Family Ghosts
Chapter Four
Gerard stepped somewhat nervously into the grand dining room of MacWhae Castle, Mikey following close behind.
Once again, the room was elegantly furnished, with an enormous chandelier hanging above an elaborately carved table that couldn't have been any less than fifteen feet long. Silver candelabras lit the table with a gentle glow.
And there was Hamish, setting the nearest end of the table for five people. Gerard was about to greet him when his gaze was drawn toward a small door at the opposite end of the room.
Through the door walked a dark-haired girl carrying a covered dish. She stopped short when she saw him. Their eyes locked for a moment. Then with a shy smile, she continued to make her way to the table.
"Ah, lads, have you gotten all settled in?" Hamish asked them.
"Yeah, we did," replied Mikey. Gerard could merely nod.
"Good, good." Hamish took the tray out of the girl's hands and said to the brothers, "This is Mina, me eldest. Mina, these are Misters Mikey and Gerard Way."
She was by no means a gorgeous girl, but modestly pretty, with a lean build. What struck Gerard most about her was her dark eyes. Even without that little smile, he'd seen kindness in them immediately. This girl was something special.
"Hello," the girl said, sounding much more confident than she had at first seemed. She noticed Mikey eyeing the dish she'd brought out with curiousity.
"Oh, there's no cause for alarm, Mr. Way," she said.
"Mikey," he said abruptly.
"Mikey?"
"My name. Just Mikey," he corrected her. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying, there's no cause for alarm, Mikey. It's only roast chicken." She laughed. Her accent was much gentler than her father's. "I wouldn't be feeding you haggis or anything. Not just yet..." She smiled at Gerard for a moment, then said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go and help Lucy get the last few things ready for dinner."
"Do you need any help?" Gerard blurted out.
A slight grin graced Mina's face as she looked back at him.
"Thank you, Gerard, but you must be tired from your flight. You two sit down, and we girls will get the table ready. You too, Dad, you sit and rest. You work too hard." With that, she turned and went back to the kitchen.
"Ah, my Mina. She's a fine girl, that she is," Hamish murmured as he and the boys sat.
Gerard silently agreed.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Hey, Mike," he whispered to his brother. "What's haggis?"
"Don't ask, bro. Just don't ask..."
Once again, the room was elegantly furnished, with an enormous chandelier hanging above an elaborately carved table that couldn't have been any less than fifteen feet long. Silver candelabras lit the table with a gentle glow.
And there was Hamish, setting the nearest end of the table for five people. Gerard was about to greet him when his gaze was drawn toward a small door at the opposite end of the room.
Through the door walked a dark-haired girl carrying a covered dish. She stopped short when she saw him. Their eyes locked for a moment. Then with a shy smile, she continued to make her way to the table.
"Ah, lads, have you gotten all settled in?" Hamish asked them.
"Yeah, we did," replied Mikey. Gerard could merely nod.
"Good, good." Hamish took the tray out of the girl's hands and said to the brothers, "This is Mina, me eldest. Mina, these are Misters Mikey and Gerard Way."
She was by no means a gorgeous girl, but modestly pretty, with a lean build. What struck Gerard most about her was her dark eyes. Even without that little smile, he'd seen kindness in them immediately. This girl was something special.
"Hello," the girl said, sounding much more confident than she had at first seemed. She noticed Mikey eyeing the dish she'd brought out with curiousity.
"Oh, there's no cause for alarm, Mr. Way," she said.
"Mikey," he said abruptly.
"Mikey?"
"My name. Just Mikey," he corrected her. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying, there's no cause for alarm, Mikey. It's only roast chicken." She laughed. Her accent was much gentler than her father's. "I wouldn't be feeding you haggis or anything. Not just yet..." She smiled at Gerard for a moment, then said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go and help Lucy get the last few things ready for dinner."
"Do you need any help?" Gerard blurted out.
A slight grin graced Mina's face as she looked back at him.
"Thank you, Gerard, but you must be tired from your flight. You two sit down, and we girls will get the table ready. You too, Dad, you sit and rest. You work too hard." With that, she turned and went back to the kitchen.
"Ah, my Mina. She's a fine girl, that she is," Hamish murmured as he and the boys sat.
Gerard silently agreed.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Hey, Mike," he whispered to his brother. "What's haggis?"
"Don't ask, bro. Just don't ask..."