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

CHAPTER THREE

Innis, Finlay and Ean sat at a private table in the far corner of the castle’s large function room. A roaring log fire crackled in the hearth, and the huge Christmas tree was aglow with lights and baubles.

Chandeliers cast their glittering light over the dance floor.

Guests were seated at tables around the edges of the dance floor having dinner, and many of them were up dancing.

Innis glanced over at them. The dinner dance was a success, as was usual when it came to the functions they held regularly at the castle.

The three of them had finished their dinner and were still discussing the ball. Finlay wore a white shirt, tie and tailored waistcoat. Ean was smartly dressed in a three–piece suit.

‘Why have you changed your mind?’ Finlay said to Innis. ‘You were set against having a Christmas ball, and now you want us to start planning it.’ He leaned back, ready to listen to Innis’ explanation.

Finlay was nothing like Innis in looks or outlook. He was blond and handsome with gorgeous light aquamarine blue eyes. Of the three brothers, he’d taken his looks from his father, while Ean’s chestnut hair, green eyes and talent for art were inherited from his mother. All three of the brothers were tall, lean, strong and handsome, and recently two of them were lucky in love, finally. Since Finlay met and fell in love with Merrilees, he’d been planning to marry her and settle down. Merrilees, a photo–journalist, had arrived on the island in the summer on an assignment from her newspaper editor in Glasgow to write the features for the paper’s magazine supplement. The main feature was about the castle. Originally from the island, she’d now moved there to build a future with Finlay.

Innis gave a considered reply. ‘I heard that people were looking forward to having a ball and they hoped that we’d go ahead with it.’

Finlay smiled wryly. ‘Would one of those people be Skye?’

‘She mentioned it to me when I spoke to her today,’ Innis admitted, skirting around the details.

Finlay prompted Innis to elaborate as Ean sat back listening to the events unfold.

‘Skye said that her shop had been offered ball gowns to sell. Holly and Skye plan to accept the offer if the ball goes ahead, so there would a local dress shop that would supply fancy ball gowns for those attending the party,’ Innis explained.

‘Ailsa is hoping we hold a ball here,’ Ean added.

Finlay leaned forward. ‘So are we all now agreeing to hold a fairytale ball for Christmas?’

‘I’ve always wanted to do it,’ said Ean.

Finlay and Ean looked at Innis. At their last meeting, Innis’ reluctance dominated the conversation, and they’d rescheduled to decide on the evening of the current dinner dance.

Before Innis could confirm that he was now keen to go ahead with it, Geneen came hurrying towards them from reception looking flustered.

In her fifties, trim and efficient, Geneen was one of the castle’s key staff and had worked there for years. She was a member of the knitting bee.

‘Sorry to interrupt,’ Geneen said to them, ‘but I’ve had a message from Rosabel at the knitting shop bee night. Apparently, Lyle and Rory have joined in this evening.’

Ean frowned. ‘Lyle and Rory are at the knitting bee?’ He needed clarification.

‘Yes,’ said Geneen. ‘And they’re not joining in with the knitting or other crafts.’

‘Then what are they doing at the bee?’ Finlay said to Geneen.

‘Making a nuisance of themselves. Lyle is plying them with cake, which is fine. But Rory...he stripped himself half naked in front of the ladies.’

A look of disbelief was shared between the brothers.

Finlay smiled calmly. ‘I doubt that Rory would do that.’

Geneen held up her phone to show them the picture Rosabel had sent along with the message. She didn’t say a word. She held it in front of them and waited for their reaction when they saw the strapping, bare–chested builder standing in front of the ladies at the knitting bee.

Ean immediately took out his phone. ‘I’ll call Ailsa. She said she was going to the knitting bee tonight.’

Geneen clicked her phone off. ‘I have to get back to attend to the reception desk.’ She hurried away, leaving the men with a mountain of trouble to tackle.

‘Ailsa, come on, pick up,’ Ean urged her. ‘She’s not answering her phone.’

Innis stood up. ‘I’m driving down to the knitting shop to see what’s happening.’

‘I’m coming with you,’ said Ean.

Innis and Ean hurried out of the function room, leaving Finlay to take care of the dinner dance.

As they walked through the reception Murdo tried to waylay them. Murdo was another key member of staff, a sturdy man in his fifties, a handyman and builder and one of the main assistants at the castle.

Murdo held up his phone. ‘Have you seen what’s happening with Rory at the bee night?’

Innis kept on walking as he replied. ‘We’re going to check on it right now.’

Ean and Innis continued on towards the doorway as Merrilees arrived at the castle. In her late twenties with shoulder–length blonde hair and grey eyes, she wore a smart pair of black trousers and a winter jacket that suited her slim figure. Her large shoulder bag was filled with her laptop, camera and files of information for her newspaper journalism work.

Merrilees held her phone showing a copy of the picture Shuggie had given her. ‘What’s happening at the knitting shop?’ Shuggie had picked her up in his taxi when she’d arrived home from Glasgow on the ferry and driven her to the castle. His wife Nettie had sent the picture of Rory to him from the knitting bee.

‘Ask Finlay,’ Ean advised her. ‘He’ll explain. Sorry, we have to dash.’

Merrilees nodded and continued into the castle.

Innis and Ean ran outside to Innis’ car.

Shuggie, who’d just dropped Merrilees off, held up his phone as he shouted to them out the taxi window. ‘Nettie’s just sent me a picture of Rory—’

Innis cut–in. ‘We’re taking care of it.’ He jumped into his car and started up the engine, while Ean sat in the passenger seat, still trying to phone Ailsa.

‘I’m not missing this,’ Shuggie muttered to himself and then drove after them, eager to see what the fuss was, especially as Nettie was there at the knitting bee night.

Fluffy was snuggled up and snoozing on his blanket on the passenger seat. As always, when Nettie was out and he was driving the taxi, he was kitten sitting their black and white cat. Fluffy was more cat now than kitten, but didn’t like being left alone in the house so Shuggie took the cat with him. Merrilees always made a fuss of Fluffy on the evenings Shuggie picked her up from the ferry down at the harbour.

‘Ailsa still isn’t answering her phone,’ said Ean as Innis drove with purpose down the coast road and along to the main street. He parked outside his cake shop, and the two of them got out of the car and hurried into the knitting shop, shortly followed by Shuggie.

The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as Innis and Ean walked through to the back room of the shop where the bee night was buzzing.

Rory was casually putting his shirt back on, clearly in no rush to do so, but he put on a spurt when he saw the brothers standing there looking at him, especially Innis. Those wolf eyes cut through him to the bone.

Before words were exchanged in friendship or as foes, the back garden suddenly glowed like a beacon.

Everyone stopped and stared. The chatter ceased and a sense of awe showed on the numerous faces.

Lyle took charge and opened the patio doors, letting the cold night air rush in. He stepped back and waved Elspeth to come over.

Elspeth’s face showed trepidation and wonder, and then she smiled when she saw Brodrick standing in the adjoining garden at the back of his cafe bar. He wore a suit, shirt and tie, and his dark russet hair had been slicked back, emphasising his sculptured features and green eyes. Brodrick was the same height as Innis, and had a commanding presence as he held out his hand, inviting Elspeth to join him.

She stepped outside and saw that his entire garden was ablaze with twinkle lights that created a fairytale setting — for his proposal.

Rory had helped him set up the lights, like a canopy of stars draped over the garden. They’d been working on it secretly, hoping to surprise Elspeth. Lyle had been in on the plan and he was sent into the knitting bee to distract the ladies while Brodrick arranged the champagne and special touches to the romantic setting. Brodrick had needed to switch the lights on to check that they were working as planned, but didn’t want to alert Elspeth or the others at the knitting bee. And there had been an electrical glitch so he’d needed Lyle and Rory to help keep the ladies busy while he sorted it.

The knitting bee members, along with Lyle, Rory, Innis, Ean and Shuggie stood watching Brodrick get down on one knee and ask Elspeth to marry him.

‘Will you marry me, Elspeth?’ Brodrick’s hopeful voice resonated in the cold, crisp air as he held up the jewellery box with a beautiful solitaire diamond ring set in white gold. The brilliant–cut of the large diamond represented the North Star, so bright and hopeful. It was something that had meant a lot to them as they’d fallen in love, admiring it in the clear night skies that were part of the island’s beauty.

‘Yes,’ Elspeth said, smiling at Brodrick as he put the ring on her finger.

Her acceptance ignited a cheer from their friends. A special moment shared with the people they cared about.

Brodrick stood up and wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.

Beaming with excitement, Elspeth then looked round at all the smiling faces lit up in the warmth of the knitting bee.

Brodrick popped open the bottle of champagne and poured two glasses, tipped them in a loving cheers, and drank to their future happiness.

‘Come in and join us for a celebratory drink,’ Brodrick said, inviting them into the cafe bar. The premises was still open, and fairly busy with customers enjoying an evening meal, a drink and dancing. His staff had tended to customers while he’d set up his proposal.

Innis made a quick call to Finlay. ‘Disaster averted. Brodrick proposed to Elspeth. She’s accepted his ring. It looks like Lyle and Rory were in on his proposal plan and were creating a distraction while he set up a light display in his cafe bar’s back garden.’

‘So Rory stripping off his shirt was part of the plan?’ said Finlay.

‘No, I think their plan went awry and Rory had to cause a distraction,’ Innis explained.

‘A half–naked builder at the knitting bee,’ Finlay said jokingly. ‘Yes, that would work well.’

‘We’ll be back soon,’ said Innis. ‘And if you pop up to your turret, I’m sure you’ll see Brodrick’s garden lit up like a beacon.’

Finlay laughed as they ended the call.

The ladies decided to cut short their knitting bee and head next door to the cafe bar to celebrate the engagement. They walked through to the knitting shop and went in the front entrance of the cafe bar. Lyle and Rory went with them.

‘I have to get back to my taxi,’ said Shuggie. ‘I’m kitten sitting Fluffy and someone wants picked up and driven to the castle.’

They waved Shuggie off.

Innis and Ean stood outside the cafe bar for a moment deciding what to do.

‘We should go in for a wee while to celebrate with them,’ said Ean. ‘Then we can head back. The dinner dance was going well. Finlay can handle it.’

Innis agreed, then he saw a look on Ean’s face as if something was troubling him.

The air wafting in from the sea was brisk. It was no night for standing chatting without being wrapped up warm.

‘Is something wrong, Ean?’

Ean sighed heavily. ‘Seeing Brodrick propose...it makes me want to ask Ailsa to marry me, but I know I need to wait until we’ve been dating a lot longer.’ He shrugged and glanced out at the sea, feeling a longing to be settled. ‘I’m ready to settle down. Do you know what I mean?’

‘I do,’ Innis admitted. ‘It’s tricky, finding the right balance, the right time to propose. I’ve seen you and Ailsa together. It’s clear how much she loves you, and I’ve no doubts about your feelings for her. But I think you’re right to wait, even until the New Year, like you’ve said you’d planned to do. Enjoy Christmas together. Ask her to the ball.’

Ean nodded. ‘What about you? I see less of a lone wolf in you these days. But it’s like you’ve got quicksilver in your veins, as if you’re wanting to settle down, but can’t settle within yourself because of Skye.’

Ean had nailed it. The elusive solution to the problem he had with his feelings for Skye, and not wanting to hurt her. Innis didn’t say anything, but his silence confirmed that Ean was right.

‘Whatever you’re planning to do about you and Skye, or planning not to do, be careful. Don’t risk losing her to someone else. Nothing is worth that.’

‘When did you become so wise?’ Innis said to his younger brother.

Ean laughed and shrugged off the compliment. ‘You, me and Finlay. None of us have made a success of love and romance. Business, yes. Running the castle, definitely. You and your cake shop and chocolatier work, yes. But the women in our lives...we’ve made some mistakes in the past. Let’s try not to repeat them.’

‘Has Finlay said anything to you recently about proposing to Merrilees?’ said Innis.

‘Only that he’s thinking of asking her to marry him in the New Year.’

‘Not at Christmastime?’

‘No.’

‘Why not? They’re a strong match. Finlay thinks the world of her.’

Ean took a long breath. ‘He says that this is the busiest time of the year at the castle. And it’s the same for Merrilees and her work at the newspaper. Plus she’s on a deadline to finish the romance novel she’s been writing. He thinks there’s too much happening and that the proposal would be lost in the melee of work and a crazy busy Christmas.’

Innis nodded thoughtfully.

‘Are you two going to stand out here all night?’ Brodrick called to them from the doorway of the cafe bar. ‘Or are you coming in?’

Smiling, Innis and Ean headed inside, leaving the cold and their deep thoughts and romantic turmoil behind them.

Brodrick’s cafe bar was classy, traditional, and decorated in rich, neutral tones that fitted perfectly with the modern world.

Shiny gold balustrades stretched along the edges of the bar, and mirrors behind it reflected the large bottles of whisky, brandy, gin, rum and other bottled spirits and liqueurs. A Christmas cocktail menu was pinned up beside the day’s special menu board.

Vintage prints of the island were framed on the coffee and cream walls, and there was a small area for dancing on the dark wooden floor opposite the bar.

Dining tables were situated at the windows with a view of the main street and sea beyond, and around the main area, creating a welcoming cafe style ambiance for couples and larger parties. Brodrick had inherited money and invested it in the cafe bar. At first he lived above the premises, but as the profits accrued, he’d moved into a cottage up on the hills with a view of the sea. This would be the home he’d share with Elspeth when they were married. He couldn’t wait. Now that she’d accepted his proposal, they aimed to make a date for their wedding, and planned to discuss this later in private.

The current menus catered for the festive season, but Brodrick had kept the ice cream counter open. The premises used to be a retro cafe selling ice cream, sticks of rock and souvenirs. Brodrick had modernised it when he’d bought it over, but kept the ice cream parlour element. Ice cream cones sold well in the summer and warmer months, but he’d found that the flavours ranging from chocolate and vanilla to mint and strawberry were equally popular in the winter. His Christmas cones were selling well, and along with the offer of a drink to celebrate his engagement, he enticed them to try his new festive flavours including a chocolate one as rich as the Yule log on the dinner menu.

‘Help yourself to a glass of champagne,’ Brodrick told Innis and Ean, gesturing to a tray on a table beside the bar. ‘Or there’s wine, beer or whisky if you prefer.’

Innis smiled and politely refused. ‘I’m driving, but I wouldn’t say no to a chocolate Christmas cone.’

Ean picked up a glass of champagne, while Brodrick scooped the ice cream into a cone and added chocolate sprinkles.

Music played in the background and mixed with the lively chatter, creating a buzz of excitement to the cafe bar. A gold tinsel Christmas tree sat near the entrance and was decorated with crystal clear twinkle lights.

Skye was waiting for one of the staff to make her a strawberry ice cream cone, while Ailsa enjoyed the delicious mint flavour.

‘Come and have a pokey hat,’ Ailsa called to Ean, encouraging him to have a cone.

Ean walked over to the pretty little ice cream parlour display to take her up on her suggestion. ‘I’ll have a butterscotch pokey hat.’

As they tucked into their cones, Ailsa smiled at him. ‘How did the meeting go? Are you going to hold a ball at the castle?’

Ean called over to Innis who was standing talking to Brodrick having eaten his chocolate Christmas cone. ‘Innis! Are we having a fairytale ball at the castle this Christmas Eve? Or not?’ Ean’s underlying smile encouraged Innis to speak up.

A lull descended over the company as Innis made the announcement. ‘Yes, we are. So get your ball gowns and evening suits ready.’

Skye squealed, and not yet having been served with her cone, she ran over to Innis, jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him with joy.

Taken back for a second, Innis then savoured the moment, feeling this beautiful young woman full of love and laughter hug him until his heart ached for her.

‘Someone is going to have to peel my sister off of Innis,’ Holly said jokingly.

‘I think Skye’s pleased,’ Ean said to Ailsa.

‘We’re all pleased,’ Ailsa told him. ‘If we weren’t eating pokey hats, I’d be dangling around your neck too.’

Ean laughed. ‘I’d better hurry up and finish this cone. I’m not missing out on that,’ he teased her.

‘Oh, sorry,’ Skye apologised to Innis, unravelling herself from him and stepping back. ‘Blame the champagne. But I’m just so happy that there’s a ball this Christmas. I’ll tell the suppliers to send the ball gowns, and I’ve other evening dresses in mind that would look gorgeous too.’

Innis gazed down at her, his heart still pounding from her loving embrace. ‘It’s fine. I’m happy you’re happy.’

Smiling at him, her cheeks pink from blushing, Skye hurried away to join the other ladies.

Amid the laughter, the ladies buzzed around Elspeth, admiring her engagement ring and making wishes on it.

‘It reminds me of the North Star,’ Elspeth gushed. ‘Brodrick said he bought it because it looked so brilliant and starlike.’

‘Do I need to dust off my top hat and tails?’ Brodrick said to Innis as they continued to chat. ‘I’ve a dinner suit that I wore to a wedding reception.’

Innis grinned. ‘Dress to impress. That’s the code for the ball attire.’

‘Can do.’ Brodrick glanced over at Elspeth as she giggled and let the ladies try on her engagement ring. ‘I’m sure my fiancée will look lovely in a ball gown.’ Then he smiled. ‘That’s the first time I’ve said that. Fiancée has a nice ring to it.’

‘It does indeed,’ Innis agreed, realising how ardently he wished he could say the same for Skye. Noticing that the night was wearing on, he phoned Finlay.

‘Still partying at the cafe bar?’

‘Yes, so we’re going to be a bit late. Ean’s on the champagne and ice cream.’

‘Sounds tasty,’ said Finlay.

‘It is. We should add more ice cream to our pudding menus.’

‘I’ll tell Nairne.’

Their head chef at the castle was Ailsa’s uncle, Nairne, and although he had other chefs and catering staff to assist him, he was responsible for creating the menus for the guests when they were staying at the castle and for special functions.

The music in the background of the cafe bar notched up a gear into the lively zone.

‘Have you been dancing with Skye?’ There was a smile in Finlay’s voice picturing Innis giving it large on the dance floor. Innis was skilled at the ceilidh dances and waltzes, but freestyle and gyrations wasn’t his forte.

‘No, but she hugged the breath from me when I announced that we’re having a fairytale ball.’

Finlay laughed. ‘Dance with her. Don’t let her fun–loving attitude tonight go to waste.’

No reply from Innis.

‘I take it there’s talk of ball gowns and gladrags?’ said Finlay.

‘Galore. Skye told me she’s telling the dress suppliers to send the ball gowns to their shop. And Brodrick is getting his top hat and tails out of the back of his wardrobe.’

‘We’ll need to up our game by the sounds of it. Bespoke ballroom wear for us? Or our dress kilts?’

‘Decisions, decisions.’

‘Tell Skye and Holly to keep a ball gown aside for me,’ Merrilees shouted through to Innis. She was sitting at the private table with Finlay discussing their day’s events, and overheard the conversation. ‘And tell Elspeth and Brodrick congratulations on their engagement.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Innis promised, feeling the momentum of the fairytale ball gather pace.

Finlay heard the excitement in Merrilees voice as she sent her congratulations to the happy couple. It made him wonder all the more if he should forgo his plan to ask her to marry him in the New Year and ask her now, at Christmastime, as Brodrick had done with Elspeth. Then again, he didn’t want his proposal to seem like a knee–jerk reaction, following on from Brodrick asking Elspeth to be his wife. He wanted his proposal to have its own merit and not become entwined with any other engagement.

‘I’ll start writing up the announcement for the ball to put on the website,’ Finlay said to Innis. He glanced at Merrilees. ‘Or perhaps our expert feature writer will use her journalist skills to write it for us.’

Merrilees laughed. ‘I’m on it.’ Then she gestured as if she was writing a news headline. ‘Fairytale Christmas ball on the island.’

‘We should advertise it in the press,’ Finlay said, remembering how effective the previous feature had been, bringing more bookings and visitors to the castle.

‘Yes, we should,’ Innis agreed.

‘I’m writing the entertainment features for the next issue of the paper,’ said Merrilees. ‘I could write your editorial tonight. Say, five hundred words. It would be on time for tomorrow night’s deadline.’

‘Do that,’ Finlay confirmed.

‘I’ll message my editor. He’ll talk to the advertising manager. We can make this happen,’ Merrilees promised, used to the fast pace of her newspaper work in Glasgow.

‘We don’t have the details.’ Innis sounded concerned. ‘Do you want me to come up with some ideas?’

‘It’s okay,’ Merrilees assured him. ‘I’ll waffle on about the magnificent castle on the Scottish island. Snow guaranteed in time for the ball on Christmas Eve. A delicious buffet and dancing under chandeliers in a ballroom size function suite, with a huge Christmas tree sparkling with fairy lights.’

‘I’m sold. Book me two tickets,’ Finlay joked. ‘You coming with me, Merrilees?’

‘Oh, yes. I’m excited about buying a ball gown.’

With their plans set, they finished the call, and Merrilees started making notes for the news feature.