hear ye went out with the MacDonagh brothers on a tour yesterday—I met up with them early this morn’ and they ha’ nothing but thanks for sending ye their way.”
“I did, they are quite the pair, those two. They nearly upset the boat when I mentioned why I was here in Glentree.”
“Aye, those two would get excited about a close reference to the Minory name. Sorry about that, aye. Hopefully they behaved themselves?”
I smiled, remembering their bows and formalities. “Yes, they were nothing but gentleman. They did mention something that made me come to see you again. They mentioned the chieftain of Clan MacLaoch is open to sharing the history of Castle Laoch with local people. Do you think you could request some materials for me?”
“Oh, aye. I suppose I could—what materials are ye thinking of?”
“I think I want to know more about this Minory family—it is so close to Minary that I just want to be able to cross it off the list of possibilities. Do you think you could ask for any historical references they might have on that last name? Or if they have boxes of historical material, I’d be happy to sort through it and save you the trouble.”
“Sure. Though I have tae ask, have yae no’ thought about going tae Castle Laoch yerself and asking? Ye could tell them that I sent ye, they should be obliging enough.”
“I. Well,” I blundered, “The truth is, I’m not sure that all of the MacLaochs hold your sentiments toward the Minory-MacLaoch legend. I would hate to ruin the chance to look at those documents just because I’m looking for an ancestor who shares a strikingly familiar last name.”
“Oh all right, but I hope it wasn’t the MacDonagh brothers who’ve gotten you scared tae talk with the MacLaochs? They’re a nice lot, they are.” Then she seemed to think better of what she said. “Well, except for that Eryka woman. Truthfully, she’s not a MacLaoch, no matter how desperately she wants to be.”
“Who?” I asked.
Deloris waved her hand. “Never mind. I’ll make a request for you on those documents and let you know when I get them.”
• • •
Just as I was finishing lunch in my room back at the bed-and-breakfast, the phone rang. I answered ready to tell the person on the phone they had the wrong number, especially if it was my mother.
“Good afternoon to you!” Deloris said, and before I could respond, she excitedly continued. “After ye left this morning, I called up tae the MacLaoch castle tae see if I couldn’t arrange tae have some documents sent down. Well, we got tae talking, the Castle Laoch historian and I, and I explained who ye are and what ye are looking for, paying mind that it’s spelled with an a . Though I’ll tell ye, he pushed that notion right out the window. He said to me, ‘Minary with an a ? Tosh! It’s nae spelled with an a ; it’s an o , and I’ll tell her myself if I have to.’ Well, that’s his opinion, and since he spends the majority of his time secluded away with his ancestry books and such, I’m not surprised that he’s so convinced of it—knows nothing else, aye? The long and the short of it is that he said he’ll see what he can find and, if we should be so inclined, we could go by this afternoon to pick up what he’s found. Would ye like tae accompany me? Would be no bother tae pick ye up.”
“Well, good news, it is,” I said then, though a bit leery. “Is it at the castle?”
“Oh no, we would go tae the administrative offices—they are a ways down the road from the castle. It’s only but a short walk from the offices, though, if ye wanted to see it. Weather looks like it’ll hold today—though spring, it’s hit and miss, aye?”
I signed off with Deloris, telling her I was happy to see the administrative offices. The weather was, as she said, hit and miss, though I wondered as I waited at the curb for her if it wasn’t more “rain and mist.”
• • •
From the moment Deloris and I entered
“I did, they are quite the pair, those two. They nearly upset the boat when I mentioned why I was here in Glentree.”
“Aye, those two would get excited about a close reference to the Minory name. Sorry about that, aye. Hopefully they behaved themselves?”
I smiled, remembering their bows and formalities. “Yes, they were nothing but gentleman. They did mention something that made me come to see you again. They mentioned the chieftain of Clan MacLaoch is open to sharing the history of Castle Laoch with local people. Do you think you could request some materials for me?”
“Oh, aye. I suppose I could—what materials are ye thinking of?”
“I think I want to know more about this Minory family—it is so close to Minary that I just want to be able to cross it off the list of possibilities. Do you think you could ask for any historical references they might have on that last name? Or if they have boxes of historical material, I’d be happy to sort through it and save you the trouble.”
“Sure. Though I have tae ask, have yae no’ thought about going tae Castle Laoch yerself and asking? Ye could tell them that I sent ye, they should be obliging enough.”
“I. Well,” I blundered, “The truth is, I’m not sure that all of the MacLaochs hold your sentiments toward the Minory-MacLaoch legend. I would hate to ruin the chance to look at those documents just because I’m looking for an ancestor who shares a strikingly familiar last name.”
“Oh all right, but I hope it wasn’t the MacDonagh brothers who’ve gotten you scared tae talk with the MacLaochs? They’re a nice lot, they are.” Then she seemed to think better of what she said. “Well, except for that Eryka woman. Truthfully, she’s not a MacLaoch, no matter how desperately she wants to be.”
“Who?” I asked.
Deloris waved her hand. “Never mind. I’ll make a request for you on those documents and let you know when I get them.”
• • •
Just as I was finishing lunch in my room back at the bed-and-breakfast, the phone rang. I answered ready to tell the person on the phone they had the wrong number, especially if it was my mother.
“Good afternoon to you!” Deloris said, and before I could respond, she excitedly continued. “After ye left this morning, I called up tae the MacLaoch castle tae see if I couldn’t arrange tae have some documents sent down. Well, we got tae talking, the Castle Laoch historian and I, and I explained who ye are and what ye are looking for, paying mind that it’s spelled with an a . Though I’ll tell ye, he pushed that notion right out the window. He said to me, ‘Minary with an a ? Tosh! It’s nae spelled with an a ; it’s an o , and I’ll tell her myself if I have to.’ Well, that’s his opinion, and since he spends the majority of his time secluded away with his ancestry books and such, I’m not surprised that he’s so convinced of it—knows nothing else, aye? The long and the short of it is that he said he’ll see what he can find and, if we should be so inclined, we could go by this afternoon to pick up what he’s found. Would ye like tae accompany me? Would be no bother tae pick ye up.”
“Well, good news, it is,” I said then, though a bit leery. “Is it at the castle?”
“Oh no, we would go tae the administrative offices—they are a ways down the road from the castle. It’s only but a short walk from the offices, though, if ye wanted to see it. Weather looks like it’ll hold today—though spring, it’s hit and miss, aye?”
I signed off with Deloris, telling her I was happy to see the administrative offices. The weather was, as she said, hit and miss, though I wondered as I waited at the curb for her if it wasn’t more “rain and mist.”
• • •
From the moment Deloris and I entered
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