In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2) (31 page)

“He would see them maybe once,” Rachael said. “because she was Hugh’s wife. I think the only one he saw more than once was Tiffany Blair. I remember how upset he was with Barbara when his picture was in the magazine, linked with the super model’s.”

“I’m sorry Annie,” Megan said. “I should not have brought her name into the conversation.” 

“Oh, yes you should, Hugh’s first wife has nothing to do with me. She was a fool and lost him, thank god. Now he’s mine and I have every intention of keeping him.”

“You know Shane was disappointed not to spend Christmas in Texas, and his grandmother stroke devastated him. It was wonderful of Stacey to drop everything and join him in Scotland.”

“Yes, it was very good of her to come running, but it’s still difficult to imagine Shane with a country singer,” Rachael said.

“There’s much more to Stacey than that,” Annie said. “She sings for pocket money and fun. It’s not something she would do for a career.”

“Oh, I know,” Rachael said. “They do seem so totally opposite though, yet it’s obvious they adore each other. Also Stacey is quite young. Shane has always dated women more his own age.”

In order to change the subject, Iain said, “We saw her parents at your wedding. They’re a striking couple. Shane told us, Stacey was mostly raised by the Chinese gentleman that was there also. That tall blond young man, someone said he was her brother.”

“Yes, his name is Eric, and yes, that’s true that Mr. Chen helped raise her, but have no doubts, her parents had a big part in her life too,” Annie said. “People today take their children to day care, because they’re a two income family. Well, it was that way with her parents. It just so happened, Mr. Chen was available.” 

“Well, that’s true,” Hugh said, “however, you have to admit it was an unusual arrangement.” 

Annie terminated the conversation, “Maybe so, but it certainly worked for them.”

Around midnight Shane and Stacey told everyone they were leaving. Shane call a taxi, and soon a voice called out, “Who needs a taxi?” It was the same cabbie that brought them there. He was such a pleasant person that Shane tipped him well. The fog had lifted some, but now it was raining. They removed their wet shoes as soon as they stepped into the flat. Shane had been holding Stacey in his arms on the dance floor all night, now he wanted to make love to his wife. There was no opposition from Stacey. She wanted him just as much. With the rhythm of the rain falling and two lovers uniting their bodies, it was magical. Afterwards Shane held her in his arms and said, “Heaven couldn’t be any better than this.”

Saturday morning the rain was still falling and the fog was heavy.  Stacey and Shane felt as if they were in their own private world.  Tomorrow Stacey would be leaving and Shane wouldn’t see her again for the next few weeks. Thank god, June would put a stop to all of this. They would be married in the eyes of everyone. Then there would be no more partings and as soon as Stacey was ready, they would start a family.

Sir Richard

S
unday morning came way to soon.  Annie and Hugh met them at the airport to say goodbye. After Stacey’s plane left, Hugh asked Shane, “Do you want to have brunch with us?”

“Sure, but first I need to make a phone call.” 

He called Sir Richard Heath and asked, would he have time to see him today? 

Sir Richard was very pleased and said, “Of course, Doctor McLeod. I shall be delighted.” 

“Good, I’ll be there around one pm,” Shane said.

“Who is this chap?” Hugh asked.

“A former patient of mine. Sir Richard Heath. You met him at Lord Farnsworth’s party last November.”

“Oh yes, I remember him. He seemed a decent fellow.”

Shane arrived at Sir Richard’s town house at one p. m. The butler showed him into the library. Shane was served tea and they talked topics of generalization. Sir Richard asked about Stacey and to whether her departure was uneventful?

“Yes, Stacey is fine, however, she’s rather concerned about you. She knows how disconcerting unfamiliar and unbidden memories can be.  She feels you may be going through the same memory phenomena she is. You came to me in fear of losing your memory. Your tests were all negative, however, I can understand how rouge memories could confuse you.”

“Doctor McLeod, does your wife know from where these memories of hers are coming?” 

“No, she doesn’t. I assume Stacey told you that you greatly resemble Rodric Hampton, when he was your age.” 

“Yes, she told me that, at the hotel tearoom.”

“Would you like to tell me some of your memories?  I could e-mail them to Stacey and see what she has to say or we can wait until we have her back.”

Sir Richard smiled and said, “Shane, it’s very kind of you to share your life and wife with an old man. I am grateful. Have you been with your wife from the beginning of this, phenomena?”

“Yes I have,” Shane said with a grin. 

“Why the smile?” Sir Richard asked.

Shane told him of his and Stacey’s early tumultuous relationship and how it turned into love, and then marriage.

“I envy you my boy,” Sir Richard said. “Nothing that exciting has ever entered my life.”

“Yes,” Shane said. “with Stacey it’s always exquisite anticipation.” 

Shane told him about the quest, and the information received at Wakefield manor and how subsequently last weekend the past was revealed in his grandmother’s family history book, and also how Stacey’s American ancestor had turned out to be the twin of his own ancestor.

“Stacey and I have talked of this phenomena. We really don’t know what else to call it. Also we would like very much for you to attend our wedding in Texas, if you feel up to it. This may sound enigmatic, but we feel strongly that you’re family.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting Stacey’s family. They live on a ranch and her father is a doctor in this very small town with a wonderful well equipped clinic, Stacey tells me. I’m surely looking forward to seeing it.”

“It sounds very exciting, thank you Shane for inviting me, I would be honored to attend,” Sir Richard said.

When Stacey called from Texas, Shane said, “Sir Richard is coming to our wedding.”

“That’s wonderful, is he okay?” Stacey asked.

“Yes sweetheart, he’s fine. We talked late into the evening and I had dinner with him,” Shane assured her.

Stacey’s life went back to normal, with school, the club and the ranch. Her grandparents from Houston came at Stacey’s request. She showed them the documents from Shane’s grandmother’s family history, then the ones from Gram Flemming’s family history. When Shane’s dad called from Edinburgh, to confirm Jacquelyn Suzanne McLeod and Stacey Leighanne Scott’s mitochondrial DNA, was a match, you never saw more shocked people. Now they were doubly looking forward to meeting Shane’s family.

The remaining weeks past by rapidity. Stacey sold two more of her bulls to rodeo stockman. There were three new calves born that might have potential.  In May, two thousand and three, Stacey and Eric graduated. The whole tribe came for the graduation ceremony.  Stacey and Eric were the first of the grandchildren to graduate college. A big party was held at the ranch. Tony and his family were there too, as he had graduated from A&M. All the families of the Double SS, and most of Rawhide were there. They would all be back for the wedding on June seventh.

The Wedding

T
he ranch had been a beehive of activity. Mr. Okita had extended the Koi fishpond river to all the way around the house. There were now seven bridges. The huge pecan, cottonwood, oak and ash trees were green.  The flower gardens were in bloom and the swimming pool was glistening in the sunlight. The horses were in the pastures and the corral. Jessie had rented all the rooms, at the Rawhide hotel for the over flow of cousins from both sides.

Shane, along with Annie, Hugh, Nigel and Megan flew in on Thursday morning. Stacey met them at DFW, in her mom’s Daimler. Everyone was hungry, so they stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Burleson, where they were served breakfast by a curious red headed waitress. They were seated at a big round table where she couldn’t help but hear their British accent when she came to take their order. “Howdy, what can I git fir ya folks today?”

Stacey glanced at her name tag and said, “Hi, Dixie, coffee to start with while we look over the menu.”

As Dixie turned to leave, Shane said, “Excuse me, could I trouble you for a glass of orange juice, please.”

Dixie gave Shane an admiring smile and said, “A’ course, ya can shuga,’ ain’t no trouble a’ tall.” She looked the table over and said, “How bout ya other folks, Ya’ll want a little juice too?”

“Yes, please,” Nigel said. When Dixie left to get the coffee and juice, he said, “I don’t know what she said, but I sure like the way she said it.”

Megan gave him a warning look and said, “Mind yourself Nigel, or I’ll leave you here and you can learn the language.” This had everyone at the table laughing.

When Dixie came back with the coffee and juice, she asked, “Ya folks bout ready to orda’? I kin give ya’ll a little longer, if need be.” Dixie took their order and said, “I’ll be right back, now don’t ya’ll go way.”

When Dixie finished serving their breakfast, she turned to go, then she turned back and said, “We’re all kinda’ wondern’ what’ch nice foreign folks doing here in Texas.”

Everyone at the table looked at Stacey, “These nice people have traveled all the way from England to attend mine and this big guy’s wedding,” Stacey said as she reached over and touched Shane’s arm. Shane smiled a big smile at Dixie.

“Honey, ya tellin’ me, with all the boys we got here in Texas, ya had to go a’ cross the water to git’ch one.”

“Yes, I did. I wanted a good one, but not a cowboy, and that’s what I got.”

As Dixie picked up her tray and stand, she said to Stacey, “Honey, ya shor’ one lucky gal. Maybe I’ll go over there one a’ these days and see what I kin find for myself. Ya’ll have a good day now, ya hear.”

Each person at the table was smiling as they ate their breakfast. There was so much to talk about on the way to the ranch. The bluebonnets and other wild flowers were ubiquitous and still in bloom for all to see. Stacey loved Texas and its wide open spaces and picturesque scenery. Annie had been to Texas before and knew how beautiful the countryside was. She could hardly wait for their friends to see the ranch. She had spent three weeks there two years ago.

When they crossed the Brazos River at Waco, Stacey took them by Baylor University so they could see where she and Eric had just graduated from. They drove around Waco for a little while, then stopped at the Dairy Queen for Cokes and Dr. Peppers. They were riding down highway seventy-seven when a big cattle truck, coming over a rise in the road traveling in the opposite direction honked his horn twice. Stacey pulled over and stopped.

“What’s the problem?” Shane asked.

“Not a thing,” Stacey said. “There’s a truck coming over the hill and he wants me to stop.”

“And how do you know this?” Shane asked.

“He honked twice, didn’t you hear him?”

Shane shook his head, but two of the back seat passengers said they heard it too.

As the big cattle truck pulled to a stop, a tall lanky tobacco chewing man stepped down from the truck cab, and hollered, “Hey, Stacey gal,” as he cross the road he said, “I gotta’ numba hea fir yo daddy,” he put two fingers to his lips to make a V and spit a stream of tobacco juice a few feet away, then leaned in and laid his arms on the open window of the Daimler, “I met dis fellow down Victoria way ‘tother day. He’s been looking fir some prime quarter horses. I toll him bout yo daddy, I couldn’t recollect yo numba, so he gim’ me his. Don’t ya forgit now, ya hea gal,” as he handed the slip of paper to Stacey.

“I hear you, and I won’t forget, I promise. J. B., I like you to meet my fiancée, Shane McLeod, and these are friends of ours from England.”

Shane leaned across Stacey, to shake hands and said, “Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

J. B. looked at Shane’s hand, wiped his on his jeans and said, “Like wise, Mr. McLeod, ya folks too,” J. B. acknowledged them, with a nod of his head.

J. B. started back to his truck, then turned and came back and said, “Mr. McLeod, ya gettin’ a mighty fine little gal hea. Folks round these parts thank a heap a’ her.”

“Thank you, J. B., I think so too,” Shane said.

A few miles farther on, Stacey turned onto a blacktop and then turned and drove under a wrought iron sign, with a rearing horse on one side, and a longhorn steer on the other side, that said Double SS ranch. As they rode down the long driveway to the ranch, Annie turned to watch the expression on Shane’s face as well as those of their friends. Their surprised expressions were priceless. The ranch house was a two-story with a verandah porch. A koi fishpond river, which encompassed the house and flower garden. A fruit orchard was on the right with a green house along side and a gazebo across from the swimming pool.

They were the first of the wedding party to arrive at the ranch:  As they were unloading the luggage, Shane said, “Oh my god, wait until my mother sees this place. Did I tell you the rest of the family are flying into Houston Friday morning,”

“Yes, I know,” Stacey said smiling. “my uncles will meet them and fly them here to the ranch. My cousins are driving in today for the rehearsal.”

Stacey’s mom and dad met them as they drove in. Stacey knew they all had met at the wedding but reintroduced everyone anyway and showed them to their rooms and then around the ranch house. They admired the beauty of the hill country and the ranch. Stacey’s cousins, arrived shortly after Shane and friends. The rehearsal was set for Thursday evening. Everything went smoothly, even little Brandon did well.

Stacey’s dad had rented three travel trailers in order to house everyone. Shane’s Australian cousin, Sandra and her family had arranged to fly into Austin.  Stacey and Shane  drove to Austin to picked them up at eleven twenty p.m. on Thursday night.

Friday, a little before noon, the jet landed with Shane’s family, including his cousin, Charles Foley and his family from Canada, plus Sir Richard Heath.  John Foley and Sir Richard had struck up a conversation on the plane to Houston. They were amazed when they discovered they were both coming to the same wedding in Texas.