Forever Young Birth Of A Nation (5 page)

Thelma came then and asked Rebecca to help
her with something that was a surprise for Laura. She reluctantly
left Ian’s side to go with Thelma then as the group now clustered
around Ian had grown to include four women of Laura’s age and two
more young men. Merriam Millhouse then came to Ian and linked her
arm through his, leading him to a seat at the great dining table.
He was seated next to James, who was next to Laura, at the head of
the table. When Rebecca returned from helping Thelma, she found
that she was seated on the same side of the table as Ian and James,
but down at the other end, next to Colonel Grundy. Unknown to
anyone there, Merriam and Thelma had maneuvered in such a way as to
separate Rebecca from Ian and seat her with Grundy. They had done
it correctly and innocently enough, being as Grundy had escorted
Rebecca to the affair.

Thelma stood at the head of the table
opposite Laura at the other end, and proposed a toast to the King,
which all stood and partook of. Dinner was marvelous, being four
large roast turkeys and a mouth-watering assortment of steamed and
baked vegetables. The time passed pleasantly enough, although with
no small amount of talk about the war. After dessert, the entire
group returned to the parlor where all of the gifts were waiting
for Laura to open. That took the better part of forty minutes or
so, and Laura was very pleased with the ivory framed sun glasses
that Ian had given her. James had given her a finely crafted
brooch.

Music began then, there being a trio who
played violin, oboe, and bassoon. A Bach melody was begun and Laura
turned to James with a dazzling smile and a curtsey, asking him to
do the beginning dance with her. This being her birthday, it was an
occasion where it was not thought to be rude for a lady to ask a
man for a dance. Soon others joined, including Grundy and Rebecca.
The young men all asked ladies their age to dance, but Ian walked
over to a girl around nine years old and bowed, asking her to dance
with him. She blushed and curtseyed, taking his arm as they entered
the dancing group. It wasn’t too long before Ian had completely put
the youngster at ease and she began to relax and have a truly good
time. She did make a couple of minor blunders but Ian countered
with four of his own, laughing aloud as he made a misstep now and
then.

Rebecca noticed all of this and her esteem
for Ian grew. She knew full well that nearly any of the young
ladies there would have loved to have danced with him, and yet he
had thought of the children first. And she knew full well that
there was no way that he would ever make a misstep on a dance floor
unless he intended to. When that number had ended Ian asked a girl
of thirteen years for the next dance and took the floor with
her.

The dancing had gone on for well over an
hour before everyone took a break for refreshments. Ian joined the
younger girls at the punch bowl, taking over for the servant who
then left to help in the kitchen. The really young girls stayed
there talking to him and asking questions about living in France
and of his time as a sailor. When Thelma came by, Ian spoke to her
briefly and she smiled brightly and nodded. After talking to the
musicians, she brought a violin over to Ian and led him to where
the group was centered. Taking her summoning bell she rang it until
the buzz of conversation died down.

“Laura, Mr. McCloud has volunteered to play
a special birthday song for you. James won’t you and Laura please
come here?”

Ian stepped forward then saying “This is a
tune I wrote once for a lady in the Swiss Confederation. James, you
know this song as ‘Dance with Anna’. Won’t you please show Laura
how to dance to it before I start?”

Thelma then said “Come, come you young
ladies. Get a partner and come here now.” Several did, and Rebecca
Davis tried to bring Colonel Grundy but he was speaking to some of
the officers and declined so she came over to watch by herself.
After James had shown the simple steps of the dance to several of
the ladies, Ian struck up the lively tune, playing a complete
stanza before launching into the lyrics.

“
A friend said lad are ye goin to the
dance,

I said I would if I got half a chance,

He said you won’t find romance,

Until you dance with Laura.”

Ian continued with the song, which told a
story of a young man who fell in love with Laura and ended up
married with 4 children and twelve grandchildren. It was a long
lasting but rollicking good tune with a heart-pounding rhythm and a
real story to be told in the lyrics. In no time the younger ladies
were laughing and whirling to the lively Gaelic sound, smiling and
laughing as they learned while they danced. Those not dancing
clapped their hands and stamped their feet to keep time to the
lively tune. Rebecca had joined in, finally snagging a partner when
Grundy would not join her.

When the song ended, he segued into another
lively Gaelic tune with no lyrics, but exactly the same tempo as
before, so the dancers continued, now well into the simple steps
and laughing as they danced. Rebecca’s eyes sparkled as she threw
herself into it and the entire house resounded to the laughter and
the pounding rhythm of the song. The servants had all come to see
what all of the ruckus was about and stood about stamping their
feet and clapping as well.

Finally with a grand flourish Ian ended the
song to a tumultuous applause from all present with the lone
exception of Colonel Grundy. Rebecca came over to join the throng
laughing and thanking Ian and said “Ian, where did you ever learn
to play like that? It was simply marvelous and so much fun!” This
was echoed by several people then, both young men and young
women.

“Well lassie, we used to play a lot of music
like that at Henri and Marie Lafayette’s home of an evening. I took
up playing the fiddle in those days.”

James said “He taught me to play too, and he
plays both the piano and the harpsichord as well.”

Laura clapped her hands together then and
said “Oh Ian, you must play something for us on the harpsichord
now! Please!” Several of the young ladies then echoed the ‘please’
so Ian laughingly looked toward Thelma only to see her nodding and
smiling broadly so he got up and handed James the violin. Before
sitting down he called to James and conferred with him briefly.
James turned to everyone and said “This is a favorite that Ian
taught me on the voyage to New York. It is known as
‘Greensleeves’
. He began then, and Ian joined in
accompanying him with a flourishing style. It was a hauntingly
beautiful ballad, and the two played it with exquisite skill.
Presently Rebecca stepped forward and began to sing the lyrics,
much to everyone’s surprise. The trio captivated everyone there as
the beautiful melody was sung and played to its conclusion. Rebecca
had a clear alto voice and sung the ballad to perfection.

There was a hearty round of applause then,
this time even including Colonel Grundy. Ian stood then, joining
James and Rebecca. He encircled both of their waists with his two
arms. All three of them smiled and nodded towards the smiling
applauding group and towards Thelma Millhouse, who was beaming with
delight. Rebecca felt a tingling thrill at Ian’s touch however
casual and innocent it was and savored the slight warmth of his arm
about her waist. Laura came to Rebecca and threw her arms around
her thanking her. Then she threw her arms about James’ neck and
kissed him on his cheek, and also came to Ian and kissed him
likewise, saying “Thank you so much Ian. This has been the best
birthday of my life.”

The musicians then began to play a Bach
melody. Grundy asked Rebecca to dance as James asked Laura. Others
made their way to the dance floor so Ian asked the nine year old
girl to dance with him again and she smiled broadly, her eyes
sparkling as she accepted. Several of the young girls there giggled
at her reaction.

A bit later, after dancing with both Thelma
and her sister, Ian found himself near where Rebecca and Colonel
Grundy were standing with a small knot of British officers and
their ladies. Ian approached and asked Rebecca for a dance which
she accepted with a dazzling smile. As the dance proceeded Ian
complimented Rebecca on her singing.

“My grandmother on my mother’s side taught
me the song. She was Scottish, from Inverness. Didn’t you say you
were from Edinburg?”

“Aye lassie. Let me say that you sang it
well indeed. Your voice reminds me of how my first wife sang.
Cosette was an alto too. I have not heard anyone sing better
excepting for Celeste Bouchard.”

She brightened and excitedly said “You have
heard
the
Celeste sing, Ian?”

Chuckling Ian said “Ah lassie, I have heard
Celeste sing more times than I can count. She is one of my dearest
friends.”

“Oh, do tell Ian, please! We are talking
about the European Nightingale are we not?”

Laughing at her enthusiasm he nodded and
said “I toured with her to seven other countries besides France.
She often sang for us at Chateau de Lafayette near Marseille.”

“Oh my! This is so exciting, Ian! How did
you come to know her?”

Chuckling at her near-childish enthusiasm he
replied “She was taken as a child of twelve years, an orphan
really, kidnapped off of the streets of Marseille. I took some
friends and we rescued her along with four other girls from two
kidnappers in Marseille. She lived with us at Chateau de Lafayette
for a while until we found her Aunt who then raised her in Paris.
In fact she attended my wedding when Cosette and I were
married.”

“My, what a tale! How exciting, Ian! I take
it the kidnappers were punished?”

“Hmm. Yes they were.”
We killed those
vampires on the spot but you do not need to know that
he
thought. He continued then, saying “Celeste is like a daughter to
me. I was there when she married Cosette’s brother and when she
gave birth to her daughter as well.”

“Ian, just how old
are
you anyway.
You do not look old enough to have done all of these things.”

Smiling he replied “I am thirty one,
Rebecca” as he thought
but I am forever going to look like I am
twenty three because we vampires never age
.

Her mouth dropped open causing him to laugh
aloud as she said “I took you to be James’ age, or a bit
older.”

“James is twenty.” He told the lie smoothly,
thinking that there was no need to put James to where he would have
to change his identity any sooner than necessary. James was
actually thirty one also, having crossed over some eleven years ago
at the age of around twenty.

“I just cannot believe that you are so much
older than James” she said, her eyes sparkling as she laughed
delightedly. She thought
look at me hanging on his every word!
He is so delightful to talk with, and I simply love his Scottish
accent and the sound of his voice. What is it about this man that
captivates me so?

“Ah lass, it is said that living in the
Mediterranean area can keep some people looking younger than they
are.”
And there is no way that you will ever know why I still
look like I am twenty three
he thought. The music ended about
then and Rebecca stood gaping at Ian as he offered his arm to walk
her to her seat. She was shaking her head and laughing at the same
time as they rejoined Grundy and the others. Grundy stood
unnoticed, a sour expression on his face. As quickly as they
rejoined her group she began to tell everyone that Ian knew the
European Nightingale personally, and that provoked a flurry of
conversation because Celeste was known internationally, even in
America by some.

For some twenty minutes then Ian had to
field questions about Celeste and his touring Europe with her. The
celebration then tapered down and guests began to leave. Ian said
goodbye to his hostess and both Laura and her mother. He knew that
James wanted to stay awhile and visit with Laura so he quietly
departed.

The merchantman
Elsie’s Cloud
plowed
through moderately heavy seas in the north Atlantic. A three-mast
galleon, she moved through the sea exactly as she had been designed
to do. The rain had quit during the night and they were now one
week out on their voyage to New York City. Angus McCloud stood at
the helm, wearing his black wool seaman’s coat buttoned securely,
its collar pulled up against the wind over his right shoulder. Lost
in thought, he gauged the sails and the effect of the northeasterly
winds on their progress pretty much automatically, a skill born of
a lifetime of sailing experience.

A lovely lady came up the steep steps
leading to the aft deck, her honey-colored hair blowing wildly in
the wind. She carried a steaming mug of coffee and did not even use
the handrail for balance although the ship rolled rhythmically.
This was the second day that he had seen her without her
wide-brimmed hat and gloves. The sky was solidly overcast without a
single break in sight, just as it had been yesterday.

“Good morning, Angus” she said with a cheery
smile as she handed him the steaming oversize mug of coffee. She
took the helm as he stepped back, noting the compass heading.

He took a sip then, looking into her widely
spaced beautiful gray eyes. “Aahh! That hits the spot, Cosette.
Thank you.”

“You are welcome. Two nine zero then?”

“Yes. That should do for most of the day.
Armando thinks we will make really good time today and I do too.”
She nodded, her eyes fixed on the horizon as the two swayed in
perfect unison to the pitch and roll of the ship. Angus thought
never have I seen a lady take to the sea like this one. She has
no fear of it whatsoever, and I have yet to ever see her grab
something to keep her balance. But then, she is a vampire after
all. “
Have there been any problems with the goats?” He referred
to the five goats that had been brought along to supply blood for
her transatlantic voyage.