We're Home – Part 11

Archie stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at his two girls standing at the bottom. This was one time that it felt weird not being the Laird. All were in traditional dress; it was the first real time that he had seen Lexie fully decked out in the MacDonald tartan. She had always chosen not to go traditional, except for a tartan miniskirt, traditional bonnet, or ribbon in her hair.
Now both of them were wearing the same patterned kilt as he was and looked very traditional indeed. He glanced across at Paul who was standing next to him and read his mind.
'These were the people who were meant to be running the event; it was this family that held the rightful place.' He didn't seem to match up. He had only worn the traditional garb for a few years, not knowing a thing about his roots before that. And now next to Archie who had basically been born wearing a kilt he felt like a fake.
He knew how Archie felt constantly in the shadow of Jamie, because now it was Archie's shadow that Paul was in. Archie belonged here and so did Lexie and he still felt that he was considered to be the illegitimate son who appeared out of nowhere looking for his father.
Archie walked down the stairs and picked up his daughter, balancing her on his hip before leaning over and kissing his wife. Lexie looked up at Paul and smiled the welcoming smile that only she could
" Come on." She commented, " You're the host, you can't be late."
Paul gave a half-hearted smile back and walked down to them, Archie put Melanie back on the ground where she could hold onto Paul's hand and enter her first MacDonald Clan Gathering while Lexie and he waited for Molly.
A few minutes later she too emerged down the staircase and they walked out into the driveway where the men and women would split into two groups to travel to the strath. The men would all march in behind the pipes and the MacDonald standard while the woman would follow in the horse drawn carriage.
Archie and Lexie had mixed feelings about their daughter's part in the ceremony. They wanted her to have a good time, as they knew she would, but in a way they also wanted to shelter her from her place in this community. Archie knew only too well what it was like to be a member of the ruling family, the monarchal system was still very alive in Glenbogle, and with it came great responsibility and renown.
Melanie had been shielded from it in Glasgow, being a MacDonald didn't mean much in a big city, but here in the Highlands the name had a lot of drive.
Still she had no choice; he would have to trust her in Lexie's care. Even before she was a MacDonald Lexie knew the entire goings on of these festivals. She had helped arrange them since she was a teenager, and ridden in the carriage at every gathering.
And in the year that Archie had been away she had even run the event, taking over his full position as Laird to host the gathering at the castle. Another problem was the fact that Katrina was also going to be riding in the carriage with Molly, Lexie and Melanie. Melanie now knew Katrina, and knew that she was Martha's Godmother and an old friend of her parents- but that was all.
Right now however, it seemed that Mel was more concerned with being able to ride in a carriage behind a real live horse, then who was actually in the carriage with her.
Lexie sighed, as all the women gathered together around the carriage. This was going to be an interesting day…