Chapter 31

Rory

We all attended the fiddler's rally in the church and everyone enjoyed the concert. There was tea and biscuits served in the church hall afterwards and we introduced David to Kirsty and Flora. David praised Flora's performance and told her she had a wonderful voice. I commented on the fact that Flora was a Mod Gold medallist. This led to a conversation between them about the time and place of the Mod and how fluent she was in the Gaelic. Flora informed him that she was pretty fluent as she spent a month on Lewis every year and that she and her husband spoke it at home several times in the week just to keep it fresh. She also said that they had a four year old daughter and that she was bilingual too because they spoke to her in both languages.

I was amazed when David said that he had once learnt the language because his grandmother had still spoken it but it was so long ago that he had probably forgotten most of it. He had however got the main gist of the song that she had sung in her native tongue. Kirsty said she was sure that if he came round to visit her and her husband some evenings, then he would soon pick it up again. Ruth laughed and said that she should not give him invitations like that because the thought of spending the evening with a beautiful highland lassie might mean he took her up on her invitation even if her husband was present.

Flora blushed at the compliment, but George Kirsty and Ian burst out laughing at that. David said she was quite right and that he would take her up on her invitation. He was not in a position to give her a date now as he would have to consult his diary. He went on to say he thought the best way to start things off would be to invite them to have dinner with him and Ruth. He suggested that Flora, George Ian and Kirsty come to them for supper on Sunday evening. Ian said that they would be delighted to do that though he had to admit he would be a bit apprehensive about visiting his boss's home. Ruth said with a laugh, when you are visiting them they were not visiting their boss she told him. You are visiting two people who are the parents of one of the young couple whom you have befriended and with whom we as their may also want to become friends.

The next day at work, George and I were together working on an inspection job. When we were alone he spoke to me about David's invitation.

"I was really amazed last night by David McFarlane", he said. "I never dreamed that someone in his position would invite two of his lowly employees to supper at his home."

"David is a successful business man," I told him, "but he is not just in business to make money. He sees his responsibility as an employer as being someone who has to provide jobs for the people of this community and to him this is as important as making a profit. For him the profit is necessary to keep the show on the road, but he would never be the kind of guy who would shift his business abroad because it might enable him to make more money. To him you are a person who helps him fulfil that role, not a lowly employee, so he would not see any reason not to invite you to his home. Besides he was doing it in response to an invitation from Flora to invite him to her home."

"I still find it pretty amazing," George replied.

"I suppose it is in some ways, but I find him a pretty amazing guy altogether," I said. "Look at my background, yet he and his wife really hope that this lad from a very working class background will one day become their son in law and have virtually adopted me into their family already."

I then went on to explain what he was doing for two others boys just like me. I also told him about the loan fund and the reason for it. It was, I said, to make sure the people of his community could be kept in a job and weather the recession without too much hardship. I also suggested that he should let me tell the others about the invitation so that I could rag him about being invited to the home of the area's greatest capitalist but also so that they might get a better understanding of what the firm they worked for was all about.

Over the lunch break we did just that explaining how the invitation came about.

Needless to say there was a great deal of leg pulling over it and George was on the receiving end as the union man being seduced by the capitalist system. However it did give me an opportunity to speak to several of the inspectors individually about the real concerns of McFarlane Enterprises and all that it was seeking to do in the community. I felt this was part of my remit in working here.

That evening as I spoke to Rebecca about my day, I told her of George's reaction to her dad's invitation and how I had dealt with it. I also told her that it had given me the opportunity to talk to others about her father's real concern for the community and his reason for being in business.

"You really like and admire my dad, don't you?" she said.

"Yes I do," I replied, "He has a real concern for people and works hard to make sure that he does everything he can to provide stability in this community. In fact I cannot think of two better people to be in positions of financial power, than your mum and dad. I like, respect and admire your dad, and I love your mum almost as much as I love her daughter."

"Then I am glad she is not twenty five years younger," she said with a laugh. "I might well have had some serious competition for your affections."

"Just think," I said with a giggle, "I might have had a nice subservient and obedient girlfriend who would have worshipped and adored me"

"Rory McGregor you have a girlfriend who worships and adores you, but she also realises that you need to be kept in line from time to time." She said with a severe expression. "She lets you have your wicked way with her at every opportunity and just occasionally gives you a painful reminder of the need to appreciate her. And speaking of painful reminders, that is just the kind of comment that may result in one."

"You let me have my wicked way with you Rebecca McFarlane because you love and want it as much as I do," I told her with a giggle. "That is probably why your parents have allowed us to live in this house by ourselves since you are so loud in your appreciation of my efforts"

At that Rebecca pulled the cushion from behind her back and heaved it at me. Taken by surprise I just managed to catch it before it hit may face. I immediately retaliated by throwing it at her as she rose from her chair and headed in my direction. Before I knew it she had dived on top of me and was seeking to find my tickly spots. However with my workouts I was now strong enough to turn the tables on her and soon I had her pinned to the sofa. Now I was lying on top her with her wrists pinned level with her ears and looking down into her face.

"Beast," she said. "If you know what's good for you will let me go."

"Why should I?" I asked her, "It seems to me I have got you where I want you."

Saying that I dropped my head and kissed her and my tongue was pushing against her teeth. As I continued to press against her lips her mouth opened and her tongue responded to mine. I could feel myself hardening as she returned my passion. The sofa was cramping our style however, and it was difficult for me to attempt to remove any of her clothes and I was not sure if I let go her arms she would not try to turn the tables on me.

"If we intend to take this any further," I said with a giggle, "Perhaps we should declare a truce. And adjourn to more comfortable surroundings."

We did just that and the next hour was spent in passionate love making which ended in the usual screaming orgasm by my lady as I shot my seed into her.

The next evening Rebecca reminded me to phone my mother and arrange for us to visit her and Phil. I made it for a week on Friday as this Sunday we were invited to Ruth and David's house for the supper with Flora and Kirsty and their spouses. This turned out to be quite and entertaining evening for over supper Flora learned that David had played the violin to quite a good standard in his teens and as a young man. He only gave up when he took over from his father and the pressures of work curtailed his social activities.

After supper at her request he brought his violin through to let her see it. She looked at it with awe when she discovered it had been made by a famous Austrian violinist called Jacob Stainer and was probably worth a small fortune. She asked if she could tune it and play it and David gave her the go ahead. When she had done so she gave us a marvellous demonstration of her skills with a mixture of classical pieces and haunting Gaelic melodies and then passed it over to David and insisted he should try out his skill. After a bit of persuasion he did so. He was obviously rusty but his performance was quite impressive though not up to the standard of Floras playing. When He had finished we applauded and Flora rose and gave him a hug.

"David," she said, "It is obvious that with a bit more practice you will again be a fine musician and with a violin of that quality you should start playing again. If Ruth does not object to you mixing with wild young Scottish women fiddlers I would like to invite you to join us and practice with us. We do a lot of performances for charity and we would love to have you. We know you are a busy man, and may not always be able to attend but you should come when you can and practice at home when you can't."

"If you can persuade him Flora, then I would come along to and listen and make the coffee or tea." Ruth told her.

Discussion about this took up a good bit of time and in the end David agreed that he would try and fit in some of the practice sessions at least.

Rebecca

When we returned to what I was now coming to regard as our house, I was thinking about the events of the evening with some amazement.

"You know Rory, I think tonight was part of an amazing turn of affairs," I said. "We think about your Kilt and the need to find occasions to wear it. We go to a Ceilidh and meet some people and this leads to an invitation for all of us to go to a fiddlers' rally. This in turn leads to dad and mum meeting Flora and Kirsty and now my dad might be roped in to playing his violin again. I wonder what they would say if they knew that my mum was also a classical pianist in her youth, I bet they might want her to join in also."

"You know," Rory said with a grin, "I might just drop that fact into my conversation with George tomorrow and see how it plays out, if you will pardon the pun."

"I think that would be a good idea," I said with a giggle, "I think they need to find ways in which they can relax together and get some real enjoyment to offset the stress they both have from the work they do."

"You are right," Rory told me. "Looking ahead fifteen years or so and we may be able to take over quite a bit of the running of the business and give them more leisure time. It would be good if they can fill it with music and any other interests they want to pursue. If they start broadening their interests now it will mean they have something to look forward to in the future."

I had not thought that far ahead, but I did the calculation, I would be thirty one coming up for thirty two. I found it difficult to imagine myself at that age. I would probably be a mother and as well as being responsible for my children I would have to think about all the people who worked for us. The thought scared me and I could feel tears prickling my eyes and I wished, not for the first time that my brother had not died. I knew in my heart that he would have carried these burdens instead of me.