Chasing a Highland Dream, page 3
‘No, Granny, I mean they may share the name but they don’t know each other, not really.’
‘Well, he must have known him well enough to adopt the poor wee lad.’
‘No, Granny, I mean they aren’t connected at all. Well, apart from the fact Peter Capaldi appeared in one of Lewis’s music videos. Anyway, I can understand why you’d think they were.’
‘Oh… That’s made me a little bit sad.’
Bella felt guilty at bursting her granny’s invented bubble. But within moments she pulled the car to a stop in front of the stunning, vast stone structure of Drumblair Castle. The sun glinted off the small panes of glass in the windows and the cerulean-blue sky gave a contrasting backdrop to the picture-perfect image. Arriving at the castle never ceased to excite Bella. In fact, she couldn’t remember ever enjoying so-called work as much as she had when working on the apartments.
She gave a sigh but smiled. ‘Never mind, Granny, we’re here now. Come on.’
As Bella helped her granny and Beau out of the old car, she glanced up at the large double oak doors and saw Kerr walking towards them, as handsome as ever, in dark jeans and a chunky pale green Aran jumper. His hair looked damp as if he had recently showered and he was smiling and walking with purpose. Olivia had mentioned he’d been staying in his old bedroom for a few days; helping with sorting through some old belongings of his father’s to clear out some space for storage. Things seemed good between them and that made Bella happy.
Beau gave a low, rumbled growl and Isla scoffed. ‘Ugh, did you know Kermit was going to be here? He gives me the Bee Gees.’
Bella tried not to smirk as she pictured the dazzling-toothed trio. ‘I think you mean the heebie-jeebies. And yes, I had an inkling Kerr would be here and please don’t call him Kermit, especially not to his face.’
Isla shrugged like a sulking teenager. ‘It suits him, and he’s wearing green.’
‘Behave yourself,’ Bella insisted. ‘And remember what I said,’ she hissed as Kerr arrived beside the car.
He smiled at Bella, his eyes lingering a little long on her body. ‘Bella, you look lovely as ever,’ he said in a deep husky voice. ‘And Mrs Douglas, how lovely to see you.’ He bent in a condescending manner to address the elderly woman. ‘I understand you’ve come for a tour of the new apartments,’ he said in a loud, exaggerated voice.
Isla’s face crumpled in disgust. ‘I’m no’ deaf, you glaiket bampot.’ She shook her head rapidly, her nose turned up as if he was a bad smell she couldn’t get rid of.
Kerr raised his eyebrows but forced a smile and ignored her insult. ‘You must be so proud of what Bella has achieved. I’m sure you’ll love the décor,’ he said without lowering the volume of his voice. ‘And you’d better behave yourself, little dog,’ he said to the canine, who was still giving off come closer and I’ll bite your shins vibes.
‘Aye, well, I’m sure you’ve plenty to do so don’t let us hold you up,’ Isla said with a stony expression.
‘Granny, be nice,’ Bella whispered through a strained smile.
Isla didn’t let up. ‘I’m sure Gonzo and Fozzy are waiting for you,’ she chuntered, almost inaudibly.
‘Granny,’ Bella hissed, this time through clenched teeth.
Kerr stepped a little closer. ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Douglas,’ he said with a hand to his ear to exaggerate his point, ‘I didn’t quite hear you.’ His voice was still annoyingly loud as he tilted his head so his ear was closer to her.
Bella laughed nervously. ‘Oh, she said her ears have gone so fuzzy. I think I was playing Lewis Capaldi a bit too loud in the car. Come on, Granny.’ Bella took Isla’s arm and gave an apologetic smile to Kerr.
‘Oh, yes, I like Lewis Capaldi too,’ Kerr said.
‘We’d better get on. See you later,’ Bella told him with yet another apologetic smile. ‘Come on, Granny.’ She made no effort to hide her irritation at the badly behaved matriarch.
As they entered the first apartment, they were greeted by the pungent, yet not entirely unpleasant, smell of newly applied paint, and the rubber-like odour of freshly laid carpets. The furniture was all in place and the classic shapes and styles of the old renovated pieces Bella had selected from the attics complemented the colour scheme so well. In addition to the strange combination of smells, a vase of fragrant roses from the walled garden adorned the solid oak countertop in the kitchen; the first room on the right. Bella released Beau from his lead and he ran off to sniff and investigate.
They walked on through to the living room and Bella couldn’t help the flip of excitement in her stomach on seeing the beige fabric couches scattered with Drumblair Tartan cushions matching the sumptuous thick pile of the rug that covered the oak floor. The addition of new lighting created a bright and welcoming atmosphere.
Artwork from an Isle of Skye-based artist called Reid Mackinnon graced the walls and added a splash of contrasting colour to the room. Bella had ordered the paintings from a little gallery in a village called Glentorrin after seeing them in a TikTok video the artist had made. Some of the stone had been left exposed, harking to the heritage and origins of the stables. An old recess now served as a bookshelf, illuminated by downlights and embellished with tasteful pottery and old leather-bound books.
Isla gasped as she glanced around the rooms. ‘Arabella dearie, you’ve done a bonnie job, hen. I wouldnae mind living here mysel’. It all looks so expensive and very classy.’
Bella’s eyes welled as she hugged her granny. ‘Thanks, Granny. I’m so glad you like it. The others are similar but they all have their own individual touches, giving them their own personality.’
‘Well, I think you could give that flamboyant interior design chappy Lulu Lemon off the telly a run for his money, don’t you think so, Beau?’ Isla chuckled and the dog appeared from the direction of the bedrooms, wagging his tail, clearly in agreement. ‘All you need is a twiddly moustache and gaudy suit.’
Bella presumed she was referring to Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen as they had watched his makeover shows together many times. ‘Aww, thank you. But I think I’ll give the moustache a miss if you don’t mind.’
‘Hello, hello! Anyone home?’ Olivia’s voice called from the front door and as she walked into the living room, she enveloped them each in turn in a warm hug. ‘Isla, wow, you’re looking very glam. I’m loving the purple hair.’ She bent to give Beau a scratch behind the ears.
‘Och, thank you. You’re no’ looking so bad yoursel’, hen. I think you’re wearing castle life verra well.’ Bella noted the way her granny feigned poshness in front of the new Lady MacBain and tried not to giggle.
‘Thank you. I must admit I’m loving it now I’m getting the hang of everything. But I wouldn’t be where I was now if it wasn’t for your granddaughter. Bella has been a huge help to me.’
Isla smiled up at Bella. ‘Aye, she’s a good lass. We need to find her a man as good as yours now. I was trying to tell her earlier about a nice, handsome policeman I know but she won’t hear of it.’
Bella felt her cheeks heating. ‘I’m capable of finding my own man, Granny.’
Olivia gave a wink. ‘As far as I’m aware, you already have, haven’t you? Although you haven’t mentioned him in a while.’ Bella’s stomach lurched at the mention of her secret relationship and she felt her face flush. ‘Isla, you and I will have to meet up to have a chat so you can fill me in on the gossip,’ Olivia teased.
Isla opened her mouth to speak but Bella quickly interrupted, ‘Oh, no, actually that’s all over now. But enough about my love life. Yours is far nicer to talk about.’
‘It’s all over between you and the mystery man? Aww, I’m sorry,’ Olivia said with a pout.
‘Aye, it has been for a while. But I’m fine. Anyway, is Brodie around? I wanted to ask him how his book is going.’
Childhood friends Brodie and Olivia had connected again after a long time apart. He had been Olivia’s first love but she’d had no idea back then that he’d held the same feelings for her, mainly on account of the fact he had been rather mean to her before he moved away with his mother. An abusive relationship had left Brodie somewhat bruised both physically and emotionally, but thanks to Olivia he had found love again. Since their reconnection, Brodie had embarked upon a passion project and had been gathering information about Drumblair Castle, a place he had been familiar with and had loved since childhood, in order to write a book. The plan was to sell it in the castle gift shop when the place finally opened to the public in July. While she was working on the apartments, Bella had been reading pages of the book as it was being written and had learned all sorts of fascinating stuff about the castle and its legendary connections to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
‘He finished editing it!’ Olivia informed her excitedly. ‘It’s gone off to the printers.’
Bella was truly delighted. ‘That’s incredible. What an achievement. Let him know I want a signed copy.’
Olivia beamed with pride. ‘I think that can be arranged, seeing as you were his first reader.’
‘He should try to get it published instead of just printing it for the castle shop.’
Olivia nodded and held her hands out at her sides. ‘Yup. I’ve told him the same, but he insists no publisher would take it. Ooh, speaking of writers. I have news!’
Bella could see the excitement glinting in Olivia’s eyes and her interest was piqued. ‘Spill it, MacBain.’
‘Okay, so, we had an email yesterday from the agent of a writer who is looking for somewhere to stay while he completes his next crime thriller. A sort of writing retreat, if you will. I wasn’t expecting news to get around so fast, but she knows someone who lives in the area who told her about the castle and the renovations and she has asked if he can come and stay for a while. I’m not entirely sure how long, but isn’t it exciting?’
Bella widened her eyes. ‘Your first paying customer, that is exciting. And I love a crime thriller!’
Olivia grinned. ‘I know, I immediately thought of you when she told me what he was working on.’
‘Is it anyone I’ve heard of? Maybe I’ve read something of his.’
Olivia pursed her lips for a moment. ‘Sadly, no. Well, not that I’ve seen when I’ve Googled his name.’
Bella’s stomach set about fluttering with butterflies. ‘Which is?’
‘Aiden O’Dowd,’ Olivia said with a smile. ‘I’ve searched and searched but can’t find anything about him.’
Bella racked her brains but couldn’t place the name. She’d read hundreds of thrillers, and crime fiction stories, and felt sure she would know if she had read anything by him. ‘No, that doesn’t ring a bell with me. Maybe he’s quite new.’
Olivia shrugged. ‘I don’t think so. She said he’s been writing a while. It’s apparently set in a castle, so she thought it would be the perfect place for inspiration.’
Bella grinned. ‘Oh, well, another author for me to discover. When is he coming to stay?’
‘He’s moving in sometime around 23 July, I believe.’
Bella widened her eyes. ‘But that’s opening day for the castle! Talk about adding to the stress pile.’
Olivia shook her head. ‘It’ll be fine. We’ll have plenty of time to get everything put back to normal after the event. It’ll be easier now the fashion show will be my designs and I’m using local models.’
Bella noted a hint of sadness in Olivia’s eyes. She’d known how much the original fashion show idea had meant to her. ‘It’ll be amazing, you know,’ she said, hoping to reassure her.
Bella was already trying to picture the author from his name. ‘Aiden’ felt quite young, perhaps like the man who played Poldark in the remake. Although the photos of crime writers she’d actually seen didn’t fit that mould.
Olivia interrupted her thoughts. ‘Speaking of the corporate event, I’m afraid I’m going to need you to take on an extra task. Brodie wants to whisk me away for a few days and I tried to decline but… I can’t say no to him,’ she said dreamily. ‘Then when I get back I’ll need to knuckle down with my designs for the fashion show part of the event.’
Bella nodded. ‘Sure, boss. Let me know what you need me to do.’
Olivia beamed. ‘Thanks, honey. I’ll need you to handle the e-invites for local businesses and people who we think might benefit from knowing about the castle as a venue; local press, national press, magazines, etc. I really appreciate your help. I know you’ve had a lot on with the apartments and you could probably do with a rest. But they need to go out as soon as possible, really.’
Bella shook her head. ‘No, I’m all good. And I’m happy to help.’
‘Fantastic. Well, I’ll get the list over to you on Monday. In the meantime, I’ll leave you to show your lovely glamorous granny around the apartments. Enjoy, Isla! And pop up to the kitchen for a cuppa when you’re done. I’m sure Mirren will want to see you and wee Beau.’ She kissed Isla on both cheeks and left them to look around.
Once Olivia had left the room, Isla nudged Bella. ‘See, that’s what you need. Someone who won’t take no for an answer when he wants to sweep you off your feet. Not someone who wants you to be at his beck and call behind his other woman’s back when it suits him.’
Bella sighed as sadness washed over her. ‘I know, Granny. I’d love a relationship like theirs.’
As if feeling bad for ribbing her, Isla linked arms with her and tiptoed up to kiss her cheek. ‘Aye, well, you never know, hen, this fancy crime author chappy might be the one.’
Bella snorted. ‘Not likely. Most crime and thriller writers are older married men or middle-aged women. And I’m not into either.’
Isla raised her eyebrows. ‘You know that’s called stereotyping, don’t you? I didn’t think that was the kind of thing you young folks did. And anyway, you never know. There’s always an exception to the rule.’
Bella smiled. ‘We can all dream, I suppose. Now come on and let me show you the rest of the apartments.’
Once they were finished, they made their way up to the main floor of the castle to see Mirren, the housekeeper, and Marley the Labrador–German Shepherd cross. The huge fluffy cream dog stood and wandered over to greet Beau when they walked through the door, his tail wagging and his eyes bright.
‘Isla, how lovely to see you,’ Mirren said as she hugged the elderly lady.
‘Hello, Mirren, and hello, Marley. I’m sure you get bigger every time I see you, fella,’ Isla said as she scratched the friendly animal behind his ears.
‘Do you fancy a cuppa and a slice of wedding cake?’ Mirren asked, pointing to the teapot.
Isla chuckled. ‘Was your wedding cake the size of a heilan coo? It seems never-ending.’
Mirren laughed. ‘Aye, it turns out people prefer red velvet cake these days to the traditional fruit cake. Me and Dougie will be eating it into next year, I think!’
Isla smiled. ‘Well, I’m happy to help you get rid of it, it’s delicious.’
Mirren poured tea for the three of them and cut some hefty chunks of the moist fruitcake, placing it onto china plates. ‘So what do you think of the apartments? Your girl has done well, hasn’t she?’
Isla took a big bite and chewed while nodding in agreement. Eventually she replied, ‘Oh, they’re beautiful. I was saying she’s better than those fancy pants designers on the telly. They’re fit for kings and queens. Too posh to let out to just anyone, though. I’d hate to see them get the treatment you see on the Tick Tack Toe videos.’
Mirren scrunched her brow. ‘The what?’
Isla gestured as if typing on a phone. ‘You know, the Tick Tack Toe app. One of the staff at the day centre loaded it down onto my telephone. You watch videos on it; mostly of dogs doing silly things and people getting planked. Anyway, I saw some films of people who own those rental holiday places. Left in a right state they were. Trashed was the word they used.’
‘I think you mean TikTok, Granny, and people get pranked, not planked,’ Bella said with a giggle.
Isla turned to her. ‘Aye, that’s what a said.’
‘Oh, I don’t think we need worry about that,’ Mirren told her. ‘I think Lady Olivia has a mind to let them to people such as business folks and writers and the like.’
Isla crossed her arms under her bosom. ‘Aye, well, they can be as bad. And she won’t want to end up with squatters. Folks today think they can take whatever they like and hang the consequences. Do you know, I watched one of those Tick Tack videos and there were people in America running out of shops with arms full of stuff and not paying for a single thing? Because they know they can get away with it. It’s dreadful. They wouldnae have got away with it in my day. People respected the polis then.’
‘Och, I know, Isla,’ Mirren agreed. ‘Some folks these days think they’re above the law.’
Bella sat silently watching the two women putting the world to rights while stroking Marley’s back. ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she told them and stood to leave the room.
As she left the bathroom a few moments later, Kerr approached her in the hallway. ‘Hey, have you got a minute?’ he asked as he twisted his hands in front of him.
Bella scrunched her face and glanced in the direction of the kitchen, worried about who would see them talking. Seeing the coast was clear, she returned her attention to him. ‘Sure, what’s up?’
‘I’ve been thinking about my relationship with Olivia and… I think you may be able to help me get to a better place with my sister.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘How so?’
He inhaled deeply and blew the air back out. ‘Okay, so I know Olivia has asked you to deal with the event invites. And I was thinking I could help.’
‘Oh…’ She shook her head and tried to find a way to let him down gently. ‘I don’t think Liv would go for it, Kerr, she asked me to do it as part of my role as her PA.’
He ran his hands through his hair and hung his head. ‘I know you think I’m a joke, Bella. Most people do. But I want to help. In spite of what people think, I’m great at organising and I know all the right people to invite. I really think I could be useful.’
