Christmas at a Highland Castle

Epilogue

Dee hadn’t told anyone she intended to catch an earlier flight back from Reykjavík – Iceland had been as magnificent as she’d always thought it might be, even though her trip itinerary had been forced to alter, to fit around some unexpected volcanic activity.

Regardless of the pleasure she’d found from visiting parts of Europe she’d always dreamed of seeing for herself, the desire to return to Kirkshield had become strong enough to outweigh all else.

She’d only been gone a matter of weeks, and yet she felt renewed. Dee was returning to familiarity, but with a fresh perspective. And there was only one possible candidate for her first port of call on her return. Dumping her luggage in the front porch of Kirkshield Castle, she didn’t go in, but instead skirted her way around the outside of the building, taking the flagstone pathway flanked by box hedging which led to the yard, across which stood Robbie’s cottage.

Dee tried for stealth as she approached the garden but, with the spaniels’ excellent hearing, they were greeting her arrival loudly and with gusto before she’d even unlatched the gate. She’d barely managed to rap on the door before Robbie pulled it open. His expression of surprise matched her sense of excitement, his eyebrows arching as his gaze flowed across her like the soft, warm rays of a June sun.

‘You’re back already?’ he said, pulling wide the door and ushering her inside. ‘I thought you were in Iceland until the weekend.’

‘I was supposed to be. But …’ Dee smiled, words seeming totally inadequate as she caught sight of her postcards, held higgledy-piggledy on his fridge door by a series of magnets. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her tightly against his lithe frame. ‘I didn’t want to be there any longer. I wanted to be here. With you.’

‘They’ve arranged a welcome-home party for you, for Sunday,’ he said, his breath warm against the side of her face as he stifled a laugh. ‘Maybe you’d better hide out here with me until then.’

Dee pulled away from him far enough to hold his gaze. ‘Number one – I’m not hiding anything ever again, especially not you. And number two—’ She paused. ‘Actually, never mind where I left my luggage. I was thinking I should make sure it’s taken inside before it gets damp, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt for an hour or two …’

Robbie’s eyebrows arched again, a delicious smile crossing his features as she slid a hand up to touch the beginnings of the scratchy stubble on his jaw-line.

‘Won’t they wonder where you are, if they find your luggage abandoned at the castle?’ he asked.

‘I don’t think it will take a genius to work out where I’ve gone, do you?’ she replied.

His smile intensified, as did his hold on her. ‘No. Mebbe not. I’m so pleased to see you, Dee.’

‘Me too. I needed to go, Robbie. I needed to be sure about what I was feeling.’

‘And are you sure now?’

‘I didn’t think it was possible.’

‘What?’

‘To fall more in love with you, when you weren’t even there. But that’s what happened. And I couldn’t wait to get home.’

‘Home?’ He glanced around the confines of the cottage kitchen.

‘Home. If you’ll have me.’

‘Aye, I guess I could do worse,’ he said, the twinkle back in his smile as she made to protest at his pretend slur. Instead, his lips found hers and she closed her eyes, reacquainting herself with his touch, his warmth and his scent while her body reacquainted itself with his.

‘Is it too pedestrian, having Sunday lunch as a welcome-home party?’ Sebastian said, as he peeled another carrot. He flicked his cuff to check his watch. It was crazy to think he was nervous about seeing his own mother.

‘Too late to worry about that now,’ Jess replied, grabbing a cloth as she recoiled from the wave of heat coming from the opened Aga door, then tugging at the tray to check the joint of beef inside. ‘I don’t think your mother’s primary concern is the type of party, it’s more about the welcome. Don’t you think?’

‘Although this must be the longest welcome home ever – she’s been back for nearly a week.’

Not that his mother had spent much of her time at the castle since her return. Nothing had been said, but she’d gently sloughed off her rooms in the castle in favour of Robbie’s cottage. In favour of Robbie. And there was no way Sebastian wasn’t anything other than delighted for her. He’d always rated Robbie – admittedly for his work on the estate rather than the way he cared for Dee – but he was proving himself equally proficient at both. And it was way overdue for his mother to enjoy some happiness.

‘I’ll set the table,’ Jess said, pulling cutlery from a drawer.

‘Careful,’ Sebastian said. ‘Let’s not ruin a perfectly good meal by covering it in your arterial blood.’

Olivia breezed into the room, a magazine dangling from one hand. ‘Need any help?’ she said.

Sebastian was about to suggest she could open the wine, when she slid into one of the kitchen chairs, flipping open the pages of her magazine afresh.

‘No, Olivia. We’re absolutely fine. Why on earth would we need you to do anything?’

‘I’ve booked up three film shoots for next month, Sebastian, and Guy wants to use the interior for his next Netflix series – I’ve been doing plenty, thank you very much. No, I was thinking maybe something like this would be nice.’ She flapped the magazine around so Jess could see the picture of a wedding outfit. ‘What do you think?’

‘For you or Candida?’ Jess asked, as she began to distribute cutlery around the kitchen table.

‘Or are the pair of you going to have matching outfits?’ Sebastian said, stifling a laugh at the idea.

‘Ha ha, very funny. No. For me. Or is it a bit …’

A sharp rapping at the scullery door caught everyone’s attention. Jess went to open the door, to find the Keels on the doorstep.

‘Come on in – we’re completely disorganised, I’m afraid,’ Jess said, leading them into the kitchen.

‘I brought treacle tart,’ Dorathy Keel said, passing Jess the dish. ‘Homemade. One of Robert’s favourites.’

‘Thank you. That looks delicious. Is it better hot or cold?’ Jess asked.

‘It’s no bother. Either way will be fine.’

Sebastian set down his carrot peeler and wiped his hands on his jeans. ‘Can I get you some drinks?’

Candida wafted into the room. ‘A drink sounds perfect, thanks, Seb.’

‘Only if you finish chopping these carrots,’ he countered.

Dorathy looked around the room. ‘Well, this is lovely. A proper family lunch. We’re so pleased to have been invited, aren’t we, Rory?’

‘Aye.’

‘My husband is a man of few words,’ Dorathy announced to the room at large.

‘Can I get you a glass of something?’ Sebastian asked. ‘Maybe some white wine?’

‘Aye.’

‘That would be lovely, yes, please,’ Dorathy added.

By the time lunch was cooked and everything was ready, the only people missing were the guests of honour: his mother and Robbie. Sebastian stuck his head out of the scullery door, wondering if he might see them approaching up the flagstone path, but could see no sign. He checked his watch again, beginning to fidget. He turned to Jess.

‘Should I phone her, do you think? Check everything’s OK?’

Jess laid a hand on his sleeve, instantly steadying his whirling thoughts. ‘They’ll be here, don’t worry. Everything’s in hand.’ Then she grinned at him, caught the edge of her bottom lip as she studied his expression, and her double entendre dawned on him.

He shook his head as he laughed. ‘You are impossible,’ he said.

‘Aren’t I though.’

Jess’s phone rang, and she ducked out to take the call – it’s Vivi , she’d mouthed to Sebastian on her way past.

‘Send her my love,’ he said.

‘Will do.’

Vivi was due back in the Highlands shortly. For now, she was splitting her time between the south of England and Scotland, but Sebastian hoped she too would make the decision to move north soon. She, and Digby-Dog, would be more than welcome to join them at Kirkshield. Although Sebastian wouldn’t be completely surprised if Vivi ended up in Kincloud – a small town thirty miles to the east, where Desmond Drummond lived.

And then the scullery door was opening, and the group was complete. Sebastian didn’t think he’d ever seen his mother looking as relaxed, as radiant, as happy as she did when she walked through that door. Behind her stood Robbie, his expression difficult to read. Nervous, perhaps, like Sebastian was.

He and Jess had talked about how to navigate this moment, how best to make Robbie feel at ease, and his mother for that matter. In the end, though, there had been no need for any planning. It seemed nothing other than natural to take a firm hold of Robbie’s hand, shaking it and welcoming him into the castle. Jess and Sebastian’s mother were hugging, and then Robbie and Rory Keel were embracing, with plenty of loud backslaps for good measure.

Robbie’s expression eased, and he threaded his fingers between Dee’s, holding her hand tightly as he thanked them for such a warm welcome. Dorathy Keel asked Jess for a tissue with which she could wipe her eyes, and Olivia suggested – rather loudly – that top-ups were required, and that someone was slacking in his role of host.

For his part, Sebastian reached for Jess’s hand and, for a few moments, everything was forgotten as he fixed his gaze on her, on the dancing light in her eyes and the warmth in her smile, and then his gaze spread outwards, to the joy held in that room. And with Jess by his side, Sebastian finally felt at home in Kirkshield Castle.

Did your heart burst once Jess and Sebastian finally overcame their insecurities to get their happily ever after? Don’t want to say goodbye yet? Then don’t miss out on more charming and escapist reads from Rachel Barnett:

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Starlight at Snow Pine Lodge

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