Page 41 of Long Live the King

“Aye,” I said, though I dinna really ken. “Tis like fairytales? For the bairns?”

“Kind of, but a lot darker, some romance, you’ve never heard of Divergent? You’ve for sure heard of Twilight, right?”

I shook my head.

She said, “Scotland seems like a distant world… so what do you like to do? You’re done with fish, you like your nieces and nephews, what else is your favorite thing?”

“I daena ken…”

“If you get to relax, what do you do?”

“I play on the PlayStation with the nephews.”

She laughed. “Well,thatis familiar.”

I said, “Earlier ye called me yer ‘new friend’, we are friends?”

“Yes, definitely, though we just met — I can’t really explain it, but I like you, you make me feel safe.”

“Tis good, I like ye as well, Mistress Ash.”

“And the fact that you call me Mistress Ash, that’s awesome. Should I call you something fancy?”

I joked, “Ye could call me ‘Lord Lochinvar.’”

“That sounds medieval, I might have to stick with Lochie. I like that it sounds like lucky.”

“I am very lucky because?—”

“Because you get to spend time with me, I know, you also have a smooooooth tongue.”

“What does this mean?”

“You are complimentary, some might say to ‘get your way’.”

“Or some might say I amromantic.”

She said, “Some might say that men are romantic to get their way as well. So I wonder, Lochie, are you trying to get your way with me?”

I grinned, “I am uncertain what ‘gettin’ my way’ would be, dost ye mean am I tryin’ tae win ye? Did I see ye were a bonnylass with a dimpled smile and a lovely laugh and I thought tae m’self I would like her tae be mine? Aye, tis what I thought.”

“Oh my, Lochie, you want to win me? That is very old fashioned.”

“I am verra auld fashioned, tis true, but daena doubt for a moment that modern men feel the same, and now I hae met ye, and spoken tae ye, and tasted the pie ye baked for me?—”

“Oh, I baked it foryou?”

“Aye, peach pie is now m’favorite. Ye knew my mind before I did.”

She laughed.

“And there is yer laugh again, bonny Mistress Ash, ye sound like sunshine and I never want it tae rain.”

She looked at me shaking her head. “But I barely know you. Tell me something else about yourself.”

I relaxed, and leaned back in my chair. “Ye already ken all about me, I like tae hang out with my nieces and nephews, not all are related by blood, ye ken, but they all call me Uncle Lochie, and I like tae play, I like tae eat dessert?—”

“You have such a light, easy personality, I feel safe around you. It’s hard to jibe that with the fact that you were an orphan and had such a hard upbringing.”

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