The Skye Collection, page 60
A few moments later, she descended the stairs and could hear chattering coming from the living room. She walked through the door and burst into tears as she was enveloped in a hug.
‘Mum! Dad! It’s so good to see you both!’
29
The day of the village hall opening arrived and when Ruby glanced out of the window, she could see there was lots of toing and froing down at the building. She watched a PA system arrive, she saw men walking into the hall with folding tables, chairs and flower arrangements. A flutter of nerves danced inside her and she tried to figure out if they were caused by excitement or worry over what could happen if the local press didn’t stick to their promise to make the day about the hall and not her.
Seeing her parents the night before had made everything feel good again, however, and she couldn’t wait to see them today too. She was gobsmacked to discover that Mitch had arranged it all. He had booked train tickets and had picked them up from the railway station without her knowledge. They were staying at the B&B and were getting on famously with Morag and Kenneth. She had sat up until the early hours catching up and just hugging them. Mitch had charmed them both, obviously, and later when her parents had gone back to the B&B, she’d pulled him to one side.
‘Thank you,’ she’d said with so much sincerity. ‘This was such a wonderful surprise and I’m so grateful.’
He’d nodded as his cheeks coloured pink. ‘Aye, well, I figured you might like to see them, and I knew it would be hard for you to go to them. It’s always good to have your family by you when you do something important.’
She’d hugged him. ‘You couldn’t have done anything more perfect.’ She’d kissed his cheek, and he’d leaned a little closer, his lips hovering close to hers. Her breathing rate had increased as did her heartbeat. This was it, he was going to kiss her.
‘Hi guys, just came to get a snack. Hope I’m not interrupting anything,’ Shelby had said in a bright sing-song voice, regardless of the hour.
Ruby had turned to see her standing there in skimpy shorts and vest pyjamas, her hair in a messy bun.
Mitch had stepped away from Ruby and cleared his throat. He clenched his jaw. ‘No, you weren’t.’
Ruby had seen a hint of a smile play on Shelby’s lips and knew immediately she had interrupted on purpose. So, this is how it’s going to be, she’d thought. She’d decided in that moment that she had been too lenient. Shelby clearly still had another agenda and it needed quashing.
The event was set to begin at 5 p.m. There would be the official opening ceremony, then food, music and drinks. Ruby was definitely looking forward to the latter and could only hope, at this stage, that the former was a success. The last thing she wanted to do was to bring negative press to such a peaceful place.
Down in the kitchen, she made herself a cup of tea and a slice of toast and took it through to the conservatory, where she had a view of the pretty garden. As she ate her breakfast, she thought back to the many film sets she had been on with the same kind of nervous tension tugging at her insides. She hadn’t been away from the industry for that long, but it already felt like another lifetime.
Valerie hadn’t been in touch since the conversation they’d had about Tyler’s engagement and Ruby had avoided the national tabloids, so was blissfully unaware of what was being said about her, if anything. She felt a little as if she had been set adrift somehow by the people she had once thought her life centred around. Yet here she was, in a place she had only just come to know, with people who were new to her, and she had felt more acceptance from them in her short stay than she ever had in the years she was involved in the movie business.
Having this time away to reflect upon her career was terrifying, however. Mostly because she hadn’t missed it at all. She hadn’t missed the days standing around on set waiting to be called, or the hours sitting in a chair being made up as people talked over her head. She hadn’t missed the repeated takes of scenes she felt had gone particularly well, only to be told she hadn’t got things quite right. She definitely hadn’t missed the nights she had spent alone in hotel rooms on location, afraid to leave in case she was mobbed by fans. None of it seemed to mean anything now and she wondered how she would ever return to the type of notoriety she had put up with over the past few years of her life.
Wandering around Glentorrin with Chewie had made her crave the simplicity of normality. Of owning a little house with friendly neighbours who she could call on for coffee and a chat. Local shops she could pop into without the fear of being photographed and commented about in the media for her shopping choices, or for doing ‘everyday’ things. Some of the newspaper articles that had been written about her over the years really hadn’t been newsworthy, in her opinion. On the rare occasions she had stepped out on her own, there had been photos of her, for example, eating takeout food accompanied with headlines like:
HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS RUBY LOCKE HITS FAST-FOOD JOINT AFTER WORKOUT.
Why did people need to know such mundane things about her? How was that in the slightest bit interesting? It baffled her. She was just a human being like every other person walking down the same street, eating a BLT, but the fact she did such things was apparently fascinating.
If she was materialistic, the money would have maybe been worth it. But she never had been. Any money she had earned had been donated to charity, given to her parents or invested for her future – she knew that at any moment she could be at the bottom of the pile for castings, so she was sensible enough to prepare for that.
Shelby arrived in the room and tore her from her reverie. ‘Hi, Ruby. Are you excited about the big day?’ she asked as if nothing untoward had happened between them.
‘Hi. I’m nervous, but that’s only natural.’
Shelby cocked her hip again and Ruby rolled her eyes, waiting for the barrage. ‘I still think it’s a bad idea, and it’s not too late to change your mind,’ she said with a smug smile.
Ruby sighed. ‘And if it all goes royally tits up, I’ll be sure to come straight to you so you can be the first to say I told you so. Okay?’
Shelby tilted and shook her head in a decidedly condescending manner. ‘I’m only looking out for you, Ruby. It’s my job.’
Ruby scoffed. ‘Your job? I thought we’d ascertained that you don’t even want your job and were only here for your audition?’
‘Look, I didn’t come here to argue. I came to offer my support. I can deal with the press if you prefer.’
Ruby scowled at her and the phrase ‘trust issues’ sprang to mind. ‘No, thank you. I’m capable of dealing with press. They’ve already been briefed. I expect that when Tuesday’s edition comes out, they will have stuck to their agreement.’
‘Let’s hope they do.’
Ruby’s stomach clenched and churned, and she stood. ‘I’m confident they will. Look, I think you should stop trying to do a job that you clearly don’t want. Just enjoy the last couple of days of being here on Skye and then we can part ways.’
Shelby’s cheek flushed. ‘Last couple of days? What do you mean? Are you sending me back? You’ve told Valerie, haven’t you? I knew you would.’
Ruby sighed. ‘I think it’s best that you should look at returning to the States. And I also think it would be a good idea for you to come clean to Valerie. I get the feeling she will find out soon enough, and it would be better if she heard it from you.’
Shelby pursed her lips and glared at Ruby for a moment before storming out of the room. Ruby was left hoping she had done the right thing; the thing she should have done when she first heard Shelby’s confession.
Ruby slipped into Caitlin’s beautiful Isle of Skye tartan dress and regarded herself in the full-length mirror. Her make-up was subtle, and the shoes Jules had given her were a perfect match. She had left her hair to hang in its natural curls down her back and had pinned it up with a pretty diamanté comb – supplied by Grace – at one side.
She took a deep breath and told her reflection, ‘You can do this. Just smile and be natural.’
As she made her way down the stairs, she realised that her housemates, with the exception of Shelby, and her parents were waiting for her in the hallway.
‘Well, look at you. You’re a wee smasher,’ Dougie said with a wink.
‘You look beautiful, love. I couldn’t be prouder,’ her dad said with a glint of emotion in his eyes.
Her mum clasped her hands together and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before saying, ‘Lovely, darling. Just lovely.’ Then she dabbed at her eyes with a hanky.
Mitch stood there, silently, with a small smile on his face that she thought expressed his opinion well enough. ‘Shall we go?’ he asked, gesturing to the door.
She nodded and inhaled a deep shaking breath as they left Glentorrin House.
Dougie walked ahead and Mitch, Ruby and her mum and dad followed. Her mum linked arms with her at one side and her dad on the other. It took a matter of a few minutes to arrive at the new hall. She could see people walking towards the building from all directions and her stomach did a little flip again.
Her mum turned to her and took hold of her hands. ‘We’ll get inside, lovey, you’ll be wonderful. Me and your dad are so proud of you for doing this under the circumstances.’
Both parents hugged her and kissed her cheek before leaving her with Mitch.
‘You’re shaking, are you cold?’ Mitch asked.
‘Nervous,’ she replied.
‘I didn’t say anything back at the house but… you look stunning. Every bit the movie star.’
For some reason, his mention of her status irked her a little, but nevertheless she thanked him.
They were greeted inside the hall by Morag, Kenneth and a few other members of the village co-operative. She lost count of the number of times she was thanked and told how honoured they were to have her there. A ribbon was being set up outside the building as they chatted and showed Ruby around the great new facility.
‘And this is the main hall,’ Morag said as they reached the final room of the tour. There were a couple of musicians setting up on the stage at the far end of the room and they smiled and waved at her. ‘We’re looking forward to having all sorts of events in here. I’m thinking exercise classes, ballroom dancing, tea dances, concerts. It’s going to be such an asset to the village,’ Morag’s enthusiasm was almost palpable as she proudly showed off the building she had helped to organise.
‘It’s fantastic, Morag. You should all be so proud of yourselves. What an achievement.’
Morag beamed. ‘Well, I hope that someday you’ll return and attend one of the events. You’re going to be part of the place forever now. We have a special place for a plaque and a photo.’
‘Right, ladies, we’re ready for you. Everyone’s back outside,’ Kenneth said from the doorway.
‘Ooh, you’re up, dearie,’ Morag said with an excited clap of her hands.
Ruby was led to the entrance of the hall, where a crowd of villagers had gathered in their finery ready for an evening of fun, food and entertainment. A rumble of oohs and aahs travelled the crowd when she made her appearance outside. She located her mum and dad and smiled brightly at them; pride emanated from them in waves of joy. Beside them stood Mitch, with his parents too. She hadn’t realised they would be there, but it delighted her to see them. There was no sign of Shelby.
She smiled nervously as Kenneth handed her a comedy-sized pair of giant scissors. He whispered, ‘I tried to get you some of those giant Elton John specs too but they were out of stock.’ He finished with a wink and Ruby burst out laughing.
‘Ladies and germs… Ooh sorry, I mean gentlemen, boys and girls,’ Kenneth called out to the crowd. ‘It’s my pleasure and the honour of the village co-operative to present to you our wonderful celebrity guest, Miss Ruby Locke!’
A raucous applause filled the air and Ruby waved her thanks, feeling rather like the Queen on tour.
She cleared her throat. ‘Thank you so much, everyone. It’s an honour to be here on this very special day. In my line of work, I have travelled to many different places and many different countries, and I have to say, Glentorrin, you have given me one of the warmest welcomes I have ever experienced.’
A cheer rang out, accompanied by more applause and whistles.
‘You’ve known I’ve been here, who I am and what I’ve been through recently, yet you’ve treated me like any other member of the community. I’ve had the freedom to walk around and breathe in the fresh Skye air, and to see the wonderful scenery that surrounds this magical place. There has been no negativity and no judgement, and from the bottom of my heart I thank you. It’s a true testament to the people living in and around this village. You are special, warm, wonderful people and I’m so very grateful to each and every one of you. You deserve a place to gather and share the love you have for one another. And this building is going to be that very special meeting place. And so, with no further ado, I declare the fantastic Glentorrin Village Hall… open!’
She sliced through the ribbon with the giant scissors and another huge cheer filled the air. The local press photographer clicked away, taking shot after shot of her, and the journalist accompanying him took copious notes. Relief flooded Ruby’s body at the reaction from the gathered crowd and she relaxed as people shook her hand, hugged and thanked her before entering the hall for the evening’s festivities.
30
Maggie, the journalist from the Skye Chronicle, smiled encouragingly as the photographer showed Ruby the shots he had taken of the ribbon cutting. Dougie stood close by at one side to vet the images. There was nothing gratuitous and everything seemed perfectly in order, much to Ruby’s relief.
‘So, Miss Locke, could I ask you a few questions for the article?’ Maggie asked.
Ruby nodded. ‘Of course.’
‘So, Miss Locke, did you have a village hall where you grew up? And if so, what memories do you recall of the events that took place there?’
‘We didn’t have a village hall close by to where I lived, but we had a working men’s club that was essentially the hub of our estate. I used to attend dance classes there, as well as the youth club and a biannual disco. I think facilities like these really do become the heart of a location. And I can definitely see this place as an asset for the community for generations to come.’
‘And what would you say is your favourite thing about Glentorrin’s new hall?’ Maggie tilted her head as she listened to Ruby’s reply.
‘I think the size of the main room is fab. I can imagine parties and gatherings galore happening in there. The stage means it will be great for the annual talent show that usually happens in a marquee, so I’m told. This will free up the marquee for other things. More stalls perhaps. But it opens up all manner of possibilities, from afterschool clubs to afternoon teas, and even tea dances.’
‘Do you dance, Miss Locke?’
Ruby felt herself light up. ‘As a matter of fact, I do. I absolutely love to dance. Ballet was always my favourite, but I’m so excited about the ceilidh this evening. Although that’s a type of dancing I’m not too familiar with, but I’m hoping I’ll find a willing tutor.’
Maggie laughed. ‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll get plenty of offers. And how are you finding life in Glentorrin?’
Ruby beamed and placed a hand over her heart. ‘Being completely honest, this is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. Not only is it absolutely stunning here, but the people are every bit as wonderful.’
‘Do you think it’s a place you will revisit once you leave the island?’
Ruby nodded emphatically, there was no question. ‘Oh, absolutely. If they’ll have me. I think this village will always have a special place in my heart now.’
‘That’s so lovely, I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying being here,’ Maggie said as she scribbled onto her pad. ‘Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?’
‘Just that I think it’s wonderful how the people of the village have pulled together to create such a brilliant facility that I know will be used for decades to come. Well done to all involved.’
‘Thank you so much, Miss Locke, it’s been a pleasure talking with you. I’ll let you get to the festivities and I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay on the island.’ Maggie shook her hand and the photographer followed suit.
Ruby shivered and rubbed her hands up and down her arms as Dougie held the door open for her. They walked inside and were greeted by Mitch, Jules, Reid, Mitch’s mum and dad and Ruby’s parents. She was hugged and complimented on how she good looked in the dress.
It appeared that Ruby’s parents had befriended Mitch’s and it warmed her heart to know they were being accepted just as she had been. They had only been in Glentorrin a matter of hours and already they had forged friendships.
A local band were performing on the stage to a group of teenagers who were watching like hawks from the front of the stage, singing along and bouncing up and down. She guessed they were a high-school band judging by their ages. The place was full; some people were enjoying the music, and some were chatting, but all were clearly happy.
‘How did it go?’ Mitch asked with a wide, handsome smile.
‘She did great. They loved her,’ Dougie replied before Ruby could even open her mouth.
Mitch grinned. ‘I knew you’d be okay.’
Why does his gaze make me shiver? ‘I’m relieved it’s done now. I can relax and enjoy myself.’
‘Aye, well, here’s a drink to warm you up. It’s a Skye single malt. Bloody lovely. Best whisky you’ll ever taste.’
‘I can attest to that, lass. It’s lovely,’ her dad said, raising his own glass of the amber liquid.
‘You won’t be having too many more, Roger,’ her mum said with a nudge to his arm, and he winked.
Ruby took the glass and sniffed the contents. ‘Oh, erm… I’m not really a whisky drinker.’ She cringed as the fumes hit the back of her throat.
