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his father, someone must
needs do so. Hm . . . welcome back to Kinnaird. It has seemed a long
time.'
    'Long,
yes.' Eyes grey and considering locked for a moment or two with eyes
brown and smouldering. Then Montrose turned to the somewhat older man
with the flag, thick-set, ruddy-complexioned and plainly dressed. 'It
is good to see you, Sir Robert. Kind in you to come. You at least
have not changed, I swear!' That was said with a smile. 'See - I have
brought back your heir to you, as you have brought me mine!'
    Graham
of Morphie bowed, scarcely glancing at his own son, Montrose's
esquire. 'I could do no less than come, my lord James. I have looked
to this day for long. You are well returned. Greatly needed. I
rejoice to see you home.'
    Morphie
was the nearest of the Graham lairds to Kinnaird and Montrose, his
property lying only some six miles to the north, at Marykirk of the
Mearns. Sir Robert had been left in charge of the great Montrose
estate as Chamberlain, during his chief's absence. A solid, able man,
he had been one of the curators, with Archie Napier and David
Carnegie, appointed by the old Earl of Montrose to look after the boy
he left as heir. And he was married to the Earl of Southesk's sister.
    'All
tell me it is tune that I returned,' Montrose said, a little grimly.
‘You also, Robert. You will have your reasons?'
    'Aye,
my lord.' That was heavy. 'I shall not be sorry to shift a wheen
burdens from my shoulders to yours! Praise to God, they look now
suificiently broad to bear them!'
    "Mm.’
Brows raised, the Earl shrugged. 'So be it, then. I have now to look
to my own interests - thanking you who have looked to them for me.'
He nodded to both men. 'Come, Johnnie - take me to your mother.'
    Urging
his mount forward, he was able to close with the boy, at last, and
slip an arm around the slight shoulders momentarily, without any
suggestion of unmanliness. Then, side by side they rode down the long
slope to the marshland, to splash across the Pow Burn, and on, over
the wide park-lands to Kinnaird Castle on its terrace.
    A
great company waited to receive them, assembled within the inner
bailey, beyond the drawbridge and gatehouse, of all ranks and
standing, men, women and children too. The return of the Graham was
an occasion indeed.
    In
the centre stood a big bulky man in his sixties, florid, choleric,
with white hair and a bushy beard - David, new Earl of Southesk,
eighth Laird of Kinnaird, first Lord Carnegie, Privy Councillor, High
Sheriff of Forfar, Extraordinary Lord of Session and
father-in-law of James Graham. He stood with arms akimbo, and looked
threatening; but then David Carnegie usually looked threatening.
He was flanked by two young women, one bold-eyed and handsome, the
other modest and plumply comely—his Countess and third
wife, and his daughter Magdalen. Each held a two-year-old toddler by
the hand, girl and boy.
    'Greeting,
my lord Earl!' Montrose called dismounting, and doffing his hat with
a flourish. 'I need not ask if I see you. well.
Growing younger year by year, I swear !’ He bowed to the
Countess of Southesk. 'My lady - you bloom! My lord looks to suit you
as well as you him! Your servant.' And to the other, still younger
woman, a year younger than himself, in fact, he raised an open hand.
'Magdalen, my dear.'
    One
countess, his own, dipped deeply, and murmured, ‘My lord,'
low-voiced. The other stared openly, assessingly, and whistled,
barely beneath her breath, in scarcely ladylike fashion, saying
nothing.
    'So
you are back, boy! You have taken your time, have you no'?' Southesk
cried. None other than he would have thought to call Montrose boy -
and even he looked just a little bit askance as he said it,
perceiving that there were changes here which could not be entirely
ignored. 'We looked to see you hear a year back. What held you?'
    â€˜ I
am flattered that you so greatly missed my poor presence, my lord,'
the other answered easily. 'But matters of sufficient import