Page 36 of Snowy Surprises in the Highlands (Scottish Highland #5)
Granny Isla and Tam were interviewed by Kendric MacKinnon during the last week in November and the show aired as part of a special St Andrew’s Day celebration.
He had made the journey to Skye to visit them at their home – formerly Isla’s home – with the same crew that had accompanied him the last time, and had made such a fuss of them, bringing them a hamper of goodies including a bottle of champagne as a belated congratulations on their wedding.
When the show was aired, the family had gathered at Pabay View to watch it in the TV lounge with the other residents, who applauded enthusiastically when their segment arrived on screen.
Isla and Tam had a sort of celebrity status now.
Isla had worn the obligatory lilac kaftan dress, only this time she wore a deep purple polo neck underneath due to the cold, and Tam had, of course, gone for a matching bowtie, and the pair had beamed with pride as Kendric asked them questions about their surprising long journey to get married at Gretna.
When asked if they had any regrets about the situation, Isla replied, ‘When you get to our age you’ve got to grab life with two hands and make the most of every second.
You’re a lang time deid , as my father used to say.
So, I have no regrets about marrying my Tam.
’ She patted her husband’s hand. ‘My only regret is that we interloped so that our families couldn’t be there. ’
Tam leaned towards her and whispered, ‘I think you mean eloped , dearie.’
Without breaking her smile, or her focus on Kendric, Isla replied, ‘Aye, hen, that’s what a said.’
* * *
The month of Bella and Harris’s wedding arrived in a glittering, frosty package, and the temperature dropped significantly with it.
And, while Bella was wondering why on earth they chose the get married in December instead of, say, June , she was getting more excited, and nervous, by the day about the upcoming Christmas Eve nuptials.
Their Christmas tree arrived on the fifth of the month, via courier from Drumblair nursery this year due to time constraints, and because Harris was off work on that day Bella took the day off too and they had spent a good couple of hours decorating it.
Of course, there was a brief interlude when the mistletoe was hung; Harris was irresistible, after all.
He had tugged her beneath the doorframe where he had pinned the very realistic-looking but faux bunch of the plant (on account of Bertie chewing anything that had the audacity to fall to the floor), the stems of which were wrapped in burgundy ribbon, and had slipped his hands into her hair.
Without speaking he had gazed into her eyes and smoothed his thumbs lightly over her cheeks before lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her.
Her legs had weakened, and she wondered how he always managed to affect her that way.
Shivers travelled her spine as she reciprocated the passion he was showing her, and her hands gripped the strands of his hair as the heat between them built.
Teasingly, he abruptly stopped his ministrations and placed a kiss on her nose. ‘Hold that thought, Miss Douglas.’
Her eyes fluttered open. ‘What thought?’ she asked, smiling knowingly.
He chuckled. ‘You know very well what thought, you saucy minx,’ he said in his best imitation of Hugh Grant’s voice. ‘Come on, let’s get this tree finished.’
Bella had the urge to protest but they couldn’t very well leave the tree half done, could they?
Especially when there were boxes of decorations on the floor and Bertie had already run away with the angel for the top.
Bella and Harris had chased him around the garden for twenty minutes until teamwork and a well-executed pincer manoeuvre had rendered the dog trapped for a very brief moment.
The joy in his eyes as they were chasing him had been lovely to see. He had clearly enjoyed the game.
Their decorations were a combination of things they had chosen together and things they had each bought when alone.
It was an eclectic mix, but the tree told their own unique story.
Amongst the traditional baubles in red, green, gold and tartan there was a glass teddy bear policeman that Bella had bought for Harris online as a stocking filler the previous Christmas.
And a rather silly Harry Styles bust ornament on which the singer was wearing a sparkly black vest top.
Harris had bought it from the Selfridges website the same year, stating with a laugh, ‘You make me listen to his music so I’m making you put him on the Christmas tree.
’ She wasn’t sure how the two things were comparable but was more than happy to acquiesce, even if his CD had once almost decapitated her when she’d hit a pothole and Fifi had subsequently broken down.
And speaking of Fifi, one of Bella’s favourite ornaments was a little red Citroen 2CV that Harris had found for her on their first Christmas together.
She adored her little car, so this was a very special item that she would always treasure.
Now, they bought at least one special decoration each year, it had become a tradition.
All in all, it was a fun tree that neither of them took too seriously these days.
Gone were the days when it had to be perfect and in keeping with the ambience of the room.
Quite the opposite of what Bella had envisioned having, and had always insisted on when living alone or with Granny Isla.
And it was certainly a talking point when friends came to visit.
* * *
Once the decorating was done, they sat, snuggled up on the sofa in the glow of the log burner and the coloured twinkly lights, admiring their handiwork.
Bella laid her head in Harris’s lap and The Darkness sang about ‘Christmas Time’ with bells in the background, the lyrics never failing to make Bella chuckle.
The fresh, sweet smell of the pine tree, and the warming fragrance of cinnamon from the sticks hung upon it, infiltrated her senses and Bella sighed in contentment.
She loved this time of year. She always had.
Bertie was lying on the rug before the fire, as always, on his back, legs in the air and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
His favourite bunny toy was right next to his head, looking a little worse for wear after a year of being dragged and tossed around the garden.
He’d had it since he was adopted, and it was the only toy he hadn’t completely chewed up and destroyed.
The new Santa toy that Harris had picked up for him lay under the coffee table, virtually untouched.
It had been hilarious seeing Bertie’s reaction to it when Harris brought it home the day before.
He had sniffed it, pawed at it and then proceeded to get down on his front paws and bark at it.
But if either she or Harris tried to put it near him he ran off and hid behind the sofa.
‘Have you spoken to Isla today?’ Harris asked.
‘I have, she was in the middle of supervising Tam while he put some pictures up in the lounge. They now have the one of them with Kendric MacKinnon to go with the one of Tam with Carol Vorderman and Richard Whiteley from Countdown .’
Harris chuckled. ‘I wonder who they’ll get to meet next.’ He shook his head. ‘It’ll be strange not going to your granny’s at Pabay for Christmas lunch this year.’
‘It will but it’ll be lovely to spend it at Drumblair Castle.
The place is even more stunning when it’s the festive season.
The tree they get for the foyer reminds me of the one at the Rockefeller Centre.
Although not quite as big. And the castle is usually decked out in tartan bows and red, gold and green. ’
‘So that’s where your fascination comes from, is it?’ Harris said.
‘I think it probably is, yes. And Mirren bakes the best Christmas cake. You can smell it for days when she’s been baking. Cinnamon and all spice wafts through the air, making your mouth water. I just hope it snows because it’s like an old Christmas card scene when it does.’
‘Aye, I’ve seen the place in the snow. It’s beautiful, right enough.’
‘Olivia is insistent that we all have lunch together in the dining hall on Christmas Day this year. It’s a good thing the table is huge but I’m not sure how Mirren will cope with cooking dinner for so many people. She’s apparently turned down any offers of help so she must be happy to do it.’
‘Ah, Mirren’s a star; she’ll be in her element. Looking after people is her calling in life.’ He fell silent for a moment and Bella looked up to see him chewing his lip.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked. ‘I know that face.’
He lowered his eyes to meet hers again. ‘Be honest with me. Are you disappointed at not getting to go on honeymoon right away?’ he asked as he stroked her hair.
Bella shrugged. ‘Not really. Yes, it would have been nice to go but we’ll do it in a couple of years when we can properly make the time.
That way we have a while to save up and plan better for cover at the police station.
’ She reached up and touched his face. ‘The most important thing as far as I’m concerned is that I’m marrying you. ’
‘Aye, same here,’ he replied with a smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners.
His phone pinged and Bella sat up. ‘Ugh, it’s not a work thing, is it? You’re supposed to be off today.’
Harris picked up the handset and looked at the screen. A crease formed between his brows. ‘No… it’s… it’s an email from an address I don’t know. B M at …’ He shook his head, avidly concentrating on the screen.