Family Reunion - Evening, 15th September

[Aria]

Dougie asked if he could take them for lunch in the park on Sunday. “Can we go, Cat?” Shona asked in her quiet way.

 

“Please?” Aileen added.

 

Fiona remained silent, wondering what kind of plans he had for tomorrow and if they involved that blonde he had been talking to at the reception. Or any other ladies, for that matter. She wasn’t jealous and she did want him to marry and be happy, but she was a bit afraid that she and her sisters would no longer be important to him once he had a wife and children of his own. Why do I care? I probably won’t live that long.

 

The dinner looked delicious and the younger two girls, with the appetite of growing teenagers, dug in. Fiona just stared down at her plate, pushing her food idly around with her fork. She wasn’t hungry at all.

 

“We’re glad you’re back too,” Aileen exclaimed, still chewing a bite of steak.

 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, stupid,” Fiona snapped.

 

“I wish we could all stay together forever,” Shona said. Though she hoped otherwise, she might be married herself next year around this time. Eventually, they would all have their own lives and might not get together very often. It was sad to think about.  Growing up was tough.

 

[Catriona MacGregor]

Cat gave Douglas such a look of appreciation that it showed just how tired she was.  "That's fine," she agreed before adding, "I'll send a couple of our guards along, for piece of mind."  She wasn't trying to say he couldn't protect the girls, but a few extra eyes of retired soldiers wouldn't hurt and would make her more comfortable.  

 

As Douglas and the two youngest girls set upon the food, Cat wondered again if there was enough food.  She noted Fiona's lack of appetite but wasn't going to force the girl to eat.  Unless she began making a habit of it.  Then...they would cross that bridge when they got there.  "We understand that you have to get your new home set up.  It isn't easy to get things going from the ground up."  Alyth had been that way, but it was doing better now.  "Is the land good for crops or will you make a different use of it?"  

 

Dear Lord, they fought over the dumbest things!  "No one in this family is stupid.  And yes, it is good to be together while we're able."  In a few years time, it would be just Cat and Nessie (unless a husband and more children were thrown into the mix).  Looking over at Shona, she said, "Do you really want to live in the same house with all your sisters forever?  Are you so mean that you'd make poor Dougie suffer along?  The poor man would be bald within weeks.  And Dougie has such good hair," she teased, trying to bring some levity to the meal with the use of Douglas' nickname.  "What do you think of that plan, Dougie?"

[Douglas FitzJames]

Douglas couldn't help but notice that Fiona wasn't eating, and was snapping at her sisters at the slightest provocation. If she was so stressed that she'd lost her appetite then she'd hidden it well during the reception, but it worried him. They had to sort this out, and Fiona needed other things to focus on. 

Catriona's grateful look as he offered to take the girls for an afternoon confirmed how tired the poor woman must be. He loved his sisters and wanted to help Catriona with them, but there were times when he didn't know how, when she didn't seem to want help. It was gratifying that she'd accepted his offer, he'd look after them so she'd not need to worry. He did manage to refrain from snorting in laughter when she insisted on sending a couple of guards with them though. Yeah, not trusted yet. "Guid thinkin'."* With the threats to Fiona and the others, it wasn't a bad idea, and being ex-military, Douglas was well aware of what a difference numbers could make. Plus then he wouldn't have to carry things. 

He'd not known much about the estates of Alyth when they'd been granted, though he vaguely remembered Cat grumbling something about it being rocky land that was difficult to work. She'd been married to Adam when he'd reuinited with her, and he didn't know how long before then Adam had been granted the land. But he appreciated that she understood, and was interested in Dundarg. "I cuid plant barley; I'm thinkin' o' doin' a few test fields next spring." He revealed. "The weather is milder thain the Heelan's, but still tae cawld fer a winter crop." He'd looked into that. It was also far too cold for wheat. Aberdeen had an odd, intermediate climate; warmer than the mountainous north due to the influence of the sea, colder than the Lowlands. He could also plant food crops  "Richt noo I hae cattle on't." Which had been easy and it was good land for beef cattle. Overall it was good, usable land, and he certainly couldn't complain about it's quality. "But thairs more than the soil. The fishin' is guid off Aberdour beach an' in the river, so I builtit a smoke hoose this spring. That's whaur those kippers cammed frae." The ones in the basket he'd directed were for her cook. "An' thairs seals."** Which meant blubber, meat and fur from the pups. 

"An' thairs one other thin' in the river, which reminds me."*** He pulled out the cloth wrapped parcel he'd carried and from it drew four smaller parcels, handing one to each of his sisters. Each contained a pair of slim hair combs, expertly carved in gleaming mother of pearl, crafted from the shells of the Scottish freshwater mussel. 

Still, Shona seemed to feel their separation, as she wished they could all stay together forever. Even Catriona seemed to think that was a bad idea, and given the bickering he couldn't blame her. He snorted when she asked what he thought. "If ye lot er stayin' in one hoose fere'er, I'm giein' back tae Scotland." He declared firmly, cutting up his last piece of pie. "We'll allus hae each other lassie; we're Clan." He assured Shona more kindly. "We jus' hae tae mak the effort tae see each other; includin' me."+ He added, acknowledging that he was to blame for the most recent separation. 

Subtitles
* "Good thinking."
** "I could plant barley; I'm thinking of doing a few test fields next spring. The weather is milder than the Highlands, but still too cold for a winter crop. Right now I have cattle on it. But there's more than the soil. The fishing is good off Aberdour beach and in the river, so I built a smoke house this spring. That's where those kippers came from. And there's seals."
*** "And there's one other thing in the river, which reminds me."
+ "If you lot are staying in one house forever, I'm going back to Scotland. We'll always have each other girl; we're Clan. We just have to make the effort to see each other; including me. 

[Aria]

Shona felt tears well behind her eyes when Catriona chastised her for her simple wish. She wasn’t mean; she was just afraid. Her court debut got closer every day and she became more worried that she would be wed to some horrible old man just because he was wealthy and had a title, and that he would chuck her in some far-flung estate to rot after she gave him a couple of heirs. Shona didn’t like socializing but she didn’t want to be lonely either. And palaces had much larger libraries than estates. How could she live without a wide variety of books to read?

 

Dougie didn’t want to stay with them forever either. His words were kind and probably stopped her from bursting into a flood of tears. Maybe Cat and Doug would not let her awful evil husband lock her away forever. She wanted to grow up but she was frightened of what the future held for her. Maybe that horrible old man would die and leave her a widow. Or maybe she would be lucky and marry a handsome young gentleman who was in love with her. She needed to think positive, but sometimes it was so hard.

 

While Shona mused about the future and Cat and Doug discussed his land, Fiona was slowly turning green as she stared at the untouched food on her plate. Without any warning, she stood up, pushing her chair back so forcefully that it fell backwards and hit the floor. Covering her mouth with her hand, she ran out of the room. She only made it to the hallway before she began to retch.

[Catriona MacGregor]

Cat was grateful that Douglas didn't scoff at her request for the guards.  While she was unsure whether or not the threat continued towards her sisters and daughter, it was better to be on the safe side.  

 

It sounded like Douglas has a grasp on all that was available to him on his land.  In fact, it sounded like he had already begun multiple projects to make the land work for him.  "Sounds like a very good spot.  And testing crops and the rotations is always a sound plan.  And you definitely need your own source of kippers, as much as you eat them," she teased.  

 

Unaware that Shona though her to be mean and under the misguided thought that she'd be married off to some old horrible man (Fiona still being unmarried should put an end to that thought), she was shocked when Fiona flung herself from her chair and bolted from the room.  She stood up as well and began making her way to follow when she heard the retching, causing her to go from walk to run.  "Fiona?  Milis?"  She motioned to the maid to go get supplies.  Looking around, she noted a vase full of flowers. She grabbed it, dumped everything out on the floor and tried to put the vessel as close to Fiona so she might finish vomiting in it.  She also moved to pull back her sister's hair.  

[Douglas FitzJames]

Perhaps it was the nature of the beast. So much attention was always on Fiona and her dramas that neither Cat nor Doug had noticed Shona's apprehension about the future. If he had he would have assured her that she wasn't getting married off to some nasty old man, and if he could see into the immediate future, he might have quietly made arrangements to ensure that she was around next time Melville came to call. Once the poor fellow was done morning Ophelia, their bookish Shona might be just the ticket for him. 

As it was, none of that was going through Douglas's head because he only had time to grin at Catriona's quip about him needing a personal supply of kippers - it was true - before Fiona pushed her chair back violently from the table before running out into the hallway to retch audibly. He shared a brief glance with Cat before she jumped up to see to Fiona, calling her sweet in an affectionate phrase he'd never heard her use before, the maid following on her heels. A touch of apprehension settled in the back of Douglas's mind. Was Fiona so stressed that she was vomiting? Or was she pregnant? God forbid. 

"Cat weel luik efter Fiona." He assured the two remaining girls, figuring there were enough people fussing over his older sister. With the louder two out of the room for the moment, Douglas had time to take a closer look at his younger two sisters. What was on their minds, when all this was going on? "Wuid ye really want tae aw stay taegether in the same hoose fere'er?"* He asked Shona, curious. She was their quiet one, and the hardest to pick as to what she was thinking. He'd have thought that she couldn't wait to get out, but then he was aware that she didn't think like him. If any of his sisters thought the most like him, it was probably Fiona. 

Subtitles
* "Cat will look after Fiona. Would you really want to all stay together in the same house forever?"

[Aria]

Cat and Fiona

 

Fiona bent over and hurled what little she had eaten at lunch over the floor. She had started feeling unwell during the trip home from the reception and had no idea why. Cat was going to be so mad at her for ruining their first family dinner in ages. She had tried to hold it back, but her nausea had escalated quickly.

 

Through the sound of her heaving and the frantic pounding of her heart, she heard her sister’s concerned voice behind her. The endearment Cat used would have made Fiona smile in more fortunate circumstances. Perhaps it did calm her a bit. Her family loved her, even though she knew she made it hard for them sometimes.

 

Something fell and then a vase was thrust in front of her. She grabbed it, emptying the last of the contents of her stomach into it as her sister held her hair out of the way. That sweet gesture was comforting and she greatly appreciated Cat’s thoughtfulness. Maybe she wasn’t angry with her after all.

 

Finally finished, she stood up. A maid took the vase from her and began cleaning up the foul-smelling mess. The stench made her gag. Her knees felt like they were about to buckle and she grasped Cat’s arm for support. “I’m sorry.” Her throat was so sore that a whisper was all she could manage. “I didn’t mean to spoil dinner.”

 

 

Douglas, Shona, and Aileen

 

The wide eyes of both younger girls followed Fiona’s quickly retreating figure and they tried to ignore the retching that came from the hallway. Douglas’ voice distracted them and they turned back to the table. Aileen nodded and continued to eat while Shona looked down at her plate as if it was about to grow teeth and bite her … until her brother asked her if she really wanted to live in the same house with her family forever.

 

Her gaze turned thoughtful. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess it was a stupid thing to say, but I feel safe with you and Cat to protect me. I’m afraid of what next season will bring. I don’t think I will ever be ready for it. I’m not even sure what to expect."  Shona shuddered. “You know I don't like socializing. I am sure I will say the wrong thing or step on a gentleman’s toes while dancing, if I even agree to dance at all.  I'm ... I'm not like you and Cat and Fiona.  Sometimes I think that something is wrong with me.  I'm supposed to look forward to my debut, but instead, it terrifies me."

 

[Catriona MacGregor]

Cat and Fiona

"Shh, you didn't ruin dinner," Cat said as she took a cloth (the handkerchief stash was empty) from a maid that was clean and used it to get anything off the younger girl's face that might have been left behind from Fiona's expulsion.  "Fetch some cider," she said to the same maid.  Fiona would want to get that taste out of her mouth.  "Are you feeling a little better now, Fi?"  She wrapped her arm around her sister's waist to give some better support.  "How long have you been feeling sick?  Come, let's get you to bed," she said to Fiona before grabbing one of the guards/footmen and asking him to have a maid bring some cool water up to Fiona's room along with some linens.  "Can you make it up the stairs?"

 

She was thankful that Douglas was keeping the other two girls occupied.  

[Aria]

Fiona suspected that her sister was just trying to make her feel better. Of course she had ruined dinner. If one of her sisters had hurled in the hallway, it would have made the meal less enjoyable for her. They might quarrel a lot, but she cared for them and would have worried about them. She wondered what Douglas, Shona, and Aileen were doing now. Were they still eating or had they lost their appetite? Well, Dougie never lost his appetite, but he might be too concerned about her to take another bite for at least a few seconds.

 

She closed her eyes as Cat wiped her face and nodded in answer to her question. It was funny how throwing up made her feel better. The nausea was completely gone now. The maid brought a cup of cider and Fiona grabbed it and took a long swig to wash the nasty taste from her mouth and throat.

 

She allowed Cat to support her as they headed toward the stairs. “I’ve been feeling sick …” She almost said ‘ever since you made me leave Charles’ but stopped herself just in time. “For some time. I am afraid that I am putting you, Shona, and Aileen in danger.” Douglas could take care of himself. If the stalker attacked him, she had no doubt that her brother would kill him.

 

They made it up the stairs and into Fiona’s room. She fell across the bed, exhausted.  "Maybe fear is causing my nausea.  I really don't know what is wrong with me, but I hope it goes away soon."

[Catriona MacGregor]

Once she vomits she feels better?  Cat had something similar.  That something (Nessia) was currently playing with the nanny.  "I'm sorry, but I have to ask this.  Are you certain you're not pregnant?  Remember me with Nessia."  She didn't bring up the pregnancy before that had ended in a miscarriage.  "Have you eaten or drank something new?"  The comment about putting them in danger was waved away with a flick of Cat's hand.  "I wish you had been the one to notify me, but it is what it is.  We know now and are well protected.  You might be able to take the man out of the military, but you can't take the military out of the man and since the male half of the servants were soldiers, everyone's good.  But now, get into your nightclothes and get some rest.  All are safe in this house."  She badly wanted to cuddle Fiona, as she would when they were children, before Father tried to turn her younger sister against her.  

[Aria]

“I’m sure,” Fiona said.  Her courses were a bit late, but they had never been regular. If more than a week passed, then she would begin to worry. She and Charles had been very careful. He had pulled out each time. If she had not fallen pregnant after all these months, she doubted that it would happen now. She had been told that one started to feel different when they were with child, but she felt like she always did except for the nausea. It must have been the stress of Douglas finding out about her stalker that had caused it.   Luckily, he had not been as angry as she had feared.

 

“Everything I eat and drink comes from this house.” Unless Charles had told her, Cat didn’t know that Fiona had asked him to notify her because she didn’t want to start yet another argument between them. If the news came from a concerned friend, she thought it would be better.  Yet they had quarreled anyway when Cat arrived.

 

“I know we’re all safe as long as we stay here, but he might try to harm us when we leave. He could be anywhere or anyone.” Fiona stood up and began to walk toward the cupboard where she kept her nightdresses, but changed her mind and threw herself at Cat, hugging her tightly. “I’m glad you’re here. And Dougie too.”