Ye can tell me now what I would hae seen wi’ my own eyes if I had stayed. We lost the battle, aye?”
“Yes,” Sorcha said. “George I stayed on the English throne , but the government was pretty shaken by what had happened. I read on one site that the forces in Scotland made up of Highlanders, who most in England considered a backward people—their words, not mine—had ‘an ill-equipped, ill-prepared, and often ill-led army’ but that it was one that had won many battles. It seemed to be something of a surprise to them.”
“For hundreds of years they underestimated the determination of the Hielanders,” Hugh said in answer to her unspoken question. “And then what happened? Go on.”
Still, she bit her lip hesitantly before continuing. “The government wanted to punish those responsible for the rebellion. I guess that meant the lairds , because they took away all their power, trying to do away with the clan system. The Highland lairds forfeited their lands and legal rights …”
Hugh straightened at that. “Bah, a laird isnae a laird because of his wealth and land! Ye cannae just take the title away and make it so!”
Sorcha nodded in agreement. “One historian noted that a laird was something more personal to the people than a title alone , but the government fought pretty hard to make the clans disappear. They passed a law making it so the Highlanders could not carry weapons. They outlawed the broadsword, the playing of the bagpipes, and the wearing of Highland clothes or plaid for everyone except soldiers serving the Crown.”
Anger curdled in Hugh’s belly for his people, for Highlanders like himself who had been suppressed by the Sassenach. Appetite gone, he pushed his plate away. “Dinnae tell me there were nae executions,” he said bitterly. “The Sassenach love a good execution.”
“There were some,” Sorcha admitted hesitantly.
“The Earl of Cairn?” Hugh asked. “Was he one of them?”
“Not that I saw,” she answered , and Hugh released a sigh of relief. “On the bright side, forty or fifty years later, most of the restrictions on the suppression of the Scots culture were lifted, giving back the right to wear the kilt and all that. Most of the lairds got their land back, as well.”
“Then what?” he asked. “Do the Sassenach repress us still?”
“No, not really. Scotland is its own country,” she said, inexplicably twitching the index and middle finger of each hand in the air as she said the word “country.” “Scotland and Wales regained some control of their countries about twenty years ago but are still technically a part of the Union. They are part of Great Britain along with England and Ireland. A hundred years after Culloden, Scotland boomed during the Industrial Revolution. There was shipbuilding, mining, I think it said, and they were major exporters of linen. The Queen has a castle at Balmoral. There has even been a prime minister or two from Scotland.”
Hugh grunted at that. The advancement of politicians from his lan d was nothing to brag over. It was heartening to know that his country had prospered over time, though Hugh knew that the years immediately following the revolution would have been the worst of his life if he had still been there. He didn’t know whether to be saddened or cheered that he had missed them.
“Are you all right, Hugh?” Claire asked softly when Hugh continued to wallow in silence. He must be miserable after what she had told him. Certainly it was not what he would have liked to hear.
“Aye, Sorcha,” he murmured. “I was just thinking about what was lost tae us. I wish I could see my home once more.”
He looked so homesick that when the idea spr ang to her mind, she didn’t think twice. “Well, you can!”
“How?” he asked suspicious ly. “How might I do so when ye say it is impossible for us tae travel from this country?”
“Two
“Yes,” Sorcha said. “George I stayed on the English throne , but the government was pretty shaken by what had happened. I read on one site that the forces in Scotland made up of Highlanders, who most in England considered a backward people—their words, not mine—had ‘an ill-equipped, ill-prepared, and often ill-led army’ but that it was one that had won many battles. It seemed to be something of a surprise to them.”
“For hundreds of years they underestimated the determination of the Hielanders,” Hugh said in answer to her unspoken question. “And then what happened? Go on.”
Still, she bit her lip hesitantly before continuing. “The government wanted to punish those responsible for the rebellion. I guess that meant the lairds , because they took away all their power, trying to do away with the clan system. The Highland lairds forfeited their lands and legal rights …”
Hugh straightened at that. “Bah, a laird isnae a laird because of his wealth and land! Ye cannae just take the title away and make it so!”
Sorcha nodded in agreement. “One historian noted that a laird was something more personal to the people than a title alone , but the government fought pretty hard to make the clans disappear. They passed a law making it so the Highlanders could not carry weapons. They outlawed the broadsword, the playing of the bagpipes, and the wearing of Highland clothes or plaid for everyone except soldiers serving the Crown.”
Anger curdled in Hugh’s belly for his people, for Highlanders like himself who had been suppressed by the Sassenach. Appetite gone, he pushed his plate away. “Dinnae tell me there were nae executions,” he said bitterly. “The Sassenach love a good execution.”
“There were some,” Sorcha admitted hesitantly.
“The Earl of Cairn?” Hugh asked. “Was he one of them?”
“Not that I saw,” she answered , and Hugh released a sigh of relief. “On the bright side, forty or fifty years later, most of the restrictions on the suppression of the Scots culture were lifted, giving back the right to wear the kilt and all that. Most of the lairds got their land back, as well.”
“Then what?” he asked. “Do the Sassenach repress us still?”
“No, not really. Scotland is its own country,” she said, inexplicably twitching the index and middle finger of each hand in the air as she said the word “country.” “Scotland and Wales regained some control of their countries about twenty years ago but are still technically a part of the Union. They are part of Great Britain along with England and Ireland. A hundred years after Culloden, Scotland boomed during the Industrial Revolution. There was shipbuilding, mining, I think it said, and they were major exporters of linen. The Queen has a castle at Balmoral. There has even been a prime minister or two from Scotland.”
Hugh grunted at that. The advancement of politicians from his lan d was nothing to brag over. It was heartening to know that his country had prospered over time, though Hugh knew that the years immediately following the revolution would have been the worst of his life if he had still been there. He didn’t know whether to be saddened or cheered that he had missed them.
“Are you all right, Hugh?” Claire asked softly when Hugh continued to wallow in silence. He must be miserable after what she had told him. Certainly it was not what he would have liked to hear.
“Aye, Sorcha,” he murmured. “I was just thinking about what was lost tae us. I wish I could see my home once more.”
He looked so homesick that when the idea spr ang to her mind, she didn’t think twice. “Well, you can!”
“How?” he asked suspicious ly. “How might I do so when ye say it is impossible for us tae travel from this country?”
“Two
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