"A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", Ch. 05: Duke Myles and son Ewan seek to heal their breach, by Gratiana Lovelace, December 18, 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 Fitzwalter the young pastry chef par excellence in Dunbar Village, Tina Gray as Helen Fitzwalter the elderly Dunbar Village knitters group leader, Kevin McKidd as Dr. Ewan 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. 05: Duke Myles and son Ewan seek to heal their breach

After Duke Myles lands his medevac helicopter on the rooftop helipad of the Edinburgh Medical Center (EMC) Building A, the still unconscious Dunbar Village knitter leader and heart attack and fall patient Helen Fitzwalter is swiftly transported down to the ICU for further examination and treatment. And Dr. Ewan Roxburgh and Lexi Brown join Helen and the EMC medical staff in the large freight elevator ride down to the ICU to provide background regarding Helen's condition.

And then Duke Myles flies his medevac helicopter with he and Love Sophie in it to Edinburgh's airport for refueling and such. Thomas meets them there, after dropping off his car load of Dunbar Villagers/knitters at EMC-Maisie, Rhona, & Angus. Then Thomas stays with the helicopter for refueling while Duke Myles and Sophie take the jeep to the hospital to see how Helen is faring. Thomas will join them later via a taxi.

As it so happens, Edinburgh Medical Center (EMC) in Scotland and Cambridge Medical Center (CMC) in England are part of a large consortium of UK Medical Centers that collaborate for ease of patient access to specialized treatments and highly expert medical clinicians. So although Dr. Ewan Roxburgh does not have automatic doctor privileges at the Edinburgh Medical Center, that institution is quickly able to verify his physician privileges status at the CMC and then grants him the same medical and surgical privileges at EMC. This is most fortunate since it allows Dr. Roxburgh to continue his care of his patient Helen during her initial stay at Edinburgh Medical Center-as well as consult on a few medical matters at EMC due to his vast medical experience in the field with Doctors Without Borders.

With medical tests grimly confirming that Helen has a 75% blockage in two of her arteries to her heart, she is quickly moved to surgery to have two stents inserted to open up those veins-with Dr. Ewan Roxburgh assisting in the surgery. Happily, the elderly Helen had not eaten breakfast that morning, nor drunk much fluids-which might have contributed to her body's distress-so they were able to rush her into surgery and general anesthesia.

And though Helen's 75 years makes her health delicate, she weathers the procedure well and is back in the ICU by early evening. And though she had broken no bones when she fell out of her chair during the heart attack, she does have some severe bruising that will be painful but should clear up in a week. Everyone is bone tired from the mental and physical ordeal today.

Maisie, Rhona, Sophie, Angus, & Sophie's daughter Lexi sit with the still asleep Helen in her private but small ICU room, talking soothingly to her still unconscious form, in case she can hear them. And the knitters group knits to soothe their own stress from the day's events. Helen's long wed husband Fergus Fitzwalter died last Summer. So all Helen has are her granddaughter Rhona and their knitters group friends, they are her family now. But of course, as the mother of Duke Myles first wife Isabel Fitwalter Roxburg, Helen also has another grandchild whom she has yet to meet-Dr. Ewan Roxburgh.

Rhona: Rhona speaks softly to the sleeping Helen. "Grrranny, It's yourrr Rrrrhona. Ye have had quite the busy day, but the doctorrrs say that yourrr heart surgerrry went verrra well. So they expect that ye'll be back home in time for Chrrristmas and the wedding of Sophie & Duke Myles." Rhona softly weeps grateful tears as she gently squeezes her Granny's hand not hooked up to an iv. Maisie and Sophie soothingly rub Rhona's back and shoulders to comfort her.

And though Duke Myles is not technically Rhona's uncle by marriage--since Rhona at 28 years old was born after Duke Myles divorce to her father's sister Isabel, her aunt-that uncle and niece connection might become a reality. Because as of yet, Rhona is unaware that she has a Castle Dun Dunbar cousin in Dr. Ewan Roxburgh-who saved her Granny's life today. Not even Maisie [had been] aware of Helen's late daughter Isabel being Duke Myles first wife and the mother of Dr. Ewan Roxburgh [until Thomas told her earlier today when she first met Dr. Ewan].

And though Helen was delighted that her then young twenty-one year old daughter Isabel had found love with the then younger Lord Myles, Marquess of Roxburgh, Helen had hoped that her daughter's difficulties were behind her. For though her late daughter Isabel had been a beautiful, bright, and charming young lady-her happy moods could often switch to frustration or weeping in a flash, with seemingly no reason or explanation.

And Helen wasn't certain why her daughter had such mood swings-nor could the many doctors they took Isabel to, enlighten them about Isabel's emotional health. So Helen never blamed the now Duke Myles for he and her daughter Isabel divorcing. It was neither of their faults. And Helen had also been estranged from her daughter Isabel, who moved to Edinburgh after the divorce. So Helen did not know until Myles found out twenty years ago, that he had a ten year old son in Ewan and that she had a grandson. So Helen does not know that it was her own grandson Dr. Ewan Roxburgh who saved her life today.

***

Thomas, Duke Myles, and Dr. Ewan wait down the hallway--after Helen's surgery and near Helen's ICU room--in a small visitors lounge with two couches, a tv, and food vending machines with a microwave.

The very tall Ewan stands and stretches to try to work out some cramping he's having due to the tension with his father Duke Myles and the medical emergency and surgery of Helen he assisted with. He is wearing a black tshirt over jeans after removing his green surgical garb after Helen's surgery and him showering in the EMC cardiothoracic doctors surgical ready room. Today's medical crises coming on the heels of his mother's passing last month, Ewan has shouldered much emotional turmoil the last two months-only made bearable by the constant presence of his love Lexi Brown--Sophie's daughter, and his father Duke Myles soon to be stepdaughter.

Duke Myles: "I'm glad ye came to Dunbarrr today, Ewan. Ye saved Helen's life. Thank you!" And Myles truly marvels that this man before him, his son the doctor, saved Helen-whom he has yet to tell Ewan is his maternal grandmother. That will be another delicate conversation for when Helen is awake-so she can meet her grandson.

Dr. EwanR: "You'rrre welcome." Then he adds cryptically, and tiredly. "Not everyone can be saved, but today was a good day." Ewan is thinking about his late Mum Isabel Roxburgh, whose illness was too far advanced to cure. He sits again.

Thomas: "Aye!" Thomas nods sagely.

Then a brief silence ensues, as often does with men of taciturn natures. Yet, for men silence is not a void to be filled-so none of them rush to fill it. Finally Ewan asks a pertinent question.

Dr. EwanR: "I did not know frrrom Lexi that ye werrre a medevac helicopter pilot, uh Your Grace. How long have ye been doing that?" The somber faced Ewan [(2) above middle] hopes that his is a seemingly innocuous question, and that it will help open a dialog between the two men, father and son.

Duke Mykes: "Fifteen years. And call me Myles, if you wish. Your Grace is too formal-considering how closely we are ... related." For Myles knows that he has to earn the right to be Ewan's father, his Da. But the inclusion of Sophie's daughter Lexi in Ewan's information gathering about his father Myles perturbs Duke Myles. "How long have you and Lexi been dating? And how does she fit into you returning to Dunbar?"

Dr. EwanR: "Lexi and I met two months ago, when I joined the Cambridge University's Medical Center in England as an extended guest physician, surgeon, and lecturer due [to] my Doctors Without Borders experiences-and our needing to recruit and train new doctors for such field experiences. I met Lexi formally at a gourrrmet dinnerrr the night of my initial keynote public addrrress and she enrrrapturrred me frrrom the beginning. Then the following day when she was mirrraculously assigned to be my Cambrrridge Univerrrsity and Cambrrridge Medical Centerrr Liaison, fate seemed to have looked kindly upon us. And despite my initial shyness, Lexi and I fell in love. We've been togetherrr everrr since." Ewan leans his head back against the wall as he tries to get comfortable in the smaller chair than his tall sized frame could sit on. Ewan doesn't usually share much about himself to others, but he realizes that it is warranted in this circumstance.

Duke Myles: "So when did you find out that Lexi is to be my stepdaughterrr when I wed herrr motherrr Sophie on Chrrristmas Eve Day?" He asks cagily.

Dr. EwanR: "Only just last week when Lexi's motherrr rrreached herrr by phone." He discreetly refrains from stating that Sophie's early morning phone call to her daughter Lexi woke them both up. "Then later when Lexi told me that herrr motherrr lived with herrr fiancé in a castle nearrr Edinburgh, Scotland, and then she told me who herrr motherrr was marrrying-you--I rrrealized that I was soon to meet you again, afterrr almost twenty years, when Sophie had earlier invited us to the wedding and Chrrristmas when neitherrr of us knew of the connection that I had to you."

And Myles notices that his son Ewan also does not refer to them having a relationship, but merely a connection.

Duke Myles: "Aye." He replies resignedly. Then Duke Myles [(3) above right] pauses slightly, in hesitation and in sadness, but he continues. "I was sorrry to hear of yourrr Motherrr's passing last month. Herrr solicitorrr notified me two weeks ago. You have my deepest condolences."

Dr. EwanR: "Thank you. But why should you carrre that my motherrr is dead?" Ewan asks angrily. "And if you knew she died, why did you not contact me then?" The hurts of Ewan's feelings of childhood abandonment run deep.

Duke Myles: "Both arrre fairrr questions. I carrre because I once loved yourrr motherrr. We werrre happy in the beginning of our marrriage. At least I thought we werrre happy. But she later told me that she was not happy, and she left me. Isabel neverrr told me about you. Orrr I would have been in yourrr life frrrom day one-whetherrr she liked it orrr not. But when I found out ten years laterrr that I had a son when you werrre hospitalized forrr an appendectomy, I was at once thunderrrstrrruck and overrrjoyed to know that you existed. But my drrream of having a fatherrr and son rrrelationship with you neverrr happened." Myles states forlornly.

Dr. EwanR: "Ye cannot blame it all on me Mum. You must have done something to drrrive herrr away." He accuses.

Duke Myles: "I do na rrrightly know why Isabel's and my marrriage failed. We seemed fine and happy one day, then the next day she was telling me that she did na like ourrr life and wanted out. I was a jobberrr envirrronmental engineerrr living in England at the time. So my worrrk schedule was not prrredictable-which might have been parrrt of the prrroblem. But she told me that she had met someone and wanted to marrry him." Duke Myles becomes more quiet in realization. "Though in rrretrrrospect, she may have just been giving me a rrreason to let herrr go. And I did let herrr go. Hhhh!" Duke Myles sighs at his lost choices and lost chances to know his son when Ewan was growing up.

Dr. EwanR: "My Mum had neverrr dated any one, as farrr as I know."

Duke Myles: "Hmmm. Yes, well. It took me many yearrrs to get over herrr when she left me. Then I rrreturrrned to Castle Dun Dunbarrr afterrr my fatherrr died and took up the management of the estate and village. And then ten years laterrr, I found that I had a son, you. Though for severrral years I trrried to visit ye to get to know ye, I could na find a way for you to let me be a parrrt of yourrr life-and to have you be a parrrt of my life." He cries out in anguish.

Dr. EwanR: "So you gave up on me." Ewan says sadly.

Duke Myles: "Nay! Nay! I neverrr gave up on you! Though you did not invite me, I would come and watch your soccer matches and choir concerts at school, and your graduations-always keeping myself in the background. I could not risk ye knowing that I was therrre, orrr I fearrred that you and yourrr motherrr might have me banned frrrom yourrr life legally. And I could not have handled that."

Dr. EwanR: "But how did you know about my school soccerrr games and choirrr concerrrts if Mum didn't tell you?"

Duke Myles: "Well I, ..." Myles stops, because he wonders if this further secret of Myles' intrusion on Ewan's life will bring them closer, or pull them further apart?

Thomas: Silent up until now, but no longer, Thomas weighs in. "Laddie, did ye not wonderrr how yourrr Mum could afforrrd yourrr nice home and private school fees, computerrrs, bicycles, yourrr athletic and musical equipment, etc., not to mention yourrr vacations and the like on herrr meagerrr salary as a local bookstorrre clerrrk?"

Duke Myles: "Thomas, don't ..." Myles shakes his head nervously.

Dr. EwanR: A dawning realization hits Ewan. "You paid for my life and watched me grrrow up. But ye neverrr again trrried to rrreach out to me?" Duke Myles, nods his head resignedly. "After the shock of my finding out that I had a living father wore off, do you know how much I would have wanted you in my life? I was the only kid without a fatherrr-without someone to show me how to be a man. I've hated you forrr so long forrr putting me thrrrough that-yourrr abandonment of me." He lashes out about his hurt feelings, more than with anger.

Duke Myles: Duke Myles is hearrrtbrrroken all overrr again to hearrr his son Ewan's despairrring words. And he begins to weep. "Oh Ewan! I'm so sorrry! I've botched everrrything. If I could rrredo it all, I swearrr that I would have been the husband that Isabel wanted, and I would have known that she carrried ourrr child-you-my being yourrr fatherrr and showing my love forrr you everrry day of yourrr life, Laddie!"

The two men face each other-old adversaries who desperately need to reach a peace between them. The sixty year old Myles as father and the thirty year old son in his prime Ewan. Tears are streaming down Myles' face-as they are falling down Ewan's face. Even Thomas feels teary eyed at this cathartic moment in Duke Myles and his son Ewan's father and son relationship. And Lexi, who had come to give them an update on Helen, is crying as well-her having overheard the last few exchanges between her love Ewan and his father Myles.

Lexi: "Then start now, the both of you-as father and son. Do not let another twenty years of loneliness and regret keep you from each other." She pleads, even as she goes to embrace Ewan. Then she places her small hands caressingly on the sides of his face. "Ewan, you save lives every day as a doctor. Now, it's time that you saved your own life." Then she turns and gazes at Duke Myles. "You too, Myles. Stop being stuck in the past. No excuses of your worrying about rejection from Ewan. Today you both start fresh as father and son-give each other that chance. Take that chance at happiness."

Lexi fiercely embraces Ewan and he embraces her-them both crying for the emotional family crisis they find themselves in. Then Lexi holds out her arm to Duke Myles, beckoning him to join them.

Duke Myles: "Oh Lexi!" For all the hopefulness that Duke Myles wants to feel with Lexi's father and son relationship suggestion, relationships are never that simple.

Duke Myles holds back and he looks longingly at his son Ewan. Then Ewan also opens his arm and holds it out, beckoning to Duke Myles to join them.

Dr. EwanR: "Da?" Ewan says the one word he has never been able to say to anyone, until now. And it is the one word that Duke Myles has longed to hear from his son Ewan.

And Duke Myles joins Ewan and they fiercely embrace each other for several minutes--as the long lost loving father and son that they are. Lexi puts her arms around both of them in this groundbreaking family moment.

There will be many more discussions between Duke Myles and his son Ewan in the days, weeks, and months ahead. But this is a new beginning for each of them-for them to begin to have a true father and son relationship with each other, something each of them has needed and wanted for a very long time.

And other family relationships yet to be revealed will hopefully help to strengthen Dr. Ewan's feelings of belonging to his father Duke Myles, his growing family, his love Lexi, and to Castle Dun Dunbar as his ancestral home.

To be continued with Chapter 6

References for the Ch. 05 of "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", vy December 18, 2022 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1498)

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. Dr. Ewan Roxburgh image is of actor Kevin McKidd from Grey's Anatomy, of him looking somber was found at a Pinterest site https://i.pinimg.com/736x/38/33/d2/3833d2b815e23b882d6ce71c9d23a7f3--kevin-mckidd-ginger-men.jpg

3. Duke Myles looking upset is Cary Elwes in A Castle for Christmas scene. Image was found at https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10167407/Brooke-Shields-reluctantly-inhabits-Scottish-castle-Cary-Elwes-Castle-Christmas.html; and https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/11/05/00/50081779-10167407-Rom_com_Myles_appears_to_ease_up_on_his_promise_to_make_life_dif-a-51_1636072938852.jpg

SAL blog Post #1498 link for Ch. 05 "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2, December18, 2022":
https://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2022/12/18/a-castle-wedding-for-christmas-2-ch-05-duke-myles-and-son-ewan-seek-to-heal-their-breach-by-gratiana-lovelace-december-18-2022-post-1498/