Border Fire(35)

It occurred to her that Margaret might have altered her usual practice to accommodate a guest who had brought little with her to wear. Still, the fact that Margaret had given her only the one dress argued that Margaret had not thought she would require more.

"I shall wear the blue bodice and overskirt, Ardith," she said as she moved to perform her ablutions at the washstand, where the young maid was pouring water from the ewer into the basin.

"The laird's man-that Tip-he said the laird would doubtless like ye t' wear one of the new dresses, m'lady."

"What new dresses?"

"He said I'd find 'em in the press," Ardith said, looking around and pointing to the wardrobe. "I trow we'll find them there. Shall I see, then?"

"Yes, please," Janet said, her interest stirring.

She watched with growing delight while Ardith opened the press and took out a loose gown of shimmering golden-brown silk edged with richly embroidered braid. A second gown followed of grass-green satin trimmed with white velvet.

"There be shoes, too, mistress," Ardith said. "Did ye no ken they was here?"

"No," Janet said. "Sir Quinton must have meant to surprise me. I came away from home rather quickly, you see, and-" She broke off, seeing awareness in Ardith's eyes. "But you know all about me, do you not?"

The girl smiled. "Nay then, not all, m'lady, but some. Ye helped the laird escape, and that be all we need ken o' ye-that and that ye're mistress the noo o' Broadhaugh. Which will ye wear, then?"

Janet's first impulse was to wear her own old dress, since she wanted to explore Broadhaugh from towers to cellars and would likely soil whatever she wore. When she hesitated, looking at the worn dresses, the maid's disappointed expression made the decision for her. It would be her first appearance as Broadhaugh's mistress. She would accomplish no good by appearing in worn-out clothing.

"I shall wear the green," she said.

Ardith nodded her approval. "It will suit you fine, that dress. The master chose well."

"Aye." As she said the word, Janet thought of Lady Roxburgh and wondered if the poor woman had got any of the new dresses she had ordered from Francis Tailor. She wondered, too, how many other women Sir Quinton had bought clothing for. Feeling her fingers curl into claws, she quickly composed herself.

"I'll wear my hair in a net," she said as Ardith fastened the tiny hooks and eyes on the tight bodice. "I will show you later how I like to arrange it, but I want to inspect the household today, and it will look tidy enough in the net."

"'Tis gey beautiful," Ardith murmured, her attention focused on the lacing at the back of the bodice. As she drew the laces tighter, she added, "I ha' never seen hair as pale as what yours is. Almost silver it is, like moonlight."

"Aye, and it is gey fine, too," Janet told her with a chuckle. "You will find that it does not plait well, or curl. I like to twist it in a knot at the back of my neck, to keep it out of the way, but when we must bow to fashion, there are ways."

"'Twould be a pity and all to crimp it, I'm thinking," Ardith said with a speculative look.

"And useless," Janet told her. Twenty minutes later, she stood before the looking glass, pleased with what she saw. Her hair was smoothed back from her brow and confined in a ribbon-trimmed net. The green satin dress made her eyes look green and gave her skin a soft, creamy look. Pinching her cheeks to force more color into them, she announced herself ready to inspect the household.   





 

"Ye'll be wanting to break your fast first," Ardith said.

Janet agreed, and allowed the young maidservant to guide her to the master's hall, where she found Sir Quinton discussing a meal rather larger and more varied than what was customary at Brackengill. Joining him, she contented herself with a freshly baked roll and a mug of milk.

"I like that dress," he said. "It becomes you well."

"Thank you," she said. "It was kind of you to buy me more clothes."

"You'll need more than those," he said. "We'll ride into Hawick one day soon, so you can meet Francis Tailor."

"I am almost afraid to face him," she said. "I shudder to think what you must have done to make him provide such a fine wardrobe for me."

He chuckled. "He was glad he could please me-and please Buccleuch, too, for that matter. If you are worried that Lady Roxburgh is running around naked, you need not. Her husband will thank me for saving him the expense."

"Let me write to Hugh before you commission any more," she said. "Doubtless once he's got over his anger, he will send my things to Broadhaugh."

"Don't count on that, lass," Sir Quinton warned. "He said he'd see you married in your smock, and he meant it. I doubt that he will give in easily. At all events, we won't ask him for favors yet a while. I can provide all that you need."

"You should not have to do that," she protested. "I am entitled to a dowry."

"Nevertheless, we will not trouble your brother. I am not Croesus, Jenny, but I can look after my wife."

She opened her mouth to object again to the nickname, then shut it when she saw that he was gazing at her with amused anticipation.

Gently, he added, "You will want things for the household, too, I don't doubt. Make a list."

Glad that he was proving to be reasonable, Janet turned her attention with pleasure to the household, soon finding her feet in familiar tasks and problems. She had feared at first that Sir Quinton's people might look upon her as an interloper, but she quickly learned that everyone at Broadhaugh shared Ardith's delight. Not only had word spread that Janet had rescued their master but his people seemed to take pride in having a mistress at Broadhaugh again.

The next week passed in a flurry of housework. At Janet's insistence, Sir Quinton hired more maidservants. The kitchen buzzed with activity. Mops and brooms found their way into areas that had not seen the effects of either in two years, and the flagstones in the hall gleamed after a good scrubbing. Wood shone with new polish. Bed curtains and window curtains came down to be shaken, even laundered, and then went up again. Arras cloths, too, came down to be cleaned. Glass windows glistened again, and men dusted and painted every shutter.

Janet discovered with delight that smoke-blackened beams in the hall and bedchamber ceilings, when cleaned, revealed brightly painted scenes, some illustrating familiar Biblical texts, others well-known ballads. Linen presses were turned out, chimneys cleaned, and every pot was scrubbed. Indeed, in less than a fortnight every corner of Broadhaugh showed signs of her energy and competence. No longer did chimney soot fall into pots to flavor everything cooked over the kitchen fire. Maidservants sang as they set to their work; delightful odors emanated from the kitchens, putting smiles on the men's faces as they attended to their chores; and laughter frequently rang through the castle.

Sir Quinton's man, Tip, became Janet's willing slave and, whenever his master did not require his services, could be found harrying lackeys to do her bidding more quickly, or doing small favors for her himself. Janet had arranged for Tip's elderly mother and numerous other tenants in similar circumstances to receive fresh-baked bread from the castle bakehouse once a week, just as she had done at Brackengill, and Tip was almost puppy-like in his gratitude. She supposed that once the cheerful little man grew accustomed to her ways, his close attendance would ease, but for the present she welcomed help from any quarter.

At the end of the fortnight, Sir Quinton made good his promise to take her to Hawick, and despite the awkwardness of the sidesaddle Margaret had lent her-which he insisted she use-both the excursion and the bustling little town delighted her. They entered through the west port at the top of a row of houses that divided two streets, and followed the one on their right until they came to an intersection.

Sir Quinton said, "We'll follow the Howegate down to the Auld Brig, which connects the western portion of the town to the High Street."

"Hawick is larger than I expected," Janet said.   





 

"Aye, well, it's the only proper town south of Jedburgh. Its biggest claim to fame is that when the English attacked thirty years ago, the townsfolk threw all their thatch into the streets and set it afire. The smoke was so strong and smelled so bad that the raiders could not enter the town till they had put out the fires. It was ironic, too, because before then the English had spent the day setting all of Teviotdale afire and had come to Hawick expecting to find food and shelter. Instead, the townsfolk, knowing their purpose, took all their goods to Drumlanrig Tower yonder." He pointed toward the tall stone pele tower on the east bank of the Teviot.

"What did the English do then?"

He shrugged. "They burned the rest of the town. Most of these buildings are new since then, although they spared Drumlanrig. Although Douglas is kin to us, he was friendly to Elizabeth then, and they did not want to alienate him by burning his tower. We'll cross here," he added. "Francis Tailor's shop is by the Market Cross."

Janet nodded, content to follow where he led, and when they reached the tailor shop, she found Francis and his wife helpful and her new husband generous. Not only did he buy her clothing but also a new sidesaddle similar to the Italian saddle Hugh had given her. By the time they returned to Broadhaugh she was in full charity with him. She looked forward to showing off her new wardrobe and felt confident that they would deal well together. Thanks to his delight in her as a bed partner and housewife, and her determination to bring Broadhaugh swiftly to her high standard, this happy state of affairs continued for some time.