Chapter 7
SEVEN
Elizabeth’s two daughters-in-law were seated at her left and right. Heather wondered whether they accompanied Elizabeth everywhere, and whether they’d also been summoned to the dining room that morning by a black-suited member of Elizabeth’s security retinue.
That was what had happened to Heather. She’d spent the previous night, after the Campbells had arrived, back at the Balhennie Inn, and had been startled by a hammering on the door when she’d been having her breakfast – kippers and half a bagel with smashed avocado – in the kitchen.
Luckily, she’d got dressed before she came down for breakfast and wasn’t wearing her beloved old fleece dressing gown and brushed cotton pyjamas, but had put on a cashmere cardigan the colour of heather over a plain white tee and jeans.
It seemed that Matty’s mother didn’t believe in mobile phones.
Dutifully, Heather had hurriedly got changed and accompanied the man in the black suit in his SUV to the castle.
She didn’t appreciate being summoned like this, especially being summoned to her own uncle’s castle.
The cheek of it, she muttered to herself, as she climbed into the back of the palatial car.
Part of her was surprised not to see a soft-focus framed photo of Elizabeth Campbell riding triumphantly on the back of a horse when she got in.
I think that’s what dictators go for these days.
But Heather kept her thoughts to herself.
She wanted to keep the peace. She wanted to build a relationship with her new mother-in-law.
If Elizabeth Campbell wanted to send her personal security person to come and collect Heather to take her to the castle that she’d grown up playing in, that was up to her.
Heather still had no idea what Elizabeth had been up to the day before, ducking out of the drawing room and arguing with some strange man in his car. Perhaps that was normal for her; perhaps her life was one long series of secret assignations and throwing envelopes at people.
However, Heather was barely holding it together. That morning, she’d woken up to a text from Matty that had made her heart sink into her stomach.
I’m going to be away for a few days. Something came up at work that I have to deal with. I’ll see you soon, baby. Xxx
Heather had stared at the text all the way to Balhennie Castle.
Last night, Angus and Catriona had made their excuses after an hour or so and brought Heather back to the Inn with them.
Everyone had made polite conversation, but nobody could ignore the huge elephant in the room: Matty wasn’t there.
It was the first time that Heather and Matty’s families had met each other. And he was absent.
‘Er. Yes.’ Heather did her best to return Elizabeth’s gimlet stare, but she had to look away, uncomfortably.
‘She is marrying Matty,’ Sorrel interrupted.
Heather had felt as though she needed some moral support, so she’d asked her oldest sister to come to the meeting to be with her.
Sorrel had recently come back to Skye after being away for ten years; she’d left under a cloud, but she was rebuilding her relationship with her family now, and had got back together with her lost love, Tam Blackwood.
Things seemed to be going very well between them.
Plus, Heather thought that she was a good choice to provide moral support: having ten years of experience as a property developer, Sorrel was more than able to hold her own in stressful situations. ‘There’s no mystery about that.’
‘I’m delighted to hear it, given that my son is nowhere to be found,’ Elizabeth said tartly. ‘Will he be back soon, Heather? It is customary for a young man to actually attend his wedding, I believe.’
‘Of course he will!’ Sorrel interjected. ‘He’s been called away to work, hasn’t he, Heather?’
‘Yes. That’s right,’ Heather agreed, grateful for her sister, but the anxiety of Matty’s absence was killing her. ‘There was something urgent. He’ll be back soon. It’s still a couple of weeks until the wedding.’
‘Twelve days. And, I hope so.’ Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. ‘Clara, can you turn that godforsaken music off, please?’ She gestured vaguely at the ceiling. ‘I can’t think with that din going on.’
‘It’s Debussy, but sure,’ Sorrel muttered. Some of the rooms in the castle had surround sound, and Evelinda liked to put on relaxed classical music in the background.
Clara jumped up and chased around the room, looking for a control panel. Sighing, Sorrel got up and helped her. The music was turned off.
‘Better. And now, if we could only get rid of this ghastly room fragrance. It gives me hives.’ Elizabeth shuddered. At the same moment, Claire entered the room carrying a pot of coffee. Heather looked up at just the right moment to see her rolling her eyes.
In fact, Heather liked the fact that the castle always smelled nice. The dining room was currently scented with pine and eucalyptus.
Heather had replied to the message she’d got that morning, but had no response.
What’s happening at work? It was really weird and awful being on my own yesterday.
Everyone was asking where you were.
Heather disliked lying. She was honest to a fault.
Yet, in this situation, she felt as though she had to pretend everything was okay.
What other option was there? Her parents had asked her how things were when they’d got back to the Inn the night before, but Heather had pretended she was tired, and gone to bed to avoid their questions.
She didn’t feel strong enough to say what was really wrong: that they’d rowed. That Matty had lied to her, and now he was ignoring her, it seemed.
That made Heather feel very uncomfortable, but she didn’t seem to be able to express her feelings clearly to her family.
She wanted to tell them everything that had been going on, but she felt they’d judge her.
Heather wondered whether they’d say, We told you, it’s too soon, he love-bombed you, and see what happened.
‘Well, then. To get to business: I have some requests for the wedding.’ Elizabeth handed everyone a printed agenda with bullet points. ‘I thought it would be better to talk everything through in person.’
Heather stared at the agenda in horror, and exchanged a concerned look with her sister.
Wedding dress
Jewellery
Traditional Catholic service
Approved catering
Helipad?
Branded transport – Campbell tartan on SUVs
Seating arrangements
Guest list
‘Helipad?’ Heather looked up from the agenda in alarm. ‘Why do we need one of those?’
‘For the guests arriving in helicopters, dear. Keep up,’ Elizabeth said, as if helicopters were the most everyday form of transport in the world. ‘They have to land somewhere. What do you want them to do otherwise? Jump out in a mid-hover?’
‘Um. No, that’s not what I meant, Lady Campbell.’ Heather frowned, sensing that what she thought was completely obvious was not obvious to Matty’s mother.
‘Then what did you mean? Speak up,’ Lady Campbell demanded. ‘We don’t have all day.’
‘It’s less than two weeks before the wedding,’ Heather said, feeling as if she had unwittingly been drafted into the Campbells’ TV show, and at any minute, someone was going to shout ‘CUT!’
Heather had seen the show, and the helipad conversation was pretty par for the course as far as the dialogue went. She wondered whether Elizabeth really did have a softer side, or whether Matty was delusional.
I guess I just assumed that nobody would be like that in real life, Heather thought. When she’d thought about the Campbells at all, she’d assumed that a lot of it was made up or enhanced for the show.
‘It’s just… there’s not long now to change anything,’ Heather added pensively.
‘I’m aware of that,’ Elizabeth replied crisply.
‘It’s all been organised already, is what I mean. I can talk you through what we’ve put in place so that you’re familiar, of course, but…’ Heather tried to be helpful. Perhaps Elizabeth just didn’t understand what they were trying to say.
‘No. I have certain requirements,’ Elizabeth said.
She spoke in the tone of a woman who was used to having her own staff.
I am not your PA, your cleaner or your private security, Heather thought, angrily.
Again, she kept her feelings bottled up.
It didn’t feel fair, but she also didn’t feel strong or supported enough to say, None of this is my fault.
Your son has disappeared and left me to deal with you, and you are being unreasonable.
‘But… it’s less than two weeks before the wedding,’ Sorrel repeated.
‘Yes. Why do you girls keep wasting time telling me that? I do have access to a calendar, you know,’ Elizabeth said sharply. ‘The point is, all of these things can be rectified quickly. Clara and Estella will assist.’
‘Things don’t need to be rectified. They’re not wrong,’ Sorrel argued.
Heather felt grateful for Sorrel being there. At least her older sister was able to say what she couldn’t.
‘You may be right,’ Elizabeth sighed. ‘But seeing as I was only made aware of this wedding, and Heather’s existence, two weeks ago, then you’ll forgive me if I’m playing catch-up with the wedding prep.
The fact is that my son is marrying your sister.
’ Lady Campbell addressed Sorrel directly, unblinking.
‘And if you think that I’m just going to sit back and let it happen in whatever provincial, casual, budget way you’ve planned, you have another think coming.
We are the Campbells. We have standards.
And the world’s press will be watching.’
‘I don’t even know where to start with that!’ Sorrel exclaimed. ‘Heather! You can’t let her talk to you like that!’ Heather’s sister stood up.
‘Sorrel. Please. Let’s just hear Lady Campbell out,’ Heather said, as placatingly as she could.
‘But Heather!’ Sorrel protested.