"A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", Ch. 06: Helen recovers and another family secret is revealed, by Gratiana Lovelace, December 22, 2022 (Post #1500) 

(An original Contemporary Romance fan fic story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2022;
All rights reserved) [(1) story cover above far 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. 06: Helen recovers and another family secret is revealed

Over the next two days, Helen's recovery is going well from her heart attack and subsequent surgery to place two stents in her arteries. And after she wakes up and smiles on Monday, December 12th, Helen is moved to a more comfortable private room in the cardio wing of the Edinburgh Medical Center (EMC)—with a couch and chair for visitors. Though Helen's doctors—including Dr. Ewan Roxburgh--insist that only one person be visiting Helen at a time, so they don't tire her out.

So the Dunbar villagers and friends consisting of Maisie, Rhona, Sophie & Angus take two hour shifts in sitting with Helen—with her granddaughter Rhona insisting that she take the overnight shifts and she sleeps on the couch. So Ewan and Lexi opt to stay in Edinburgh at his late mother's and his home—with a guest room also opened up for Rhona to rest and refresh herself. Whilst Duke Myles & Sophie, and Thomas & Maisie take two hotel rooms on different floors at the very comfortable Edinburgh Arms Hotel—courtesy of Duke Myles' credit card.

Whether it is out of being separated from their usual fiancé conjugal bliss during Helen's health crisis—or due to their own loving natures—Myles and Sophie immediately retire to their hotel suite on Day 2 of their stay in Edinburgh. And after showering and returning to bed, they not so unnaturally fall asleep in each others' loving arms—due to their lack of sleep and the strain keeping vigil over Helen's health progress at the Edinburgh Medical Center.

Though when Duke Myles and Sophie each awaken quite refreshed on Tuesday, December 13th and in very loving moods, they will delight in each other in their private hotel suite bedroom. When the Duke awakens, he finds himself spooning with his Love Sophie in naught but her camisole top and their both wearing socks. He tends to have very cold feet that Sophie has remarked upon a time or two. And Sophie moisturizes her feet before donning her socks at bedtime. And they had put the rest of their clothes in their suite's small clothes washing machine to be cleaned overnight, since they had not had time to put together overnight bags before they helicoptered Helen to the Edinburgh Medical Center last Sunday. Helpfully, their hotel the Edinburgh Arms has some clothing items that they bought for sleeping and a new warm sweater for each of them.

Myles finds that their relative lack of constrictive clothing this morning to be a plus as he awakens his Love Sophie with a tender kiss upon her bare shoulder. Sophie sighs, at his touch and her eyelids slowly flutter open.

Duke Myles: "Good morning, My Love!" Myles nearly growls with his need for her.

Sophie: "Good Morning, Myles. I guess we fell asleep last night after we checked in."

Sophie smiles sheepishly. Their romantic passions for each other are very present in each other others' arms—except when they are bone tired, as they were last night.

Duke Myles: "Aye!" Duke Myles guides her to lay flat and they kiss and embrace each other adoringly. ["}I am not so sleepy now." The twinkle in his eyes are reserved only for her.

Sophie: "Aye." Sophie replies impishly as she and Duke Myles entangle their tongues and arms and legs, and their bodies in a lovely early morning romantic tryst [(2) above middle left].

Sometime later after showering and getting dressed in their now clean and dry clothes and new sweaters, they pop down to the hotel restaurant for a bite of breakfast with Thomas and Maisie. Though finding Thomas and Maisie nowhere in sight—nor are they answering their phones—Duke Myles and Sophie smile knowingly, eat their breakfasts a deux and then dash over to the Edinburgh Medical Center to see how Helen is doing.

***

After showing Lexi around his very comfortable childhood home in Edinburgh yesterday--where he and his Mum lived and that now belongs to him--Ewan looks anew at his family home's amenities through Lexi's eyes. His home is a modest but lovely two story Tudor style exterior home with a drive under two car garage and a walkout basement to the back yard, a main floor living area with an eat in kitchen and formal dining area adjacent to a spacious but cozy sitting room with a fireplace and a large bay window looking upon the expanse of backyard with a ground level patio area for outdoor dining and lots of grass and surrounding trees for kids to play in. And the third floor contains three family bedrooms and a private sitting/play room area with shelves filled with all manner of reading for Ewan as he grew up.

Lexi: "Oh Ewan! Your childhood home is charming! It must have been wonderful to grow up here!"

Lexi likes what she sees. When they had come for his Mum's funeral three weeks ago, they had put up at a local inn, because Ewan wasn't sure what state the house would be in. Yet, since then, he has employed a service for lawn and garden tending and a live in housekeeper/caretaker. So he is pleased to see that the conversion of the master bedroom to a hospital like setting that occurred for the last month of his Mum's illness—for her to be in her own home as she wished for her final days—has given way to the lovely though now dated furnishings he remembers from his childhood. He had also had the carpets professionally steam cleaned, and all of the home's mechanicals serviced as needed.

Ewan: "Aye! It was a wonderrrful home." Except for the part about him not having a father to share it with when Ewan was growing up. But now he does have a father in Duke Myles, and that is what he must concentrate on. "I gatherrr frrrom my Mum's solicitorrr that she had long ago put this house and all of herrr and my possessions into a family trrrust for she and I. So it all belongs to me now. I'm just na cerrrtain what to do with it."

Lexi: "Of course the decorations and furnishings will need updating—but still keeping some cherished and timeless mementos. But I hope that you will keep your home, Ewan. As a pied a terre near to your father Duke Myles and my mother Sophie at Castle Dun Dunbar, it is just far enough away to grant us our privacy when we visit the area."

Pulling Lexi into his arms, Ewan kisses her with loving abandon. So much so, that Lexi feels all tingly.

Ewan: "Mum and I shared a bathroom between our two bedrooms. So shall we see how the guest room and bath are situated?" The housekeeper is out of the house for a few days. So their privacy is assured.

Ewan nibbles upon the delicate shell of Lexi's ear as he gently moves her curtain of silky brunette hair to the side. And their finding his home's guest room and bath neat and tidy, they dump their clothes they have on and a few toiletry items in bags they picked up on the way here in the rental car, shower together quite passionately, and then they somewhat dry off before they tumble into the large king sized bed for their lovely second romantic tryst of the morning.

Lexi's love and support of Ewan means the world to him. It is through their finding and loving each other that Ewan was reunited with his father Duke Myles. And this afternoon as Dr. Ewan examines Helen again before he must fly back to the Cambridge Medical Center for a two day weekend rotation just before the holidays, Lexi's unwavering support and encouragement will be a godsend to him.

***

Being hospitalized for a heart attack and then having two stents surgically implanted to prevent further arterial blockages, usually gives patients like Helen a reprieve from looking their best. But the 75 year old Helen is always neatly groomed and involves her granddaughter Rhona and Sophie to do Helen's [(3) above middle right] hair and to help her put on her eye makeup and lipstick that she had in her purse. Helen feels that if she looks good, she will feel good.

And Helen's first of the morning medical rotation doctor visitor today Tuesday, December 13th--two days out from her surgery –will be her savior, Dr. Ewan Roxburgh. So as not to shock Helen--and cause her to have another heart attack--Duke Myles privately told Helen that her grandson Dr. Ewan Roxburgh will be seeing her this morning. So Helen is all smiles in her make up and wearing a knitted shawl over her drab hospital gown as she awaits her Dr. Ewan.

And though Duke Myles has not had time to reveal to Ewan that Helen is his maternal grandmother—nor that Rhona is his younger cousin. And Rhona is also in the dark about it.

When Duke Myles sees his son Dr. Ewan and Sophie's daughter Lexi walking toward him as Duke Myles leans against the hospital corridor next to Helen's private hospital room, he waves them over.

Duke Myles: "Good [morning]! Sophie and Rrrhona are just making Helen feel frrresh and feminine."

Dr. EwanR: "Aye!" He nods his head. This doctor visit today is not required, but he wants to wish Helen well in her recovery before he catches a flight back to Cambridge to work the next two days before returning to Castle Dun Dunbar a few days before his father's and Sophie's wedding on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Lexi: "Sure, Myles!" She chirps. "We ladies always want to look good. But Myles' flight back to Cambridge Medical Center for his two day rotation this week, is in three hours. So we need to retrieve his flight ticket and his overnight stuff from our Dunbar Village Inn bedroom suite before that." Lexi bites her lower lip.

Duke Myles: "Right! Well we got herrre in me helicopterrr and we can get back to Dunbarrr Village in me helicopterrr--twenty minutes tops. Then we'll turrrn around and I'll bring ye back here to Edinburrrgh Airrrrporrt for yourrr flight to Cambrrridge."

Dr. EwanR: "Thanks, ...Da." Ewan is still getting used to that familial label for his father Duke Myles. "I will appreciate it."

Then Sophie ducks her head into the hallway and motions for them to come into Helen's private hospital room and they all stand around Helen's bed. It is a bit crowded, but it can't be helped.

Dr. EwanR: "Mrs. Fitzwalterrr! I'm delighted to see you looking so well this morning. I am Drrr. Ewan Rrroxburrrgh, Lexi's parrrtnerrr. And I happened to be on hand when ye took ill at the Inn on Sunday." Dr. Ewan [(4) above far right] smiles at her and gently takes her hand and gently squeezes it. Then he smoothly slides his fingers to take her pulse at her wrist.

Helen: "Ohh! You'rrre so handsome as a grrrown man, Drrr. Ewan." She smiles brightly. "I just knew that you would be." For over the years, Myles had shared some pictures of Ewan that he had downloaded from the internet with Helen, Ewan's grandmother Helen.

Dr. EwanR: "Oh?" Dr. Ewan smiles mirthfully as he moves his stethoscope to listen to her heart. "Just brrreathe easy." The room is silent to let him hear her heart. And he is standing so close to Helen Fitzwalter that she reaches up and pats his face.

Helen: "You've made me verrra happy, Ewan Dearrr." She slips and addresses him familiarly, rather than with his medical title of doctor. Then she looks over to Duke Myles. "Will you intrrroduce us, Myles?" She asks hopefully as she gently clasps Ewan's hand in hers and smiles up at him.

And Dr. Ewan gazes kindly down at Helen Fitzwalter. He has had many an elderly patient over the years. But she seems very sweet and he smiles back at her.

Duke Myles: "Of courrrse, My Dearrr. Ewan, When ye saved Helen on Sunday, ye also saved yourrr own grrrandmotherrr. For Helen Fitzwalter herrre was the motherrr of your late Mum "Isabel Fitzwalter Rrroxburrrgh."

The room is silent for this revelation—everyone wondering how Ewan will take it. That is, silent but for the other family member in the room who is also just now finding out, Helen's granddaughter Rhona.

Rhona: "Eeeee! Then you'rrre me cousin, Ewan. My Da and yourrr Mum werrre brotherrr and sisterrr." Rhona rushes him and gives Ewan a hearty hug from behind him.

Helen: "Now don't overrrwhelm the lad, Rrrhona Dearrrie. Ewan Dearrr, your cousin Rrrhona is a might excitable now and again. But she is a sweet dearrrr gerrril and she makes wonderrrful pastrrries at ourrr local Dunbarrr Village Bakerrry." Helen grins from ear to ear.

Myles watches his son carefully. Ewan has still not spoken as of yet as Helen continues to gently hold his hand and Rhona hugs him from behind. So Lexi walks up to Ewan, smiles at Rrrhona who detaches herself from Ewan. And Lexi embraces Ewan—and he embraces her.

Lexi: "Well! This is certainly an interesting development, Ewan. You come to Scotland thinking to meet only your Father Duke Myles and now you also have a grandmother in Helen and a cousin in Rhona." Rhona waves her fingers at him as she grins broadly.

Helen: "Ewan, laddie. I know it's a lot to take in. And we won't prrress you now. But we hope in time that ye will be amenable to getting to know us—and allowing us to get to know you." Helen's voice is as soothing as any grandmother's voice can be.

Dr. EwanR: "Thank you, ...Grrran." He tries out that form of address for her. "Unforrrtunately, I have to leave in a few minutes to head back to Cambrrridge Medical Center forrr two days to do a medical rotation. But I will be back this weekend—so we'll have a few days beforrre me... Da's and Sophie's wedding on Chrrristmas Eve afterrrnoon. Then I'll be able to stay for a few days into the following week. So I look forrrwarrrd to speaking with you morrre then."

Helen looks at Ewan so tenderly, so lovingly, that it almost undoes him. He is uncertain what to do. He's never had a grandmother before. So Lexi whispers into his ear so only he can hear her.

Lexi: "You could kiss your grandmother's cheek in parting, if you want to." Dr. Ewan nods his head.

Dr. EwanR: "So I'll say farrrewell forrr now and say that [I'll] see [you] again in a few days, beforrre the wedding." Ewan leans down and kisses Helen's [cheek], and she kisses his cheek back.

Helen [joyfully] tearily farewells Dr. Ewan, Lexi, Sophie, & Myles. In truth, everyone in the room has watery eyes.

***

Duke Myles: "Alrrright then, Ewan. Let's get you helicopterrred to Dunbar [village] to collect yourrr airrr ticket and clothing [at the Inn], beforrre I brrring ye back to Edinburrrgh Airrrporrrt for you to fly to England's Cambrrridge Medical Centerrr. Sophie & Lexi, you'rrre coming, too. Then we'll all wish Ewan farrrewell as he rrreturrrns to England for a few days rrrotation at the CMC, during which Sophie and Lexi will go wedding drrress hunting in Edinburrrgh." And that is what they do.

Dr. Ewan Roxburgh has been stunned with this additional family connections news—of a living grandmother in Helen and a cousin in Rhona, and maybe an uncle in Rhona's father—his late mother's brother Edwin [Fitzwalter]. But Ewan seems to be taking these new developments better than when he and his father Duke Myles had initially heatedly discussed their estrangement. But Ewan and his father Duke Myles are on a path to healing their relationship.

To be continued with Chapter 07

References for the Ch. 06 of "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2", December22, 2022 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #1500)

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. lovers-feet-poking-out-fr-bedsheet-oct1012instforenergyresearchorg_May1614-Grati-crp-szd

3. Helen--looking-up-at-DrEwan-from her hospital bed-isTinaGray_Dec11-2022viaTwitter

4. Dr. Ewan Roxburgh image in white hospital coat is of Scottish actor Kevin McKidd when he starred on Grey's Anatomy; image was found at https://superstarsbio.com/bios/kevin-mckidd/#jp-carousel-138972

SAL blog Post #1500 link for Ch. 06 "A Castle Wedding for Christmas 2, December22, 2022" (Post #1500):
https://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2022/12/22/a-castle-wedding-for-christmas-2-ch-06-helen-recovers-and-another-family-secret-is-revealed-by-gratiana-lovelace-december-22-2022-post-1500/