The Blessed Blend

by Allison Shaw

  Niall spoke. “You just never could get the chit out of your system, could you? All of the proper young ladies of your own class and you choose a… a…”

  “Backwoods mixed-blood?” offered Callie as she brought in a tray with several cups of hot cocoa and shortbread cookies. Setting the tray down on the coffee table in front of the Wallaces, she politely handed them each a cup.

  As the twins bounced into the living room, she went to Euan and motioned to the children to come to them. Jim and Darlene took up their seats in the rocking chairs near the fireplace and set a steady gaze upon Euan’s parents.

  Remembering the driver, Euan brought the man inside to warm up in the kitchen and asked Jolena if she would please attend to him.

  Returning to the living room in, he sat down with his wife and children at the opposite end of the sectional sofa from his parents. “Now then, let’s get this settled, shall we?” he asked, using proper English just to needle his parents.

  Several uncomfortable moments passed as Euan and his parents stared each other down. Niall and Leona sipped at their cocoa and Leona actually complimented “the chef” on the creamy brew. Callie accepted the compliment graciously and advised the woman that she had baked the shortbread as well. Leona looked as if she were uncertain she wanted to even touch one, let alone try it.

  Red Wolf and Mountain Rose studied the Wallaces. “So these are our other grandparents?” Mountain Rose asked, her blue-gray eyes scanning the couple.

  “Aye, lass,” replied Euan. “These are m’ parents.”

  “What did you say their names are?” asked Niall, pointing at the children.

  “Red Wolf and Mountain Rose,” Euan reiterated.

  “Why have they no proper names?” Leona asked. “Those sound like characters from some movie about the American West.”

  “They are proper names, Mrs. Wallace,” Callie replied testily. “My family is Native, you know.”

  “But not proper at all for people in our circles,” Niall chided.

  “We aren’t in your circle, Mr. Wallace,” Jim said. His obsidian eyes were lit with a cold fire. Where the hell did these people get off having this kind of attitude? First they show up uninvited, then they insult the family patriarch as well as everyone else within earshot, then they claim that they had come to take Euan and the kids? The Wallaces were lucky that their hosts were a hell of a lot more civilized than they apparently were.

  Euan’s voice rumbled in warning. “There’s nae a thin’ wrong wi’ m’ bairns’ names. I’ll nae change them.”

  “What’s wrong with my name?” asked Mountain Rose. “My name is pretty!”

  Niall and Leona studied the child, who boldly returned their perusal. Callie didn’t like what she saw in the Wallaces’ eyes. Too calculating. Too greedy.

  “Well, dear,” Leona wheedled. “Wouldn’t you like to be called Elizabeth or Christina or something a little more, er, conventional?”

  “What’s that mean?” the child asked, looking at her mother.

  Callie answered, “It means usual, like everyone else.”

  “Heck, no!” Mountain Rose answered. “I’m the only Mountain Rose! I like it that way!”

  “And I like my name, too,” Red Wolf said. “It’s who I am.”

  He studied his paternal grandparents, taking in far more than they could ever guess a child that small could know. When they met his gaze they could only look for a short time before they had to look away. Red Wolf knew that they were not to be trusted and whispered as much into his father’s ear.

  “I ken tha’, lad,” Euan whispered back. “See tha’ ye an’ yer sister doona be alone wi’ ‘em for any reason. Ye stay wi’ yer mathair an’ me at all times.”

  “Yes, sir,” the boy said softly, nodding. He then whispered, “Grandpa knows how to fix a car so it won’t start. Maybe he should do that if they stay the night.”

  Euan spoke again to his parents. “Ye can go oon back to Scotland. My life is here wi’ Callie and our bairns. She’s m’ lawful wife, ye ken, and she’s pregnant wi’ another set of bairns-”

  “So you said,” Leona interrupted. “How far along is she? You’ve been here only a month and a half! That’s certainly not enough time to tell that there are twins or if they’re even yours.”

  Euan’s eyes narrowed. “They’re mine, Mathair!” he growled. “An’ I ken it ootthrou! Noo if ye doona mind, I’ll thank ye t’ nae be impugnin’ m’ wife’s honor!”

  Jim stood up. “And I’ll thank you to get out of my house!” he ordered. “Nobody comes in here and insults my family like this!”

  “Well, how rude!” snapped Leona. “You have no idea who it is you are dealing with! We can crush you under heel like insects!”

  Euan decided to play an ace he had up his sleeve. “An’ I have certain information on some dealings ye hae been long involved in tha’ the Securities Ministry might not look upon too favorably,” he said levelly. “Including some things ye should hae reported an’ paid taxes on.”

  Apprising their shocked looks, he added, “I’m nae as ignorant aboot the family dealings as ye might ken. Joost because I doona want t’ participate in it doesna mean I doona ken what’s goin’ oon.”

  He got up and walked over to look down upon his parents, arms crossed over his chest. “If ye try tae undermine m’ in-laws or interfere in m’ family here in any way, especially as concerns m’ bairns, said information will be delivered post-haste tae Securities. If anythin’ happens tae me an’ Callie an’ yer thinkin’ tae take our bairns away from our appointed legal guardians, who would be their maternal grandparents, said information will be delivered tae Securities. An’ if ye try tae block m’ wife’s spousal resident permit tae the UK, said information will be delivered. D’ ye ken me?”

  Euan’s face was hard and his eyes murderously cold. The Wallaces were taken aback at this unfamiliar persona their younger son had taken on; in the space of a few weeks he had evolved from rebellious son to fully mature and completely independent alpha male. No longer on their leash or under their control, he was presenting himself as a force to be reckoned with and that did not sit well with his parents at all. “How dare you?” Leona hissed. “How dare you threaten us?”

  Niall shifted and asked, “Where did you learn to engage in this level of extortion?”

  “From the bloody masters of it,” Euan growled. “You, Grandfathair, and Uncle Nigel. Ye three taught me the art o’ bein’ a bloody bastard! I’ve watched ye scheme an’ connive since I was in nappies, an’ I’ve seen how ye use an’ destroy people for yer ain profit an’ pleasure. Like I said to ye before, joost because I wasna playin’ the game doesna mean I dinna read the playbook ye were usin’. I know evra dirty trick, evra loophole, evra twist ye employ in the family businesses, an’ I’ll use ‘em against ye if ye try tae interfere wi’ m’ family here. To put it plainly, ye fook wi’ me an’ mine an’ I’ll fook ye o’er royally.”

  Euan looked across the room at Caleb. “I ken m’ parents are ready tae depart. Would ye pass that along tae their driver?”

  Caleb nodded and went to the kitchen.

  Looking at Niall and Leona, Euan said, “This is m’ home now, these people are m’ kin, an’ this is the life I’ve chosen. If ye canna accept it, its yer problem an’ nae mine.”

  Inclining his head towards Callie, he continued, “This woman is m’ lawful wife, which I’m sure yer investigator has already proven t’ ye, an’ as the Gude Book says, mine tae cleave tae a’ m’ days. If ye reject her, ye reject me. An’ if ye insult her or her kin, ye insult me as well. Now, I believe ye’ve been asked tae leave. I’d advise ye tae do it before yer forced tae. If it comes doon t’ it, I’ll throw ye oot m’self.” With that Euan walked over and put his hand on the front door.

  Niall and Leona rose stiffly and put their coats on, stalking out of the house without another word. Just as Niall stepped off the last step he turned to Euan and stated icily, “Game on, Euan.”

  As the Escalade m
ade its way to the narrow road to return his parents to whatever airport their private jet was parked at, Euan shook his head.

  Jim asked, “What did he mean, ‘game on’?”

  With a sigh Euan replied, “He means that they intend to take us doon by whatever means necessary.” He paused for a moment before adding, “An’ its most likely m’ bairns they’re coming after.”

  Callie asked, “Do you really have that kind of dirt on them or was that just a bluff?”

  Euan smiled slyly, “I have enough dirt on ‘em tae fill in the bloody sea, wife. An’ since they’ve decided tae pick a fight I guess I might as well throw the first punch. They’ll be in hot water before they get back home.”

  Turning to Jim he asked, “May I use my phone in yer quarters? I need t’ make a private call.”

  Jim tipped his head in that direction and Euan excused himself. Pulling out his cell phone he looked up a number for James Kilkirk, the one only certain clients had. When Kilkirk answered, Euan described what had happened and his concerns. “Can they take custody o’ m’ bairns?” he asked.

  “They can’t even sue for it here until paternity is proven and dual citizenship is approved,” Kilkirk replied. “Even then, there has to be a thorough investigation of any claims they make. The courts are not going to remove children from their parents without good cause no matter how wealthy the plaintiffs are.”

  “Well, I ha’ nae been exactly a model citizen,” Euan stated. “I hae been the black sheep o’ the family, ye ken. After Callie left me, I did a lot of drinkin’ an’ birdin’.”

  “Any scrapes with the law?” Kilkirk asked.

  “Nae,” Euan responded. “But nae was I an ootstandin’ member o’ the community. I worked the croft and hung aboot wi’ the lads.”

  “And these lads?”

  “Workin’ class.” Euan paused. “Good lads, but nae a yin o’ ‘em from m’ family’s peers.”

  “Hardly anything to condemn you with, lad. And your wife?” Kilkirk queried.

  “Red Indian an’ Scots on her grandfathair’s side, Melungeon on her grandmathair’s, an’ her stepfather is Cherokee Indian,” Euan said. “Nae legal scrapes there either. Nae alcohol or drug abuse. Nae moral turpitude. Callie’s people are hard-working, humble, an’ stable. The only fault she has is a wee bit o’ temper an’ a stubborn streak a kilometer wide an’ twice as deep.”

  Kilkirk paused, thinking. He had dealt with divorce and custody issues among the upper classes enough to know how ugly things could get. The Wallaces were part of the British arm of a global financial system and had plenty of political and social clout despite lacking noble status. Once Euan’s children received dual citizenship, they might use that clout to sue for custody of their grandchildren through the British courts. They probably wouldn’t win, but they could make it very nasty indeed for Euan and his wife, who didn’t have the vast wealth and resources that the Wallaces had.

  “Euan, I think that you should wait on applying for dual citizenship for your children. If they aren’t British citizens, your parents cannot use the courts here to sue for custody. I will also hire an investigator to assess the suitability of you and your wife as parents -”

  “Ye’ll what!?” Euan interjected. “I’ve only been a da for the past seven weeks, bu’ Callie hae been an excellent mathair! D’ ye ken tha’ m’ bairns can already read and do basic math at only three years auld?”

  “So the children are advanced for their age?”

  “Aye!” Euan averred. “They doona talk o’ act like most three year auld bairns, bu’ like they be nearly grown. Their mathair herself is verra intelligent as are her parents and oother family members.”

  “And how do the two of you support your children?” Kilkirk asked.

  “I hae m’ trust accounts and investments, an’ Callie’s family runs a retreat here in the Appalachians. The whole immediate family partners in it, an’ I’m part o’ that noo m’self,” Euan informed Kilkirk.

  “And your home?”

  “We’re stayin’ with m’ in-laws until we get oor ain hoose built, bu’ Callie has her ain parcel o’ land an’ her ain livestock.”

  Kilkirk nodded to himself and then offered Euan his expert advice. “Don’t come back to the UK until you have everything set up to convince a court that your children have a fit and proper home. You need to have your own domicile and show that you have a decent income and adequate community resources.”

  “Community resources?”

  “Schools, health care, cultural influences, and the like.”

  Well, there was a problem. The schools were grossly underfunded which was why Callie was adamant about teaching her children at home. There were few local healthcare providers and the local hospital was a rather small facility. There were plenty of Appalachian cultural influences and events as well as a couple of local museums but no opera, ballet, or theater troupes.

  Euan relayed this information to Kilkirk, who mulled it over for a moment. “You’ll have to use the premise of the local culture being necessary for the children’s ethnic identity,” he advised. “If they come from a unique ethnic background, which it appears they do, removing them from it would be an act of prejudice.”

  “To remove them from us would be an act of prejudice,” Euan stated. “There’s nae reason behind this oother than m’ parents usin’ m’ bairns tae punish me an’ m’ wife for choosin’ tae build a life together, an’ they’re bein’ absolute bastards aboot it.”

  “Then that’s what the court would need to see, lad,” Kilkirk said. “You keep your nose clean and let them hang themselves.”

  “Speakin’ o’ hangin’ themselves,” Euan said, “would ye mind sendin’ those packages on tae the proper persons? I’d like m’ parents tae hae’ a nice surprise waitin’ for them when they return.”

  “Are you sure, lad? It will cause quite a scandal, you know.”

  Euan took a deep breath. “If they’ve got their hands full with their ain business, it’ll keep them oot o’ mine,” he said. “Besides, I doubt the courts will award custody to those accused o’ criminal acts or floutin’ the law.”

  Kilkirk chuckled. “I always knew you had it in you to be a dirty bastard, Euan,” he said. “Are you sure you want to be just a crofter? You’ve got the teeth to be a shark, my lad.”

  “But oonly when I’m oot for blood, and I’m oonly oot for blood when it concerns m’ family,” Euan replied.

  Chapter 17:

  Celtic Knots

  The next day dawned cold and clear with little to no wind. Caleb, Eli, and both Mikes were in charge of getting the fires going in the woodstoves in order to have the temperature in the tent on the cool side of comfortable by the time of the ceremony. Layla and Lacie were in charge of getting Callie and the twins ready, which included styling Callie’s and Mountain Rose’s tresses.

  The night before the wedding, after some discussion and at least one argument, it was decided that Callie would wear her hair down with large loose curls. Callie had stewed while the two self-appointed stylists rolled her hair up on large curlers and then used a large kerchief to hold them in place while she slept. “How the hell am I supposed to sleep with all of this on my head?” Callie griped. “I won’t be able to lay down, for Pete’s sake!”

  “But you want to look beautiful for your wedding!” Lacie had said.

  “Really?” Callie had snapped. “How beautiful am I going to look with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep? Get this crap out of my damned hair and just braid it to make it wavy!”

  After some more argument, Callie took the curlers out herself and braided her hair in a single tight plait. The way she had always worn it.

  As Layla brushed Callie’s hair out that morning she said, “It would have looked awesome curled, sis. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice some comfort for style.”

  “Yeah, and sometimes style is way over-rated,” Callie retorted.

  Jolena had made a bridal bouquet as well as a crown of si
lk flowers in ivory, blue, and pink to match Callie’s dress, each with streamers of the same colors of ribbons used on the dress. Annabelle had brought a woven sash belt from Qualla Boundary in those same colors.

  Callie would wear her Robertson tartan sash across her shoulder, held in place with a gold brooch with ruby and emerald cabochons that had been given to her by the Laird of Clan Robertson that summer she spent in Scotland. He had been one of those who had witnessed her facing off with the MacLaughlin ruffian and deemed her a worthy member of the clan. It was a gift of honor and Callie had worn it with her regalia ever since. It seemed especially appropriate to wear it on her wedding day since that event was the reason she had met Euan.

  Callie and Darlene had made Mountain Rose a child’s Tear Dress in a pale blue calico with ivory cut-work panels and the same ribbon work as that on her mother’s dress. She would wear a floral crown and carry a bouquet which was a miniature of Callie’s. Euan had given her a Wallace Blue tartan sash, which was his favorite out of the several Wallace patterns with its soft blue and green plaid.

  The girl wanted to wear both the Robertson and the Wallace tartan sashes and had some difficulty accepting that it was customary to wear just one at a time. “Well, I think that’s a dumb rule,” she pouted. “I like them both!”

  Euan wanted Red Wolf to wear the Wallace Blue kilt he had bought for him but the child balked. Used to his Cherokee regalia - ribbon shirt, apron-style breech clout, and leggings - worn with a tartan sash, he was hesitant to wear the kilt, sporran, and dress jacket which would have matched his father’s. Callie asked him to at least try it on once, promising that if he still didn’t like it they would figure something out something else for him to wear.

  Darlene suggested that Euan get dressed to model his attire so that the boy had an idea of how it would look. Euan put on his kilt, shirt, and jacket while Callie dressed Red Wolf. Father and son stood side by side looking at themselves and each other in Darlene’s dressing mirror. Callie had thought it almost eerie how much alike the two were as they stood there: same expression, same stance, the son almost an exact replica of his father. As long as Red Wolf lived, Euan Wallace would walk the earth long after his own passing.