Page 59 of The Scottish Island Wedding

‘Elizabeth? Are you coming?’ Heather held out her other hand for her soon-to-be mother-in-law, who stood frigidly by the fire.

‘I’m not sure, dear. Why don’t you go, and I’ll stay here in the warm,’ Elizabeth said primly.

‘Well… I could do with some help with Auntie, actually,’ Heather said in a low voice so that only Elizabeth could hear. ‘She’s not very steady on her feet.’

‘Oh. I see. All right, then.’ Elizabeth’s face softened.

‘Also, Elizabeth, I wanted to say – thank you. Matty just told me about giving me the land that you bought for the golf course. I’m blown away by it, quite honestly. Still processing,’ Heather added.

‘Oh… you’re welcome, dear.’ Elizabeth sounded surprised; perhaps people didn’t often thank her for things, or perhaps she’d thought Heather wouldn’t have been grateful. ‘Matty made a good case for it. He was right; Arthur shouldn’t have thought that Skye would work for one of his golf courses. And Matty says that one thought was, you could build a house for the both of you, and any little ones that came along. That sounds like a much more sensible and lovely use for it.’

‘Well… yes. That’s my dream,’ Heather replied, still taken aback by the change in Elizabeth. ‘Anyway, I just wanted to say… thank you. It’s an amazing gesture.’

‘We get to help you both, and we keep the land in the family, dear,’ Elizabeth chuckled. ‘Consider it a wedding present and a legacy.’ She took Aunt Chrissie’s hand, and together they walked slowly down to the edge of the loch. The rest of Heather’s sisters, with Annie, Estella and Catriona in tow, dashed past them, yelling excitedly; Aunt Joan followed them, seeing that Heather was looking after Chrissie. Heather grinned as they splashed into the loch’s calm waters.

Above them, two drones buzzed over the beach.

‘Paparazzi,’ Elizabeth swore, glancing up at them. ‘Wait just a minute, Heather.’

Bending down, Elizabeth picked up a large rounded pebble from the beach and launched it at the drone.

‘Lady Campbell!’ Aunt Chrissie cried, her tone admiring. ‘I didn’t think you had it in you!’

‘I missed.’ Elizabeth tutted as the drone buzzed away a little, and then returned. ‘How dare they spy on us when we’re having private family time? I really am at the end of my patience with the press. Getting in the way of everything. Making judgements about me and how I choose to live my life. Well, I’ve had enough. Hear me?’ she screamed at the drone. ‘I, Lady Elizabeth Campbell, have had enough of the press interfering in my life! Take that!’ She hurled another stone at the drone.

‘You almost got it that time, dear.’ Aunt Chrissie let go of Heather’s hand to clap. ‘Heather, my love. Get me some stones. I can’t bend down too well.’

‘Um. Okay.’ Heather bent down and picked up a few good-sized black-grey rounded pebbles from the ground under her and handed one to her great-aunt. ‘Auntie, I…’

She was about to say, Auntie, I don’t know if this is a good idea, but before she could say it, Aunt Chrissie had also hurled a stone at the closest drone.

Heather was amazed to see that her great-aunt, who had been the more infirm of the two sisters for some time, had launched the stone with considerable aim and vigour. It flew through the air in a delicate arc, aiming straight for the drone.

‘Winged it!’ she shouted, triumphantly, as her stone clipped the edge of the flying machine. It wobbled in mid-air and then righted itself. Elizabeth chortled. Heather thought it was the first time she had ever heard Lady Elizabeth Campbell actually let go and laugh: she stared in amazement at her soon-to-be mother-in-law.

‘Good shot!’ Elizabeth threw another stone and missed. ‘Damn!’

‘Try an overarm shot, Lady Campbell!’ Aunt Chrissie cried. ‘We’ll get these bloody spies if it’s the last thing we do!’

Elizabeth picked up another stone, watched the nearest drone to her intently, and launched the stone in an overarm throw, an intent expression on her face.

The stone met the drone with an audible thunk, and the drone dropped onto the beach.

‘Oh, well done!’ Aunt Chrissie applauded, giggling like a schoolgirl. Heather ran to where the drone lay on the beach. ‘Crush it, Heather!’ she called out. ‘I want my revenge! Those good-for-nothing newspapers, making fun of my modelling days. I’m proud of those photos and I’m proud of what I did!’ she shouted.

Here goes nothing, Heather thought as she knelt down, picked up the heaviest rock she could hold, and dropped it on the drone. Its little light, which had been wavering, went out as Heather dropped the rock on it again and again.

Shivering, she gathered up all the parts of the drone that she could see and carried them back to the summer house. Then, she put all the pieces of the drone into a Tupperware box that some of the food had been delivered in.

Heather looked up. Everyone else was still in the water, splashing each other and swimming, but Elizabeth and Chrissie stood like angry queens on the beach, hurling rocks at the second drone.

‘Intrusive beasts!’ Elizabeth yelled. ‘How dare you take pictures of me and my daughters-in-law on holiday and then talk about our weight, as if that’s anything to do with anyone!’ She threw another stone.

‘Our bodies and our lives are not entertainment for public consumption!’ Aunt Chrissie added, throwing her last rock. ‘Go away! Leave us alone!’

Perhaps because the first drone had been destroyed, or perhaps because someone had heard Aunt Chrissie, the second drone suddenly veered off and buzzed away, off the beach and towards the land.

‘Good riddance!’ Elizabeth shouted, coming to stand next to Aunt Chrissie. Heather watched as Elizabeth took the older woman’s hand and held it gently.