In Beautiful Dreams

[Tim]

I've never been to Britain at all.

[ladyfiaran22]

I caught second wind with this story and finished over the last few weeks, hope you like.

Chapter 14

"Have a safe trip, Olivia", said Alexandra as her and Nicholas embraced their eldest daughter.

"I will, Mama and Papa", said Olga.

Ian took their bags and placed them in the trunk of the cab. "Maybe one day we can all go", he said.

"That's everything, we'll cable when we arrive, Mr. and Mrs. Parker", said Skye.

"Good. Have a safe trip", said Nicholas.

The cab ride to Manchester Piccadilly was quiet but tense with anticipation as this was the first part of their trip to Scotland. The streets were freshly cleaned of the snow which fell two days ago, slowly turning grey and slushy from car exhaust and urban dirt. The skies above were were a dull gunmetal grey that appeared like one giant cloud overhead, promising more snow to come in the evening.

Ian paid the driver and helped the him take out their bags and place them on the trolley. The station was quiet except for a few commuters since it was the week before Christmas, the holiday rush a week away. As a result, the announcements and canned music over the PA seemed to echo loudly in the station, the squawks from the boxes unintelligible as always. A crowd had gathered at their platform as the passengers anxiously looked at the printed timetable and the the clock overhead. Everyone relaxed when they heard the train whistle as it slowly pulled into the station.

"We'll reach Edinburgh in four hours, and Inverness in the evening. Hopefully you'll enjoy your first trip to Scotland", laughed Ian.

"I will, it's another foreign country to visit. And I must send a postcard to Mama and Papa", said Olga.

The passengers boarded the train as porters loaded bags into the luggage car in the back. Fifteen minutes later, the train gave one final hoot and slowly pulled out of the station. Olga was disappointed that the train ran through many dull suburbs and mill towns on its way north as Ian smiled in understanding. "Lancashire scenery is dull until one reaches Cumbria, the train goes through the Lake District and then the border. Just wait", he said.

Olga agreed when an hour later the train entered the eastern edge of the Lake District and they could see the famous hills and lakes through the trees. The sky had cleared slightly and patches of blue peered out from under the grey, shining on the still waters. "We went to the Lake District two summers ago, we got lucky and it didn't rain much", said Ian.

"Aye, and we only had wear our Wellies for two days. We climbed up Scafell Pike and the view is smashing. Only Yorkshire has better scenery", said Skye.

"Of course, Yorkshire has the best everything", teased Olga.

"Yes, we're God's Own Country. But t'North has better scenery than anything down t'South. Kent is boring and the Cotswolds are like chocolate box villages, all twee and cute. I don't believe people actually live there", sad Skye.

"Yeah, just posh people with dodgy titles", Ian agreed.

Not long after leaving the Lake District, the train made its final two English stops at Penrith and Carlisle in Cumbria. Barely twenty minutes later after leaving Carlisle, the train passed a short bridge over the Solway Firth and arrived in Scotland. On the other side of the bridge was a sign with the Scottish saltire which read Welcome to Scotland-Failte gu Alba. "Another foreign country to check off your list", Ian teased as Olga laughed.

The train made its steady way northeast towards Edinburgh as the border region spread out before them. The flat pastures and gently rolling hill covered in snow with little country towns and abbeys gave no clue to the region's bloodthirsty past, the scenery just like out of a postcard. "This is Reiver country, before the Act of Union this was a lawless place. Clans would fight each other and carry off people and livestock, English against Scottish. But the Border people had more in common with each other than with people in London or Edinburgh", Skye explained.

"Like Cossacks", said Olga.

"Sort of, except in a smaller area. They used to raid all the way down to Yorkshire at times. In the Middle Ages, our ancestor James Sutherland was granted land on the border of the North Riding and Durham by James Stuart III to protect Middlesbrough from reivers", said Skye.

"She's our family historian, at least in the Yorkshire line", said Ian.

"We have both Scottish and English heritage on Dad's side, you know", laughed Skye.

"Of course. But we're not that English, that's English people down t'South", said Ian.

"Too bad we can't see anything in Edinburgh, we barely got an hour", said Skye as the train stopped at the Edinburgh station.

"Yes, it is a wonderful city to explore and too bad Mary Stuart was a silly girl", teased Ian.

"If she hadn't married Darnley, she would have been a brilliant queen, and then she would have gotten rid of Knox. He had no right to speak to her that way, she was an anointed queen", said Skye. 

"The church was corrupt, Cardinal Beaton was super rich and had all those bastards", said Ian.

"Then the royal family should have confiscated his wealth since he wasn't living up to his vows", she retorted.

"Do you two take the mickey out of each other for everything?", teased Olga.

"Of course, we're British", Ian quipped.

The trio went to the station canteen and had a cup of tea while they waited for the next train. "It's supposed to snow by Golspie tomorrow night, but we'll be there in the afternoon. The area around the castle is smashing when it snows", said Ian.

"It is, it just rains a lot much of England during the winter. Scotland is the best place to see snow in Britain during the winter", said Skye.

"I grew up seeing lots of snow, it will take a lot to impress me", teased Olga.

"Of course, but the area has impressive snows", said Ian.

They finished their tea and boarded the train to Inverness. Within half an hour, the train had left the city and its suburbs behind as it made its way north. Barely an hour after leaving Edinburgh, the train passed into the southern Highlands as the terrain grew more rugged. The ground was a brilliant white from yesterday's snow and the sky above was a pale blue-gray which wold herald new snow on the way, a faint blobby sun shining thin watery light onto the snow. 

Olga forgot interest in her book as she watched the scenery pass by, the area reminding her of the area by Tsarkoe Selo. The snow banks around the train were dazzling white without any prints to mar their surface and the trees had their bare branches heavily laden with snow, the watery sunlight glinting off innumerable snow crystals. While the train did stop at a few of the larger stations on the way, the route mostly passed through pristine wilderness of low mountains at the foothills of the Grampians and the accompanying forests nearly devoid of people. In spite of the empty landscape, Olga felt at ease since she knew where they were heading and she was with Ian and Skye. A sudden blush formed on her cheeks when she looked forward to her and Ian having their own room at the castle, after having lived in a dorm room at the university.

"Inverness is a charming town, we cold walk around a bit after we check in", said Skye as the train pulled into the station.

"Yeah, it's not crowded like in t'summer. That's when t'tourists go to Loch Ness to see the monster", said Ian.

"What monster?", asked Olga.

"Supposedly there's a giant monster living in Loch Ness, there's a dodgy picture of the creature but it's hard to tell. No one's actually seen it up close", Ian explained.

"I hope people don't bother the poor creature. It could be a dinosaur or a creature that survived the flood", said Olga.

"Who knows? But it does bring in a lot of tourist money", said Skye.

"We always stay here on the way to Golspie, it's lovely", said Skye as they walked down the street to the Royal Highland hotel from the train station.

"Yes, I'm ready to take a nap", said Ian as Olga nodded.

"You're a lazy bastard, Ian. But I suppose you have to use that big brain of yours", teased Skye.

Olga was impressed by the handsome Georgian building made of buff-colored stone and its elegant lobby of polished bronze and glass fixtures with potted ferns providing a contrast. Ian went up the front desk and spoke to the clerk before getting their keys. "We got a double, one single bed and a larger one. It's more efficient", he said.

Olga hid her disappointment at sharing a room, since she and Ian hadn't shared a room since she'd gone home for the November bank holiday. Ian gave her a reassuring smile as he led them towards the elevator and the operator pressed the button to open the door. He put an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, his green eyes knowing as Olga smiled back. 

[ladyfiaran22]

Chapter 15

After dropping off their bags, the trio went back outside to walk. It was still cold and gray as a few scattered snow flurries circled down from the cloudy blue-gray sky but in their coats and hats they felt quite warm. "It's bloody cold but we're Northerners, people down t'south can't handle it", said Ian.

"This is nothing compared to what we've experienced during the winter", chuckled Olga.

"Of course, and Poland too according to Babcia. I guess you could say we all have cold weather genes", joked Skye as they all laughed.

Olga was glad to see snow and gray skies since it reminded her of Russia, even the thin, watery sunlight from the faint sun providing nostalgia. She felt warm in her heavy shearling coat with wool mittens her black fur hat, even though she missed her Russian ushanka. But Skye had told her than an ushanka would stand out as it was seen as a Russian hat, so she had gotten the round fur hat instead.

The river Ness which flowed through the city was frozen solid as children skated on its glassy surface. While many of the younger children were awkward and flopped about, some of the older children and adults were more skilled as they executed athletic leaps and turns in the air. On another part of the river older boys played hockey as a group of boys in blue sweaters whooped when they scored a goal past the keeper. "Scots normally play curling but Canadian troops during the war introduced ice hockey. Curling is bloody dull, hockey is better", said Ian.

"It's dangerous, the Montreal Lacroix are big supporters and it's ghastly", said Skye with a frown.

"One branch of the Lacroix lives in Quebec, in Montreal. It's a lovely city and if one speaks good French, the locals are friendly. Otherwise, they're wankers", said Ian.

"I speak French, but I'm afraid it's rusty. Other than the summer holiday, I haven't been able to use it", said Olga.

"Same here, us Brits are rubbish at languages. But the shoe is on the other foot, we're English up in Scotland and the accent is hard to understand", said Skye.

"I know, but our cousins speak the Queen's English like all posh wankers", laughed Ian.

"And we both talk posh at work", Skye reminded him.

"Aye, imagine teaching a class on Hellenistic Greece speaking like a bumpkin from t'moors", joked Ian.

The trio watched the skaters and hockey players for a bit. Olga looked out onto the frozen river and remembered skating on the ponds and lakes at Tsarkoe Selo, bundled up in furs and skating on the glassy surfaces. She recalled hearing music in her head and trying to dance on the ice, only to awkwardly flop about like a beached fish. She imagined that other young people around Russia had gone ice skating, or played sports on the ice far beyond the gates of Tsarkoe Selo. During their time in Tobolsk, she and her siblings had watched from the upper floor windows as children and teenagers had walked past the house to a pond in the distance with their skates slung over their shoulders. She remembered the crestfallen look on Anastasia's face when the guards told them they couldn't go to the pond to skate, nor to the Lenten carnival in March. Olga wondered if the Sutherland's castle had a pond for skating. "We used to skate on a pond during the winter in Scarborough, but Manchester is too damp and rainy for that. There's an indoor skating rink, but it's not the same", said Skye.

"Is there a pond for skating at the castle?", asked Olga.

"Yeah, and a small indoor rink. Alasdair's daughters are figure skaters so he built the rink for them. Maybe you can borrow a pair of skates", said Ian.

"Hmph, or buy a good pair. There's a skate shop down t'street. I packed my own", said Skye.

She led them to a shop which sold winter sports gear. "Aye, canna help ye?", asked the middle aged woman behind the counter.

"I would like to see some ice skates, madam", said Olga.

"Ah, a Sassenach. But you are pretty and polite, 'tis good. Our ladies' skates are over here, just let me know if you need help", she said.

"How good are you at skating?", asked Skye.

"I was all right, I did fall down on my bum a lot", said Olga with a laugh.

"Oh dear, that makes two of us. I suppose you ought to get regular skates, the white frilly ones are for professionals. Just start with the plain ones", said Skye.

Olga nodded in agreement as she removed her boots and tried on several pairs in her size. She chose a pair of plain black skates which felt comfortable on her feet as she put her boots back on and took the box to the counter. "Have a nice day, miss", said the lady.

The snow still fell in little flurries that slowly made their way down from the gray sky. "If the weather was nicer, we could take the bus out to Culloden. The Sutherlands never got involved with the Bonnie Prince, it was a bad idea from the start. The German wankers were on the throne to stay and the Lowlanders had no interest in another Stuart being on the throne", said Ian.

"The Scottish branch had the sense to stay out of that, which is why they still have the earldom and the castle", added Skye.

"But you thought Mary Stuart was a good queen", Olga reminded her.

"She was, but when James became king of both that was the end. And James Stuart was a bad king, an eejit. He alienated so many people and used mercenaries, that annoys a lot of folks. Bonnie Prince was a pipe dream, but being both Yorkshire and Polish cures one of such ideas", said Skye with a laugh.

"I see. Then the Sutherlands are a wise family", said Olga.

"Plus the earl knew it wasn't going to end well, we try to stay out of politics and controversy. He had no use for the German bastards but knew better than to rebel against one's king, he liked keeping his head. We do our duty for country, but we don't do stupid things", said Ian.

"That's why the Lithuanian branch of the Jarvinens fled to Sweden when it was annexed by the Soviets. If the bastards knew, it would lead to catastrophe. Which is why we try to stay anonymous, we don't seek fame", said Skye.

"Which is why my books sell a few hundred copies to odd, smart wankers. And Jack doesn't do interviews that mention his private life, we try to stay under the radar", said Ian.

"Very good idea. I suppose no one in the family will be a movie star or run for Parliament", laughed Olga

"Hah, of course not. Movie stars are a barmy lot and politicians are a bunch of lying bastards", said Skye.

The snow started to come down heavier as they decided to go back to the hotel. After dropping off their winter gear in the room, the trio went back downstairs to the tea room. A waiter led them to a table and Ian ordered a pot of tea and a plate of scones with jam and cream. "This will hold us until supper", he said.

"I wonder if one can find a samovar in Britain", said Olga.

"Probably not, everyone uses a kettle. I would add butter to my tea but its difficult to find clarified butter in Britain. That's how people in northern India and Tibet drink theirs", said Ian.

"It's for the best, that has too much fat", said Skye.

A waitress poured them each a cup of tea into delicate porcelain cups. Olga wondered if she could put jam in hers but decided it would look too odd, so she added a slice of lemon and one lump of sugar to hers. She glanced out the window and frowned when she saw the snow coming down harder. "The weather report forecast in the papers that the snow ends tonight, by morning the rails will be cleared. The train services little towns in the eastern Highlands so if the train didn't pass, a lot of people will get stranded", said Ian.

"I was just concerned, I'm not familiar with this area. I'm not sure how bad winters are in Scotland", said Olga.

"They're colder than in England, but we have cold weather genes", said Skye as they all laughed.

Olga finished her tea and watched as the snow fell. Unlike this time last year at Tobolsk, the falling snow was comforting and familiar. She recalled the never-ending snow and sub-zero temperatures of Siberia, the furnace that barely worked, and wearing up to five layers of clothes just be inside. At night the worthless stove and her fur blankets did nothing to stave off the cold as she began to think that hell might be freezing instead of baking. But now after having a cup of tea and a warm scone inside the hotel tea room, the snow outside was comforting and familiar instead of a figment of unknown terror.

"Maybe at the castle we can go hiking in the snow, we have sturdy boots. Plus the view from either the towers or the hills is stunning", said Skye.

"Perhaps, I'm not afraid of this snow like last year", Olga murmured.

"It isn't, it's the snow of hope and possibilities", said Ian with a smile.

[ladyfiaran22]

Chapter 16

Olga sighed with relief when their train arrived on time on the platform for the last leg of their trip. "The weather forecast was correct for a change, and the train is on time. The western Highlands have best views in Scotland but the eastern Highlands are no slouch either, the further north one goes in Britain, the better the scenery", said Ian.

"By that standard, Shetland must have the best scenery in the UK", teased Olga.

"Shetland is stunning, I agree. Not to mention the Viking culture is something different from the rest of the country, it was part of Norway until 1464", said Skye.

"Our Sutherland ancestors were originally Norwegian Vikings who settled in northern Scotland, Sutherland is the corrupted form of Sudrland in Norwegian. Many people in Sutherland and Caithness, the northern Hebrides and the Orkneys and Shetlands are of mostly Viking descent. You'll see it when we arrive at the castle", said Ian.

They boarded the train and within a few minutes the train had left the station and Inverness behind. The train skirted the edge of Loch Ness before heading inland towards the mountains, the bare branches of deciduous trees and the evergreen needles of pine trees gleaming with their mantles of snow. When the sunlight hit the snow on the trees at the right angles, the tiny snow crystals twinkled like the facets of finely cut diamonds. The effect under the cloudless blue sky was stunning, perfect for a landscape painting.

The last leg of the trip was by far the most stunning as the train hugged the coast of Sutherland county. To their right they could see the flat, glassy expanse of the North Sea as the dark blue gray water turned into pounding surf. Big waves of icy water relentless pounded the gray shore, with only a few small harbors for fishing boats along the coastline. While the pine hills to the west and the rough, frigid North Sea to the east, the area had a primal, earthy quality so far from the civilized and calm areas to the south as to be on another planet.

The train made stop at Golspie and the trio were greeted by a uniformed driver who held open the door to a Land Rover. "It's too snowy for the Rolls", said Ian as he helped the women inside the vehicle.

Barely five minutes later, the Land Rover stopped in front of Sutherland Castle as Olga smiled in delight. The castle was a handsome building of grayish-white stone at least five stories high and each corner topped by a painted blue cupola, the Scottish saltire and the Sutherland coat of arms flag flying from opposite towers. The castle was perched on a slight rise which overlooked a large expanse of ornamental gardens, whose flower beds were now fallow because of winter.

The uniformed butler in a black tuxedo and a kilt in the blue and green Sutherland tartan greeted them and led them inside. "The earl is in his office, you may rest until lunch is served", he said with an impeccable Oxbridge accent.

"Thank you, Mr. Moray", said Ian.

Mr. Moray whistled and two teenage boys in Sutherland livery took their bags and motioned for the trio to follow. "After lunch, Alasdair will give you the tour. We're familiar with the castle, but it's always fun to hear him talk", said Ian.

"The rest of the clan will start arriving soon, just remember your room number. The castle has over a hundred rooms", said Skye.

Although she had spent much of her life at the Alexander Palace and her family's various palaces at Tsarkoe Selo and throughout the empire, Olga was impressed by Sutherland castle. The numerous windows let in sunlight and had wonderful views of the gardens on side, the interiors done in the blue and green of Sutherland tartan with varying shades, combined with the neo-classical style of Robert Adam. "Robert Adam's son did the interiors, it cost a pretty penny but it was worth it", Ian explained.

Olga nodded, the style reminded her of the Catherine or the Winter Palace but warmer and lived in. Unlike those palaces, Sutherland castle didn't feel cold and massive. Somehow she could sense that people lived here, that it was used for living instead of a museum. The boys showed Skye her room and had Ian and Olga follow them to another wing of the castle. "The single people stay in one wing and the couples in another", he explained.

"But all couples, not just married ones?", she asked.

"All couples. Otherwise people would get lost trying to arrange a tryst", he joked.

Olga laughed. The boys took their bags to a room on the fourth floor. "If you need anything, there's a button under the light switch which connects to the kitchens", said Ian.

Olga entered the room and looked around. The room was the size of a hotel suite and had an enormous oak four-poster bed topped by a silk canopy in Sutherland tartan. The other furniture was made of the same sturdy brown oak and upholstered in blue and green Sutherland tartan but the windows overlooking the North Sea let in plenty of light to prevent it from being gloomy. A door opened to reveal a spacious walk-in closet and another to large bathroom with an enormous green marble tub. "At the Alexander Palace, we slept on camp beds and took cold baths in a silver tub", said Olga.

Ian gave her a disbelieving look. "Really? But your father was worth billions of rubles", he said in shock.

"The Romanovs did not believe in spoiling children, we always slept on camp beds and took cold baths. It helped us become tough when we were in Siberia, I've become soft in this time", she laughed.

"Bloody hell, that's the same thing I did in the army. I am never sleeping on a camp bed or taking a cold shower again", he declared.

"Hah, it toughens you up. And I can't wait to see the rest of the castle", said Olga.

"Surely your family owned some magnificent palaces, the Sutherlands only have this one and the manor in Yorkshire", said Ian.

"We never liked the bigger palaces like the Winter Palace or the Catherine. They were too large and cold, it felt like being inside a museum and it was uncomfortable. The Winter Palace was dreadfully cold and drafty and our family never liked it. We were so worried we'd break something in there. I get the feeling the castle isn't like this", she chuckled.

"It isn't. All the antiques are in the parlours, the third and fourth floors are the bedrooms and the ballroom and dining room are on the first floor. In fact, the castle has lifts", said Ian.

"So did the Alexander, for Mama", she replied.

"Of course, but the lifts here are because climbing up and down stairs can be tedious. Anyways, I'll give you a little tour", said Ian.

Olga made sure to note their room number as Ian took her hand and led her towards the elevator. "The second floor has the portraits and the family antiques, the Sutherlands have lived on a castle on this site since the 1400's. Our family backed the Stuarts in their battles against the Lords of the Isles. They realized the Stuarts weren't people to mess with, plus the Lords of the Isles were such backwards people. For better or worse, the Stuarts represented the future", said Ian.

"Does your family know which side is going to win?", she asked.

Ian pushed the button for the second floor. "The Sutherlands, and all the Sol Duga, have a knack for knowing which side to support. The Sutherlands supported the Stuarts and the Hanoverians, even if we thought following the Bonnie Prince was a good idea, we wouldn't have gone through with it. What matters most of all, is keeping the Sol Duga a secret and for us to help people", said Ian.

The portrait gallery had dark blue walls and a floor carpet in Sutherland green and blue tartan, the windows shielded by matching curtains. Illumination was provided by specially applied incandescent lightbulbs which gave the correct light to make the portraits look their best. "This is the founder of our clan, Bjorn Sudrland, Hugo's son. This portrait is from 15543 since during the tenth century there weren't any portrait painters", Ian explained. The painting showed a tall, handsome blond man with the trademark Sutherland green eyes in Viking armor, wielding a massive sword.

"Wait a minute, where's his helmet?", she asked.

"Vikings didn't actually wear horned helmets, blame that on Wagner. They were plain iron helmets, Wagner invented the horned helmets since he thought they looked more impressive", he replied.

"Interesting, I suppose the helmets might have awkward in battle. Who painted it?", she asked.

"A painter from Inverness, Sir Lachlan Ross. We never used English painters, too expensive and we wanted to promote local artists. All the paintings here are done by local artists", he said as he showed her more portraits.

Olga followed Ian and listened as he pointed each Sutherland portrait. She understood the pride in his voice when he spoke of his father's people and knew he would equally proud of his mother's people, mentally cursing the Bolsheviks for destroying the Jablonski manor house. "There is a definite resemblance in all the Sutherlands", she said.

"Yes, the Sutherlands either have both the hair and eyes or one of them. It's a Sol Duga thing, so we can identify each other", he said.

"But what if a Sutherland has say, black hair and brown eyes? Or is another race?", she asked.

"No to the first, yes to the second My cousin William of the Scottish Sutherlands is married to a Chinese woman from Singapore, Chinhua. Their daughters Jinghua and Meizhan have black hair but green eyes, they're twins. Unfortunately, William and Chinhua couldn't have any more children, but the twins are going to university in Edinburgh. They're coming up later and should be here tonight, their parents are flying in from Singapore later in the week", said Ian.

"Fascinating, I'm afraid I don't know any Chinese", said Olga apologetically.

"The girls can speak Cantonese, the Southern Chinese language but they do speak excellent English. Jack knows Cantonese, I don't. Most Chinese immigrants to Britain are from Cantonese speaking areas, so it could be useful to know. But that's for Jack to know, since East Asia is his major interest. Which is why Hugo chose him for this mission, I don't know either Chinese or Japanese or their culture", he laughed.

[ladyfiaran22]

Chapter 17

Ian led Olga downstairs and he smiled in delight when he saw the twin Eurasian women. "We were just talking about you two", he teased.

"The Sol Duga genes must be strong", joked Blossom Sutherland.

"How are you liking Britain, Miss Parker", said her twin sister Pearl.

"I love Britain, it was Papa's dream to retire in England, he never wanted to be tsar, Miss Sutherland", replied Olga.

"I'm Blossom, but my Chinese name is Jinhua", said Blossom.

"And I'm Pearl, my Chinese name is Meihuan", said Pearl.

"Our English names are for professional reasons, it's common among Chinese British people", explained Blossom.

"Well, I got by Olivia for practical reasons so I understand. What do you prefer to be called?", asked Olga.

"Our English names, our parents use our Chinese names, plus people have trouble pronouncing them", said Blossom.

"All right, so it's Blossom and Pearl. And you can call me Olivia", said Olga.

Ian and Olga showed the twins to their rooms on the third floor. "I would have invited my boyfriend but we've only been dating for two months, plus he's going back to Ireland for Christmas", said Blossom.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Are you both going to university?", asked Olga.

"Yes, we're both attending the University of Edinburgh. I'm studying law and Pearl is studying to be a gynecologist", said Blossom.

"Fascinating, a lawyer and a doctor in the family", teased Olga.

"Our Mum is a gynocologist and Dad is a lawyer, we're following in the family footsteps. Just because we're women doesn't mean we're going to uni to find husbands", said Pearl defensively.

"I'm sorry if I caused offense, it's just that the uni at Liverpool in the medical and law schools are virtually all male. I'm studying history", said Olga.

"No worries, we get a lot of odd comments. People ask if I'm going to be a legal secretary", said Blossom with a frown.

"That's ignorant. Anyone ought to study what they like", said Olga in dismay.

The twins dropped off the bags and walked over to Skye's room. "I'm glad to see you two, when are your parents coming?", she asked.

"Next week, it's so bloody long from Singapore. And how's it dealing with the little buggers at school?", teased Blossom.

"Dull, just scraped knees and tummy aches. But it keeps me under the radar", said Skye.

"Too bad you couldn't go to a proper medical school and study surgery", said Pearl.

"Yes, but it attracts too much attention, like being a bloody unicorn", Skye grumbled.

"Unfortunately, being a female surgeon makes the bloody news since apparently they're as rare as unicorns. We try not to attract attention", Pearl explained.

"Really, but I sort of understand. At the Red Cross hospital, our family was horrified that Tatiana and Mama were assisting in surgery, seeing men all bloody and injured from the war. And the press thought it was amazing and horrifying that a Grand Duchess and a Tsarina were involved in such bloody things", said Olga with a sigh.

"Things haven't changed much, which is why I'm studying gynocology and obstetrics, there's a lot of women in that field and it doesn't attract attention", said Pearl.

"Maybe in the future I'll go back to uni and study that, it has to be more interesting than being a bloody school nurse", said Skye.

The group went downstairs to the parlor where the head of the Scottish Sutherlands Alasdair Sutherland, Earl of Dunrobin, met them. He was an imposing man at over six feet tall and dressed in the blue and green Sutherland tartan and kilt, the plaid draped over his shoulder and held in place by a broach in the shape of a lion's head with the clan's motto Sans Peur. His short dark blond hair was turning gray at the temples and his green eyes were sharp and intelligent, his back ramrod straight. "I'm sorry, I was busy with paperwork. Miss Parker, I hope you are enjoying Britain with your family", he said in a deep voice with an Oxbridge English accent.

"We are, Your Grace", she replied.

"Please call me Alasdair, Miss Parker. I hate being addressed by the English way, I avoid going further south than Yorkshire", he said.

"Same here, but if one is traveling out of t'country one needs to go t'London Heathrow. There ought to be more airports in the country", said Ian.

"The rest of the Sutherlands are to start trickling in within the next few days since our clan is scattered throughout the world", said Alasdair as he led them to the dining room.

Olga hoped more people would show up since she estimated that the dining room could hold more than a hundred people. "It holds 120 people, and we only use the salt to separate the children so they don't make a mess in front of the adults, and so the servants can give them different food", Ian explained.

Everyone sat together near Alasdair at the head of the table as the servants poured everyone a glass of white wine. "Lunch is the main mean here, it isn't good to eat a big meal in the evening", he said.

"I know, the Mediterranean people are correct about that. Unfortunately, us Brits haven't learned", said Skye with a laugh.

"Alasdair, are Neville and Amelia coming here?", asked Ian.

"Perhaps, if their mission is resolved", said Alasdair as the servants served the soup course.

Olga waited until the servants left. "Don't worry, when we're speaking about Sol Duga business, it sounds like we're speaking Greek. So they think we're speaking Greek", said Alasdair.

"Do you really speak Greek?", she asked

"Yes, both kinds", he replied.

"But what if someone can speak Greek?", asked Olga.

"Then it sounds as though we are talking about the weather or gossip. We do try to plan for contingencies", said Alasdair.

"I tell Alasdair we ought to use Elvish since it's a made-up language", teased Skye.

"But there's no real Elvish dictionary with a codified grammar, it has to be a real language. And Greek is an actual language", chided Alasdair.

"What sort of mission is that?", asked Olga.

"They're actually in Babylon, at Alexander's court. Neville is an expert on Babylon and he is writing a book on the city during the Persian empire and in later times. Him and his wife Amelia are among the thousands in the court", said Ian.

"Amazing. But aren't they supposed to help?", asked Olga.

"Yes, here and there. But if further help is necessary, Hugo will let us know", said Ian.

The group finished lunch as the servants cleared the table. "I'll take you on a little tour for Miss Parker's sake. I'm sure your family had impressive palaces, I'm afraid if the castle doesn't quite measure up", said Alasdair.

"Ian already showed me the portrait gallery, but I would like to see more of the castle. And what I've seen I liked so far, some of our palaces were very cold and we felt uncomfortable living in a museum. Your castle feels very warm and lived-in", said Olga.

"I try to make the castle feel like a home, I want our home to be comfortable. Follow me", he said.