she stopped, looking pleadingly at her husband.
"Now, my dear," Uncle Blair said, "you know fine that the Lord is the rock of our strength."
"I know, Hugh, but the children..."
"If we're to be cast out like criminals or outlaws, or even slain, it will be in the Lord's holy name. We'll be martyrs, Isobel, don't forget. The Lord will take each one of us by the hand, and lead us into glory, and say to us, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.'"
I could hardly bear to look at my poor aunt, who had put down her sewing and was twisting her apron in her hands. Martha and Nanny, feeling the tension, had crept close to her and were folding her skirts around themselves. Grizel, who had been stirring the stew for tomorrow's dinner in the cauldron over the fire, was standing with the spoon in midair, as if mesmerized by Uncle Blair's words. I hadn't noticed Ritchie come in through the door behind me, but now he broke in eagerly, "Will we go armed into the hills, Father? If you take the musket, can I carry the sword?"
Uncle Blair tried to frown at him, but I could see that he shared Ritchie's excitement.
"Aye, son. We've no choice. If the forces of evil—"
"You mean the king's Black Cuffs! Armed to the teeth and with fast horses," Aunt Blair interrupted, her usual mild fretfulness giving way to bitterness.
"Yes, my dear. Charles Stuart's cavalry. If they come after us, we'll have no choice but to defend ourselves in the Lord's name. You'd best look at the powder horn, Ritchie, and see if it's dry. I'll check the musket balls. I've sharpened the sword. It'll do for the Lord's purposes."
Aunt Blair threw up her hands as if she despaired of both of them.
"I'm away to my bed," she said. "We'll be up before dawn. Ritchie, get off now to the barn. Grizel, cover the fire. Stop pulling Nanny's hair, Martha, and get into your night shift."
A few minutes later, Grizel, the little girls, and I were enclosed within our stuffy cupboard bed, but tired as I was, it was a long time before I could sleep. I had thought I had left danger behind when I'd fled from the Isle of Bute, but I seemed to have leaped from the cauldron into the fire. In Rothesay they'd wanted to string me up for being in league with the Devil, but here in Kilmacolm you could be hanged for trying to be too close to God. My stomach churned with terror at the thought of fleeing once again, pursued by a cruel enemy.
Why can't I just be ordinary? I wanted to cry out loud. Why does all this happen to me?
I was afraid that the thought was sinful, and I tried to pray, but the words of my prayer seemed to rise no further than the roof of the box bed. Nanny rolled over, muttering in her sleep. I put my arms around her and held her close, taking comfort from her childish peacefulness.
***
We got up and dressed by candlelight, and Aunt was just buttering some oatcakes for a hasty breakfast when a loud rapping came at the door.
"Lord have mercy!" she cried out, dropping the oatcake she'd been holding, which fell, butter-side down, on the table. "It's the soldiers! Hugh! Hide yourself!"
But Uncle Blair was calmly opening the door. He stepped outside, and we heard men's voices raised first in greeting, then in discussion. He came back in a few minutes later, shaking his head.
"Isobel, you'll not be coming today after all. The troops are out. They were seen last night riding from Paisley, and now they're fanning out, scouring the hills."
A smile of pure relief lit my aunt's face.
"It's the Lord's will, Hugh. We must accept it. We'll have a quiet Sabbath here at home."
"Aye, you will, my dear. You and the girls. Ritchie and I—"
"You'll not go out there, Hugh! Please! What if—"
She had caught his arm, but he gently took her hand away and held it in both of his own.
"Isobel, don't tempt me away from the path of righteousness! If Mr. Alexander has the courage to preach up there in the hills, who am I to let him down? There'll be others—all our good neighbors. Barbour from Barnaigh is here just now. He's going with all his sons. And Laird of Newton. The Flemings from Whinnerstone. Do you want Blair of Ladymuir to be the only one to skulk at