A Flight of Fancy (Scottish Island Escapes Book 6)

by Margaret Amatt

  ‘So… Where are we going?’ she asked. ‘Do you have a hotel?’

  ‘Hmm, yeah. We didn’t really think this through, did we? I’m staying with my parents. And they live in a small bungalow where the walls are like cardboard.’ He glanced at her. ‘Just saying.’

  ‘Your parents?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Taylor’s heart hiccupped. ‘Ok. That complicates things.’

  ‘Yep. And we’ll be there in ten minutes.’

  ‘Ten minutes? Magnus, we need a story.’

  He frowned and gave a little shrug. ‘What kind of story?’

  ‘Well, your parents will want to know how we met and stuff like that, won’t they?’

  ‘I suppose so.’ He rubbed his thumb across his chin. ‘Why don’t we tell them the truth. Or sort of. We could say I bumped into you in an airport, we hit it off and decided to keep seeing each other.’

  ‘Will they believe that? Haven’t you already told your mom a story about how you met your girlfriend?’

  With an irritated roll of his shoulders, he replied, ‘No. I just said I was seeing someone, and I’d let them know more at the time because I didn’t want to jinx it. My mum knows what I’m like, so she didn’t push it.’

  ‘Ok.’ Taylor drew in a slow breath. What was she doing? If she thought too deeply, her head would explode. Masquerading as her Hollywood actress twin, pretending to be Magnus’s girlfriend, while actually just being herself was insane in anybody’s book. Maybe the real Skylar would have the acting part in the bag. But she was Taylor Rousse and her acting career had ended at fourteen when she’d had a breakdown and been put on medication, medication that became an addiction and ended in her first stint in rehab.

  When she’d gotten out, she’d hated seeing Skylar on her pedestal, doing everything she’d once dreamed of herself. She’d dressed as Skylar and gone out, ready to get drunk, sleep around, shoplift, or do anything which would get Skylar slapped across every gossip column everywhere. But an old family friend had ‘rescued’ her and the whole story had come out. Her parents weren’t forgiving. Crushed by their restrictions, she’d tried to overdose and ended up with a pumped stomach and another stint in rehab. The one she’d gotten out of two days before she met Magnus for the first time. Not exactly the glowing career she’d wished for.

  Since then, she’d been kept on a short leash, but now, freedom beckoned. Her gaze travelled onto Magnus. Of all the coincidences, she’d bumped into him. She’d read about stranger things but words and phrases like destiny and meant to be kept cropping up in her head. Words she’d never used in connection to herself before. No future had looked bright just one day ago.

  ‘Here we are.’ Magnus turned the car into a short drive. They passed a few widely spaced, tall pine trees before a little bungalow came into view with a wooden sign reading Tighnatraigh. ‘It’s pronounced tie-na-tray,’ said Magnus, as Taylor frowned. Beyond a further row of trees was the sea, broad and greyish blue with the silhouette of the mountainous mainland on the horizon.

  ‘We’re here already?’ Crap. Taylor smoothed off her clothes. Why did this not seem like a good idea anymore? What if Magnus’s family hated her? She couldn’t pretend they were hating Skylar, she’d know they were hating her.

  ‘Yes. Oh, and I should tell you, my mum’s aunt, Jean, lives here too. She’s batty and she doesn’t really like anybody.’

  ‘Oh, great.’

  ‘Except me. I’m her favourite. So woe betide you offend her. No woman will ever be good enough for her Magnus.’

  ‘What?’

  Magnus laughed. ‘I told you this wasn’t a good idea, but it’s too late now. We’re here and there’s my mum.’

  A woman stood in the bungalow door, waving and craning her neck. Before Taylor was fully out, the woman had nipped down the two steps and was upon them. She reached up and hugged Magnus. He ruffled her greyish brown bob and grinned. ‘Hey, Mum. How’s it going?’

  ‘Wonderful. And who have we here?’ She beamed at Taylor.

  ‘So, here we have Taylor. And, Taylor, this is my mum, Fenella.’

  ‘Hi.’ Taylor edged forward. What now? Shake hands? Wave? Just smile? Fenella took charge, throwing out her arms and hugging Taylor.

  ‘Wonderful to meet you, Taylor.’ She patted her back. ‘Now, in you come.’

  Taylor glanced at Magnus. He winked and indicated with his thumb for her to follow Fenella.

  ‘I hope the journey was ok,’ said Fenella.

  ‘Fine,’ said Magnus. ‘Apart from yesterday’s accident.’

  ‘I checked the news this morning,’ said Fenella. ‘Apparently, some people were airlifted from the crash, but they survived, so that’s a blessing. I always hate to hear about accidents.’

  She talked all the way into the house, through the short hall where Taylor was jumped on by three dogs: two spaniels and a retriever. They moved so fast, dotting back and forward, it seemed like a lot more. She fussed over them as they capered about, wagging their tails and rolling over.

  ‘Into your beds,’ said Fenella, shooing them into the living room. The dogs slumped into their baskets beside the radiator in the cute if a little time-warped space.

  Taylor’s heart filled with a happy bubble. This was a proper, cosy, homely home. Magnus had been a child here, and years of love and laughter shone through the wide-open grey curtains. Photographs on the walls and the mantlepiece showed the passage of time, three blond, curly-haired boys growing into handsome young men smiled from every frame. At the front of the room, two large sliding glass doors opened onto a beautiful sea view.

  ‘Well, hello.’

  Taylor jumped at a shrill voice.

  From a little armchair in front of the fireplace, an elderly woman peered around. ‘Come in so I can see you. If you stand behind me, I’ll break my neck. My bones aren’t what they used to be. I am ninety-two.’

  ‘Hi, Jean.’ Magnus walked around and kissed the old woman’s wrinkly forehead.

  ‘Oh, Magnus. You must stop growing. But let me see the young lady.’

  With a beam and a cheeky glint in his eyes, Magnus put out his hand, welcoming Taylor for her inspection. ‘This is Taylor. Taylor, meet Aunt Jean.’

  ‘Hi,’ said Taylor, pushing her hair behind her ears and trying to maintain her smile as the old woman looked her up and down.

  ‘You’re very different from the last one. Taller I think, but not as pushy.’ She screwed up her nose. ‘You’re a scrawny one too.’

  ‘Thank you, Jean,’ said Magnus.

  ‘She’s pregnant, do you know?’

  ‘No she isn’t,’ he said sharply, flicking a look at Taylor.

  ‘I mean Julie McNabb. Your last one.’

  ‘Oh her.’ Magnus rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, I knew about her.’

  ‘She’s a nippy one, looks like her grandmother, faces like shrews, both of them.’ Jean rapped her fingers on the chair arm.

  ‘Look at the sunshine,’ said Fenella. ‘We’ve had solid rain and sleet for weeks. You two have brought the sun with you. Now, sit down and relax. So, tell us, Taylor, where is it you come from?’

  ‘California.’

  ‘Oh, lovely, but you must be finding it a bit chilly here. Sadly, sun here at this time of year doesn’t bring warmth.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s chilly.’

  ‘California?’ said Jean, tutting as she picked up some knitting needles. ‘Some American place? Dear, dear.’

  ‘But, Magnus, you don’t fly to California, do you?’ Fenella smiled.

  ‘Eh, no, but we met in…’

  ‘Amsterdam.’ Taylor fluttered her lashes.

  ‘Oh? Sounds intriguing,’ said Fenella. ‘Why were you in Amsterdam?’

  ‘Flying a plane, of course,’ said Magnus.

  ‘I meant Taylor. Are you a pilot too?’ asked Fenella.

  ‘No… I eh, I’m a PA. I work for big companies. We met at the airport.’

  ‘Yeah, we literally crashed into each other, and well… here
we are.’

  ‘Dear, dear,’ muttered Jean. ‘Sounds very silly. I suppose you were drunk.’

  ‘I don’t drink when I’m flying, Jean,’ said Magnus.

  ‘Wow, must be fate,’ said Fenella. ‘How wonderful. Now, shall I get you something to eat? Jakob’s coming later, so I don’t want to have lunch too early. He’s stopping off here before going to Carl’s. There’s not enough room for me to have everyone overnight.’ Fenella gave Taylor a huge smile.

  ‘That’s great, Mum,’ said Magnus, ‘but before we do anything else, Taylor and I should get our luggage from the car.’

  ‘Can’t you get it yourself, you lazy boy?’ said Jean. ‘I’m sure you can carry her case too.’

  ‘I can, yes, but she has something fragile in it. She prefers to do it herself. Don’t you, darling? Now come on.’

  Taylor opened her mouth, then closed it again before following him. She took hold of his arm. ‘I don’t have anything fragile—’

  ‘Shh!’ He put his hand to his lips before leading her outside, then opened the trunk and leaned on it, shaking his head. ‘This is a disaster. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Some of it is making me laugh, but honestly, remind me, why did I agree to this?’

  ‘Why? It’s gone ok so far, hasn’t it?’

  ‘Are you kidding? Do you even know my brother’s names? Who’s getting married? Who their partners are? Their children? Do you know what I like doing? What do we do together? What do we have in common? Do you live with me, or are we in a long-distance relationship? We don’t know the first thing about each other and if we start making stuff up, it’ll all come out. My mum’s not an idiot. She’ll catch on this is fake and think I’ve paid someone to do it.’

  ‘I did say we should have a story. So, tell me about your brothers and I’ll remember. How about we say we both like… I don’t know, music? Sailing?’

  ‘Taylor, you’ve just been on a boat for the third time in your life.’

  ‘Ok, scratch that one. Let’s go with music. Now tell me about your brothers.’

  ‘Right. I’m the eldest.’

  ‘Are you?’

  ‘Yes. Jakob is next, he’s married to Livvi and they have a one-year-old daughter, Polly. Carl is the youngest, he’s the one getting married. His fiancée is Robyn. Robyn’s mother is the hotel owner at the Glen Lodge Hotel, and that’s where they’re getting married.’

  ‘Right, ok.’ Taylor drew in a sigh. ‘Jakob, Livvi and Polly. Carl marrying Robyn, hotel owner’s daughter. I think I’ve got it. I didn’t realise you were the eldest. I thought you must be the youngest with them being married first.’

  ‘Yeah, nice,’ he said, fidgeting with the sleeve of his chunky knit sweater. ‘Life doesn’t always work like that.’

  Taylor patted him on the arm. ‘I know. And who’s Julie? The shrew-faced pregnant woman. You kept her quiet.’

  ‘Yeah, she’s my ex. And even if you were my real girlfriend, I wouldn’t exactly be shouting about her.’

  ‘And the baby?’

  ‘Well, it’s obviously nothing to do with me. I haven’t seen her for a year. Our relationship was a farce. I moved back here for a while last year when I was between jobs, and Julie happened. She was in the right place at the right time, but she… Well, she wanted more from the relationship than I did. I was never going to come back and live here permanently. She couldn’t grasp that. If Jean mentions her again, make sure you’re suitably offended. Ok, darling?’

  ‘Of course, honey.’ Taylor put her arm around his back and smacked him on the butt.

  ‘Good.’ He pulled her in for a one-armed hug.

  Taylor savoured it while reciting the names of his brothers and their partners in her head. And if I was his real girlfriend, I’d do the same. I wasn’t born with the knowledge!

  Fenella bustled out of a room, a delicious smell following in her wake. Was she baking bread? A mom who actually baked was too good to be true.

  ‘Your room’s in here.’ Fenella opened a door in the corridor.

  ‘I know,’ said Magnus.

  ‘I’m telling Taylor, Mr know-it-all,’ said Fenella.

  ‘I am not a know-it-all.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Taylor ducked into the room with a smirk as Magnus frowned at his mom. The neatly decorated room promised homely comfort with its magnolia walls and long blue curtains. It bordered on old-fashioned but warmth radiated from it. Taylor clapped her hands under her chin. ‘It’s so cute.’

  ‘It’s probably naff compared to what you’re used to,’ said Fenella. ‘But the bed’s comfy and it has an electric blanket, that’ll keep you cosy.’

  ‘I thought that was my job,’ muttered Magnus, shoving the cases into the room.

  Fenella did a three-sixty with her eyes. ‘That sounds like my cue to leave,’ she said. ‘Make yourself at home.’ She smiled at Taylor and patted her on the shoulder as she left.

  ‘Naughty,’ said Taylor.

  ‘What? Keeping my girlfriend warm is not a crime.’

  ‘And is that all we’re doing?’ whispered Taylor. ‘Because your mom…’

  Magnus peeked out the door, then said, ‘She’s been married nearly forty years and she has three kids. She knows how things work.’

  Taylor bit her lip.

  ‘But we can always shove a pillow down the middle of the bed and make sure we behave,’ said Magnus. ‘Because I can’t guarantee Jean won’t be on the other side of the wall with a glass pressed against it.’

  Taylor gave his upper arm a playful slap. ‘You are a very bad man, aren’t you?’

  He sighed, opened his arms and drew her in for a hug. ‘I must be. I just hope this doesn’t come back to bite.’

  ‘It won’t.’ Taylor rubbed her cheek into the rib of his sweater, lapping up the exquisite sensation of being wanted. The fact he thought she was Skylar was irrelevant. Right now, she was his girlfriend and part of his family, and he was doing a better impression of caring for her than anyone in her life had ever done.

  Chapter 10

  Magnus

  Magnus lounged into the grey chenille sofa, crossed his legs and leaned his chin on his hand. Fenella lifted a plate of cakes and offered them around the room.

  Taylor’s fingers hovered over the plate, and Magnus smirked as Fenella beamed at her. Her indecision wouldn’t be because she couldn’t decide but because she’d be trying to work out how many calories she was about to ingest.

  ‘One cake won’t hurt,’ said Magnus.

  ‘They all look so good.’ Taylor lifted a slice of millionaire shortbread and Magnus raised his eyebrow. She flipped him a cheeky smile.

  ‘So, Taylor,’ said Fenella, sitting down and cradling a mug. ‘What do you think of Scotland so far?’

  Magnus glanced heavenward. Fenella had taught in a local primary school for almost forty years and looked like she was encouraging a diffident child to speak up.

  ‘Oh, it’s stunning but cold.’

  Fenella nodded. ‘Yes, this time of year is chilly. It surprised me Carl and Robyn wanted this time of year for their wedding, but it’s to fit in with the hotel. They didn’t want it in the main tourist season, so it didn’t affect business.’

  ‘I guess it makes sense.’

  ‘Carl won’t have a clue,’ said Magnus. ‘He’ll do whatever Robyn says.’

  Fenella peered at him over her cup. ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters, Taylor?’

  ‘I eh, yeah. I have a sister… She’s um, a dancer.’

  ‘A dancer?’ said Fenella. ‘Like ballet?’

  ‘Modern.’

  ‘Lovely, sounds very creative.’ She sipped her drink and Taylor nibbled on her cake. ‘And where do you work?’

  ‘I eh… all over, you know, wherever I’m needed.’ She glanced at Magnus. He sent her a little wave. Watching a Hollywood movie star sweating under his mum’s inquisition was almost as delicious as the home baking. Improvisation clearly wasn’t Skylar’s forte.

  ‘So, do you live with Magnus?
’ asked Jean.

  ‘Jean.’ Magnus growled. Jean had nosey-old-lady down to a tee.

  ‘What? It’s a perfectly acceptable question. The last one wanted to live with you, but you refused to get a house here. I wondered if this one has had any success.’

  ‘The last one?’ said Magnus quietly, with a glance out the window. Julie hadn’t been the last. One girlfriend a year would really be something.

  ‘Oh, really, Jean,’ said Fenella.

  Jean bit into her shortbread. ‘Bunch of prudes, all of you,’ she muttered.

  ‘Now, Taylor, do you have any dietary requirements?’ asked Fenella.

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘She doesn’t like grease but she’s rather partial to vinegar,’ Magnus added with a wink.

  Taylor narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I tried fish and chips yesterday. The jury’s out.’

  ‘Oh gosh, I understand.’ Fenella smiled. ‘My boys are ridiculous with the amount of stuff they pour over their chips. I like some nice chips, but I’m not fussed for vinegar.’

  ‘Except for washing the shower screen.’

  ‘Different type of vinegar, son.’ Fenella clarified, raising her hand. ‘And it is very good for shining up glass. Not that he’d know,’ she added to Taylor. ‘Him having a cleaner and all that.’

  Magnus shrugged. ‘I work long hours. The last thing I want to do is come home and clean.’

  ‘Better watch out,’ said Jean. ‘As soon as he gets you living there, the cleaner’ll be sacked and you’ll get the job.’

  ‘Thank you, Jean,’ he muttered. ‘I’m not a caveman. I wouldn’t do anything of the sort.’

  ‘Thank god for that,’ said Taylor. A hint of the old Skylar lingered in her teasing expression, but other than that, he barely recognised her. Now the glitz and spangle had been stripped away, she’d morphed into a sweet, sometimes nervous, and always pleasant woman. Not to mention a bloody hot one. Magnus covered his mouth in case he inadvertently said the words aloud.