Page 15 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

‘So, how long are you staying at Gayle’s?’ Marty asked as Faye opened the front door.

‘For a week.’

‘Something smells nice,’ said Nick, walking down the stairs towards them, a look of surprise on his face. ‘I think I might take up Gayle’s invitation to dinner after all.’

Marty said, ‘Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.’

‘Can I have pie too?’ Natty asked again.

‘Hey, guys,’ said Nick, looking from Faye to Natty as Olive jumped up at him for a fuss. ‘How was your day?’

Faye nodded. ‘Oh, yes. We went into Aviemore and took a trip on the steam train.’

‘It was fun,’ said Natty. ‘I liked the finger sandwiches, and the little scones.’

Faye smiled. ‘Yes, we had afternoon tea on the train too.’

‘Sounds amazing.’ Nick looked at his dog.

‘Oh, Olive didn’t come on the train too,’ said Faye. ‘We left her with Annie and Evie at the shop in town, and collected her on the way home. Hope that was okay.’

‘Of course.’ Nick petted his dog. ‘I hope you’ve been a good dog for the new guests today, Olive.’

Everyone fell silent, even Natty.

Busy giving his dog a fuss, Nick looked up. ‘What?’

‘Mummy threw a frisbee too high and it went into Jake’s garden.’

‘The Lake House?’ said Nick.

Marty nodded.

‘Anyway we got the frisbee back, thanks to Marty.’ Faye deciding she’d much rather not elaborate on exactly what had happened. They’d all agreed they didn’t want to get Nick’s sweet dog Olive into trouble.

Nick stared at Faye. ‘You’ve got a little twig in your hair.’

‘Oh, have I?’ She patted her hair, found the twig, and felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She’d forgotten how she must look, with her hair a mess and her chinos muddy at the knees.

‘What happened to you?’ Jake said in surprise, walking out of the kitchen and catching sight of Faye. ‘I thought I heard the front door.’ He was wiping up a dish with a dishcloth.

Faye sighed. ‘It’s windy out there,’ she said lamely.

Jake cast his gaze down at her chinos.

‘I, um … slipped over playing frisbee. You know what? I’m just going upstairs to freshen up before dinner.’ She rushed up the stairs.

Jake smiled after her. ‘All right. There’s a real treat waiting for you. I think Gayle’s pie is going to turn out rather delicious.’

Marty and Nick exchanged a glance. Nick whispered, ‘Do you mean your pie?’

Jake held a finger to his lips in a shushing motion.

Natty eyed the adults and frowned. ‘Are we keeping another secret? ’

Jake turned to Natty. ‘ Another secret?’

Natty looked up at Jake sheepishly before grabbing Olive’s collar. ‘Come on, let’s go in the kitchen.’

‘So, what are your plans for tomorrow?’ Nick asked Jake as he, Jake and Marty followed Natty into the kitchen.

‘I visited the tourist information today, and the lady made some good suggestions. I picked up some leaflets, but I haven’t decided yet.’

‘Do you like cycling?’ Nick asked.

‘Actually, I do. I cycle into work and back, helps me clear my head either end of the day.’

‘I’ve got a bike,’ said Natty, ‘but I left it at home.’

Nick grinned. ‘You know, that’s not a problem. You can hire bikes.’

Natty brightened as they all walked into the kitchen.

Gayle shut the oven door after checking the pie. She turned around, still wearing her apron.

‘If your pie tastes half as good as it smells, Gayle, I think you’ve lived up to …’ Nick pointed at the apron ... ‘ World’s Best Cook .’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’ Gayle smiled all the same, looking rather chuffed with herself. ‘Of course, Jake did give me a hand.’

Nick exchanged a knowing glance with Jake but didn’t let on that he knew who had really baked the pie.

‘What were you saying about cycling?’ Gayle asked, taking off her apron and hanging it up behind the pantry door with the apron Jake had already taken off.

‘There’s some great cycle routes around the lochs,’ said Nick.

‘What about the Green Loch?’ said Gayle.

Nick eyed her. ‘The Green Loch? ’

‘You know, the loch in Glenmore Forest Park. I’m sure you’ve taken a run there.’

‘Oh, yes. I drove to that one, though. It’s not far from Loch Morlich, about a fifteen-minute drive from Aviemore.’

Gayle turned to Natty. ‘Legend has it fairies live there.’

‘Fairies?’ Natty looked wide-eyed at Gayle.

She smiled. ‘Yes.’

‘I’d like to go there.’

Nick turned to Jake as they both took a seat at the kitchen table, along with Marty. ‘Have you done much cycling in this area?’

‘Nah, we used to spend most of Christmas at The Lake House.’

‘I like The Lake House,’ commented Natty, kneeling in front of Olive, rearranging the ribbons that were all askew after her dash through the privet fence.

Faye had just walked into the kitchen, and heard Natty too. She stopped abruptly and looked at Jake.

Jake’s smile dropped. ‘What did you just say, Natty?’

‘I like your house, and your garden. It’s much bigger than Gayle’s house and garden.’ Natty looked over at Gayle. ‘I like your house too – lots and lots.’

Gayle smiled knowingly. ‘Would that have anything to do with Olive being here by any chance?’

Natty replied, ‘Maybe.’

Jake looked from Natty to Faye. ‘What were you doing at The Lake House? You didn’t mention that.’

Faye thought, that isn’t all we haven’t mentioned .

She stared at Natty, hoping she didn’t bring up the memorial garden, or the white memorial stone, or the lie she’d spun about Jake’s break-in.

That business with erecting a memorial stone for his not-dead wife definitely sounded like some sort of breakdown, as Marty had said.

She threw him a sideways glance. Marty avoided her gaze and said, ‘Gayle, do you need some help dishing up the pie?’

Faye frowned. He was clearly keeping out of it.

‘Mummy threw the frisbee too high, and it went over the hedge into your garden. We went to fetch it.’

Jake’s face softened. ‘Oh, I see. Easily done.’

‘Yeah, and Marty found the frisbee,’ continued Natty. ‘He told us it’s your house.’

Faye glared at her daughter. Please, please do not mention—

‘Jake, can I go and play frisbee in your garden with Olive? I love it there.’

Faye exhaled in relief, thinking, oh, thank god, she can keep a secret.

‘I promise I won’t go in the hidden garden with the gravestones.’ Natty whirled around and looked at her mum, her lips forming into a great big O .

Faye’s shoulders sagged.

Nick and Gayle said in unison, ‘Gravestones?’ turning to Jake.

Marty said, ‘I told them they’re memorial stones, for your parents and—’ he halted, his eyes locked with Jake’s.

‘And the broken one,’ said Natty thinking she was being helpful, when she wasn’t.

There was a moment’s silence. Everyone in the room, apart from Natty, sensed that the conversation had moved on to a subject that had touched a nerve.

‘Well, if I don’t dish up the pie,’ said Gayle in the awkward silence, ‘it’s going to spoil.’ She bent down by the oven and got out the pie while Nick asked Faye and Jake, ‘So, are you going on a bike ride tomorrow to the Green Loch?’

Faye, who hadn’t ridden a bike for years, and probably would have preferred an amble around the lake, was so relieved by the change of subject that she exclaimed, ‘Oh, yes! It will be such fun!’ a little too jovially.

Jake gave her a sideways glance. She imagined he’d recalled that she didn’t actually care much for his mode of transport back and forward to work.

Nick grinned. ‘You’ll have a great time.’

Faye slapped a smile on her face, hoping she remembered how to ride a bike and not fall off.

She did not fancy having another embarrassing episode like the one that day, returning to the guesthouse looking and feeling a right mess.

She had changed out of her dirty chinos.

She decided that the next day, she was going to wear a pair of dark blue jeans, just in case.