Border Fire(34)

A rap at the door accompanied by a plaintive meow from Jemmy Whiskers awoke them sometime later.

When Quinton got up and strode naked to the door, Janet said with amusement, "Do you plan to help me dress, sir, or will one of those maidservants have arrived by now?"

"I'll ask," he said, opening the door to his man. "Do not disturb her ladyship, Tip," he said, as if it were necessary to warn the man that he was not alone. "And watch out for the damned cat!"

As he spoke, however, Jemmy Whiskers shot through the doorway, accepting the opportunity to make good his escape.

Quin said ruefully to Janet, "I'll get the lads to catch him. He'll not get far."

"He won't run away now," she said. "Let him explore. They would only frighten him."

He nodded, then turned back to his man. "Forget my things for the moment, Tip, and see if one of the maids you found for her ladyship has turned up yet."

"Aye, laird, Ardith is here. I thought I'd just see first if she were wanted, knowing the state o' dress ye'd likely be in when ye opened yon door of a mornin'. Ye'd ha' sent the poor lassie screechin' for her mam."

Quin looked down at his naked body and sighed. "I expect I'll have to change some of my habits now that we've got women in the place," he said.

"You will, sir," Janet agreed from the bed, "and not just with regard to your dress. You have not yet given me your word on that other matter, you know, and I fear that I must insist. It is of the utmost importance to me that you forgo your raiding ways now that you have married me. I would never forgive you, you know, if you were to kill one of my kinsmen in a raid, or destroy his home."

He gave her a stern look. "We will speak more of that anon. Get you gone now, Tip, and send Ardith to her ladyship straightaway."

"But what about your clothes, laird?"

"I'll dress before you fetch her. Breeks and a jack will do me."

Tip slipped past him and hurried from coffer to wardrobe, flinging articles of clothing over an arm, taking care not to look in Janet's direction.

"I should have my own bedchamber, should I not?" she said when Tip pushed a pair of netherstocks and a pair of linen drawers into Quin's hands.

"I expect you should at that," Quin said. As he sat on a coffer to pull on the netherstocks, he added with a teasing grin, "For dressing in."

"I see ye enjoyed a good bit o' the soup," Tip said, pausing beside the hearth. "Why did ye no use the mugs?"

"We did not touch the soup," Quin said, moving to join him. Small paw prints in the ashes told him at once who the culprit was. He looked at Jenny.

She smiled but then fell silent while he dressed. When he shut the door at last behind Tip, she watched warily, and he realized that she had noted his annoyance earlier. Thus, he chose his words with care, although he would have preferred to issue a flat order, just as he would with any of his men who dared to make impertinent and untimely demands of him.   





 

"You may speak your mind to me privately," he said, "but you must not do so when others are about. I'll warrant Sir Hugh does not encourage such candor."

"He doesn't," she admitted, "but I care deeply about this, sir. I should not have spoken so plainly in front of your man, but I must insist nonetheless that you promise henceforth not to attack my kinsmen or friends."

His temper stirred, but he said evenly, "My men will expect me to lead them, lass. It is what I do."

"Then you should lead them in the path of peace, sir," she said, her tone matching his.

"Peace requires that both sides cooperate."

"Aye, but one side must begin. Why not yours?"

"Do you think that my people should sit meekly whilst the English raid their homes, burn them out, kill their wives and bairns, and steal their livestock?"

"Surely they will not kill people who do not oppose them."

"If you believe that, you do not know your countrymen," he retorted.

"The men I know would not kill innocent women and bairns."

"Then the men you know have not taken part in raids against Scotland," he said. "Not long since, in burning out half of Tarrasdale, men from Bewcastle Waste burned a score of cottages, killed six men, eight women, and seven children. Those were your brothers' men, lass. They did it, knowing that my Bairns would avenge the raid and hoping to trap me. As you know, that plan succeeded."

She frowned. "I did not know about the killing or burning, but many English women and children have died in raids, too."

"Aye, they have. I don't deny that. My Bairns do not kill innocents, though, unless they want to answer to me. They ken fine that I'll hang them for it."

He heard her gasp and pressed his point. "Life in the Borders is hard, Jenny, and men must be hard enough to match it. Mayhap one day we will all enjoy peace, but that day has not yet come. Until it does, I cannot and will not abandon my men, no matter how winsomely you plead with me. 'Tis my guidance that holds them in check. Without it, there would be more killing."

She shook her head. "That argument won't serve. You have the power to stop your own men from raiding. Perhaps we cannot end all the killing, sir, but you must prevent your men-our men-from attacking others. Defending their homes is another matter. I would not ask you to deny them your help in such a case."

"I would not listen if you did," he said with a thin smile. "What you do not seem to understand, however, is that attack is defense of their homes. If we did not respond in kind, eventually the English would wipe us out."

"That does not make sense. If you would stop attacking them, they would stop attacking you. What would be the point?"

"The point," he replied, forcing patience, "is that before the English would stop, they would beggar every Scotsman in the Borders. I cannot allow that, and even if I were foolish enough to sit by and let it happen, Buccleuch would not."

She sighed. "I cannot stop Buccleuch."

He nearly told her that she could not stop him either, but he decided to hold his peace.

She remained silent for a long moment, still watching him. Then, abruptly, she said, "I cannot blame you for refusing to listen. You did not want to marry me."

"'Tis true that marriage was not a notion that entered my head," he admitted. Then, with a smile, he added, "But after last night, I believe I will adjust to it without undue difficulty."

Color leapt to her cheeks, and for the first time she avoided his gaze. Wetting her lips with her tongue, she said, "I … I, too, believe we may come to an understanding, sir. Nevertheless, it will be much more difficult for me if I have to worry about attacks on those whom I love and care for."

"You must learn to love and care for your new family," he said.

"Aye, and I will. That does not alter my feelings about the raids, though. Is there not some compromise that we might come to?"

He hesitated. It was a fair question. "I'll do what I can," he said at last. "I can promise no more than that. If Buccleuch orders a raid, I must go. He is my liege lord and will expect and demand my obedience. Moreover, if my land or that of any of my followers falls under attack, I will do what must be done."

"Still, you need not initiate any raid or attack," she said. "You might also encourage your people-our people-to try the ways of peace. You would thus be obeying a royal command, after all."

"Jamie's commands and Jamie's wishes are often at odds with themselves," he said. "He says one thing-often for no more reason than to be able to tell the English Queen that he has done so-yet he desires another. He is entirely capable of ordering Buccleuch to wipe out an English village on the same day that he publicly deplores the violence in the Borders. Here is your maidservant," he added unnecessarily when a rap on the door announced Tip's return. "Come in," he commanded. "Bring my razor, Tip. You may shave me whilst my lady dresses."   





 

Janet watched Sir Quinton leave, feeling frustration and wondering if he would respond to any of her wishes with anything other than argument. At least he had seemed to listen to her, which was an improvement over Hugh. Still, listening did not mean he would comply with her requests.

She had no more time just then to think about the matter, for plump, redheaded Ardith waited to assist her and another rap heralded the arrival of a lackey carrying a jug of hot water for her ablutions.

She did not look forward with much pleasure to dressing, for there was little choice available as to what she could wear. She had the two skirts and the bodice she had worn when she left Brackengill, a dress that Margaret's woman had altered to fit her, and her wedding dress. She had alternated the two day dresses during her stay at Branxholme, and she was thoroughly tired of both. She knew women who owned far less, however, and if Margaret was typical, Scotswomen paid less heed to their attire than Englishwomen of the same station did.

When visiting Bewcastle or other such residences, she had always taken a sensible variety of clothing, and her hostess had frequently expected her to change her attire several times a day. At Branxholme, however, she and Margaret had dressed in the morning and had not changed all day, even to dine.