She knew the English commanders who had gathered at Berwick so far: Pembroke, Lord Robert Clifford, and Lord Henry de Percy, as well as some of the Scots in Edward’s allegiance—Robert de Umfraville, Earl of Angus, Ingrim de Umfraville, Alexander Abernathy, and Adam Gordon—but she wanted to see the others who had answered King Edward’s call, as well as the numbers of men they had brought with them. A visit to the other camp would be perfect. Although she suspected Sir Hugh wasn’t going to be as easy to put off as Sir Richard.

When his hand slid under the table to rest on her knee, she knew she was right. With a playful, chastising gaze she removed it.

Fortunately, Margaret asked him a question and gave Joan a moment to recover. She thought that it was Sir Hugh’s touch that had made her skin prickle and the hair at the back of her neck stand up, but when she glanced to the back of the Hall she saw a group of men standing there, and one of them was staring at her with an intensity that seemed to burn right through her.

She sucked in her breath, startled by both the ferocity of the look and the connection. Alex Seton, it seemed, had not forgotten her.

“Is something wrong, Seton?”

Alex drew his gaze from the dais to the distinguished knight at his side. Sir Adam Gordon had been a great Scot patriot in the early years of the war, but his fealty had always belonged to the deposed Scottish King John Balliol. Honor would not permit him to fight for Bruce, even though Alex suspected he hated having to ally with the English against his countrymen. With Balliol living in exile in France with little chance of ever regaining his throne—even as an English puppet—Alex wondered whether Sir Adam had been tempted to switch allegiance.

Alex admired Sir Adam greatly. The older knight was one of the bright spots since Alex had gone over to the English. Like Alex’s lands, Sir Adam’s holdings were in the lawless Borders where their people had taken the brunt of the war from both sides. Sir Adam, too, wanted to see the war and the suffering of their people ended.

Not only did they share the same goal, but Sir Adam was also the uncle of one of Alex’s fallen comrades. William “Templar” Gordon had died over three years ago in an explosion while on a mission for the Highland Guard. Gordon was one of the best men Alex had ever known, and although Sir Adam could not know of the connection, Alex felt it.

He shook his head, ignoring the couple on the dais and forcing his body to relax—all his muscles were tight. “Nay, nothing is wrong.”