Page 13 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

‘I thought it was odd that you assumed I lived here. We weren’t introduced at the party, were we?’

Faye shook her head. ‘I’m not surprised, though. There was a lot going on.’

Marty agreed. ‘Wasn’t there? It just goes to show that you never know where life will take you.’

Faye agreed with that remark. But she wasn’t just thinking about Bonnie.

She certainly hadn’t expected to find herself in Scotland, with Jake Campbell-Ross, a man she was falling in love with, and especially hadn’t expected to be in the grounds of his Scottish home.

She cast her gaze towards The Lake House.

‘The house is amazing, isn’t it? It’s a wonder he wouldn’t want to come back and live here,’ said Faye.

‘Who says he wouldn’t?’ remarked Marty.

Faye swiftly tore her eyes away from the house and settled her gaze on Marty. ‘Did he say something?’ She’d been afraid that Jake would return to his old life. Not there, though. That hadn’t crossed her mind.

‘Mummy, Jake’s coming back to London with us – isn’t he?’

Faye turned to her daughter and saw her bottom lip quiver.

She knelt down in front of her. ‘Of course he is. That was just silly adult talk. Jake has a job in London, remember? And a house.’ Although Faye was aware he was only renting in London.

He hadn’t really put down any roots. But there was one root in London, a very entrenched one – The Ross Corporation.

That was what she was really afraid of; that if he stepped back into his old life, covering for Marcus while he was in rehab, he might get sucked back into that life – for good. And leave them behind.

Faye willed herself not to think about that.

But it was one of the reasons she’d accepted his invitation to spend a week’s holiday with him in Scotland – to delay his temporary move back to the Ross Corporation.

She had noticed before they left that Jake had not been answering his phone or his text messages.

She guessed they were from Marcus. She hoped Marcus just went to the rehab clinic anyway before Jake got back.

Then he wouldn’t have to return to the corporation – ever. She was afraid of losing him.

She wanted to spend this holiday with him more than anything, even though deep down she was still afraid of letting someone into her and Natty’s life in case he bailed and broke Natty’s heart – and hers. She was still undecided whether she could risk it. But I’m here – aren’t I?

Olive ran up to them both.

Natty knelt down. ‘Hey – no more kisses,’ she said, after Olive had licked her cheek. Natty wiped her face and gave Olive a hug, giggling when Olive rolled over for a belly rub.

Faye knelt down and gave Olive a belly rub too.

She stood up, looking at her daughter, wavering at her decision to accompany Jake on holiday.

She’d been thinking of herself, not Natty.

She’d forgotten her golden rule – Natty comes first. She’d kept all the dates she’d had at a distance, all the casual flings, not bringing a single man home to meet her daughter.

She wasn’t looking for a relationship. But unbeknown to her, she’d started a relationship, albeit a platonic one, with a man whom she’d inadvertently let into Natty’s life, and into both their hearts.

What am I going to do? Her head said she should take Natty home right now and end the friendship with Jake in case something went wrong. Her heart said differently.

Faye looked at Marty. ‘We’d better get back.’

‘Do you want to see inside The Lake House?’ asked Marty. ‘I have a key. It might be your only chance before Robyn … I mean Bonnie … works her magic and totally transforms the place.’

Faye shook her head. When they had been on their way to Scotland, she’d assumed they would be staying at The Lake House, but now she was pleased they weren’t.

She didn’t want the ghosts from Jake’s past – meaning Eleanor Ross – muddying the waters.

He was still married. She imagined it was hard enough for him to be there, in Aviemore, with her.

She didn’t think this house would help either of them.

‘I want to go back to Gayle’s house,’ said Natty, ‘and see Jake.’

‘Me too.’ Faye looked at Marty. ‘Let’s head back. Gayle will be wondering where we’ve got to. If we’re not careful, I imagine she’ll send out a search party.’

‘Yeah, like what happened with Jake when he got that phone call and—’ He stopped abruptly.

Faye looked at Marty. ‘What was that?’

Marty dropped his gaze, and lowered his voice, although Natty was now out of earshot, running around the lawn with Olive. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.’

‘Brought what up?’

‘When you phoned the guesthouse, hysterical-like, asking for Jake. He was here in the garden when you phoned, but his mobile phone was on silent. He was, um … busy doing something. Gayle sent me to fetch him.’

‘Oh, yes. I see.’ Faye dropped her gaze, embarrassed.

Marty touched her arm. ‘Don’t be embarrassed. I understand Natty went missing. I’m glad everything worked out.’

But had it? Suddenly Faye thought of Bonnie.

Everything had worked out for her. She was living in the boathouse with the man she loved and had a baby on the way.

She’d had a rough time of it, by the sound of things, and Faye didn’t begrudge her happiness, but it did serve to remind her that her situation was quite different, and more complicated.

She had a child. And Jake was still married.

What if Eleanor got better? It played on her mind, even though he’d said there was no chance of that.

She looked at the house – his late parents’ family home and the Rosses’ holiday home.

It was much grander than she had imagined.

In fact, it was nothing like she’d imagined.

Unfortunately, the house brought it home to her how different their backgrounds were.

Why should that matter? But still, it was another thing that was playing on her mind, another reason why, if their relationship became more than platonic, it might not last. He was used to this.

This house, and a life a world away from teaching in an inner-city school.

He said he loved his job, his new life in London.

But she glanced at the house and thought how there would always be the spectre of his old life, the one he was accustomed to – perhaps more in tune with than he thought – calling him back.

Oh, how she wished she hadn’t thrown that blasted frisbee too high and ended up there. She tore her eyes away from the house and said to Marty. ‘Where’s that garden gate?’ She wanted out, and she’d crawl back through the hedge if she had to .

‘Just over here,’ said Marty. He stopped.

‘What is it?’ Faye asked.

‘Where are Natty and Olive?’

Faye had thought they were just behind her, playing on the lawn. She turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees. There was no sign of them. ‘What the hell …?’ Faye yelled, ‘Natty!’

Natty didn’t answer, but Olive did. They both heard the dog bark. Marty took Faye’s hand. ‘Don’t worry. I know where they are.’ He led Faye across the lawn towards the house, then took a sudden left turn towards a six-foot-high hedge, heading through a gap that led into a small, hidden garden.

Natty was standing on stepping stones in the middle of a flower bed when Faye and Marty walked in. She pointed. ‘Look, Mummy. I found some gravestones.’

Faye creased her brow and followed her outstretched arm to where she was pointing.

‘And one of them is broken. The white one.’

Faye turned to Marty, wide-eyed. ‘Are they pet gravestones?’

Marty shook his head and whispered, ‘No.’

Oh, my god. There are people buried in the garden? she thought. Aren’t there laws against that?

‘This is a memorial garden for Jake’s parents.’

‘I see.’ Faye liked that it was called a memorial garden, and thought that explained why this small, intimate garden was secluded, hidden almost from the main grounds by high hedging.

Natty skipped over and took her hand. ‘Why is the white one broken?’

Faye looked at Marty.

He in turn glanced at Natty.

Faye said, ‘Natty, why don’t you take this …’ Faye ha d picked up the frisbee from the lawn where Olive had dropped it. ‘And go play with Olive for a moment.’

‘All right.’

Faye watched her skip out of the memorial garden with Olive before she turned to the memorial stones.

She shivered. It was all rather odd, their being there.

No wonder Natty had stopped in surprise when she’d run in there.

It was the last thing she’d expected to see.

Faye felt the same. She turned to Marty, expecting the explanation she’d assumed he was about to give – out of earshot of Natty.

Marty looked at her. ‘Now, I’m not in the habit of talking about my friends behind their backs …’

Especially not your friend who is also your employer , thought Faye. ‘But …’ Faye prompted.

‘I take it from your reaction that Jake hasn’t mentioned any of this …’ Marty signalled the memorial stones.

Faye shook her head, thinking, why would he?

He didn’t talk about his past life with Eleanor, or The Lake House.

She wandered along the six stepping stones in between the flowers, drawing closer to the memorials, to take a closer look.

She thought she saw the word Elea , on one broken slab, and nor , on the other.

‘I was going to clear that up,’ Marty said.

Faye had seen the wheelbarrow close by, containing some fragments. It looked as though Marty had been in the process of doing just that when he was interrupted by Natty and Olive appearing in the garden.

‘Someone put up a memorial stone for Eleanor – Jake’s wife?’ Faye said in surprise. She was about to turn and throw Marty a questioning look when she caught sight of something else. ‘What’s this?’ she said picking up a sledgehammer .

Marty heard her. ‘That’s what was used to break it up.’

‘That must have been hard work.’