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‘I’m actually here for work, rather than a holiday,’ she said. ‘But don’t worry, I have no intention of getting involved with anyone while I’m here.’

‘Work?’ The woman sprinkled chocolate onto the top of Bex’s drink. ‘That sounds interesting. We don’t get many people from London working here. What is it you’re doing?’

Bex wasn’t sure how much she was meant to share about her role up at the castle, but in a small village like this, she suspected that news travelled fast enough.

‘I’m working at the castle,’ she said.

The woman’s eyes widened. ‘With Fergus?’

‘Yes.’

With the jug still in her hand, the young woman pressed her lips together as if she was suppressing a grin. ‘Well, that must be an experience. And speaking of the devil…’

Bex turned her head towards the door, which had just opened. Fergus stalked in, surrounded by his five dogs, one of which made a beeline straight for Bex.

It was no wonder that she’d mistaken him for a homeless man, she thought. It was early morning, but he looked no better now than he had last night. His shirt was a different colour, but it was completely creased, while his pockets bulged with dog treats that peeked out of the top. For a split second, he looked as though he was about to smile when his eyes landed on Bex. His mouth dropped, and a deep scowl creased his forehead.

‘What are you doing here?’ he said. ‘I thought you’d be at work already. I’m not paying you to sit around and drink coffee all day.’

11

Bex didn’t get yelled at by bosses. She was the person who bosses held up as an exemplary example on how to do everything. Either that or she was the one who did the yelling at the less senior members of staff. And yet there was Fergus, glowering at her. The feeling was not one she liked.

She opened her mouth, ready to apologise and explain the situation, when the woman cut in.

‘Oh, stop being ridiculous, Fergus. It’s eight thirty in the morning. Sit down, I’ll bring you your usual to go.’ As she passed Bex, the woman flashed a smile. ‘I’m Lorna, by the way,’ she said. ‘You take a seat. I’ll just grab you that menu.’

Bex wasn’t exactly sure she wanted to stay and eat in the same place as her employer, especially when he seemed so grumpy and miserable. But she was sure that Lorna had just said he was getting his order to go, and she didn’t want to be stuck with him on the long walk back over to the castle. Though, as she took a seat, she had a now-familiar shadow.

‘Ruby, isn’t it?’ she said, leaning down and stroking the dog before hushing her voice. ‘You’re going to get me in trouble if you keep following me like this. I need to make a good impression with Fergus. Go on. Go back to him. I’ll see you when I’m back at the castle.’ The dog tilted her head to the side, placed a paw momentarily on Bex’s knee, then turned around and headed back to Fergus. She knew a couple of cafés back home that allowed you to bring your dog in, provided they were well behaved, but she couldn’t imagine anywhere this small letting someone come in with five such large animals and not a lead in sight. But then, maybe if you were the Laird you got to make up your own rules.

‘He really is a case of “his bark is worse than his bite”,’ Lorna said after Fergus had left. She had brought Bex a menu, just as she’d said, but rather than leaving it on the table so that Bex could choose what she wanted to order, she had taken a seat with her. ‘He’s just not very good at the initial getting-to-know-you part, that’s all. Trust me, Fergus is an absolute softy. I bet within a week you’ll have him eating out of your hand.’

Bex wasn’t sure that was true, and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted Fergus eating out of her hand either. That didn’t seem like the best approach for a professional relationship. But she smiled politely all the same.

‘I’m just here to get work done,’ she said.

‘Right. Of course.’ Lorna looked as if she was about to move, only to hesitate and change her mind. ‘Look, I’m guessing if they’ve brought you up from London to work at the castle, you’ve probably got a lot on and not much free time. But I’m meeting a couple of friends tonight for a drink if you’d like to join us. I mean, I don’t know how long you’re staying, but if it’s just a few days?—’

‘Two months,’ Bex interrupted. ‘That’s how long my boss assumed the project is going to take.’

‘Two months?’ Lorna’s eyebrows rose. ‘Well, if that’s the case, you are definitely going to need people to go for a drink with. If you fancy it at all.’

Bex was here to work, not to make friends, and the sooner she got the job done, the sooner she would be back in London. She knew that. As such, she was about to give Lorna a more polite version of her initial reaction to the offer, but before she did, she stopped herself. Yes, Bex was hardworking, but she was also a people person, and she was so used to having Daisy and Claire there on call whenever she needed them. Not to mention people at the office she could grab a drink with after a hard day at work. The thought of spending the entire two months in the castle with only Fergus and Duncan – who she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be near at all – for company was enough to make her rethink her reply.

‘That would be really nice,’ she said. ‘Thank you. Drinks sounds great.’

Lorna beamed. She clearly hadn’t expected Bex to say yes. ‘All right, why don’t I take your number and I’ll message you? We’ll probably meet at the White Hart later, but it depends on Eilidh and Niall.’

‘Thank you,’ Bex said, suddenly feeling immensely grateful for the invitation. She had always suspected that small villages like this could be a bit insular and unwelcoming to strangers, but Lorna didn’t seem that way at all. ‘Oh, and if you don’t want to trek up here for breakfast or deal with the pre-packaged stuff at the supermarket, I’ve got some frozen croissants and things you can take back with you. They go beautifully in the Aga. If you don’t believe me, you can always ask Duncan – he’s constantly stealing things from the freezer here. Actually, if you see him, you can tell him I know he’s constantly stealing things from the freezer.’

Bex let out a light chuckle while trying to stop her cheeks from colouring at Duncan’s name. ‘Thank you,’ she said, at which point Lorna pushed back her chair and stood up from the table.

‘Well, that’s enough chatting for now, I better get on with work.’ She moved to go, only to look back. ‘Sorry, I didn’t even get your name.’

‘Rebecca,’ Bex said, only to correct herself. ‘Bex. Bex Barker.’

‘Well, Bex Barker, in case no one has said it yet, welcome to LochDarroch. I think you’re going to have a great time here.’