Page 23 of The Scottish Island Wedding

Also in the box was a lovely scented candle from a French range that Heather liked; a big bar of her favourite chocolate, a jar of lavender bath salts and a card. In the card was a code that instructed her to scan it. When she did, it led her to a playlist of music that Matty had made for her. He’d called it ‘Coping With The In-Laws Wedding Jams’.

Heather squealed, putting her hand on her heart.

He did love her. She knew that he did, but, for a while there, she’d doubted it. What did that say about her, and the supposed untouchable strength of the love she thought she had for Matty?

Heather felt immediately guilty that she’d ever doubted him.

‘Look.’ She showed Violet the playlist. ‘Isn’t he sweet? Now I feel terrible. I should have trusted him.’

‘Heather, babe.’ Violet glanced at the playlist, and then looked seriously into her sister’s eyes. ‘This is lovely. I’m not saying that it isn’t. But you should never feel guilty about your instincts, and, yeah. This is a thoughtful gift. But the fact remains that your husband-to-be has gone AWOL in the days approaching your wedding, at exactly the same moment that his appalling mother arrived. In my book, that’s still not okay. Regardless of how many cute presents he sends you.’

Heather looked back at the box, feeling a little deflated. She’d been so happy to get it: to think that Matty was thinking of her and not ignoring her.

But Violet was right. Every time Heather ignored her instincts, things went wrong.

‘Babe,’ her sister said, softly, seeing Heather’s face fall. ‘Don’t be sad. I know he loves you. And this is darling, it really is. All I’m saying is, you should still probably have a chat about it all, when he finally reappears. Okay?’

Violet gathered her twin into a bear hug. ‘Okay?’ she repeated, squeezing Heather until she started to giggle.

‘Okay.’ Heather sighed. ‘This wedding business is sort of tough, you know. I wish we could elope, like that lady in the story about Huntingtower Castle.’

‘Oh, can you imagine?’ Violet chuckled. ‘Elizabeth really would have a fit.’

ELEVEN

FRIDAY 17 DECEMBER

It was now eight days away from the wedding, and Heather was driving along one of the country roads on the opposite side of the island. She and her sister Blossom were on their way to pick up the bridesmaids’ shoes for the wedding, and, quite frankly, Heather had been delighted to have an excuse to get away from Elizabeth Campbell.

The gift box from Matty had been a lovely surprise, and he’d texted after to see if she got it.

I did, thank you, she replied. We still need to talk.

I know, baby, he replied. I’m working on something pretty full on right now but I’ll call you as soon as I can. In meetings pretty much all of the day. I miss you, sweet girl xxx

‘You know that she’s emailed me a revised seating plan this morning,’ Heather said as she drove her uncle’s old Range Rover along the twisty road. On this side of the island, the land was wilder, with wide expanses of grassy moor, rocky hills and occasional thorny shrubs: spare, hardy trees grew at angles, shaped by the wind. She felt a little mollified by Matty’s message, but she still missed him – especially as, every day he was away, the wedding got a day closer.

Heather had been looking forward to such a lovely couple of weeks with Matty in the run-up to the wedding. She’d imagined slow mornings with breakfast in bed, winter walks, hot chocolate in front of crackling fires and kissing under the mistletoe. It was sad that none of that had happened yet.

‘Who?’ Blossom turned around in her seat to face her sister.

‘Lady Campbell. She wants to invite a ton of her friends.’ Heather sighed. ‘I have explained that it’s too late, that the catering has been ordered for a couple of months already. She doesn’t seem to see the problem. She says she can bring in her own caterers at short notice, for large numbers.’

‘Didn’t you already ask Matty for a list of everyone to invite from his side?’ Blossom frowned.

‘Yes. They’re all coming: family, his friends. Some close friends of the family. Elizabeth’s decided she wants to turn the wedding into the social occasion of the year, though.’

‘Who the hell has a free diary, just over a week before an event that happens on, oh, let’s see: Christmas Day?’ Blossom asked, incredulously. ‘And, also, thoughts and prayers for this catering team that apparently gets a two-hundred-person wedding dropped on them with eight days to go. That woman is living in dreamland, I swear.’

‘I know. I almost want to say yes, just to see her face when none of these people turn up.’

‘Who is it that she wants to invite?’ Blossom asked.

‘God knows. HELLO! magazine. Loads of her society pals. Minor royals. Nobody I know or care about, basically.’ Heather shrugged. ‘Plus, I didn’t even tell you all, but I saw Elizabeth duck out of the castle on the day that she got here, and have this strange little meeting with this mystery guy in a car.’

‘Eh? Why?’ Blossom frowned. ‘Maybe it was just one of her staff?’

‘Maybe. But they had some kind of argument, and then she threw an envelope at him.’