Page 31 of A Highland Family Affair

The thought had crossed her mind, but she wasn’t sure how she could fit designing around her responsibilities at the castle. ‘Hmm… if only I had more hours in a day. I do get lots of inspiration from the castle. But there’s so much to do to keep the place going that I’m not sure I could fit it in.’

‘What about starting your own brand? You designed the Drumblair tartan, why not go all out and set up your own label?’

‘It would be amazing, but I just don’t think I have the time.’

‘You have Charlotte now. She’s doing so well and getting things done.’ He reached over and took her hand again. ‘I just want you to be happy. I want you to be doing the thing that makes you feel like you, and I think that’s designing. It’s why you left Drumblair to go to New York in the first place. Tell me I’m wrong.’

She gazed at him and sighed. ‘You’re not wrong. I just don’t want to spread myself too thinly, that’s all.’

‘I think you should at least think about it. The Olivia MacBain label could be amazing. Will you at least give it some thought?’

She tried not to acknowledge the twinge of disappointment on hearing him use her full name. ‘I will, I promise. And thank you for supporting me. I love that you have such faith in my multitasking abilities.’ She laughed. ‘You have more faith than I do.’

‘Like I said, I just want you to be happy and you sacrificed your dream career for the sake of the castle, which was so admirable, but now things are moving along smoothly at Drumblair with the tours and the rest of it, it would be a good time to get back to doing what you love. And the barn would be the perfect place. You’d be surrounded by other creative types; you’d be so close to home in case you were needed. It seems the most logical thing to do.’

It was as if he had reached inside her mind and pulled out her innermost thoughts. She missed designing terribly and had scribbled down tons of ideas only for them to come to nothing. The thought of starting her own label both excited and terrified her and her stomach flipped at the mere prospect of it.

And Brodie was right, the barn and the other undeveloped outbuildings at the castle would make great studio space and it would feel amazing to get back to doing what she had always wanted to do. But in the back of her mind was the fact that the castle was her responsibility. She was the one tasked with ensuring her parents’ legacy remained intact and with making sure everything ran smoothly. Whilst she had acquired a fantastic team of people, it was her head on the block if anything went wrong.

12

After a brief stop-off in Kyle of Lochalsh for coffee, Brodie followed his satnav directions that took them over the Skye bridge and into the picturesque village of Glentorrin, arriving at half past twelve. ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane came on the Spotify playlist and Olivia smiled. They followed a narrow road until they came to a sign on a pretty building that read Thistle House.

‘Here we are,’ he said as he parked up.

Olivia beamed. ‘It’s even prettier than the photo that was on the booking letter.’

‘Come on, I’ll grab the cases, you go knock on the door.’

Olivia climbed from the car and walked up the short path to the door. She knocked the thistle-shaped knocker against the wood and almost immediately the door opened. A pleasant-looking woman with neat grey hair stood there with a bright smile.

‘Hello there! You must be Mrs MacLeod,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘I’m Morag, do come on in.’

‘Oh, erm, I’m Olivia MacBain but my partner is Brodie MacLeod.’ She took the offered hand and stepped inside.

‘Ah, my mistake, I apologise. Come on in out of the cold, you too, Mr MacLeod.’

Brodie appeared with both suitcases. ‘Thanks very much. Please call me Brodie, though.’

‘And I’m Olivia.’

‘Wonderful. Come on and I’ll show you to your room. I’ve put you in the room overlooking the village. It’s not huge but it has an en suite and it’s very cosy which is a good thing at this time of year, I’m sure you’ll agree.’

She opened the door to the room and stepped aside so the couple could walk in. ‘This is lovely,’ Olivia said as she placed her handbag on the bed. ‘Thank you.’

‘No bother at all. You’ve tea and coffee-making facilities over by the window. The pub next door does delicious food, and they often have live music on too. My husband Kenneth runs the wee grocery around the corner in case you need anything and there’s a lovely bakery across the village next door to the café. You’ll want for nothing while you’re here. But if there’s anything I can do, just pop along the corridor downstairs to the kitchen. Last door along the hallway. I’ll leave you to settle in.’

‘Thanks, Morag, this is great,’ Brodie said just before she closed the door. He turned to Olivia, who was now standing looking out of the window. ‘Is this okay?’ he asked, slipping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder.

‘It’s perfect,’ she replied. The village was pretty with its white-painted houses and businesses. Festive lights were strung around an inlet of water and Olivia was excited to see them lit up in the evening. She was excited to explore, but even more than that, she was looking forward to the following day when they would be surprising Bella at her new place. Even though it had only been a matter of weeks since she had seen Bella, Olivia couldn’t wait to see her again.

Brodie turned her around to face him. ‘I thought we could start our little adventure by visiting that gallery where the paintings for the stable apartments came from. You know the ones Bella got? The artist, Reid Mackinnon, lives right here in Glentorrin. I thought it might be nice to go and choose one for our room.’

‘Oh, yes! That would be so lovely.’

Brodie took her hand and led her out of the room and back outside the guest house. ‘I think I saw a sign on the way in that pointed along this lane, come on.’ They wandered, hand in hand, in the direction Brodie had pointed. The trees were bare, and the branches overhead held a little snow. The sky was a vivid blue now, but it was deceptively cold. Brodie paused and scratched his chin. ‘That’s weird. I can’t see the sign now.’

A giddy ginger dog arrived as if out of nowhere, bouncing around, its tongue lolling out.