Page 85 of Highlander's Captive Bride
On the eve of their wedding day, Jamie spent the evening with the groom in his chambers, along with Dominic, Evan—Laird O’Reid—and William—Laird Rottrich—along with several other lairds and male guests who had been invited to attend the celebration the following day. Most had come with their families in tow.
A supper of cold cuts was enjoyed by the gentlemen, much ale and whisky was drunk, some gambling took place, and much loud laughter ensued, as was reported by the servants who ventured in.
Inevitably, drunken singing broke out in the late hours, and in his enthusiasm, Bellamy insisted on dragging in the piper who had come to bless the union into the chamber with them all and feeding him copious amounts of whisky before getting the man to play for hours on end.
At one point, the din was so loud that Daisy, Dakota, Delilah, Violet, Elodie, Poppy, and some of the maids came to sit on the landing near Bellamy’s chambers, giggling at the caterwauling going on inside.
“D’ye think he’s goin’ to make it to the wedding?” Dakota teased Daisy when Bellamy could be heard belting out a ballad in an inebriated fashion, with spirited choral support that was not always quite on key from Dominic, Jamie, Evan, and William.
“He’d better be,” Daisy joked, hoping she was right.
The bride had her little party, too, in the larger chambers she was sharing that night with her sisters. There was wine for the ladies and lemonade for Elodie and Violet, and plenty of sweet and savory tidbits to nibble on throughout the night.
Despite all this revelry, Jamie was up with Poppy at the crack of dawn on the morning of the wedding, along with the servants, all working together to make sure that all the arrangements were in place and everything went smoothly.
The day dawned fair, and it was not long before the paraphernalia of the wedding breakfast began to spill out into the castle courtyard and onto the castle green. From early morning, spits loaded with varieties of roasting meat dripped their delicious, aromatic juices into pans held by kitchen skivvies, who in turn used it to baste the joints.
Trestle tables were set up to accommodate a plethora of drinking vessels, flasks and bottles of liquor of all kinds, and barrels of ale, which were wheeled out and tapped ready for consumption.
Tables and benches were arranged to seat the fifty guests who had been invited, comprising family and friends. Banners, floral garlands, and even the tablecloths bearing the embroidered initials D and B artfully entwined with the sigils of Clan McGunn and Clan Murdoch were decked about. A small stage suitable for musicians had been erected, and a large rectangular space between the tables was designated as the dance floor.
In the bride’s chambers, all was abuzz.
“For a lassie who swore she wouldnae get wed, ye seem very excited about tomorrow,” Dakota teased. She and Delilah had helped Daisy into her wedding gown and were now fussing over the final details.
“Have ye nae seen the groom?” Violet joked, dabbing perfume behind Daisy’s ears and pressing a little powder to her forehead and nose. “She’ll be running down that aisle, I reckon.”
“Aye, ye’ve picked yerself a braw one there, all right,” Dakota agreed, and Delilah nodded.
Daisy blushed but felt very proud of herself.
“The gown is lovely, and it suits ye perfectly,” Violet said, kissing Daisy’s cheek affectionately. “And I made ye some garters for yer stockings.” She presented Daisy with a set of beautiful garters embroidered with tiny daisies.
“They are lovely!” Daisy gushed, hugging her. “Och, thank ye so much, Violet. I’m very touched. Help me put them on, will ye?”
She pulled up the hem of her dress, and they slipped the garters over her silk stockings.
“I feel sure they’ll bring us good luck,” she told Violet with a wink.
Her wedding gown was of ivory silk, with a narrow waist, a square neckline, and hemmed with lace. It was finished with a sash of the McGunn tartan and a matching pearl necklace and earrings gifted to her by Bellamy.
Around her wrist was tied the scarf of Murdoch tartan that Bellamy had bought her at the market, to use in the traditional knot-tying ceremony during the wedding. Bellamy would be wearing one of Murdoch tartan, too.
“Ye look stunning,” Delilah said as she tweaked Daisy’s veil and hair, which had been beautifully styled around a lovely crown of early roses made and gifted to her for the big day by Elodie.
“It’s absolutely wonderful,” Daisy had told the little girl when she had proudly presented it to her the night before. “I cannae wait to wear it. Thank ye, hinny.” She had hugged Elodie tightly and kissed her hair, deeply touched by the gesture.
“I’m so happy ye’re goin’ to be me new Ma, Daisy,” Elodie had whispered in her ear.
“Och, I love ye, Elodie, and I’ll always try me very best to be a good ma to ye,” Daisy had managed to whisper back, half choked with emotion. “I’m very proud of ye. Are ye looking forward to being me bridesmaid?”
“’T’will be the best day of me life,” Elodie had said, radiating excitement. “I never thought Da would ever get married, but now I have ye, and I get to wear a lovely dress. I’m getting lots of new cousins, too, which is fun.” She had paused, looking wistful for a moment. “I just wish me real ma was here to see me.”
Daisy’s heart had gone out to her, and she had hugged her a little harder. “I ken how ye feel, pet, but I’m sure she’s looking down on ye and is very proud of her wee lassie, too,” she had told her, wanting to believe it herself.
“I wanted to ask ye, d’ye think she’d mind if I call me new pony by her name?” the little girl had asked, looking hesitant.
Daisy had chuckled. “Well, all I can tell ye is that if ’t’was me, I’d be very honored, for she’s a very fine pony, indeed,” she said.
