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

Jake heard a familiar voice exclaiming, ‘There he is!’ He turned around and saw that Natty was holding her mother’s hand, pulling Faye forward. Natty let go.

‘Natty!’ Faye exclaimed. ‘Don’t run!’

Natty ignored her mother and ran down the platform, dodging people in her path. Faye was trying to keep up. Natty ran into Jake’s arms and gave him a big hug as though they had been apart for weeks – not just an hour or so.

‘Are we getting the train?’ Natty asked, looking around wide-eyed at the queue of people waiting to board the train.

Jake didn’t want to disappoint Natty now she was there, but he had to explain that they probably would not be taking the train that day.

Hopefully they might make the trip another day during the week.

Natty looked crestfallen, and Jake’s heart lurched. He hated letting Faye and Natty down.

People were starting to board the train.

Jake looked around and spotted George hurrying along the platform accompanied by an older lady, around his age, whom Jake guessed was Rose.

‘I found her,’ George said as he stopped in front of Jake.

‘And look!’ He held out three tickets and beamed.

‘ You are in luck. I managed to get hold of three more tickets for the afternoon tea excursion that’s boarding now. ’

Rose gave George a sideways glance. ‘Well, aren’t you going to introduce us? I’d like to know who I’ll be sharing our table with.’

‘Oh, yes – of course.’

Jake frowned. ‘I’m sorry, did you just say we’re sharing a table?’

‘Yes, it’s the only way I could fit you in.

You see, there’s been a last-minute cancellation.

You’ll be seated with us. I bought tickets as a birthday present for my wife, and for a young couple, friends of ours, for their engagement present.

The young lady in question had always wanted to go on this steam train.

We knew we couldn’t make it to her housewarming and engagement party last night, as we were away in Edinburgh.

Arrived back this morning. So we’d booked this instead to meet up today.

But … um …’ George glanced at his wife. ‘Something came up, which meant our friends couldn’t make it, and the two places were free.

I had a word with the catering staff and there was no problem fitting in your child too. ’

Jake did not correct George when he said, your child , but he did say something else. ‘Did you just say a housewarming and engagement party last night?’

‘Yes.’ George held out his hand, gesturing for them to follow.

‘George! I thought you were going to introduce us?’ said Rose, throwing her husband an impatient look. I’d like to at least know the names of the strangers I’ll be sitting with.’

Jake exchanged a glance with Faye. He imagined they were both thinking the same thing – Rose was none too keen on having to sit with perfect strangers instead of her friends.

Jake was considering changing his mind and booking tickets for another time when Natty piped up, ‘This is going to be the best day ever! I can’t wait to get on the steam train. ’

George chuckled and leaned over to speak to Natty. ‘Well, young lady, you are in for a very special treat.’

When he stood up straight, he caught Rose looking his way, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows. George hadn’t answered her question.

‘Of course I’ll introduce you. But first let’s get aboard and find our seats. No time for idle chit-chat.’

Rose rolled her eyes. ‘I hope you’re not accusing me of idle chit-chat.’

‘Me? Never!’

Rose looked at her husband for a long moment, clearly deciding whether he was being sarcastic or not.

Jake looked at Faye and thought of them growing old together and having these sorts of harmless little spats after so many years together.

They were in a queue outside one of the carriages. A young lady was checking their tickets.

George had all five tickets. He’d removed his high-viz jacket with the word Volunteer on the back.

It seemed a stupid question, but Jake said, ‘Is this your first time on the steam train, George?’

‘You will be surprised to know that yes, it is. I know I volunteer here, but I wanted to save it for a special occasion.’

‘Your wife’s birthday.’ Jake looked ahead at Rose, who was boarding the train first, followed by Natty and Faye.

‘Yes, eighty years young,’ George said in a whisper. ‘Where do the years go – eh?’

‘You’ve been together a long time, I take it?’

‘Oh, yes. We’re still very much in love, even though we do have our little spats, as I’m sure you and your missus do. That’s marriage for you.’

‘Oh, she’s not—’

The rest of Jake’s reply was drowned out by the high-pitched sound of a whistle, followed by a rush of steam from the engine.

‘All aboard!’ someone shouted.

George stepped into the train, commenting, ‘Feels strange being one of the passengers.’

Jake followed George on to the train and immediately spotted Faye and Natty about to take a seat at a table opposite Rose, who had sat down by the window. She still did not look overly happy about the unexpected guests who had joined their table.

Tables were arranged either side of the central aisle so that everyone had a view out of the large windows. The table arrangements looked similar to an old-fashioned dining car, with highbacked booths and comfortable cushioned benches. Jake took a seat on the bench next to Natty.

George sat down opposite Jake.

There was a moment’s awkward silence at the table until Natty said, ‘Mummy, can I sit next to the window?’

‘Now, that is a good idea,’ said George as Natty scooted over her mother’s lap to sit in her spot by the window. ‘You’ll have the best view of the countryside on the journey. Who knows – you might be lucky to spot some wild animals.’

‘Like bears and wolves?’ Natty said excitedly, looking wide-eyed at George.

‘Hmm. There are no wild bears or wolves in Scotland.’

Natty looked disappointed.

‘You can visit the Highland Wildlife Park to see bears and wolves. But today, if you’re lucky, you might spot a golden eagle or a red deer. There are our famous Highland cows too, and you never know, you might even see a red squirrel.’

‘I’ve never seen a red squirrel – only grey ones in London.’

George nodded. ‘I bet you see lots of cats in London, but here we have the Scottish wildcat.’

‘Scottish wildcats,’ repeated Natty, looking at him wide-eyed, before turning to look out the window. ‘What do they look like?’ she asked.

‘Ah now, they do look like pet moggies, but they are quite large.’

‘Have you seen one?’ Natty asked, her nose glued to the window.

‘No, but I’ve heard some can be twice as big as a pet cat.’

‘So, they’d be easy to spot,’ Faye said.

‘Yes and no. There are only two or three hundred in the whole of Scotland, so you’d be very lucky to see one.’

Natty’s shoulders sagged.

George noticed. ‘But I’ll tell you what you might spot – a mountain hare.’

Natty turned from the window. ‘What do they look like?’

‘They look like a rabbit but a lot larger, and they have very big ears.’

Faye smiled at George, and said, ‘Thank you so much for letting us join you in your friends’ absence.’

Jake got out his wallet to pay for the tickets. Although he didn’t normally carry around a lot of cash, he had withdrawn some at the ATM for the holiday just in case.

George noticed. ‘Put that away.’

Jake looked up. ‘But—’

‘We wouldn’t have resold the tickets at such short notice anyway.’

That did not make sense to Jake. It was a popular trip, although he expected it had been advertised that they had sold out, in which case George was right – they hadn’t had enough notice to sell them on.

Jake slowly put the cash back in his wallet. ‘You said you’d booked these tickets for your friends to accompany you because you couldn’t make their housewarming and engagement party?’

Jake caught George glancing at his wife before he answered. ‘Yes, like I said, something came up which meant they couldn’t make it.’

Jake caught Faye staring at George. Faye said, ‘You’re not talking about Robyn and David, by any chance?’

The expression on George’s face gave him away immediately. ‘By jove! You know them too?’

Jake nodded. ‘We were invited to the party too.’ Jake noticed that Faye had the foresight not to mention the name Bonnie .

As Rose and George hadn’t been at the party, it wasn’t clear whether Bonnie and David had told them exactly what had taken place the previous night at the police station, and subsequently with the hypnotherapist. Jake had never met Bonnie before the party, so it really wasn’t his place to tell Rose and George the incredible news about her getting her memories, and her real identity, back.

‘You’re friends of David and … Robyn too?’ asked Rose.

George shot his wife a look.

The hesitation before she said the name Robyn suggested they knew her real name too. It sounded to Jake as though none of them wanted to bring up the name Bonnie and open that can of worms, just in case.

‘Yes, she’s working on my house.’

‘Your house? ’

‘That’s right. She’s doing some redecorating.’

‘She redecorated our house, and brought her interior design flair to the inside of our rather bland new-build house. That’s how we first met her,’ said Rose. She eyed them closely. ‘I don’t remember seeing any of you around and about in Aviemore.’

George butted in. ‘Rose, I know Aviemore is a small community, but it’s not that small.’

Jake didn’t really want to mention that it was a holiday home. He didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with the local couple who might not take too kindly to that fact. ‘I’m thinking of selling,’ he said.

Faye turned to Jake. ‘Oh, that is a shame.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. Don’t you want to keep The Lake House as a holiday home?’

Jake pursed his lips and gave Rose and George a sideways glance.

‘The Lake House?’ exclaimed Rose. She turned to her husband. ‘You never introduced us, you know.’

‘Oh, right. I didn’t, did I?’ He chuckled. ‘This is Faye, Natty and Jake.’

‘Jake?’ repeated Rose. She reached for the tickets that George had left on the table.

‘What are you doing?’

Rose looked through the tickets until she found Jake’s. She looked up. ‘This ticket says Jake Campbell-Ross.’

Jake nodded. ‘That’s me.’

‘ The Jake Campbell-Ross?’ she blurted.

Jake heaved a sigh and smiled tightly. He would have much rather she hadn’t seen the ticket, and they’d stuck to their first names only, but the mention of The Lake House had given him away.

Rose looked at him wide-eyed and became somewhat flustered – as Jake knew some people did when they found themselves unexpectedly in the presence of money or celebrity, or both.

He had no real idea why it happened. Celebrities and the super-rich were no different than anybody else; just richer, perhaps luckier, with a skill at something that paid an extortionate amount of money, be it business, or the arts – more money than other jobs that were no less skilled or worthwhile or needed.

It was unfair, but unfortunately just the way of things.

‘Well I, er, had no idea ...’ She turned to George. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Tell you what?’

She lowered her voice, and spoke through the side of her mouth even though everyone at the table could hear her. ‘That we’re in the presence of a Ross.’

Faye exchanged a knowing smile with Jake at Rose’s reaction.

George looked at his wife, and shook his head. ‘So, you mentioned that Robyn is redecorating your house?’

‘Why are you all calling her Robyn when her real name is Bonnie?’ Natty asked, totally oblivious to the clanger she’d just dropped.

At that moment, the steam whistle went off again, and the carriage jolted as the train began to move. The excitement in the carriage was palpable as the adventure began. Chatter arose in the cabin, along with excited children’s voices – Natty’s was one of them. ‘The train is moving!’

Jake could hear squeals of delight as the train, billowing clouds of steam, gradually edged its way out of the station.

People on the platform waved, and everyone seated on the train waved back.

Jake relaxed, enjoying the rhythmic chugging of the engine as it set the stage for what George had theatrically described as a magical journey through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park.