Chapter 18
18
Sunday came around all too soon and it was time to leave the little slice of paradise that had been home for Olivia’s hen weekend. There had been plenty of giggles, lots of wine and chocolate consumed, much pampering done, and the world had been thoroughly put to rights. Olivia had had the best time and had loved spending it with her friends.
Once the packing and cleaning was all done, Olivia and the others accompanied Bella out to her bike. The friends hugged tightly in turn.
‘I’m going to miss you so much,’ Bella said to Olivia. ‘But the next time I see you it’ll be your wedding day, eeek!’
‘I’ll miss you too, but it’ll fly by, I bet.’ Olivia’s heart skipped when she remembered just how soon her wedding was. ‘I can’t wait, though.’
‘Same! And Granny Isla is so excited. Honestly, it’s all she can talk about. That and Tam,’ Bella said with a roll of her eyes. ‘They’re worse than teenagers. Oh, and I’m sure you already guessed but she has bought a lovely purple dress for the occasion.’
Olivia laughed. ‘I wouldn’t have expected anything different. It’ll be so good to see her. It’ll be great to see Harris too. In fact, I can’t wait to see everyone all dressed up in their finery.’
‘Oh, it’ll be fantastic. I forgot to say, me and Skye have conferred on the bridesmaid dresses, and we have both got the same shade of pale blue, but we’ve gone for slightly different styles that will complement our figures, haven’t we, Skye?’
Skye nodded enthusiastically. ‘They’ll be a nice surprise for you. And I promise we haven’t gone crazy with the designs or anything. They’re very tasteful and classic. I know you’ll approve.’
‘I can’t believe you two still won’t let me pay for the dresses.’ Olivia shook her head and sighed. ‘It really should be my responsibility.’
‘Och, don’t be daft. You’ve enough to think about just now. It was the least we could do. And they weren’t that expensive so stop worrying.’
‘Bella’s right,’ Skye said. ‘Anyway, I forgot to ask, what was Brodie doing for his stag do while we’ve been away?’
Mirren told them, ‘Dougie was taking him to see a tribute band called Don’t You Forget About the 80s. He’ll have been in his element.’
Bella laughed. ‘Good old Dougie. What a star. Well, I’d better be going. I’ll see you all soon. Nice to meet you, Charlotte. Good luck with Kerr. I hope it all goes well for you.’
Charlotte nodded. ‘Thank you, Bella. Lovely to meet you too.’
‘Message me when you get back, okay?’ Olivia insisted.
Bella hugged her again. ‘Yes, Mum.’
Olivia whacked her arm lightly. ‘Cheeky. Love you.’
Bella pulled on her crash helmet and mumbled, ‘Love you too!’ She climbed onto the beast, turned on the engine and took off down the lane.
Once the car was loaded up, the remaining friends climbed in and set off for Drumblair. Olivia couldn’t wait to see Brodie. She didn’t want to be one of those women who couldn’t bear to be apart from her fiancé, but she had missed having him beside her in bed. He had been in touch by WhatsApp a few times and had sent a couple of photos of the dogs but for the most part he had given her the space to enjoy herself.
The friends stopped off, en route, at the Storehouse of Foulis, a lovely restaurant and deli where, in Olivia’s opinion, the best scones outside of Drumblair Castle were made. After sampling the local produce and purchasing tasty treats from the deli, they took selfies with the huge blue-painted anchor on the shores of the Cromarty Firth then got back on the road. They arrived at the castle during the late afternoon. Charlotte hugged everyone and climbed in her car to go home to Will. Skye did the same but was meeting Ben in Inverness for dinner and a movie. Mirren headed over to the cottage to see Dougie. This left Olivia to enter the castle to see Brodie.
‘Hey, I’ve missed you,’ he said as he picked her up from the floor and kissed her tenderly.
‘How was your stag do?’ she asked eagerly as they walked to the kitchen, where the dogs greeted Olivia with wagging tails.
‘It was awesome! The band were fantastic. It was just me, Dad, Kerr and Ben.’
Olivia was touched that he had included her brother. ‘Where did you see them now the Ironworks has closed down?’ The Ironworks had been an amazing gig venue but had sadly closed its doors the previous month.
‘The Tooth and Claw on Baron Taylor’s Street. Great wee place. Amazing atmosphere. They opened with U2’s “With or Without You”, which was phenomenal. And they played some Police stuff, so Dad was in his element. In fact, my dad had a word with someone connected to the band because “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” was dedicated to me by the band.’
Olivia was immediately taken back to the moment that Brodie had told her that was the song that made him think of her and her heart fluttered.
‘They played some Queen, Culture Club, Wham!, Bon Jovi. It was brilliant. Nice and simple, no strippers, no being tied to a lamp post naked, no being put on a boat and waking up in Shetland.’
‘Well, I’m glad about that!’ Olivia laughed.
‘How about you? Good time?’
‘It was wonderful. So relaxing. Lots of laughs.’
Brodie beamed. ‘I’m so glad. How did Charlotte fit in?’
‘Really well. And by the way, I may have invited her and Kerr for a couples dinner on Friday, is that okay?’
‘Absolutely. Should I invite Skye and Ben?’
Olivia shook her head. ‘No, let’s not pile on the pressure. Just the four of us, I think.’
Brodie nodded. ‘Sounds like a plan. I’ll cook.’
Olivia smiled. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’
On Monday, Olivia sat at her desk looking over some plans for the old barn when her desk phone rang.
‘Olivia speaking.’
‘Hi, Olivia, it’s Charlotte, I have an Eilidh Baird on the line for you. She says she got your number from Ruby Locke.’
‘Ah, yes, thanks, Charlotte, you can put her through.’
There was a pregnant pause. ‘Erm… Can I just ask something, is she talking about Ruby Locke the actress from The Girl and the Rose ? The one who opened the castle to the public? I mean, it can’t be that common a name. And I absolutely love that film. Ooh, sorry, I’m rambling now. And sorry if I’m being nosy,’ Charlotte added hurriedly.
Olivia smiled. ‘Indeed she is. Exciting stuff.’
‘Oh, wow. Okay, putting her through.’ The line went silent for a brief moment.
‘Hello? Is that Lady MacBain?’
‘It is, Ms Baird, hi. But please call me Olivia.’
‘In that case, please call me Eilidh. As you may have guessed, I’m calling from Braw Narratives Productions. Ruby Locke is going to be starring in our next project. It’ll be her first role as her return to the screen following the birth of her daughter and we’re very excited about it. The film is a Scottish historical romance set in the Georgian era and Ruby suggested your castle as a possible location for filming. I was wondering if I could perhaps arrange to meet with you to talk it through.’
‘Of course. Ruby said you might call, she seems excited about the project too. Obviously we’ll need to have a serious think about everything, and I can’t confirm anything until I’ve discussed it with my team.’
‘I wouldn’t expect anything less, Olivia. I’ve had a wee look at your website, and I have to say it’s a very impressive building. Plenty of history, which is exactly what we’re looking for. And, of course, there would be quite a hefty fee payable to you for the use of the castle, should we decide to go ahead. We understand how much upheaval our presence could potentially cause and so we compensate our location hosts substantially. I would imagine with a place as old as Drumblair there are multiple ways in which that money could be used, and we hope that may encourage you to consider allowing us to use your location if it turns out to be suitable for our needs.’
‘We’ll certainly give it some serious thought.’
‘I understand you have some Chippendale and Hepplewhite pieces and I wondered if they could be hired for the set too? Obviously they will be adequately insured, and we’ll be bringing some other pieces of furniture too that have been borrowed from private collections.’
‘That’s something I will need to look into. I don’t want to agree to anything without understanding the implications. They are family heirlooms, and I don’t really want to risk damage.’
‘Of course. That’s understandable. So, when would be best for me and my location scout to come and visit? How about 21 April?’
Olivia sucked air in through her teeth. ‘I’m actually getting married on 22 April so could you maybe come sooner rather than later? That way I can just focus on the wedding once we’ve met.’
‘Ah, congratulations. How about this Thursday? Or is that too short notice? No pressure, obviously.’
Olivia glanced down at her diary. ‘Yes, that would work.’
‘Great. I’ll get the arrangements made and I’ll see you then.’
‘Thanks, Eilidh. See you Thursday.’
The call ended and Olivia huffed out a long breath. She was already a little daunted about the prospect of having a film crew in her house and nothing had even been confirmed yet. Although the money would definitely be a bonus. Brodie’s plans to renovate the large barn could go ahead and she could have the studio of her dreams.
She smoothed out the plans that lay before her. The 3D rendering of the barn with its huge glass and oak doors was a thing of beauty. The four units on the lower floor would enable local creatives to have their own affordable workspace. Affordable being the buzzword. Olivia wanted to give back to the community. But the whole of the top floor would be hers. The natural light would flood in and the views over the grounds would, of course, be spectacular. There would be space enough to employ some machinists at some point, if her label took off. And there would even be enough room for a small runway so she would be able to see how the clothes she created would look at fashion shows. Her stomach flipped with excitement at the prospect, even though she knew she was getting ahead of herself. The barn would be renovated regardless of the outcome of the film and whether the castle was chosen as a location, but the revenue it would bring in if it was would speed up the process.
The architect Brodie had enlisted to draw up the plans had done an incredible job. There had even been a computerised model sent by Dropbox and Olivia had already ‘walked around’ it.
On Thursday at around eleven, a taxi pulled up the long tree-lined drive and Olivia watched from the kitchen window as a slim blonde woman climbed from the vehicle at one side and a smaller dark-haired woman got out from the other. They both stood for a moment gazing up at the castle with smiles on their faces, chatting, and the smaller of the two women took photos on her phone before approaching the doors.
Charlotte appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. ‘Olivia, Eilidh Baird and Shona Morton are here to see you.’
‘Great, thank you, Charlotte. Can you show them through to the study and could you ask what they’d like to drink? I’m just waiting on Brodie, he’s on his way.’
Brodie had been out in the grounds with the architect looking at another of the barns that was ripe for renovation. He arrived a minute or so after their visitors and together they went to the study where Eilidh and Shona were waiting.
Both stood as Olivia and Brodie walked into the room and the blonde one held out her hand. ‘Lady Olivia, and you must be Brodie. I’m Eilidh and this is the location scout Shona.’ Eilidh’s hair was shoulder length and straight and she wore a grey trouser suit with a cerise top underneath. She had very smiley eyes, and even before she spoke Olivia liked her. Shona’s hair was chestnut coloured and tied up in a claw clip and she wore a bright red jacket with a black dress beneath it.
Olivia and Brodie shook hands with the visitors. ‘Welcome to Drumblair.’
After a brief chat to discuss the project, Olivia and Brodie gave the two women a tour of the castle. Both seemed impressed with the place.
‘And this is the long gallery. The portraits in here are mostly of my ancestors,’ Olivia explained.
‘This is a stunning room,’ Shona said. ‘I can just imagine the grand balls that must have taken place in here, and the dresses,’ she said dreamily. ‘I’m a sucker for a ball gown.’
‘Oh, me too,’ Olivia agreed. ‘It’s my favourite thing to design.’
‘Oh, yes, I read that you’re a fashion designer,’ Eilidh said. ‘Didn’t you used to live in New York?’
‘I did. I designed for Nina Picarro.’
Shona gasped. ‘You worked at Nina Picarro? Oh, my goodness. She is my favourite designer. I’ve been to her shows in London.’
Olivia grinned. ‘I was probably there too.’
Shona held up her hands. ‘Oh, that’s it. We have to film here, Eilidh. We have an on-site costume designer!’
‘Now there’s a thought,’ Eilidh said.
Olivia waved a dismissive hand. ‘Oh, gosh, no, I’m not a fashion historian. I’m sure there are costume designers out there who’d be better suited.’
Eilidh tapped her chin. ‘Ah, but our costumes are going to have a modern twist. Think Bridgerton .’
Olivia’s stomach flipped as she glanced sideways to find Brodie beaming at her. ‘Well, of course I’d be happy to help if I can.’
‘Shall we head along to the dining room?’ Brodie asked. ‘We’ve arranged for Noah, the chef at the café, to bring some lunch through for us.’
‘That sounds amazing,’ Eilidh said. ‘I’m famished.’
As they walked away from the gallery, Kerr was just entering the castle. ‘Hey, Kerr, come and meet Eilidh and Shona. They’re here about possibly filming at the castle.’
Kerr was a little muddy from work, but he wiped his hands down his jeans and held out his hand in turn to each of the women. ‘Hi there, I’m Olivia’s big brother, Kerr. Nice to meet you.’
Shona’s cheeks flushed and she seemed to have forgotten how to speak for a moment, it was quite amusing for such a professional woman. ‘Erm, hi, hi, Shona,’ she mumbled awkwardly.
‘And I’m Eilidh,’ the taller woman said, shaking his offered hand rather vigorously. ‘You have an amazing home.’
‘Amazing,’ Shona added. ‘Quite… beautiful in fact.’
Brodie glanced at Olivia and clearly tried not to smile. It was evident Shona had herself a wee crush.
They sat at one end of the large oak table and Noah and Mirren brought in platters of sandwiches, cakes and trays of tea and coffee. And as they tucked in to the food, Shona gazed around at her surroundings. Olivia could almost hear the cogs in her mind whirring.
Once they had finished eating, Eilidh said, ‘Thank you so much for the tour and for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet with us. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that Drumblair would be the perfect place to film.’
‘I agree. This place is steeped in history and it’s just waiting to be featured on-screen. My work is already done,’ Shona added brightly. Brodie reached under the table and squeezed Olivia’s hand.
‘We won’t take up any more of your time, but I will be in touch by email with an offer of what we can pay for the use of the place and if you’re happy to go ahead we can get some contracts drawn up. Filming is set to begin in December if all goes to plan but we understand there’ll be a lot to think about for you both.’ Eilidh stood and everyone else followed suit. ‘I’ve arranged an Uber to pick us up but if it’s okay with you we’ll have a wander around the grounds until it arrives.’
Olivia nodded. ‘Of course. And in the meantime, if you need anything else you have my number.’
They walked to the castle entrance and shook hands. ‘So, does Kerr live here at the castle too?’ Shona asked as she glanced around.
Olivia smiled. ‘He does at the moment, yes. But he runs the nursery along the road so he’s not usually here through the day.’
‘Shame,’ Shona said absent-mindedly. ‘Erm… I mean it’s a shame he’s not here through the day as he’d be a good extra, that’s all I was thinking. We’ll need extras and he’d be good, I think.’
‘You already said that,’ Eilidh said with a grin. ‘We’ll get out of your hair. Thanks again and I’ll be in touch very soon.’
Once they had gone, Brodie slipped his arms around Olivia’s waist. ‘Well, Liv, it looks like Drumblair is going to be a movie star.’
‘And so is Kerr if Shona has anything to do with it,’ she said with a giggle.
Olivia knew there were some very exciting times ahead. But first, she had a wedding to prepare for.