Chapter Summary: "The Tocher-Gude" means "the marriage portion" in Scottish Gaelic and is from a poem by Robert Burns (used in this chapter).
Author's Note: I've done lots of research leading up to this chapter regarding Scottish Gaelic/Celtic wedding traditions. I hope you enjoy. If you happen to be Scottish and have more familiarity than I with specific traditions and this seems totally out of touch, then please feel free to let me know. It won't be fully traditional, as I don't think it would be since they've both spent quite a bit of time out of Scotland and are in more contemporary times. I've pulled the traditions, various poems and readings, etc. from multiple resources. I understand also that children as Ring Bearers and Flower Girls isn't necessarily a common tradition (or at least it didn't used to be) in the UK. But I can't resist having wee Fred and Lizzie as a part of the wedding party, so please bear with that part.
Three weeks later, Liv MacDonald sat in Ellie Miller's house in front of a dressing mirror. Daisy Hardy was helping the woman, soon to be her step-mother, fix her hair. They heard a knocking from downstairs and a few moments later Ellie Miller was escorting Maggie Radcliffe into the bedroom.
"Here we are now, love. The only white heather in Broadchurch, straight from Jocelyn's garden. She's the only one who's been able to get it to grow here." Maggie smiled as she presented a few sprigs of white to the bride.
"Oh Maggie, I can't thank you and Jocelyn enough. Would you place it in my bouquet? It's there, on the bed," Liv said, motioning in the direction without moving her head, which Daisy was busy at work on.
"It'd be my honor. You make a beautiful bride, Liv. And Daisy, you're doing a marvelous job," Maggie said with a smile and a pat on Daisy's arm.
"Thank you, Maggie." Daisy nodded, smiled, and put the finishing touches on her work.
About that time, there was another knocking on the door downstairs and Ellie huffed before heading back that way.
"Alright, loves, I'll leave you be. See you in a bit at the church!" Maggie said as she left the room.
It wasn't long before they heard a shouting from downstairs. "Best man here to deliver a package from the groom!"
"Alright, Mark! Have Ellie bring it up!"
Ellie came back in a moment later carrying a small box. "You know what this is?" she asked.
"I have an idea." Liv grinned as she took the box and slid the top off. She moved the small piece of paper to reveal a silver brooch that resembled two merged hearts.
Ellie gasped, "It's beautiful. What is it?"
Liv spoke quietly as she marveled over the brooch, "It's a Luckenbooth, a Scottish symbol of love."
Daisy whispered, "It was my grandmothers—dad's mum—I never met her." She paused, a weight on her as she looked at the brooch. "My mum refused to wear it on their wedding day, she told my dad it was silly. He showed it to me before and told me the story."
Liv stood up, holding the brooch and paper tight in her hand as she pulled Daisy in to hug her close. "I can't thank you enough, Daisy, for being here."
"I'm glad my Dad is happy. And especially glad it's with you." The young girl blushed a bit at being honest.
"Alright now, you and El leave me for a bit. I'd like some time alone before we leave."
Ellie smiled and ushered Daisy out of the room. After they had left, Liv sat back down in the chair facing the mirror and looked at herself a moment, taking a deep breath, then opening her hand back up to examine the brooch again. She set the paper on her lap long enough to pin the brooch just below the left strap of her wedding dress, close to her heart. Her hand traced back over it once more before she then took the paper back up and unfolded it, knowing it would be a treasure itself.
She smiled immediately as she began reading the words, written in Alec's handwriting.
Ithers seek they ken na what,
Features, carriage, and a' that;
Gie me love in her I court,
Love to love maks a' the sport.
Let love sparkle in her e'e;
Let her lo'e nae man but me;
That's the tocher-gude I prize,
There the luver's treasure lies.
(Robert Burns)
My dearest Liv,
Has the moment finally come? Have we both been granted the happiness, the love, we thought would never be ours again? To know that soon I'll be wed to you, it leaves me with a feeling I'm not sure I've ever had before. I can scarcely believe it. But know this: I love you, and nothing will keep me from my "prize" – soon, you will be my wife.
I love you not only for what you are,
But for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself,
But for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out;
I love you.
For putting your hand into my heaped-up heart
And passing over all the foolish, weak things
That you can't help dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
(Roy Croft)
Upon finishing, Liv gripped the paper tight to her chest, then smiled as she folded it and slipped it into her bra, over her heart where it would remain till her husband could find it later.
She stood and moved towards Ellie's bed to pick up her bouquet that lay there. She then took another look in the mirror, smoothing out her dress as she thought over the coming wedding ceremony and celebrations.
Both being proud of their heritage, they had decided to honor it with several Scottish wedding traditions. Liv was especially insistent since Alec hadn't gotten to honor his Scottish heritage at all in his wedding to Tess. Even now, the thought made her blood boil. But, her mood turned quickly as the first tradition was about to occur. She could hear the bagpipe player from upstairs.
"Oi! Liv, I can see them coming! You better hurry it up!" Ellie Miller yelled from downstairs.
Liv grinned wide as she pulled up on her dress, raising it's hem so that she could walk easier to get down the stairs. "I'm coming, I'm coming! I don't think they'll be having the wedding without me!" she said as she came down the stairs.
Beth gasped from where she stood next to Ellie. "Oh, Liv, you look gorgeous!"
Liv smiled as she looked at Beth and Ellie standing side by side in emerald green dresses. Daisy's matched theirs, with Chloe and Lizzie wearing a slightly different style, but the same color. Ellie was, of course, her maid of honor, with Daisy and Beth as her bridesmaids. Lizzie would be the flower girl, but it was decided that she and Fred might need an escort with their ease of distraction, so Chloe would walk with them down the aisle.
There was a knock at the door, which Ellie answered. Liv looked down the hall to see Mark Latimer there, a smile on his face. "Hello ladies, I believe it is my pleasure to escort the bride to the church on this fine day." Liv smiled at the man who had become as close to a good friend to Alec Hardy as he had ever had. It was hard for Alec to make friends, but in the time he had begun spending with the Miller's and Latimer's, especially since he began dating Liv, Mark had become someone even Alec knew he could rely on. And in truth, being a friend to Alec had been part of what gave Mark the direction he needed when he was drowning in his own despair. Alec knew all about despair, and secretly Liv knew the men had discussed such things when no one else was around. Liv had known Beth and Mark almost as long as she had known Ellie, so it had thrilled her when Alec told her he had decided to ask Mark to be his best man, with Tom Miller and Dave Barrett as his groomsmen, and wee Fred as their ring bearer. To her, it was perfection, being surrounded by those she loved most.
Her smile grew even wider as she saw beyond Mark out to the street where the object of her love and affection stood. Alec Hardy, in full Scottish dress kilt and attire, stood waiting, as patiently as could be expected from a soon-to-be-groom. He spotted her at the same time she did him and they smiled sweetly at each other.
Mark stood to the side, allowing the other ladies to walk through, with Liv bringing up the rear. He held his arm out and she looped hers around it, taking a moment to stop, and look down as she stepped out the door with her right foot first. She smiled and looked back up at her escort as she closed and latched the door behind them.
"A pleasure to see you on this fine day, Mark. I was wondering, would you mind escorting me to the church? I understand there's a lonely Scottish man headed that way who's looking for a bride." She grinned and he chuckled at her as they moved to join the rest of the group on the street. She looked a bit bashfully at her soon-to-be-husband and mouthed "Hello," before they took their place behind he and Ellie Miller and began the rest of the walk down the street to the church.
Behind them, Beth, Chloe, Liz, Dave, Tom, and Fred, all followed.
Up ahead, Alec spoke quietly to Ellie as he walked with her, her arm looped through his, on the road. The sound of the bagpipe player ahead of them drown out their words from surrounding ears.
"Ellie, I'll never be able to thank you enough for introducing me to Liv." He looked down in fond friendship to the woman who had become his most trusted work partner and friend.
She grinned up at him fondly. "No, I don't suppose you will. Quite the catch you've gotten. I reckon it's worth at least several weeks of turning in the paperwork for our cases."
"Oh, I see." He smirked. "Well, we'll address that when I return."
"Two weeks, eh?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Whatever are you going to do with yourself being so far away from work for two weeks?"
"Oh," he said thoughtfully. "I'm sure I'll come up with something to do. It is my honeymoon after all."
She grinned even wider. "I'm happy for you, Alec. For you and Liv. You both deserve all the world's happiness."
A flash of sadness swept his face as he glanced back down at her while they walked. "So do you, Ellie. And if there's one thing I've realized—it will find you when you least expect it."
At the same time, Mark Latimer was conversing with Liv. He shook his head and smiled. "I never thought D.I. Alec Hardy would end up practically a part of the family."
"And you his best man, at that!" Liv grinned back. After a moment of quiet she spoke again, "Mark, I'm so glad you and Beth worked things out. You've both dealt with so much grief, and I know it's hard coming together after that."
Mark nodded thoughtfully as they walked on. "It's been difficult, but anything worth fighting for is sometimes. To be honest it was you, and Alec, that helped a lot."
"Oh?" Liv questioned in surprise. "How's that?"
"Seeing you two fight for each other. Having been through so much and coming together not just in spite of, but because of it. Seeing new love again. It reminded us of what was worth fighting for." He glanced back and smiled at his wife. "Each other."
A while later they approached the church and found their guests lined up along the walkway up to the church. Reverend Paul Coates waited at the entryway, a smile on his face, his Bible in one hand, and a thin rope in the other. The rope was made of two thinner pieces of emerald green rope and one gold rope, all braided together.
The piper led them up to the church and moved off to the side. David Barrett came forward as Mark moved off to the right side of the doorway with Tom and Fred. Liv took Dave's arm and he escorted her the few more steps up to Alec's left side. He then took one end of the ribbon from the vicar, who held the other side. Alec held his left hand out to Liv and she took it with a smile. As the two men began wrapping the ribbon loosely around the wrists and hands of the couple, Paul Coates quoted Ecclesiastes 4:12, "And if one prevails against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Once finished, David leaned in and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek and went behind the couple to move and stand with Mark and Tom beside Alec.
"Dearly belsoved, we are gathered together today to celebrate the union of Alec Hardy and Olivia MacDonald. In the tradition of their Scottish ancestors, the two will now share their vows to each other at the 'entry of the kirk.'" As he spoke, he glanced down at his notes to ensure he had the wording correct. "At that time, we will move inside for the remainder of the ceremony." The vicar then nodded to Alec, who turned towards his bride as she turned towards him.
With that he began speaking in Gaelic, "Tha mise Alec Hardy a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa Olivia MacDonald gu bhith 'nam chéile phòsda. Ann am fianais Dhé 's na tha seo de fhianaisean tha mise a' gealltainn a bhith 'nam fhear pòsda dìleas gràdhach agus tairis dhuitsa, cho fad's a bhios an dìthis againn beò."
(I, Alec Hardy now take you Olivia MacDonald to be my wife. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful and loyal husband to you, for as long as we both shall live.)
Liv smiled and squeezed his hand tight as she began speaking, "Tha mise Olivia MacDonald a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa Alec Hardy gu bhith 'nam chéile pòsda. Ann am fianais Dhé 's na tha seo de fhianaisean tha mise a' gealltainn a bhith 'nam bhean phòsda dhìleas ghràdhach agus thairis dhuitsa, cho fad's a bhios an dìthis againn beò."
(I, Olivia MacDonald now take you Alec Hardy to be my husband. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful and loyal wife to you, for as long as we both shall live)
Then the two spoke together, in unison, "You cannot possess me for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require, and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night, and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is the marriage of equals."
With that, the Reverend turned and opened the doors to the church and the wedding party entered, followed by their guests who were quickly seated. Holy Communion was given in the MacDonald quaich, the traditional two-handled wedding cup that had been handed out in Liv's family.
After communion and a few more words spoken by Paul (though he kept it short, as Alec had insisted on no 'sermon' at his wedding), the two exchanged rings and were presented to the congregation as man and wife.