CHAPTER ELEVEN
Armed with copies of the newspaper, Innis headed to the cafe bar to talk to Brodrick.
‘We’d like to order extra ice cream for the buffet,’ Innis told him.
‘No problem,’ said Brodrick as he worked behind the bar making coffee and hot chocolate for customers. ‘I’ll talk to Nairne for the exact quantities and flavours you need.’
‘Great, I appreciate it. The advertising feature is out in the newspaper and Finlay says we’ve had people booking tickets for the ball because of it.’
‘I’ll phone Nairne and get the increased order sorted out. And I’ve tried some of those chocolate samples you gave me, and they work a treat in the ice cream, so I’ll include those.’
‘Do that.’ He turned to leave but Brodrick’s comment made him stop.
‘Elspeth says you’ve asked Skye to go with your as your date for the ball. It’s about time you two got together.’
Innis smiled and shook his head. ‘Skye’s challenged me to a sledging race the day before the ball.’
‘Sorry, Innis, but my money is on Skye winning.’
‘When it comes to Skye nothing would surprise me.’
Smiling, Innis left to tackle his next chore, smoothing things over with Lyle.
‘Try one of my new festive yum yums.’ Lyle thrust a plate piled with several of the iced treats at Innis as he walked up to the tea shop counter. Customers were sitting at tables enjoying tea, cake and scones, and the fire added warmth to the atmosphere.
‘Is it a new recipe?’ Innis picked one up and studied it, glad that Lyle didn’t seem miffed regarding their earlier encounter.
‘Yes, I’ve added a sprinkling of cinnamon and other spices that I use in my Christmas cakes.’
Innis took a bite and nodded. ‘Very tasty,’ he mumbled. ‘I just wanted to say that I got the wrong end of the stick in the dress shop. I thought you were chatting up Skye.’
‘Nooo.’
‘I know that now. And I hear you had a cosy night with Holly.’ He took another bite of his yum yum, waiting to hear the details.
‘We’re just friends. I was showing her how to bake scones.’
Innis gave him a knowing look. ‘I heard you were waltzing her around the tea shop late at night.’
Lyle couldn’t contain his smile. ‘Nothing happened. It was all just friendly.’
Innis shrugged, smiled and then headed out eating the rest of his tasty treat.
The Christmas market was abuzz with activity and it was usual practise for Innis to buy items in support of the stallholders. He walked over to Ailsa’s stall and she smiled when she saw him.
He admired the selection of fashion jewellery that glittered in the sunlight. It was almost lunchtime, and the snow had held off all morning.
‘Looking for something in particular?’ said Ailsa. ‘Something for Skye?’
Innis grinned. ‘Okay, what do you recommend?’ Then he noticed the head bands. ‘Are those tiaras?’
‘Yes, but Skye has one already to match her pink ball gown. But what about a little evening bag.’ Ailsa lifted a pink satin bag she’d decorated with pink sequins and crystals. ‘It would be a fine match for her dress.’
‘I’ll take it, thanks. And I’ll buy one of the pink gift bags you make.’ He paid for the items, and then looked at the yarn in the next stall.
Rowen had sample bags of yarn made up from her latest ranges. ‘These are my new yarns. There’s enough in each bag to make a hat, mittens or something like that.’ The bags were made up by colour.
‘I’ll take two bags of the pink yarn. One yellow, and one blue.’ A pink and a yellow for Rosabel and Primrose. Pink for Skye and blue for Holly.
‘Thanks, Innis,’ Rowen said, handing him the four bags of yarn. She wanted to comment on his date with Skye, but kept her comments to herself.
Innis walked back to the cake shop loaded with the newspapers, the evening bag and the yarn.
‘I bought these from Rowen’s stall.’ He gave a bag of pink yarn to Rosabel and the yellow yarn to Primrose.
They were delighted by the unexpected gifts of yarn.
‘Thank you, Innis,’ said Rosabel. ‘This pink yarn is gorgeous.’
‘Yes, I love the yellow,’ Primrose added. ‘That was very thoughtful of you.’
Innis walked on through to the kitchen leaving them to chatter about what they planned to knit with the yarn.
He put the evening bag down on a shelf out of harm’s way. Ailsa had wrapped it up. Then he sat down for a moment to read the feature in the newspaper, nodding to himself as he noticed that Merrilees had mentioned everything from the castle being like something out of a fairytale, to the ballroom size function room, the hotel–style accommodation for guests, and that there would be a sumptuous buffet for the ball on Christmas Eve.
When he finished reading it, he sat back and phoned Finlay.
‘I’ve just read the feature. Merrilees has done a great job. Even I want to go to the ball now.’
Finlay laughed. ‘You’d better be there...with Skye.’
‘Does everyone know?’
‘Oh, yes. Including Ean. He’s pleased for you. Now we’ve all got a date for the ball.’
Innis told him about talking to Lyle and Brodrick, bringing him up to date with everything.
‘Thank Merrilees for doing such a great job with the feature,’ Innis concluded.
‘I’ll do that.’
After the call, Innis got to work making his cakes and icing them. He was behind schedule and put a spurt on. By the afternoon he’d caught up with everything and then continued to work as the sky outside changed from bright blue to winter grey. The snow was on its way again. Another snowy night.
Skye continued to alter the ball gowns that had been bought earlier in the day. Thankfully, the alterations were minor, requiring mainly hems to be altered.
Although they’d tried to insist to the customers that they liked to check each dress and mend any wear and tear before selling it, quite a few of the ladies were members of the knitting bee and wanted to buy the ball gowns and take them away to sort themselves. As most of them were experienced in dressmaking and sewing, this made sense. The rails that had been full of ball gowns were now a little bit sparse, but the second half of the order was due to be delivered the next day. And Skye now had more time to work on making some of the evening dresses fit for the ball.
Holly hurried in carrying two lanterns. ‘Sorry, I got held up. The stalls were busy, but I bought two lanterns.’ She held them up. ‘Aren’t they lovely.’
‘Yes, I’m looking forward to the lantern walk.’
Holly spoke in a confiding tone. ‘Everyone was talking to me about you and Innis going to the ball.’
Skye blushed. ‘I still can’t believe he asked me in front of the entire shop.’
‘He’s apologised to Lyle. I happened to walk past the tea shop and popped in to see Lyle. I told him I’m going to practise making scones at home this evening.’
Holly told her what had happened between Lyle and Innis. ‘So everything is fine. Oh, and...Rowen says Innis bought a load of yarn from her stall. Four bags full.’
Skye frowned. ‘Innis doesn’t knit.’
‘I’m just saying.’ Holly went through to the kitchen to make tea. ‘We haven’t stopped for lunch, but Lyle gave me a crusty baguette filled with cheese and salad. I was going to buy two small rolls, but Lyle said he wanted to give me a long one.’ She filled the kettle. ‘I thought we could have that and then get on with the dress alterations.’
‘Great, I’ll finish this hem and then we’ll take a short break.’
They sat in the kitchen and ate their late lunch.
‘I’m not supposed to tell you, but Ailsa says Innis bought a wee something for you from her stall,’ Holly revealed.
‘What did he buy me?’
‘She wouldn’t tell me. I think she thought I’d blab.’
Skye pondered what it could be.
After lunch, Skye and Holly ramped up their repairing for wearing methods, working on the ball gowns at speed to cut through the workload.
Holly draped a pale blue ball gown on to a mannequin in the front window and laughed when she glanced round at Skye working industriously at her sewing machine.
‘You look like you’re drowning in organza and sparkle.’
Skye pretended to swim to the surface and gurgled, gasping for air.
They were still laughing when Holly saw Innis loading white cardboard boxes into the back of his car. This was usual. They were delivered to the cake shop and then he took them up to the castle for his chocolatier work.
Holly waved out to him, not expecting him to gesture that he had something for them. At least that’s what she interpreted the hand gestures as.
‘Go to red alert! I think Innis is heading this way,’ Holly warned Skye lightly.
Beeping and pretending to switch to red alert mode, Skye frantically tidied the wispy strands of hair that had escaped from her pinned up pleats.
‘The wolf has wool!’ Holly managed to tell Skye playfully before Innis arrived with the two bags of pink and blue yarn.
Innis walked in carrying the two bags full of yarn. ‘I bought these from Rowen’s stall at the Christmas market. I hope you can use them.’ He wasn’t sure where to put them down because almost every handy surface was covered with trays of sequins, crystals and fabric.
Skye unravelled herself from the dress she was sewing and accepted the bags. ‘This pink yarn is so pretty.’
‘I think you like pink,’ he said. ‘And you mentioned that you were knitting a red jumper so I thought this would be different.’ He really didn’t know what he was talking about but Skye seemed happy with the yarn.
Holly was pleased with the blue. ‘Thank you, Innis. Rowen’s yarn is lovely to knit with.’
‘I think I’ll knit a woolly hat to match my sledge,’ Skye said with a mischievous grin. ‘Dress for success. And you’ll be able to see me easier in my pink hat as I race ahead of you.’
Innis smiled, shook his head and headed out. ‘I’ll leave you to get on with your sewing.’
They waved him off as he went back to his cake shop.
Admiring the yarn and planning what to knit with it, Skye finished sewing more sequins on to one of the ball gown bodices.
‘Do you want to keep working here rather than head home?’ said Holly. ‘By the time we pack up all these sequins and stuff, and then set it all up at home after cooking dinner, we’d be as well continuing here. I’m sure I saw a couple of tins of soup in the kitchen cupboard.’ Holly went through to check. ‘Yes, but we really need to restock the cupboards.’
‘I meant to buy a selection from the grocery shop, but it’s been such a hectic time.’
Holly stood in the doorway of the kitchen and held up the two tins of soup. ‘Lentil or broth?’
Skye had noticed people going by their shop and heading into Brodrick’s cafe bar next door. ‘We could pop out for a bite to eat. Less hassle, less to clear up.’
Holly thought this was a sensible idea.
‘It’s one of Brodrick’s Christmas nights. I’ll see how busy it is.’
Running out into the snowy night, Skye shivered as she peered in the window of the cafe bar. It was jumping with people. They’d never get a table.
‘Hungry or practising being stealthy?’ Innis’ deep voice made her jump and turn around.
‘Yes.’
As Innis grinned at her retort, Lyle approached.
‘Is something sneaky going on? I saw you spying in the window of the cafe bar,’ Lyle commented.
‘Holly and I are working late at the shop and thought we’d grab something to eat at the cafe bar.’ Skye glanced in the window. ‘But it’s jumping with people.’
By now Holly stood in the dress shop doorway joining in.
Lyle thumbed towards his tea shop. ‘Come and have dinner with me. I’ve been batch baking quiche for my traditional festive tea event. I can spare one large quiche with salad trimmings and a pot of tea between the four of us.’
Innis reeled back. ‘I wasn’t planning to—’
‘Come on,’ Lyle encouraged them, walking away and waving them to follow him. ‘We’ll all freeze out here.’
Holly pulled the dress shop door shut and locked it.
And the four of them headed into the warmth of the tea shop.
‘Make yourselves cosy by the fire,’ Lyle called through to them as he marched ahead into the kitchen.
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ Holly offered, following him, and leaving Skye and Innis to get a heat by the fire. Christmas lights pinned around the mantelpiece added to the cosy glow.
‘Lyle has got a great business here,’ Innis remarked. ‘His hard work and talent for baking has paid off.’
‘We had one of his savoury baguettes for lunch. If he keeps feeding us tasty treats, we’d be as well moving into the tea shop with him,’ Skye joked.
‘Ah, don’t tempt me,’ Lyle said, coming through with a tray of napkins, cutlery and condiments and setting them down on the table at the fire. ‘Holly would train up well as my baking assistant extraordinaire. Though I doubt I’d be adept at dressmaking.’
Lyle hurried back to the kitchen as the oven pinged. ‘The quiche is ready.’
Pulling a large quiche from the oven, he cut it into four generous wedges and put each slice on the four plates that Holly had set up.
‘You’re learning fast,’ Lyle complimented her playfully.
‘I have a top–level patisserie chef training me.’
Lyle laughed, and added side salads to the quiche, then carried two plates through while Holly grabbed the others.
‘Is this your special quiche?’ Innis recognised it from the pictures attached to the recipe he’d recommended to Nairne.
‘It is. I’ve added extra courgette and cherry tomatoes, roast red onion, greentails and my own festive mix of spices,’ said Lyle.
By now, Holly had brought the pot of tea and cups through on a tray.
Lyle poured the tea and sat down to enjoy dinner with his friends. He raised his tea cup and proposed at toast. ‘To cosy nights and great company.’
The foursome tipped their cups together and then tucked into the quiche and salad.
‘I’m certainly encouraging Nairne to include this on the ball’s buffet menu,’ said Innis.
‘I hope you’re serving this at your festive tea event,’ Skye said, enjoying the savoury treat.
‘I am indeed,’ Lyle confirmed. ‘And I’ve booked your table for two at one of the front windows upstairs in the new extension. The view of the sea is wonderful.’
‘Thanks, Lyle,’ Holly told him.
The warmth of the smile between them showed a spark of connection. Skye noticed and glanced at Innis. He’d noticed it too. They didn’t say anything, but it was clear that the potential for a new romance was brewing between Holly and Lyle.
Christmas songs played unobtrusively in the background as they ate their meal and chatted about their business and plans for the festive season.
‘I love this song,’ said Holly. It had long been a favourite of hers.
Lyle stood up and held out his hand. ‘May I have this dance before you run off to get on with your dressmaking?’
Giggling, Holly took his hand and he led her into the same space they’d danced the night before.
Skye smiled warmly for a moment, pleased that Holly had found romance for Christmas. It hadn’t been a mystery man, but instead was the man she’d known all along.
‘Shall we?’ Innis’ voice cut into her faraway thoughts.
‘Yes.’ Skye stood up and soon she was being held in his strong and capable hands, waltzing along with Holly and Lyle to the music while the snow fell outside the windows of the tea shop.