11. Chapter 11 - Ash

CHAPTER 11 - ASH

THE NURSERY, BALLOCH CASTLE - MAY 27, 1710

W e sat for a moment as the babies calmed, then to start a conversation, Lizbeth said, “Lady Ash?—”

I said, “Would it be too much to ask that you call me simply Ash?”

“Of course, Ash, how is it ye haena married the lad Lochinvar yet?”

I said, “Oh, um... I...” It was an odd question, Lochie and I had literally just met, like there hadn’t been enough time to marry him, and we had sort of decided to carry on as if we were... “I think Lochinvar believes we are married already, we just...”

“I daena ken much about where ye are from, Lady— I mean, Ash , and Kaitlyn assures me that tis verra different there, but Beaty and Sophie hae told me that there are some things which are constant — ye marry a man if ye want tae share yer life... for instance.... And I daena want tae offend, but how under the heavens does the lad Lochinvar believe he has married ye if ye daena ken if ye are married?”

I winced. “I don’t know, he told me that we pressed our thumbs together and?—”

She laughed merrily. “The lad Lochinvar has told ye that he pressed his thumb tae yers? Twas covered in spittle?” She shook her head, frowning teasingly. “He told ye that was enough?”

I nodded. “I don’t know, I thought that was how it was done.”

“Och nae, sweet Ash, tis not the way, not for Ladies, not for Lairds, not for the brother of a king. What Young Lochinvar kens of the world is not much, but he ought tae ken this, ye hae tae marry in the church, be bound in front of God, and it must be marked in the record, or it daena count. ”

“Oh. I didn’t think of it that way, I guess I thought the fact that we meant it was enough.”

“How long hae ye known him?”

“Mere days.”

“I hae known Lochinvar for a time, he is a handsome lad, and brave tae the point of foolhardiness. I thought him useless, but he is a champion of m’brother, Young Magnus, and over time, as he brawled and carried on in the courtyard of the castle, I watched him and learned that he is a loyal and gallant knight, but... he was an orphan. Ye canna forget it causes trouble in their minds, ye ken, Ash. Young Magnus was a bastard, it caused him a great deal of trouble. All of us are the children of Lady Mairead, och nae, that has caused us a great deal of turmoil. I wouldna wish that trouble on my enemies...” She paused and the corner of her mouth went up, “Well, most of my enemies. Some would deserve Lady Mairead and much more, but Lochinvar — he is an orphan, this is much farther beyond the trouble. He inna aware of his power, he wasna held tae his place, when he was first brought intae Magnus’s fold he dinna understand his position in the family. At times he has caused a brawl with men three times his size and he won, but it canna rest easily upon him that he causes more turmoil than calm.”

I gulped.

She said, “He is in many ways a big bairn, he needs direction and guidance, and ye seem tae be willin’ tae take him on, and when he looks at ye — ye can see that he wants ye tae give him the guidance.”

Beaty said, “He does love ye desperately.”

I asked, “Really?”

Beaty said, “Aye, he looks at ye like a hungry man looks at a Saturday Feast.”

“Wow, I hadn’t noticed that. Wait, are you just having fun?”

Sophie said, “He does truly love ye, but tis also fun, here’s one: he looks at ye like ye are the first challenge he has ever truly wanted, as if his soul longs for ye...”

Beaty said, “He looks at ye as if ye are a crystal vase that he must put upon his shelf, but he canna imagine how tae get ye there without breakin’ ye and cuttin’ himself in the act.”

Beaty and Sophie high-fived and then did a long and elaborate modern-style handshake that made me laugh.

Then I said, “So basically he doesn’t know how to handle me — this all sounds tricky, what do I do?”

Lizbeth said, “Well, Ash, he daena ken how tae be yer husband and so... I daena want tae overstep, but I would like tae advise ye.”

Beaty said, “Ye ought tae allow her tae help, Ash. Lizbeth has the wisdom of Lady Mairead and the kindness of someone more kind than Lady Mairead.”

I glanced at Sophie, she nodded.

I said, “Okay, tell me.”

“My thought is Lochinvar needs guidance tae show him how tae be a husband. And so ye canna allow him tae think he has won ye with a thumb: this is the promise of a lad, ye need tae tell him tae make ye the promise of a grown man.”

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”

“Aye, he is known for running bravely intae battle and bein’ impetuous and a wee bit wild. Ye will need tae smooth his brow, calm him, and tell him that ye will want him tae meet ye at the altar and tae promise ye tae be yer husband in front of God and tae care for ye like a laird and tae honor ye as his lady, like my Liam — he is m’second husband, ye ken, but I knew he would honor me. Ye need tae expect Lochinvar tae honor ye, it means ye might hae tae demand it.”

Sophie said, “Aye, also he wants the respect of Magnus and Fraoch, and daena ken how tae get it, because his nature is tae be much like a lad. If ye make him stand at the altar and promise himself tae ye, he will emerge a husband. It will gain their respect, the solemnity of the occasion will raise him in everyone’s estimation.”

Beaty said, “And he has never truly belonged tae a family, I think he wants tae belong tae ye, and for ye tae belong tae him. It might be the only belongin’ he has ever had.” She raised Noah up and rubbed her nose to his. “Inna that right, Noah? Uncle Lochie wants tae belong tae a family. If he marries ye, he will take his rightful place as one of the men.”

She put Noah down on her lap again.

I smiled. “He will be sad if he doesn’t get to sit with the kids in the back of the van.”

Beaty said, “Just because he becomes yer husband daena mean he has tae always act like one of the men. He can still hang out with his nephews, Fraoch is a grown man with the heart of a bairn, sometimes that’s just the way they are.”

I said, “Thank you for the advice, I didn’t think of any of that, but it makes sense.”

Lizbeth nodded and folded her hands in her lap, “What do ye think Sean is doing?”

Beaty said, “I imagine he is up on the walls on guard duty about now.”

“Och, truly, ye think — but Magnus is a king! Daena they hae guards for that...?” Then she said, “But aye, ye are probably right, if Sean is goin’ tae stay in a castle he will want tae guard the walls, he canna trust other men tae it...” Then she said, “If he comes home will he do it at once? How long will it take?”

Beaty said, “It takes a long time accordin’ tae yer soul, but accordin’ tae a clock tis only a part of a day. Sean can come home, as soon as he decides.”

“Good... I ken he goes on long hunts and sometimes tae Edinburgh and tae Kilchurn, but tis unsettlin’ tae hae him gone tae a place I hae never seen. Maggie will be worried until he returns.”

Sophie said, “Magnus and Fraoch will make certain he is safe.”

Lizbeth nodded. “And yer husbands will be returned tomorrow?”

Sophie and Beaty said, “Aye.”