‘Erm, yes, of course. Please do join us. We haven’t ordered yet. Perhaps I should warn you that service is a little slow tonight.’ Damion was frowning as he ushered us into the seats opposite him and Gloria. The waiter rushed over with menus and fussed over setting our places at the table with glassware and crockery and pouring wine, which thankfully, allowed us all a moment of repose before we needed to re-engage in conversation.
‘How lovely to see you both again—’ Gloria began, now smiling diplomatically.
‘Yes, it’s lovely to see you, too. What a coincidence, again. Are you going to the street party tomorrow night?’ I asked, ever so innocently, although I was guilty of knowing the answer.
‘Yes. We are. And we’re looking forward to it very much, aren’t we, darling?’
Gloria nudged her husband to respond favourably, clearly worried that he wouldn’t.
Damion grunted, now clearly convinced that this meeting was as staged as it seemed.
Ethan, who didn’t ever stand for any nonsense, suddenly stood up and spoke to his brother.
‘Damion. A word, if you don’t mind. Let me buy you a drink at the bar. Whisky?’
Gloria and I looked at each other in concern.
A waiter came over thinking we might be ready to order but we sent him away.
Then, each cradling our large glasses of wine, we sat and watched our two men as they stood at the bar together, hunched over glasses of single malt, in a seemingly animated and intense rapid-fire conversation. At one point, Damion glanced over to me with his eyes as dark as the devils. The room was so busy and full of background noise that it was impossible to hear what was being said. But soon, I saw it was Ethan who was doing all the talking and Damion appeared to be listening. Was Ethan telling him that it was me who’d tried to take back Waterfall Cay?
Then it was Damion’s turn to do the talking while Ethan listened in careful consideration.
Gloria and I sipped tentatively on our wine and waited for the eventual outcome.
We saw another two drinks served to the men and their stances becoming less hunched.
‘Do you think they might be having a conversation now or another argument?’ Gloria asked.
I thought it was hard to tell. Over half an hour had passed before the two men returned.
When they approached us, Ethan’s smile told me everything that I needed to know.
‘It seems we have you two ladies to thank for this clever exchange tonight.’ Damion said.
Gloria reached for my hand under the table in a tight collaborative squeeze.
Then seeing the four us all seated at the table again, a waiter rushed over to ask if we were finally ready to order, and Ethan immediately ordered up a bottle of their finest champagne.
A bottle was produced. The cork was popped. Our foaming flutes were raised in the air.
We all paused for a moment as Ethan stood to propose the toast.
‘Here’s to islands and highlands,’ he said, looking to his brother.
A smile appeared on Damion’s face as he too raised his glass.
After our meal, during which our conversation was carefully confined to casual chat about how beautiful Edinburgh looked in the snow and of course the Hogmanay celebrations, we all took a ‘wee stroll’ along Rose Street. A narrow and cobbled alley behind Princes Street, in a search for a pub that served Ethan’s favourite type of Scottish beer. Once we’d found it and consumed it, we made our way back onto Princes Street, to catch sight of the torchlight parade that was due to kick off the traditional Hogmanay celebrations tonight.
It was amazing and exciting to see so many people marching with torches from the historic old town to the sound of so many bagpipes. Everyone was dressed up warmly and many were dressed in tartan with sashes for the women and full highland garb for the men. It was an experience that had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I could only imagine what it actually might be like to be part of the Hogmanay party tomorrow night. And, to see with my own eyes, the spectacular firework display over the castle at midnight to bring in the New Year.
From Princes Street, in the gardens beneath the castle, we could see the stage being prepared for the next evening’s concert in the gardens. Although I was wrapped up warmly in my new cashmere woollen coat and scarf, bought this afternoon at Jenners department store, I was shivering with anticipation and excitement in knowing that we now had so much to celebrate.
Once we were able to do so, we escaped the crowds and walked back towards The Balmoral.
Gloria and I walked together, linking our arms as we walked along the icy and busy street behind our men, who walked side by side in conversation as if all the years and animosity between them had never existed. Gloria and I agreed it was like a miracle.
Ethan and I said goodnight to Gloria and Damion and then we carried on, arm in arm, over the bridge and onto the Royal Mile and back to our own fabulous room beneath the castle.
I couldn’t wait to get back and to get Ethan on his own to find out exactly what had been said tonight. Back in our room at The Alchemist, a real log fire had been lit in the gothic fireplace. The room was warm and luxurious and glowing with flickering firelight. I pulled off my outdoor clothes, slipped out of my heels, and sat on the cosy rug in front of the fire, warming my hands. Ethan soon joined me. He handed me a cut-glass tumbler. ‘Care for a nightcap?’
I took it from him and patted the space next to me on the rug.
‘Come here. Sit down. I need to know what happened tonight. What was said and how on earth you managed to negotiate with your brother so easily and so quickly? Gloria and I were amazed – and of course absolutely thrilled – how all of this has worked out so well!’
Ethan was grinning from ear to ear. ‘Funnily enough, Damion said he’d been intending to get in touch because he needs my help. Can you believe it? It seems he’s in big trouble. His businesses all over the world are struggling. He’s losing investors left right and centre and he’s being held to account because he hasn’t been sensitive enough about environmental and conservation issues. To put it bluntly, he’s in the shit.’
He laughed and took a slug from his glass.
‘So, what has he asked you to do for him?’
‘He wants me to consult with him on his projects. I agreed. I like the idea of consulting.’
‘But then, after that, you talked about the island and Glencorrie?’
‘Yes. You and Gloria were right. All this time, he’s been bitter about our parents leaving the house to me. I told him that I honestly didn’t know that he’d wanted it. I had to remind him how he’d managed to sell off every asset our parents had ever given him and every family heirloom that he’d managed to sneak out of the house to the auctions. He tried to justify it all by saying it was how he’d kickstarted his stocks and shares portfolio, which of course, is now famously volatile but worth an absolute fortune. Then we did a deal. Glencorrie for Waterfall Cay.’
‘A straight swap?’
‘Not quite. He’s had to agree to the no-sell clause and to pay for the damage on the island together with all Glencorrie’s renovations. It’s likely cost him ten million.’
‘Gosh. And you said Damion was ruthless!’
‘I also told him we were getting married and asked him if he’d be my best man.’
I held my breath in anticipation at how well this was going. ‘And what did he say?’
‘He said he’d be delighted!’
‘Well, let’s drink to that. Cheers!’
We chinked our glasses together and as we sat in front of the warm fire, bathed in flickering firelight, I revelled in the joy and happiness that I saw reflected in Ethan’s eyes as he realised that his dream island was finally his to enjoy and that he had his brother back in his life at last.
‘Lori’ he said, turning his attention to look deeply and lovingly into my eyes.
‘Yes, my love?’
‘Hypothetically speaking, if I was to retire – not ent
irely of course – as I do like the idea of being a consultant on conservational and environmental issues, would you have any objection to me getting Lucas onboard to oversee my interests at the GGF?’
The following evening, on Hogmanay, we invited Damion and Gloria over to our much smaller hotel to dine with us in the intimately proportioned Alchemist’s restaurant. The restaurant itself seemed to be a room carved out of the rock beneath the castle. The setting was sumptuous and unusual and incredibly impressive. Indeed, the four of us were seated at a table right next to an A-list Hollywood action star – who will remain nameless – but who also happened to be Scottish and incredibly handsome. I was totally star-struck.
Gloria was beside herself with excitement, until Ethan rose to his feet and intervened to introduce us to the star – as he apparently knew this person – and probably because he was keen for the sake of all involved to re-establish an atmosphere of nonchalance in the restaurant.
Damion, cool as a cucumber, merely nodded his head when he was introduced.
I’m sure my face was as red as the lobster being served to me when the star winked at me.
As we finished our meal and enjoyed coffee, we could hear the first whizzes and pops and booms of the first of the countdown firework displays over the castle to rally the crowds.
At 10p.m., we wrapped up warm in our coats and hats and scarfs and made our way over to Princes Street, to join the throng of revellers in the shadow of the castle on its hill. It was standing room only in the street and the atmosphere was electric. Music was blasting out from the massive speakers either side of the main stage and everyone around us was caught up in the beat, dancing and singing and whooping with revelry in the street.
Gloria and I joined in with it all in wild abandon. We bought glow sticks to wave in the air as we sang our hearts out along with Franz Ferdinand and the incredible crowds what was surely the best New Year’s Eve party in the world.
At midnight, we stood in awe and excitement with hundreds of thousands of other people and with our eyes in the sky over the castle as the countdown to the midnight bells began and the fireworks exploded in an incredible choreographed display.
It was so big. So noisy. So incredible. So amazing.
Then we locked arms, the four of us with everyone around us, to sing Auld Lang’s Syne.
Of course, Damion and Ethan knew all the words and sang them loud and proud.
Gloria and I leapt about laughing and joined in with the chorus.
For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!
My phone was suddenly vibrating in my pocket. I check it to see it was my boys.
But it was impossible to hear them. No doubt they could only hear the roar of the crowd.
But we shouted out Happy New Year to each other anyway before we hung up.
I held onto Ethan’s strong arm and my eyes were filled with tears of joy.
I looked at his handsome face and my heart was bursting full of love and happiness.
I was sure that this new year was going to be the stuff that dreams were made of.
Indeed, this was the year we were getting married!
I stood on my tip-toes and reached to kiss Ethan on the lips with all the passion I could muster. He responded in kind and when our lips parted, he smiled at me slowly, his eyes shining like beacons in the darkness and without dropping eye contact with me for even a nano-second, he took my left hand up to his warmed lips to kiss my icy fingertips and to slide onto my finger an enormous diamond ring.
Chapter 20
Six Months Later
Waterfall Cay: British Virgin Islands.
Lori and Ethan cordially request the pleasure of your company
at their wedding tomorrow. No shoes required.
This morning, in bright sunshine and on calm waters, we’re sailing towards Road Town, Tortola. I gaze out from my viewpoint on the forward deck at what must certainly be one of the most beautiful sights in the world; a chain of tropical islands laid out like an emerald necklace. I’m sitting back, relaxing, with my sunshades on, enjoying the warm breeze and the clear vista ahead of us as Ethan stands proudly at the helm of our boat Butterfly.
He says it’s his dream boat. I’m certain, given half a chance, he’d spend all day and every day driving it up and down these straights and around the BVIs if he could. He’s enthusiastically wearing the new shirt I bought him. As an avid collector of colourful shirts, I knew at once he’d love it as it has large butterflies printed on it. He’s left the buttons open, so it’s flapping in the wind and the butterflies look like they are flying along with us, as we sail through the Sir Frances Drake Channel.
We did this trip yesterday, too. As we’re ferrying our wedding guests back to our island as they arrive at the airport on Tortola, from various corners of the world. Yesterday, we were excited to welcome Ethan’s brother Damion and his wife Gloria, who flew in from Edinburgh, where they are planning to spend the most part of this summer supervising the renovations of their new Scottish home, Glencorrie House.
I’m beyond thrilled that my fabulous friend and travelling companion through Thailand, Summer, is able to join us with her fiancé, Nate. And George and David, whom Ethan and I had worked with on Koh Phi Tao at the turtle sanctuary, and wonderful Tom, my butterfly man, together with his new husband, also named Ethan.
This morning, we’re meeting our final special guests: my family, my mum and two sons and their girlfriends. My mum is giving me away on my wedding day. Josh and Lucas are to be our ushers. Zoey, who is to be my daughter-in-law later this year, and Lucas’s girlfriend Lucy, are to be my bridesmaids. Gloria, who is now my very best girlfriend as well as my sister-in law to be, has agreed to be my Maid of Honour.
I’m prone to bursting into tears at random moments because this all means so much.
We are all going to be together as one big happy family.
We’ve managed to achieve so much in these few incredibly busy months, although we’ve had teams of designers and architects and builders on site to help us this whole time.
During the time in which the beach house and guest bungalows and caretaker’s cottage were being constructed, I’ve been preoccupied with my own keen conservational interest here on the island. We have established a new turtle sanctuary. We discovered very soon after moving here, that on the far side of the island, we have a nesting beach for leatherback turtles. These are the largest and most vulnerable of the sea turtles. To me, it seems entirely fitting that as we didn’t manage to establish a sanctuary for the largest butterfly in the world on our island, then we could at least provide an important sanctuary for the world’s largest turtle.
Another preoccupation of course has been our wedding arrangements.
My darling groom has been busy supervising the reef reconstruction here at Waterfall Cay, which has been worked on meticulously by a whole team of marine biologists from his foundation. We’re told the results look encouraging and, although the coral is slow growing, it’s expected to recover well. Damion has been generous in footing the bill for this reconstruction and making good any other damages incurred here on the island. I know that Ethan really appreciates both the contribution and the apologetic sentiment behind it.
‘So, what do you think?’ I said to my family as we sailed towards Waterfall Cay.
I watched their faces as they caught their first sight of our island and the beautiful new house at the top of the beach above the lagoon. The response was as expected and one of awe and open-mouthed silence. We were met at our new dock by an enthusiastic and happy reception committee of our friends who were already ashore, who greeted us, welcomed us home, and then helped everybody to lug their bags from the boat up to the house.
‘Go and get freshened up.’ I yelled up the staircase to my flight weary family as they followed Ethan and David and George and their luggage up to their rooms. ‘Then come down and join us on the terrace for so
me lunch!’
I checked outside and saw Tom and his Ethan stoking up the barbeque.
What is it with men and fire?
Summer was stretched out on the beach, sunbathing on a lounger, reading a magazine.
I sighed with happiness. My world felt complete.
I loved how everyone looked so relaxed and happy.
Right now, it literally and figuratively, feels like my life has come full circle.
And, I’m so very very thankful.
‘This place is perfect.’ Gloria exclaimed to me, as I invited her into my bedroom for a sneak-peek at my wedding dress. It had arrived this morning and I couldn’t wait to show it to her. Especially as she had been the one to suggest the designer to me when I said I wanted something in keeping with the theme of our wedding – casual but elegant – and suitable for a tropical beach setting.
‘Look!’ I said, proudly uncovering the dress. ‘I went for a slightly boho look, with a v-neck and an antique lace bodice in white-ivory. It’s simple and drapes beautifully. I love it.’
‘It’s stunning. I love all your ideas for your wedding theme and for the house. It’s bright and breezy and elegant. But where are you getting married tomorrow – here in the house – or out on the beach?’
‘Oh, we’re getting married on the beach.’ I confirmed. ‘No shoes required!’
‘Oh, how dreamy. And, you will be the most beautiful bride!’ She enthused, hugging me.
‘We’re having the ceremony out on the edge of the lagoon.’ I explained. ‘Ethan’s built a beautiful driftwood arched pergola and, by tomorrow, we’ll have it all decorated with frangipani flowers from the garden and little seashells and drapes of dreamy white voile, to provide us some shade from the heat of the afternoon sun.’
Gloria went from admiring my dress to appreciating the open views from the bedroom.
‘Damion and I had a small wedding with just a few close friends in attendance. His lawyer was his best man.’ She laughed but then looked sad. ‘Being here and being part of your wedding makes me wish we could do it all over again. Now that we’re all a family.’
The Next Adventure Page 24
