Page 52 of The Boathouse by the Loch (The Scottish Highlands #4)

When Robyn had heard, she’d made a mental note.

While she’d been planning for their wedding, she had already been thinking of where they might like to spend their honeymoon.

Although it was very tempting to stay right where they were – the Cairngorms had everything they could possibly want for a fabulous holiday – they had their whole lives together to explore this glorious part of the world and make special memories in the place they called home.

But Robyn also fancied making some special memories in another lovely part of Scotland, and Edinburgh sounded just the place.

She was looking forward to catching up with Rose and George on their return and hearing all about their trip.

She was seeing them tomorrow afternoon. Although George and Rose had to miss her party, George had more than made up for it by booking something for Robyn which she’d always wanted to do.

Robyn and David would be joining Rose and George for a special treat – afternoon tea on a steam train from Aviemore as it meandered through the breathtaking Scottish countryside.

Robyn returned her attention to the place settings. Melissa and Brodie were nearest to Robyn, on her left. She’d purposely put them there, as far away from David as she could. Robyn wondered if she had done the right thing by inviting Melissa.

They’d first met in the public library and had become friends.

Robyn had gone there to see if she could find any old newspaper articles about David and the accident that had left him with an injured knee and had ruined his promising ice hockey career.

He’d refused to talk about it, so she’d thought she’d try and find out for herself.

She’d met Melissa, a law undergraduate, who had been working in the public library during her holidays.

Robyn had found out a lot more than she’d bargained for.

She’d assumed he’d had an accident on the ice during a hockey game, and that was how he’d injured his knee.

But that hadn’t been it at all. There had been a burglary at Duncan’s store.

David had been on a night out with friends when he’d noticed a light in his father’s shop and had found himself face-to-face with two intruders, who were robbing the cash till. One had been armed .

According to the reporter, a scuffle had ensued. David had been shot, but he’d managed to get hold of the gun and it had fired, shooting dead one of the intruders. He’d been arrested and charged, but had successfully pleaded self-defence.

As a law student, Melissa had been intrigued by the story that Robyn had uncovered.

Things like that didn’t happen in the small town of Aviemore.

It was quite unheard of. Melissa had offered to look into it.

Robyn had readily agreed. But then she’d started to get cold feet over what exactly Melissa might uncover.

Robyn’s fears weren’t unfounded after a conversation with David’s sister-in-law, Annie.

Robyn had discovered that it wasn’t actually David who had shot the intruder, but Annie.

She’d been on a rare night out with friends when they too had passed Duncan’s store and had noticed the light.

She’d ventured inside to discover David bleeding from a gunshot wound, and surprised the burglars, one of whom had dropped the gun they were carrying.

Annie had picked it up and fired the gun.

The question was: why had David lied to the police?

It was obvious. David was protecting his sister-in-law.

She was a mother of a small child, his niece.

She couldn’t go to prison. So David had stepped up, and lied to the police that he had fired the gun when he had not.

He’d risked a conviction and a prison sentence for Annie.

Luckily, neither of those things had happened.

David’s brother, Joe, was none the wiser as to what had really happened that night.

And neither was Melissa. Not yet, anyway.

But worryingly, when she’d asked Melissa to drop it, she’d suspected she would not, especially when it had turned out that the small law firm in Aviemore she’d started working for as a trainee solicitor after graduation might have handled David’s case.

Robyn didn’t know for sure. All she knew was that when she’d let slip to him that she knew what had happened, David had told her – I was charged with manslaughter, but a very, very good lawyer got me off – self-defence.

It had sounded as though it was a local firm of solicitors.

Robyn remembered her response. She’d been so relieved. She’d then asked him if that had been the end of it.

He’d hesitated before answering, saying yeah, of course , but avoiding eye contact. Although she’d said to him she didn’t want any more secrets between them, she still had a strong suspicion that there was more to the story – something even Annie didn’t know about.

And now Robyn had been worried that if Melissa was working for the same local firm, she now had access to those files, and could look through past cases.

Robyn hoped she didn’t look at David’s. It was still playing on Robyn’s mind that there was something David hadn’t told her. Whatever it was, she didn’t want Melissa to find out first.

Robyn stared at the place-setting with Melissa’s name on.

She made a mental note to ask her not to bring up anything to do with the robbery at the party – especially not in front of David, who had no clue she’d looked into the circumstances surrounding his so-called accident.

She did not want anything ruining the lovely meal she was having with friends, and the little party on the lawn by the loch afterwards.

‘Robyn!’ David called out. ‘Are you making a cup of tea?’

Robyn switched on the cooker and stepped out of the kitchen, calling up the stairs, ‘I’m doing it now.’

‘Good, because Judith has come over a little faint.’

‘What?’ Robyn ran up the stairs to find Judith sitting on an armchair in the lounge, with David fanning her with an old newspaper.

‘What happened?’ Robyn ran over and knelt down beside her. ‘Are you all right?’

David said, ‘I suspect it’s been rather a long day, and I bet the food on the plane was rubbish.’

‘There wasn’t any food on the plane,’ said Judith, gulping down air.

‘No food? Did you have lunch?’ asked Robyn.

Judith shook her head, staring at her.

‘Well, that’s it then,’ said David confidently. ‘What you need, Judith, is a hearty meal.’

Robyn ran downstairs as soon as she heard the kettle boil. A moment later she reappeared, carefully carrying a steaming mug of sweet tea across the lounge to where Judith was sitting.

Percy was being very good and had retreated to his dog bed to one side of the log burner.

Robyn handed her the tea. ‘Sip this. It will make you feel better.’ Robyn hoped it would.

The last thing she wanted was for Judith to miss the party, and meeting all her friends.

Thinking of meeting friends, Gayle would be arriving any minute to do Judith’s hair.

Surely, Judith wouldn’t be up for that. Robyn said as much.

Judith lowered the mug. ‘You’re right – I’m not up for that.’

Robyn got her phone out from the back pocket of her jeans. ‘I’d better let her know that you won’t be—’

Robyn halted at the sound of a car turning up in the driveway. ‘Oh, dear. I think that’s her.’

Judith sat up. ‘I want to meet her.’

Robyn frowned. ‘I thought you said you didn’t feel up to having your hair done?’

‘Never mind that,’ said Judith. ‘I need to speak to her.’

Robyn stared at her. ‘Well, all right. I’ll go and answer the door.’ On her way out of the room, Robyn motioned for David to come with her.

‘What did she mean, she needs to speak to her?’ Robyn asked David in a hushed voice as they walked down the stairs.

‘She just wants to meet your friends. I mean, I reckon she’s just concerned about you. That’s probably why she had a funny turn. It’s a lot to take in. This is all completely new; not what she was expecting. She doesn’t know us from Adam, does she?’

‘Speak for yourself,’ Robyn chided as she walked over to the front door.

He laughed. ‘Yeah, you know what I mean. You told her you were living with Gayle for quite some time. She obviously wants to meet her, probably to thank her for taking you in.’

‘Oh, right. I hadn’t thought of that.’

‘And besides, isn’t it nice she wants to meet your friends? I bet she can’t wait to meet everyone else. She’ll feel better when she realises you’re okay. You’ve got lovely friends, all looking out for you.’

Robyn brightened. ‘You’re right. I just hope she’s going to be up to meeting everybody.’

David put a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she opened the front door. ‘I’m sure she will be. Look how enthusiastic she is to meet Gayle.’

‘Hi, Gayle.’ Robyn stepped into Gayle’s embrace. She was holding Doris’s hand. Robyn gave Doris a hug too. Gayle handed David a bottle of something bubbly, and Robyn a large bunch of flowers.

Robyn said, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have.’

Gayle smiled. ‘Let me fetch my bag.’

‘Oh, you needn’t do that. Sorry, change of plan. Judith came over a little faint. She’s not up to having her hair done. I was just going to phone you, and let you know, when I heard you arrive.’

‘Do you need me to take a look at her, put my nurse’s hat on?’

‘No, not at all. We think it’s all been a bit overwhelming for her.’

‘Yes, that makes sense.’

‘And she hasn’t had anything to eat since breakfast, by the sound of it,’ added David.

Robyn looked at David and nodded. She turned to Gayle. ‘But she wants to meet you, have a chat. Is that okay? Sorry, you’ve come earlier than you needed to.’

‘That’s all right, Robyn. I’m looking forward to meeting your stepmum. It will give us a chance to get to know one another before everyone arrives.’

Robyn smiled. ‘I’ll make you and Doris a cuppa. Go right upstairs.’

David followed Robyn into the kitchen. ‘There, you see? There’s nothing to worry about.’

Robyn took two mugs out of the kitchen cupboard. It was still playing on her mind how strangely Judith had been acting since she’d arrived – and why did she need to speak to Gayle?