Page 37 of A Highland Family Affair

Brodie had placed the tray on the bed and the smell of fresh coffee and pastries infiltrated her nostrils, reminding her that she had been too excited to eat the night before.

Once breakfast was finished and Olivia had got ready, they left the guest house and headed along the road towards the police station. Harris’s bike was parked outside, as was Fifi, Bella’s ancient red Citroën 2CV. A wave of excitement came over her as they approached the door of the little white-painted house that had been built on to the side of the police station when the former bothy was converted fairly recently.

Olivia pressed the camera doorbell on the front door and waited. She heard a squeal and thunderous footsteps running from another part of the house and then the door was flung open. Bella launched herself at Olivia, almost knocking her from her feet.

‘Oh my God, you’re actually here!’ Bella yelled excitedly, hugging Olivia tightly. ‘When I saw you on my doorbell camera I thought I was hallucinating! But you’re actually here, in person! On Skye!’ She turned to Brodie and hugged him. ‘Thank you so much for coming! Come in, come in!’

Bella gripped Olivia’s hand and they followed her inside. The entrance hall of the house was still a blank canvas with magnolia walls and scant artwork, but Olivia reminded herself that Bella hadn’t been here quite long enough yet to put her stamp on the place.

‘Welcome to our humble abode. Harris is on his way back from picking Isla up to bring her and Maeve down for a visit and some lunch so you couldn’t have timed it any better.’

‘So Harris isn’t working today?’ Brodie asked brightly.

‘Nope. PC Cain is on duty just now.’ She grinned at Olivia and hugged her again. ‘I’m just checking you’re really here and I’m not dreaming.’

‘You’re not dreaming, and we have news.’

Bella pulled away and instinctively picked up Olivia’s left hand. She gasped. ‘No way!’ She pulled her into yet another hug. ‘Absolutely amazing!’ She then hugged Brodie. ‘It’s about time, MacLeod!’

‘I know, I know, I just wanted everything to be perfect.’

Olivia sighed dreamily. ‘And it was, Bells. You should see the painting he commissioned from Reid Mackinnon.’ She took out her phone and showed Bella a photo she had taken of the painting.

Bella took the phone and examined the screen. ‘Oh, Brodie,’ she said as tears welled in her eyes. ‘This is beautiful. What an incredibly thoughtful thing to do. It’s wonderful to see you on your wedding day with your mum and dad,’ she said with a waver to her voice. ‘And you in that dress, Liv. You look just like your mum in her wedding photos.’ She shook her head. ‘It’s uncanny. I’m so happy for you guys.’ She hugged them both tightly again.

Bella made fresh coffee and showed them through to the small but cosy lounge. A stone hearth with a large gnarled oak mantle beam took up most of one wall and two tan leather chesterfield sofas faced each other at either side. The floor was made of thick oak planks, but a large gold-coloured rug covered the majority of it. A real Christmas tree stood in one corner of the room complete with warm white twinkling lights and traditional ornaments in red, green and gold. It was a very homely room and appeared to be the only one that Bella had put her design skills to work in so far.

‘So, when are you getting married then? Have you already got a date planned?’

‘I think April or May would be good,’ Brodie said, squeezing Olivia’s knee.

Bella widened her eyes. ‘Wow, that doesn’t give you much time. It’s only five months away.’

Olivia shrugged. ‘The bonus of having our own wedding venue, I suppose. There are no weddings booked in for May yet so it could definitely work. You’ll be a bridesmaid, though, won’t you?’

‘Try and stop me! Right, I had better get it on my phone’s calendar. Let me know as soon as possible what date in May. But I’m making zero plans for the whole month until I know,’ Bella said with a grin, picking up her phone from a side table.

The door to the house opened and voices could be heard. ‘I’ve never believed JFK’s shooter was in the book suppository though,’ Isla could be heard saying. ‘All the documentaries have got it wrong in my opinion.’

‘Oh, God, it sounds like they’ve been watching the JFK documentary that was on last night,’ Bella said. ‘Suppository, pfft.’ She giggled.

‘I still think it was an inside job,’ Maeve replied. ‘He had such a nice head of hair too, JFK.’

‘He did indeed, Maeve. Such a shame, even after all these years.’

As the two octogenarians rounded the corner into the living room, Isla’s eyes widened. ‘Olivia! Brodie! What a lovely surprise.’ Both of them stood and hugged the purple-haired matriarch.

‘You’re looking as effervescent as ever, Isla,’ Brodie told her as he kissed both cheeks.

‘Why, thank you, young man, you can visit again,’ Isla replied with a pat to her hair. ‘Maeve, you remember Lady MacBain and Brodie, don’t you? From the castle?’

‘Oh, I do. It’s lovely to see you again,’ Maeve said as she shook hands with both of them.

Isla pointed to Olivia’s hand. ‘And what’s that I see on your finger, Olivia? Does this mean what I think it means?’

Olivia held up her hand excitedly. ‘Well spotted, Isla. Brodie popped the question yesterday and I said yes.’

Isla clapped her hands together. ‘Wonderful! I love a good wedding. I hope I’m invited!’