Page 47 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

‘Is the surprise downstairs then?’ Faye asked, relieved that Jake had agreed to join them and spend the day on the mountain as planned, and happy that they’d decided to spend the entire summer in Scotland.

Jake shook his head and laughed. ‘You are hysterical.’

‘Am I?’ Faye didn’t get the joke.

‘Sorry, but I thought I would have got round the house by the time you arrived, then we could head off.’

‘Head off?’

‘Yeah. Look, I’ll be with you in a moment. Promise. Just wait downstairs.’ He fumbled in his pocket and passed her the car key. ‘Better still, why don’t you go and wait in the car.’

Faye frowned as she walked down the stairs.

Was he messing with her, and the rooms were ready downstairs as she’d thought?

Was he just delaying telling her about the redecoration planned on the top two floors because he knew she might be disappointed that they didn’t have the whole house to themselves over the summer?

Although Faye didn’t want to spoil the surprise, she did intend to have a look round herself and then psyche herself up to look all surprised when he finally showed her their new holiday accommodation right there in The Lake House.

As she walked down the stairs, she thought of the conversation they’d had about his fears over her and Natty going up on to the mountain. Faye had said, ‘But you’ll come with us today? Please say you’ll come.’

He had promised he would. She’d reassured him that they were all going to have the best time, making great memories on that mountain.

It made her feel full of hope, the fact that he’d agreed to go, and that she was there in the house with him.

Since he’d proposed the day before yesterday, every time she’d looked at the ribbon on her finger, she’d been concerned that he hadn’t left the past behind.

After all, this wasn’t a proper engagement.

He was still married. Faye would have loved an engagement party like Bonnie had had, when she’d invited all her new friends from Aviemore to a party at the boathouse.

That gave Faye a lovely thought as she walked down the stairs – when the time was right, they could tell everyone and organise a party just like Bonnie and David’s. It would be an engagement and housewarming party in their new home – The Lake House.

The only other person who knew about the proposal was Gayle.

She had spotted the ribbon that Faye wouldn’t take off her finger, so Faye had told her what had transpired.

Gayle understood why they couldn’t tell anybody else just yet.

Natty had been sworn to secrecy too. When Natty had asked why, Faye had told her the truth.

She realised in hindsight she hadn’t run the conversation by Jake first, but the question had taken her by surprise, and in that moment she knew honesty was the best policy.

Jake was still married to his first wife, and he would need to get a divorce before he and Faye could marry, so technically, although Jake had proposed, they wouldn’t be officially engaged to be married until Jake had sorted out his affairs.

It was a rather grown-up conversation, but Natty seemed to take it in her stride. All she wanted to hear was that they would be married. Then Natty had asked her a question she had been expecting – does that mean Jake is going to be my new daddy ?

Faye thought it was about time she talked about her old daddy, whom she didn’t see.

Natty didn’t ask about him, perhaps because she knew he lived a long way away, and maybe in her mind that was the reason she didn’t see him.

He lived in some far-flung place. But there had been no contact since she was three.

And now she knew why. He’d married, and had another family, and Natty being in his life would just complicate matters.

Yousaf’s wife knew nothing about his past relationship with Faye and his child.

Faye was happy for things to remain that way.

Although Natty did have a question that took Faye by surprise.

‘Do you have to get a divorce before you can marry Jake?’

Faye sighed as she walked the stairs. Natty had no idea that she and Yousaf had never married.

Faye didn’t want to get into that. All she’d said was, ‘No. I am free to marry Jake,’ crossing her fingers and hoping that Natty didn’t ask any further questions.

Natty would learn the details soon enough, when she got older and no doubt wanted to know more about her father and his background.

For now, she knew Natty was focused on making sure her mummy got married to Jake and that nothing stood in their way.

Faye was focused on that too. She was quite shocked at how much she’d changed.

She didn’t think twice when Jake had asked her to marry him; she’d been more than ready to take on the second biggest commitment of her life.

Before, with the other guys she’d had flings with, she hadn’t been and had known she never would be.

It was what had made them safe, and fun.

And yet, with Jake, making that commitment felt so right, even though he’d proposed while he was still a married man.

She was aware that he had a lot to go through, divorcing Eleanor, but the fact that he’d agreed to go up the mountain, and they were in The Lake House together …

well, as Gayle had wisely said, things might not always work out as expected, but that was not necessarily bad.

She’d said that their staying in The Lake House would be a case in point.

Faye smiled at that thought as she stepped off the bottom stair and randomly opened one of the doors off the hallway, anticipating cosy rooms, set up without a dust sheet in sight, ready for them to move in.

Five minutes later, she’d opened each door and stepped into the kitchen – the only room in the house that wasn’t full of dust sheets.

As soon as Jake walked into the kitchen, saying, ‘There you are,’ Faye replied, ‘What’s going on, Jake?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘The house – all the rooms are covered in dust sheets.’

‘Oh, that,’ he said. ‘Gayle had a conversation with Bonnie. She wants to resume work on the house, so I just popped in to check and make sure things were all ready for her to redecorate.’

‘She’s working on the whole house all at once?’

‘Well, I’m not exactly sure where she’ll start. I noticed there’s some paint pots and wallpaper upstairs, so I’m guessing the bedrooms maybe.’ Jake shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to hear all about that.’

Actually, Faye did. Was it a coincidence and she was reading way too much into things, or did he not want her there?

What had he said? That he thought he’d be done there by the time she arrived.

The car was waiting outside, ready for him to leave as soon as she arrived.

He’d been keen for her to wait downstairs or in the car, which she got the distinct impression he would have preferred.

Faye frowned at him. ‘What happened to the tour?’ Faye asked, trying hard not to sound sarcastic, although it was difficult.

‘Huh?’

‘Of the house. I thought you were going to show me round the house?’

‘What’s there to see? The whole place is covered in dustsheets.’

Faye stared at him. ‘But you texted me to meet you here.’ Had he changed his mind?

Was he using Bonnie, and the redecorating, as an excuse to keep her and Natty away from this house?

Had he not moved on as she’d thought? Faye eyed the ribbon on her finger.

Worse still – had she been too hasty accepting his marriage proposal when she should have waited?

Maybe he should have waited to propose until he had sorted out his unresolved issues.

Unless there was another explanation. ‘So, what are your plans once the place has been redecorated?’ Faye had a lovely thought: what if he’s having the place done up, hoping we might move to Scotland and live here when we’re married?

She had another thought: Why would he assume that?

As far as he was concerned, her life was in London.

He wouldn’t know that was what she wanted unless she told him.

And would he believe her if she did tell him that’s what she’d decided?

She’d only been in Scotland for a week. Was that long enough to make up her mind?

If she needed more time, which she was convinced she didn’t, there were five more weeks in which they could stay in Scotland before the new school term began and they had to return. But was that what he wanted himself, or was he doing up the house to put it on the market and get rid of it?

She’d seen how happy he had been when talking about his early childhood.

Clearly being in Scotland with Natty had brought that all back – memories of his early years spent living in the house with his parents.

Happier times, before they were suddenly gone and his life changed forever.

But that didn’t mean he’d want to move back there and live in the shadow of the past.

All these questions were swirling around her head. She was afraid to ask him, afraid her lovely dream of living there with Jake and Natty would be just that, a dream, when Jake said, ‘Now, about that surprise I promised you …’

As they stepped out of the house, and Jake locked the door on what she’d assumed was their future together in Aviemore, Jake turned around and must have caught her expression. ‘What is it?’

She looked up at the house. ‘I thought …’

‘You thought …?’

Faye shook her head. Perhaps this was for the best, even though she’d known, the moment she stepped inside the house, that she’d be happy there.

Who wouldn’t? It would make a wonderful family home.

It had an amazing garden, something that Natty had never had, living in a flat in London.

She might even consider getting Natty a dog. There would certainly be the space.

Faye looked again at the ribbon on her finger and thought that maybe it was for the best, not staying there.

It would only rub salt in the wound if his plan was to sell the place.

Besides, who knew what would happen when they returned to London after the summer?

She was thinking of Gayle’s best-laid plans.