Page 7 of The Scottish Island Wedding

‘I have no idea, but I’m sure we’ll all find out soon enough.’ Heather watched the cars go by, clutching her cardigan around her. ‘Everything they do seems to end up in the papers.’

She looked back into the dance studio, about to make an innocent comment to Matty about the SUVs’ tyres playing merry hell on the narrow Skye road, but the expression on his face stopped her.

Matty was staring out at the passing cars with a look of horror on his face. He looked at his phone, and then up at her.

‘Heather… there’s something I need to tell you,’ he said.

FOUR

When the small but immaculately coiffured woman got out of the first car and frowned at the noble stone façade of Balhennie Castle, Heather felt the anxiety that she’d been battling for days bloom into a full-on panic.

Matty was standing next to her at the front of the castle, along with her uncle James and aunt Evelinda, the Laird and Lady of Balhennie. Angus and Catriona were also there, dressed smartly; Angus wore the Balhennie tartan kilt with a shirt and one of his best cardigans, and Catriona wore an elegant white dress, her dark blonde hair in a long plait.

Matty held Heather’s hand as they all watched the cars come up the drive. The fact that they were all standing there calmly, dressed nicely and ready to receive visitors was nothing short of a miracle.

After they’d seen the cars go past Elsie’s studio, Matty had grabbed Heather’s hand and guided her towards his car, apologising to Elsie over his shoulder that they had to cut their dance lesson short.

‘What is going on?’ Heather had demanded, when they’d got into his car. Matty had taken off at a rate of knots before she’d even had a chance to put her seatbelt on. ‘Matty! Slow down!’

‘Babe. I need you to call your parents. And your uncle. They’re here early,’ he’d said, slowing down slightly, but still taking the corners of the winding road unwisely fast.

‘Who are?’ She was looking at him in complete confusion: he was acting like a maniac.

‘My parents,’ he’d said, looking shamefaced. ‘They just drove past the dance studio.’

‘No, that was the Campbells. From the TV show. Susan saw the number plate. GLEN 1,’ Heather said, slowly.

‘Yes. That’s what I’m saying.’ Matty let out a long breath. ‘My parents are the Campbells of Glenorchy.’

‘How many cars are there?’ Evelinda asked, in a low voice, as the procession parked up slowly in a long row. ‘Goodness. It’s a deputation.’ She glanced at Matty, who looked deeply uncomfortable.

‘Well, my brothers and their wives are coming as well as my parents. And my sister.’ He looked evasive as a total of eight oversized SUVs lined up on the gravel drive outside the castle. ‘And I guess they brought some staff… my mother and sisters-in-law don’t pack light.’

Heather gaped at the spectacle in front of her. Three heavyset men in smart black suits had jumped out of the first car and were looking around them warily. One began speaking quietly into a device Heather assumed was concealed in his sleeve.

Matty, who had been holding her hand, dropped it. Heather felt the cold air on her skin contrast with his warmth; she watched as he jogged forward to the tiny woman and kissed her on the cheek.

‘Mother. Welcome. It’s so good to see you,’ he said, hugging his mother. Despite her shock at learning that Matty’s family were the Campbells, Heather was touched by the affection that was clear between Matty and his mother. Elizabeth was every inch the imperious queen, but she seemed to soften when she saw her youngest son.

‘Matthew, dear.’ She rested her forehead against his chest. ‘I don’t see you enough. And suddenly, here you are, getting married.’

‘I know. I’m so glad you’re here,’ Matty said, his voice muffled against the top of his mother’s head. ‘I missed you.’

‘I missed you too, my lovely boy,’ Elizabeth mumbled. She wiped a tear from her eye.

An older man got out of the other side of the SUV, blinking in the bright daylight. He was rotund, bearded, and, unlike the woman that Heather assumed was his wife, had a jolly air.

‘Matthew. Good to see you, sir.’ He walked around the back of the car and – Heather was relieved to see – enveloped Matty in a bear-like hug. ‘So. Here for the nuptials, is it?’ He slapped his son on the back. ‘Not before time. Not before time.’ He nodded genially.

Matty ushered his mother and father to Heather and her family.

He’d confessed, in the car coming over, that he’d been waiting for the right time to tell her who his parents really were. He’d thought he had a few more days, but then they’d decided to come early, and he’d been caught off guard.

Heather hadn’t known what to say to that. She still didn’t know. She was absolutely shocked that Matty could have kept something like this from her. Heather thought about what her mother had said about knowing someone was ‘The One’; she thought about her sisters, warning her about love bombing. It wasn’t quite that, but it was definitely dishonest of Matty not to have told her this.

What else hasn’t he told me? she asked herself. Is there something wrong with me? Am I hopelessly naïve? Have I totally misjudged this whole situation?

Heather felt as if she was on a rollercoaster, and it had just turned her upside down. She felt her stomach drop unpleasantly.