Page 50 of Kilts and Kisses at Highland Hall (Kilts and Kisses #1)

Five minutes later, Lorna was no longer behind the bar, but sitting at one of the tables with a large whisky in front of her.

‘No, no way. There is no way that I can possibly be related to the spawn of Katty McLeod.’

Given that Lorna and Duncan were stepsiblings, she and the baby wouldn’t actually be blood relations, Bex thought, but she didn’t think it was a good idea to bring that up. Not considering how truly horrified Lorna was by this news.

‘Have you spoken to him?’

‘No, not since I left there this morning. The last thing he needs is me complicating the situation right now. He’s obviously got a lot going on.’

‘You see, this is why you’re perfect for him – because you actually think about what is best for him. She never did that. Ever.’

Bex wasn’t sure whether being described as ‘perfect for him’ should have made her feel good, but all it did was cause a knot to twist in her stomach.

‘He’ll do the right thing, won’t he?’ Bex asked, echoing the words she’d said to the girls earlier in the day. ‘He’ll stand by her.’

‘Oh, of course he will. He’ll be miserable forever. Jesus, people always said he took after his grandad, but now this is getting ridiculous.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Oh, well, it was a pretty similar situation, I think. He met a girl, she got pregnant, and they had the baby, but it wasn’t love. At least, I don’t think it could have been. She only stuck around until the little one was one or two, then decided it wasn’t what she wanted to do and left them both.’

Bex remembered Duncan mentioning it to her now, back when he had first been helping her in the study.

Lorna was right. It really did feel like a case of history repeating itself.

Not that she knew the ins and outs of the previous situation, but it seemed unlikely love could have been involved if the mother could walk away so early on in their baby’s life.

‘I can’t imagine how tough that must have been, for his grandfather or his mother.’

‘Right?’ Lorna agreed. ‘Duncan’s ma didn’t ever talk about it that much, but why would she?

No one would ever want to talk about the fact that their mother walked out on them.

I mean, dads – people sometimes get that, which is totally freaking wrong, because you know, 50 per cent DNA, but whatever.

Still, the whole thing was a massive scandal, and they hadn’t got married either.

I think that’s why Fergus let them stay in the house all this time.

He hates stuff like scandal – wanted to shelter them from it. ’

There was no denying Duncan’s family didn’t seem to have a lot of luck when it came to relationships.

But the story sparked a different thought in Bex’s mind.

If the woman Duncan’s grandad had got pregnant was someone he had only just met, then that couldn’t be the woman in the photograph, could it?

So maybe that was the one Fergus mentioned falling in love with.

The one who had died before he got a chance to propose to her.

And if her theory about them falling in love with the same person had been correct, then maybe Duncan’s grandfather had only had a baby with his grandmother to try to push the loss of his true love out of his mind?

‘Well, so what’s your plan now?’ Lorna asked, interrupting Bex’s stream of romantic hypothesising. ‘Avoid my brother, I take it?’

‘Yeah. I think I’m going to stay a couple more days, get some bits sorted and then head back to London and work there for a bit.’

‘I thought you were here for months?’

‘I was, and I’ll have to come back, but I could just do with a bit of a break from it.’

Lorna let out a long sigh. ‘I know we haven’t spent that much time together yet, but we’ll still miss you. You haven’t even come along to one of our Stitch and Bitch nights yet.’

‘Stitch and Bitch nights?’

‘Yeah… although Eilidh’s the only one who really stitches. I just do the “bitch” part, and mostly about Katty. We’re having one next Tuesday, and I really wanted you to come.’

‘Maybe schedule one for when I’m back next time?’

‘Okay, I can do that.’ Lorna flashed her another smile.

She was one of those people who just resonated warmth, and she wasn’t alone in wishing they could have spent a bit more time together.

Yet before Bex could say as much, Lorna was on her feet.

‘Now, I guess I should put your food order into the kitchen, shouldn’t I?

’ she said. ‘You must be starving. And don’t worry about paying.

This one is going on my brother’s tab. It’s the least he owes you. ’