A Highland Family Affair (Highlands #3)

Chapter 27

27

The bishop welcomed everyone and then talked briefly about what it meant to commit yourself to one person for the rest of your life. Brodie, clearly undaunted, squeezed Olivia’s hand and she squeezed his in return.

‘Now, before we have the vows, ladies and gents, we have Olivia’s brother Kerr to read for us first and then Bella, one of Olivia’s closest friends.’

Kerr stood and walked over to take his position at the lectern, fidgeting with a folded piece of paper as his gaze darted nervously around the chapel. He glanced at Olivia and smiled warmly. ‘I know there will be many of you here today who are surprised to see me standing here. But all I can say is thanks to Olivia and Brodie, Dougie and Mirren, I’m learning to live right and to love again. And it’s an honour to be here to celebrate this special day. My reading is actually song lyrics that I chose because they feel very fitting. This is a Bob Dylan song called “Make You Feel My Love”.’

By the time Kerr’s reading was done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including Kerr’s. Olivia was overwhelmed at his beautiful choice of song and hearing it read as a poem gave the words a deeper meaning. Brodie squeezed Olivia’s hand again and she glanced sideways to see his eyes fixed on her.

Next was Bella’s turn. She took to the lectern and wiped her eyes. ‘Wow, how do I follow that?’ A rumble of chuckles traversed the chapel. ‘I think with a bit of humour, don’t you?’ Everyone mumbled their agreement. ‘My granny helped me to choose this, so I have to apologise because it’s a tiny bit rude. But you wouldn’t expect anything less from her, would you?’

‘All lies!’ Granny Isla shouted and everyone laughed again.

Bella continued, ‘This is a wonderfully funny poem by Bee Rawlinson, called “Love Me When I’m Old”.’

In complete contrast to Kerr’s reading, the damp eyes were for very different reasons this time as everyone howled with laughter.

When it was time for vows, the bishop addressed the congregation again. ‘Olivia and Brodie have penned a little something each to say to each other. But first I believe we have ring bearers?’ Olivia scrunched her brow. This was the first she’d heard of such a thing. Brodie grinned and turned so Olivia followed suit. A chorus of ‘Awwww’s travelled the church as Wilf and Marley trotted down the aisle, each holding a ribbon in their mouth that attached to a little velvet pouch between them, which Olivia guessed contained the rings. Not wanting to be left out, Sir Lancelot ambled along behind. Wilf stopped briefly to greet Uncle Innes with a wagging tail and a lick, making everyone laugh.

Innes placed the ribbon back in Wilf’s mouth. ‘Go on, lad, you’ve an important job to do.’ As if he completely understood, Wilf refocused and together with his older ‘brother’ he made his way towards Brodie.

‘Good boys,’ Olivia said as she bent to scratch each dog behind the ears. ‘That was brilliant,’ she told Brodie with a laugh. Sir Lancelot stopped and gave Olivia’s dress a good sniffing until Kerr had to shoo him back to his place, and everyone laughed at his unwillingness to move.

‘Well, that was unique,’ Bishop Latham said with a chuckle. He gave a single nod to Brodie who reached into his pocket to pull out a piece of paper.

He cleared his throat and began. ‘Olivia MacBain, my first clear memory of you is of a wild-haired wee girl chasing me around the grounds of Drumblair Castle with a black, shiny beetle in your hand shouting, “He’s really friendly, though, Brodie! Don’t be scared,” as I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. Any attempts to get my own back on you with worms were thwarted because you simply weren’t scared of anything. But one of my favourite memories of you was the time I came to visit my dad in the summer after I had left for Edinburgh with my mum, and I saw you dancing with your headphones in, your eyes were closed and your arms were waving around so freely, like you didn’t have a care in the world. You didn’t know I was watching you, but I remember thinking that I had never seen anything as beautiful in my whole life. And now you stand before me, the epitome of beauty in every possible way, and I have to pinch myself to know this is real. That you’re marrying me, the spotty, skinny, lanky lad I remember myself to be, and who called you names and thought that was the way to get you to like me.’

He chuckled but his chin trembled nonetheless.

‘The fact is, Olivia MacBain, my heart has been yours for so many years I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t. And knowing I get to share my life with you is the stuff dreams are made of. I love you and I’m so grateful that you chose me out of all the men on the planet to marry. I promise to be faithful to you, to listen to you and to love you with my whole heart until death parts us. And even then I’ll stick to these vows.’

Olivia wiped at her eyes and giggled. ‘Brodie MacLeod, we’ve been friends for so long that our relationship is built on the strongest foundations possible, like those of Drumblair Castle. And also like the castle, if tiny cracks appear it’ll still be a thing of beauty and will never be beyond repair. Even when we hit our rocky teenage years, you were the first person I wanted to tell when anything good, or bad, happened in my life. You left and I felt lost for a long time, never expecting to see you again. Then you returned and I was angry with you at first, but how could I stay angry when I’ve loved you from afar for so long? Finding out that you loved me too almost knocked me off my feet and I’ve been floating ever since. Thank you for being my rock, thank you for accompanying me on this crazy castle journey. And most of all, thank you for loving me. You truly are the love of my life. I promise to be faithful to you, to listen to you and to love you with my whole heart until death parts us.’

‘I now pronounce you husband and wife!’ Applause echoed around the chapel and Olivia and Brodie turned to find everyone up on their feet. ‘You may now kiss the bride,’ the bishop added.

Brodie didn’t need to be told twice. He hobbled forward, slipped his hand into her hair and kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. More applause ensued and the bishop led Brodie and Olivia over to a table that had been set aside where they each sat and signed the register while Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes’ played over the sound system and the photographer, a local man from Drumblair village, snapped shots of them.

Afterwards they left the church, and everyone cheered and followed them outside to throw rose-petal confetti over the happy couple. The photographer then arranged them into groups to take some serious and some candid shots of the wedding party.

Once back at the castle, the guests entered the long gallery that had been set up with tables covered in white linens, and gold-painted chairs. Vases of flowers in the colours of Olivia’s bouquet sat at the centre of each table and little wedding favours were positioned at every place setting. The portraits of Olivia’s ancestors oversaw proceedings from their ornate gilt frames. The sweet scent of the fresh flowers wafted through the air, and everyone seemed happy and relaxed.

Prior to the wedding breakfast, Olivia and Brodie visited as many tables as they could to chat to their friends and family, although it was slowly done with Brodie on his crutches.

‘Olivia, you look radiant,’ Granny Isla told her when they eventually reached the table where she sat with Harris, Ben and some other friends.

Olivia kissed both her cheeks. ‘Thank you, Isla. Bella tells me that you’ve found love too.’

Isla patted her purple hair and glanced sideways in the direction of her granddaughter on the top table. ‘Oh, has she now?’ She smiled brightly. ‘Well, aye, my Tam is a true gentleman. And vera handsome. He has all his own hair, you know, and his own teeth.’ She leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘Between you me and the gatepost, I think he’s going to propose any day now. Although I doubt we’ll get a fancy Catholic bishop to wed us, you lucky things.’

Brodie leaned forward. ‘Oh, no, Bishop Latham isn’t Catholic, Isla, he’s Episcopalian.’

Isla’s eyes widened and she gasped, placing a hand dramatically over her heart. ‘I know he’s not from around here, and that he’s drinking wine, but I’m not sure you should call him a pissed-up alien, Brodie MacLeod!’ she whispered loudly.

Brodie pulled his lips between his teeth and turned away, clearly trying to control his laughter.

‘Ep-is-co-palian, Isla!’ Harris said, smirking.

Isla laughed and slapped her thigh. ‘Oh… right… aye. Well, that would make much more sense!’

The waiting staff began to bring out plates of beautifully crafted food and Isla’s face lit up when hers was placed before her on the table. ‘Well, this looks lovely. And they say presentation is nine-tenths of the law, eh, Harris?’ She was certainly on top form.

Harris’s brows crumpled. ‘Actually, that’s possession , Isla.’

Isla’s expression changed to one of befuddlement. ‘Are you sure?’

Harris grinned at Olivia and then turned to Isla once more. ‘Pretty sure, Isla, I’m a police sergeant, remember? Although as an adage it’s not technically true.’

Isla appeared nonplussed and picked up her knife and fork. ‘Well, I think it looks lovely. I like a bit of horse cuisine.’

Olivia adored Isla and her malapropisms. Although she wouldn’t necessarily have called their menu haute cuisine. ‘We’ll get back to our table and let you eat,’ Olivia said, squeezing Isla’s arm.

The wedding breakfast ran smoothly, and a rumble of chatter and laughter echoed around the vast room. When it was time for the speeches, Dougie stood and clinked a spoon against his glass. ‘Ladies and gentlemen. First of all, I would like to thank you for being here to help celebrate the marriage of my son Brodie and the love of his life, Olivia. And don’t the bridesmaids look beautiful?’ A mumble of agreement and applause could be heard. ‘Oh, and apparently I’m to thank them for choosing dresses with pockets, Olivia had her hands full, so this has been a godsend.’ He grinned. ‘Apparently dresses with pockets are the next best thing to sliced bread.’

Laughter travelled the room as a couple of women shouted out their staunch agreement.

Dougie continued, ‘Now, I watched the friendship between Brodie and Olivia blossom from when they were wee kiddies, chasing each other around the grounds of the castle, as you heard earlier, planting trees together, building dens amongst the trees, and picnicking by the loch. It never mattered that Olivia was the daughter of a laird. Theirs was a special relationship that knew no status.’

A rumble of ‘aww’ travelled the room.

Dougie went on, ‘But then Brodie moved away with his mum, when she and I divorced, and he was so upset, although he wouldn’t admit it, of course. I never imagined their friendship would last. But I’ve since heard that my son was a bit of a ratbag before he left. By his own admission, he used to tease Olivia and call her names so it’s my guess that she was relieved when he went!’ Laughter ensued briefly. ‘But you know what they say about always hurting the one you love. And I know my son has loved Olivia since he could understand what love was. She has helped him through some tough times, and she has always been there for him. And for that I’m eternally grateful. I have long since considered Olivia as a daughter and now it’s official. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast. To the bride and groom!’

The guests called out in unison, ‘The bride and groom!’

‘Now, to finish off, I’d like to share a wee slide show I put together of the two of them. I think there are photos on here that neither will remember so it will be a trip down memory lane for them,’ Dougie said before pressing something on his phone.

The screen behind the top table came to life and to a soundtrack of ‘Friends Will be Friends’ by Queen, old photos of Olivia and Brodie as children began to play. Choruses of ‘Awww’ rang out again around the room as little scruffy-haired Brodie and ruddy-cheeked Olivia waved at the camera, faces covered in jam and clothes covered in mud. Olivia had to fight tears for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

When the slide show ended, Brodie stood. ‘Wow, I’m not sure I can top that, cheers, Dad,’ Brodie said with a roll of his eyes and a grin. ‘I’d like to echo everything that my dad said. The bridesmaids look stunning, as always, and I’m especially grateful to my brother-in-law for arranging for Harper to fly over from the USA instead of heading off to Barcelona. That was a brilliant surprise. Coming home to Drumblair Castle was a double-edged sword for me. We had just lost Lady Freya, one of the kindest, warmest people I’d ever known. But I always considered this place my home and I’ve always loved being here. I missed it terribly when I was away, mainly because my heart was always here,’ Brodie said with a glance down at Olivia. He cleared his throat. ‘Olivia, you’re my best friend, my rock, you ground me, you encourage me, but most of all, you love me, and I couldn’t ask for a greater gift in this life than to live it with you. Ladies and gents, to Olivia!’

Everyone joined in with the toast and stood to applaud the bride and groom.

Kerr, Innes, Dougie and Will cleared the chairs to the side of the room and the DJ Brodie had arranged attended his post and announced over the speakers, ‘Right, everyone, under normal circumstances it would be time for the bride and groom’s first dance! Obviously Brodie is on crutches so we’re skipping that and asking you all to get up here on the dance floor to dance to a very special song that means a lot to the happy couple. This is “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”!’

The dance floor filled up and even Brodie hobbled over to stand on one leg and bob up and down alongside his new wife until he couldn’t manage it any more. Olivia was exhausted but in the best possible way. She sat beside Brodie and held his hand.

He leaned closer. ‘I’m the luckiest man on the planet right now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful woman.’

‘That must make me the luckiest woman.’ She kissed him. ‘Your speech was lovely. And the slide show your dad made, wow.’ Olivia smiled as she looked around the long gallery at all the friends and family that had joined them to celebrate. ‘We’re pretty lucky, aren’t we?’

‘We really are.’

Brodie’s mother came over to where they were sitting. ‘Darlings!’ They both stood to hug her. Her shoulder-length grey hair was neatly styled, and she wore tortoiseshell glasses and a pale blue dress and jacket.

‘Hey, Mum. You look smashin’. Thanks for coming,’ Brodie said with a kiss to her cheek.

‘I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You both look so wonderful, and so happy.’

‘Thanks, Mrs MacLeod. It’s lovely to see you again,’ Olivia said, squeezing her hand.

‘Oh, my word, call me June, we’re family now.’

‘June it is. You do look lovely, Brodie’s right.’

June patted her hair. ‘Thank you, I tried my best to adhere to the colour scheme.’

‘That’s so sweet, thank you.’

‘Now, I know you’ve decided not to take time off for a honeymoon, and I totally understand with the castle business and all, but I wanted to give you this.’ She handed Brodie an envelope. ‘Every couple needs to have a wee romantic break.’

Brodie opened it eagerly. ‘What’s this, Mum?’ He took out a letter.

June held up a hand. ‘Now don’t get too excited, it’s nothing much, but I know you have friends on Skye and it’s where you got engaged so it’s a special place and I just thought it might be nice for you to have a couple of nights away. I’ve booked you a two-night break for June, so you remember who arranged it for you,’ she said with a giggle. ‘And I thought that would give you plenty of time to sort out the time off.’

‘Oh, June, that’s so kind of you!’ Olivia said, hugging her again.

‘It’s the least I could do. And it means Brodie’s leg should be healed so you can go hiking. I know how much you love your hiking, son.’

Brodie hugged her too. ‘I think that might be a bit ambitious, but we’ll see. Thanks, Mum, you’re a star.’

‘Brodie tells me you’re going to start designing again.’

Olivia nodded. ‘I am, he convinced me I should.’

‘He’s right, hen. It’s part of who you are. Send me photos, won’t you? I love to see what you’re doing.’

‘I will.’

June took Olivia’s hand. ‘I can’t tell you how happy I am that you two found each other again. That ex of his was evil. I’m just so glad she got what she deserved in the end. Right, I’m going to go and have a wee dance. Love you both.’

‘Love you, Mum.’