Page 11 of The Scottish Island Wedding

Outside, the wind whistled around the castle, and Heather felt grateful at least that she was inside in the warm, despite the fact that the day was going from bad to worse.

However, the main feature of the drawing room had always been the Flag of the Old Ones, the family heirloom that Heather’s dad Angus was obsessed with. Housed safely in a magnificent gold frame, it was a major attraction for tourists, all of whom loved to listen to Heather’s uncle James tell its history at one of his special talks.

Apart from the flag, the drawing room featured a high ceiling that was painted with a beautiful fresco of the zodiac, coupled with the heraldry of the Balhennies; Heather, as a child, had liked to lie on her back on the thick, salmon-pink carpet in the centre of the room and stare up at it, taking in all the details of the painting. The painted ceiling was one of the most ornate in Scotland, and James had told her once that many of the Renaissance-painted ceilings that used to exist in castles had fallen apart or been replaced with moulded plasterwork. Indeed, she’d been fascinated to learn that Huntingtower Castle – the site of one of her favourite Scottish myths, the Lover’s Leap – also had a painted ceiling, although the one there was much more basic in design.

When she’d been young, Heather remembered running around the castle with her five sisters; they’d built dens of fallen branches in the castle gardens, like teepees. They’d explored the unused East Wing, where the furniture was covered over with dustsheets. However, if you looked under the thick covers, you could find all sorts of treasures: chests full of old clothes, painted music boxes; once, they’d even found a pair of antique roller skates and taken turns skating up and down the hallways until their uncle’s housekeeper had yelled at them to stop ruining the wood floors.

However, today, the drawing room wasn’t a place of quiet contemplation for Heather. She glanced up at the flag to pay her respects to the fairies, and she looked up to the ceiling briefly, taking a little comfort from the circle of its painted symbols: Pisces, the fishes; Aries, the ram; Taurus, the bull. Her love of astrology had come from gazing at this ceiling.

But now, tension filled the room.

‘What’s going on?’ Heather asked, bewildered, as she walked in. Catriona and Angus were standing by the fireplace next to Matty’s brothers and their wives and Matty’s father, Arthur. Heather’s uncle James and aunt Evelinda both wore expressions of polite surprise, standing by the drinks cabinet. Uncle James held an unopened bottle of champagne in his hand.

Heather’s great-aunts, Joan and Chrissie, sat in upholstered chairs, facing the fireplace.

‘Someone forgot to take her social graces pill this morning,’ Aunt Joan said, acidly, from her chair. ‘Hello, dear,’ she added, in a nicer tone, to her great-niece.

‘Auntie!’ Catriona shushed her aunt, but Joan huffed and looked resolute. ‘Lady Campbell is a guest!’

‘Well, then, she should act like one.’ Aunt Joan sniffed. ‘She’s a tartar, is what she is. I won’t have her walking in here acting like she owns the place.’

‘I do apologise for my wife’s… directness,’ Arthur Campbell said, jovially. ‘Elizabeth has her ways, and I suppose we’ve all learned to live with them,’ he added. Heather noticed that Clara and Estella, Elizabeth’s daughters-in-law, looked less than convinced about that. ‘She’s still adjusting to the idea that Matthew is getting married.’

‘Your other sons are married,’ Aunt Chrissie observed.

‘Yes. But I fear she’s always been a little protective of Matthew.’ Arthur sighed. ‘I should probably go after her. Excuse me.’ He hurried out of the room.

‘What just happened?’ Heather repeated, aghast. ‘Where did Lady Campbell go?’

‘Your great-aunt was a little…’ Charles, one of Matthew’s brothers, trailed off, searching for the right word.

‘Aunties?’ Heather turned to look at both of her aunts. ‘What did you say?’

‘I merely asked Lady Campbell about her family,’ Aunt Joan replied haughtily.

‘Her family?’ Heather echoed. That was all she needed: her fierce Aunt Joan stirring the pot. Heather needed to get control of the situation, fast. It was as if a cloud had covered Balhennie Castle when the Campbells’ black SUVs had arrived, and it seemed to be darkening by the minute.

Heather had no idea what had just transpired between Elizabeth Campbell and the mysterious man in the car, but it seemed that there had been drama in the drawing room even before that had happened.

‘Yes. Where she comes from. Before she was a Campbell,’ Aunt Joan added.

‘Is that… relevant?’ Heather asked, still bewildered.

‘It’s a normal question, dear. I was wondering whether we knew her people in any way. After all, your uncle and Laird Campbell know each other from playing golf,’ Aunt Joan said dismissively. ‘Anyway, your new mother-in-law got very distressed. I have no idea why.’ Joan shrugged. ‘Obviously a very sensitive person.’ Joan pronounced sensitive as if it was a character flaw.

From what she’d seen, Heather seriously doubted that Elizabeth Campbell had a sensitive bone in her body. But perhaps I’m wrong, she thought, charitably. Sometimes people can be spiky to cover up their sensitivity. And Matty loved his mother. She’d seen the affection between them.

‘Don’t worry, Heather. It’s just a misunderstanding, I’m sure.’ Catriona put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and hugged her. ‘Shall we have some champagne? I’m sure Arthur and Elizabeth will be back in a minute.’ Her tone was faux jolly.

‘Certainly.’ Evelinda gave James a meaningful look, and he cleared his throat and turned back to the sideboard, where a row of crystal champagne glasses had been arranged.

‘Yes. Of course. Champagne for everyone.’ James popped the cork, and poured the champagne into the glasses. He handed Heather one, then Clara and Estella, followed by Charles and Gerald. ‘Will Matty be joining us, Heather?’ he asked; Heather felt forced to smile, even though she felt deeply ill at ease.

‘Yes… I think he’ll be along in a minute,’ she replied, hopefully. In fact, she had no idea whether Matty would be coming or not.

What if it’s all over? she worried.

She sipped her champagne, watching the door to the drawing room.