Page 19 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

She held up a hand. ‘I refuse to discuss business today, and if I hear you’ve disobeyed me, you’ll get the sack.’

‘Surely not. A misdemeanour like that only warrants a written warning.’

‘Consider yourself warned.’ Her eyes twinkled and he grinned back.

Cal had fallen on his feet when he’d landed this job, and he was thankful for it every day. Mhairi was the best employer anyone could wish for, and in the five years since he’d started working for her, he’d come to consider her a friend.

His job as the castle’s estate manager suited him down to the ground. He was Mhairi’s second-in-command, answerable only to her, and he thrived on the responsibility. As well as managing the castle itself, he also managed the craft centre and the land. It was challenging and hard work, and he thoroughly enjoyed it. But what had appealed to him the most when he’d applied for the job was that the castle was only a short distance from the village of Duncoorie, where Yvaine had moved after the divorce, so she could be near her parents who lived in the village. If Cal wanted to see as much of his daughter as possible, he’d had no choice but to move from Inverness, where he’d been the assistant manager of a large estate a few miles away, and relocate to Skye.

At the time he hadn’t cared what job he did, as long as he was near Bonnie.

Being offered the position at Coorie Castle had been wonderful, and his gratitude knew no bounds.

Giving Mhairi another peck on the cheek, he took his leave.

As he drove the short distance down the lane towards his cottage, his thoughts returned to Yvaine’s news. He wondered when she was planning on telling Bonnie. He would like to be there when she did, but he guessed there was little point in suggesting it.

As he reached the turn-off to the old boathouse, he glanced automatically at the loch, but for once the sight of water didn’t calm him. However, he did notice a car parked at the top of the track leading to the boathouse and he hoped whoever was renting it was having a better time than he was.

Chapter 6

Tara intended to spend Monday morning replenishing her stock of furniture. She had sold a surprising amount over the weekend to the tourists who flocked to the castle and the craft centre in their droves. But first, she was off to the gift shop with the items she wanted them to sell.

Over the course of the last few days, she’d met the other crafters and had made friends with Jinny who managed the gift shop. Jinny was around Tara’s age, tall and curvy, whereas Tara was short and slim, statuesque to Tara’s petite frame. Jinny was lively and outgoing, and had the gift of the gab, seeming able to sell heather to a Scotsman.

When Tara first met her, she’d watched Jinny make several sales in quick succession to customers who, to Tara’s eye, hadn’t appeared to want to put their hands in their pockets to buy anything. All of them had left with a carrier bag and a smile on their face, and Tara had been impressed.

‘I’ve made a space for your stuff,’ Jinny announced as Tara pushed open the gift shop door with her bottom, her arms full with a doll’s house.

Tara headed towards the empty shelves and placed the house on a wooden crate that would be used as a display stand. This particular house was quite large, with a price tag to reflect its size, but she had two smaller ones in different styles waiting to be brought over.

Several trips later, Tara was happy with the space allocated to her craft and the way everything was displayed. A tall swivel stand held clear cellophane packs of things such as crockery sets and bathroom accessories, as well as lamps, rugs and soft furnishings. On the other shelves were box sets of furniture, with the display-only pieces in front. All in all, she was proud of it.

‘Do I have to pop in every day to see if anything needs to be replenished?’ she asked, as she was about to head back to her studio.

‘That isn’t necessary, although I’m always happy to see you for a chinwag. It’s all computerised these days.’

‘Brilliant. Well, that’s me done. I’d better get back before people start arriving. Oh, I forgot, can you hand out one of these with each sale of mine?’ Tara gave Jinny a wedge of leaflets containing details of the bespoke side of the business, as well as information about her website. She’d finally got around to updating it last night, having taken some photos of the studio and added the craft centre’s address and location, in case anyone wanted to visit her in person.

‘Of course, and I forgot to mention something too – a bunch of us are going for a drink and a meal on Friday evening. Would you like to join us? It’s only the local pub in the village, but the food is good, the pints are cheap, and it’s got a good atmosphere.’

‘That would be lovely, thanks.’ Tara was looking forward to it already. Mhairi was right – Coorie Castlewaslike one big happy family, and she was thrilled to think she was part of it.

Cal was sitting opposite Mhairi, her desk between them. He had atablet on his knee and was busy making notes as the old lady brought himup to speed. He’d been up early this morning, keen to have a quick scoutaround the estate, choosing to walk most of it. Being out in the freshair as the sun came up was the best possible start to any day, and ashe’d hiked around the perimeter and all points between, he had breatheddeeply, the fresh cool air filling his nose with the salty scent of theloch and the sweet smell of the heather which had recently come intobloom.

The tide had been going out, exposing wet shingle and rocks covered in seaweed, and he would have loved nothing better than to stand and watch for the next hour or so, but he wanted to check the rest of the estate before his meeting with Mhairi. The estate wasn’t large, but it had a variety of landscapes – man-made, such as the maze and duck pond, and natural, like the loch’s edge, as well as the woodland, which was managed.

Satisfied that everything was as it should be, although there were plenty of jobs that needed to be done which he had made a note of on his tablet, Cal had turned his attention to the craft centre before he ventured into the castle.

‘I see you managed to find a tenant for the empty studio,’ he said to Mhairi a short time later. ‘Doll’s houses – nice.’ He’d peeped in through the window as he’d walked past and been impressed by the crafter’s workmanship and attention to detail. It was a good addition to the castle’s range of crafts and artisan goods.

‘I wouldn’t have taken you for a man who likes doll’s houses,’ Mhairi teased, pouring tea into two delicate china cups.

Cal helped himself to a splash of milk from a matching jug. ‘I’m not, but I know a certain little girl who will be thrilled.’ He could picture the delight on Bonnie’s face, and he couldn’t wait to show them to her. ‘Who’s renting it?’ he asked.

‘A woman by the name of Tara McTaigh. Avril drew up the contract, but I’d like you to take a look at it later today, if you have time. I’m sure she’s completed it properly, but it’s the first one she’s done.’

‘No problem, I’ll—’ Cal was interrupted by the sharp trill of an incoming call. Expecting it to be work-related (it usually was), he was taken aback to see the phone number of the local primary school flash up. ‘It’s Bonnie’s school,’ he said. ‘I’d better take it.’

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