“Jean! Where are you? I’ve just had the most remarkable phone conversation. I have to tell you about it.”
Jean was sitting on her balcony overlooking English Bay, contemplating the wonderful sea view on Canada’s West Coast and wondering whether the view of the sea from her daughter’s home in Oban would compare.
“I’m out here, Valerie. Come and join me.”
Her friend arrived somewhat red of face and with a look of surprise that caught Jean’s attention.
“Goodness! I hope it wasn’t bad news about the family.”
“No. Quite the opposite! You remember when I told you about meeting Anna Drake and her friend Alina and her husband who live near me in London?”
“Yes, of course. You were quite impressed with both women and you said you had an instant connection with Anna at her wonderful Scottish house on one of your tours. I have often wished to see that house. Jeanette talks about Anna all the time.”
“Well, Jean, I believe you are about to get your wish.”
“That’s not too surprising as I am on my way to Scotland very soon. What’s got you so excited, Valerie Westwood?”
“The call was from Anna Drake herself. She is asking when you are arriving and wants to know if I can travel with you and we can make a stop in London and pick up Alina and Philip on the way.”
“What? Why would we go to all that trouble? It’s quite enough disruption packing my belongings to leave Vancouver forever without all the stops in between.”
“Just wait until I finish and then tell me if it’s worthwhile! Anna Drake is planning a big surprise.
She remembered I usually spend time in England with Zoe and Wesley after Christmas each year and she wants me to come to Oban with you before I go south.”
Jean interrupted. She was finding it hard to understand the necessity for this complicated plan.
“But why do we have to collect Alina and her husband?”
“Alina has poor eyesight and can’t travel without help. Philip will help as much as he can but with four of us watching out for each other we should manage better on the journey and it will be an advantage for you too.”
“Now, how do you figure that Val?”
“Just listen. To start with, we get a break from the long journey in London. We can stay in Anna’s condo which is closer than mine. This is a fabulous opportunity to see the exclusive paintings of Lawren Drake that are rumored to decorate the walls of their condo. It’s right beside Alina and Philip’s.
And, Anna suggests Alina and Philip will give you space in their baggage allowance so you can take more of your personal belongings over to Scotland.
We get a nice overnight stop, meet Alina and Philip, he’s Anna’s half-brother by the way, and then set out fresh the next day, by limousine, to Toronto for the last leg of the flight. A car will collect us in Glasgow. What’s not to like?”
Jean, whose plans had been set for the last four months, as she thought, took some time to adjust to this new, more complicated journey.
“But, my luggage was going via Air Canada all the way to Glasgow so I don’t have to handle it.”
“We won’t change that. I’ll take an extra case for you and we’ll attach Alina’s tags in London.
We were going to say goodbye at the Vancouver airport and travel separately, Jean dear. You, to Glasgow, and me home to London, Ontario. This way we travel together and also help Alina. Anna has invited me to come to the celebration in Oban so we’ll be together much longer than we thought.”
“Oh, I’m being an old stick-in-the-mud. I was quite worried about flying such a great distance on my own and I didn’t want to confess it. Now it will be much easier for me. When does Anna want us to arrive?”
“That’s the best part. We can leave whenever we want in the next two weeks. We will both stay with Jeanette in your new spacious bedroom, and the other couple will stay with Anna. I just have to coordinate our flights with Philip. Doesn’t it sound like a good idea?”
“I guess so. None of us is getting any younger. There’s something to be said for safety in numbers at our age!”
“Michelle, it’s Anna. How is Simon?”
“Oh you know your brother, Anna. He’s like a bear with a sore head, complaining about every little thing and anxious to get fully active again.”
“Sorry to hear that, Michelle. I know what a monster he can be when he’s confined to the house. Is his hip giving him trouble still?”
“Not really. I think he just got used to complaining while he waited for the operation and now he doesn’t know how to stop!”
Anna couldn’t help laughing out loud at this description of her brother. It was her considered opinion no one, other than the long-suffering Michelle, could have put up with him for so long.
“Anyway, tell me how our Ashley is getting on with the book. She hasn’t called in an age and I haven’t wanted to interrupt her. Donna says she is working feverishly to a deadline.”
“Hmm ..…quite an apt choice of words, Michelle. It’s Ashley I’m calling about, actually.”
“Ah, she’s finally tired of Scotland and anxious to get back to Prince Edward Island?”
“Not really. She’s happy here for now. Did she mention her beau?”
“Now there’s an old-fashioned word! Does she have a boyfriend?”
“Edmund Jansen is a doctor and not exactly in the boy category. Perhaps I shouldn’t be saying anything about him at all.”
“Well it could explain her long absence. What else did you want to say about Ash?”
“She has worked very hard this fall and should have her book published very soon. I want to celebrate her accomplishment and I was wondering if you and Simon would be able to come to spend New Year’s over here in Scotland. It would be a bit of a party. She deserves it.”
“Anna, that’s a wonderful idea. We have the usual chaos over Christmas with Ken and his kids. Donna’s spending the holidays with her latest ‘friend.’ It would really perk up Simon to have something to look forward to.”
“Good! Come a day or two early. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
“Please include the dashing doctor as well. Donna will want to know all about her daughter’s beau. It’s been a long time since she had any serious romance in her life.”
“I’ll be sure to do that! Meantime, get your flights booked before the seats are all gone.”
“Absolutely! Thanks, Anna. It will be good to see you again.”
“Hello, this Is Anna Drake calling. I want to invite Ross and Joyce to a New Year’s party in Oban. I’ll give you my contact information and …………..”
“Is that really you, Anna? I thought I recognized your voice on the answer phone message. Thank goodness I got here in time. Joyce is always saying I should let the machine take messages so we don’t get interrupted all the day long, but I am so glad to hear from you.”
“Ross! It’s great to hear your voice again. It’s been too long. You sound hale and hearty. Your retirement must be going well.”
“Huh! What retirement is that? Joyce had a list of things for me to do that’s miles long. I think I’m nowhere near the end of it yet. Visiting the children and the grandbairns abroad is the only break I get these days.”
“I’ll bet you love it all, Ross, but I have an idea for both of you to get a break over New Year’s if you can come to the Oban house.”
“What’s the occasion, Anna? I know you’ve been keeping to yourself for a while now since Lawren died. Joyce and me have been giving you your privacy but that does not mean we have forgotten about you, or Simon for that matter.”
“I appreciate your consideration, Ross. I am doing much better lately and I want you and Joyce to help me celebrate a new start with Simon and Michelle and our other friends, if you are free.”
“Free! I would make every effort to come even if we had special plans this year. I can’t wait to tell Joyce when she comes home.”
“Oh, that’s excellent news, Ross. I would invite you two to stay at the McCaig Estate house like you did before, but there will be a couple there already when you arrive. My half-brother Philip and his wife Alina will be staying with me from Canada.”
“Now, that’s another incentive you’re giving me. I feel badly that I’ve never met Philip in all these years. It’s high time to make up for that. We are none of us getting any younger. Don’t give accommodations another thought. Joyce and I will book the Highland Hotel for a few days. We’ll drive up if the weather holds and we can make a holiday out of it. It’s just what we need. It’s going to be a grand New Year with all of us together.”
“I’m so glad, Ross. You are right about time marching on. We can’t afford to waste an opportunity to be together.
Have a lovely Christmas with your big family and give everyone my love.
See you soon!”
Anna sighed with relief and made a note on her writing pad where she had been keeping track of her elaborate plans for the holidays. So far, everything and everyone was falling into place. It would be a very busy couple of weeks but the house would be full of people and there would be plenty to celebrate with good friends and family.
There were still a few things to put in place for the Christmas celebration but the major decisions about who, where and how, had been checked off her list.
She thought it was fortunate that Ashley was spending so much time closeted in the office working on the book. She had no idea what was planned. Anna was quite pleased that she had accomplished it all by herself. It was high time to open up the house and open up her heart again as she had not been willing to do for so long. She had Ashley to thank for much of that willingness and soon her niece would know of her gratitude.
She looked back at the list. There was just one more thing to set in place. Call Edmund Jansen.
“Could I speak to Dr. Jansen please? It’s Anna Drake calling.”
“What’s the medical issue, Mrs. Drake?”
“No medical issue, I’m happy to say. It’s more of a personal matter.”
“I see. I’ll tell the doctor you called and he’ll get back to you when he can.”
“Thank you.”
She thought this delay was inevitable so she referred to the list again and decided to make a call to the caterers to ensure everything was as she had requested. She imagined Edmund would return the call quite quickly as he had not had an opportunity to see Ashley for some time. When he saw the phone number he would think it was from Ashley.
This turned out to be the case.
“Hello. Dr. Jansen. Ashley?”
“No. This is Anna Drake.”
“Is Ashley all right?”
“Oh, she’s fine, Edmund. She’s still very busy with her writing but I need to talk to you about a plan I have for Christmas Day. It involves Ashley.”
“Mrs. Drake, I’m afraid I will be going home to spend the day with my mother. It’s all arranged and I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“I understand.” She revised speedily and found another option.
“Would it be possible for you to return to Oban in the evening for a very special occasion?”
There was a silence during which Anna’s heart speeded up. Edmund must be there for Ashley.
“I suppose I could leave here on Christmas Eve and return later on Christmas Day, if you feel it’s important enough for me to drive across country?”
“Yes, I do! I am sure Ashley would want you to be there for this, but for now it’s a big surprise so don’t say anything about it to her.”
“Not much chance of that, Mrs. Drake. I haven’t seen Ashley for weeks. I don’t even know what the book is about. It’s certainly taking all of her time these days.”
“Ah, I don’t think she would mind me telling you about the book. You see it’s a biography, or memoir, of my life with Lawren Drake and the book is to be released for sale by Christmas, so Ashley has a responsibility to her publisher in Canada. It’s a big opportunity for a journalist, Edmund, as I think you would agree.”
“Absolutely! But she should have told me.”
He sounded both aggrieved and disappointed. Anna jumped in to try to calm the waters.
“Edmund, it’s mostly my fault. At the start of the writing project, we did not tell anyone in case it didn’t work out. I think the secrecy became a habit. You deserve to know what is happening on the evening of Christmas Day. I have arranged a Christmas feast at Glenmorie Castle for close friends and family to celebrate Ashley’s achievement.”
“My goodness! And you really want to include me?”
“Of course! Ashley is very fond of you, Edmund.”
It’s been hard for me to tell that lately. I thought she had gone off me, big time. I gave up on the idea of taking her home to meet my mother. I guess we might do it for New Year’s instead, if the celebration goes as well as Anna expects.
“In that case, count me in!”
“Great! I’ll be in touch with the final arrangements. Please apologize to your mother for me, Edmund.”
“Somehow, I feel she won’t mind too much. Thank you for including me and thank you for suggesting Fiona Campbell’s cottage. Living there has made a huge difference.”
“You are most welcome.”