man? Here?"

"Here, I think, you may come to terms better. While you are still strong — or appear to be strong. Better terms. Rufus will
think twice of giving full battl
e here at Dunbar, with those passes and the Tweed behind him. I have sent a small force under Dolfin to harass his r
ear. In hosti
le country,
my
country, he will be uneasy, more disposed to talk — now that he has lost his brother's fleet."

"Yes, husband — you must talk, not fight," Margaret put in, with some strength in her voice again. She looked wan and frail, but with more of spirit than when she had arrived. "Talking is a deal cheaper than battling — as we have proved in the past."

"What have we to talk about, woman? Rufus has been on my heels since the Tees. Why stop to talk now?"

"Because the further he marches from his own place — and that is the English South — the more unsure of his rear he must become," Cospatrick insisted. "He is now in Scotland, where he has never been. He is no great warrior like his father — and he leaves Odo and revolt behind him."

"And we have something to bargain with," Margaret added. "Edgar, here. Edgar has signed a paper declaring that he will yield up all his claims to the throne of England, for himself and for all time. It is a hopeless cause, to be sure — but this new William should be relieved to have it written and pledged."

"There is another reason, cousin," Cospatrick went on. "Another negotiator, of whom Rufus is known to think well. My good-son — whom you may remember!" He raised his voice. "Duncan — come you."

Out from the throng of nobles behind, the prince pushed his way. Father and eldest son faced each other for the first time in a dozen years.

Malcolm stared, speechless. Duncan had been a mere boy when last he had
seen him. This was a man, a hosti
le, stubborn-looking, stern man with much of his sire's build and cast of feature. They had not a word to say to each other.

The Queen it was who broke the silence. "Duncan has been much misused. We owe him a great debt, my lord King. The greater if he can carry weight with this King William, his friend, to leave our land without battle."

Malcolm turned away, frowning darkly. "Here is no time for this idle talking," he grated. "Rufus is only a few miles off. His front riders will be upon us at any moment. Whether we fight or treat, we must be doing, not tattling like old wives!"

"Agreed, cousin," Cospatrick nodded. "Let us to business now, that we may talk from seeming strength later
..."

They positioned their forces according to Cospatrick's plan, Malcolm acceding that it was well thought-out and best in the circumstances. They withdrew the main army almost a mile to the westwards, behind the quite large Beil Water, with the marshland of its estuary into Belhaven Bay guarding their left flank, to form a solid barrier which would be difficult to dislodge. Cospatrick's own array, however, was sent to form up on higher ground in the Belton area almost a mile away but entirely visible, prominent indeed, gallant with many flags and banners, some in fact borrowed from the King's own commanders to make a better show. Because of the lie of the land it was impossible to tell how many men were marshalled there, with the ranks disappearing over the slope of a low ridge — but the impression certainly was of a large, fresh and eager host menacing the southern flank.

Long before they were finished this marshalling, the enemy van was in sight, numbers growing all the time until the entire narrow coastal plain was a mass of men and horses and the gleam of steel, a sufficiently alarming sight. Past the line of Dunbar township and about half-a-mile from the Scots front, the English leadership drew up, clearly to assess the situation, no doubt very much aware of that so far uncommitted host up on their left.

At this stage it was Cospatrick, not the King, who sent forward Maldred, Prince Duncan and an escort, under a flag-of-truce.

Halfway between the two lines, they halted and sat their horses. And presently a similar group came riding out from the bannered centre of the English front.

As they waited, Maldred pointed. "Is not that the banner of Normandy flying beside the royal standard of England?" he said. "That must mean that Duke Robert is there. Has rejoined his brother."

Duncan shrugged. "Did you wish him drowned? But . . . see who comes here. It is Moubray of Northumbria."

As the English party drew near, Maldred called out. "We come from the High King of Scots. Here is his son, the Prince Duncan. King Malcolm demands speech with whoever leads this array which has invaded his realm."

"He will get more than speech!" a haughty voice gave back. "The most puissant King William of England, Lord Paramount of Scotland, commands his immediate presence, surrender and obeisance."

"That is bairns' talk!" Maldred returned. "There is no Lord Paramount of Scotland save its High King. If your King William is there and desires speech with my liege-lord, let him come forward and King Malcolm will assure him of safe-conduct."

"Insolent! The King will not demean himself to speak with a rebel-in-arms."

"Then he must needs
fight
the said arms! You may tell him so."

The prince raised his voice. "My lord of Northumbria, I Duncan, speak. If my friend King William will not come, let him send others who may talk in his cause. We have here the Prince Edgar the Atheling, who has an offer to make. Also my goodsire the Earl Cospatrick."

Moubray shrugged, and rode back. The Scots waited.

After a little delay a simple knight spurred out to them. He announced that the King's Grace could by no means hold speech with rebels but that he would permit his brother, the lord Duke Robert of Normandy, to listen to their pleas and representations — for the Prince Duncan's sake.

With that they had to be content.

Back at Malcolm's stance, the King declared that he had expected no better, that he washed his hands of the entire business. He would challenge Rufus to battle. But Cospatrick claimed that the English reaction was good enough and that they could talk as well with Robert as with his brother, better perhaps. So long as their terms reached William it mattered not who carried them. Margaret agreed, and when her husband told her that nothing would make him speak with any of them, she said that
she
would go with her brother and Cospatrick. They had talked with Robert before and found him able to see reason, had they not?

The King acceded, shrugging, but asserted that they would waste their breath; but to tell the Normans that
he
preferred fighting to talking.

So Maldred rode back with the reconstituted truce-party consisting of the Queen, Cospatrick, Edgar, Duncan and himself. Out to meet them came Moubray again, with Robert Courthose, looking older and distinctly dissipated, with some others. The Duke at least seemed somewhat put out at seeing Margaret.

Cospatrick took charge, from the start. "Greetings, my lord Duke," he called. "I rejoice to see you well and survived the perils of sea and storm! And through you we salute your brother, King William."

Robert nodded. "Yes. I thank you. And greet the Queen's Highness. But — I do not see King Malcolm."

"He will join us if King William does. But he would have us to declare to you that he would himself prefer to resolve our differences with the sword rather than in talk."

"So why are you here, my lord?"

"Because I
prefer speech to bloodshed!" the Queen said strongly. "As, I think do you, my lord Duke?"

"Perhaps, lady. But . . . the speech has to be to some effect."

"Certainly."

"We bring proposals of sufficient effect," Cospatrick went on. "Prince Edgar of England, here, offers much. My liege-lord Malcolm is prepared to make suitable terms with yours. And even I, in my humble state, can make my contribution. If you can do likewise."

"We — or my brother's Highness — need to make no concessions, my lord," Robert returned. "We hold all in our hands."

"Do you, sir — do you? I suggest that you look behind you! You are a long way from home. I have a fresh army here. But think you that is all I have? All Tweeddale and Teviotdale and the Forest, all Liddesdale and Eskdale and the March, is mine, not only this Lothian. Many men, many mounted mossmen, to assail your flank on your homeward march. If I give the word. Then Cumbria — my son Dolfin, yonder, is Earl of Cumbria. I see that you have Sir Robert de Moubray there, who sits in my earldom of Northumbria. Ask him what the Cumbrians can do. If we do not talk here, like reasonable men, thus we fight. And whether you flee home thereafter, defeated, or march home victorious, you have that to face. Myself, I would not relish it."

Robert Courthose did not answer that. He turned in his saddle, to confer low-voiced with Moubray.

Margaret spoke again. "My lords, need we talk such foolishness? When all may better be settled amicably. My royal husband is prepared to make the same terms as to fealties with King William as he did with your royal sire. Is that not sufficient? And he will no longer seek to support the claims of my dear brother here to the English throne — since the Prince Edgar himself is prepared to resign all such." And she turned to her brother.

The reluctant Atheling managed both to shrug and nod at the same time. "I have here a paper," he said flatly. "In it, I make resignation, for myself and my heirs, for all time, of my lawful rights to the throne of my ancestors. It is William's, if so be he returns now whence he has come, without bloodshed. And restores to me my properties in Normandy. I can do no more."

Again silence.

Duncan spoke up. "My lord Duke, your royal brother has in the past honoured me with his friendship, released me from hostageship, even created me knight. In this coil I remain his true friend. I urge that he does not draw sword now. And I promise that what endeavour I may make, now and hereafter, will not falter in his favour and honest interest."