Page 45

‘So, whose car is this?’ Bex asked as they drove towards the village. ‘I feel like it doesn’t have enough mud on to be yours.’

‘Wow, that’s rude,’ he said, before he offered her a quick grin to show he was only joking. ‘Technically, it’s Ishbel’s.’

‘Ishbel.’ It took her a moment to remember where she’d heard that name before. ‘Fergus’s sister.’

‘Aye. Fab woman. She loves her cars, but doesn’t have the room for them in London, so she keeps a couple up here.’

‘And she’s fine with you driving them?’

‘As long as Kieron doesn’t find out,’ he said with a chuckle. ‘He can be funny about stuff like that. You know, with me being “help” and everything. Ishbel’s not like that though. Last time I saw her she was saying how much like his dad he was, and Ishbel’s been divorced these last fifteen years, so it wasn’t a compliment.’

Poor Kieron, Bex thought. It seemed like people here didn’t think too highly of him, but if he’d grown up in London, he probably found it difficult to understand how things worked around here. She knew she did.

Given that she had already looked up The Haven Hotel online, Bex thought she knew what to expect as they drove down the country lane. But as she stepped inside the building, she felt her breath hitch.

‘This is beautiful,’ she murmured.

‘So, does it meet your London expectations?’ Duncan asked, holding out an arm for her to take.

‘Absolutely.’

As they strode in through the hallways, where light from crystal chandeliers was reflected in gilded mirrors, Bex struggled to know what to look at next. Unlike the castle, everything here was modern. Sleek and stylish, and yet somehow still fitting with the authenticity of the place.

‘They’ve done really well here,’ Duncan said. ‘I wouldn’t have expected a high-end restaurant in the middle of nowhere, but it’s become a bit of a destination spot for food bloggers.’

‘Bloggers?’ Bex arched an eyebrow.

‘Isn’t that still what they call people who take photos of everything?’ Duncan said.

‘I think “bloggers” is a bit 2010 – we’re onto influencers now.’ She laughed.

‘Right. Influencers,’ he replied, straightening his shirt as if brushing out invisible creases, although his entire outfit was pristinely ironed. It was almost as if he was nervous.

‘Hey, Dunc.’ The maître d’ stepped forward.

When it became clear she was going to greet Duncan with more than just a ‘hello’, Bex stepped back, giving her room to kiss him lightly on the cheeks. Both sides, and lingering too. Bex might have been wrong, but she was pretty sure she saw her sigh a little too when they broke apart.

‘Hey, Liz, I’ve booked the table in the corner,’ he said, immediately reaching out to take Bex’s arm again.

‘The best view? Must be a special night,’ she said, offering Bex a look, which could have been a smirk, or it could have had a different meaning. Still, Bex smiled politely, before letting Duncan lead her to her seat.

‘So, is this a place you come often?’ she asked as Duncan pulled out her chair.

‘Aye. I try to come by whenever they change the menu,’ he said. ‘The chef was an old friend of my ma’s, so they let me know when there’s something new. She sometimes gets me to do tasting when they’re trying something a bit more adventurous.’

‘Sounds like a dream job, sampling luxury food.’

‘It’s a good gig.’ He grinned. ‘They’re a nice bunch.’

‘Well, they seem very intrigued by your current visit.’

Bex nodded towards the bar, where the maître d’ was whispering to the bar staff. All three of them were throwing less than subtle glances over towards the couple.

‘Yes, I suppose nobody expected me back here with anyone so soon,’ he said before biting down on his lips. ‘I might as well tell you know, but this is where Katty had wanted to have the wedding reception.’

‘Not the castle?’ Bex said, more surprised by that than how Duncan had brought her to his planned wedding venue as a first date. She had seen enough of LochDarroch to know there probably weren’t many places like this about, and he clearly wanted to make a good impression.

His eyes glinted with a smile. ‘That was what I wanted, but she thought it was a bit dated and dusty. Not to mention not special enough, given that I practically live there and everything.’