Read Heather Song for Free Online Page B

It was a “hands-on” project carried out by the men of the church and village, supervised by Alasdair and Leslie Mair, along with James Findlay and Alec Bruce, with Alicia Forbes and me supplying tea, ale, sandwiches, and scones throughout. Though Alasdair’s valet, Norvill Campbell, Jean’s husband, was a bit standoffish, Farquharson and Nicholls rolled up their sleeves with their boss and the men of the community and appeared to have a great time. Everyone had so much fun working together, and especially alongside the duke himself, whose hands were crusted with mortar and bruised by the occasional errant stone along with everyone else’s, that Alasdair determined to find more such projects to bring the people of the community together.
    We undertook an investigation of ancient public footpaths and had a map distributed so that everyone would know the routes of these former public byways. We encouraged all to make use of them again. Alasdair now viewed the estate property as a public trust, which, though legally it belonged to him, in a larger sense belonged to the entire community.
    We also began a tradition of opening the castle for visitors on Sunday afternoons.
    At first no one knew what to make of it. We posted a notice on the gate at the entrance to the grounds, and even asked Reverend Gillihan to announce the Sunday opening of the castle in church. But apparently everyone merely assumed this meant they could walk on the grounds , which we had already been encouraging for some time. Some people came and wandered about, but no one ventured near the door.
    On the following Sunday, therefore, I asked Reverend Gillihan if I could make the announcement myself from the laird’s loft.
    “Last week,” I began when the time came, “it was announced that the castle would be open on Sunday afternoons. My husband and I were apparently not completely clear about our intent. You are invited to our home… inside …into the castle, for tea and a light buffet. The duke and I will be there, and we would like to visit with you personally. Please come. It will mean a great deal to Alasdair and…I mean, to the duke and me. Our doors will be open, we will both be on hand, and tea will be hot…anytime between three and six this afternoon. We look forward to seeing you.”
    I smiled and sat down as a general murmur of approval went round. And thus began a tradition every Sunday afternoon of what we would call an “open house” in Canada, which we held in either the Drawing Room, the library, or the Great Room. When the weather was particularly nice, we set tables and chairs about outside in the gardens.
    Big crowds didn’t come. Sometimes there were twenty or thirty, on other days only five or ten. But the mix of individuals was always different. It not only gave us the chance to visit with them, but acquaintances were made and renewed among the people of the neighborhood as well. It may be that this was the most important benefit of our Sunday gatherings.
    After so long in isolation, Alasdair wanted personally to know everyone in the community, and he wanted each and every one to have free and unfettered access to him. As he gradually made this desire known and as people realized he was sincere, they began taking him at his word. The Sunday gatherings at the castle, therefore, were not the only change. Both Alasdair and I often walked through the village, together and alone. Gradually people became less shy about approaching us and talking to us.
    That this desire of Alasdair’s had been successfully conveyed was evidenced when we heard the door knocker echoing in our window from outside late one winter evening long after dark when we had been married about a year and a half. Neither Alicia nor Jean nor her husband—ostensibly our part-time “butler” and Alasdair’s valet, but either too deaf or unwilling to be much good for that purpose at night—heard it. The knocking continued, and eventually Alasdair rose himself