now, and how would that look? My bride would come marching in on the arms of her father, finely dressed in her bridal gown, looking beautiful, but there is no groom standing at the chancel waiting for her. ‘Where is the groom?’ people will say. ‘Poor girl, has the groom deserted her at the altar?’ But no, the groom is standing in the transept playing the pipes.”
Skye laughed. “No, I dinnae mean play the pipes at the wedding. But afterward, at the reception you could play the pipes. You play them so beautifully, ’twould be a shame if ye dinnae play them.”
“A fine thing, Ian,” Duff said to Skye’s father behind the bar. “Your daughter wants me to work on my wedding day.”
“Duff MacCallister, for you, playing the pipes isn’t work. It is an act of love and you know it. Sure’n there’s no’ a man alive can make the pipes sing a more beautiful song than you.”
“So the two of you are doubling up on me, are you?” Duff said.
“And if we need another, there’s m’mother,” Skye said. “For she would want to hear you play as well. Say you will, Duff. Please?”
Duff laughed. “Aye, I’ll play the pipes, for how can I turn you down?”
“Best you be careful Duff, m’boy, lest you let the lass know how much power she has over you.”
“Ian, do you think she doesn’t already know?” Duff asked. He put down his empty beer mug, then stood. “Best I get home,” he said. “Skye, would you be for stepping outside with me?”
“No need for that, Duff MacCallister,” Skye said. “The only reason you want me to step outside is so I will kiss you good night, and I can do that right here.”
“In front of everyone?”
Skye smiled, sweetly. “Aye, m’love. In front of God, m’ father, and everyone else.”
Skye kissed him, and the others in the pub laughed and applauded.
Before stopping by the White Horse Pub, Duff had picked up his mail. Not wanting to read it in the pub, he waited until he got home. Now, settled in a comfortable chair near a bright lantern, he looked through the mail.
“I thank you for the invitation, Duff,” Skye said in response to Duff’s invitation for her to accompany him to the play. “But ’tis thinking, I am, that you should go by yourself, for they are your kinsmen.”
“And soon to be yours as well,” Duff said. “For when we are married, my kinsmen are your kinsmen.”
“Aye, but we aren’t married yet, so they are not my kinsmen now. And they dinnae invite me. They invited you.”
“That’s because they know nothing about you,” Duff said. “I will introduce you, then they will know you.”
“I think it would be better if I dinnae go,” Skye said. “Besides, after we are married, I will no longer work for my father, so I feel I should give him all the time I can.”
“Then if you won’t go, then I won’t as well.”
“Duff Tavish MacCallister, how dare you do that to me?” Skye said. “Don’t saddle me with the responsibility of you not going.”
“I just meant—”
“I know what you meant,” Skye said, interrupting him. “Duff, you must go to the play. I would be very upset with you if you did not. Go, then come back and tell me all about it.”
“I’ll do better than that,” Duff said. “If you won’t go to meet my kinsmen, then I shall bring them here to meet you.”
Skye smiled. “Aye, now that I would like. I have read of them in the newspaper. They are quite famous in America, you know.”
“Are they?”
“Aye. ’Twill be a grand thing to meet them, I am thinking.”
Duff MacCallister was a reserve captain in 42nd Foot, Third Battalion of the Royal Highland Regiment of Scotts. As such, when he arrived at the theater he was wearing the kilt of the Black Watch, complete with a
He went inside the theater to the “will call” counter.
“The name is MacCallister. I am not certain, but I believe you may have a ticket for me.”
“Indeed, I do, sir,” the clerk replied. “Just a moment, please.” The clerk called one of the ushers over. “Timothy, would you be for taking Captain MacCallister to the green room? Introduce him to the stage manager, Mr.
