A Highland Family Affair, page 6
‘Hey! Come on!’ He gestured to her. ‘It looks colder than it is, honest.’ She laughed, knowing from the few seconds she had been standing there that he was fibbing. She made her way over to him. The two dogs nuzzled her hands and Brodie kissed her cheek, his nose like an ice cube against her skin. ‘The gates are closed; the public have all gone, and the snow is keeping things a bit brighter, so we’ll be able to see without torches for a wee while. I thought we could have a wander down to the chapel and look at the stars when the sun has gone down.’
‘That’d be lovely.’
The little chapel in the grounds was another of her favourite places. It was where her parents had had their marriage blessed in a family-and-friends-only ceremony. This had, of course, been after their grand, official wedding at Inverness Cathedral. Olivia had always maintained that she would rather skip the ‘grand’ bit and have her own wedding solely in the pretty chapel by the loch. It was perfect. Big enough to make sure all the important people in her life could attend but small enough that it wouldn’t be some Hello magazine-worthy event. Although she knew, as Lady MacBain, there would no doubt need to be some officiality and press coverage. A cross she had to bear as custodian of Drumblair Castle, and her parents’ legacy.
As they walked, Olivia told Brodie all about the conversation she’d had with her brother. She relayed the sincerity he had shown but that she was still unable to fully trust him.
Brodie took her hand. ‘We just need to take this thing one day at a time. There’s been a lot of issues in the past so he can’t expect you to just accept everything he says.’
‘That’s just it, though. He doesn’t expect that. Or at least he says he doesn’t.’ They continued to walk in silence and Olivia took in her surroundings. The bare branches of the trees were bowing with the weight of the recent snowfall and the sky above and in front of them was a stunning mixture of pinks, oranges and lilacs, blending into blues that became darker the further up she looked. Tiny pinpricks of light were becoming visible in the darker parts of the sky, meaning it was going to be a very cold night.
When they reached the water’s edge, Olivia turned and gazed back at the castle. It stretched skyward from the ground, its surface glowing almost golden in the early evening light, and the remaining sunlight, albeit not much, glinted off the snow that sat in the striations of the stonework. Far off in the distance, the mountain Ben Blair could be seen wearing a snowy cap too. It really was stunning, something she could appreciate as an adult but had never really understood as a child. Her father used to wax lyrical about the mountains and the scenery that surrounded them but back then she put that down to being an old person thing. They always seem to like trees and views and flowers and things like that, she had thought. Looking back now, it was funny to think that her dad had probably only been in his late thirties when she had considered him old. And here she was heading for thirty herself; suffice it to say she had certainly changed her mind about that now.
Brodie stood peering out across the water as the two dogs sniffed and trotted along the water’s edge. His exhaled breaths clouded in front of him like cigarette smoke. ‘This place is something else, isn’t it, Liv?’
She smiled. ‘It certainly is.’
She could understand in a way why Kerr had been angry to not inherit the place. But what he failed to realise was that along with the castle came a mountain of responsibility that daunted her more than she cared to admit. But the place was part of who she was and even though she had sacrificed a lot – a life and friendships in New York, her dream job – to be here, she knew she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Not really.
‘You know how I’ve gone back to longer walks with the dogs?’ Brodie said after a few moments.
‘I had noticed. I’ll be getting a complex.’ She laughed.
He grinned. ‘It keeps me fit so I can keep up with you and your ideas,’ he replied with a knowing wink. ‘Anyway, I’ve had another book idea.’
‘That’s great! What about this time?’
‘Walks around Drumblair. The number of visitors we’re getting is set to increase year on year so I’m thinking a book of guided walks would do well in the gift shop. And even better if someone who knows the place has tried and tested and mapped them all out. There’s lots of different paths up Ben Blair, suitable for a wide range of capabilities, so it would be good to be able to signpost them.’
‘I think that’s a brilliant idea.’ She loved that he was so involved with the castle these days and how keen he was to bring fresh ideas to the table. His first book on the history of Drumblair Castle had sold so well in the shop so far that she had no doubt another would do the same.
‘I’ll just need to get out and up the mountain a fair bit with my sketchpad and voice recorder.’
‘Go for it,’ she said as she turned and walked closer to him. ‘You’ll be a modern-day Wainright.’ She snuggled into his chest as they looked out over the water together, watching a bird diving into the water and retrieving fish for its dinner. The water lapped at the shoreline, the sound soothing and a little soporific.
‘I’ve also had an idea about the old barn.’
Olivia’s ears pricked up. ‘Go on.’
‘I think we should renovate it and turn it into a kind of workspace for local artisans. We could section it off and install a second floor. That way we could create another revenue strand. And it could lead to more stock for the shop too. A perk of renting a space could be the artist’s work is put on sale in there.’
‘Oh, wow! I love that idea! But… what about funding for such a project?’
Brodie sighed. ‘That’s the only issue. Although we could get some quotes and see what we’re aiming for? See if it could work?’
Olivia paused for a moment as she imagined the old ramshackle barn refitted, humming with a buzz of creativity. ‘Let’s do it.’
Brodie squeezed her to his side. ‘Fantastic.’
Eventually the sun was completely gone, and they stood, holding each other as the vast canopy of sky above them became scattered with diamonds and every so often a shooting star zoomed across the navy blue, evaporating into nothing as quickly as they had spotted it. A sense of calm came over Olivia and even though she wasn’t quite able to grasp and hold on to the thought, something in her mind told her everything was going to be okay.
6
Olivia awoke on the Saturday morning to find that Brodie had already left on his morning walk, meaning she could finally stretch and luxuriate in her empty bed a little longer. It was Dougie’s Saturday to be on duty in the grounds so she could have some real, honest-to-goodness leisure time. She planned on taking her time to prepare for the evening out with her man and noticed a flutter of excitement in her belly when she thought about it. She checked her phone and saw a message from Bella.
Hey honey! We’re all settled in. The house is really nice but needs my touch. Granny Isla may already have a fancy man! Talk about quick work. Harris has today off so we’re heading out for a day touring Skye on his motorbike. I’m getting used to it now. And apparently, I’m improving as a pillion passenger. I miss you already though. Make sure you call me or message me as soon as Keanu Reeves proposes to you! Love you xx
Olivia smiled. Her friends had compared Brodie to the famous actor since they saw him at her mother’s funeral and didn’t recognise him. He had simply been a dark-haired, handsome and mysterious stranger then.
She fired a quick reply.
Hey my lovely. Missing you like mad. And well done on the motorbike. You’ll be getting your own next. Glad to hear Isla is settling in and making friends (wink emoji). Brodie is taking me out tonight to the Glenmoriston Town House, so you never know! I’ll keep you posted don’t worry. Love you too xx
She reached for her book from her nightstand and relaxed back into her pillows to read. But her peace was short-lived when there was a knock on her door. She sat upright.
‘Yes?’
The door opened a fraction. ‘Am I okay to come in for a minute?’ Kerr asked from behind it.
‘Yes, sure.’
He walked in, closely followed by Sir Lancelot, aka his permanent shadow, and sat on the edge of the bed. ‘I’ve found a meeting I can attend in Inverness. They deal with addictions and provide support for people like me.’ He fixed her with a determined gaze. ‘I’m ready to tackle this thing head on, Liv. I told you I was sincere, and I meant it. I haven’t touched alcohol since I came home.’
Olivia nodded, a little taken back by his raw honesty and willingness to change. ‘That’s… that’s amazing.’ She reached out and took his hand. ‘At the risk of sounding patronising, I’m proud of you, Kerr. And I think you’re doing the right thing.’
His eyes seemed to brighten, and he straightened his back. ‘That means a lot. Thanks, sis.’ He sat there with pursed lips as if he had more to say.
‘What is it?’ she asked.
‘I was going to say… I mean… although you’re probably busy…’
Olivia laughed. ‘Come on, spit it out.’
His cheeks coloured pink. ‘I know this is totally out of character for me… well, the old me anyway, but I wondered if you’d like to go out to dinner this evening? Just us two? I think we have a lot of catching up to do.’
Olivia’s heart sank. ‘Oh… that would’ve been lovely, but Brodie and I are already going out this evening.’
He nodded and held up his hands. ‘It was really short notice, don’t worry. Another time maybe?’
‘Absolutely. I’d really like that.’
He smiled again. ‘Great.’ He stood. ‘I’ll let you get back to your book. If I don’t see you before, have a lovely evening.’ He walked towards the door and paused when he reached it. ‘Hey, maybe he’s going to propose.’
Olivia felt her cheeks warming. ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’
‘Well, he should. You deserve to be happy.’ And with that he left.
Later on, Olivia sat at her dressing table applying her make-up as Brodie fastened his white shirt. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a tweed jacket too. His facial hair was neatly trimmed back, and his naturally wavy hair was freshly washed and sitting around his collar where it flicked out a little. She had told him that Kerr had found a support group.
‘He seems determined, I’ll give him that,’ he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed to watch her with fascination as she applied a sheer gloss to her lips. ‘Maybe he has changed.’
‘If he hasn’t, he’s putting on an Oscar-worthy performance. He asked me to go out with him tonight. Said we have a lot of catching up to do.’
Brodie stood and walked over to her. ‘Wow. I suppose he’s right. I mean you’ve never really had a traditional sibling relationship. I remember when we were kids, he used to be pretty aloof with you. Perhaps this could be the start of something good for the two of you.’ He rested his hands on her shoulders. ‘I’ll leave you to finish getting ready.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘You already look beautiful.’
She glanced down at her comfy old fluffy robe. ‘I can just go out like this if you prefer,’ she said with a giggle.
‘As cute as you look, I think I’d prefer you in that,’ he replied, pointing at the navy-blue lace-covered dress hanging on the closet door.
She rolled her eyes. ‘Okay, I suppose I’ll wear that instead then.’
He chuckled. ‘See you downstairs, Lady MacBain.’
Once he left, Olivia couldn’t help wondering if his use of her full name had been purposeful. A herd of elephants began to stampede around her insides, while simultaneously playing basketball with her heart, or so it seemed.
She pulled on the beautiful navy-blue dress with the lace across the décolleté that he had asked her to wear. It was one she had purchased in New York from a trendy boutique she and her American bestie Harper had found. It had reminded her of a scene from Pretty Woman where the staff were rude to Julia Roberts’s character as they too were eyed suspiciously by the glamorous assistant. She almost didn’t buy the dress and suffice to say they never returned.
As they headed for the boutique’s exit, Harper had announced with a sneer, ‘I think it’s great that you design for Nina Picarro and still choose to support these independent boutiques, Liv.’ The shop assistant’s eyes were suddenly like golf balls, and she followed them, effusing over how much the dress had suited Olivia and how she hoped they’d be back very soon. Funny how a change in status can influence people into being nice when human kindness costs nothing, Olivia had thought. She had only worn the dress on a handful of occasions, but it made her feel nice. It skimmed her curves and sat just below her knees at a demure length; not too dressed up to be formal but smart enough to look like she had made an effort for her man.
She stood before the full-length mirror to assess her finished appearance and glanced at the photo of her mother that was lodged into the frame there. The older she was getting, the more she could see of herself in that photograph. She reached out and touched it. In the picture, her mother was sitting on one of the benches in the castle grounds with a beaming smile on her face. It had been the height of summer around five years ago when Olivia had snapped the image and the sun highlighted her mother’s Titian hair, creating a sort of golden halo around her.
She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. She missed her mum so much that her heart ached. She closed her eyes for a moment when the stinging of threatened tears needled behind her eyes. She didn’t want to ruin her make-up. ‘Well, if he doesn’t propose to me tonight, Mum, there’s something seriously bloody wrong,’ she told the photo. She could imagine her mother’s reply. ‘It’ll happen, darling, give it time.’
She took a deep breath and grabbed her big, smart, warm black coat with the faux fur collar and flung it over her arm. She usually felt like the Michelin man when she put it on, but it was freezing out and she wasn’t prepared to suffer in the name of beauty. At twenty-nine, she was past that point of her life where a flimsy little top could miraculously fend off the winter chill.
As she descended the stairs, she was greeted by Kerr in the foyer. ‘Wow, you look beautiful, sis,’ he said with a genuine smile. She still couldn’t get used to him calling her sis so naturally as if it had always been that way.
‘Thank you,’ she replied with a smile. ‘Have you seen Brodie?’
He pointed towards the corridor. ‘I think he’s in the drawing room.’
‘Thanks.’ She walked along and opened the large oak door. Sure enough, Brodie was standing by the piano looking at her family photos. ‘We need to put one of us on there,’ she told him as she joined him.
He turned to face her. ‘That’d be great. Let’s do it soon. Perhaps we can get a photo of us this evening. Maybe Kerr will take one before we leave.’ He bent and kissed her cheek, and the deliciously familiar smell of his cologne infiltrated her senses. ‘You look stunning,’ he told her.
‘And you look so handsome,’ she replied.
There was a knock at the door, and it opened a crack. ‘Erm, sorry to interrupt… again… but your taxi’s here,’ Kerr said through the sliver of an opening, without entering the room.
‘Kerr, mate, could you take a photo of us before we go?’ Brodie asked, holding out his phone.
Kerr walked in smiling widely. ‘Sure. Absolutely. Why don’t you stand by the fireplace?’
Brodie held Olivia’s hand and they walked over to where the fire was roaring as usual. ‘Here?’ he asked.
Kerr took the phone. ‘Perfect. Say gorgonzola,’ he said with a grin.
‘Gorgonzola?’ Olivia asked with a scrunched nose.
Kerr shrugged. ‘Bit more interesting than just “cheese”.’
Brodie and Olivia looked at each other and laughed. ‘Aye, I suppose,’ Brodie said.
Kerr quickly snapped the photograph while the couple were smiling at each other. ‘That’s a really nice photo of the two of you,’ he said as he looked at the screen on the phone. ‘You look really happy. Here you go.’
Brodie took the handset and smiled. ‘You’re right. That’s really good. Cheers, Kerr.’
Olivia walked over and kissed Kerr on the cheek. ‘It’s lovely, thank you.’
Kerr’s face flushed and he cleared his throat. ‘Och, stop it, you two, my head’ll not fit through the door. Anyway, enjoy your evening, I’m going to take Lancey for a walk around the grounds.’ He scuttled off, clearly embarrassed and possibly a wee bit emotional too.
As they left the castle to climb into the waiting taxi, Olivia was thankful she had chosen the huge coat. The temperature was definitely in the minus figures and, even with the thick layer of wool between her and the evening air, she shivered as she sat in the back seat.
Brodie immediately took her gloved hands and rubbed them. ‘It’s bloody Baltic!’ he said with a shiver. ‘I’m really looking forward to this evening.’ He patted his breast pocket as if checking something was there and Olivia’s stomach flipped.
The journey into Inverness was punctuated by music from the local radio station. A string of old hits that Olivia hadn’t heard in ages wafted over the airwaves as she rested her head on Brodie’s shoulder.
Simply Red’s ‘Stars’ played, and she closed her eyes to absorb the beautiful lyrics which seemed very apt in that moment. She hadn’t been born when it originally came out, but she had heard and loved it plenty of times since.
Brodie rested his head on hers and squeezed her hand. ‘I love you,’ he whispered.
She lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. ‘I love you too.’
The taxi came to a halt outside the Glenmoriston Town House and Brodie paid the driver before getting out and walking around to open Olivia’s door.
