Page 82 of The Castle in the Bay

‘So you said. But love can be hard to find.’

‘Sometimes you find it when you’re not looking for it.’

She let out a sigh. ‘That’s leaving a lot to chance.’

‘I’ve already met someone else. Someone that I love.’

‘Really?’ His mother goggled. ‘That’s wonderful. Who is she?’

‘Iona McKenzie.’

‘Can I meet her?’

He shook his head. ‘That won’t be easy, but I can show you a picture of her and a film.’ He pulled out his phone and found a film of her kite-surfing. Tilting his hand so his mum could see it, he pressed play.

She peered at it, a frown growing. ‘This woman on the parachute thingy?’

‘Yes.’

‘And do you even know her? Or do you just have a crush on this film?’

Monty laughed and stopped the film. ‘I know her, but she lives on Barra.’

‘What? Oh, goodness gracious. Not that bloody island. Your father was fixated on it, obsessed, and now you.’

‘He was right about us having family there. I discovered we’re related to the family I stayed with.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. I share a great-great-grandfather with Catriona, who owned the guesthouse. Dad never got the chance to do all the research he wanted and to go and meet the people he was connected to. He worked himself to the bone and into an early grave.’ Monty didn’t want history to repeat itself. It was a wake-up call for him. ‘You should go visit yourself one day. It’ll surprise you. It surprised me.’

‘But you’re not seriously thinking about having a love affair with this woman, are you? How would that work?’

‘I really don’t know. If I can find a way, I will.’

His mum cupped her hands on the table and gave him a quizzical once over. ‘There’s always a way. If you’re serious about her, you’ll find it. It might mean change, upheaval…’

He covered his mouth to stifle a grin. The word had reminded him of going ‘up Heaval’, the hill he’d climbed with Iona.

‘What is so funny?’

‘Nothing, Mum. You’re right. If I want this, I can make it happen, but it’ll mean changes.’

‘Just don’t do anything rash, will you?’

‘Are you kidding? In the last few weeks, I’ve been on a plane that landed on a beach, I’ve swum in the sea, been bodyboarding, tried surfing…’ Not to mention some of the other things he’d done with Iona that he wasn’t going to mention to his mother… ‘My whole life on Barra was rash compared to here. I learned to be a different version of myself. And I enjoyed it. I’ve played it safe up until now and I’m ready to do something else.’

‘Such as? I mean, you can’t leave your job.’

‘I need my job, yes, but there might be something I can do. Let’s eat. Then I’m going back for a chat with my boss.’

Monty ate lunch with his mother, but his mind was racing ahead. Nothing was guaranteed. Roles couldn’t be invented just to suit him. But unless he tried, he’d never know.

‘Just be sensible.’ His mother patted his hand as he tapped his card to pay for the meal. ‘You can be adventurous without being crazy.’

‘I’m not sure I know what that means.’ He gave her a hug. ‘But I want to follow my heart. I’ve got a feeling it’ll see me right this time.’

Back in the office, Monty knocked on Mr Robertson’s office door and entered when he called him in. ‘Ah, hello, Monty. Is everything ok?’

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