now... he’s a different kettle o fish altogether. Ah’ll hae tae see what Ah can organize there, shouldnae be too hard tae arrange.
With the help of a few womanly wiles, by the time year’s end had come, somehow or other, without Fergus planning anything, he and Sheena were walking out, recognised by friends and family as a courting couple and Sheena counted herself the luckiest girl alive. One thing did rather spoil her idyllic romance was that Rab, so clearly out of the running, had become ever more silent and morose. With a shake of her head, Sheena brushed aside such gloomy thoughts and instead cheered herself up by thinking, It must hae been fate that day when Ah met Fergus at such close quarters, Ah’d never really studied his face before then, but glad am Ah that Ah did.
At the memory of their shared encounters Sheena could feel a warm glow of happiness.
Aye, love is all and more than Ah could ever hae imagined. And walking out with my very own gingernut handsome man, is heaven on earth. Ah jist hope we havenae gone too far those times we’ve taken shelter from the wind and rain in that derelict old boat-house. Uch tae hell with worrying, Fergus, my very ain Fergie, he loves me. Ah Love him and what we done, it’s natural, the law of nature, so it is. Anyway, if things dae turn oot tae be a bit more result than we’d ever expected... let’s face it, we widnae be the first head-over-heels-in-love couple tae make it in-the very nick o time tae God’s holy altar.
No sooner had the thought of childbearing occurred to her, then with the non-appearance of her monthly ‘curse’ Sheena found the mental image to be an unasked-for reality.
As she adjusted her thinking to this turn of events, before drifting off to sleep, Sheena’s last thought was, Ah’m sure my Fergie will be as delighted as Ah am, after all he does love me.
When Sunday afternoon, their next walking-out day, came along Sheena could hardly contain the excitement she felt.
Jist wait till Fergus hears my news he’ll be so pleased and we can start planning a date for oor wedding.
As she brushed up her hair, secured it with bone clasp and draped herself in her best shawl, Sheena was completely unaware that as she bustled about the cottage, she was all the while humming a jaunty tune. Turning from the mirror, she caught Uncle Eck and Aunt Annie exchanging a meaningful glance.
It was left to Eck to voice their thoughts. Pointing an outstretched thumb towards Sheena, he chuckled and said, “Love’s young dream, nothing else like it in the world, is there?”
Annie laughed with rather less jollity than her husband had evinced.
“Ah wonder ye can remember that far back, Eck.”
He raised his eyebrows at this comment and Annie grinned over at him, in some way taking the barb out of her words.
Then turning to Sheena she said, “Now then, Sheena, be off with ye, no need tae keep yer Fergus waiting.”
It was all Sheena could do to stop herself from shouting out her delight that to all and sundry her young man was now duly accepted as ‘yer Fergus’.
Yes, she thought. That is exactly what he is, my own, my very own Fergus. Ah can hardly wait tae see him.
By the time she reached the end of Water Row, Fergus was already standing at the water’s edge, staring into the middle distance and clearly lost in a world of his own. Approaching him, she called out his name only to find that when he turned around, he seemed to be somewhat startled, looking through her and not in the least happily anticipating her arrival by his side.
A few minutes silence, then as if shaking himself into the here and now from some distant dreamland, he stared at her and said, “Oh, so it’s ye, Sheena.”
She tilted her head and although rather puzzled by his greeting, she somehow managed to say, “It is indeed myself, none other... but then who else were ye expecting? Just tell me that.”
Ignoring her joking question and decidedly flirtatious manner, he turned
With the help of a few womanly wiles, by the time year’s end had come, somehow or other, without Fergus planning anything, he and Sheena were walking out, recognised by friends and family as a courting couple and Sheena counted herself the luckiest girl alive. One thing did rather spoil her idyllic romance was that Rab, so clearly out of the running, had become ever more silent and morose. With a shake of her head, Sheena brushed aside such gloomy thoughts and instead cheered herself up by thinking, It must hae been fate that day when Ah met Fergus at such close quarters, Ah’d never really studied his face before then, but glad am Ah that Ah did.
At the memory of their shared encounters Sheena could feel a warm glow of happiness.
Aye, love is all and more than Ah could ever hae imagined. And walking out with my very own gingernut handsome man, is heaven on earth. Ah jist hope we havenae gone too far those times we’ve taken shelter from the wind and rain in that derelict old boat-house. Uch tae hell with worrying, Fergus, my very ain Fergie, he loves me. Ah Love him and what we done, it’s natural, the law of nature, so it is. Anyway, if things dae turn oot tae be a bit more result than we’d ever expected... let’s face it, we widnae be the first head-over-heels-in-love couple tae make it in-the very nick o time tae God’s holy altar.
No sooner had the thought of childbearing occurred to her, then with the non-appearance of her monthly ‘curse’ Sheena found the mental image to be an unasked-for reality.
As she adjusted her thinking to this turn of events, before drifting off to sleep, Sheena’s last thought was, Ah’m sure my Fergie will be as delighted as Ah am, after all he does love me.
When Sunday afternoon, their next walking-out day, came along Sheena could hardly contain the excitement she felt.
Jist wait till Fergus hears my news he’ll be so pleased and we can start planning a date for oor wedding.
As she brushed up her hair, secured it with bone clasp and draped herself in her best shawl, Sheena was completely unaware that as she bustled about the cottage, she was all the while humming a jaunty tune. Turning from the mirror, she caught Uncle Eck and Aunt Annie exchanging a meaningful glance.
It was left to Eck to voice their thoughts. Pointing an outstretched thumb towards Sheena, he chuckled and said, “Love’s young dream, nothing else like it in the world, is there?”
Annie laughed with rather less jollity than her husband had evinced.
“Ah wonder ye can remember that far back, Eck.”
He raised his eyebrows at this comment and Annie grinned over at him, in some way taking the barb out of her words.
Then turning to Sheena she said, “Now then, Sheena, be off with ye, no need tae keep yer Fergus waiting.”
It was all Sheena could do to stop herself from shouting out her delight that to all and sundry her young man was now duly accepted as ‘yer Fergus’.
Yes, she thought. That is exactly what he is, my own, my very own Fergus. Ah can hardly wait tae see him.
By the time she reached the end of Water Row, Fergus was already standing at the water’s edge, staring into the middle distance and clearly lost in a world of his own. Approaching him, she called out his name only to find that when he turned around, he seemed to be somewhat startled, looking through her and not in the least happily anticipating her arrival by his side.
A few minutes silence, then as if shaking himself into the here and now from some distant dreamland, he stared at her and said, “Oh, so it’s ye, Sheena.”
She tilted her head and although rather puzzled by his greeting, she somehow managed to say, “It is indeed myself, none other... but then who else were ye expecting? Just tell me that.”
Ignoring her joking question and decidedly flirtatious manner, he turned
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