A family picnic | afternoon, December 27th- Xmas 1677

[Douglas FitzJames]

It seemed a delightfully incongruous thing for them to do. Something so simple, so story-book sweet, that one might almost have been fooled into thinking they were a normal family. Douglas was taking his younger sisters for a picnic.

 

He waited at the gates of St James for the girls to arrive, his horse's saddlebags loaded with goodies and a set of blankets strapped on behind like a pillion pad. He had a basket over one arm as well, a cloth hiding the contents. A light snowfall promised a winter wonderland within the park, and was no real deterrent to proper Scots.

 

He felt oddly happy. It was such a simple thing, a silly impulse, getting them out of the house for the afternoon. Of course there were certain things he wanted to talk to them about, he had his own motives, but he was also genuinely looking forward to spending an afternoon in their company. If he could see Fiona hit with a snowball, even better.

[Aria]

The three girls were also on horseback, Fiona leading her sisters toward the park. They all enjoyed riding and didn't get the chance very often. Aileen tried to gallop ahead, but as she passed Fiona, her sister's warning look made her fall back in place beside Shona, who was happily trotting along on her docile little mare.

 

They were all excited about the picnic that Douglas had arranged for them. Even though Fiona hated to admit it, she liked spending time with her family, as long as her sisters did what she told them to. She had already told Aileen that if she threw a snowball at her, it would be the last thing that she ever did.

 

“Look! There he is!” Aileen exclaimed when she discerned her brother's tall figure at the gates of St James Park. They pulled along beside him, all smiling and greeting him enthusiastically.

 

“So where in the park are we going to have the picnic?” Fiona asked, looking at the basket draped over his arm. “I think the gazebo would be a good place.” In the summer, she had used it a few times for trysts, but it was cold for that now, unless both participants were Scottish. It would probably be deserted at this time of year.

[Douglas FitzJames]

He’d been a little worried that the girls might arrive in the coach and thus have to walk into the park. When he saw they were ahorse his spirits lifted; that meant they could ride in and there was the option of a bit of a race, if they didn’t go too fast for Shona. Waving to the girls when they spotted him, Douglas waited for them to pull up alongside him before he swung back up into Daemhan’s saddle, keeping the high-tempered black stallion on a short rein. The horse was stepping on the spot and flicking his tail and Douglas knew he was entirely too interested in Shona’s mare. At least his sisters were all good horsewomen; independent and self-reliant in their own ways, as good Scotswomen should be.

 

“Great minds think alike Fee.” He said as Fiona suggested the Gazebo. It would shelter them from the snow if they didn’t care to be out in it. “Acoorse, fools seldom differ.”* He added with a wink as he touched his heels to his horse’s flanks and passed through the gates.

 

He set a cracking pace but a more meandering route, allowing their horses to stretch their legs in an easy canter across what were usually green swards, now under a light layer of snow. It was cold but they were Scots, both somewhat inured to such weather and also well aware of how to dress for it. It would be still colder up north.

 

Subtitles

* “Great minds think alike Fee. Of course, fools seldom differ.”

[Aria]

“Since we're definitely not fools, we must have great minds,” Fiona grinned. She wondered who Douglas had visited the gazebo with and if he had done the same things she had there. A pang of jealousy pierced her heart at the thought of him with someone else, even though she knew that he wasn't celibate. She didn't like to imagine him with other women, preferring to believe that he was still infatuated with her.

 

It seemed odd that he would take his sisters to a place where he'd had affairs, so perhaps he hadn't shagged any ladies there. She kept pace with him as he set off toward it, enjoying the way the cold wind whipped her long auburn braid behind her. All three girls were bundled up against the cold and their hair was braided to keep it from becoming tangled. None of them were freezing, accustomed to much colder temperatures. Compared to Scotland, winters were mild in London.

 

While Shona rode a bit behind Douglas and Fiona, Aileen pulled ahead, passing all of them. She didn't have to obey her sister anymore; Dougie was in charge of her now and he was much more lenient than Fiona. “Which way do I go?” she called. She had never been to the gazebo before and didn't know the way.

[Douglas FitzJames]

Douglas had not, in fact, got up to any mischief in the Gazebo; yet. He certainly had plans to do so however. Not today of course. Today he had plans of an entirely different sort.

 

Aileen dashed ahead of them, of wilder spirit than Shona who lagged behind. She seemed keen to race ahead, but her brother was more than aware of his responsibilities with regards to his sisters. “Ye stay wi’ us, Aileen deerlin’.”* He called out to her, expecting her to drop back to join them even as he nudged his own horse’s flanks to pull ahead. The last thing he wanted was to lose one of the girls.

 

And so he led them, following the path around until the greenery opened out into a snowy lawn, the elegant curves of the gazebo evident at the far end. “Alricht, noo ye kin race ahead.” He called, knowing that at least two of his sisters would want to. “But yer’ll hae tae catch me!”** He added, drumming his heels on Daemhan’s flanks.

 

Sometimes he bemoaned their forwardness, but other times he was very glad they weren’t wilting English wallflowers.

 

Subtitles

* “You stay with us, Aileen darling.”

** “Alright, now you can race ahead. But you’ll have to catch me!”

[Aria]

“Yes, Dougie,” Aileen grumbled, a bit disappointed that the hadn't pointed her toward the gazebo. She wanted to get there before Shona so that she would see it first. Douglas and Fiona had already been there. Instead of dropping back, she stayed where she was until they caught up with her. Her horse pawed the ground impatiently and tossed his head, but she kept him under control. She had a natural way with horses that sometimes made Fiona envious.

 

Shona was happy trotting at a normal pace, taking in the sights around her. There were not very many people in the park today which wasn't surprising because of the cold . The farther they went, the more isolated they were. When they entered the clearing that held the gazebo, both Shona and Aileen gasped in awe.

 

Now Douglas gave them the permission to race and sped ahead of them. Aileen whooped and let her horse run free, determined to catch them. Equally as determined, Fiona caught up with Aileen and passed her, smiling smugly over her shoulder. Even Shona spurred her horse into a gallop, although she still lagged a bit behind. Aileen eventually surpassed Fiona and stuck out her tongue as she flew by.

 

Their brother was the first to reach the gazebo, joined first by Aileen, then Fiona, and finally Shona. All three girls dismounted, still holding onto their horses' reins. “It's beautiful!” Shona exclaimed, watching the way the snow glittered like diamonds on the roof. It looked like something straight out of the fanciful tales she loved to read.

 

“Isn't it?” Fiona replied. “No one will disturb us here.”

 

Aileen bent down and scooped up a handful of snow, forming it into a firm ball. She wanted to toss it at Fiona, but her sister was glowering at her and she threw it at Douglas instead.