I do not own any characters, plots, or anything else pertaining to "Outlander". First, I'd like to say thank you to Hibees75. I appreciate you correcting my confusion between aye and I. For the remainder of the story, I'll use both correctly and eventually edit the previous chapters. This chapter is the one everyone's been waiting for, the Engagement Party. It was my favorite chapter to write so far and I hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks for favoriting/following and commenting.
Chapter 10
A Magical Night
Claire rushes around the kitchen, trying to get everything prepared, for the impending Engagement Party. There's so much to do and so little time to do it. "Mama." Claire places a serving dish onto the counter, right next to the fresh pastries, she's just baked. She looks over at her daughter and gives her a smile. The lovely dress, navy blue, with her grandmother's pearls around her neck, is quite beautiful. "You look stunning, Bree." Her daughter gives her a dazzling smile. "Thank you, mama." She gives Bree a wide smile. "How is your father fairing up there?" Her daughter gives her a warm smile in return. "Not well, he said that he'd much preferred a kilt to a suit." Claire can't help but smirk at Bree's words, as she places the pastries onto the serving dish. She knew he wouldn't like being confined in a dignified suit, but she's sure he looks quite handsome in it. "Let me take over and you go get ready." Claire feels relief wash over her because she's thoroughly exhausted and tired of being stuck in the kitchen.
Claire makes her way upstairs and walks down the hallway to her old bedroom. When she reaches the doorway, she spots Jamie standing in front of the mirror, looking quite uncomfortable. "I never took you as being vain." He turns to her and gives her a glare. "I'm no vain." Claire gives him a smile. "Well, I don't know what you're so worried about, you look rather dashing in that suit." Jamie shakes his head and she walks across the room. She wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You did look dashing in a kilt as well, but I love the way you look in a suit, my modern Highlander." She snuggles her face into the crook of his neck and gives him a few stray kisses. Jamie turns to face her, and a smirk is present on his magnetic lips. "Ye think so, huh?" She nods her head vigorously and he begins to lean in for a kiss, but their interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
Claire turns to see Roger and feels a bit embarrassed by the scene. "I have a tie for ye to wear." Jamie gives him a nod and makes his way over to him. Roger hands him the navy blue tie and smiles. "I figured that you'd wanna match Bree tonight." Claire sees a smile spread over Jamie's face and her heart warms at the wonderful sight. "Thank ye, lad." Roger gives him a warm smile in return and she rushes over to her closet. Claire knows that she must find something navy blue in color to match her family. She begins rummaging through her closet and stumbles upon the broach her mother had given her, before she had perished in that terrible accident. Claire had thought she lost the priceless family heirloom, which had been in her family for generations, during the Second World War. She smiles that it's the only item in her entire closet that's navy blue in color.
After she finishes applying her proper make-up, she walks downstairs, and makes her way into the kitchen. Claire spots her daughter organizing the food in the dinning room area and she's amazed how quickly all the preparations have come together. "Everything looks wonderful, Bree." She turns and their eyes lock. "Thanks mama, but you did most of the work here. So, thank you for everything." Claire gives her daughter a smile and walks over to embrace her. "You're certainly welcome, I'm so happy for you." They stay there hugging each other for several moments, before footsteps echo in the kitchen. Claire releases Bree and sees Jamie standing just inside the arhway, along with Roger. Both are smiling, and Claire can't help but lock eyes, with her dashing Highlander. He's looking incomprehensibly handsome, with that slight smirk she loves immensely. "Ye look bonny, Bree." She gives him a smile. "Thanks, da. I'm happy you're here with us." Claire watches Jamie walk over to their daughter and put his hands on both her arms. "As am I, mi nighean." Claire smiles, as Jamie wraps their little girl in his arms. She'll never get tired of seeing them together.
An hour later, the guests start arriving, and Claire prays that the night goes as planned. She knows that many of them will be questioning why she left and where she disappeared to for the previous two years. Yet, neither one of those questions frighten her, as much as the questions, they'll undoubtedly have about Jamie. Unfortunately, many of their guests this evening are family friends. They knew Frank well and she knows they won't warm to Jamie easily. She only has to wait a few minutes, before her suspicions are validated. Claire notices quite a few of her friends stare strangely at Jamie and then have the gull to give her a glare in turn. Stifling tension soon fills the room, but she's had immense practice at ignoring it. In this time and in the 18th century.
Claire makes her way over to her family and sees that their talking to none other, then the town gossip. She takes a sharp breath in, before reaching the group. Claire gives her best smile and locks her arm with Jamie's, instantly feeling his gaze on her. "Hello Claire, how are you?" Betty gives her a polite smile, while her husband George, stares at her in utter curiosity. "I'm doing well. It's a pleasure to see you both again." Betty looks not the least bit satisfied with her answer, she knows the inevitable questions are coming. "If you don't mind me prying, where have you been the last two years? We've really missed seeing your face at the Holiday Drives." Claire stiffens and feels uneasiness wash over her.
Everything is still for a few moments and she can feel all eyes on her. "I'm afraid, that's mi fault." Her heart stops at his words and she wonders what direction he's taking this. "I met Claire when she came to Scotland n went proposin to her a wee bit later." He wraps his arm around her and she smiles. "You could say that it was love at first sight." she adds. Claire looks over at Jamie and they lock eyes. Their intense and filled with so much love, it takes her breath away. Like clockwork, her heart starts hammering within her chest and warmth envelopes her heart. It always does, whenever he looks at her like that. "Sounds lovely, so I assume you've been living in Scotland?" She manages to tear her eyes away from Jamie's and look over at Betty. "Yes, we were married shortly after our engagement in Scotland, and decided to live there. You see, Jamie is a rather successful proprietor of a Local Inn in Inverness." Betty and George look unconvinced by their cover story and it makes her feel uneasy.
Betty unzips her pocketbook, resting on her shoulder. She grabs a little black book and gives her a smile. "I'd like to know the name of this Inn. Our fiftieth anniversary is fast approaching, and I've always wanted to vacation in Scotland." Claire feels her heart stop at this moment, not knowing how exactly, to move forward. "Mama, it's time for the toast." She inwardly breathes a sigh of relief, as she gives Betty and George a polite smile. "We'll have to discuss the details later." With that, Jamie holds her around the waist firmly, and leads her away. He puts his mouth near her ear, so only she can hear, and it sends chills all over her body. "Our daughter is just as cunnin as ye, Sassenach." Claire turns to give him a small smirk, as they reach Bree and Roger at the roaring fireplace. She grabs a champagne flute and then hands one to Jamie.
Claire smiles when he holds the flute up and stares at it with the utmost confusion. Someone taps her on the shoulder and she turns to see one of the servers, offering her a spoon. Claire feels foolish for forgetting that one vital element to the toast, but she proceeds forward. She smiles wide, as she holds up the flute, and hits the spoon against it. Everyone stops their idle chatter and turn their attention to her. "I'd like to make a toast to my daughter Brianna and her new fiancé Roger. May you both have many happy years together." The whole room erupts with a loud clatter of flutes.
She turns to Jamie, who's got the most bizarre expression on his face. "What the devil is this?" Claire gives him a smirk. "I can tell you, it's certainly not Crème de Menthe." Jamie gives her a glare. "Aye, I kent that, Sassenach." Her smirk widens and her eyes lock with his. "It's champagne, you tasted it in Paris, while we were residing there." Jamie shakes his head. "This is a wee bit too sweet for mi taste, it's nothin like the champagne in mi time." Claire gives him a smile and holds up her flute. "Well, drink up, soldier, because we're celebrating our daughter's engagement. This is the custom of this time, so suck it up." Jamie frowns at her, but holds up his flute nonetheless. "To Bree." His frown quickly turns into a smile. "To Breeh." They clink their champagne flutes together and Claire's glad that the night has turned out to be one filled with magic and happiness. It's all she's ever wanted for Bree, for their family. Her eyes turn to Bree and Jamie embracing and laughing, it's certainly a night of magic, indeed.