The sun shines down upon the clubhouse as insects and birds announce their presence; a peaceful scene of fantasy. The scent of flowers blankets the realm, bringing joy to the denizens of Charming. Among the brotherhood there is peace and happiness...
Chibs watched as the two men standing in front of him both sighed and shook their heads. He would find this whole thing comical if it wasn't for the shock running through his system. The two elderly men were totally out of place there in the clubhouse, what with their austere black suits, derby hats, and shiny loafers. One of the men pulled an official-looking sheet of parchment from his pocket and donned his black-framed spectacles before clearing his throat.
"It's really very simple, lad. Are ye or are ye no' Filip Telford, the las' living son of the Clan Telford from County Berwickshire?"
Chibs nodded slowly as he lit a cigarette. "Aye, I am bu'... wait. I'm the last living?"
The man nodded solemnly. "Aye, laddie. Yer the las' of yer kind. Tha's why we're here after all."
The other man nodded in agreement. "Aye, it is. As the las' Telford, ye are to marry the only daughter of King Fergus. She's at the 'otel righ' now, waitin'."
Chibs shook his head, wondering just what he was supposed to do with a wife and one that he'd never met before. He knew that arranged marriages were still a thing in the Old Country, but here in the U.S., it was rarely heard of, if at all. He looked at both men with a serious frown on his face. "Gents, tha's just no' done here. No' anymore."
The old man who had held the paper frowned and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Are ye refusin' the lass?"
Chibs closed his eyes and groaned. He knew what would result from refusing the lass. She'd be sent back to Scotland, shamed, and likely cast out as a failure. He sighed before shaking his head. "Nay. I can at least meet the lass."
The old man smiled and nodded. "Aye, tha's the spirit lad!"
As Chibs followed the men toward the door, he turned to Bobby, who had been silently observing the impromptu meeting the whole time. "I'll be back. I dinnae wan' anyone bu' Clay to know abou' this, Bobby."
Bobby just nodded as he walked out into the sunshine and toward his bike as the two old men got into a black sedan and waited for him to follow.
Chibs followed the men down a hallway at the Charming Inn, his stomach tied in nervous knots. He'd only just been granted his divorce from Fiona six months before. He wasn't at all sure that he wanted another wife so soon, but at that moment he saw no way around it. Even though he didn't know her, he just couldn't send the lass away in disgrace. He'd also been shocked to learn that he was the last male of his family. If he had no more heirs, the Telford line would end with him.
The men stopped at the door of a suite, knocking twice before unlocking the door and entering. When Chibs stepped inside the room, he was stunned to see a beautiful woman standing across the room. She had the brightest copper hair he'd ever seen, and the most beautiful green eyes. Eyes that turned to him with a defiant look as she gave a nod and small smile. All he could think as he returned the smile was that this woman had spirit.
"Ye'd be Filip, yeah?" When he nodded, she held out a hand, her back straightening as if she willed it to do so. "At least yer handsome. My name is Merida."
Chibs took her hand in his, shaking it gently before he let go and stepped closer to her. "Is this wha' ye wan' lass?"
He watched as the defiance from a moment ago gave way to wistfulness as she gave a slight shrug. He sighed as he turned back to the men. "I'd have a moment with my intended, gents."
One of the old men cleared his throat and shook his head. "Tha's no' how it's done, lad."
Chibs stared him down until he broke eye contact. "Well, it is today, yeah?"
They just nodded and stepped to the door, shutting it behind themselves. Chibs turned to Merida, nodding to the sofa in the corner of the room. When they were seated, he shook his head. "I'll ask again, luv. Is this wha' ye wan'? To marry a stranger?"
Merida sighed and shook her head. "Nay, it's no', but what choice do I have? I cannae bring shame to my father." She grinned then, shrugging. "Aye, if I had my way... " She sighed. "It doesn't matter. I tried to break free bu' my mother suffered for it. I willnae do it again."
Chibs studied her for a moment without speaking, picking up on the tells that he could already see. This lass was a wild one, he'd wager. He could see the spark of life behind the sadness in her eyes. He may not know her at all, but he was certain that this wasn't what she wanted for herself. He made a decision then and there that he would make certain that she didn't lose honor among her clan.
"Well, I understand loyalty to yer family, luv." He nodded as he stood. "Well, no time like the present, yeah? I know someone who can marry us right away. Then it will be done and the old gents can report back to yer da."
Merida nodded before following him out of the suite. She thought to herself as they waited with Angus and Finley for the elevator, that if she had to marry someone, this Filip didn't seem all that bad. Certainly better than the lads her father had tried to marry her off to before.
They were married in the chapel at the clubhouse, Bobby officiating and only Gemma, Clay, Jax, and Tara in attendance. He'd sworn them all to secrecy about the marriage, not wanting the others, who were on a run, to find out. When the vows had been said and the ceremony completed, the two old men turned to Chibs, one of them holding out a fat envelope.
"This is Merida's dowry, which is now rightfully yours as her husband."
Chibs opened the envelope and saw crisp twenty-dollar bills stuffed into it. He frowned as he looked at the men. "How much is here?"
The man who gave it to him grinned. "No' much, really. Twenty-thousand in US currency."
Chibs blinked in surprise as Merida chuckled quietly at his side. After shaking hands with the old men, they all left Merida and Chibs alone in the chapel. Chibs grinned as he handed the envelope to Merida with a slight chuckle.
"Jus' so ye know, Bobby's only an ordained minister in Nevada, not California." He grinned wider at the shock on her face. "Those two will report back to yer da tha' we fulfilled our end of the bargain, you'll ge' to see the world, and I'll ge' to be the hero for a change." He winked knowingly at her. "Take the money, Merida. Go live yer life the way ye wan' to."
Merida stared at him for a moment before shaking her head, tears in her eyes and a hesitant smile on her face. "Are ye sure, Filip?"
Chibs grinned before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "Aye, I am. If it's meant to be, we'll see each other again one day."
