A Highland Family Affair (Highlands #3)

Chapter 20

20

There was a week to go until Olivia married the love of her life and her final wedding dress fitting had been completed by a seamstress in Inverness. It felt strange putting something such as this in someone else’s hands when she was so used to designing and making clothing for other people.

It was a sunny April Saturday morning and the flowers around the grounds were a riot of rainbow colours. The spring sunshine was uplifting and warmed her skin where it shone through the windows of the castle. Brodie had put on all his walking gear while Olivia dressed casually to go to the office and read through job applications for her PA position.

All. Over. Again.

This wasn’t what she wanted to be doing but how could she have allowed Charlotte to continue working at the castle knowing what she did now? In spite of the way things had panned out with Charlotte she had taken the decision to give her a couple of months pay in lieu of notice. After all, she had Will to think about too.

‘What’s the plan for today then?’ she asked Brodie as he clipped harnesses on to Wilf and Marley.

‘I think I’m going to map another of the tracks up Ben Blair for my new book. It’s a good clear day. Perfect for hiking. I think it might actually be the last one I need to do before I send the book off for editing. Are you sure you don’t mind looking after Sir Lancelot again? I’m just not sure how he’d cope with the trek. The other two are good off lead but he’s Kerr’s dog and he might not take to commands from me, so I’d rather not risk it.’

Olivia reached down and scratched the bearded collie’s head. ‘I don’t mind at all. We’ll be fine, won’t we, Lancey?’ She had grown very fond of the dog in the three weeks Kerr had been away on his course. He hadn’t left her side and was clearly taken with her too. ‘Kerr comes home today anyway. They got everything finished early with there being only a small number on the course.’

‘Great. Well, I shouldn’t be too late home. Aiming to be back by four at the latest.’ Olivia gave him a knowing look. Once he got out there, he usually lost track of time. He cringed. ‘Okay, definitely before the sun goes down anyway.’

‘That’s more like it. Be careful out there,’ she said as she tiptoed up to kiss him.

He reciprocated and said, ‘I always am, sweetheart. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

He headed down the stairs and out of the main entrance, dutifully followed by Marley and Wilf. Olivia followed but turned to walk to her office. Sir Lancelot plodded on behind her and took up his favourite spot by her feet as she sat at her desk.

After several hours of rifling through what felt like endless CVs, Mirren knocked on the door and walked in a few seconds later with a tray. ‘I’ve brought you some lunch, hen. Although it’s almost three. You’ve been in here hours without so much as a drink.’

‘Aww, thank you, Mirren. You do look after me. I must have lost track of time.’

‘Speaking of tracks, what time’s Brodie to return?’

‘He said around four-ish or definitely before sundown. I’d be more inclined to go with before sundown.’

‘So around seven then,’ she said with a roll of her eyes. ‘Grand. I’m making stovies for dinner.’

‘Lovely. Thanks, Mirren. Ooh, any sign of Kerr yet?’

‘Aye, he arrived back about half an hour ago and went straight up to drop his bag off. I expect he’ll be in to see the dug any minute.’

Olivia laughed. ‘Oh, yes, I expect he will.’

Right on cue, Kerr walked in behind Mirren. ‘Hey, sis. Where’s my Lancey?’

On hearing his master’s voice, Sir Lancelot scrambled out from under the desk and ran at Kerr, who had lowered himself to the ground and held out his arms, ready for the onslaught. The dog made excited, high-pitched yipping noises and his whole body wagged as he licked Kerr’s face.

Kerr howled with laughter as he tried to get the dog’s tongue out of his nostrils and ears. ‘Bleurgh! Hey, lad, have you missed me? Have you? Aww, I told you I’d come back.’

Olivia stood from her desk and rounded it to hug her brother. ‘How did it all go?’

Kerr hugged her back. ‘It was great. I learned so much and I feel really geared up now. Raring to go. I’ve got contacts now too in case I need any advice which is really helpful. I even bought myself a muckle chainsaw from one of the suppliers.’ Olivia noted how giddy he was about that fact.

‘Good grief, they let you loose with one of those?’

‘Hey, I’m a dab hand with it. You should see me.’ He laughed.

Olivia held him at arm’s length. ‘I’m so proud of you, you know,’ she told him, hoping he could see the sincerity in her eyes. ‘With everything that happened with Charlotte I was so scared, but you’ve done amazingly well.’

He smiled. ‘Yes, well, I couldn’t let myself relapse, Liv. I have a son to think about.’

Olivia never imagined those would be words that would come from her brother’s mouth, at least not in such bizarre circumstances, but she was so happy for him. ‘Have you heard from Charlotte at all?’

He nodded. ‘We’ve chatted while I was away. Not at first. I just couldn’t… But this last week we’ve made plans to tell Will who I am.’

‘And what about you and her? Your relationship?’

He shook his head and scowled. ‘Completely over. We’ve agreed to be civil for Will’s sake. Well… I have. She wanted us to carry on where we left off, but I said I can’t do that. Certainly not at the moment, anyway.’

Olivia pulled him into another hug. ‘As hard as that must have been, I think you’re right. A relationship has to be based on trust.’

‘Exactly.’ He shrugged. ‘Who knows, maybe I’ll meet someone else when the time’s right.’ There was a thoughtful pause before he continued, ‘To be honest, I think perhaps you were right about it being the wrong time for me with Charlotte anyway. I’m just sorry it resulted in you losing a member of staff. And a friend too.’

Olivia turned and pointed to her desk. ‘I’ve been looking through more CVs. I tried a different agency, and these applicants seem better quality. I’m quite hopeful.’

‘Well, I’m sure Brodie will give you a second opinion. Speaking of your intrepid author fiancé, where is he?’

‘He’s out mapping another trail on Ben Blair for his new book. He’s been gone a while, but he’ll be having too much fun to come home yet. He said he’ll be back before sundown.’

‘Ah, yes, the new book. Great idea and a definite great seller for the shop. Right, well, I’ll go take Lancey for a walk now I’m back. I’ve missed our walks, boy,’ he told the excited and happy canine. ‘See you later, Olivia.’ He gave her a warm smile and left the room.

Olivia made a shortlist of four candidates she wanted to interview for the role of PA as she ate the soup and home-made bread that Mirren had brought for her. After that, at around five in the afternoon she decided to finish for the day and take in some fresh air; something Brodie always insisted she should do after being in the office staring at a screen all day. She grabbed her jacket to take a walk in the grounds.

There was a burst of colour on the grassed areas now that the harebells had pushed through the soil. A sea of violet-blue carpeted the green and the little bells waved in the breeze. She remembered her dad had told her that, when he was a child, they used to call them Gowk’s Thummles , which translates as Cuckoo’s Thimbles , one of the many stories she loved that gave her a lasting connection with him now he was gone.

The oak trees were now dressed in lush, verdant lobes and for a moment she was taken back to the times she and Brodie used to play hide-and-seek out there as kids. She could almost hear their laughter echoing off the bark as she reminisced, and see images of them running around the fat trunks in circles, unsure of who was trying to catch whom.

As she walked, ominous grey rain clouds seemed to move in from nowhere and heavy, fat droplets began to hit, and then bounce back up from, the ground. She pulled her collar up and turned to hurriedly make her way back to the castle, the exterior stonework of which was darkening now with the deluge. She glanced at her watch. Five thirty. She had hoped Brodie would have returned by now, even though she knew deep down that he would be enjoying himself. He’d be soaked when he got back, and the poor dogs too. She figured he must have got carried away with his mapping and hoped he’d found somewhere to shelter until the rain passed.

Once back inside, she went to her room and grabbed a towel to dry her hair. She peered out of the window over the grounds for a few moments. The sky was dark, and the sun was hiding behind thick thunderclouds that loomed over the grounds, and she willed Brodie to walk up the driveway, but of course, he didn’t.

When she went back down to the kitchen, Mirren was in there, standing by the fire, warming her hands. ‘I’ve just made a pot of coffee, hen, you must be freezing. That rain came out of nowhere, didn’t it? I’m glad I brought the laundry in earlier, or I’d be rewashing the lot. Is Brodie drying off?’

Olivia frowned. ‘Brodie? Have you seen him? Is he back?’

Mirren shook her head. ‘Oh… No, I haven’t seen him, hen. I just presumed he must be back by now.’

Olivia chewed her lip nervously but reminded herself how well Brodie knew Ben Blair since he had been spending more time up there. ‘I’m sure he won’t be long.’

‘Bloody hell, where did that rain come from?’ a soaking wet Kerr said as he appeared in the kitchen doorway with an equally drenched Sir Lancelot. ‘I didn’t even take a coat and now look at me.’ He gestured to the clothes that were sticking to his frame like papier maché.

‘You’re dripping all over my clean floor!’ Mirren said as she walked towards him, gesturing her hands in a shooing motion for him to move. ‘Go get dried off. I’ve made coffee for when you come back down.’

Kerr grinned. ‘Any chance of a nice hot chocolate for your favourite bad apple?’

Mirren rolled her eyes. ‘There’s always one awkward so-and-so. Get on with you. I’ll make you a hot chocolate.’

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. ‘You’re the best, Mirry.’

‘Bleurgh! Away and get dry, you soggy lout!’ Mirren wiped at her now damp face with her hand.

Olivia looked on, amused at the scene before her. She poured a coffee and turned to peer out of the window, but the glass was blurred with the rain beating at it, all she could make out were the trees bending severely in the gusts of wind that had joined the storm. She sat at the table and dropped a text to Brodie in case he was back in a place where he could get signal; she knew it was sketchy up Ben Blair at the best of times but guessed it would be much worse during a storm of this magnitude.

There was no reply.

Dougie arrived at half past six. ‘It’s blowing an absolute hoolie out there, I was almost blown of my feet. I reckon there’s going to be more damage to contend with.’ He shook his head. ‘Are you still making stovies, love?’ he asked before kissing his wife on the forehead.

‘Aye. Have you heard from Brodie? We thought he’d be back by now but no sign.’

Dougie’s brow crumpled. ‘Brodie? No, why, where’s he gone?’

‘He went up to Ben Blair to carry on mapping out the last trail for his new book,’ Olivia told him. ‘Went this morning and said he’d be back by sundown at the latest.’

Dougie nodded thoughtfully and Olivia thought she saw concern in his wrinkled forehead. As if he realised what she was thinking, he brightened quickly. ‘Ah, right. He probably got caught in the downpour and holed up to take shelter. There’re a few caves up there so he’s probably waiting it out. He’ll be back afore ye know it, lassie. Dinnae fash.’ He patted her shoulder.

Olivia knew she was probably worrying over nothing but decided to keep herself occupied so went along to the drawing room with a book to sit by the fireplace.

She had been sitting for a while but had found herself reading the same page over and over, unable to concentrate. A churning in her gut told her something wasn’t right. She stared at the flames dancing around the logs and kindling in the grate and was only pulled back to reality when Kerr poked his head around the door. ‘Hey, sis, mind if we join you? Warmest room in the castle and all that.’

She smiled, happy that he seemed keen to spend time in her company lately. ‘Not at all. Come on in.’

Kerr and a rather fluffy, puffball version of Sir Lancelot walked over to the sofas. Kerr sat opposite her while Sir Lancelot curled up in front of the fire.

‘He looks full of static,’ Olivia said with a giggle at the dog, which seemed to have doubled in size.

‘Aye, I may have gone overboard rubbing him down with the towel, but I had to make sure he was completely dry; didn’t want to suffer the wrath of Mirren,’ he replied with wide eyes and a laugh. ‘No news from Brodie yet?’

Olivia shook her head. ‘Nothing. I’m getting worried now, Kerr. It’s almost eight o’clock. It’s dark enough thanks to the weather but the sun has already started going down. It’ll be totally dark soon.’

Kerr’s eyes filled with concern. ‘Let’s give it a little longer and if there’s still no word, I’ll go out looking. Dougie will no doubt come too. No point heading out if he’s just sheltering from the rain.’ As he finished speaking, there was loud crack of thunder and the lights flickered before extinguishing, leaving them with only the amber glow from the fireplace. A loud creaking noise followed and then a kind of thwump.

With a pounding heart, Olivia scrambled for her phone and switched on the torch. ‘Shit. This is one hell of a storm, Kerr. And Brodie’s still out there in it. We’ll have to do something.’

Kerr leaned forward so she could make out his features. ‘Hey, he’s an experienced hiker with all the right equipment and he knows that mountain like the back of his hand these days. He’ll be home, don’t worry.’

Mirren appeared at the door with a lit candle. ‘Bloody storms. There’s a damn tree down across the driveway. We’re blocked in.’

‘Blocked in? Oh, no!’ Olivia pulled herself to the edge of her seat and Sir Lancelot rushed to her side, resting his head on her lap.

‘Aye, Dougie was going to head out to search for Brodie, but I don’t know what he’ll do now.’ Worry etched lines on Mirren’s face. ‘I rang the power company from my mobile and they’ve said it could be a while before electricity’s restored. I don’t like the thought of Brodie trying to find his way home in the dark.’

Olivia’s heart palpitated; if Dougie was worried, that meant there was something to actually worry about. ‘What are we going to do?’ It was a rhetorical question but Kerr stood.

‘Mirren, tell Dougie to join me outside. Looks like my chainsaw is about to get some use.’

They all made their way to the foyer, where Dougie and Kerr pulled on coats and boots. Mirren tugged open the door and to their horror Marley was standing there, whining and shivering, soaked through to the skin and the lead still attached to his harness.

Olivia lurched at the dog. ‘Oh my God, Marley, are you okay? Come on in.’ She pulled the dog in by his harness, he was limping, and he collapsed to the floor. Mirren ran to the kitchen and returned with a huge towel and Olivia proceeded to rub the dog down to dry him off as much as she could. Her eyes stung with tears. ‘You poor love. What’s happened?’ She looked at his front paw and his pad was cut. ‘We’ll get that cleaned up for you, lad,’ she told him in a soft voice. She glanced up at the others. ‘Something must have happened to Brodie. There’s no way Marley would make his way back here alone if he didn’t have to. And Wilf must still be out there somewhere too.’

Another bright flash of lightning was accompanied simultaneously by a loud crack of thunder which caused Sir Lancelot to bark in panic and lurch behind Kerr’s legs.

‘Here, let me carry Marley to the drawing room and put him in front of the fire to get warm.’ Kerr scooped up the hefty dog and Olivia and Dougie followed him.

‘I’ll get some ointment and some warm water to bathe his paw,’ Mirren said as she headed for the kitchen once again. She returned quickly and crouched by the exhausted dog to attend to his injured paw by the light of the fire.

Kerr and Dougie disappeared out into the night and before too long the roar of the chainsaw could be heard. Olivia paced back and forth, checking her phone for signs of contact from Brodie, but still nothing.

Eventually Kerr and Dougie returned, both drenched and panting with exhaustion. ‘We’ve cleared a space through the middle to get the car through,’ Kerr told them. ‘We’re going to go look for Brodie.’

‘I have to come with you, Kerr,’ Olivia said, her heart gripped by panic. ‘I can’t stay here worrying. Mirren, would you stay here with the dogs? In case Wilf comes home?’

Mirren glanced up and nodded. ‘Of course… but please, please be careful and stick together.’

Thankfully Dougie didn’t argue with Olivia’s decision to accompany them. ‘Aye, we’ll stick together, love,’ he assured her. ‘Come on, lassie, get your waterproofs on, you’ll need them. Kerr, can you ring the polis and ask for Mountain Rescue, son?’ Kerr nodded and took out his phone to dial.

Back in the foyer, Olivia pulled on her large waterproof coat and old walking boots that had never let her down. Outside it was eerily dark without the illumination of the uplighters that usually shone on the stonework highlighting the dents and striations of the stonemason’s tools. As they reached Dougie’s old Land Rover Defender 110, parked just outside the front, Kerr made contact with the police.

‘They’re contacting Mountain Rescue now and a squad car is on its way to Ben Blair,’ he told them when the call had ended.