Border Storm by Amanda Scott Page B

lace, but it was so narrow that, in Laurie’s opinion, it looked more like a necklace than a part of her gown. Laurie noticed, too, that May had reddened her lips and cheeks and had darkened her eyelashes.
    Indeed, she thought, May looked almost as though she had expected to dine in company.
    Even Sir William noticed, for he said heartily, “You are looking very fine tonight, May.”
    May blushed, and Blanche said, “She does look well, does she not, sir? One can easily see that she will benefit from taking more care with her appearance.”
    “Aye, that she would,” he agreed.
    Blanche smiled archly. “I believe we should take her with us next month when we visit Fast Castle, for she is old enough now to show herself more in company.”
    “Well, as to that—”
    “Faith, sir, she ought to have been doing so these two years past.”
    Sir William looked around the chamber as if to make certain that no servants had joined them before he said firmly, “I believe I understand you, madam. But we have discussed this matter before, and I do not intend to alter my decision.”
    May’s lips pressed tightly together, for she knew better than to protest.
    Laurie glanced at Blanche, wondering if her stepmother would dare at such a moment to speak her mind.
    Blanche’s expression remained firmly under control, however, and if Sir William could read her thoughts, Laurie could not.
    Mildly Blanche said, “One would not wish to gainsay you, husband, but the present situation is most unfair to May. She is quite old enough for betrothing.”
    “You and I will discuss this anon,” Sir William said. “It is no topic to bandy before the servants, and I warrant I hear them coming now with our supper.”
    The table was ready, and almost as an echo of Sir William’s words, three menservants entered, carrying platters of food.
    The members of the family took their places at the table.
    Sir William glanced at the platters’ contents and said to his carver, “We will tend to ourselves, I think. You may leave when you have served the soup and then return in half an hour to see if we require aught else.”
    “Aye, master.”
    While the carver ladled barley soup into bowls and a lackey set a bowl before each of them, Laurie became aware of Blanche’s searching gaze. She returned the look steadily but said nothing, knowing that her stepmother was trying to determine what punishment, if any, Sir William had meted out. From experience, however, she knew Blanche would not ask, so she turned her attention to her food.
    Much of the food was cold, left over from the noontime dinner, but the soup was hot and tasty to one who had had nothing to eat since before dawn. She might have shared a crust and some cheese with Davy’s family when she and Sym rejoined them after the Englishmen had departed, but she never liked taking food from them. They had little to spare. Usually she took gifts to them from Aylewood’s kitchens, but that morning she had been in a hurry. She had not seen them in days, and had thought—wrongly, as it turned out—that an early visit would be safe.
    May said abruptly, the moment the servants had left the room, “May I go to Fast Castle when you go, sir?”
    Isabel shot her a startled glance, then quickly turned back to her food.
    “We’ll see,” Sir William said. “The King has asked me to attend a meeting of the Scottish wardens to discuss various things that we might do to encourage peace in the Borders. I had not thought of the meeting as a social occasion, but your mother has expressed a desire to go.”
    “I’ll warrant that at least some of the other wardens’ wives will be there,” Blanche said, smiling at him.
    Smiling back, he said, “Aye, perhaps. Do you want to go, too, Laurie?”
    Conscious of May’s hopeful gaze, and the sterner one of her stepmother, Laurie said, “It would be pleasant to visit Fast Castle, sir. I have never been there.”
    In an austere tone, Blanche said, “Is it not