Chapter 43
Bex arranged for Gordon to arrive with documents for Kieron to sign, formally agreeing not to contest the will or involve himself in any challenges. It was a great idea, thought up by Keith and wholeheartedly supported by Ishbel.
Bex also signed an agreement stating that as long as Kieron did not interfere with the will proceedings and told his friends to rescind their accusations of embezzlement, she would not sue him for defamation.
Given that she – or at least Duncan – now had substantially more financial support behind them, Kieron seemed far less willing to fight his corner.
Although that may also have been due to Ishbel’s presence.
The way he looked at her, like he was a scorned puppy, almost made her feel sorry for him. But not really.
Meeting Ishbel was perhaps the most unexpectedly joyful part of the day. But given how fondly Fergus had spoken of her, Bex wasn’t entirely surprised.
‘Next time I come, I want to learn all about my niece,’ she said, turning to Keith. ‘Every little detail you can remember. If it’s not too painful for you to talk about her, of course.’
‘It would be my honour.’
Her smile beamed. ‘And perhaps if you have any photos of her that you might be willing to share?’
‘I will find some and send them over.’
‘That would mean the world to me, thank you.’
As they broke apart, she moved to Duncan.
‘My dear boy.’ She pulled him into her, before any more tears could fall, but when she stepped back, her make-up showed the tiniest smudge at the corner of her eye.
‘Anything you need, you call me. You understand? That’s what aunties are for.
Especially aunties who had to miss out on the first thirty years of spoiling you rotten. ’
‘Thank you,’ Duncan said softly.
‘And I trust,’ she added with a playful smile, ‘that I’ll be invited here when you start throwing grand parties.’
‘Absolutely. You know, you’re welcome to stay if you want.’
‘I wouldn’t want to impose. You’ve been kept out of your house long enough.’
Rather than Keith driving them back to the airport, Duncan had enlisted the help of Roddy. As the car carrying Kieron and his mother disappeared down the driveway, the remaining family stood in the doorway, watching it leave.
‘Wow,’ Duncan said after a moment. ‘What do we do now?’
Bex slipped her hand into his. ‘Well,’ she said with a smile, ‘I guess we get everyone inside. We’ve got plenty of room for them to stay now.’
He grinned before turning into the doorway and walking through. Bex immediately followed suit, only to stop a couple of steps in, when she realised no one else was moving.
‘What are you waiting for?’ she asked. ‘Let’s head inside. It’s freezing out here.’
Yet still, no one moved. Bex looked at Duncan. Whatever was going on between the others, he clearly had no idea either. But there was definitely something going on, judging by the way Lorna was looking at her stepfather, eyebrows raised expectantly.
‘No, this isn’t the right time,’ Keith said.
‘Of course it is,’ Lorna replied. ‘This is exactly the right time.’
‘Dad?’ Duncan was back outside the house. Clearly, whatever was going on between Lorna and Keith required some discussion, but given Duncan had just inherited a castle with nearly thirty rooms, she was sure there was somewhere inside they could talk privately.
‘Guys, can this happen in the warm?’ Bex asked.
‘Of course it can,’ Keith replied, though before he could move, Lorna grabbed his arm. ‘It’ll take one minute. That’s all. Give it to him. Give it to him now.’
With his lips twitching and pursing, Keith looked to Carrie, who offered a short nod. Then, with a noise close to a tut, he reached into his pocket and pulled a clenched fist back out again, which he held out to his son.
‘What’s this?’ Duncan asked, walking over to him.
Keith met his son’s gaze. ‘It’s the ring. Fergus’s mother’s that he’d insisted I’d give your mother. Lorna wanted to make sure you had it.’
With a smirk filling her face, Lorna looked at Bex, who could only roll her eyes, while Duncan took the ring and slipped it into his own pocket with just a slight muttering of thanks.
‘Come on,’ she said. ‘We’ll have loads to look at inside. Please, can we get inside before someone else gets hypothermia?’
‘Someone else?’ her mother said. ‘What do you mean, someone else?’
Rather than responding, Bex ushered them back inside, suggesting they all head to the drawing room before doing a castle tour together. When everyone was in, dogs included, she moved to close the door, only to find Duncan standing in her way.
‘So?’ He looked at her as if he expected her to know what he was talking about. It was only when she saw the way his hands were fidgeting that she realised he hadn’t pocketed the ring at all. It was still there in his hand.
‘What are you asking me?’ she said, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
‘Would it be clearer if I asked it like this?’ Wordlessly, he knelt down on one knee, then lifted his hand, and the ring, up to her.
‘There’s no way I can do this without you,’ he said. ‘And not a chance in hell I want to. So, what do you think, Rebecca Barker? Will you marry me?’
Tears filled Bex’s eyes.
‘Duncan. This is ridiculous. This is… People don’t do this… You have enough… You need to…’
She couldn’t get a single full sentence out. Yet Duncan didn’t seem to care. Instead, a broad smile crossed his face.
‘So is that an aye?’ he said.
‘Yes! Aye!’ Bex dropped down to the floor next to him, not even able to see through the tears as she clamped her hands around his cheeks and, feeling as though her heart might burst, kissed him with more love than she never knew it was possible to feel. ‘Yes! Yes, of course I’ll marry you.’
For a moment it was only them. Her and Duncan. As long as they had their life together, it didn’t matter if they were living in a castle or a shed, they would find a way through it. Whatever ups and downs they were going to face, they would face together.
Only when she broke away did she see their family standing there in the doorway to the drawing room, clasping one another’s hands as they whooped with joy.
Never had her heart, or her life, ever felt so full, she thought, seeing all the love that surrounded her.
And when Bex met her soon-to-be-sister-in-law’s eye, Lorna winked as she grinned.
‘Good thing I brought that champagne after all, right?’