Page 28 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands (Scottish Highland #5)

The wine was flowing, and the makeshift dancefloor was full for the whole night.

Old people could certainly dance, regardless of what the media would have you believe about their energy levels.

When the band were having a break, Dex connected his phone to the PA and played the party playlist he’d put together on Spotify which encouraged the dancing to continue.

Lots of Abba, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones; not artists you would ever normally associate with someone like Dex, who used to travel with rock bands for a living.

Caitlin’s cake went down a treat, deliciously moist with a hint of Parma Violets about it, and it even spurred Dorothy on to arrange for Caitlin to make a monthly delivery of cupcakes for the residents’ afternoon tea and quiz.

Mitch was a hit as the quiz host and garnered quite the fan club with the ladies of Pabay View.

Evin had been charged with the job of wedding reception photographer, taking photos with Bella’s digital camera, and he was having great fun taking the more candid shots.

Someone had found a box of party hats and silly novelty spectacles left over from Christmas and groups of the residents were queuing up to have their photos taken wearing them, it was hilarious and so unexpected, and Bella loved that everyone was having such a good time at the last-minute party.

Bella’s plan was to put an album together of the images to give to her granny and her new husband, and she couldn’t wait to see the results.

Jules had said Evin had inherited his dad’s creative eye and had taken some lovely photos in and around Glentorrin that were going to be put on display in the village hall with some being made into postcards to be sold in the Lifeboat House Museum.

Bella sat with Granny Isla and Tam, soaking up the atmosphere and watching everyone dancing and having fun when Jules and Reid came over to chat.

‘I hope it’s okay but we let Kendric know that you’re home safe and he was overjoyed to hear about your wedding,’ Reid said.

‘Oooh, I watch him on the TV. Vera handsome young man,’ Isla said and then turned to Tam.

‘But you’re my one and only, my dear, so no need to worry about me running away with him.

’ She giggled like a lovestruck teenager and Tam’s face lit up.

It was so clear how much they adored each other.

Bella hoped she and Harris were the same at their age.

‘The thing is, Isla, Kendric would like to come and interview you and Tam as a follow-up to the story he did on your… well… disappearance,’ Jules said with a shrug, clearly trying to be as diplomatic as possible.

‘You mean we’ll be on the TV?’ Isla asked, a surprising look of horror in her wide eyes.

‘Oh, go on, Granny, I think people would like to know you’re okay. The response to you being missing was so huge that I think it’s only fair.’

‘She’s right, dearie,’ Tam said. ‘It’s the least we can do after worrying everyone so much. It’s easy being on TV.’ He looked to Reid and Jules and added, ‘I was on Countdown , you know, so I’ve experience of the cameras.’

Bella smiled to herself. It was the first time she had heard Tam offer the information willingly.

‘Yes, I heard all about that. Well done, you,’ Jules said with a tap to his arm. ‘So what do you say, Isla?’

Isla paused for a moment and then grinned. ‘Oh, go on then. I don’t want to let my groupers down.’ She winked at Bella, who laughed out loud.

All in all, the evening was just as Bella had hoped, and it went some way to making up for the fact that she hadn’t been able to attend her granny’s actual wedding.

* * *

The party went on until almost midnight when the die-hard guests finally gave up and left, all of them thanking Bella and Dorothy for an incredibly fun night as they passed them on their way out.

They had danced and sang along to old traditional Scottish songs, but Harris had also inserted a song or two into the Glentorrin Four’s set from Granny Isla’s favourite musicians, including, of course, Tom Jones – ‘What’s New Pussycat’ had been a crowd pleaser with everyone joining in at the chorus – Lewis Capaldi and her other, more recently discovered modern favourite.

Bella couldn’t help laughing when she remembered the first time she had talked with her granny about that particular performer…

They had been sitting at the kitchen table in Isla’s little Pabay View unit, drinking tea and listing to the radio. Chris DeBurgh, another of Isla’s golden oldie favourites, was singing about a ‘Lady in Red’.

‘This tea is lovely,’ Isla had said. ‘Very fruity.’

‘It’s a loose tea. Very posh. It’s called Berry Burst infusion,’ Bella had informed her.

Isla had gasped. ‘Ooh, you know what they say about loose tea, don’t you?’

Bella had frowned. ‘No? What’s that then?’

‘Loose tea sinks ships,’ Isla had said, pursing her lips and nodding seriously as if she had just imparted some terrifying fact.

Bella had almost snorted the berry drink up her nose. ‘That would be lips , Granny.’

‘Loose tea sinks lips? That doesn’t make any sense. Lips don’t float. Although some of these celebrities who have their bottom fat injected into their lips could use them as floating devices right enough.’

Bella had laughed. ‘Loose lips sink ships, Granny, that’s the saying. Tea has nothing to do with it.’

Isla had scowled. ‘That makes no sense either.’ She shook her head, and as ‘Lady in Red’ ended, she changed the subject.

‘Don’t you think that’s a lovely song? He had big fluffy eyebrows if I remember right, like little caterpillars on his face.

’ Bella almost choked on her drink again, but Isla carried on regardless, ‘That reminds me, there’s a song I like that I’ve heard on Radio Highland, and I wondered if you like it too.

You might have heard it. Although the strange thing is I’ve also seen the singer on daytime TV, and I must admit I was shocked when I saw him because he has a strange name really, when he looks like such a normal chap.

He’s a nice-looking boy, very smiley eyes and normal-sized eyebrows.

But his stage name just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Although I know lots of people don’t use their own names these days, I mean look at Elton John and Cliff Richard.

Ooh and Englebert Dumpertruck.’ Bella gave up trying to drink her tea, lest she might need the Heimlich manoeuvre.

‘Aye, to see him he’s the kind of man you’d expect to see happily walking down the street in normal clothes, not like some Halloween reject as his name suggests.

Because it makes him sound like he plays that awful metallic music.

Well, if you can call it music. It’s just noise to me.

It’d give me a headache, that’s for sure,’ Isla had said with a shake of her head.

‘Although what do I know? Kids these days love that drum and bass stuff too which is horrendous in my opinion. You get lads driving by you with that rubbish playing so loud it’s a wonder their heads don’t fall off with the vibration.

Give me a nice bit of Tom Jones any day.

Now he could sing. He had the moves too. ’

Fearing that Isla might never get to the point, Bella had intervened. ‘Which singer are you talking about then, Granny? And what’s this song you like so much?’

Isla placed down her cup and clasped her hands like a newsreader.

‘Get this, his name is Head Shearer . Strange, eh? He sings some lovely songs and even with a name like that his voice is really nice too. Not all growly and hoarse like you’d expect, like those metallic singers.

And he’s got a full head of hair, too, so he doesn’t shear his own head.

’ She scowled and curled her lip. ‘It’s just not a name you’d put together with such romantic words.

’ Then as if a light bulb had flicked on, her eyebrows shot up and she said, ‘Although! Maybe he works on a sheep farm on the days he’s not out singing.

Maybe he is the Head Shearer, the boss of all the other sheep shearers!

That’d make more sense. Why didn’t I think of that before?

I’m such a wee dafty. Although why he’d use that as his stage name I’ve no idea.

It’s no Ziggy Stardust, is it?’ She had chuckled and shaken her head before picking up and sipping her tea again.

Bella had crumpled her brow and fought the threatening giggle. ‘I’m sorry, who ?’

Isla had shrugged. ‘See. I told you; it’s not a good name. I wonder if his management have thought about getting him to change it before he gets too famous. If he changes it now before he’s too well known, it won’t matter.’

Bella had pursed her lips and chewed the inside of her cheek. ‘What song does this Head Shearer sing that you like so much? You’re not becoming a secret head banger, are you, Granny?’ she’d teased, grinning. ‘You’ve got the purple hair.’

‘Och, no chance. I like my brain right where it is, thank you very much. Now, let me think, the one I really like is called “Thinking Out Loud”, I think that’s right.

It’s so sweet and the words are beautiful.

’ Bella couldn’t hold back any longer. She’d burst into hysterical laughter and her eyes watered.

Isla had raised her eyebrows. ‘What? What’s so funny?

What did I say? I don’t get it, Arabella. ’

Holding her stomach, and once she had calmed herself down, Bella had managed to say, ‘Granny, you really are hilarious. His name is Ed Sheeran , not Head Shearer . And he’s already very famous! He’s been around years and has won tons of awards.’

Isla had laughed too. ‘Oh! Ed Sheeran! That’s a much better name! I’ll no be writing to his manager then.’ Seeing Isla laugh was one of Bella’s favourite things in the world.