Page 71 of A Highland Family Affair

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The bishop welcomed everyone and then talked briefly about what it meant to commit yourself to one person for the rest of your life. Brodie, clearly undaunted, squeezed Olivia’s hand and she squeezed his in return.

‘Now, before we have the vows, ladies and gents, we have Olivia’s brother Kerr to read for us first and then Bella, one of Olivia’s closest friends.’

Kerr stood and walked over to take his position at the lectern, fidgeting with a folded piece of paper as his gaze darted nervously around the chapel. He glanced at Olivia and smiled warmly. ‘I know there will be many of you here today who are surprised to see me standing here. But all I can say is thanks to Olivia and Brodie, Dougie and Mirren, I’m learning to live right and to love again. And it’s an honour to be here to celebrate this special day. My reading is actually song lyrics that I chose because they feel very fitting. This is a Bob Dylan song called “Make You Feel My Love”.’

By the time Kerr’s reading was done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including Kerr’s. Olivia was overwhelmed at his beautiful choice of song and hearing it read as a poem gave the words a deeper meaning. Brodie squeezed Olivia’s hand again and she glanced sideways to see his eyes fixed on her.

Next was Bella’s turn. She took to the lectern and wiped her eyes. ‘Wow, how do I follow that?’ A rumble of chuckles traversed the chapel. ‘I think with a bit of humour, don’t you?’ Everyone mumbled their agreement. ‘My granny helped me to choose this, so I have to apologise because it’s a tiny bit rude. But you wouldn’t expect anything less from her, would you?’

‘All lies!’ Granny Isla shouted and everyone laughed again.

Bella continued, ‘This is a wonderfully funny poem by Bee Rawlinson, called “Love Me When I’m Old”.’

In complete contrast to Kerr’s reading, the damp eyes were for very different reasons this time as everyone howled with laughter.

When it was time for vows, the bishop addressed the congregation again. ‘Olivia and Brodie have penned a little something each to say to each other. But first I believe we have ring bearers?’ Olivia scrunched her brow. This was the first she’d heard of such a thing. Brodie grinned and turned so Olivia followed suit. A chorus of ‘Awwww’s travelled the church as Wilf and Marley trotted down the aisle, each holding a ribbon in their mouth that attached to a little velvet pouch between them, which Olivia guessed contained the rings. Not wanting to be left out, Sir Lancelot ambled along behind. Wilf stopped briefly to greet Uncle Innes with a wagging tail and a lick, making everyone laugh.

Innes placed the ribbon back in Wilf’s mouth. ‘Go on, lad, you’ve an important job to do.’ As if he completely understood, Wilf refocused and together with his older ‘brother’ he made his way towards Brodie.

‘Good boys,’ Olivia said as she bent to scratch each dog behind the ears. ‘That was brilliant,’ she told Brodie with a laugh. Sir Lancelot stopped and gave Olivia’s dress a good sniffing until Kerr had to shoo him back to his place, and everyone laughed at his unwillingness to move.

‘Well, that was unique,’ Bishop Latham said with a chuckle. He gave a single nod to Brodie who reached into his pocket to pull out a piece of paper.

He cleared his throat and began. ‘Olivia MacBain, my first clear memory of you is of a wild-haired wee girl chasing me around the grounds of Drumblair Castle with a black, shiny beetle in your hand shouting, “He’s really friendly, though, Brodie! Don’t be scared,” as I ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. Any attempts to get my own back on you with worms were thwarted because you simply weren’t scared of anything. But one of my favourite memories of you was the time I came to visit my dad in the summer after I had left for Edinburgh with my mum, and I saw you dancing with your headphones in, your eyes were closed and your arms were waving around so freely, like you didn’t have a care in the world. You didn’t know I was watching you, but I remember thinking that I had never seen anything as beautiful in my whole life. And now you stand before me, the epitome of beauty in every possible way, and I have to pinch myself to know this is real. That you’re marrying me, the spotty, skinny, lanky lad I remember myself to be, and who called you names and thought that was the way to get you to like me.’

He chuckled but his chin trembled nonetheless.

‘The fact is, Olivia MacBain, my heart has been yours for so many years I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t. And knowing I get to share my life with you is the stuff dreams are made of. I love you and I’m so grateful that you chose me out of all the men on the planet to marry. I promise to be faithful to you, to listen to you and to love you with my whole heart until death parts us. And even then I’ll stick to these vows.’

Olivia wiped at her eyes and giggled. ‘Brodie MacLeod, we’ve been friends for so long that our relationship is built on the strongest foundations possible, like those of Drumblair Castle. And also like the castle, if tiny cracks appear it’ll still be a thing of beauty and will never be beyond repair. Even when we hit our rocky teenage years, you were the first person I wanted to tell when anything good, or bad, happened in my life. You left and I felt lost for a long time, never expecting to see you again. Then you returned and I was angry with you at first, but how could I stay angry when I’ve loved you from afar for so long? Finding out that you loved me too almost knocked me off my feet and I’ve been floating ever since. Thank you for being my rock, thank you for accompanying me on this crazy castle journey. And most of all, thank you for loving me. You truly are the love of my life. I promise to be faithful to you, to listen to you and to love you with my whole heart until death parts us.’

‘I now pronounce you husband and wife!’ Applause echoed around the chapel and Olivia and Brodie turned to find everyone up on their feet. ‘You may now kiss the bride,’ the bishop added.

Brodie didn’t need to be told twice. He hobbled forward, slipped his hand into her hair and kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. More applause ensued and the bishop led Brodie and Olivia over to a table that had been set aside where they each sat and signed the register while Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes’ played over the sound system and the photographer, a local man from Drumblair village, snapped shots of them.

Afterwards they left the church, and everyone cheered and followed them outside to throw rose-petal confetti over the happy couple. The photographer then arranged them into groups to take some serious and some candid shots of the wedding party.

Once back at the castle, the guests entered the long gallery that had been set up with tables covered in white linens, and gold-painted chairs. Vases of flowers in the colours of Olivia’s bouquet sat at the centre of each table and little wedding favours were positioned at every place setting. The portraits of Olivia’s ancestors oversaw proceedings from their ornate gilt frames. The sweet scent of the fresh flowers wafted through the air, and everyone seemed happy and relaxed.

Prior to the wedding breakfast, Olivia and Brodie visited as many tables as they could to chat to their friends and family, although it was slowly done with Brodie on his crutches.

‘Olivia, you look radiant,’ Granny Isla told her when they eventually reached the table where she sat with Harris, Ben and some other friends.

Olivia kissed both her cheeks. ‘Thank you, Isla. Bella tells me that you’ve found love too.’

Isla patted her purple hair and glanced sideways in the direction of her granddaughter on the top table. ‘Oh, has she now?’ She smiled brightly. ‘Well, aye, my Tam is a true gentleman. And vera handsome. He has all his own hair, you know, and his own teeth.’ She leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘Between you me and the gatepost, I think he’s going to propose any day now. Although I doubt we’ll get a fancy Catholic bishop to wed us, you lucky things.’

Brodie leaned forward. ‘Oh, no, Bishop Latham isn’t Catholic, Isla, he’s Episcopalian.’

Isla’s eyes widened and she gasped, placing a hand dramatically over her heart. ‘I know he’s not from around here, and that he’s drinking wine, but I’m not sure you should call him a pissed-up alien, Brodie MacLeod!’ she whispered loudly.

Brodie pulled his lips between his teeth and turned away, clearly trying to control his laughter.

‘Ep-is-co-palian, Isla!’ Harris said, smirking.

Isla laughed and slapped her thigh. ‘Oh… right… aye. Well, that would make much more sense!’