Page 34 of Kilgannon #1

“Do ye hear the pipes, lass?” Alex’s smile was private.

“Ye will shortly. They’re giving us a proper homecoming.

And if ye look up on the top of the headland there” —he pointed to a rocky precipice that towered at the next turn of the loch— “ye’ll see a boy waving.

He’s the one who spied us and told the others of our approach.

” I shielded my eyes and sure enough, a young boy jumped from one foot to another, waving furiously at us.

Alex waved in return. “Ye dinna think we’D not look to see who was arriving, did ye?

Everaone knows who arrives by sea before they land in Kilgannon.

” His eyes were shining as he listened intently, and soon I could hear the pipes as well.

As we rounded the final curve of the loch, the music grew louder and soared over the valley.

And what a valley. Green, lush, full of trees and growth, spreading before us like an Eden.

No wonder he thought it was extraordinary.

Nothing had prepared me for this. It was even more beautiful than he said.

Oh, yes, I thought, I could live here. The valley was full of sunshine this afternoon, but the mist hung over the mountains above, ready to descend.

Pipers lined the side of a dock, a crowd of people with them, more arriving as we watched.

From the flat land around the dock, the valley stretched to the end of the loch and into a meadow surrounded by the trees that led up to the mountains.

“Kilgannon,” Alex said softly next to me, and pointed.

I followed his gaze and looked to my right across the water.

It was indeed a castle. It seemed to grow out of the very rock, reigning from atop a steep hill that rose sharply in a series of walled terraces, quickly leaving the valley floor below.

Above the terraces were ancient walls that had been amended, creating a formidable fortification of gray stone.

The castle was yet above that, more walls enclosing the original keep and the later buildings.

It was a noble structure, graceful despite its size and its obvious defensive features.

Nine generations of MacGannons had lived and died here, I thought, and I now would be its mistress.

The gray stones were silhouetted against the mist above.

Welcome me, Kilgannon , I said silently, I will do my best to be worthy .

And then my attention was caught by the people who cheered as we approached the dock.

They called to Alex as we landed, and I was astonished at the casual way they greeted him.

Many called him “my laird” or “sir,” but more often it was simply “Alex.” Except for the two small boys who clambored on board before all the lines were secured.

“Da! Da!” they cried as they scrambled over the side and flung themselves on Alex.

He hugged them ferociously in return and I stood back, studying them as they greeted their father.

The older one looked very much like Alex must have at his age, the younger an exact copy except for the much redder blond hair.

Both had their father’s long limbs, wild hair, and blue eyes.

And affectionate nature. After a moment Alex put them both down, laughing.

“Mary, these are my sons,” he said, one hand on each boy’s head. Three pairs of blue eyes watched me closely.

I curtsied deeply and smiled. “I am Mary,” I said.

Dear God , I prayed, let them accept me.

I will do my best to be a good mother . “You must be Ian,” I said to the older boy, “and you must be Jamie.” They both nodded, suddenly silent and shy.

“I am very happy to meet you.” I looked into their blue, blue eyes, but they said nothing.

They fell into step behind us as we walked down the planks to the dock and did not speak as Alex was surrounded by his kinsmen.

Angus followed us onto the dock, Matthew by his side, and the boys came alive again, swarming over both of them.

Matthew threw Jamie over his shoulder and took off at a run up the hill, Ian in their wake.

I felt very alone in the crowd of Scots as I watched them race away.

Alex threw an arm around my shoulders and I was drawn into what seemed endless introductions.

Everyone was named Mairi or Morag or Duncan or Donald, it seemed, although there must have been ten Alexes.

And they were all related, “Mac this Mac that” for ten minutes until my head was spinning.

They were dressed in Highland fashion, the men in plaids or kilts and bonnets, the women in simple dresses, most in cloaks, but many braving the chilly air without appearing to notice it.

Some were tall, blond and redheaded, and I saw faces that showed their MacGannon bloodlines, but there were many others as well with dark hair or smaller frames.

We moved with the crowd up the terraces toward the castle, the pipers following us.

I turned just before we entered the outer gate and looked behind me.

The castle had a view of the loch and valley as it melted into forest and then mountain on the far side.

The loch continued for another half mile or so, still and glacial, reflecting the green of the valley below and the mountains looming above.

The water was very blue, the mountains dark gray against the lighter gray mist. The sun made everything sparkle.

“What a beautiful place,” I said, but did not realize I had spoken aloud until Angus, next to me, nodded his agreement.

“Aye, lass,” he said, his voice gruff with emotion. “It’s good to be home. And good to have ye here with us.”

And then Alex reached for me and led me into my new home.