"Oh, I see. I dinna believe my father knows that. But he was the first and I have heard ye give yer favors to the first."
"They say that, do they? I suppose they are right, but not by design. I know ye will find this hard to believe, but I do try to give a lass to a lad who be deserving o' her. It be not as easy as ye may think. If I choose wrong, the other lad will hate me and when I need him to fight, he will be o' no use to me."
Stefan could not help himself, "I have heard that a lass has no say in the matter."
Macoran stared at Stefan a little longer than he might have otherwise. "Do lasses in the north do the choosing?"
"In some places." Again fearing he was about to get caught in his lies, Stefan quickly continued. "If there be love, sometimes an exception be made."
"Ah love. When I know about it I take it under advisement too. Most men think they are in love when they ask for a lass, but a lass can learn to love her husband no matter who I choose for her."
Stefan thought to argue the point but was certain it would take more than one afternoon to convince Macoran otherwise, and he did not have that kind of time. "We should get back. I worry about leaving Jirvel and Kannak alone."
"If that be the case, yer free to leave." Macoran watched the young men walk out the door and then mumbled, "Love…love will be the death o' us all."
*
Half the wall was finished, the neighbor girls agreed to come back the next day and the three in Jirvel's little family were almost too exhausted to talk during their evening meal. But if they were to be a real family, which Stefan sorely wanted to be a part of, there could be no secrets between them. "Diarmad says the lads will ask for Andrina soon and I am curious; why do the Scots not let the lass have a say in matters of marriage?"
"'Tis because they are daft," Jirvel scoffed. "I have yet to know a lass, forced to take a husband she does not want, who be happy in her marriage."
"But Macoran claims a lass will learn to love her husband no matter who she be matched with."
"Aye, that be what he claims and that be what the lads want him to believe. What lad will admit he cannae make his wife happy?"
"But do the lasses not tell Macoran?"