Page 16 of The Castle in the Bay

He nodded. Would she sit or something? The way she was towering over him like this was intimidating.Jeez. He ran hisfingers through his hair. She was scarier than a tigress with her fearless attitude and adventurous spirit. No doubt if she had control of the urn, she’d just whip off the lid, tip the contents into the sea and be done with it. She was the type who faced challenges head-on, while he… well, he wasn’t sure what he was right now.

‘I, um, just… need a moment.’

She glanced at the sea around the rocks, and he suddenly noticed how high it had got. ‘Are you sure you’re ok?’ Her gaze softened a little. ‘Are you still feeling sick, because we can’t hang about much longer? You’ve been sitting here for forty minutes.’

‘Has it been that long? Oh heck. Well, I don’t feel seasick anymore.’ He still felt nauseous, but it was nothing to do with the boat.

‘That’s good… So…’ She hopped down the rocks a little and crouched close by, looking like she was playing at a trampoline park and not moving over solid boulders.

‘You’re quite the adventurer, aren’t you?’ His voice was quieter than he intended. ‘You live on the edge.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh sure. Life on Barra is an extreme sport.’

He huffed out a laugh. ‘Still, you’re…’ He struggled to find the right words. ‘You’re out there, doing things, being exciting. I’ve never been like that.’

Iona shrugged, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. ‘Everyone’s got their own thing. Just because I like a bit of adventure doesn’t mean I don’t have my moments of doubt.’

Really? She seemed like the epitome of confidence. ‘Listen. Thanks for checking on me. I’ll, um, I’ll be done soon.’

‘You’ll have to be, because in about twenty minutes you’ll be underwater if you’re not back at the boat.’

‘Right.’ Definitely couldn’t hang about then. He took a deep breath, turning his gaze back to the rising sea, trying to find the strength to do the job he had to do.

‘Can I ask…?’ She moved closer. He caught her eye, then saw her gaze drop to the urn. ‘Is that an—’

‘Urn. Yes. It’s what I’m here to do.’

Iona shuffled up beside him, still crouching, her face level with his. Her irises were very blue and easy to get lost in. Such an attractive face to go with her energy and spirit. ‘To do what?’

Monty swallowed hard. ‘I came here to scatter my dad’s ashes.’ He tapped the top of the urn. ‘I thought I could do it, but… it’s harder than I expected.’

Iona tilted her head so her long ponytail fell over her shoulder, then shifted onto her bottom so she was sitting alongside him. She raised her knee and leaned her arm on it. ‘I’m really sorry. I didn’t realise.’

‘It’s just…’ He struggled to find the words. ‘He always talked about Barra and Kisimul Castle. He loved it here. It was his wish to have his ashes scattered here. I just don’t know if I can do it.’

She reached out, resting a hand lightly on his arm. His focus moved to the contact point, and he stared at her hand for a moment. ‘Of course you can do it. It’s hard saying goodbye, but it’s ok to take your time, though we should probably move further up the rocks.’

Monty inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. ‘I should have prepared myself better.’

‘How can anyone prepare themselves for something like this? It’s not like something you have to do often in your life. Hopefully not anyway.’

‘I suppose so.’ Monty glanced back at the urn.

‘Don’t you have other family? Are you the only one who can do this?’

He nodded. ‘Yup. Just me. My mother and father are divorced. I’m an only child. There’s no one else.’

‘Then can I help?’ she asked.

‘You?’ He raised an eyebrow.

‘Yes, me. I didn’t know your dad, but maybe you could tell me something about him.’

‘You won’t want to hear it. He loved the idea that he was somehow descended from the MacNeils of Barra. He told many stories about how our branch of the family were diddled out of this castle.’

He glanced at her and caught a smile.

‘Well, maybe this time it’s actually true. What was his name?’

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