The Blessed Blend
Page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
Thank You
Glossary of Scottish and Cherokee Terms
Chapter 1: Sins Come Home To Scotland
Chapter 2: Broken Bone Lodge
Chapter 3: Deliverance Or Dances With Wolves
Chapter 4: Fangs And Roses
Chapter 5: A Nap In A Pig Sty
Chapter 6: The Clan Convenes
Chapter 7: A Gift
Chapter 8: And A Bane
Chapter 9: Heart Medicine
Chapter 10: Hell Hog
Chapter 11: Those-Two-Together
Chapter 12: Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness
Chapter 13: That Hide Was Worth Some Money
Chapter 14: Pretty Poison
Chapter 15: Real Men Do Wear Skir… err, Kilts
Chapter 16: Game On
Chapter 17: Celtic Knots
Chapter 18: The Pack Takes Care Of It’s Own
Chapter 19: In-Laws and Outlaws
Chapter 20: A Bane Is Healed
* * *
The
Blessed Blend
A novel by Allison Shaw
Copyright © 2011 by Allison Shaw
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover illustration by Allison Shaw and Toye E. Heape.
Also by Allison Shaw:
Left Turn On A Red Light
Darrel Adair is as rugged as the Smoky Mountains that his tribe, the Cherokee, call home, but disillusioned after suffering many bitter disappointments. He becomes a drifter, burying his heart under miles of pavement and living like a shadow in the dust of the open road.
Lyssa Blackstock is a Lost Bird, an unenrolled mixed-blood drifting between two cultures. In the face of crushing betrayal, she remains gentle and innocent, a woman of rare strength, wisdom, and faith in the basic goodness of others - even while on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend.
Their paths cross at a bus station during an encounter with a gang of thugs, and despite his misgivings Darrel decides to protect Lyssa until she is away from danger. Drawn to each other by a calling too strong to resist, they begin a journey of healing and discovery that is at times uncertain and even painful, yet full of promise and joy.
Visit Allison at NativeRomance.com.
Special thanks to my Blessed Blend and Melungeon relatives, near and far- we truly have a rich heritage and the best of both worlds to dwell in.
To my family for believing in me and pushing (or nagging at times) me to go for it.
To Miss Kitty, Pudder, and Frisky for warming my lap whilst I was at my desk. Theres nothing like a purring cat to brighten up ones day.
To Chick, the best horse I’ve ever had the pleasure to share my life with and truly one of a kind. Here’s to feisty gals with attitude problems!
Glossary of Broad Scots, Ulster Scots, Gaelic and Cherokee Terms
A wat weel – (U. Scots) indeed, for certain, in any case
Aen – (U. Scots) one, single
Afeart – (Br. Scots) afraid
Anerly ane – (U. Scots) only one
Ain – (br. Scots) own, belongs to oneself
Bairn – (Br. Scots) child, baby, young one
Bith – (Gaelic) life
Ceilidh – (Gaelic) Scottish social
Conflummixt – (U. Scots) bewildered, confused, shocked
Cridhe – (Gaelic) heart
Enou’ – (U. Scots) enough, plenty
Evendoun – (U. Scots) absolutely, for certain
Fit Braw – (Br. Scots) able, apt, competent
Gillie brogues – (Gaelic) traditional Scottish shoes
Ken – (Gaelic) know, understand, get the meaning of
Leannan – (Gaelic) love
Mo – (Gaelic) my
Mor – (Gaelic) great, greater
Nanyehi’i – (Cherokee) Immortal beings or “Spirit People in Cherokee Traditions
Nae – (Gaelic) no, not
Ootthrou – (U. Scots) altogether, absolutely, completely, entirely
Owenvsv danigi – (Cherokee) you-and-two-or-more-of-you go home
Pernickitie – (U. Scots) difficult, contrary, obstinate
Richt nou – (U. Scots) right now, presently
Sgian dubh – (Gaelic) “black blade”, a dagger worn with the kilt
Shuirly – (U. Scots) surely, certainly
Siccar – (U. Scots) steadfast, certain
Tae – (Gaelic) to
Tail toddle – (U. Scots) sexual intercourse
Thankrif – (U. Scots) thankful, grateful
Truir – (Gaelic) three
Twa – (Gaelic) two
Unega – (Cherokee) white person
Unelanvhi – (Cherokee) The Creator, God
Whammled – (U. Scots) upset, confused
Chapter 1:
Sins Come Home To Scotland
John MacQueen took a drink of his ale and remarked, “D’ ye remember that American lassie ye were with ‘roon aboot four years ago?”
Euan Wallace stopped mid-drink and eyed his best friend with momentary surprise. His dark brown eyes scanned John’s face, taking in the blue eyes and tanned complexion as he searched for evidence of a joke. Seeing only seriousness, he shrugged and replied, “Wha’ o’ ‘er? She was joost a bird like any oother.”
John raised a golden eyebrow and said, “Was she noo? ‘Twas my impression a’ the time tha’ ye thought her fit braw o’er any oothers. An’ nae, she wasna like any o’ the lasses ‘roon here a’tall.”
Euan ran a hand through his dark red locks and took a deep breath. Och aye, he remembered Callie Hawken quite well and damned her every day for not having the grace to slip out of his mind like the other women he’d been with. Sure, she’d been a virgin when he’d met her and being a Yank of course she’d been different than the local lasses. Or the upper class lasses he was supposed to marry from for that matter.
But she had been just another chit out to marry into money, hadn’t she? His family had long been gentry, having made a fortune in banking and industry, and Euan shared in that status. An admitted black sheep, he preferred speaking Gaelic and Broad Scots to proper English, working the small croft he was leasing from his grandfather to participating in the family businesses, and hunting, fishing, and having a pint with the lads at the local pub to attending soirees and other functions with his peers. Still, there were the expectations of his family to marry well and to avoid fortune-hunting little schemers who would hinder his prospects when he finally took his proper place in the family business.
His parents had insisted that Callie was one of the latter, completely unsuited to be anything more than a passing fancy. At the time he had not thought her to be anything of the sort and indeed she had known nothing of his family’s wealth for most of their relationship. Even when she found out it hadn’t seemed to matter to her. She had enjoyed roaming the hills, fishing, camping, and even working on the croft with him and never asked him for more than the pleasure of his company.
Then she had claimed to be pregnant and he knew it had all been a ruse. She had used the oldest trick in the book to snare him but he hadn’t fallen for it. He’d denied she could be carryin
g his child, accused her of being a gold-digging whore out to trap him into marriage, and told her to get out of his house. She’d packed her things and left, and had never tried to contact him. If she had truly been pregnant she would have been after him for child support, so quite obviously it had been a scam.
John was still waiting for his response. “Well, mon?” he prompted.
“Well, what?” Euan replied. “The lass was a chit after a piece o’ the family fortune. I nae ha’ gi’en her a thought.”
John gave him a pointed look, shook his shaggy blond head, and took another draught of his ale. “Ye always were a poor liar, Euan,” he stated. “Anyhoo, when I was in the States wi’ Uncle Andrew representin’ Clan MacQueen for the Highland Games in North Carolina I saw her there. Ye remember that she’s Clan Robertson on her grandfather’s side?” Euan nodded and John continued, “An’ Red Indian mixed in wi’ the Scots. So there she was in Red Indian regalia wi’ a tartan sash, along wi’ her kin an’ other mixed Scots and Indians just like the day we first laid eyes on her.”
Pausing a moment, he added, “An’ she wasna alone.”
Euan snorted. “Got hersel’ a mon, does she? Figures. Nae but a wench.”
John raised his eyebrows and replied, “Nae, I didna see a mon wi’ her a’tall. ‘Twas twa bairns. Twins.” Looking Euan dead in the eye, he said, “A laddie and lassie aboot three years auld, wi’ dark red hair like yer ain and the look o’ ye aboot their wee faces.”
Euan choked as John’s words slammed like a fist into his gut. Wordless thoughts flew around in his head as he lost his breath for a moment. Bairns? Twins? She hadn’t lied about being pregnant?
Then his ego rallied and he growled, “Ye’re daft, mon! A wench like that, they could be anyone’s bairns! They nae be mine! If they were the wee bitch would hae been after me for support!” He let out a string of Gaelic profanities to vent his anger on Callie Hawken. In reality he was cursing at himself as well. He could deny it all he wanted. In his heart he knew.
John waited until Euan fell silent and said, “Interestin’ thing, that. I asked aroon a bit an’ heert a few things. The lass came home pregnant from a summer in Scotland, refused tae say a thing aboot the mon wha’ knocked ‘er up, refused tae name him on the birth certificates, an’ is rearin’ the bairns on her ain. Och, there’s quite a few lads wha’ think her bonny an’ hae been after her but she turns ‘em away one an’ a’. Keeps tae her kin up in the mountains an’ goes on occasion wi’ ‘em tae crafts fairs an’ cultural gatherings.”
“Well tha’s a’ hearsay,” Euan countered. “For a’ ye know she’s got hersel’ a mon o’ twa o’ triuir.” He stared at the foam on his ale and shrugged. “It’s been four years. I doubt she’s nae got hersel’ a mon in a’ this time.”
John said, “D’ye nae think ye ought tae find oot? If those be yer bairns, an’ I’m dead certain for aye, ye owe them a fathair in their lives. Though tae be honest, if I remember ‘er correctly an’ wha’ I heert be true, the lass is too fierce an’ proud tae e’en let ye claim them as yer ain let alone take any support from ye.”
“An’ ye would ken this hoo?” Euan challenged. “Asked her yerself, did ye?”
John replied, “I spoke wi’ those who ken the lass, including a couple o’ her ain kin. They thought I was interested in ‘er, an’ I let ‘em be nae the wiser. Told me I was wastin’ m’ time sniffin’ aroon and they cursed whoever it was wha’ hae broken her heart and left her tae raise her bairns alone.”
He lifted his glass to his lips. Pausing a moment, he said thoughtfully, “Actually they promised that if they e’er found oot who did her wrong they’d beat the hell out o’ the bastard twice o’er afore killin’ him and scatterin’ his entrails o’er the mountains.”
“An’ ye ken I ought tae risk m’ life o’er twa bairns that nae be proven mine?” Euan retorted. “I thought ye t’ be m’ friend but now I’m nae s’ sure.”
“Wha’ I ken is that ye hae done that lass a mighty wrong, Euan Wallace!” John countered. “Ye listened to yer parents when ye should hae listened tae yer heart an’ ye acted like a rich mon when ye should hae acted like a Scotsman, an’ ye’ve been a piss-poor excuse for both e’er since.”
Euan slammed his pint glass down and stood up, kicking his chair out from under him. “Bugger off, MacQueen!” he roared. “An’ next time mind yer ain bloody business!” With that he stormed out of the pub.
“Wha’s he oon aboot?” asked Angus MacDowell from the next table.
“Och, his sins come back to haunt ‘im,” replied John, smirking into his ale. Looking over at the bar maid he boomed, “Chrissie, lass, how aboot another pint o’er here?”
Chrissie Grant smiled and shouted over the low din, “Comin’ up, luv!” as she balanced a tray while swerving between tables and trying to avoid stray hands reaching out to fondle or swat her shapely butt.
John looked admiringly at her red curls and creamy skin as she moved gracefully about. If he played his cards right he might have his cock buried in her tonight after closing. As for Euan, he could go to hell if that was how he treated a friend for trying to help.
Euan drove his motorcycle like a maniac on the dark roads of Ayrshire. He had been so sure of himself when he rejected Callie. Realizing that he may have been wrong all this time made him even angrier at himself than he usually was. Damn John for butting in, damn Callie for ever existing let alone coming into his life, and damn himself for a fool for having fallen in love with her.
Damn himself as well for casting her out of his life before he had known he loved her.
They had met four years before at the annual Gathering of the Clans in Edinburg. She had been dressed in her regalia, a Woodland Indian tunic of red cotton calico and long wrap skirt and leggings of blue broadcloth adorned with appliqué and ribbon work, woven sash belt, beaded moccasins and knife sheath, bandolier bag, decorated shawl and beaded fan, and a sash of the Robertson tartan across her shoulder. In addition to beaded necklaces and earrings, she had worn a shell gorget and nasal septum ring. Her long brown hair had been pulled back into a braid and adorned with beaded barrettes and a leather wrap tie with long fringes.
Her attire had been unusual, drawing attention to the short curvy woman with an olive complexion and nut-brown hair. The Indian blood was definitely shown in the high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, small hawkish nose, and rounded face. Her lips were full but not too full and finely shaped dark brows arched over keen eyes that were fringed with long dark eyelashes. Her features were pretty although not stunningly so.
It had been her eyes that were her most striking feature, an unusual shade of blue-gray like that of the North Sea on certain sunny summer days. Eyes that sparkled with intelligence and curiosity and life, changing colors with her moods, the light, and the clothes she was wearing.
Eyes that had caught him and never let go.
Euan had been dressed in traditional Highland attire characteristic of the Jacobean era: muslin tunic shirt, great kilt held in place with a wide leather belt, sheathed dirk tucked into the belt, sganh dubh tucked in hose held by tartan flashes, old-style ghillie brogues, and a claymore slung across his back on a baldric. Six-four, muscular and yet slender of build, with rugged good looks and wavy dark red hair falling halfway down his back, his appearance had done his ancestors proud and made quite an impression on the lasses. The rest of the lads he had been with looked fairly impressive themselves, including John.
Callie had been with a group of mixed-blood Scots/Native Americans from both America and Canada. Their faces showed what they themselves called the blessed blend, with complexions ranging from fair to dark and a blend of Native and Scots features. Their regalia likewise reflected their mixed heritage, tartan sashes and swatches worn with buckskin or calico dresses and shirts, breechclouts, leggings, moccasins, and ornaments of beads, shell, silver or brass, and feathers.
There were a few Scots who took offense at that.
With the influx of immigrants
from other parts of the world and in particular those parts not European, many native Scots felt that their culture and blood were in danger of dilution or extinction. There were whole neighborhoods in most of the bigger cities and towns that were Pakistani, Somali, Chinese, Jamaican, Nigerian, and so on. Foreign languages and accents could be heard alongside English, Broad Scots and Gaelic. Many Scots grumbled about this and pushed for an ultra-nationalist agenda in the schools and public forum.