'Robert of Whitecleuch will not be a good leader for Tweedies,' Father said seriously.'He is slow, ponderous, and cannot wield a sword.When I asked the Yorling to take you away, I had one of two things in mind.'
I am not sure how I felt when I heard that Father had arranged that I should be abducted by a group of men I had never met in my life.'What were these two things, Father?'
'Either Robert would finally prove himself a man,' Father said, 'Or he would make such a fool of himself that you would finally see how useless he was for you and the valley, and you would choose somebody more suitable.'
'So, the entire raid was false?'I said.
'It was all false,' Father said.
'Robert did not know that,' I said.'He might have killed the Yorling, my brother George.'
Father's great laugh boomed out around his chamber.'Robert could not hurt the Yorling if he tried for a month!'The idea seemed to amuse him so much that I felt my anger build up.
'Robert's not that bad,' I said.'At least he came to look for me.'
Father's laughter ended abruptly.'If your mother had been taken by a raiding party, I would be in the saddle and raising a hot trod within half an hour.Robert did not do that.'
I said nothing.I remembered how tenderly the Yorling had treated me in his ride away from the Lethan Valley, and how he had camped high on the hill with few precautions.At the time I had thought it bold; now I saw that he was not hiding from Robert but allowing him the opportunity to track and capture me back, if he so willed.
'The Yorling tells me that while he awaited Robert's trod, Wild Will came instead,' Father said.
'That is how it happened,' I agreed.I remembered that professional onslaught by the Armstrongs and the ease with which they had overcome the Yorling's men.I had not realised, then, that the Yorling had been inviting such an attack and so their resistance had been slight.
'The Yorling lost one man killed and another badly hurt in that encounter,' Father said, 'and spent the next two days tracking Wild Will to Tarras.He knew he could not defeat the Armstrongs in their own stronghold so came back for me and the men of Lethan.'
I nodded.'My Robert was with you,' I reminded.
'He was,' Father said.'He came to me for help when he should have been on the trail of the Yorling and then on that of Wild Will.'
Despite myself, I shuddered at the thought of my Robert tracking the Armstrongs through Liddesdale and the desolation of the Tarras Moss.
'At least he came looking for me.'I defended him.
Father raised his eyebrows and said nothing to that.
'Are you still intent on marrying him?'Father asked.
'I am,' I said stoutly.Father knew about my visions.I had no need to remind him.
'I thought so,' Father said.'That is the main reason I want to remove any threat from the Veitches.With Robert Ferguson as the head of the surname, the Tweedies will be every man's prey.'He lifted the tankard of ale that stood beside his right hand.'In other words, Jeannie, although you do not approve of what I am doing, I am ensuring your safety, and that of my people.'He took a deep draught of the ale and put the tankard down with a thump.'Mostly yours.'
I knew I should thank him.Instead, I could only say, 'There could be a lot of people killed.'
'They will only be Veitch corpses if the men do as they are told,' Father said, 'and if your fool Robert does not fall off his horse or cut his finger on his sword or allow a ten-year-old child to unhorse him.'
It hurt to hear Father's low opinion of Robert.It hurt more when I knew he was only slightly exaggerating.I knew that Robert had so many good points, yet I could never convince others to see them.One day though Robert would ride over a ridge and save me; he would prove himself as bold a hero as any man in the Borders.
'I am not inclined to let this thing wait,' Father said.'Word will reach the Veitches that the Yorling and his men have arrived in the valley.They will guess that we are going to attack them and will prepare, so we must strike soon.'
I thought of Hugh and knew I did not want him hurt.'How soon, Father?'
'In a day or so,' Father said.
I felt fear for Hugh, and fear for Robert facing the Veitches.If they were all of Hugh's standard then Robert, and Father, would be facing a redoubtable foe.
'Now,' Father said, 'I have things to work out and arrangements to make.If you have nothing to do, then I am sure your mother can find something for you.'
'I am sure she would,' I said, 'and that sounds a very good reason to avoid her company.'
