Page 17 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands (Scottish Highland #5)

August breezed into September, and it was only a month since she had visited but Bella was excited to be heading back to Drumblair Castle.

Bella’s mum and dad had finally relocated to Skye, to beautiful Rowan Cottage, and were loving being closer to Bella and Isla.

They had even rescued a mongrel called Charlie, a cross between a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a black Labrador.

He was the sweetest, most sensitive dog regardless of his huge head and wide mouth.

He was completely black apart from a white patch on his chest that almost looked like he was wearing a tuxedo.

Before they set off for Drumblair, they dropped Bertie off with Caitlin and Archie and stopped in to check on Bella’s brother, Callum, who had come home from Glasgow under the guise of looking after their parents’ house while their mum and dad had gone away to Inverness for a few days to visit their old friends and neighbours.

Bella knew that it really meant he was coming home to eat decent food, seeing as their mum had cooked a load of his favourite meals and left them in the fridge and freezer, and to spend time with Charlie, who he had grown very fond of to the point he was contemplating looking for work on Skye so he could be closer to his new canine friend.

He had used the excuse that he was sick of eating pasta and that was all his new flatmates could cook and that it seemed silly to put Charlie in kennels when he was able to take a few days off work.

With Bella’s business going so well, and of course with Harris manning the police station in Glentorrin, they didn’t get to visit Drumblair as much as they had done when they first relocated.

But Bella had been overjoyed to be back working on designs at Drumblair and it had been a real labour of love, just like the stable block apartments.

She had done much of the work remotely, the mood board had been met with great positivity and the Zoom meetings had all gone well, so she had only visited in person a couple of times; once when the decorators had started, to ensure her plans were being adhered to, and then at the end to see the final result.

But the main contractor had kept in regular contact, by video call, throughout the whole process so Bella could keep abreast of the progress while she was working on her other projects.

Seeing her design finally come together had been so incredibly fulfilling; she got to see her work through fresh eyes and those of other people too.

Being back was wonderful. The distillery looked incredible, if Bella did think so herself.

Very modern and fresh with the light-coloured wood and use of old brass ships’ lights sourced from a reclamation company on the west coast of Scotland.

Bella was ridiculously proud of the ambience she had achieved in the reception area, which was bright yet chic, and so welcoming.

Olivia and her Uncle Innes had gushed over the way Bella had used the old fixtures she had sourced with the new design features.

‘How you come up with these designs is beyond me, Bella,’ Innes had said.

‘I love the slim vertical panelling around the curved wall that leads into the working part of the distillery. I would never have thought of doing something like that. But then again, that’s why you’re the designer and I’m not.

’ He had chuckled. ‘And I’m so impressed that you found light fittings that look like they were designed just for this space.

’ He’d shaken his head. ‘I see awards in your future, young lady. Many awards.’

The Master Blender, Colm Cassidy, had been touched by the use of the old black and white photos of McIver’s distillery in Inverness that she’d had framed and displayed on the walls.

It had been the place he had worked before and was happy she had made sure to show how the two companies had been merged.

And, of course, Olivia’s husband Brodie had written a book about the setting up of Drumblair Castle Distillery, and the distilling process, to sell in the shop.

He had been heavily involved in the project and had become quite the expert, keeping a photographic diary of the construction.

Bella had spent a lot of time researching the production of whisky too and had visited several other distilleries to witness firsthand how the spaces functioned.

Of course, she had been encouraged by each distillery to sample their own drinks and had even become more accustomed to the smoky and spicy flavour of each of the individual amber liquids.

The juxtaposition of old and new had been her main priority when creating a design that would suit Drumblair’s new venture, and an earthy colour palette had seemed most fitting.

The use of copper and brass to mirror the whisky stills had also been incorporated and added a touch of warmth and depth to the design.

It had been an incredible feeling to see her design featured in the Inverness Courier and even more exciting when it had been picked up by Whisky Monthly , which was an international online magazine.

It had been this that had led to her expanding client list and many more leads, including a rather large private residence – a mansion house on the northern coast of Skye.

She had tried to keep her work as close to her home as possible and so far it seemed to be working.

If Bella was really honest with herself, she was relieved to have been able to take time out of the hotel project to attend the launch of the latest Drumblair Castle Distillery beverages.

Carlton, her present-day, Texan boss, had begun taking a different approach in his pointless attempts at trying to woo her.

Lately he had been bringing her fancy lunches and specially brewed coffee from her favourite coffee shop in Portree.

She had tried being nice and she had tried being not so nice, she had even dropped an email to the owners, Carlton’s parents, requesting that she might deal with them instead.

When they enquired as to why, she had to be honest and explain that Carlton was behaving a little too familiar for her liking, but they brushed it off.

‘Oh, honey, pay no mind to him,’ Mrs Somers had said when she called to ‘put Bella’s mind at rest’.

‘My boy is just a real character, and people can sometimes misunderstand his intentions. It’s his sense of humour, but he’s as harmless as they come, I swear.

I wouldn’t have let him near you if I thought otherwise, even if he is my flesh and blood.

He loves an attractive woman; you should take it as a compliment.

He’s a model, you know. Women usually tend to fall at his feet, or in some cases they can even take advantage of his looks and his good heart,’ were some of the things Bella was told.

And, ‘You know what boys can be like. It’s just his way of letting you know he’s attracted to you.

Some people just don’t know how to take him.

He knows you’re engaged; it’s just a little harmless fun is all.

But leave it with me and I’ll talk to him.

He doesn’t realise that the Brits have a…

erm… different sense of humour. Just don’t be too hard on him, honey. He’s going through a lot just now.’

Even though his mother’s opinion and comments were a tad disturbing really, coming from another woman, after that call Bella was left thinking she might be taking things a little too seriously.

And in spite of the niggle to the contrary that she couldn’t seem to shake, she ended up feeling as if she was being ridiculous and overreacting.

And she wondered what it was that he was going through, because it didn’t show outwardly.

She doubted that being an arrogant arse was a coping mechanism.

But the truth was, nothing she did to deter him was working and it was preying on her mind.

The only thing she hadn’t done was tell Harris anything other than he was American and a tad difficult at the start of the project, even though they had promised to keep no more secrets from one another.

And that just added to her anxiety. She didn’t want him to think she couldn’t handle herself.

She was no damsel in distress and wouldn’t let herself be forced into getting a man to sort out her problems for her.

So, being at Drumblair was a very welcome escape.

* * *

Since the distillery had been up and running, the shelves of the castle gift shop had been stocked with their signature gin but today was all about the launch of the new blended whisky that had been produced using single malt from McIver’s casks and malts sourced from various places around Scotland.

It had been named the ‘Lady MacBain Blend’ after Olivia’s mother, and the bottle’s label featured a stunning, specially commissioned painting of the very much missed late custodian of the castle with Drumblair in the background.

This had been created by Reid MacKinnon, Bella’s artist friend from Skye whose paintings she had originally sourced for the apartment design she had completed at the castle.

Lady Olivia MacLeod took to the small, raised platform in front of the curved wall and the press photographers sprang into action. Bella caught sight of Brodie off to the side, with Freya in his arms, and Olivia’s Uncle Innes standing beside him, both men looking on in adoration.