paused when she heard a loud bleating noise, scanning her surroundings she managed to make out a little ball of dirty white fluff in the long grass. A lamb! She thought joyously, taking a step towards it only to be overtaken by its mother, who frantically gathered him up with her other two babies. It was times like this when she missed her own baby, Sunny, who she’d been forced to leave behind when she’d set out to Scotland. Still she knew her faithful hound was in good hands, Richard had promised to care for the dog in her absence.
Leaving them to their family reunion, Elizabeth continued her descent into the village, wondering why she had left it so long to come down, just look what she’d been missing out on!
The shout that went up when she was first spotted took her aback completely; all the villages paused in their daily tasks and turned to openly stare at her. All that Elizabeth was able to do was stare back, mouth agape, at a complete loss as to what to do or say next.
Oh, why had she allowed Mrs MacTavish to talk her into coming down here today? She should have waited longer! Waited until Duncan was home, surely he would have known what to say! He wouldn’t have stood in front of them, mouth hanging open as she was now!
Panic building, her heart now beating loudly in her ears, she was paralysed with indecision about what to do next!
She nearly sagged with relief when the sound of a high pitched squeal took everyone’s attention away from her, the crowd turned in stunned silence as a fat little pink piglet raced through the centre of the village, followed closely by a dirty little imp. Arms outstretched trying to catch the little porker!
So this is why Ewan was missing from breakfast she mused , smiling, and laughter brimmed to the surface at the picture the pair made in front of her.
Throwing an apology back over her shoulder at the assembled villages, all standing in various stages of humour, Elizabeth wasted no time in racing after the boy herself.
They hadn’t gotten far, for on the other side of the village the little pig had found a big patch of mud from the previous day’s rainfall and gleefully belly flopped into the middle of it! It didn’t take much consideration before Ewan was following him in, diving into the mud after it!
Doubled over with laughter, Elizabeth was unable to get the words past her lips to chide him for his behaviour. She could hear from the laughter behind her that some of the villages had followed her to see what trouble the young master was causing today and were having just as hard a time controlling themselves as she was.
“I’ve got him!” Ewan exclaimed in glee as his dirty arms encircled the wiggling pink animal. Ewan heaved the pig out from the mud and promptly lost his balance, falling backward into the mud again, the pig now sitting on top of him.
Ewan became aware of his audience as the laughter erupted around him. As he turned his head his eyes fell upon the woman standing at the front of the crowd. Oh-Uh! Elizabeth! He was thinking of sinking into the mud and hoping she didn’t recognise him when she took a step forward, holding out her hand.
“Come on Ewan! I’ll help pull you and your friend out of there!” Elizabeth was trying her hardest to keep the laughter out of her voice, succeeding until Ewan meekly looked up and questioned, “ you’re not angry?”
As she answered the question with laughter Ewan felt the relief sweep through him, for he truly had not meant to cause any trouble here this morning.
“Come on Ewan; your hand?” Elizabeth reminded. When his dirty hand settled into hers she pulled with all her might. Just as Ewan almost reached an upright position the little pig began to struggle, concentrating on not losing him Ewan lost his footing again, tumbling sideways.
Elizabeth watched it happen as if in slow motion, the mud getting closer and closer before she landed face first in the cold sticky mess.
This time there was no
Leaving them to their family reunion, Elizabeth continued her descent into the village, wondering why she had left it so long to come down, just look what she’d been missing out on!
The shout that went up when she was first spotted took her aback completely; all the villages paused in their daily tasks and turned to openly stare at her. All that Elizabeth was able to do was stare back, mouth agape, at a complete loss as to what to do or say next.
Oh, why had she allowed Mrs MacTavish to talk her into coming down here today? She should have waited longer! Waited until Duncan was home, surely he would have known what to say! He wouldn’t have stood in front of them, mouth hanging open as she was now!
Panic building, her heart now beating loudly in her ears, she was paralysed with indecision about what to do next!
She nearly sagged with relief when the sound of a high pitched squeal took everyone’s attention away from her, the crowd turned in stunned silence as a fat little pink piglet raced through the centre of the village, followed closely by a dirty little imp. Arms outstretched trying to catch the little porker!
So this is why Ewan was missing from breakfast she mused , smiling, and laughter brimmed to the surface at the picture the pair made in front of her.
Throwing an apology back over her shoulder at the assembled villages, all standing in various stages of humour, Elizabeth wasted no time in racing after the boy herself.
They hadn’t gotten far, for on the other side of the village the little pig had found a big patch of mud from the previous day’s rainfall and gleefully belly flopped into the middle of it! It didn’t take much consideration before Ewan was following him in, diving into the mud after it!
Doubled over with laughter, Elizabeth was unable to get the words past her lips to chide him for his behaviour. She could hear from the laughter behind her that some of the villages had followed her to see what trouble the young master was causing today and were having just as hard a time controlling themselves as she was.
“I’ve got him!” Ewan exclaimed in glee as his dirty arms encircled the wiggling pink animal. Ewan heaved the pig out from the mud and promptly lost his balance, falling backward into the mud again, the pig now sitting on top of him.
Ewan became aware of his audience as the laughter erupted around him. As he turned his head his eyes fell upon the woman standing at the front of the crowd. Oh-Uh! Elizabeth! He was thinking of sinking into the mud and hoping she didn’t recognise him when she took a step forward, holding out her hand.
“Come on Ewan! I’ll help pull you and your friend out of there!” Elizabeth was trying her hardest to keep the laughter out of her voice, succeeding until Ewan meekly looked up and questioned, “ you’re not angry?”
As she answered the question with laughter Ewan felt the relief sweep through him, for he truly had not meant to cause any trouble here this morning.
“Come on Ewan; your hand?” Elizabeth reminded. When his dirty hand settled into hers she pulled with all her might. Just as Ewan almost reached an upright position the little pig began to struggle, concentrating on not losing him Ewan lost his footing again, tumbling sideways.
Elizabeth watched it happen as if in slow motion, the mud getting closer and closer before she landed face first in the cold sticky mess.
This time there was no