Page 11 of The Boathouse by the Loch (The Scottish Highlands #4)

Then, after Christmas dinner, she’d disappeared out again into Aviemore. He’d had a strong suspicion she was meeting somebody. But she didn’t know anybody locally; none of them did. He was hoping Robyn might be able to help him answer these questions, which had plagued him these past seven months.

Robyn. It was vital that he spoke to her before he left. He thought he could just wander into her shop in Aviemore any time, but her busy work commitments meant she might not be there.

He hoped she’d be back in the next few days. In the meantime, he had plenty to occupy his time; there were two other things to get done before he left. With that in mind, Jake put his hand in his jacket pocket.

‘I’ve got something I’d like to show you.’ Jake passed Gayle the photograph of Martha’s son. ‘Do you recognise him?’

‘Should I?’ said Gayle studying the photograph before turning it over and reading the name on the back. Gayle looked up. ‘Who’s Ralph?’

Jake didn’t really expect that Gayle would have the answers he was looking for. ‘There’s a lady called Martha. I’m searching for her son. This is the only photo I have.’

‘You’re searching for a missing child?’

Jake shook his head. ‘No. This photo was taken some years ago. Look, there’s a date on the back. That would make him in his thirties.’

Jake sighed when he caught Gayle staring at him blankly. It wasn’t all that surprising that she didn’t know him. Aviemore might be a small community, but that didn’t mean everybody knew everybody else.

‘I shouldn’t have promised Martha Delaney I’d find her son. ’

‘Delaney?’

‘That’s her surname. I believe she was not married when she had her son, which meant he would have been Ralph Delaney before he was adopted.’

Gayle said, ‘The name Delaney rings a bell. Is there any connection to Cedar Grove, by any chance?’

‘Yes, yes. Martha’s father, Angus Delaney, left Cedar Grove in a trust when his son failed to materialise to claim his inheritance.’

‘It’s a care home now,’ said Gayle.

‘You know it?’

Gayle frowned. ‘My brothers and sister were planning to send my mother there.’

‘Oh, I see,’ Jake said, trying to hide his disappointment. For a moment, he’d thought Gayle might be able to help him in his search.

‘I looked it up online. It is a lovely place, but I just didn’t want to send her away.’

Send her away. Jake remembered chatting to the receptionist at Cedar Lodge, whose father had been an amateur local historian.

He had speculated as to the reasons why Angus Delaney’s son, Ralph Delaney, also known as Aubrey Jones, had run away from his boarding school and never returned.

Angus had sent his wife away; had had her committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Sadly, back then that had been a common approach to treating people with mental health conditions, which were often considered nervous disorders.

Jake wondered as to the reasons Ralph had run away and had, at some point, changed his name to Aubrey.

The receptionist had speculated that maybe he had been afraid that his father might send him away too.

Maybe he had been a shy, introspective child who was very close to his mother, and had been worried that this would be enough for his father to consider sending him to an institution.

Gayle passed the photo back to Jake. ‘Sorry I can’t be of any help.’

Jake put the photo back in his wallet. He changed the subject. ‘So, do you know when Robyn is due home?’

‘Friday, I think.’

‘Tomorrow?’

‘Yes, I think so. That’s what David said. She’s travelling back from London tomorrow, so they’ll have the whole weekend together. But I’m afraid you won’t see her then.’

‘Oh. How come? She doesn’t work in her shop on Saturdays?’ Jake was visibly disappointed. He thought that as a retail shop, it would be open at the weekend.

‘No, her shop is open, and she does work on a Saturday, but David has arranged with his sister-in-law, Annie, who works part-time in the shop, to work tomorrow and over the weekend. David told me he’s heading into Aviemore to book a stay in a five-star hotel with an evening meal included in their à-la-carte restaurant.

There wouldn’t be any point if she had to get up early the next morning for work. ’

Jake could see the point regarding work the next morning, but he did wonder why David didn’t just give the hotel a call.

‘Because it’s tomorrow, and he couldn’t get through on the phone, he’s driven there now to book a room in case they all go.

I imagine Friday nights are popular. He’s got it into his head that if they just spent some time together, with no distractions, then he might get to the bottom of whatever was going on in London. ’

Gayle shook her head as if to say she thought his chances were slim. Either that, or there really was nothing going on in London, and Robyn was just meeting up with clients like Gayle had said.

‘He was going to pick her up from the train station and bring her back here.’

Jake would have preferred that; then he would have got to meet her sooner.

‘He had thought staying the night together in their old room here at the guesthouse, where he felt they were happiest, was a good idea. Perhaps even the whole weekend too. It just seems to me, and David voiced this too, that since she left here and moved into the boathouse, she hasn’t been her normal self. ’

Jake nodded, wondering whether Gayle should be sharing all this personal information about her friends.

‘David thought, and so did I, that when he popped the question, that would change. He’s beginning to regret asking her to move in with him.

I think he did confront her at one point, asking her if she wished she hadn’t moved in with him, but just as I expected, she said of course it wasn’t him.

I chatted to her just recently, asking if everything was okay, if she was okay, and she reassured me she was. ’

‘But you still think there’s something up.’

Gayle sighed heavily. ‘If it’s not David – and she was over the moon when he proposed, showing me the ring – then we’re both thinking perhaps she’s not happy in the boathouse for some reason.

The problem is that the boathouse is David’s home.

And it is a gorgeous house. I really thought she’d love it there.

I suspect David thought that if they spent the night together back here, then perhaps he could get to the bottom of what was really going on with her.

He’s prepared to move back in here with her – start again, so to speak. ’

‘But he’s booking a hotel room.’

‘Yeah. I suppose it’s like the old adage – you can never go back.’

Jake didn’t understand.

Gayle caught his expression. She explained, ‘They lived here before it was a proper guesthouse. Obviously their old room is just as they left it. But it’s not just Nick and Marty here now.’

‘Oh, sorry. Is that why David left in a hurry to book the hotel room – because I’m here?’

‘No. Well … yes. Don’t take it personally, Jake. This is a guesthouse now. David knows that. He and Robyn can’t expect to have the place virtually to themselves. I told him that he should check into a hotel if he wants to spend time together with Robyn, just the two of them.’

‘But there will be other guests in a hotel.’

‘Yes, that’s true. But it’s more impersonal, and there’s more space, so they can dine together, just the two of them.’

Jake understood.

‘And besides. I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea for them to return here. If something is going on with Robyn, what if she decided not to return with David to the boathouse? I’d feel terrible if that happened, like it was all my fault.’

‘But it wouldn’t be, Gayle.’

Gayle smiled. ‘I know. But it’s my guesthouse, and it was my suggestion that they return here, so I’d kind of feel responsible.’

‘But who says that’s going to happen?’

‘Well, it certainly isn’t, because Robyn won’t be staying the night here.’

‘Unless when she returns she decides she’s leaving David.’

‘Don’t say that!’ Gayle shook her head vehemently. ‘She’s happy with David. ’

Jake understood. They were both Gayle’s friends, and the last thing she’d want to see was them splitting up.

‘So, there has to be a reason she’s not happy living in the boathouse.’

‘But I just don’t see why that would be the case – do you?’

Jake was just shrugging his shoulders when he heard the front door.

He tensed. It might be David. What if he hadn’t managed to book the hotel room?

It was no wonder David hadn’t exactly been pleased to see him at dinner; he was yet another guest, there reminding David that Lark Lodge was a guesthouse and that he couldn’t turn back the clock to the way things had been when he and Robyn had lived there and it had still been just a home.

Jake was just about to rise from his chair, thinking that if it was indeed David, he’d retreat to his room, when something large and shaggy and slobbery came bounding into the room.

Jake grinned. ‘Olive!’

Olive furiously wagged her tail and made a beeline for him, her tail taking an unintentional swipe at the cup in Gayle’s hand. Fortunately, it was empty.

‘Hey, girl! Where did you appear from?’ Jake said, giving her a big fuss and a scratch behind the ears that he knew from experience she loved.

Nick appeared in the doorway, holding two white plastic bags. Jake could smell Chinese takeaway.

Nick said, ‘Hey, what’s that amazing smell?’

Jake stopped stroking Olive and looked up at Nick curiously. ‘Your Chinese takeaway.’

He looked at the plastic bags. ‘No, I don’t mean my takeaway.’

Gayle grinned. ‘Ah, that will be my stew.’ She tapped her nose. ‘It’s a secret recipe. ’

Jake gave Gayle a sideways glance but kept his mouth shut.

‘Do you want some?’ Gayle asked. ‘There’s still plenty left.’

‘Do I ever!’ Nick licked his lips, then clearly remembered his Chinese. He held up the plastic bags. ‘What am I meant to do with this?’

‘Stick your takeaway in the fridge. I’m sure it will be fine for tomorrow.

‘Both bags?’ Nick asked.

‘Yes, there’s room in the fridge.’

Jake thought that it looked as though he’d bought far too much takeaway food for one person.

As if reading Jake’s mind, Nick said, ‘I bought extra in case anybody wanted to join me.’

‘Well, I’m sure myself, Marty and Jake won’t object to Chinese tomorrow night.’

After he’d smelt the takeaway, Jake thought why not?

Nick said, ‘I’m not sure I’ve bought enough to go around. Although I could order more in, Gayle.’

Gayle shook her head. ‘I’m sure there will be enough. The pan with the stew is on the stove. You just need to heat it up.’

‘Anyone joining me?’ Nick asked.

‘No, we’ve both eaten.’

‘What about David?’

‘He might when he gets back.’

‘Gets back? Is he picking Robyn up from the station?’

‘Not until tomorrow. But they’re not staying here after all – change of plan.’

Nick nodded. ‘That’s a shame. I was looking forward to seeing her. Since she moved into the boathouse, she doesn’t come round half as much as I thought she would. ’

Gayle sighed. ‘I know.’

Nick added. ‘I know why. She misses the place so much, she doesn’t want to come visit in case she has the urge to move back.’

‘Did she say something?’ Gayle asked.

Jake started to feel uncomfortable again, hoping it didn’t get back onto the subject of David and Robyn’s personal life.

Nick shook his head. ‘It was just a joke, Gayle.’

‘Oh, right. Of course. Silly me.’

‘Why would she move back into her room here when she’s got a gorgeous boathouse to live in? No offence, Gayle.’

‘None taken,’ Gayle replied.

‘Right, well, I’ll go and put these bags in the fridge and heat up that stew. If it tastes half as good as it smells …’ Nick’s voice trailed off as he crossed the hall to the kitchen.

Jake caught Gayle smiling after him, obviously feeling chuffed that her stew was going down a treat.

Nick’s head appeared round the door. ‘Olive, be good!’

Olive was sitting next to Jake. He patted her on the head. ‘Good girl.’ Thinking of Robyn, he turned to Gayle. ‘Is Robyn coming here some time over the weekend, do you think?’ he said.

‘Yes, I was expecting to see her when she got back from London tomorrow, but if things go according to plan for David, then I guess she might pop in to say hello on Sunday instead. I do cook a Sunday roast. They know they’re welcome any time.’

Sunday it is, then , thought Jake, not without some trepidation; what was he likely to find out about Eleanor, and would it be good news or bad?