Queens’ Play – Part 4 – Chapter 3 – Châteaubriant: A Bed-Tick Full of Harpstrings

1551
About 5 June ‒ English delegation, including the Lennoxes, is in Orléans. “A fortnight” (Vintage, p318), “Two long, slow weeks” (Vintage, p319), before they are due in Châteaubriant (19 Jun, see Vintage, pp286, 303).
Early June ‒ Robin Stewart attacks Lymond at Candé. (Vintage, pp319-28)
Early June ‒ O’LiamRoe speaks to Lymond outside young Queen Mary’s room. Day after Robin Stewart’s attack, “yesterday” (Vintage, p330).
About 10 June ‒ Robin Stewart arrives at Béré, near Châteaubriant, stays there “ten days” (Vintage, p350).
18 June<ref>The date is achieved by counting back from the date and day given for the final day of the book, ie 'Sunday, the 20th of June', in QP 4.4 (Vintage, p369).</ref> (Friday) ‒ The English delegation arrives at Châteaubriant and is formally received: 'On Friday of Northampton's arrival' (Vintage, p332). Lymond removes Oonagh from the ball and spends the night with her. Next morning, they visit young Queen Mary. (Vintage, pp331-48)

The darkness shook, like the bursting crust of the earth, fissured red with the wildfire within. (Vintage, p343)
”We are both traders in snow. It is our kind, Francis.” His mother had used these words to her once: she did not tell him. Nor did she tell him the other thing he did not know. (Vintage, p344)
“My bed is not a market place, whatever you may think. I had nothing, ever, but a little self-knowledge to offer you. If you will not tell me for that, I have nothing more I can sell.” (Vintage p345)
“Go away and bleed to death," said his onetime saviour sharply. "On behalf of the female sex I feel I may cheer every lesion.” (Vintage, p348)
And as he followed after the Irishwoman, Margaret Erskine, most levelheaded of women, picked up a Palissy vase, looked at it earnestly and smashed it clean on the floor. (Vintage, p348)