A Highland Family Affair (Highlands #3)

Chapter 13

13

Once in the car again, the scenery on the journey north towards Portree was as stunning as Reid Mackinnon’s paintings and Olivia could see why he found it so inspiring. Purple, grey and green-tinted mountains sat in the distance wearing snowy caps like the froth on a cappuccino. Bare-branched trees stood sentry as they travelled, taking in the breathtaking views surrounding them.

Eventually they arrived at Portree and Brodie pulled the car down the hill towards the harbour depicted in the painting they had just bought.

‘Oh, my goodness, Brodie, look at this place. It’s just as pretty in real life.’

‘Aye, it is. Anyway, come on, let’s get out and get some photos before we head back. The sun’ll be setting soon.’

She climbed out of the car and inhaled the fresh, salty air. The sky overhead had changed to a dusky pink and purple, but the temperature didn’t match its deceptively warm appearance. She shivered and turned to take in the rainbow-hued buildings lit by the golden glow of the late afternoon sun. There was a seafood restaurant, a ticket office for boat tours, a hotel and some quaint little gift shops, each painted a different colour.

When she turned to face Brodie, he was holding one of the wrapped canvases. ‘Why have you brought that out? There’s nowhere to hang it here,’ she teased.

‘Seeing as the breeze has dropped a bit, I thought you might like to open your surprise,’ he said with a shrug. ‘Here seems like the perfect spot.’ There were only a few people around and they were going about their own business, so she figured why not.

‘Okay, if you’re sure you wouldn’t rather wait until we get back to the guest house?’

He shook his head and smiled. ‘Nah, here’s good.’ He rested the package on the harbour wall, and she took it from him. ‘Go ahead. I want to see your face.’

With bubbles of excitement vibrating inside of her, she carefully unstuck the tape holding down the paper. As she lowered the covering, she gasped and lifted one hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, Brodie,’ she said as tears spilled over from her eyes.

Before her on the canvas was Drumblair Castle as a stunning backdrop to the painting, perfectly captured as if the artist had visited regularly, but it was what, or rather who , was in the foreground that stirred up her emotions. Standing in front of the castle was Olivia, in a stunning long white lace wedding gown, just like her mother’s, that in itself was enough to make her cry, but she was flanked on either side by her parents. She missed them both so much it made her heart ache and what she saw before her was a scene she knew she would never get to experience in reality, yet Brodie had created it for her. Her father was wearing a kilt in MacBain tartan and her mother was wearing her favourite pale blue dress, both parents beaming proudly and appearing just as she remembered them. Reid had captured their features so perfectly it could have almost been a photograph.

As she sobbed at the thoughtful gift, Brodie, behind her, said, ‘I know how much it hurts that your mum and dad won’t be at your wedding. And I know how much you would have loved to see their faces when you came down the stairs in the castle wearing your mum’s dress. So, I thought I would have Reid create a memory for you so you can imagine them being there when we get married next year.’

She gasped and turned to face him, finding he was down on one knee, smiling up at her and holding aloft a small blue velvet hinged box, his eyes glistening with emotion too.

‘Olivia MacBain, you are the real love of my life. The only woman I want to spend each and every possible moment with. I’ve loved you since I was a stupid teenage boy who didn’t know how to handle his feelings. But now I know what I want for the rest of my life. And that’s to be with you. Will you do me the honour of marrying me?’

With shaking hands, Olivia carefully placed down the precious canvas on top of its wrapping, and walked over to where he was. She too crouched and cupped his face in her hands. ‘Of course I will,’ she said in a half-laugh, half-sob. He stood and pulled her to her feet so he could kiss her as a ripple of applause could be heard behind them. It appeared they had attracted quite a crowd.

He took out the familiar-looking sparkling diamond ring from its box, removed the ribbon that had been tied around her finger for almost a year and slipped the diamond band into its rightful place. Another rumble of applause could be heard as well as phone cameras snapping away.

The couple turned to face their audience and Brodie simply said, ‘We’re engaged!’ at which point another, even louder applause occurred along with cheers and whistles.

A man who had been standing in the doorway of the restaurant, surrounded by waiting staff, approached them. ‘Congratulations, both of you. From all of us with our best wishes.’ He handed over a bottle of chilled champagne and the men and women standing by the restaurant applauded once more.

Later that evening, as they lay in bed, both floating in a rapturous bubble somewhere out by cloud nine, Olivia turned to face Brodie.

‘You planned it all, didn’t you? You proposed to me at the place that’s depicted in the painting I chose.’

He tenderly stroked her cheek. ‘It didn’t matter which painting you chose from Reid’s gallery; we were going to whatever that location was and I was going to propose there. So you’d have a memory of where our engagement happened and a place we could return to, to celebrate.’

‘But what if I’d chosen something that depicted London or something like that? Wouldn’t it have ruined your plan?’

He smiled and his eyes twinkled in the lamplight. ‘Ah, but you wouldn’t have been able to.’

‘What do you mean? He doesn’t just paint locations on Skye. I’ve seen his website.’

‘I’ve been speaking to Reid for weeks. All those times I ducked off to do… whatever I said I was doing, I was making a plan. He knew what date we were coming, and he knew to only have his paintings of Skye on display.’

Olivia gasped. ‘Wow, you did all that for me?’

He moved so that he was propped on his elbow gazing down at her. ‘Olivia, I would do anything for you. I hope you know that. And now we have our special place, our “Somewhere Only We Know”. Even though technically loads of others know it, we know it for our very own, very personal reasons. No one can take that away from us.’

She smiled up at him, wondering how on earth she had got so darn lucky.

Realising she had looked at the stunning ring on her finger but hadn’t really examined it, she held up her hand and let it twinkle in the light of the bedside lamp. ‘This is absolutely beautiful, Brodie.’ It was a 1920s square-cut diamond and marcasite ring that somehow looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. ‘I feel like I’ve seen it before…’

‘It was your grandmother’s,’ Brodie told her, taking her hand to examine the ring. ‘The one you were named after. Innes gave me it under strict instructions that your grandmother had insisted you wore this when you were betrothed .’ He chuckled. ‘Your grandmother’s words, via your uncle.’

Olivia’s heart skipped as she remembered. ‘Yes! That’s where I’ve seen it! She’s wearing it in her portrait back at the castle! It’s absolutely perfect.’

‘I think it makes things extra special, don’t you? Now you just need to locate your mum’s dress in the attic and see if it fits.’

Olivia gasped. ‘But the painting you commissioned. You’re not supposed to see me in the dress before the big day.’

He pulled her to him. ‘It’s a painting, I don’t think it counts. Now, changing the subject not so subtly, what did you think about Ruby’s ideas for the castle as a film set?’

‘Honestly? I’m concerned there would be a lot of upheaval. We already have the public roaming our garden and house. But a film crew…’

‘Think of it, though, Liv, the money could go towards some more ventures for the castle. The barn renovations for your studio, maybe?’

He had a good point. ‘I think we should listen to what they have to say when they get in touch… if they get in touch. Drumblair might not even be what they’re looking for. I suppose we’ll need to wait and see.’

‘Well, I’m glad you’re thinking about it at least. But ultimately it’s your decision and I’ll support you, whichever way you choose to go. Now come here and kiss me, fiancée.’ He pulled her body beneath him, sending shocks of desire through her veins and a flutter of excitement, knowing this was the start of the next phase of their future together.

The following morning, Olivia awoke to sunlight streaming in through the windows where the curtains had been opened. She turned to find Brodie gazing down at her, his head propped on his hand.

‘At last. Good morning, beautiful,’ he said with a kiss to her forehead. ‘I selfishly opened the curtains, hoping you’d wake up.’

‘Good morning, handsome. Did you sleep well?’

He smiled. ‘I haven’t slept that well in a very long time. I think the adrenaline of planning all this has kept me from sleeping properly until now.’

She reached up to touch his face. ‘Well, hopefully you can rest easy from now on.’

Brodie slipped his arm across her waist and pulled her towards him. ‘I bet you thought I was never going to ask, didn’t you?’

She snuggled back into his arms. ‘I knew you would, but I didn’t want to pressure you after everything you went through with Mags. It had to be the right time for you. But I have to admit I’m eager to be your wife.’

He turned her around to face him. ‘I’m eager to marry you too. We’d better get planning. I’m thinking a spring wedding would be perfect, how about you?’

‘That does sound rather wonderful, although it doesn’t give us lots of time.’

He grinned. ‘Oh, no, if only we had the perfect wedding venue at home…’

Olivia’s smiled disappeared. ‘We do, but it’s probably not going to be that simple.’

Brodie nodded. ‘Yes, I get that. After chatting things through with Innes, I know that we’ll have to do the official thing at the cathedral. And that’s fine.’

Olivia’s heart sank. ‘That’s just it, though, I’d rather not have to do the whole official thing. Your dad and Mirren had the perfect wedding, in my opinion. Close friends and family at the chapel by the loch. I’d love that for us too. I hate being the centre of attention and to be perfectly honest I can’t think of anything worse than a cathedral full of dignitaries I don’t really know.’

He rested his forehead on hers. ‘I know, Liv. But your mum and dad did both so we can too.’

‘I know we can , but I’d rather elope. Why don’t we just head to Gretna Green and keep it all a secret until it’s done?’ Her heart skipped at the thought of rebelling against her noble upbringing.

Brodie sighed. ‘As wonderful as that thought is, you know we can’t do that. Not really. Imagine what Dad, Mirren and Kerr would say, never mind Skye and Bella. And honestly, as long as I’m committing myself to you, the whole world could be present, and I wouldn’t notice. All my attention would be right where it was supposed to be, and that’s on you.’

She gazed up into his eyes. ‘How did I get so lucky?’

He smiled tenderly and kissed her. ‘I think I’m the lucky one. How about hen parties and such? What would you like to do?’

‘I know what I don’t want to do and that’s go drinking and clubbing and watching strippers. It’s just not me. Something peaceful would be good. No idea what. Although I don’t fancy a swanky hotel thing either. I’d like something a little different. Are you sure you want to marry someone who’s this picky over her hen do?’ She giggled.

‘The fact that you’re not interested in watching other men get naked makes me want to marry you even more,’ he said with a laugh.

‘What about you? What kind of thing would you like?’ she asked.

He pondered for a moment. ‘I think I’d like to go see a band with my dad and a couple of mates. Nothing fancy.’ She pulled his face down to kiss him and he smiled. ‘Now what do you say we get dressed and video-call Dad and Mirren to tell them our news?’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘You mean to tell me they’re not completely aware of what’s going on here?’

Brodie’s face flushed pink. ‘Ahem… okay, busted. Why don’t we video-call them anyway and tell them it’s all gone according to plan?’

She giggled. ‘That’s more like it.’

Mirren and Dougie were, of course, over the moon. Mirren dabbed at her eyes and her husband beamed with pride.

‘Congratulations to you both. I always wondered when you were wee if you’d end up together,’ Dougie said with a wide smile. ‘You were always such good friends and that’s how the best relationships start.’ He glanced at his wife.

Mirren kissed his cheek before turning her attention back to the camera. ‘Hang on a second, let me grab Kerr, he’s just getting ready to head to the nursery.’ She disappeared for a moment and returned with Olivia’s brother.

‘Hey, Kerr! We’re engaged!’ Olivia said, waving her hand at the screen.

Kerr smiled widely, although Olivia thought she saw a tinge of sadness in his eyes. ‘Aw, congratulations, Liv, and Brodie too. You’d better look after my little sister,’ he said, wagging a finger at the camera.

‘I can guarantee that, Kerr. You’ve nothing to worry about on that score,’ Brodie replied with his gaze fixed on Olivia.

‘I’m really happy for you. Truly,’ Kerr said. ‘I’d better go and take a shower, though; although not sure there’s much point seeing as I have a day of mud ahead… lots of mud. I’ll see you when you get back.’

‘Bye, Kerr.’ Olivia and Brodie waved before he walked away.

Mirren moved herself in front of the camera again. ‘I don’t know if you’ve thought about a dress yet, hen, but I could help you sort your mum’s dress, get it cleaned and the like. I know she would’ve loved to have seen you in it.’ Her voice wavered as she spoke.

Olivia’s throat tightened. She had adored looking through her parents’ wedding album and always loved her mother’s wedding dress with its simple elegance. As a young girl, she had dreamed of wearing it for her own ceremony and after seeing the depiction of her in the dress in the painting Brodie had commissioned it made her even more keen. She cleared her throat and tried to compose herself before replying. ‘That sounds like a wonderful idea. I’d love that. Thank you so much.’

Mirren beamed. ‘Wonderful. I wasn’t sure if Nina might be making a dress for you so I didnae want to presume. I’m so glad you like the idea.’ She dabbed at more escaped tears. ‘Och, look at me! I’m a gibbering wreck and it’s only the engagement. What am I going to be like on your wedding day?’

Olivia laughed and wiped at her own damp eyes. ‘I think we’ll both be the same.’

Brodie laughed as he too sniffled. ‘That might be three of us then.’