We rode down from the Nine Stane Rig where my faithfulness to Robert had been tested and my passion had emerged victorious, and we rode up Liddesdale in full view of everybody.
Now, you may not know that in the Borderland all the major people were known to each other and were recognisable by sight and by name. Despite the size of the area and the number of people, it was really quite a close community, so when we walked our horses down from the ridge and stepped boldly up the valley, I felt certain that somebody would realise we were strangers and shout out a challenge.
What I had not reckoned with was the nocturnal nature of the Borders. It was an elemental mistake I made. Hugh had not made the same error. With so many of the men engaged in night-time reiving, only women, children, and
