by J W Murison
And so it was and so has it remained to this day.’ I patted the wide-eyed youngster’s head. ‘Did you enjoy that story?’
I prised his sodden shirttail from his mouth so he could answer. ‘Yes Sir.’
‘Well if you’re good I might tell you another later.’ I put him down and he ran to his mother.
There was a tear in Robyn’s eye as she grasped my arm. ‘That was a wonderful story.’
My spirits soared. ‘Did you enjoy it Doctor?’
‘It was fantastic, but I wonder at its accuracy after so many years.’ A ringing silence descended upon the courtyard.
‘Do you really?’ I regarded him for a moment then my eyes searched out the descendants of those ten, for they were all still here. It wasn’t a hard decision for them to make, for some owed their life like I did to this man. Tension mounted as each nodded in turn.
‘John, would you do the honours?’ I asked without taking my eyes from the Doctor. The most senior of the ten went with him. I could sense the excitement build for this was a rare happening. The Doctor began to get nervous under the stretching silence. Robyn seemed to be holding her breath.
They returned bearing between them a heavy chest. It was placed on the table before me. I stood and laid my hand upon the catch.
‘Before I open this, Doctor, I must ask for both of your most solemn pledges that you will never speak of what will be revealed to you this day. For what sits before you is our most precious treasure. No one but the people of the Glen know of its existence and none but the decedents of the ten are allowed to touch it.’
Both gave their promise to all. I opened it. ‘This chest is kept within a secret chamber in the bowels of the castle, free from damp and safe from fire.
On the night after the battle as the men applied salve to their wound’s and slept from exhaustion the King ordered his scribe to record forever on tablets of wood the deeds of our ancestors that day. These are those tablets.’
I could see the awe on the Doctor’s face as I donned a pair of gloves and took out the top tablet and placed it into its holder on the lid. It was over a thousand years old, but our family had treasured it from the beginning, and although it had faded a little the colour’s used to fill in the pictorial carvings were still bright.
‘I merely recited almost word for word what is written here.’
He stood breathless. ‘Can you actually read it?’
‘Not only can I read it I can speak the language. All of the ten can. This knowledge has been passed down through the generations from father to son in an unbroken line. I learned to read and speak this before I could English.’
He shook his head in wonder. ‘I can see now why you were so sceptical about the Roman version.’
‘As I said, why build a big wall to keep out a defeated enemy?’
A thought occurred to him. ‘Can you read all the inscriptions on those standing stones as well?’
I laughed. ‘Yes I can.’
‘My God and no one knows!’
‘To admit it would bring awkward questions.’
‘Yes and I can appreciate your candour. This is a great treasure.’
The whole Glen took the opportunity to file past before John took it once more to its resting place.
Chapter 25
Robyn was reeling from the assault on her senses. The large courtyard was filled with men, women and children, all talking and eating. The very air was alive with the hum of their voices. Tartan plaid was the dress of the day and the courtyard was awash with colour. Many of the women wore dresses of one colour but almost everyone had a tartan sash.
It was easy to tell which members belonged to which family and Alasdair gladly put a name to each tartan. A number of times she had noticed his eyes linger on her and she felt him begin to unwind.
She noticed many of her dishes being passed around and many compliments were being shouted up to her, mostly from the men.
The day was warm and the air filled with delicious aromas. She found many of the local dishes to her taste and passed out many compliments of her own. Most of them were received with a tight smile and a nod of thanks.
She wondered a little at that but had little time to dwell on it; there was far too much happening. Children were quick to leave the table and run around playing. Occasionally an argument would start up, but it would be quickly quashed by the nearest adults, sometimes in a strange throaty language.
Her heart would quicken as she realised it was the ancient language Alasdair had talked about. She tried to tune her ear into it, but there was rarely more than an odd sentence spoken at any one time.
She asked Alasdair about it.
He smiled. ‘Because not everyone speaks it, it’s considered rude.’
‘You mean because we’re here.’
‘Yes and no, there are many here who don’t understand the language. I’m sure most have a few words being brought up with it, but not all.’
‘It’s all so strange.’
Alasdair smiled. ‘We are considered strange by many of our fellow Scots, but it’s a strangeness we guard jealously.’
Robyn returned his smile and found herself asking even silly questions just to hear the sound of his voice. It seemed to reach down into her soul and fill her with a strange warmth that began to infuse her entire body, and when he laughed it seemed to resonate through her and trigger a tingling that spread with the warmth.
Robyn wasn’t sure but she began to think she was having the same effect on Alasdair. She noticed when she laughed colour would flush his face and the look in his eyes would deepen. She found herself wanting to fall into those foreboding depths and in those moments the warmth would turn to a white hot heat that left her breathless.
It slowly began to dawn on Robyn that this wasn’t just a simple meal. Dish after dish would move around the table, only to be replaced by another when it was finished. Women moved in and out of the kitchen the whole time, removing hot dishes from the ovens and putting fresh ones in.
Only she and her father had any problems about what to do with the mountain of food. Alasdair laughed at the expression on her face as Connie placed a fresh platter before her.
He patted her hand in sympathy. ‘Only take a small piece and pass it on, that’s the secret.’
She smiled gratefully, but still doubted if she would last the whole day. There was also copious amounts to drink, but found in the main the favourite drink was passed around in large glass demijohns. She thought it was some of their own home brew but was surprised to find it was simple water gathered from the spring in the hills.
Another surprise to her was the way in which they cooked their meat. In polite society it was common for a lot of meat to be eaten quite rare, but here it was almost considered a sin to eat half cooked meat.
There wasn’t a sign of pink in a single dish that passed before her eyes, yet every portion of meat was bursting with flavour and still tender.
Connie laughed at her enquires. ‘If you put a piece of meat before any man in this Glen with even a tint of pink in it Robyn, you would probably get it thrown straight back at you. That’s considered disgusting, here and at best lazy.’
Robyn sighed, ‘I think they’re a little like that in Texas or so I’ve heard, but how do you get the meat to remain so tender?’
Connie shook her head. ‘There is no secret Robyn, just cook it slower and longer and keep basting it to keep it moist, that’s all.’
‘It’s a lot of work.’
‘Aye, but worth it don’t you think?’
Robyn laughed, ‘every second of it.’
As the diners began to fill up, first one family group, then another would burst into song. It turned into a competition of sorts. Then as the afternoon wore on individual singers would be called on to give voice and then the whole courtyard would erupt as they joined in the chorus.
Robyn could never remember feeling so content or happy.
Chapter 26
Day turned to eve
ning. We men were given command of the children while the women cleaned up. I lit the fire in the Great Hall, as was the tradition, to warm my guests. Most of the men took a slow dram and smoked. I took a pipe as I occasionally did.
Chairs were pulled up and the children settled themselves beside their fathers’. Now the stories would really begin. It was a favourite time for the children and probably most of the adults too. We held off a little until most of the women had finished placing cold cuts and fancies along the long table at the back of the hall.
No one liked to miss the stories no matter how many times they heard them. It was a time for reacquainting ourselves with those that had gone before. They gave us a sense of who we were and where we came from.
This time tradition dictated the oldest member would start the telling. George Swinie at 90 was the oldest member of the Glen, but his voice carried like a twenty year olds. He drew pictures in your mind with tales of mists, ghosts and fantasies. Some of them weren’t far off the mark either.
Others took up the telling of their favourite hero or heroine; normally direct descendants, but that was the whole purpose of the stories, to honour our dead.
Robyn and her father had found a seat next to Mrs. Fox and while the Doctor’s eyes seemed to barely leave her, Robyn’s seemed to barely leave me. Could I dare hope?
The telling of the stories took hours of fun laughter and sorrow, as they always did. But at the end of the telling, to my complete horror John stood and told the story of how I won my VC.
When he was finished I returned the compliment. It ended with Connie scolding him soundly for taking such serious risks. It was hilarious.
I caught up with him shortly after and pulled him up about it. ‘For God’s sake man what were you thinking of? You’re not supposed to tell that tale until I’m dead.’
However he wasn’t forth coming with an explanation. ‘I had my reasons.’
‘Which were?’
‘Never you mind what they were,’ he slapped me on the shoulder, ‘just trust me.’
Chapter 27
Connie asked John exactly the same question a little later on.
‘I’m just trying to remind them of who he is and what he means to this Glen.’
Connie nodded in agreement, ‘and how much his happiness should mean to us.’
‘Aye lass.’
‘Sending those ribs around the table was a master stroke, but Alasdair wasn’t very happy about it.’
John laughed, ‘no, but at least it got all the men onside in one fell swoop, but that won’t do us much good, at the end of the day they’ll stand by their women. How are they taking to her?’
Connie grimaced. ‘She’s too good-looking, too smart and too good a cook for her own good. There’s more than a little jealousy floating around this castle tonight. Of course the fact she’s American is not helping any at all, although some of the women adore her and there’s a few sitting on the fence.’
He sighed. ‘So what’s the head count, more for or against?’
‘Definitely against.’
‘Damn it, do you think they’ve noticed what’s happening between Robyn and Alasdair yet?’
‘The only people in the Glen who haven’t noticed what’s happening between Robyn and Alasdair yet are Robyn and Alasdair.’
‘Hmmmmm,’ John ran his fingers through his hair thoughtfully.
Connie’s heart melted at the simple gesture. John had never spoken about the war or how he won his VC. To think her kind gentle man had the heart of a lion was one thing, to know it was something else entirely. She had berated him in front of the full Clan, yes, but he understood instinctively it was the shock of hearing what he’d done.
Connie was a woman of the Glen. She’d been brought up on the stories. As a young girl she had often fantasized about those ancient warriors and marrying one. Now she realised she actually possessed one. She slipped an arm round his possessively. ‘What can we do John?’
He recognized the soft look in her eyes and smiled. ‘All we can really do is run interference for them.’
‘What’s that?’
‘It’s an American term we picked up somewhere. Something to do with that strange game of football they play. They have people who go forward and stop anyone interfering with the man with the ball so he can score.’
Connie smiled. ‘Then running interference it is.’
Chapter 28
Gavin Fox had arrived with his family just before the meal. Now he had finally managed to corner me.
‘I want to come home Sir.’
It was a simple statement that spoke volumes. ‘This has always been your home Gavin and always will be. Do you want your own croft?’
‘No Sir, I’m just going to take over from my mother. She’s not so capable anymore but don’t tell her I said that. The wife and her have got their heads together. They think if I take over the running of the croft then they will have more time for the making of the tweeds.’
‘It’s a sound idea Gavin, but is that what you want?’
‘Aye Sir, it is.’
‘Then welcome home,’ we shook on it and he went to tell his family the news.
Robyn was hovering close, ‘was that Mary’s son?’
‘Aye he’s a nice lad and was a bloody good soldier to boot. The Glen will be all the richer for his return.’
‘Father liked him.’
‘Your father likes his mother too I’m thinking.’
She grinned. ‘I’m thinking that too.’
‘Don’t you mind?’
She flushed a little. ‘No not really. I know he loved my mother and devoted all his spare time to her but there was no relationship there for many years, if you know what I mean. The last five have been hard on both of us. I can only wish him happiness.’
‘I understand, I know what it can be like having an invalid on your hands.’
‘Yes, but mother’s mind went as well.’
With the youngest bedded the Ceilidh started proper. Barrels of CarnMo’r appeared along with various bottles of homemade wine for the women.
The skies outside darkened and the candles were lit. This was the only place in the castle I permitted them because there would always be someone here to watch over them. Besides, I liked the atmosphere they created.
John had been right; Robyn never refused her host a dance. Neither did she seem to want to. The dance steps were completely alien to her and I took the greatest of joy in teaching them.
At what moment did I finally admit to myself that I was completely and totally head over heels in love with her? Was it when we were doing the Dashing White Sergeant, Strip the Willow? Or was it when we were resting between dances, gazing over the tops of our glasses into each other’s eyes?
John and Connie were conspicuous by their absence. They never seemed to rest the whole evening moving around the room from group to group, but I was so lost in this woman; I never gave it much thought.
Robyn squealed with delight when the very pretty 9 year old Rosie Sinclair stomped her foot and demanded a dance from her Chieftain. The spectacle brought the house down. I did my duty then returned to Robyn.
‘I think I need a little air,’ I declared.
‘May I walk with you?’
I grinned. ‘You just saved me the job of asking.’
Laughing, we swept from the hall. I guide her into the small garden at the front of the castle. We sat on a bench and talked about the stars, but our small talk soon ground to a halt and I found my self-falling into those soft eyes.
A second’s blind panic shot me to my feet. I paced the grass cursing, ‘shit, shit, shit.’
‘Alasdair!’ she admonished gently, ‘what’s wrong?’ I saw fear in her eyes. It calmed me a little. I had fought men hand to hand, survived bombardments that drove men mad. Faced tiger tanks single-handed, but never in my life had I felt such fear and panic as I did at that moment.
I turned and faced her, ‘God I feel like a fool.’
&nb
sp; ‘Why?’
I think it took every ounce of courage I possessed and more to say those next words. ‘Because I’ve fallen in love with you Robyn Colwin, that’s why I'm a bloody fool.’ My shoulders slumped, ‘never mind, in a few weeks you can have a good laugh with your friends when you tell them about the disgusting Highland fool that fell in love with you and almost tried to kiss you.’
She stood then and I had to turn away to hide my shame. ‘I'm sorry for spoiling you night and your holiday.’
I could hear the rush of her dress and smell her sweet perfume on the evening breeze. I already felt her loss keenly. She touched my arm and I felt my whole body awaken.
‘Alasdair.’
‘It’s ok don’t worry, it’s my problem, I’ll deal with it.’
‘I don’t think you understand. You see if you’re a fool then so am I.’
I turned, confused, and fell right in to those eyes. ‘Why would you be a fool?’
‘Because I've fallen in love with you too.’
For a moment I thought my heart had stopped but as I took a deep breath it raced; I even thought I could hear my soul sing with joy. I gathered her into my arms and lowered my lips to hers. Fire scoured my veins, washing away all those doubts and fears. My hands slipped down over her hips and she gasped into my mouth. Such a delightful sound and I wanted to hear it again. So I began a voyage of exploration. Her firmness delighted me and where my hands touched bare flesh our hearts raced.
A crunch of gravel separated us, John! But he was actually turning away.
‘What is it John?’
‘I'm sorry; I was just checking on something, I’ll do it later.’
John marched off and we gazed into one another’s eyes, the spell broken for a moment.
‘We should really be getting back in,’ I ventured reluctantly.
‘Before we do there’s something I’d like to tell you,’ she hesitated biting her lip.
‘Just tell me.’
‘I’ve never been with a man before, Alasdair.’ Her hands flew to her face in embarrassment. I was electrified. ‘But … … … I want to be with you, I don’t know what to do or how to do it. All I know is I don’t want to disappoint you. Oh God, that’s so forward of me.’