Fairytale Christmas on the Island (Scottish Highlands & Island Romance #4)

CHAPTER ONE

The winter sky in the late afternoon cast the Scottish island’s small town in a twilight glow. The sea along the coast shimmered like liquid silver, and a few boats bobbed gently in the little harbour.

The beautiful island was situated off the west coast of Scotland where the nearest city was Glasgow, and regular ferries sailed back and forth from the mainland, barely twenty miles away.

The shops along the main street glowed with lights and Christmas decorations, including the cake shop with its delicious array of cakes with fondant icing and a selection of chocolatier sweet temptations. The shop was owned by Innis.

Innis was considered to be the most handsome man on the island. And there were a fair few other men worthy of that title. But there was something about Innis that set him apart including his dark brooding looks and amber eyes — wolf eyes, that set many a woman’s heart fluttering.

Fairy lights stretched along the main street beside the harbour, and a large Christmas tree shone in the heart of the town. Winters were wonderful and white Christmases were guaranteed, with the green and heather covered hills rising up from the coast glistening with snow and ice crystals. It hadn’t snowed yet, but there was a sense of snow in the clear, crisp air.

Shops, restaurants, a tea shop and cafe bars followed the curve of the bay, and cottages and farmhouses were dotted across the countryside that rose up from the coast to forests of thick greenery and fields.

The turrets of the magnificent castle, known locally as the fairytale castle, were silhouetted against the darkening sky. Barely a five minute drive from the main street, the castle was set in a large estate, and was now a successful hotel catering to guests wanting a holiday break in a fairytale location. Parties and special functions were part of the castle’s weekly entertainments, available to guests, visitors to the island and those living locally.

Owned by the local laird, the running of the castle had been left in the capable hands of his three sons, all in their early thirties, while the laird and his wife spent time on the mainland on their travels and business. They’d been away for a few seasons now, and had no plans to return before the New Year.

Finlay, the oldest, was happy to take on the laird’s tasks, assisted by his younger brother, Ean. The middle brother, Innis, helped them too, while running his cake shop in the main street and using the castle’s large, well–equipped kitchen to create his chocolate confectionery. All three brothers were rich, handsome and single, though Finlay and Ean had girlfriends that they were planning to marry in the not too distant future.

In the wintry glow, Innis was lit up in the window of his cake shop, putting fairy lights around the edges to highlight the cakes and chocolates on display. He wore his chef’s collarless, short–sleeve white shirt and black trousers that unintentionally emphasised his fit physique.

Those wolf eyes saw Skye walking by the window. Beautiful Skye, the one woman constantly on his mind these days, though being away on business trips to the mainland recently had thwarted his hopes of taking their friendship further. Skye had been away too. After the fashion show at the castle, the success of it had brought in more offers of modelling work that she’d accepted. Work and circumstances had kept them apart as autumn had become winter, and now that the festive season was upon them, his schedule was set to become even busier.

But still...there she was. Her long, strawberry blonde hair was pinned up in messy pleats, and the dark velvet trousers she wore emphasised her long, lithe legs and slender but shapely figure. A pink jumper she’d knitted herself was fashionably cropped and those soft lips of hers smiled at him as she went by, admired his light display and gave him a cheery thumbs up.

Taken off–guard by the effect she had on him, he wasn’t sure if he’d smiled at her. If anyone could break through his serious mien, it was Skye and her cheerful attitude.

Skye breezed into the cake shop to collect the order she’d placed for a dozen iced doughnuts with chocolate sprinkles. The decor of the shop was as pretty as the frontage. Pale pink and vanilla yellow, with touches of strawberry, lemon and cream, created a colour scheme that was light and airy.

Innis’ skills as an artisan baker were on full view. Glass display cabinets were filled with a tempting selection of cakes, all lit with spotlights. His chocolates and confectionary merited the cabinet they had to themselves. Boxes of his luxury chocolates sat on a shelf behind the counter. Skye had enjoyed his chocolates, from truffles to fondant creams, though she’d yet to taste his latest festive chocolatier range that included added spices and white chocolate sprinkled like snow across the toffee cups.

The doughnuts were Skye’s contribution to the local knitting bee night that was being held that evening in the knitting shop next door to the cake shop. Skye and her sister Holly owned the vintage dress shop two doors down, and modelled part–time. In her late twenties, Skye was slightly younger than Holly. When Skye and Innis were both on the island, their paths regularly crossed. She’d been attracted to Innis for a while, but suspected the feeling wasn’t mutual....until fairly recently during the fashion show at the castle where Innis made her believe otherwise.

There had been a time when Innis wasn’t sure about his feelings for the mercurial and light–hearted Skye, but that time was long gone. They were complete opposites, but he believed that added to their attraction to each other. Since earlier in the year, he’d been feeling different about his priorities, and a deep longing to settle down and find love and happiness had stalked his senses. Some days it gnawed at his core, urging him to find what was clearly missing in his life — true love.

Rosabel and Primrose, the two assistants working in the cake shop, smiled when Skye walked up to the counter. Both in their latter years, they’d come out of retirement to work for Innis. They’d owned their own bakery business using secret family recipes. When Innis offered to pay them for the use of the recipes in his new cake shop, they’d accepted his offer but wanted to work for him as part of the deal. Flexible hours were agreed, and since they’d started working for him at the cake shop, his business had thrived, and so had the two sisters.

Rosabel wore a pink apron, while Primrose opted for pale yellow, and pretty bakery caps contained their silvery curls with only a few random curls peeking out. The flexible hours they worked at the cake shop allowed them to do what they loved — bake cakes, while enjoying chatting to customers and the buzz of the baking business.

Innis had taken a chance on hiring them, but now, he couldn’t think of anyone more capable to run the shop while he was away on business. He was planning to expand his range of chocolates and had been away attending courses and meetings with chocolate suppliers on the mainland, in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. His chocolatier work was something he wanted to emphasise in the cake shop, and boxes of his luxury chocolates were lit up in the window display along with the cakes.

‘I’ve got your order ready,’ Rosabel said to Skye, lifting a box of doughnuts she’d packed and put it on the counter along with a bag of chocolate scones, a favourite with customers.

‘Are you going to the knitting bee tonight?’ Skye said to them.

‘Yes, we’ll be there,’ Primrose told her. ‘Elspeth is continuing to run the knitting bee nights during the busy festive season, and is encouraging us to make gifts from various crafts, and knit items suitable for winter.’

Elspeth now co–owned the knitting shop along with her aunt Morven, and the bee nights were held weekly from around seven in the evening until nine. Extra evenings were often organised for special events or when more time was needed for the members to help each other with their knitting, sewing, quilting and crafts. Knitting was the mainstay of the bee, but other crafts, especially all forms of sewing and dressmaking, were part of the bee nights.

In her early thirties, Elspeth had agreed to look after her aunt Morven’s knitting shop while Morven was away gallivanting on the mainland, as she called it, with her boyfriend, Donall. He was fairly wealthy and part owner of a whisky distillery and two pubs on the island. Now Elspeth had moved permanently from Glasgow to work at the knitting shop, and stayed in the accommodation above the shop with her aunt.

Morven and her new boyfriend, Donall, were in their fifties and had been dating and going on holiday to the mainland recently. Elspeth had come over from Glasgow to run the knitting shop while Morven was away, and ended up falling in love with life on the island — and with Brodrick, owner of the cafe bar next door to the knitting shop. Sandwiched between the cafe bar and the cake shop, Elspeth was often tempted by the delicious aroma of fresh baking and savoury treats from both establishments.

There was talk that Brodrick planned to propose to Elspeth in December, a Christmas engagement, but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. Brodrick wanted to whisk Elspeth off to the mainland in the New Year for something special, and she sensed he was planning to pop the question then.

Skye paid for the cakes and scones. Tea and cakes were served at the knitting bee, and members often contributed to the tasty treats.

‘We’ll see you and Holly later at the bee,’ Primrose said to Skye.

Rosabel glanced over at Innis wondering if he’d take the hint that Skye was leaving and perhaps try to engage her in conversation.

Primrose and Rosabel had noticed the widening gap between Innis and Skye. They’d had such high hopes of a romance between the two of them, especially as Innis had showed how much he liked Skye at the fashion show. But since then...work and more work along with separations had broken that brief bond of closeness. There had been no chance to build on it, and rather like the autumn, the vibrancy had faded and was now at the mercy of a stark winter.

Skye smiled at Primrose and Rosabel and then walked out of the shop with a glance at Innis working on finishing the light display.

Rosabel let out an exasperated sigh, directed at Innis and his behaviour.

He’d been on the receiving end of it before and looked over, knowing exactly what she meant.

Rosabel shook her head at him.

Primrose spoke up. Her words didn’t miss him and hit the wall. ‘You’re letting a lovely young woman slip through your fingers. Sometimes I despair at your attitude, Innis.’

He didn’t balk at the rebuke, mainly because he agreed.

‘Some other man is going to step in and invite Skye to the Christmas parties and events on the island,’ Rosabel warned him.

He agreed with this as well. He paused for a second, then selected a large box of his special Christmas chocolates from the window display, and hurried after her.

She’d stopped to admire the yarn in the window of the pretty pink knitting shop and then walked on past Brodrick’s cafe bar towards the vintage dress shop.

‘Skye!’ His rich, deep voice resonated in the cold air.

She stopped and glanced back at him, watching him striding towards her. His handsome face was highlighted in the glow of the lights from the shops, but his expression was serious. A look she’d become accustomed to. The man who rationed his smiles. But when he let one escape from his sensual lips, his sexy smile set her heart alight.

She sighed inwardly.

A broken heart was the last thing she needed, and she refused to put herself in jeopardy. Being within breathing distance of a man like Innis was foolhardy unless she felt it was worth the risk. Some days she didn’t. Some nights she did. Her mercurial nature worked for and against her. No outright winner now. Seeing Innis hurrying after her carrying a box of chocolates weakened her resolve. So. Be. It.

‘Yes,’ she said brightly. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘No, nothing,’ he lied. Everything was wrong when it came to him and romance.

Her beautiful, wide blue eyes with their curious upswept tilt looked up at him. She was fairly tall, but he still towered over her. She sensed he was telling a fib.

Before she could decide why he’d run after her, he thrust the box of chocolate at her.

‘For the knitting bee night,’ he said.

‘Oh, thank you. That’s very kind. The ladies will enjoy these.’ She tried not to look at the lean muscles in his bare forearms or show the effect his tall, broad–shouldered build had on her.

‘They’re my latest selection.’

‘I hear you’ve been away a lot recently, on your chocolatier work.’

‘I have. To Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, it’s taken up my time. Fortunately, Rosabel and Primrose have held the fort, and my brothers too. But I’m back now for the festive season and throughout the New Year.’

She nodded, taking this in. Taking him in. All hint of his summer tan had faded with the autumn and now his handsome features had a quality as cold as sculptured ice.

‘You and Holly have been away too.’ He filled the gap she’d left. ‘Modelling I believe.’

‘Yes, after the fashion show offers of modelling work came in, and we split the jobs so that one of us was left here to run our shop.’ It had been the first fashion show on the island, and the castle’s ballroom size function room had been the perfect setting for it.

‘Are you home now for Christmas?’

He was making small talk? ‘We are. No more gadding off to model on the mainland.’ A look of excitement lit up her face. ‘I’m looking forward to Christmas. I love it. It’s our first Christmas running our dress shop.’

They’d taken over the shop earlier in the year when their mother retired due to wanting to spend more leisure time with their father and travelling. Skye and Holly had been living and working on the mainland in the fashion industry, including modelling work, for a few years. But they’d jumped at the chance to move to the island from the city and had built up the vintage dress shop. They’d widened the stock to include tartan vintage dresses that had caused quite a stir of excitement at the fashion show.

The dresses in their shop ranged from designer pieces from decades past to off–the–peg, pre–loved dresses from yesteryear.

They’d restored the original sign across the frontage — the vintage dress shop.

Skye’s old–fashioned pink bicycle often sat outside the shop, not only as part of the styling, but for her personal use when she popped to the post office with the orders for customers even though they had a car. Or times when she loved cycling along the coast and letting the sea breeze blow through her hair.

Their online sales had soared in the past few months, and they’d made a success of the shop by focussing on vintage dress fashions galore. They had reliable suppliers, and both Skye and Holly were skilled at sewing, repairing and upgrading the older designs, making them seem like new.

Local sales accounted for a fair amount of their revenue, but their main profit came from sales far and wide via their website. Skye had plans to extend the range and work to highlight the seasons. The Christmas party season was on show in the front window with the three mannequins wearing head to toe festive glamorous gowns that sparkled almost as much as the fairy lights inside and outside the dress shop. Maybe she’d overdone the lights, but then again, you could never have too much sparkle when it came to Christmas — and party dresses.

Innis’ comment pulled her back from her wayward thoughts. ‘You were the first shop to put your decorations up.’

She laughed. ‘Ah, you noticed.’

‘Those lights are hard to miss, even from the mainland.’

He’d made a joke. She smiled at him.

Another pause, not awkward, just lingering.

She decided to ask him if the fairytale ball gossip was true. ‘I’ve heard that a ball is being held this Christmas at the castle. You know what the local gossip is like, but it would be great if it was true. I’ve always wanted to attend a fancy ball at a castle and sweep around the dance floor dressed like a princess.’

Her words hung in the cold air for a moment, and she saw his eyes darken to molten amber.

He chose his words carefully as he replied. ‘Finlay, Ean and I have tentatively discussed it, but we won’t decide until our final meeting tonight.’ He explained the main drawbacks. ‘We have various party events on the run–up to Christmas, culminating in the Christmas Eve dinner dance in the main function room. It’s become a tradition. Guests and local people expect the dinner dance. With my parents being away, they’re leaving the decision to us.’

Skye nodded. ‘So you don’t want to change the traditional dinner dance.’

‘The meal, the dinner, is the main attraction, and our chefs have been hard at work preparing the menus. We could, of course, use the dinner as part of the ball, but then there’s the issue of guests having to wear ball gowns and evening suits. It’s extra expense for guests. A proper ball, a fairytale ball, merits that everyone dresses accordingly, otherwise it’s just the Christmas dinner dance by another name.’

‘Yes, I see what you mean...’ the disappointment sounded in her voice, even though she tried to hide it.

‘Finlay has attended a few balls and says that the level of opulence raises the bar fairly high.’

‘But surely your large function room is as beautiful as any ballroom, especially with the lovely decor and chandeliers,’ she reasoned.

‘It is, but it would still require those attending to turn up in full ballroom attire. It’s a bit of a tall order for people thinking they could wear a smart suit or a pretty evening or cocktail dress.’

She sighed wearily. ‘That sounds like a no–go then. But that’s the trouble with local gossip. It spreads like wildfire and gathers all sorts of false speculation.’

For a moment, Innis pictured Skye wearing a sparkling ball gown and his heart thundered in his chest at the thought of it.

‘The main reason I’m asking is that Holly and I have been offered a load of gorgeous vintage ball gowns by one of our suppliers. We could accept and sell the dresses online, but it would’ve been handy to make them available to the local ladies. I’ve only ever worn ball gowns for fashion shows and modelling photo–shoots, and the dresses felt extra special.’

He hated disappointing her.

‘Don’t frown or fret. It’s fine. The Christmas dinner dance sounds wonderful, and we offer lovely evening dresses in our shop.’

He nodded dolefully and the muscles in his firm jaw tightened, holding back all the things he wanted to say to her. How he’d missed her, wished he hadn’t been away on business, and that things could be different between them. Closer. Much closer. Instead, he felt his reply had pushed her away.

She brightened up. ‘Thanks again for the chocolates. I felt that Holly and I should bring plenty of sweet sustenance to the knitting bee tonight. We’re making loads of Christmas pressies. And I’m knitting a jumper that I’ve almost finished. It’s like this one I’m wearing, only in Christmassy red.’

‘It’s beautiful.’ His deep voice said so much more than compliment her hand knitted jumper.

A blush rose up across her lovely pale complexion, but failed to reach full warmth due to the cold breeze now sweeping in from the sea.

‘I won’t keep you standing here in the cold,’ he said, seeing her try not to shiver.

With her arms filled with the cakes, scones and box of chocolates, she smiled sweetly and hurried on to her shop, nudging the door open and disappearing inside.

‘What was Innis saying to you?’ Holly said, having been peering at them from the dress shop window. She swept her shoulder–length, shiny chestnut hair back from her lovely pale features, and her green eyes widened. ‘Was he giving you a box of chocolates, inviting you out on a date, or both?’

‘Just the chocolates for the knitting bee. I’m okay with that.’ Skye put the cake shop items down on the shop counter.

‘What? You wouldn’t want Innis to ask you out on a date? I know that’s not true.’ Wearing a green velvet midi dress, a throwback to the seventies, and dark emerald tights with black pumps, Holly stepped away from the window.

‘He’s a heartbreaker,’ said Skye. ‘And yes, I’ve liked him for a while now, but I want to enjoy Christmas. Our first Christmas owning and running our shop. Romance, especially with a man like Innis, could skew everything.’

‘What about that night at the fashion show? He walked down the runway with you. Everyone saw how much he liked you.’

‘But nothing happened. He didn’t follow through by asking me out for dinner or a date. It was like we rattled back down to where we were before the show. Circling around each other.’

Holly reconsidered. ‘Maybe you’re right. Innis would be hard work. Unless he was madly and deeply in love with you, which I’m prepared to believe...but...he needs to show you that he cares. If not, then you’re right. Be socially polite to him, but accept other offers for dinner dates.’

Skye looked thoughtful.

‘I know you’ve had offers,’ Holly told her.

‘So have you.’

‘Yes, but no one I’m interested in.’ Holly wished it was otherwise, but there was no one she’d felt that special spark with.

‘What about Lyle? You’d never be short on being plied with cakes and whatever else he has on offer in his tea shop.’

Holly shook her head. ‘Lyle is an acquired taste, unlike his cakes.’

‘His cousin, Rory?’ Skye threw another name into the romance ring.

‘Rory is happily dating Rowen.’

Skye pressed her lips together and nodded, now running out of viable options.

Holly shrugged. ‘Perhaps I’ll meet my perfect Christmas match at one of the castle functions.’

‘A mystery man, waiting in the wings, ready to step out into the spotlight and steal your heart away.’

‘Did you ask Innis if they’re holding a ball at the castle this year? Or is it just a rumour?’

‘I asked him. He said he’s having a meeting, again, with his brothers tonight to make a final decision. And then listed the reasons for it being a thumbs down.’

Holly gestured to the computer screen, reminding her of the number of ball gowns from one of their suppliers that were on offer.

‘It’s tempting to say yes, and then worry about selling them to customers,’ said Skye.

‘Are you kidding me? These will sell like hot Christmas pies. I’ll buy one of them if the ball gets a thumbs up.’

Skye stepped closer and peered at the pictures of the dresses listed. ‘I’ve been trying not to look at them, especially that pale pink sparkly ball gown.’ Skye loved pink, and she’d worn a pink satin ball gown to a previous event, but this dress...wow! It was layers of pink organza sprinkled with sparkle, her perfect fairytale ball gown.

‘They’re designer dresses from the fifties,’ Holly said, offering encouragement. ‘That pink dress would make you look like a fairytale princess at the ball.’

‘It’s a real bargain. The sequins and crystals need securing and I could add some new ones on the bodice...’ Skye pictured how she’d rescue the dress and bring it back to how it looked in its heyday.

‘Let’s make a deal,’ Holly said, sounding as usual like the sensible one. ‘We’ll go to the knitting bee, discuss the local gossip, knit, chat, eat cake, and the evening will fly in. Then tomorrow we’ll find out if there’s going to be a ball at the castle this year. If there is, we’ll invest in buying the ball gowns, and if not, we’ll suck up our bitter disappointment, forgo the dresses, and drown our sorrows in hot chocolate with extra sprinkles. The latter always helps.’

Skye nodded firmly. She pushed her palm towards the screen. ‘Take the temptation away until we know what Innis and his brothers have decided.’

Holly clicked the list off and instead showed Skye the online orders for dresses that had come in during the afternoon. ‘Want to pack a few before we get ready for the bee?’

‘Okay. We could still make it in time to take them to the post office.’

In a flurry of chiffon, tulle, tartan and silk, they wrapped up the orders, and then Skye jumped on her pink bicycle and pedalled like blazes to the post office along the harbour. The bike’s front and rear baskets were stuffed full. She made the collection that was due to be loaded on to the ferry by a whisker and with the help of the postmaster.

The early twilight sky glistened with stars as she pedalled back calmly to the dress shop. The clear night skies were something she adored about living on the island.

And there was the North Star shining brightest in the vast sky.

Come on, she wished upon the star. Agree to hold a ball at the castle. She pictured Innis, Finlay and Ean discussing this later and put all the positive vibes she could muster into her wish. She didn’t make wishes very often, but when she did, she gave it her all. Few, if any, of her special wishes ever came true. But there was always hope.