Page 45 of A Summer House on Arran (Scottish Romances #3)

In the run up to the Highland Games, Olivia found herself getting more and more excited about the kids’ dance event.

Everyone had really started to pull together, offering help with whatever they needed.

Edie, a family friend of Amy and Kirsty, and a friend of Fergus, had discovered some fabric in her attic and offered to run some costumes up on her sewing machine.

Much as Olivia would have loved to have been able to afford to buy in professional costumes, she knew that people were on a budget, and so this had to be made as affordable as possible.

It was more satisfying to know that their effort was backed by community spirit, and she found herself hurrying down to the local hall for today’s rehearsal.

Edie had promised to drop off the costumes and let the kids see them for themselves, and Olivia wanted to make sure she was there early.

‘Hi, dear.’ Edie walked through the door laden with several huge bags. Although Edie was in her seventies, you would never have thought it. Her bright clothes, high cheekbones and clear unwrinkled skin gave her a youthful look. She wore a purple linen pinafore and had pink flowers in her hair.

‘Oh, let me help you with that,’ said Olivia, running over to lend a hand.

‘Who would have thought that chiffon and glitter and ribbon could be so heavy.’ A wide smile lit up her face. ‘I’ve got them in these bags as they’re all on hangers. I thought it would be easier for the kids to store them like that and saves them getting mixed up.’

‘Ah, you are a genius,’ said Olivia, biting her lip, anxious to see the costumes. She watched in eager anticipation as Edie draped one of the carriers over a table. Peeling down the zip, Edie reached inside and took out a hanger. Gently shaking it, she held it up for Olivia to see.

‘Well, what do you think?’

Olivia felt Edie watching her as she scanned the costume. ‘Oh wow, Edie. I can’t believe what you’ve done. This isn’t what we agreed . . .’

‘Oh, oh,’ said Edie. ‘I should have stuck with the plan. I just thought . . .’

‘No,’ gasped Olivia. ‘That’s not what I meant.

You don’t understand. This isn’t what I expected.

’ She threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

‘Sorry, Edie. This is coming out all wrong. What I should have said was they are amazing . Absolutely, unbelievably brilliant.’ And she meant every word.

They were incredible, and so much better than she could ever have imagined.

‘But how on earth did you add all the extras? Where did you get them from?’

‘All the sparkly stuff?’ she asked, chuckling.

‘Yes, that, exactly.’

‘Well, I was running up the chiffon skirts on my machine. That took no time at all. Then I decided that it would be great to add a wee something extra. I mean, red and black are very vivid, but I know sometimes it’s good to have a bit of sparkle and glamour.

I remembered that I had a bag of Christmas tablecloths in the loft.

I’d got them in a sale in Glasgow one year and then completely forgotten about them.

Anyway, I thought the golden flowers on them were the perfect appliqués for the costumes. ’

Olivia was speechless. The amount of work that had got into the costumes was overwhelming.

‘Don’t be daft now, don’t be thinking that I did it all by myself,’ she said, reading her mind.

‘I had a team of helpers. Amelia and Thea, my friends in the village, helped me with it all. Once we’d cut out all the shapes, it didn’t take long to stitch them into the skirts.

’ Edie sheepishly reached into one of the other bags and pulled out a T-shirt.

‘We didn’t want the boys to feel left out either.

Fergus had some spare black T-shirts at the outdoor centre, so we turned them inside out and cut the labels off and stitched the appliqué onto them too. ’

Olivia chuckled. ‘What would I do without you all?’

Edie gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘That’s what community is all about, my dear. We’re here to help each other.’

‘It’s been amazing,’ said Olivia. ‘Honestly, I can’t believe what a summer this has been. It’s exactly what I needed. It feels like a fresh new start.’

Edie smiled warmly. ‘You know there is something magical about this place, dear.’ She reached out to touch Olivia lightly on the arm.

It was as though Edie knew exactly what she had been through.

Olivia hadn’t shared any of the details with her, and she knew that Kitty was discreet.

But it was as though Edie just knew . ‘We owe it to ourselves to make the most of every moment, and to be happy. Life is an incredible gift. You’ll be okay, dear.

’ Edie looked at her so sincerely. ‘I just have a feeling that things will work out. Look at how much you’ve achieved in your short time here. ’

That was true. Olivia thought back to Italy and how vulnerable she was then.

She had taken a leap of faith and come here, had found a true friend in Kitty, discovered how much she loved teaching dance and managed to prevent Patrick from dominating her thoughts.

‘You’re right,’ she said to Edie. ‘It feels like it’s all coming together. ’

Is it though, Olivia? a voice in her head whispered. Do you really think Patrick will let you go?