Page 20 of The Midnight Secret

‘They might be interested in hiring us—’

‘Us?’ Sholto frowned.

‘The estate. As a location for several of their films. They think they have three pictures in the pipeline we could be suitable for.’

‘I see.’ The slight northward shooting of Sholto’s eyebrows betrayed his surprise.

Albie pulled an apologetic face. ‘Well, you know how it is, old bean, what with upkeep and taxes. The rates they’re offering are not to be sniffed at.’

‘Indeed,’ Sholto nodded sympathetically.

‘You know, you’re both speaking almost without moving your mouths,’ Effie observed with a wry smile, looking between the two of them.

‘Boarding school, dear lady,’ Albie grinned, openly smiling back at her. ‘Survival takes many forms.’

‘Oh, Effie knows all about survival,’ Sholto said. ‘We’re in the presence of greatness in that regard.’

‘Really? What is your great survival skill, Miss Gillies?’

Effie looked at Sholto, not sure that he would want her toreveal here, in polite company, that she could scale a cliff and wring a bird’s neck. Had the conversation taken a wrong turn?

But he smiled back, waiting.

She looked back at their host and saw that he seemed genuinely interested. Could she really reveal something of her true self to him? It had seemed to her that being in ‘company’ meant doing the reverse.

‘Well, I’m from St Kilda, you see. So I...I’m used to a more difficult way of life.’

‘St Kilda, indeed?’ Albie exclaimed jovially. ‘I’ve heard a lot about the St Kildans in the past few months. More, I think, than in the rest of my life combined. I keep reading about you all in the papers! There’s been the bother with that whatnot fellow of MacLeod’s?’ He clicked his fingers as he looked at Sholto, trying to recall the name.

Effie saw her fiancé’s jaw tighten, as it always did when Frank Mathieson was referenced. He could only remember what the factor had tried to do to her, and not what had been done unto him. His anger was such that Effie was sure Sholto would have killed the man himself if someone hadn’t beaten him to it. ‘Aye, that’s right,’ she said quickly, knowing she had to divert the conversation in another direction. ‘And I’m told the evacuation was reported as far away as—’

‘I say! Did I just hear someone say St Kilda?’ Charlie Buck called over, his neck craned with interest.

‘Yes, Miss Gillies here is from the isle,’ Albie said back.

‘Is she, indeed?’ Cripshank asked, sauntering over. Buck followed in his wake. ‘Well, now, isn’t that interesting?’

Was it? Effie looked at them blankly.

‘Miss Gillies was just about to tell me her special survival skill,’ Albie said, seeming pleased to have garnered the Americans’ attention.

‘Well, I...it’s just that I...’ She looked at Sholto again, still unsure he wanted her to reveal all this, especially as now everyone in the room was listening in. ‘I suppose you could say I can climb pretty well.’

‘How well?’ Cripshank asked, his eyes gleaming with delight.

‘Pretty well.’ She knew better than to boast here.

‘Could you...could you climb this castle?’

‘Aye.’

‘Without ropes?’

‘Aye, but I never would. That was a rule back home. There’s still a chance to save yourself if you slip on a rope. No man ever caught a cliff.’

The men’s gazes travelled over her in disbelief. Her blonde hair had been brushed – not primped and set like Peony and Bitsy’s, but it was smooth and shiny, like the satin dress that skimmed her body and highlighted her lithe figure. She looked more like a doll than a daredevil.

‘You know,’ Buck said. ‘I believe you, Miss Gillies, of course I do – but to see it...I would pay good money to see that.’

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