Page 6 of Summer in the Scottish Highlands (The Scottish Highlands #5)

A waitress appeared at their table and asked them if they would like tea or coffee with their afternoon tea. ‘There’s a selection of different teas and coffees on the menu.’

Everyone hastily picked up their menus with a silent agreement between the adults to ignore Natty’s question about Bonnie.

Natty eyed the young woman before turning to her mum and whispering, ‘Can I have juice?’

The young waitress heard Natty. ‘Of course. We have cartons of orange juice and apple juice.’

Natty smiled shyly at her. ‘Can I have apple juice, please?’

The young woman smiled and wrote it down on the little pad of paper she had in her hand. ‘One apple juice.’

Jake and Faye both chose an americano coffee. George and Rose opted for English breakfast tea.

‘I can smell smoke,’ Natty said, wriggling her nose. ‘I hope they haven’t burnt our lunch – I’m starving!’

Everyone laughed, including Rose, who had suddenly warmed to her unexpected travel companions.

‘What you can smell,’ said George, ‘is the smoke from the chimney.’

The waitress came over with a tray and set down a pot of strong black coffee between Jake and Faye, along with a jug of milk.

There was a sugar bowl on the table already.

She poured tea from a large stainless-steel teapot into two cups in front of George and Rose and gave them a small jug of milk too.

She passed a carton of apple juice to Jake. ‘We will be bringing the food shortly.’

They all thanked the waitress as Jake passed the carton to Natty. Natty pulled the straw off the side of the carton. Faye glanced at her. ‘Be careful with that juice. Don’t spill any on the nice tablecloth, will you?’

Natty shook her head.

‘Shall I pour?’ offered Jake, picking up the coffee pot.

Faye nodded. ‘Yes please.’

The coffee pot was unexpectedly heavy, and the little cups and saucers smaller and daintier than he was used to. Jake overshot the cup spilling some coffee on the tablecloth. ‘Oops.’

Natty frowned at Jake and tutted.

‘Here, let me …’ Rose quickly picked up a serviette and mopped up the coffee.

‘Thank you, Rose.’

She smiled at him. ‘Well, you’re very welcome, Jake Campbell-Ross.’

Jake caught George rolling his eyes at Rose. He glanced at Faye and caught her expression too. She was biting her lip, trying very hard not to laugh. Poor Rose was still rather star-struck by Jake’s presence.

The young lady appeared with two stands filled with sandwiches, cakes and scones. She set them down on the table. They started on the sandwiches. George picked up a finger sandwich and turned to his wife. ‘Rose, are you enjoying your present? ’

‘Oh yes, George. It’s simply wonderful. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

It was a lovely surprise when you told me this morning.

I was so excited but then when David and Robyn …

’ she looked at Natty, ‘I mean Bonnie, rang to say they couldn’t make it, it sort of put a slight damper on the day. ’

Then you found out George had invited three strangers to join you instead , thought Jake. He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t appeared happy about it – at first.

‘But then George met you lovely people, wanting a ride on the train – and here you are. So now I’m more than happy.’

Once you found out who I am. Jake kept that thought to himself.

Rose was still smiling and staring at Jake intensely.

Jake felt a bit uncomfortable under her scrutiny. He got the feeling something was on her mind. Her eyes shifted to Faye and Natty.

George said, ‘We’ve been looking forward to doing this for so long, haven’t we, Rose?’

She nodded.

‘We’ve just never got around to it until I surprised her with the tickets.’

Rose added, ‘We were waiting to take the grandchildren. They’re all grown up now,’ she said sadly.

Jake got the impression that their extended family had probably moved away from the area for work, and rarely visited.

Rose looked at Natty, and smiled. ‘Isn’t this fun?’

‘Oh, yes, so much fun,’ said Natty with a mouthful of finger sandwich.

‘Natty, please don’t speak with your mouth full,’ Faye admonished her.

‘The food is lovely,’ said Natty, ignoring her mother .

‘I agree,’ said Rose, smiling affectionately at Natty as she helped herself to another finger sandwich.

George told them what to expect from the journey as the train slowly picked up speed.

‘It’s not a long journey, but we have two stops on the way.

One at Boat of Garten village while the train takes on water, then onto Broomhill Station for a twenty-minute stop whilst the engine is switched from one end to the other for our return journey.

You can get out and stretch your legs if you wish, but don’t wander too far if you do, because the train will certainly leave without you. ’

‘I don’t want to get off the train,’ said Natty.

Faye agreed. ‘Me neither.’

There were murmurs of agreement from Rose, George and Jake.

As the train wound its way through the beautiful Highland scenery, the finger sandwiches soon disappeared, along with the scones, and for a short time all they could hear was the chink of cups and saucers, as everyone in the carriage had been served their afternoon tea and had settled down to eat the special treats and gaze in wonder at the scenery.

George reeled off some fascinating stories about the railway’s history.

Jake could tell he loved his role as a volunteer station master. ‘So, how long have you been a volunteer at the station, George?’ Jake asked as the train chugged along, bellowing out steam.

George was just about to answer when Rose cut into the conversation.

‘We downsized, you see, out of a big old house into a new-build property. But we were the first people on the estate and had no neighbours. Not like in our old place. Then we met a lovely young lady who had just arrived in the area, called, um, calling herself Robyn, who suggested that George might like to volunteer at the station, and so he did and has never looked back – have you, dear?’

George looked adoringly at Rose and nodded.

‘So, The Lake House is your holiday home?’

Jake wondered when Rose was going to come back round to that fact. There was something she wanted to know – he was sure of it. He nodded.

‘I thought it was the Rosses’ holiday home.’

‘Jake’s a Ross,’ pipped up Natty. ‘His name is Jake Campbell-Ross.’

‘I know, dear,’ Rose said smoothly.

Rose looked pointedly at Jake. I thought the house belonged to William Ross.’

Jake shook his head, thinking that was probably a common misconception. He said as much. ‘It was my parents’ house. I grew up there for a time before …’ He glanced at Natty. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about dead parents.

‘… before things changed.’

Rose eyed Natty. ‘I understand.’

Jake imagined Rose did. It was common knowledge that he’d been taken in by William Ross as a young child after his parents – William’s good friends – died in an accident.

Although they couldn’t live in The Lake House – William’s business interests meant he, and the family, had to be mainly London-based – that didn’t stop them all using it as a holiday home, especially at Christmastime.

‘Jake was born here,’ Natty volunteered. She had been listening in to the conversation whilst looking out of the window.

Faye turned to her daughter, ‘Natty, it’s not polite to butt into adult conversations. ’

Natty turned from the window and threw her another a black look. ‘But it’s true.’

Rose looked at Faye. ‘It’s all right – really.’

It was obvious to Jake that Rose wanted Natty to continue.

She was clearly intrigued and a little awe-struck by him.

He could tell this was going to be the talk of the town, or at least of their social circle, once Rose returned home.

He expected she would ring all her friends and tell them the news – she’d had afternoon tea on the steam train with none other than Jake Campbell-Ross, one of the heirs to the Ross fortune.

‘How do you know that, anyway?’ Faye asked Natty, looking at Jake. Clearly, the fact that Jake had been born in Scotland was news to her.

‘Jake told me,’ Natty replied, looking crossly at her mum.

‘I see,’ said Rose, giving Jake one of her inscrutable looks.

The uncomfortable silence was interrupted by the carriage suddenly slowing as the train pulled into the quaint Boat of Garten station. ‘Wow – look at those beautiful hanging baskets,’ Faye said as she pointed out of the window. Shall we get off and take some pictures, Natty?’

George reminded them that it was only a short pitstop there, but that they could get off at the next station.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at Broomhill Station.

Faye repeated her question, ‘Shall we get off the train, Natty?’

‘Yes please! I want to take some photos on my phone.’

Jake looked at them both in surprise as he stood and got out of his seat so they could pass. What happened to staying on the train? he wondered.

George turned to Rose. ‘I suppose you’ve changed your mind and want to go too.’

‘No, I’m quite happy staying here.’

Jake pursed his lips, throwing Rose a sideways glance. Somehow, that was exactly what he’d thought she’d say.

George said, ‘Well, I think I’m going to join Faye and Natty and stretch my legs.’

Jake rolled his eyes. He had it on the tip of his tongue to say, please don’t go . But that would have been weird.

‘You go ahead, dear,’ said Rose, smiling. ‘I don’t fancy going out. Besides, I’m sure Jake would be interested in some tips on how to spend his holiday – wouldn’t you, Jake?’