Pardoned on the Peak (Sequel to New World Sasanaichs)

Two

The Day after receiving his official pardon from the current, most recent King of Britain, Jamie woke up in a far better mood than he normally did. Even though his wife swore he’d a tendency to smile in his sleep–a trait he’d apparently passed on to both their children, eleven-Year-old Egan and five-Year-old Aisling–he didn’t normally wake up smiling. He usually woke with a straight face, if not scowling, depending on whether or not he was ready to get up when the Sunlight either reached his closed eyes or his subconscious registered a serious need to piss.

        But it came as no surprise when even Róisín heard a summons from the main house–which everybody who’d ever settled at Morgan’s Peak since 1743 called the West Tower–through her mental link. It was almost a given that her parents, particularly her father’d wanna celebrate the price being removed from his head after damn near half his Lifetime by at least having breakfast together–and with their guests.

        Walking into the home Lachlan and Saoirse still shared with their two youngest–twins Dubheasah and Tierney–with his daughter riding on his hip, he wasn’t surprised to see quite the crowd already gathered. In addition to the aforementioned couple and their daughters, all three of their sons–Ahearn, Corbin, and Gabhan–had already arrived from where they’d taken up residence. Ahearn and Corbin’d also brought their own families, the latter’s being slightly bigger since–in being married to his human cousin, Morna Cameron–he preferred making the most of their limited Time together, and that seemed to oft produce a new child for them. But on top of all them were the trio who’d arrived the Morn previous, which was pretty much all this house could handle at once, if they didn’t wanna have to eat in the cold.

        As he got Aisling settled on his knee, the ginger man acknowledged said trio of guests as much as was polite, but took care not to say too much to the young lass finally introduced as Lady Geneva Dunsany. He well kent that seeming too forward with a lass already betrothed–and to the very Lord who’d all but worked himself to the bone to get him pardoned, at that–wouldn’t be intelligent of him. But he could also sense that she was a spoiled, calculating type who was headstrong enough to go after anyone and anything she set her sights on, if she wanted that person or thing enough. That could prove Disastrous for a newly-pardoned man such as himself, and he wasn’t about to set himself up to be hanged right in front of his family, even though it wouldn’t kill him.

        “Lord Morgan was enthralling us with tales–not to mention fine examples–of your work as a printer, Mr. Fraser,” Hal said by way of opening a conversation once everyone’d been served.

        “A man’s to have some way of supporting his family,” Jamie responded, keeping an arm wrapped around his daughter so that his right hand splayed across her chubby belly while his left raised his fork to feed himself.

        “Quite right, quite right,” the older Grey brother agreed, nodding. “By that, I trust you mean your wife and children?”

        “Aye, and me sister’s family,” he answered, ignoring the suddenly surprised look of a certain lass. “No to mention I do what I can fer me aunt, even though she’s me cousin and her husband–one of me brothers-in-law–to help and support her.”

        “Your cousin–and one of your brothers-in-law?” Lady Geneva queried, her expression now torn between curious interest and something akin to disgust.

        “Me aunt’s the youngest sister of me mother, which makes her daughter and I cousins, last I kent,” the ginger man answered, openly mocking her. “And last I also kent, me cousin’s husband happensta be the younger brother of me wife.”

        She seemed to mutter something beneath her breath, but no one save her fiancé could hear her.

        “Geneva, mind your manners,” Lord John warned her. “If the young lady’s father approved of the match, who’re we to say there’s anything wrong with it?”