Page 53 of Winter Magic at Hollybrae Castle

I squeeze his wrist again and force myself to let go because I’m holding him hostage from the washing up, but I want longer alone with him before someone comes looking for us.

He leans down to whisper in my ear. ‘I feel like I’m doing something really naughty by asking if you want to sleep in my room tonight with your parents under the same roof, but…’

He trails off, leaving it deliberately open-ended, and I can feel my face heating up as I nod. ‘It’s only getting in character for the visitors tomorrow, right?’

He moves until he can press a kiss to the side of my mouth, right on the edge of my lips, a tender peck that’s a promise of more to come, and I have to grab onto the kitchen unit to stay steady. ‘Right.’

We finish the rest of the washing and wiping by humming festive tunes and deliberately bumping into each other, and it’s yet another small moment where I wish he was really mine. I wish this was real, and I wish we could do this every night for the rest of forever, because something as mundane as washing up has no right to feel this good.

‘Lu?’ When we’re done with the dishes, he opens his arms and I step into them gladly. I don’t think there will ever be a situation where I’m able to resist a hug from Ollie, and I bury my face in his chest and inhale his earthy, spiced aftershave that actually smells warm.

‘Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m glad you’re here,’ he murmurs against my hair. ‘I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed anything as much as I’ve enjoyed the last three weeks with you. No matter what happens, I’m so glad you came. Even if the promotion doesn’t go my way, even if they find out the truth, every moment of this month has been worth it. You’ve made the castle feel like home again, and I never thought it would.’

I hold him as tightly as possible. There’s one problem with that… the castle feels like home to me too, and that’s something it can never be.

17

Ollie is pacing between the foyer, the entrance hall, and front door where he keeps looking out to see if the cars are arriving yet. ‘They’re going to be here any minute!’

I feel like a staff member in Downton Abbey, lining up outside to greet visiting royalty.

The Kintyre drizzle means everyone else is waiting in the entrance hall, except for Brian who has taken Rocco on a last-minute shopping trip to choose a present for Mira, and the darkened skies mean even the outside lights are shining through the dullness of the day.

‘You’re worrying too much, Dad. You guys are going to do great – we’ve trained you well!’ Rory and Maisie give each other a fist-bump.

‘We met in an online book group.’ Ollie ignores Rory’s encouragement and keeps repeating our fictitious history to himself. ‘A Christmas Carol. Chatted for years, I invited you here, fell in love with my library. Married on the grounds. Your parents were there. Rory was five, Maisie was three.’

‘Relax.’ I reach out for his arm and pull him to a stop. ‘We’ve got this.’

He rests his head against mine, being careful to avoid the reindeer antler headband I’m wearing, and takes a deep breath. ‘I can’t believe I let you talk me out of putting on a shirt and tie and doing my hair. They’ve never seen me without my hair done.’

I reach up and make his hair look even more dishevelled. ‘Good. You want to sell the idea that you’re a family man, and you’re at home with your kids and in-laws. No one’s wearing a suit on Christmas Eve Eve.’

He looks even better in the Christmas jumper he is wearing, and I’ve put my best non-work jeans on and borrowed a black jumper with stripes of sparkly gold thread and silvery taupe. Mum took a photo of us all together, and we look like a proper little family. Rory and Maisie were over the moon to meet their English grandparents, and the castle could not possibly be any more decorated or ready for the guests who are about to descend. Mum, Dad, Mira, Nancy and Hamish are all gathering as a welcoming party. Our bedroom doors are locked, lest anyone venture in and realise that neither me nor the kids live here. We are ready.

The bosses have come from their respective areas around Glasgow, met at the Tarbert office and followed each other the rest of the way, and it isn’t long before the first of three cars turns into the driveway, followed by another two. They all look like they cost more than a small house.

Maisie and Rory shelter at the top of the steps while Ollie and I walk hand in hand down the driveway to greet everyone in a flurry of shaking hands and loud air kisses.

‘Happy Christmas!’ I throw my arms out wide. ‘Welcome to our home!’

‘Oh, wow.’ Orla looks around in awe. ‘When everyone said Oliver owned a castle, I imagined something less impressive than this.’

‘Well, well, well, this is quite the place, isn’t it?’ Clint looks around like he’s appraising every inch of it, while Gisela embraces me and starts freeing their twin boys from the car, who immediately chase each other around while making dinosaur noises.

From Ollie’s notes, I know they’re nine years old, and I glance up at our two and see Rory roll his eyes and Maisie give him a shove like she thinks he should join in with the dinosaur chasing.

‘Come in, everyone,’ Ollie shouts to be heard over the chaos. ‘Maisie and Rory are so excited to meet you, and Lu’s family have arrived unexpectedly too, so we’re quite a houseful!’

Maisie and Rory are by far the most splendidly behaved offspring who have ever been hired, and they greet everyone in such a delightful way that Halston congratulates us on having such charming children and shoots a look at Clint’s twins, who are too busy screaming like pterodactyls at each other to get the hint.

‘Oh, you’re here!’ Dand says when he meets my parents. ‘Usually Lucy comes to visit you, yes?’

‘We couldn’t let a Christmas pass without seeing our daughter and wonderful son-in-law!’ Mum trills like she’s been practising.

‘It must be such a relief after all poor Lucy’s health issues.’

‘Health issues?’