Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
When Heather opened her eyes on the morning of her wedding, it was snowing.
She blinked, waiting for her eyes to focus, thinking that it must be an optical illusion, but when she opened her eyes again and stared at the crack in the long velvet curtains, she could see the large snowflakes drifting lazily in the breeze.
‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ she muttered, leaping out of the bed she’d been sharing with her twin.
All six sisters had stayed at the castle the night before, to be here and ready for the big day, along with the Campbells and Aunt Joan and Aunt Chrissie.
Angus and Catriona had stayed at the Inn and would be coming up in the morning for breakfast. ‘Violet! Vi! Wake up!’ She shook her sister’s shoulder and ran to the window.
‘What?’ Violet sat up, her hair tangled and her pyjama buttons done up haphazardly. ‘Is it time? What’s up?’ She blinked owlishly.
‘It’s snowing. It’s snowing, Vi.’ Heather tore open the curtains and gazed out at the castle gardens below. ‘Oh, bloody hell. It’s really deep. It’s settled overnight!’ She emitted a panicked scream. ‘Vi. Vi!’
‘Happy Christmas.’ Violet mumbled. ‘Is it Christmas?’
‘Yes. Look!’ Heather stood at the window. ‘Oh, my goodness.’
‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ Violet mumbled, taking a blanket off the top of the bed to wrap around herself before coming to stand at the window. She swore. ‘Yep. It is.’ Violet pressed her face up against the glass. ‘Look at how deep it’s settled on the sill. Must be at least six, seven inches.’
‘But it wasn’t forecast!’ Heather wailed, wrapping her arms around herself and going for the robe she’d flung at the end of the bed the night before when they’d got back from the wild swimming at the loch.
It was cold in the room; Aunt Joan constantly criticised the heating at the castle, and now Heather could see why.
She put her hand on the old cast iron radiator, under the window. It was only lukewarm.
‘Love, we live on an island with its own ideas about weather. You know that.’ Violet got back into bed and pulled the covers around her to keep warm.
‘I know! But it usually just rains! Or it’s windy! It’s not like we have more snow than anyone else.’
‘Well, the Beira decided to give you the gift of snow for your wedding.’ Violet shrugged, looking at her phone.
‘Weather forecast says more snow and one degree all day, so it’s not going anywhere.
’ She looked up, catching the panicked look on Heather’s face.
‘Heather, love. Come on, it’s okay. You’ll just have a snowy wedding, that’s all. I mean, it is Christmas.’
‘I suppose it is quite magical.’ Heather got back into bed next to her sister.
‘Happy Christmas, sis.’ Violet gave her a hug.
‘Happy Christmas.’ Heather returned the hug, though she could feel the panic surging inside her like a tidal wave.
What would this mean for the wedding? Would the guests still be able to get here?
Would the caterers be able to make it up to the castle?
The decorations had been put up the day before, thankfully, but all the bouquets and flowers were due to be delivered.
Heather, Catriona and Evelinda had also planned a bonfire, and Heather had wanted to have some of her photos taken outside too.
‘Happy snowy wedding day,’ Vi said. ‘What? I’m sorry,’ she added, seeing her sister’s face.
‘Heather, It’s just a bit of snow. The important thing is that we’re all here, Matty’s here, and we’ll make the rest happen, okay?
Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.’ Violet hugged her again.
‘I’m going to do your make-up, and your hair, and you’re going to look a million dollars. Okay?’ she added, softly.
‘Okay,’ Heather sighed.
‘Right, then. Let’s go down for breakfast and we can see what’s what. But before we do…’ Violet reached to the bedside table, opened the drawer and reached inside. She handed a small box to her sister. ‘That’s your Christmas present. Or your wedding present. You choose.’
‘Vi! You didn’t have to.’ Heather took the box, genuinely surprised.
She’d got each of her sisters a personalised present for being a bridesmaid, and the family had agreed that they’d all do a Secret Santa for Christmas presents, as the wedding was taking centre stage.
She wasn’t expecting anything from Violet.
‘I know I didn’t have to, silly. I wanted to.’ Violet watched as Heather tore open the gold wrapping paper, tied with a red bow. ‘I saw it when I was in France and I thought you’d like it.’
‘Oh, my gosh… Vi!’ Heather looked up from the box at her sister, with amazement on her face. ‘This is so beautiful!’ From the box she took out a large rose-pink cameo pendant set in gold on a gold necklace. ‘I’ve always wanted one of these!’ She gazed at the cameo and then at her sister. ‘Twins!’
Unusually, the cameo featured profiles of two Victorian-looking ladies facing each other inside an oval-shaped pendant.
‘I know. And they look like us, don’t you think?
’ Violet took the pendant from her sister gently and held it up next to her face.
‘I thought so, anyway. It’s really unusual to find one with two women on it.
I thought it would be nice to wear today, if you wanted.
Or any other day, I won’t be at all offended.
’ She held up her hands, defensively. ‘I know you’ve had a lot of suggestions to take on board for the wedding, Heather.
Honestly, I don’t know how you’ve managed to be so nice to everyone. I would have cracked after day one.’
‘Ha. You stand up for yourself more. I found it difficult, but we got through it.’ Heather took the pendant Violet handed back to her. ‘I can’t believe you found a cameo of us. It’s so lovely, Vi. Thank you.’ She grabbed her sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
‘It’s engraved on the back.’ Violet rubbed her cheek, grinning.
‘Is it?’ Heather turned the cameo over. ‘Oh, Vi.’ Her eyes misted over with tears.
‘Don’t be daft.’ Violet tutted, although she looked pleased.
‘Twins. Sisters. Friends. For Heather, from Violet, with love.’ Heather read aloud.
‘I’ll always be your friend, okay? Whatever happens with Matty and the rest of them.’ Violet stared into Heather’s eyes with a fierce love. ‘You and me, we’re an item. Forever. Okay?’
‘Okay.’ Heather nodded, her heart bursting with happiness. ‘Forever.’
When they got down to breakfast, everyone was running around with a job to do, and Elizabeth Campbell stood in the centre of everything, issuing orders.
‘Good morning, dear.’ She kissed Heather on the cheek and then Violet.
‘Happy Christmas. And happy wedding day. Now. I’m sure you’ve noticed the snow, but I want to assure you that everything is in hand.
So, you just go and enjoy your breakfast in the dining room, and let me take care of everything. ’
Although it was only half past nine, Elizabeth was dressed smartly in a dove-grey silk skirt suit and vertiginous heels, with a tartan scarf at her neck.
Her blonde hair was coiffed and sprayed within an inch of its life, and she held her large mobile phone as if it was a clipboard, tapping at it with long, pointed nails in a pearl-white lacquer.
‘Um… but… there’s so many things that might be affected.
How will people even get up here? Are the roads usable?
What about the drive?’ Heather questioned.
She ran to the main door of the castle, dodging past Elizabeth’s security detail who were coming back in from outside.
An icy blast of air hit Heather as the heavy oak doors opened, and she looked outside to a world encased in white.
‘Oh,’ she breathed as she gazed out, standing at the door in her slippers and robe. Violet came to stand next to her.
‘Wow. Like a fairy tale,’ Violet observed.
The fir trees that clustered along the drive up to the castle were tipped with snow, and icicles glistened at the ends of their branches.
The snow on the ground lay like a deep, quiet blanket; it was perfectly smooth, gently undulating where it lay over plant pots, bushes and shrubs.
The snow itself glittered in the morning sun like powdered diamonds.
‘Yeah. It’s gorgeous. But that snow must be a foot deep!’ Heather felt the panic coming back, and then she felt Elizabeth’s hand on her arm.
‘Don’t worry, Heather. I’ve got this. I promise.
’ Her mother-in-law-to-be reassured her.
‘There is no way on earth that this wedding isn’t happening because of a bit of snow.
I’m going to have the roads gritted in the next two hours and the drive cleared.
I’ve spoken to the local police, and the protestors for the golf course have cleared, since I had someone go down there and take down the signs for the development, and explain to everyone that it’s not happening,’ Elizabeth added.
‘So that’s one less thing to worry about.
I was concerned that a crowd of those well-meaning do-gooders would get in the way of anyone driving up to the wedding. ’
Heather had messaged her sisters on the group chat the night before when she’d got home about the gift of the land, and the news that the golf course wasn’t happening.
It hadn’t felt right to announce it in front of everyone the night before; Heather felt that would have implied that everyone knew the golf course was a bad idea to begin with, and it might have made Elizabeth feel bad.
Now that Heather understood more about her mother-in-law, she had decided to feel protective – and proud – of her, rather than antagonistic.
‘And if I have to, I will go into Portree myself in the car and bring back all the food and flowers WITH MY BARE HANDS. You don’t have to worry about it, dear. I will not have my daughter-in-law worried about anything. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Violet stepped back, visibly impressed.
‘Okay,’ Heather said quietly. ‘Thank you, Elizabeth.’