Seduced by a Rogue (39 page)

L
ater that day, during Easter dinner at Alan’s Tower, Lady Kelso chose to make a commonplace of Rob’s having met the lady Mairi
in St. Michael’s Kirk.

“Mairi looked to be in good spirits, I thought,” she said.

“She seemed well enough, aye,” Rob said, matching her matter-of-fact tone. “She and the dowager Lady Dunwythie are visiting
Douglas of Thornhill. His lady wife, you will remember, is Baroness Easdale.”

“Lord Dunwythie’s wife should more properly be called simply
Lady
Dunwythie until the next heir marries, my dearling,” Lady Kelso said. “You may believe me when I tell you that being always
referred to as a dowager gets quickly on a woman’s nerves. And Lady Dunwythie has not yet reached her fortieth year.”

Realizing that she spoke from personal experience, Rob grinned at her but said, “Aged or not, Gran, she is no less a dowager,
because Mairi
is
her father’s heiress and thus is now Dunwythie of Dunwythie. Therefore, when people refer to
Lady
Dunwythie now, they will be referring to her.”

“Bless me, so Dunwythie of that Ilk is now a woman,” Alex Maxwell said thoughtfully. “’Tis a most thought-provoking situation,
is it not?”

Meeting his gaze, Rob felt a distinct chill.

Mairi had rejoined the others after parting with Rob, and tried hard to pay heed to the general conversation as they rode
back to Thornhill for their midday meal. She knew the others were burning to ask about her conversation with him.

But although Phaeline glanced at her several times as if she expected Mairi to initiate such a conversation, even she did
not comment on their meeting.

Jenny did ask her about it when they reached Thornhill. Having put a heel through the hem of her dress, she asked Mairi to
go with her to pin it up again.

“Peg is helping to set out Easter dinner,” Jenny said. “Forbye, this way we can steal a few minutes alone, so you can tell
me about what happened in kirk. If you do not want to talk about it, I will understand,” she added as Mairi knelt to attend
to the tear. “But Hugh told me who that man was that walked with you afterward. So you must know that I’m all agog to hear
what he wanted with you.”

“He is not as you must think he is,” Mairi said. “He was kind to me, though he says I must not describe him so. He wanted
to know if Gib is ready yet to return to Trailinghail. I told you about Lady Kelso, Robert’s grandmother. She looked after
Gib when his parents died. The sheriff had no place for the lad, she said, so she gave him to Robert.”

“
Gave
him?”

“To train in some way or other,” Mairi explained. “Gib will have to make his own way, after all, and Robert can do more for
him than Lady Kelso can.” She explained how Gib had ended up with her. “He said he likes to learn about places and people,
but I think he is likely ready to return to Trailinghail. I’ll arrange for one of the men to take him into Dumfries on our
way back to Annan.”

So sure was she that, two days later, when she told Gib of her arrangement, it came as a shock when he said, “But I’d liefer
stay at Annan House, m’lady.”

“Now, Gibby—”

“Sithee, we ha’ been gone nigh onto a sennight now, and heaven kens what mischief that wee devil will ha’ got himself into.
I should go back to be sure all is well wi’ the lad. Like as no, I’ll ha’ dunamany chances to get back to Trailinghail.”

Rob was sure by the end of that week that Gib had returned to Annan with Mairi, and also sure that he knew his brother’s mind
as well as he knew his own.

Although Alex had said no more about the matter, he had clearly taken the news of Mairi’s inheritance to mean that Dunwythie
Mains, with only a woman to run the estate, was as good as his. In the intervening days, although Alex had gone about it quietly,
Rob learned that he had begun gathering a large force of men.

The discovery frightened and infuriated him. But he ignored his personal feelings and took care not to look at his grandmother
when they sat down to supper Saturday evening. He believed that, much as Lady Kelso disliked the idea of Alex seizing Dunwythie
Mains, she would accept his explanation that it was his duty as the sheriff and would do little, actively, to support Rob
against him.

Accordingly, and with a strong if unusual sense of calm, Rob said, “I ken fine what you mean to do, Alex. But you have not
thought this matter through.”

“What matter do you think we are discussing, Rob?”

“Don’t carp. ’Tis plain that you mean to take advantage of the situation as you perceive it to be. With only a woman to guard
those estates, you imagine you can seize them, and you will begin with Dunwythie Mains.”

“Seizing estates when their owners flout Crown law is no more than my official duty,” Alex said, just as Rob had expected
he would.

“But the same truths apply now that applied before with regard to seizing them,” Rob said. “The new baroness is indeed a woman,
but she is wise beyond her years. And the men who serve her are well trained and as competent as our own, if not more so.
Do not forget that with the English occupying Lochmaben, the men of Annandale test their mettle more often than our Dumfries
lads do. And
Lord
Dunwythie trained them.”

“Faugh,” Alex said. “Do not
you
forget that I am well experienced in the field. Moreover, you will be beside me with
your
sword this time, as you should be.”

“Nay, then, I will not,” Rob said. “Not to attack the young baroness or the innocent people who look after her estates. And
certainly not whilst Archie the Grim roams about with heaven kens how many men, not to mention all the others he can quickly
summon to his banner if he wants them.”

“We’ve had no word of late that he is in Dumfriesshire,” Alex said.

“But you ken fine that when he moves he moves swiftly,” Rob countered. “Moreover, he is more popular in Annandale and with
some folks here than you are, Alex. And with a kinsman at Thornhill to complain of your attack on Dunwythie, he might decide
not only to protect Dunwythie Mains but also to punish you for your temerity in lately besieging Trailinghail, which I’d remind
you lies in Galloway.”

“He won’t do any such thing, for that was not a true siege,” Alex countered. “Archie will understand better than you do that
I could not allow my own brother to flout my commands. I have
never
set myself against Douglas, nor would I.”

“Sakes, man, you and your men rode across Douglas land to lay that siege you say was not one at Trailinghail,” Rob said. “
All
the land betwixt Kirkcudbright and mine at Trailinghail belongs to Douglas.”

“Mayhap it is, aye, but I have only to tell Archie that my purpose was to rescue the lady Mairi from you.”

“Rescuing her
may
have been your intent,” Rob said dulcetly, allowing himself a slight smile. “But if I were you, I’d think twice before mentioning
that
in support of your so-called right to seize the same lady’s estates.”

Reddening, Alex retorted angrily, “I will do my duty, come what may.”

“Will you? Well, I cannot keep you from trying, but I
won’t
ride with you.”

“And if I command you to do so?”

Rob shook his head, saying, “I’ll bid you farewell now, brother. I cannot wish you good fortune in your venture, but I do
sincerely hope you come through such a mad scheme with your skin still intact.”

“By God, you do not change,” Alex snapped. “You would betray your own clan for the sake of a pretty face and figure. You should
be ashamed to call yourself a Maxwell, Rob!”

“My only shame is that I allowed myself to be swayed by such arguments in the past,” Rob said. “If being a Maxwell means attacking
an innocent woman to take her rightful property merely to augment a kinsman’s personal power, I think shame to the clan and
to the man who instigates such an attack.”

With that, and astonished by the ease with which he had held his temper, Rob strode out to the yard and shouted for his men
and horses. An hour later, they were on the road, heading north from Dumfries by the river route to Thornhill.

Two days later, on the first day of May, Mairi was sitting in the ladies’ solar at Annan House with a silent Phaeline when
Jopson brought word that Parland Dow had arrived.

“Will I be tellin’ him to be getting on wi’ such tasks as his late lordship and me discussed, my lady, or will ye be having
new ones for him?” the steward asked.

As Mairi paused to choose her reply, Phaeline said, “I should think that
you
must know much better than her
ladyship does what orders to give Dow, Jopson.”

Quietly, as if her stepmother had kept silent, Mairi said, “Thank you for telling me, Jopson. Unless aught has changed since
you and I talked after my lord father’s death, tell Parland Dow what we decided and let him get on with it.”

“Aye, mistress,” the steward said. “He did beg a word wi’ ye, though, if ye should find a convenient time to speak wi’ him.”

“I will go to him now,” Mairi said. “I warrant he has brought news.”

“Gossip, more like,” Phaeline said. “The man is ever filled with it. But surely he can share what news he has gleaned with
both of us this evening whilst we sup, Mairi. ’Tis what your father would have done.”

That was her newest ploy, to try to get her way by declaring that whatever she wanted was what Dunwythie would have done.
Mairi knew, though, that Phaeline was only aching to hear the news just as she was.

“My father would have issued his invitation personally, madam,” she said. “And so must I. That way, we can all three be comfortable
whilst we talk.”

“’Tis a kind thought, dearling, but better to let Jopson do it,” Phaeline said with the sweet tone and smile she used whenever
she thought she had won.

Mairi did not comment, and ignored her stepmother’s astonishment as she excused herself with an equally sweet smile to go
with the steward.

“Does Parland Dow come to us from Dumfries, Jopson?” she asked quietly as they approached the stairway.

“I think he said he had come from Thornhill, m’lady.”

“Thornhill? Thank the Fates you did not tell me
that
in front of her ladyship!”

“I knew better, mistress, for Dow did say I should tell you in such a way that you would come to him alone. I could not mistake
that.”

“Sakes, I hope naught is amiss at Thornhill.”

“Nay, for I did ask him straightaway if all was well with our lady Jenny.”

Relieved, Mairi greeted Dow a few minutes later with a smile and a warm clasp of his hand. “I am glad to see you,” she said.

“Ye mayn’t be so when ye hear what I ha’ to tell ye,” he said with a grimace.

“Jopson assured me all is well at Thornhill. So what is it?”

“’Tis Sir Hugh sending me hotfoot to warn ye them blasted Maxwells be aiming to seize the estates at Dunwythie Mains in the
name o’ the Crown,” he said.

“The sheriff did threaten to do such a thing, but I did not believe he would.”

“Sir Hugh did say Sheriff Maxwell means to do so straightaway. See you, m’lady, the man doubts ye’ll be strong enough to stop
him.”