If Janet were a good wife, Lymond suggests she would faint or hide her husband's boots to avoid trouble. This implies that Janet is brave or resilient, and perhaps that Lymond expects her to remain composed and strong in difficult situations.
Janet responds with humor, questioning what would prevent a Scottish man from fighting—women or boots—and jokes that if one of them were dead, he would be in Heaven teasing Kerrs at the Gates. Their exchange reveals their lively personalities and camaraderie, set against the backdrop of historical or fierce Scottish pride.