Highland Fling (10 page)

‘Technically, as he’s my client, not my boss, that would be fraud, as he’s paying me a lot extra to be here…’

‘Oh please! Just say you’ll do it for a bit, until I can find someone else.’

Jenny was tired. She’d travelled a long way to get here, her hosts were all damaged in some way, and the business she was investigating was going straight down the tubes. Out of habit, she asked herself what Henry would say. ‘
For God’s sake! You’d never cope. Remember that time you were cooking breakfast for friends after we’d stayed up all night? You couldn’t fry more than one egg at a time!
’

Jenny was pleased she’d thought of this – it made the decision so easy.

‘I’d love to help, although you’ll have to get someone to show me everything, and I might be hopeless. I wasn’t that good yesterday.’

Meggie flapped a hand. ‘Goodness me! You had no idea what you were doing and he was a difficult customer. I’ll come up and show you everything. It’ll be a breeze.’

‘A howling gale, more like,’ said Jenny, ‘and I’m not being responsible for anything happening to you or the baby, so you find someone else to show me round.’

‘OK. There is a girl who used to help me out before she got a proper job. She can show you the ropes. It’s dead simple. You only have to open the odd evening, and at weekends. The weekends are the most important. I’ll arrange it.’ Satisfied with her evening’s work, Meggie settled back into her cushions.’ Are you going into the mill with Philip?’

‘I did today, but from now on I’m going to take my own car, and be a bit more independent.’ She drained her mug. ‘I’d better be getting back. I don’t want to be late for supper when Felicity’s spent all day cooking it.’

‘She won’t have spent long cooking it. You’ll have noticed that she’s not a very good cook.’

‘No, but she’s doing it, and it can’t be easy. You’re right about her mother. She’s a monster.’

‘She is. Like a huge spider, sitting in the middle of the family manipulating them all, pulling them in if they stray too far.’

‘Difficult mother-in-law, then?’ Jenny laughed.

Meggie pshawed dismissively. ‘I don’t give two
hoots about her! I just can’t bear what she does to the others. Iain has more or less escaped, but Felicity and Philip are completely messed up, both of them.’

‘I thought Philip was a bit ineffectual maybe, but not necessarily messed up.’

‘Why has he never married, then? He’s nearly forty and he’s not gay but he’s never dared take anyone home to meet his Mama. He’s afraid she’d eat them. And not without reason. As for Felicity …’

‘Poor Felicity.’

‘I do feel very sorry for her,’ Meggie acknowledged, determined to be fair, ‘but why doesn’t she get out? It’s because she couldn’t hack the downgrade. If she left home she’d have to live in some hovel. Somewhere, like this …’

‘This is hardly a hovel.’

‘No, I know it’s not, but to Felicity and Lady D. it is. The family name for us is “Love in a Cottage”.’

Jenny laughed. ‘That’s quite sweet.’

‘I suppose so. At the moment I’ve got cabin fever, not being allowed out.’

‘It’ll be worth it, when the baby’s born.’

Meggie made a face. ‘How do you know? You haven’t children of your own.’

‘It’s what everyone says; it must be true!’ She got up. ‘Now I must go. I can’t risk offending anyone on practically my first day.’

‘I suppose not.’

Jenny glanced round the room, looking at it more carefully than when she’d arrived. The curtains, cushions and throws were all woollen, all full of texture and interest. Scraps of lurex were woven in among the wools, bits of felt and even raffia.

‘What did you do before you got married to Iain?’ she asked.

‘Textiles. I met Iain at college. His family practically disowned him for actually wanting to study what his family made their money from. Why do you ask?’

‘No particular reason. Now, I must rush up the hill and eat my dinner. I’ll be in touch about The Homely Haggis.’

‘Oh, Jenny –’

‘Yes?’

‘Tartan is such a good look for you …’ Jenny stuck her tongue out.

‘I’ll run you up the hill,’ said Iain. ‘
You
must be tired.’

Jenny didn’t even make a token protest. She
was
tired; in fact now she felt exhausted. And the prospect of dinner didn’t make her feel any less so.

‘That would be wonderful. I know it’s not far –’

‘But it’s uphill,’ Meggie finished for her. ‘I’ll put the spuds on,’ she added to Iain.

‘Now don’t –’

‘Away with ye, laddie!’ she exclaimed, exaggerating her accent to comic proportions. ‘I’m not an invalid, you know. I am allowed to totter into the kitchen from time to time.’

‘I don’t know her well,’ said Jenny, when she and Iain were shooting up the hill in his van, ‘but I don’t imagine she’s very good at slowing down.’

‘You’re right there! She has two paces, fast and stop, and she hasn’t located the stop button yet.’

‘You must be worried.’

‘A bit. She’s young and healthy and there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be fine, it’s just…’

‘They wouldn’t have suggested she should do less if there wasn’t just something?’

That’s it.’

‘Well, you can tell her I’ll be glad to do The Homely Haggis. The prospect of spending every evening making polite conversation to Lady Dalmain – oh, sorry – I forgot she’s your mother.’

‘Oh say what you like about her! The old bat! Anyway – here you are – at the Bat Cave.’

Iain pulled on the handbrake and Jenny regarded Dalmain House. ‘Not so much a cave as a really great venue for a Halloween Party.’

Iain laughed as she clambered out and then shot away, wasting no time in returning to his own cosy little house.

Chapter Six

Jenny let herself in and glanced at her watch. It was only ten to seven, but as she was about to go upstairs to change, Felicity came out of the drawing room.

‘Oh, there you are. Come and have a drink.’

Jenny really had been hoping for a moment to change out of her tartan trousers and check her emails, but that obviously wasn’t an option. Nor was the prospect of more whisky very appealing, though it would look rude to refuse. ‘I’d love one, but I must just wash my hands,’ she said.

‘Don’t be too long. Mama is waiting.’

Lady Dalmain seemed in an unusually good mood. She said ‘thank you’ to Felicity when she was handed her drink, and smiled at Jenny, an experience that was not as pleasant as it might have been, because she had very bad teeth, but Jenny was gratified, all the same.

‘And how did you get on at the mill today?’ Lady Dalmain asked. To Jenny’s relief, she didn’t wait to listen to the answer before adding, ‘Philip, you must take some time to show Jenny the countryside. It’s so beautiful around here.’ She bestowed another brown-toothed smile on Jenny and Philip. ‘You might even take the day off and take her up to that nice hotel. Do you remember?’

‘But, Mama, it’s miles!’ said Felicity.

‘I’m sure they can spare a little time away from the mill. Isn’t that right, Philip?’

Jenny became uncomfortably aware that Lady Dalmain was matchmaking. She had decided Jenny was sufficiently genteel and well-behaved, and she was setting her up with Philip.

Philip and Felicity were now arguing gently about how far this particular hotel was, and how long it would take to drive there. Lady Dalmain was contradicting Felicity, although it was clear that she herself hadn’t been for many years. Jenny took the time to think about Philip.

He was charming and good-looking in a Henry sort of way, but it wasn’t with Henry that Jenny found herself comparing him. It was with the awful customer, who had been so demanding and so unpleasant. Why he should have ingrained himself into her memory was uncertain. She didn’t remember him being particularly good-looking, although he was tall and dark. Was it his voice? His energy? Or what? Henry and Philip could both be described as handsome, whereas he never could. But there was something a bit dangerous about him.

She sipped her whisky, aware she was getting to like it. Should she consider swapping Henry and his quite demanding family for Philip, and his mother? She chuckled. Not bleedin’ likely, she thought, disguising her smile.

‘Well, Jenny?’ asked Philip. ‘What do you think?’

‘It sounds as if the hotel is rather far away,’ she said. ‘And I will be extremely busy at the mill. On the other hand, it would be lovely to see a bit more of the
country. Although I could explore on my own, if you’re busy.’

‘Not a good idea at this time of the year,’ said Lady Dalmain firmly. ‘Tourists show no respect for their surroundings. The weather can change very quickly. Far better go with Philip.’

‘Or perhaps Felicity would go with me?’

‘Felicity suffers from agoraphobia,’ said Lady Dalmain. ‘It means she can’t go out at all. Very tiresome.’

It wasn’t clear if Lady Dalmain meant having agoraphobia was tiresome, or Felicity was for having it. Jenny thought probably the latter.

‘I’ll go and look at what’s going on in the kitchen,’ said Felicity.

Jenny didn’t offer to go with her. She felt too tired to be of much use, and Lady Dalmain probably wouldn’t let her help, anyway.

I had to go to Inverness today,’ said Philip, glancing at Jenny, ‘and I got this for you, Mama.’

It was wrapped in a paper bag and turned out to be a small, leather-bound book.

‘Darling!’ Lady Dalmain was ecstatic. ‘I’ve been looking for this for ages, but none of my book services has been able to find it! You are clever!’

He laughed. I have my secret suppliers. Toshak and Fiske. Never been known to let me down.’

Jenny regarded Lady Dalmain and Philip enjoying each other’s company. Of course she was happy for them, but she couldn’t help wondering if perhaps Philip could have got his secret suppliers to post the book to Lady Dalmain. Unless, of course, Philip had other business in Inverness.

He sensed her looking at him and blushed slightly. ‘Let’s not fall out, Jenny.’

Jenny smiled. ‘I hardly ever fall out with people,’ she said. I think it makes me rather bland.’ Then she remembered that man again. She’d had no trouble falling out with him at all.

‘Not in the least,’ he said gallantly. ‘But I wouldn’t want you to think badly of me.’

Before she could ask him why on earth she should, Felicity came in to announce that the meal was ready.

Philip produced another couple of bottles of wine from the cellar and poured them lavishly, paying particular attention to his mother’s glass. She glowed with pleasure, showing a charming side to herself Jenny hadn’t suspected. Even Felicity was included, and Lady Dalmain praised the apple crumble, which in Jenny’s opinion was undercooked.

As on the previous evening, Jenny wasn’t allowed to help with the washing up. She didn’t protest too hard as she was longing for her emails and her bed. Perhaps it was being so far from home, she thought, as she went upstairs, that made one so dependent on communication.

There was nothing from Henry, but she sent him one. Her mother had said,

Don’t feel obliged to sort out everyone’s problems, darling. You know what you’re like.

She replied,

Don’t worry, I’ve only taken on the running of a fast
food outfit and promised to save an entire factory. Nothing drastic.

She knew it would make her mother laugh and shake her head.

Jenny was aware of a lot of commotion downstairs when she woke up. She looked at her clock and saw that it was only seven. She had just decided that whatever it was, it was nothing to do with her, when Felicity stuck her head round the door, her hair about her shoulders, looking as if the entire cast of
The Lord of the Rings
had appeared to her in the night, leaving her frazzled.

‘It’s awful! Philip’s left home!’

Jenny got up.

She threw on as many layers of clothes as she could easily find and went downstairs.

The noise was appalling. Lady Dalmain, her hair in a tidy plait, was standing in the hallway wearing an old tartan dressing gown, probably her late husband’s. She was holding a piece of paper. She was obviously in shock. The dogs, disrespectful of the situation, had decided on this moment to quarrel and were desperately trying to out-bark each other. By now, Felicity was holding a bottle of brandy and a glass, wondering whether to give it to her mother, or drink it herself.

When she saw Jenny, she shouted, ‘Philip’s gone missing!’

‘So you said, but he was here last evening,’ she shouted back. ‘You have to be gone at least a day to go missing. Otherwise it’s just “out”.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Felicity yelled back. ‘He left a note.’

‘These bloody dogs!’ said Jenny, unable to bear being deafened any longer. She opened the door of the dog room and bellowed, ‘Dogs!’ at the top of her voice, forgetting that two days ago she’d been scared of them. ‘In here! At once!’

Totally surprised at this attack from an unexpected quarter, the dogs stopped fighting and stared at her. Then, recognising a greater authority than their own, they trotted obediently into the dog room and Jenny shut the door. Immediately, they realised they were missing out on the fun and started trying to break back through the door again. Jenny, finding this noise as hard to cope with as the barking, went into the larder and came out with a bag of dog biscuits, then she opened the door, hurled in the biscuits, and waited for quiet.