Sibbie had nudged Marjie as she’d teased her. And they’d laughed together, as they had never dreamed back then that they would ever be wearing a parachute. Sibbie glanced at Marjie and winked; her gown was so pretty and Marjie looked like a princess, as she’d chosen to have a flared skirt and the bodice was smothered in tiny pearl beads. They all wore long sleeves and short white gloves, and all carried red roses.

Rosie had chosen a straight skirt that had bands of lace around the bottom of it, and her bodice didn’t have any decoration. ‘Eeh, I don’t want to draw attention to me bust. It allus gets more looks than me,’ she’d said, and they’d all laughed. Her neckline went into a collar that was like a polo neck and made her look very regal. Betsy had lifted Rosie’s golden chestnut-curls on top of her head, and this added to the elegant effect.

Sibbie had chosen an empire-line that fitted under her bust, and she had a heart-shaped bodice that showed a tiny bit of her cleavage. Her gown was free of decoration too, but she wore her mother’s pearl necklace, which had been her grandmother’s, and to which she had attached a small pendant. It was a lovely oval shape, made of silver and painted by Montel for her – a likeness of her as a child. To Sibbie, it was the best thing about her outfit. She glanced up now at Rory, her stepfather, who looked magnificent in his kilt, and smiled at him, then turned to the other two and smiled. ‘Ready, girls?’

They giggled, then Rosie moved forward on the arm of a very proud Angus, who looked wonderful in his highland kilt, too. Billy had graciously refused to take Rosie up the aisle. He and Rosie had gone for a walk and were away for a very long time. It was obvious, when they came back, that both had broken their hearts with grief, but they had been smiling when they returned. Rosie told them that Billy had been honoured by her request, but felt that it was rightfully Angus’s job. ‘He said as how Angus had allus brought us up and been a good and loyal da to us,’ Rosie had said. ‘And though Billy understood that it was traditional for the eldest brother to do the honours, in place of an absent father, in their case it was different, as he couldn’t stand in for a man that wasn’t his father – Angus could, and should, as he’d taken responsibility for Rosie on behalf of her father.’