Chapter 24

Helena was in demand to dance, and as dancing was fun, she accepted all comers, after Jurko had led her in the first dance, a minuet. The grace, poise, and athleticism of the young couple had drawn admiring murmurs from all.

"Your son has picked a lady who looks to be a good match," said the king to Jeremi. "And spirited too, standing up to Bearpaws like that. Did you really have to stop him doing anything that stupid?"

"She's a good girl and as spirited as my lad needs," said Jeremi. "And yes. He drinks too much, he procrastinates until the last minute, and then he makes reckless moves."

"You turned down position as Crown Field Hetman when I promoted him," said the king.

"I couldn't work with him," said Jeremi. "And it would have outraged me, being his subordinate, when I know I am a better soldier and a better commander than he is."

"His record, in other words, is yours?"

"Not fully, but in many parts, yes," said Jeremi.

"I can't remove him from the post unless he does something to show himself up," said the king. "But he has suggested a commission investigating the plaints of the Cossacks."

"I wager it's because he knows how good Chmielnicki is, and is afraid if he should rise that he won't be an easy proposition to beat," said Jeremi. "Oh dear, he's approaching Helena. You didn't forbid her to fight a duel with him."

"The hell... is she likely to?"

"His man wounded her Jurij. And Helena is very possessive."

"And her chances?"

"If it's to first blood, she might get lucky. He could kill her, but he'd be a fool if he did."

"And he realises that, I should think."

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"Princess, may I have this dance?" asked Potocki.

"I suppose it would be impolitic to voice my thoughts," said Helena.

"Jeremi has poisoned your mind against me, no doubt," said Potocki.

"He didn't have to. Your cur's willingness to 'sample the Cossack women' made it plain what sort of man he was, and you can usually tell a man by those with whom he surrounds himself."

"You are told that is what he said, but..."

"Do you accuse me of lying?" Her chin raised and her fine eyes flashed.

"Why, no, of course not, Princess, but if you were in the carriage, you could not hear for yourself."

"But I was not in the carriage; some of us were riding. And we heard what was said. And I had great pleasure in braining the one who tried to hurt poor little Michał after the dog shot down Wasyl. I do not lie, and I assure you that the look in the eyes of the officer as he leered at me riding was the same as in your eyes when you looked at me when you made your petty little apology. So do not tell me that my guardian has poisoned my mind. I can make up my own mind and you poisoned it against yourself. You may be an important man, but you're also old and you drink too much and when you die screaming of the bottle you impale your liver on, I will smile, and wave you bye-bye."

He went purple.

"You forget yourself, young lady!" he said.

"No; I remember the look in Michał's eyes," said Helena, quietly. "I hate you with every fibre of my being, and you won't get round any of us by pretending bonhomie. I say you are a cur."

"If I had not been forbidden by the king, I would call your guardian out for that slur!"

"The king has not forbidden me to duel. You can fight me."

He started to laugh, then stared.

"What, you foolish little girl, are you serious?"

"Deadly serious," said Helena, grimly.

"Well, I am not; I cannot accept a challenge from a woman. It is as inconceivable as fighting your guardian's true son."

"Oh, both are his true sons. And neither will forget," said Helena. "You're a coward and a trifler and a cur. And the only dance I would dance with you would involve sabres."

She turned her back on him deliberately, to walk away.

And he had to let her go. He could not put the chit in her place by duelling her and using it to spank her well with the flat of his blade; he would be a laughing stock to even consider accepting a challenge from a woman.

But she had made a fool of him, and that he could not forgive.

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The king arranged an extraordinary meeting of the Sejm, and Jeremi organised a grand dinner the night before, with musicians to play throughout the meal. On Jurko's suggestion, he told them to come early and feasted the musicians before his guests were due to arrive, so they would play more enthusiastically and without the accompaniment of growling bellies.

"We aren't inviting Potocki, are we?" asked Helena.

"No," said Jeremi. "Gryzelda tells me you told him off beautifully, and said the sort of things she wanted to say, but which could only be passed off with a laugh if said by a gauche young girl."

"How are we controlling his vote, then?" said Helena. "Well, you were planning on getting everyone else too drunk to care, tomorrow, weren't you?"

"My dear, sometimes your leaps of deduction take my breath away," said Jeremi. "Jurij is a lucky man. And he has his own part to play."

"Jurij Korybut Wiśniowiecki Bohun, if you get caught and killed by that mad old sot, I'll murder you," said Helena.

"I won't get caught," said Jurko. "But you may have to cover for my absence."

"How will I do that?"

He whispered to her, and she blushed.

"Are you corrupting my ward, Jurij?" said Jeremi.

Jurko grinned, and his sea-coloured eyes danced.

"Just teaching her a few tricks of the trade," he said. "You'll want my gloves, sweetness; I've made sure to wear these distinctive ones all over the place. And Father will make sure of a few curtained recesses."

"Do I want to know?" asked Jeremi.

"No," said Jurko. "We'll tell you after, whether it's needed or not. I'll eat with everyone for the main courses and slip away when most of them are half cut, and Helena, you must do so, too, and take up your position."

"Of course, Jurko," said Helena. "It will not be entertaining to watch men get drunk anyway."

"All the women will withdraw," said Jeremi. "I should not treat you like a spare son, Helena."

"I like it," said Helena.

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Potocki was not surprised not to get an invitation to Jeremi's dinner; but there were those who had, who owed him a favour or two. They would keep an eye on things and drink and eat sparingly.

Doubtless Jeremi was going to use the occasion to exert his damned charisma on them all, and exhort them to vote the way he wanted. Well, he knew enough on a variety of those who did not owe him favours to force their compliance.

His son, Stefan, was the same age as Jurij Wiśniowiecki and perhaps he might get to know the youth, about town. The handsome young Cossack went about with a youth of the same age. Probably they were lovers, thought Potocki, and if Stephan could get them to confide that relationship to him, he had blackmail material over Jeremi.

Maybe Jeremi also swung that way; he only had one child, and he did have a penchant for impaling miscreants.

Maybe they even shared the Skrzetuski boy. That would be a hot piece of blackmail.

It was a pity that Stefan was too stupid to simulate an interest to join in, to get them in a compromising position and then burst in accusing them of corrupting his son.

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It would be a week and more before the dinner; and Helena had been showered with invitations. She let Gryzelda decide which ones to accept. The days were spent sightseeing about Warszawa, and shopping in the Rynek, the market place, for the sort of gee-gaws like fans and pomanders which might be found on the stalls of traders, set up in the market, or at the shops themselves around the wide plaza. The shops had little more on display than the stalls, but had the convenience of providing living quarters for the proprietors, who only had to unbolt the two halves of their shutters in the morning, folding one down as a counter to display goods, and the other up as an awning to protect the goods from sun or rain. They were then much the same as free-standing stalls, save that the shopkeeper had more privacy inside his shop, when there were no customers clustered outside to buy.

"It's quite amazing how many things there are for sale which I do not need," said Helena, after looking around the Rynek. "I mean, those ombrella things; what good is an outsize hat on a stick to keep the sun off? One could scarcely ride holding one, if one wanted to have a hand free."

"You are supposed to have it carried by a servant walking behind you," said Gryzelda. "You bought two fans."

"Well, they're useful," said Helena. "Not just as fans, but I can get the outer sticks replaced with steel and sharpen one edge so I have a weapon."

"You don't need a weapon," said Gryzelda.

"I feel safer," said Helena. "Too many men looked at me at the ball with expressions I do not like and I want to be able to fight back."

"Oh dear," said Gryzelda. "I am sorry you feel so unsafe, my dear."

"I think it is more the habit of being a Cossack and being used to bristling with weapons," said Helena. "However, as you permit me to wear a cord chatelaine belt, I have several lengths of that wound around me, and the other fan attached at one end will make a perfect handle. And I already have a heavy pewter pomander at the other end to use as a bolas arapnik."

"Well, I suppose if it helps you to feel more secure, it is a good thing," said Gryzelda.

Jan and Jurko took Fabian Brzechffa, the youthful hussar officer, with them when they went shopping and on what Jurko referred to as 'reconnaissance.' Kurylo went too.

"We need to know all the inns where our respective lads are likely to turn up, to roust them out. And being on good terms with the innkeepers means they are more likely to toss any drunken oafs in a cellar than call the watch, and easier to retrieve them then than if we had to bail them out," he explained.

"I assume that Cossacks need regular bailing out," said Fabian.

"You daft boy, all soldiers need regularly bailing out," said Jan, amused. "I was in the regular cavalry before my lord prince asked me to be Jurko's number two."

"What's more, in this inn, the florid man over there, being rather loud over the dice game, is one of the pocztowi of the ginger-haired angel in your troop," said Jurko.

"Are... are you sure?" said Fabian.

"Of course I'm sure," said Jurko. "I have the leadership of the outriders, and it's the duty of every leader to know the men under him. Jan and Kurylo I expect to know all the Cossacks and those non-combatants with them, and I expect you to know all your men and the members of their poczty. Just because your arse is higher than the heads of many peasants doesn't mean you shouldn't be a little father to the peasants who ride with you. I don't interfere in your command, because it's your first command, and you need to learn, but I hope you don't mind me giving you a pointer."

"I feel about Prince Michał's age," said Fabian, flushing. He was a blond youth who looked younger than his years when out of armour. The effect was increased by the fact that his moustache struggled to be seen, so pale was it.

"Oh, I felt the same when Kurylo was training me," said Jurko.

"I'm sure you'll learn as fast, lad," said Kurylo. "And yes, he is the man my lord says he is, because as quartermaster, as you don't have one, it's my responsibility to see to the supplies for your men as well as the Cossacks."

"I... I suppose I never thought about where supplies came from," said Fabian.

"You won't rise to be a hetman if you don't learn that," said Kurylo. "Or even a Pułkownik, a colonel."

"I... yes, sir," said Fabian.

"Oh, first names between officers out together," said Kurylo.

Jurko wandered over to the gambling soldier.

"I think that's enough, soldier," he said.

The man looked up.

"What's it to do with you? You ain't my commander."

"Oh, but I am, soldier. I'm over your angel as well, and your lieutenant."

"I don't obey a..."

"You obey our captain, soldier!" snapped Fabian, coming up beside Jurko. "You're on a charge for subordination. Get back to barracks and report to the custody of Lord Radski."

"Y... yes my lord," said the soldier.

"And apologise to the captain," said Fabian.

"Yes, my lord, sorry Lord Bohun," said the soldier.

"And you can reflect on how inter-unit rivalries almost led to my little brother, Prince Michał,being killed, Pocztowy Kowal," said Bohun, harshly. "You must have heard the story."

"I... I am sorry, my lord." Finally the soldier looked shamefaced.

"Two days in the cooler," said Jurko.

"Yes, my lord, thank you my lord." The soldier looked relieved. "You are lenient."

"I allow one mistake. I have to punish you; you made it in public and let your officer down."

"Yes, my lord," said Kowal.

He went back to the palace.

"I was going to have him flogged," said Fabian.

"I know," said Jurko. "And flogging would have made him resent me and my Cossacks and then we might have had more trouble. I gave him the way out of letting every man off a minor charge once. He won't let me down by making the same mistake again, and he won't let you down either."

"I see; thank you, my lord for the instruction," said Fabian.

"Jurko," said Jurko.

"Jurko when we drink together; my lord when I learn from you," said Fabian.

"Fair enough," said Jurko. He caught the eyes of his other companions and nodded. The boy would learn as well as his man's pocztowy.