Amanda Scott - [Border Trilogy Two 02] by Border Lass Page B

time.”
    “Where is your lady, Wat?” Garth asked as he swung a leg over the bench to take the proffered seat. “I have yet to meet her, after all.”
    “ ’Tis no one’s fault but your own that you have not,” Buccleuch said. “I married Meg before Otterburn, after all.”
    “Aye, sure, I heard about that,” Garth said, grinning but knowing better than to tease his cousin about certain amusing details of that marriage. “As
you
know, the wedding was over long before I learned of it. And soon afterward, we headed to Otterburn. Then, after James died and Archie became Earl of Douglas, he sent to ask me to serve him in Galloway, at Threave Castle. One does not refuse to serve the most powerful lord in the Borders at his family seat. Nor did I want to. Also, Fife had just declared himself, rather than Archie, Chief Warden of the Marches.”
    “Aye, sure,” Wat said. He did not comment on Fife, although Garth was sure he felt as bitter as most Borderers did about Fife’s assuming a title traditionally reserved to the Earls of Douglas. “Archie did you great honor, Gar.”
    “He did, so I was with him at Threave for nearly thirteen months, until Yuletide last year. But after young Archie married Carrick’s daughter, I followed Will Douglas of Nithsdale to Prussia. As Scotland was at peace with England by then, he had decided to search for adventure with the Teutonic Knights.”
    “I know that your father died whilst you were away,” Wat said. “I was sorry to hear of it. That his death came so suddenly must have hurt you sorely.”
    “You’d know. My lord uncle died just two months before I left with Will.”
    “Aye, but my father’s wounds from Otterburn never healed right and caused him much suffering. I own, it was a relief to us all when death took him at last.”
    “My father was hale and hearty when I left,” Garth said. “He was sick only a few days, though, and I did not learn about his death until we brought Will home.”
    “
That
was a dreadful thing,” Wat said. Glancing around and lowering his voice, he added, “Were you with him when they killed him?”
    “I came upon it afterward, too late to aid him,” Garth said.
    “He was dead then?”
    “It was horrible,” Garth said, choosing his words. Despite his complete trust in Buccleuch, he did not know some of the others near enough to overhear. “Telling Archie that we’d let his son die in a street brawl was worst of all.”
    Buccleuch frowned. “I’d not want to face Archie the Grim after such a tragedy, myself. Despite being born a bastard, Will grew to be one of Scotland’s finest warriors, married a princess, and was Archie’s favorite son. No one ever doubted Archie’s love for him, or ever will.”
    “Archie doesn’t blame me or Will’s other men,” Garth said. “He has treated me only with kindness, even to offering me leave to look after things at Westruther. I tell you that only because I’d intended to accept and then visit Scott’s Hall to meet your Meg and admire that wee son of yours. As it is, though, I’ve not even seen my sister, Joan. I’d hoped to see her and her husband here.”
    “They
are
here somewhere,” Wat said. “Crosier walked into the kirk with me. I’d expected them to sup with me, too, but they had already agreed to eat with his parents. I’m surprised you didn’t see him during the ceremonies.”
    “I didn’t go into the kirk,” Garth said, seeing no reason to mention that, thanks to his intriguing adventure before the coronation, he’d barely noticed the lairds.
    He was congratulating himself that Buccleuch apparently had not seen him escort the lady Amalie through the crowd when Buccleuch said, “I wondered why you took the lass to the door but did not take her in. Doubtless you will explain.”
    Garth had no doubt that his cousin’s well-known protective instincts would extend to his good-sister, so he said only, “She had got separated from the princess Isabel, but a