Page 60 of Of Heather and Thistle
Department of Archaeology & Historical Studies
University of Illinois at Chicago
Office of Admissions
August 14, 1990
Dear Miss Eilidh Mackenzie,
It is with great pleasure that we inform you of your acceptance into theMaster’s Program in Archaeology & Historical Studiesat theUniversity of Illinois at Chicagofor the Fall 1990 term. Your passion for historical preservation and your academic achievements in Scottish history and anthropology have made you an exceptionalcandidate.
Our faculty was particularly impressed by your research onJacobite artifacts and cultural memory in the Scottish Highlands. Your work demonstrates intellectual depth and an innovative approach to historical investigation. We believe you will be a valuable addition to our program, contributing both scholarship and insight.
Please find enclosed details regarding enrollment, orientation, and housing options for international students. If you require assistance with visas or financial aid, our administrative office is available to guide you through the process.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus and supporting your continued exploration of history’s untold stories.
Warmest congratulations, and we hope to see you in Chicago soon.
Sincerely,
Dr. Aaron Allenson
Dean of Admissions
Department of Archaeology & Historical Studies
University of Illinois at Chicago
Heather ran her fingers over the aged paper, its edges softened by time but still crisp beneath her touch. The University of Illinois logo was stamped at the top—a seal of a life-changing moment. One she’d heard about dozens of times, always told with a spark in her mother’s eye.
She smiled faintly, reading through words she already knew by heart. This was how it all started. Her mother hadbeen accepted into a master’s program in archaeology. She’d packed her bags, left Scotland behind, and chased history across the ocean. Heather could still hear her voice telling the story, equal parts excitement and wistful amusement.
“I thought I’d be unearthing ancient treasures—maybe even discovering something no one had ever found. Instead, I met your Da… and, well…” Eilidh would laugh, shaking her head. “You were my greatest discovery.”
Heather had rolled her eyes every time she said it, but now—sitting in the dim light of Glenoran—she wished she could hear it again.
Her fingers traced the phraseJacobite artifacts and cultural memory in the Scottish Highlands. Of course that’s what her mother had studied. It was in her blood. Eilidh had spent her life drawn to the past—to stories etched into stone, buried beneath wild earth and silence.
And then she’d come to Chicago. And met Charles Campbell.
Heather sighed, leaning back against the worn velvet chair. Her parents had been opposites—her mother, passionate and curious, always chasing mystery; her father, practical and grounded, more interested in answers than questions. And yet, for a time, they had worked.
Eilidh had always spoken about Chicago with fondness, painting it in sepia tones—crisp autumns by the lake, the thrill of new beginnings. She used to describe the university library, the smell of old books, the sense that she was exactly where she was meant to be.
“And then, of course,” she’d say with a teasing grin, “your father walked in, looking so serious and impatient, trying to check out the same book I’d already claimed.”
Heather chuckled under her breath. That had been their beginning—a fight over a book about Scottish history.
“I let him have it, eventually,” Eilidh would say. “He was cute. And I like to keep things interesting.”
Heather’s smile faded as her gaze dropped to the letter in her lap.
She had never doubted her mother’s love. But here, in Glenoran—the place Eilidh had left behind—it struck her just how intentionally her mother had chosen a different life. She hadn’t run from something. She had runtowardit.
Adventure. Discovery. A new world she built with her own two hands.
And yet, she had never really let go of Glenoran. Somehow, she’d anchored herself to this place—as if she always knew Heather would need to find it one day.
