When she was ready, her mother brought the finishing touches. “Mairead, love, here is your veil and a wreath for your hair. The wreath is woven from ivy because it represents fidelity and love. Each of your sisters selected a dried flower to include in the wreath.”
Annag said, “I put the pink roses in because they are symbols of beauty and grace, and ye, my little sister, are abundantly rich in both.”
“I put in the white roses for the obvious reason,” said Rose, whose full name, Rhoswen meant “white rose.” “But they are also symbols of respect and innocence.”
“I wanted to put in lilies, pet,” said Lily, “but it is the wrong time of the year, and they don’t dry well, so I completed the trio with red roses instead. I hope your marriage is full of the love and passion they represent.” Mairead blushed. Oddly, she hoped the same thing.
Her mother said, “My sweet, shy child, I added the tiny dried heartsease blossoms for happy thoughts, and thyme for courage. Your brother Flan wanted us to put in some mouse-ear, but I forbade it.”
The women laughed, and Brigid continued more seriously, “What isn’t in the wreath is important too, my love. Ye are not a mouse. Ye are a lovely, gentle young woman, and I am very proud of ye.” She kissed her daughter’s cheeks and placed a sheer lace veil on her head. Annag positioned the wreath on top of the veil to hold it in place.
Her mother smiled warmly at her. “Ye look perfectly lovely, Mairead. Now, before we go to the chapel, here is your bouquet. It contains lavender for luck and devotion, myrtle for everlasting love and marital bliss, sage for long life and domestic virtue, rosemary for remembrance, parsley for happiness, and a little more thyme for courage.”
Mairead looked around the room at her mother, sisters, and sisters-in-law. She loved these women. When they left in a few days, her heart would ache with missing them. Everything she had learned about running a household or being a wife and mother they had taught her. She would carry those skills and their wisdom with her always. These thoughts filled her heart, and she wanted to express them, but though she searched, the only words she could summon were, “Thank ye, for everything.” Their smiles told her they understood.
Just then, her father appeared at the door, dressed in his finest and looking very happy. “They’re ready, love,” he said to his wife. Then he looked across the room at his youngest daughter. He stared as if drinking her in. “Mairead, lass, ye’re breathtaking.”
“Thank ye, Da.”
He walked across the room to her, kissed her cheek, and took her arm. “Well, little one, shall we go?” Her mother and sisters followed them down the stairs.
When they reached the great hall, it was empty except for her sisters’ husbands and all of her brothers but Flan. The room fell silent for a moment when she entered.
Cullen broke the silence first. “Ah, Mairead, sweetling, ye’re a beautiful bride.”
The rest of her brothers heartily agreed. They all hugged her and wished her well. Her mother, too, gave her one last hug and everyone except Annag, who would stand with Mairead, left the hall to join the guests in the courtyard.
Cathal kissed both daughters on the cheek. “Well, my bonny lassies, we have a wedding to get to.” They stepped out of the keep onto the top step and Annag walked ahead of them, the crowd parting for her.
Standing by her father’s side, looking across the crowd of people filling the courtyard, Mairead felt very nervous and a little frightened. She began to tremble. “Da,” she whispered, “I—I…”
Her father took her arm firmly and whispered, “’Tis only a wee short walk we have to take now, sweetling. Are ye ready?”
“Aye, Da, I guess I am as ready as I’ll ever be,” she whispered back but all she really wanted to do was run in the other direction.
Her father chuckled. “Ah, my sweet, wee lass, ye’re a brave MacKenzie, never forget that.”
She nervously scanned the crush of wedding guests in the courtyard. Father Colm stood in front of the chapel. Finally, she found Tadhg. He stood to the priest’s left, beaming and looking directly at her, capturing her gaze. He looked calm and confident and once again her doubts fled.
Cathal escorted Mairead down the steps and through the crowd. When they reached the chapel steps, Fingal MacIan and Flan stood with Tadhg. A grin split Flan’s face from ear to ear. Her little brother’s enthusiasm was infectious, and she grinned back at him.
The ceremony began outside the chapel with Father Colm asking the assembly if anyone knew of any reason Tadhg and Mairead could not be married, but the banns had been posted and the question was met with silence. Then Father Colm asked the bride and groom to assert their will to marry. “Tadhg Matheson, will ye have this woman to thy wedded wife, will ye love her, and honor her, keep her and guard her, in health and in sickness, as a husband should a wife, and forsaking all others on account of her, keep ye only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”