"A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", Ch. 03: Navigating a father and son reunion, part 1: Stay the course, by Gratiana Lovelace, December 11, 2022
(An original Contemporary Romance fan fic story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2022;
All rights reserved) [(1) story cover above left]
[Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them. So from time to time, I will illustrate my story with actors and such, including the original cast of "A Castle for Christmas" (2021): Cary Elwes as Myles the 12th Scottish Duke of Dunbar and Castle Dun Dunbar, Brooke Shields as the American Sophie McGuinty, Vanessa Grasse as her daughter Lexi Brown, Dalmeny House as Castle Dun Dunbar, Lee Ross as Thomas the Castle Dun Dunbar caretaker, Andi Osho as Maisie the Dunbar Village Innkeeper, Eilidh Loan as Rhona the young pastry chef par excellence in Dunbar Village, Tina Gray as Helen the Dunbar Village knitters group leader, Kevin McKidd as Dr. Ewan/Scott Roxburgh, and others as noted.]
[Author's Note: This original Contemporary Romance fanfic is a work of fiction, and as such, any character names, scenes or other descriptions were made at the creative discretion of this author. And this is a gentle romance (G to PG-13), but with some frank discussions about love and marriage put to humorous effect. This is my disclaimer. And I came up with this story idea hoping for the creators of "A Castle for Christmas" (2021)—loved it--to give us a sequel! So if they see my fanfic story here, I hope that they consider this a suggestion for a possible continuing story for Duke Myles and Sophie and the Dunbar Village folks.]
Ch. 03: Navigating a father and son reunion, part 1: Stay the course
After Lexi found out on their Cotswold's romantic getaway week that her romantic partner of two months Dr. Ewan/Scott Roxburgh is the son of her Mom Sophie's fiancé Duke Myles, Lexi immediately wonders if they should warn/alert—or not--her Mom and Duke Myles about Myles' son Dr. Ewan/Scott Roxburgh coming with her to Castle Dun Dunbar for Christmas, and their wedding?
So after Dr. Ewan contacts the Cambridge Medical Center that same day of Wednesday, December 7th, he rearranges his schedule of medical consultations for next week to this week. Which means that he and Lexi have to head straight back to Cambridge so that Ewan can be working Thursday, Friday, & Saturday—with a December 11th Sunday morning flight from Cambridge to Edinburgh, Scotland. Happily, he did not have any surgeries planned for the upcoming week of Dec. 11th – 19th.
But with the [December] 25th Christmas and the Dec. 18th Hanukkah and other holidays approaching, he might need to return to Cambridge to work at the Medical Center on Dec. 17th--before returning to Castle Dun Dunbar for the [Christmas Eve] wedding and Christmas. That is, if he is still invited to them. So Lexi and Ewan will have to return to the Cotswolds another time to finish their idyllic week of alone time with each other.
And secondly for Lexi, should she and Ewan ask to sleep together in the same Castle Dun Dunbar bed chamber? They have not spent a night apart since they met and fell in love—unless one of Ewan's on call rotations notified him to go in to the Cambridge Medical Center for an emergency consult or surgery. And they do not want to be parted from sleeping with each other now. Or she thinks that maybe they should book a room with Maisie at the Dunbar Village Inn, for privacy?
Eventually, Lexi and Ewan/Scott do decide to book a bedroom suite with a sitting room at the Dunbar Village Inn, and then to discuss with Maisie and Thomas whether to warn Duke Myles and her Mom Sophie of Ewan's presence, before they turn up at Castle Dun Dunbar to help with wedding planning. It is, perhaps, taking a chance on Lexi's and Ewan's part to bring Maisie and Thomas into their confidence, but they need to have someone on their side. And they know that Maisie and Thomas are good friends with her Mom and his Dad, respectively. So after they arrive at the Dunbar Village Inn, Lexi and Ewan will take a chance, and ask them if they will help re-introduce her romantic partner Dr. Ewan Roxburgh to his father Duke Myles.
After being dropped off at the Dunbar Village Inn on Sunday, December 11th by their Edinburgh airport shuttle taxi, Lexi and Dr. Ewan walk into the Inn to check-in to their bedroom suite, with Ewan being very nervous and agitated about being so close in proximity to his father again after nearly twenty years.
Dr. EwanR: "Lexi Lass, I do na know what I am doing here in Dunbarrr. Meeting Duke Myles again afterrr nearrrly twenty yearrrs will na likely go well, cause upset forrr your motherrr's and his wedding, and be a colossal waste of time. I should leave and you can stay." If it were not Winter time, the poor man would be sweating due to his nervousness. Actually, he is sweating since Maisie keeps the Village Inn warm and cozy in the Winter.
Lexi: Rubbing his arm soothingly, Lexi whispers to Ewan to avoid being overheard by the Inn's other patrons [at] the pub in the next room. "Now Ewan, you don't know that Myles will be upset to see you. He might be overjoyed to see you." She puts a positive spin on the situation.
Dr. EwanR: "I grrreatly doubt that." Ewan scrunches up his face as if he just sucked on a lemon. "And I am not the prrrodigal son rrreturrrning to a once loved home. I have neverrr even been herrre beforrre!" His vocal volume raises, mostly out of his understandable agitation—and his fear of being rejected by his father, again.
Lexi puts a stop to Ewan's upset by ringing the counter bell for service. And the warm and welcoming Dunbar Village Inn proprietor Maisie moves from the Inn's small pub area to the Inn's Registration Desk in the adjoining Village Inn foyer room. And Ewan stands still as a post, wondering if he can fade into the background of the busily decorated Village Inn.
Maisie: "Lexi!" Maisie [(2) above middle] squeals happily in greeting, and she and Lexi embrace each other as family friends. "We werrren't sure when you would get in today. Yourrr Mum Sophie has been calling me everrry half hourrr to see if you've arrrived yet."
Lexi: "Ah. About that, Maisie. May we go into your office and speak privately?" Lexi asks almost pleadingly.
Maisie: "Cerrrtainly." Maisie looks appraisingly at the tall reddish blond muscular looking Viking of a man standing next to Lexi, and Maisie smiles cordially at him. She approves of Lexi's choice in boyfriends—or man friend to be more accurate. Maisie motions for them to follow her into her office.
Lexi: "Thanks, Maisie! Come along, Dear." Lexi tugs on Ewan's elbow and he reluctantly follows her, with him rolling both of their suitcases behind him.
Maisie: "May I offerrr ye some tea, coffee, or something a bit strrrongerrr?" She asks as she waves a plate of Dunbar Village youngest knitter Rhona's freshly baked iced lemon cakes in their faces. They each take a small cake and sit down.
Lexi: "Coffee will be fine. Thank you, Maisie. Oh and Ewan, this is one of my Mom's best friends, Maisie, who owns and runs this Dunbar Village Inn. Maisie, this is my partner Dr. Ewan Roxburgh." Ewan and Maisie nod at each other in greeting. And Lexi looks but does not find any recognition in Maisie's eyes when she says his name.
Maisie: "Ooh! A doctorrr! Welcome, Dr. Rrroxburrrgh."
Maisie smiles broadly at the handsome Dr. Ewan Roxburgh—not the least of which is that the county could use a new medical doctor, since the old one retired to London, and even the nearest veterinarian for less serious human scrapes and sprains is an hour away by car.
And it is due to Duke Myles sponsorship that the county has a few [doctors] in training from Edinburgh University's Medical Center come in to see Dunbar Village and county patients [twice a month]—mostly for vaccinations, wellness checks, and to tend to chronic [health] conditions. But the county's citizen's still have to drive over to Edinburgh's Medical Center Pharmacy to get their prescriptions refilled [right away]. Or they call their prescriptions in and they are delivered [weekly] to Dunbar Village by an Edinburgh airport shuttle driver.
Dr. EwanR: "Thank you, Maisie. It is good to meet you. But your addressing me as Ewan will suffice, unless you need my medical serrrvices." He smiles, but still looks rather pale. So Maisie pours him some coffee, adds two lumps of sugar at Ewan's request, and he gulps it down gratefully—all the while noshing on his lemon cake.
Lexi: "Maisie? Is Thomas about?"
This is not an idle question, because since last Christmas Eve's party for the Dunbar Village held at Castle Dun Dunbar, Thomas and Maisie reconnected as a former romantic couple. So Thomas tends to find himself at the Village Inn to see Maisie quite often, on work breaks from the Castle, or buying supplies. And he spends the night with Maisie at the Village Inn now and then, too.
Maisie: "Aye. Thomas is just in the next rrroom in the Inn's pub." She looks puzzled at Lexi.
Lexi: "Would you ask him to join us, please?" Maisie nods and goes to fetch him.
DrEwanR: "Who is this [Thomas] perrrson?" Ewan [whispers while leaning] in close to Lexi, taking in her floral scent that always soothes him.
Lexi: "He's Duke Myles best friend and the Caretaker/Docent at Castle Dun Dunbar for the last twenty-five years.
Dr. EwanR: "Do you think he knows about me?"
Lexi: "[It's a long shot. But if] anyone in Dun Dunbar does know about you, it would be Thomas."
Maisie: "Here we are." Lexi and Ewan stand and turn to greet Thomas. "And Thomas, this is ..." But she is interrupted by the average height Thomas.
Thomas: Stunned beyond belief at the man he sees before him, Thomas [(3) above right] blurts out—even as he gives the much taller than he Ewan a man hug with much clapping on Ewan's back. "Ewan! Laddie! Ach! You'rrre a sight for sorrre eyes. And, I must say, you'rrre looking verra much taller in person than I would have guessed. But then, you'rrre Da is tall."
Ewan looks rather uncertainly at Thomas for his emotional display. Ewan is more circumspect about his interactions with those whom he first meets. So perhaps Ewan's apple did not fall too far from his father Duke Myles' tree—as the old saying goes.
Lexi: Lexi is astonished—as is Ewan. "Wait! Thomas? You know who Ewan is?" She asks incredulously.
Thomas: "I do." He nods once. Then he gazes crictically at Ewan more closely—which makes Ewan feel even more nervous to be under such scrutiny.
Lexi: "But how? Ewan has never been here before."
Thomas: "Trrrue. But we live in the moderrrn age of the interrrnet. And Drrr. Ewan Rrroxburrrgh herrre is quite well known in medical spherrres."
And in Great Britain's noble lineage bachelor spheres lists for noble Mama's with marriage minded daughters. [Little do these Mamas know that Dr. Ewan Roxburgh is already taken.]
Maisie: "But Thomas, who is Ewan to you?" Maisie asks quizzically, for Thomas has not told her about Duke Myles' son, out of respect for his friendship with the Duke.
Thomas: "Oh! We arrre not acquainted." Ewan agrees with him, by shaking his head no. "But a cerrrtain perrrson whom I am frrriendly with follows your carrreerrr quite keenly, Ewan—and prrroudly, I might add." Thomas' eyebrow rises knowingly.
Lexi: "Oh gosh! Ewan, if he follows your career, then he might be favorable to meeting with you!" She smiles hopefully.
Dr EwanR: "I think not. Afterrrall, he hasn't trrried to contact me in almost twenty yearrrs."
Thomas: "Well, Laddie. You made it plain the last time he spoke with you, that you wanted nothing to do with him. And he's a prrroud man and would not beg you to see him. So he stepped back—[frrrom ]contacting you that is—though you arrre neverrr farrr frrrom his thoughts."
Maisie: "I'm confused. Whom are we speaking of Thomas?"
Thomas looks at Lexi and Ewan to gauge their willingness to divulge Ewan's secret to Maisie—and each of them shrugs and nods yes. They have come this far. So they might as well see what will happen.
Thomas: "Well Maisie, My Dearrr. Drrr. Ewan here is Duke Myles' heirrr--his long lost son frrrom his firrrst marrriage."
Maisie: "Oh my god!" She plops down onto a comfy chair, astonished with this revelation. "Do Sophie and Myles know that Ewan is herrre? And that he is Lexi's romantic parrrtnerrr?"
Lexi: "Noooo." Lexi winces with her own childish vocal tone.
Dr. EwanR: "No, and no." Ewan blanches stiffly.
Maisie: "Well you two had betterrr think fast. Because Sophie is due herrre at the Inn in a few minutes at 1pm forrr ourrr knitterrrs gathering. And Myles typically follows herrr in and sits in the bar and has a wee drink or two while she knits. He's besotted with herrr—and she with him. I tell you that sometimes the glances going back and forrrth between the two of them, almost make me suggest that they get a rrroom. Ha ha ha ha ha!"
Lexi: "Yes, well they are in love and do plan to be married, Maisie." Lexi blushes for Maisie making plain that her mother and Ewan's father are a romantic couple.
Maisie: ["]And Myles also makes unsolicited comments about ourrr knitting crrreations and what they might be rrreprrresenting—much like childrrren who see cows and other shapes in the clouds." Maisie hints humorously at Myles latest past time—as a knitting voyeur.
Dr. EwanR: Ewan bristles. "I do na want to meet the Duke again in frrront of everrryone." Ewan cannot call the man who gave him life his father. That appellation is saved for the person who earns that title.
Maisie: "Alrrright. Let's get you both settled up in your bedrrroom suite via the back servant stairs. Then I can send Sophie up to yourrr suite for Lexi to explain it all to herrr, while Thomas and I keep Myles engaged down herrre for the moment."
Thomas: "And just how am I to keep Myles engaged? He knows that the knitterrrs knit. And you, and Sophie, and Lexi acting strrrangely will be suspicious to him."
Maisie: "Ach, Thomas Love! We'll set up you and Myles at the barrr with a beerrr taste testing contest to keep you busy."
Thomas: "Well, that's alrrright then." He smiles and nods in agreement.
Maise: "Just don't get you and Myles too snockerrred, Thomas. We wouldn't want poorrr Ewan herrre to think that his Da is a souse." She waves for Lexi and Myles to follow her, as Thomas heads back to the bar.
Lexi: " Alright, let's go up to our bedroom suite, Ewan, and wait for my Mom to join us." And Ewan carries their suitcases and follows Lexi and Maisie to their bedroom suite at the Dunbar Village Inn.
And though Maisie is rightly concerned that Thomas will get Duke Myles snockered—in the time it might take to convince Dr. Ewan to meet Duke Myles—she hopes that all will be well. And Ewan thinks that at this point, he wouldn't mind getting snockered himself.
To be continued with Chapter 4
References for the Ch. 03 of "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", December 11, 2022 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1495)
1. My "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2" story logo includes a cropped of Castle Dun Dunbar from "A Castle for Christmas" images of Castle Dun Dunbar filmed at Dalmeny House was found at https://hookedonhouses.net/2021/12/10/castle-for-christmas-movie-filming-location-scotland/
2. Maisie--smiling-excitedly is Andi-Osho-from-ACastle-for-Christmas2021_Dec10-2022viaNetflix&Tudum-Grati-szd-crop; image was found at https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/who-is-in-castle-for-christmas
3. Thomas--isLee-Ross-from-ACastle-for-Christmas2021-smiling_Dec10-2022viaVagueVisages-Grati-crop-szd; image was found at https://vaguevisages.com/2021/11/27/a-castle-for-christmas-cast-netflix/
SAL blog Post #1495 link for Ch. 03 "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2, December 11, 2022":
https://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2022/12/11/a-castle-wedding-for-christmas-2-ch-03-navigating-a-father-and-son-reunion-part-1-stay-the-course-by-gratiana-lovelace-december-11-2022-post-1495/