JAMES. Christ, Annabella, look at the state of you!

WILLIAM. She bit me too!

ANNABELLA rounds on him, elated and ferocious.

ANNABELLA. I am not afraid of you, William Douglas!

He holds his hands up, backing off, laughing.

WILLIAM. Christ, call her off, Jamie!

Hours have passed.

WILLIAM, JAMES, MARY and ANNABELLA are sitting close round a small fire, passing wine between them. It’s hours later. They’ve been talking and drinking for some time. WILLIAM yawns.

Man, I’m getting too old for this.

ANNABELLA. You are. You’re twenty. You’ve had a whole life.

WILLIAM. No. I’ve not been let at it. It’s all nearly gone and I can’t make it mine. I still answer to others. Always.

MARY. Maybe you have all the time you need. Maybe you will live to be older than a tree, like your father.

WILLIAM. Maybe I’ll die in a war but never lead an army.

I tell you though, I want to die fighting. No time to worry. Just think, ‘Shite I messed that up, I shouldn’t have picked that fight’ and feel the blade go in. That’ll be it. Pray it’s quick. That’s the only way to die.

That’s another thing you ladies can’t know. You’ll die in bed, every one of you. One way or another.

ANNABELLA (suddenly furious). You don’t understand anything!

My best friend in Grenoble died. They had to cut the baby out of her. They said it wouldn’t kill her but of course they were just lying. She held my hand and it drove my rings into my fingers. Look.

(Holds up her hand.) I’ll keep the marks for ever.

We kiss death every day, William Douglas, and we smile at him.

WILLIAM. Fine. Alright. Just saying…

ANNABELLA. You know nothing.

MARY (to ANNABELLA). Mais pourquoi tu es si fâché mon ami, qu’est ce qu’il y à?

ANNABELLA. Nothing… just… (Can’t go on.)

JAMES. Annabella? What’s wrong?

ANNABELLA (to JAMES). I know. I heard.

WILLIAM. Know what?

ANNABELLA. The cough won’t kill you, no, it’s not the cough you need to be frightened of. I just want to keep one friend!

MARY. Ah mais tais toi! If I am not frightened you cannot be frightened. No fear. Remember? It is forbidden.

WILLIAM. What’s going on?

MEG enters.

MEG. Are you bairns going to stay out in this much longer?

You’ll catch your deaths. Come on, come on inside.

JAMES. We’re not bairns, Meg. None of us, stop fussing.

MEG. Well, you’re my bairn, always. Don’t be long, I’ve got your posset warming.

She exits. WILLIAM is falling about.

WILLIAM. She’s got your posset warming!

JAMES. Aye alright, alright.

WILLIAM. Hold the wine! The King’s away to sook on a warm posset!