“And what do you think now?” Catherine replied.
“That he was probably right to suggest caution. Charles Edward Stuart would make an excellent king, but he has not the support in the southern country for his cause. He would never make it to London, let alone sit upon the English throne. The further south one goes, the more support there is for the Hanoverians, and like it or not, Scotland will always play second best to its English cousins,” Philip replied.
“And you are not angry with Amelia now?” Catherine asked, tentatively.
“Angry? No, I am not angry with Amelia. I suppose… it is foolish to say it, but I suppose in Amelia I demanded the love I had never had from my mother. Somehow, not knowing that gentle touch, and the warmth of love, I had been left cold and empty. I realize now that love cannot be forced, or bought, or made to dance to your own tune. It must simply come from two souls who find common ground and whose hearts begin gradually to entwine, whose souls are made for one another,” he replied, sighing.
“What beautiful words,” Catherine said, turning to him. “You deserve to be happy too, Philip, and I am glad you no longer seek to force my sister into what she should not be forced.”
“I would never force her into anything, Catherine, not now. She is happy with Feargan and if she is happy, then I am happy,” he replied.
They sat in silence for a moment, and Catherine could not help but feel a deep sense of connection to Philip. He was not the man she had thought him to be and now that his mask was removed and his defenses were down, she realized he was just as vulnerable and open to the emotions of the heart as any person.
What she did next surprised her, but it needn’t have done, for it was also the most natural thing in the world. She, too, desired happiness, the happiness of a loving husband and the security of a happy future. She smiled at him and turned, reaching out, and took hold of his hand.
“Would I do?” she said, blushing, her hands shaking as she spoke. “I am not Amelia, but perhaps the two of us could be happy together, do you think?”
Philip turned and looked at her in astonishment. Had he ever considered her a suitable match? Had he ever looked at her as more than the sister of the lady to whom he had been betrothed? His face broke into a smile and he nodded his head in delight.
“Do you really mean that, Catherine? I would never see you as a replacement to Amelia. You are wonderful in your own way. I have always thought it, though I always rather imagined you had little time for me and besides, I was betrothed to Amelia, it would have been improper to entertain such thoughts. I never considered you in any different manner, yet sitting here with you now I can imagine a whole lifetime with you. But you must not rush into anything that you have not fully considered,” Philip said, his face radiant with happiness.
“I do not need any more time to think,” she replied. “Others may call me impulsive, but I have seen a transformation in you, and it has given rise to a transformation in me. I didn’t like you before—I considered you arrogant and rude. Yet now I realize that was a mere mask, disguising the vulnerability which lay within. I felt so very sorry for you when you discovered the true identity of your mother and the fact that you will never see her again. I can’t replace her affections but I can promise to love you.”
“What a truly wonderful and sweet girl you are, Catherine. You delight me and the more I think on it, the more I know you have always delighted me,” he replied. “Oh, what foolishness has been mine these times past, I was too blind to see. Forgive me?”
“Of course I forgive you, how could I not? You are everything I ever thought you could be, now,” she replied, and leaning forward she kissed him on the cheek.
Philip took her in his arms and held her closely. The two kissed once more, impassioned and carried away by their emotions. Catherine had never felt such a touch before. His gentle hands, the tingle which went through her, was everything she had ever imagined it to be and more.
She let out a deep sigh, as they lay back on the rock, the blue sky stretching endlessly above them. The early evening swallows were flying overhead.
“I could stay here forever with you,” he whispered, taking her hand in his.
“Perhaps we shall build a house here by the loch side, in your mother’s favorite place,” she replied, and turning to him again, she kissed him, her mind turned to the future and all the joys which lay ahead.
28
Amelia awoke with a start. She had dozed off on Feargan’s shoulder and as she opened her eyes, she gazed around in search of her sister, who had not yet returned to the beach.
“They have been gone a long time at their swim,” she said, squinting out across the lake towards the island.
“Aye, lass, they are still on the island. Ye can just see them on the rocks. Nay doubt they’ll be back soon. Ye are far too protective of yer sister,” Feargan said, laughing at Amelia, who blushed.
“You would feel the same way if… oh, but of course you do have a younger brother,” she said, laughing.
“Aye, and he is old enough to look after himself, of that I am certain,” Feargan said, shielding his eyes from the sun and looking out towards the island. “Here they come now to tell us of their adventures.”
Amelia watched as her sister and Philip swam slowly back to shore. She could still not believe the transformation which had taken place, nor the fact that of all the men she might have met and chosen over Philip, the one she had picked was his half-brother. It seemed too incredible to be true, but what a happy coincidence, for despite his harsh treatment of her, Amelia knew that beneath his hard exterior lay a man as vulnerable and easily hurt as any other. She could forgive his actions—jealousy and love are strong emotions and they often lead to rash and foolish things. Feargan had been prepared to fight to the death for her and Lord Torbay had resorted to kidnap, so jealous was he of the man who now turned out to be his brother.
She was pondering this, her eyes towards the mountains up above, when the splash of the approaching swimmers brought her back to the present. Catherine was emerging from the water, calling back to Philip in triumph of her victory.
“I let you win that time. Wait until we swim again, then I shall show you,” Philip said, wading through the last few feet of water and emerging onto the shore.
The two stood dripping and shivering before Amelia and Feargan, who both laughed at the sight.
“How was the water?” Amelia asked, as her sister wrapped herself in her shawl and seated herself next to them on the beach.
“Cold, but next time you are coming in too, Amelia, no excuses,” Catherine replied, splashing water from herself onto Amelia, who shrieked and fell back against Feargan.
“‘Tis only some water lass, enough falls from the sky,” Feargan said, shaking his head and laughing.
“An excellent swim, but there is more to tell you both than the simple delights of the water,” Philip said, turning to Catherine, who smiled and nodded.
Amelia looked puzzled by her words and she glanced at Feargan, who simply placed his hands on the rocks and leant back. Catherine cleared her throat and Philip nodded to her, smiling.
“Now, Amelia, you are not to be cross with me, nor tell me off, nor say I am rushing into something. This is my decision, our decision,” she blushed, “but it is a decision I want you to respect.”
“Then tell us what it is, Catherine,” Amelia said. “I can hardly object when I do not know to what I am objecting.” She shook her head
“Ah yes, well, you see, Philip and I… oh, this is so difficult. Philip and I are… we are getting married,” she said, now sounding quite matter of fact, as though it was the most ordinary thing in the world, an occurrence to have been expected as a result of swimming out to the islands across the loch.
“Married?” Amelia said, turning to Feargan and then to her sister. “The two of you? Philip? You asked Catherine to marry you?”
“Well, no, actually it was Catherine who asked me to marry her,” Philip
replied, taking hold of Catherine’s hand and casting a loving glance towards her.
“Well… I am… I am lost for words, but Catherine… oh,” Amelia said, placing her hand to her brow.
“What yer sister is tryin’ to say is that she is happy for ye, as am I,” Feargan said, nodding at his brother and smiling at Catherine. “I am a man of few words, but it seems that such a match will bring happiness to ye both and for that I am thankful. See to it that ye take good care of her, Philip.”
“The very best care. I have never felt so happy as I do today,” Philip replied, shaking his head in disbelief. “Yesterday I thought myself unlovable and that I would have to force poor Amelia’s hand in order to find what I thought was happiness. A day later I discover the mother who loved me and the person I was destined to be with for the rest of my life. I could not be happier.”
“Catherine,” Amelia said, now composing herself and taking hold of her sister’s hand. “I am glad you have found happiness, too. Forgive me for my astonishment just now, it was quite a shock, but I shall say nothing of rushing into things or of not thinking things through. I can hardly talk on that count, can I? She laughed, “But there is one person you must speak with before this engagement can become official and I think the news will come as something of a shock.”
* * *
The little party now bid farewell to the beach, Philip and Catherine glancing a final look back towards the islands and promising to return very soon. They walked hand in hand behind Feargan and Amelia, the forest now shady in the dappled afternoon sun.
A gentle breeze was blowing across the loch and small wisps of cloud were in the air as they approached the castle.
“It looks like the weather is changin’ again,” Feargan said, glancing up.
“The goddess of Loch Beira is breathing down the loch,” Catherine said, pointing up to where the clouds were now skidding across the sky.
“The goddess of Beira?” Philip asked, but Amelia and Catherine just laughed.
“I’ll explain later on,” Catherine said, as Feargan led them inside.
The Earl of Workington had passed a pleasant afternoon in the company of Alexander Galbreth. The two were of a similar age and each had many a story to tell of the old Jacobite cause. They were drinking whisky in the hall by the fire when the party of four entered, settling themselves down in the chairs around the hearth.
“I trust ye had a good day by the loch?” Alexander Galbreth said, smiling at the group and raising his whisky glass.
“Aye, a day of surprises,” Feargan replied, glancing over at his brother, who blushed.
“Surprises?” the Earl said. “Have we not had enough surprises these days past to last a lifetime?” He looked at both his daughters who simply smiled.
“There is one more to share with you, Father. One which needs your permission to be realized,” Amelia said.
“My permission?” the Earl replied, shaking his head and glancing at Alexander, who also had a puzzled look upon his face.
“Oh, Amelia,” Catherine said.
“Just tell him,” her sister said, raising her eyebrows.
“Very well…” Catherine back, but Philip raised his hand to interrupt her.
“Catherine, I think this should be a task for me, though I admit it was you who asked me the question,” he said.
“Question? What question?” the Earl said, glancing from one to the other.
“The question, My Lord, as to whether Catherine might become my wife,” Philip said. “It was she who asked me but since that is not how such things are done, then I must ask your permission in order to ask her,” he said, a bemused look spreading across his face.
“You wish to marry Catherine? But… what of Amelia? Did you not wish to marry her?” the Earl said, looking from right to left at his daughters.
“But I did not wish to marry Philip, Father,” Amelia said. “And he did not wish to marry me. It was a duty, not a joy, and neither of us would have been happy. But Catherine and Philip are another matter. I have found my happiness with Feargan, allow them to find happiness together, too.”
The old Earl pondered for a moment, gently moving his foot across his gout stool. He looked up and smiled, a twinkle in his eye.
“Who am I to stand in the way of two young people who are in love? I’d much prefer my daughters to be in love and cared for, than married to men they have little love for,” he said, reaching out his arms as Catherine rushed to embrace him. “Admittedly these things have moved a little quicker than I imagined but I am pleased this day to be gaining two excellent son-in-laws, even if things got a little mixed up along the way,” he said.
Alexander Galbreth now stood and raised his glass.
“A toast then, to these two happy couples, and may God richly bless ye all,” he said.
“I’ll drink to that,” the Earl replied, raising his own glass. “To the happy couples.”
“To the happy couples,” they all replied, as Alexander handed around drams of whisky to them all.
It was a happy scene which played out that evening and further drams were drank and toasts given. News arrived that the Bonnie Prince had reached Edinburgh, and that the Sottish capital had easily been taken.
This was further cause to celebrate and the party sat up long into the night, discussing plans for the future.
Later the ladies departed for bed, wishing the gentlemen goodnight and leaving them to their whisky and tobacco. Each had a long clay pipe and soon the air was thick with smoke and laughter as the men became merry on their drink.
“A toast, a toast to me brother, the brother I never ken of,” Feargan said, raising his glass to Philip who laughed.
“We may sound very different, but I am sure I could not ask for a better brother than you, Feargan,” he replied, clinking his glass to his brothers.
“An astonishing coincidence and for two brothers to marry two sisters, an even rarer occurrence,” the Earl replied, taking a long puff upon his pipe and wreathing himself in tobacco smoke.
“And to think they nearly fought to the death,” Alexander said, causing a peal of laughter to echo around the hall.
“I will admit that you are quite the master swordsman,” Philip said. “You far outmatched me.”
“Aye, well that ‘tis me faither’s and me uncle’s daein,” Feargan replied. “They saw fit to teach me, and they used to have me practicing for hours on end, didnae ye, Uncle?”
“Aye, that’s right, and ye were always a good student of the sword, Feargan, though I think probably matched by Philip here with the pistol. We Highlanders are somewhat behind when it comes to such weapons,” Alexander said, sighing.
“You think the Hanoverians have the advantage over us?” the Earl of Workington said, shifting awkwardly in his chair.
“I think the Duke of Cumberland will mount a formidable defense against any movements south, aye. And I think his men are better trained and better equipped than any that accompany the Bonnie Prince now. They are mostly farm laborers and old men. They’ve never lifted a weapon before or fought a battle. They are up against professionally trained soldiers and their chances are slim,” Alexander replied.
“Which is why I urged the Bonnie Prince to delay his invasion, at least for a year or so. There was nay chance for us to prepare, or make ready for an invasion. Instead he has landed and rallied a few peasants to his banner. Edinburgh has long been a Jacobite stronghold, takin’ it would have been easy, but further south he will meet Cumberland’s men and his chances are nae favorable,” Feargan replied.
“I had thought you were wrong at first, but then I had thought you wrong about a lot of things, Feargan. I see now that you and I were living in a fantasy world,” and here pointed at the Earl of Workington, who nodded. “The court in exile was nothing like the reality of the Jacobite cause here in Scotland. Here it is life or death, not mere idle speculation. Real lives are at stake, including our own. We should have waited far longer than we did,” Phil
ip said, shaking his head and breathing in another lungful of tobacco smoke.
The conversation continued in this vein for some time, but all four came to agree that the cause of the Jacobites would surely be lost just as soon as the Bonnie Prince turned his attentions south.
“But what can we do?” Philip asked.
“For now, we can get a good night’s sleep,” the Earl replied and he struggled to his feet with the help of Alexander. “Goodnight to you all and I will say again how pleased I am to know that two men such as you, are to have the hands of my daughters in marriage.”
Alexander bid them goodnight as well, and Feargan and his brother were left alone. It had been a remarkable day and the two now sat in silence, ponderously swilling the last of their whisky and smoking the final dregs of their pipes.
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