Page 24

‘A marriage of convenience?’ Bex asked, surprised. ‘You mean, Fergus is?—’

‘No, he’s not.’ Duncan chuckled, shaking his head. ‘Not that there’d be anything wrong with it, but no. Fergus was quite the catch back in the day. And then, I guess, something happened. Changed him.’

‘You think it was a woman?’ Bex asked, her curiosity piqued. ‘I’d love to know more.’

Duncan grinned, raising an eyebrow. ‘I’d love to see you ask him about it.’

She laughed. ‘Not happening. But what about you? How come you’re the only one here still working for him full-time? Surely he’s got the means to hire a lot more people?’

‘Oh, I’m not the only one that works for him,’ Duncan said. ‘He employs half the village, but he doesn’t like them around the house. Take Roddy, for instance.’

‘Roddy?’

‘He was serving behind the bar last night. He’s technically the under-butler, but Fergus only wants him around when Kieron’s here or for big events. It’s the same with Roddy’s dad, Horace. He has an all-round butler-slash-steward’s position, but the last thing Fergus wants is to be waited on.’

‘So what do they do the rest of the time?’

‘Horace has plenty to be getting on with behind the scenes. Maintenance on all the buildings mainly, and Roddy’s not workshy either. He’ll help me out when I need it. We’ve got farmers who handle most of the land, so I tend to deal with whatever crops up around here. Anything from fixing windows to tree surgery. Whatever’s needed.’

‘Jack of all trades, then?’

‘You could say that.’

Silence swelled between them and Bex found herself thinking about that sixteen-year-old boy again, here all on his own. At sixteen she wouldn’t have known what to do if her phone ran out of credit. She couldn’t have imagined being on her own like that. Just like she couldn’t imagine how she would cope finding her fiancé in bed with her best friend.

‘I’m sorry about what happened with Katty, too,’ she said gently. ‘Lorna told me a bit about it. That must’ve been awful.’

Duncan’s gaze shifted away as he chewed on his bottom lip. ‘Yeah, it wasn’t a highlight of my life, I’ll tell you that… But hey, everything happens for a reason, right?’

‘Do you believe that?’ Bex asked.

He looked back at her, his gaze softening.

‘Not always. You can’t exactly tell a six-year-old who’s lost his mum that everything happens for a reason. I know that. But I think it matters what we do after. We just have to make the best of what life throws our way.’

Bex wasn’t sure when it had happened, but he was closer than she’d realised. She’d still have to lean forward a fraction to kiss him, though.

With a spike in her pulse, Bex jumped up, shifting a full foot away from the sofa, and tried to swallow, though her throat had turned inexplicably dry. Why was she thinking about kissing him? Maybe it was because of the way he was looking at her, even now. With that same brooding intensity.

‘Och, there you are!’

Bex spun around with her heart pounding. Fergus was standing there with the dogs at his side.

‘Been looking for you, Duncan. Got old Gregory McLean on the phone – he says his sheep got out. I need some help. I said you’d go down there. Unless I’m interrupting something, of course.’

Fergus’s lips twitched.

‘No, not at all,’ Bex said quickly, trying to compose herself.

‘Right. Good. Well, we should get going. Don’t want them sheep causing a ruckus.’

‘Right.’ Duncan looked back at Bex, as if he was going to say something, but instead he reached his hand down and ruffled Ruby’s fur. ‘I guess I better get off then,’ he said. ‘Until tomorrow, Rebecca Barker. Ruby.’ A moment later, he was gone and Bex was left holding a half-eaten bridie, wondering why her heart was still beating so fast.

25

Fergus’s unexpected interruption meant Duncan left before sorting out a single piece of paper and so the next day, when he arrived at lunchtime, with both coffee and sandwiches, Bex put him straight to work.

‘And just so you know, yesterday does not count,’ she said. ‘You had to be helping me, remember? Five days’ help and then a drink.’