Page 23 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

‘Exactly? Um…’ Bonnie screwed up her face. ‘Tara said – that’s her name, Tara – she said that I would have to ask you if I could join her workshop.’

‘When is it?’

‘I don’t know, she hasn’t decided. But when she does, can I? Please? I want to make a doll’s house just like my house, so when we move I’ll always remember what it looked like. Tara can show me.’ Her face crumpled and her chin wobbled. ‘I don’t want to leave my house, or Duncoorie, or Grandma and Granddad. And I don’t want to leave Katie and my school.’ She stamped her foot as she began to cry.

As Cal gathered her to him, trying his best to soothe her, he felt a spark of irritation at the doll’s house maker for unwittingly upsetting Bonnie all over again. Which reminded him – he should go and introduce himself. After all, he would be the one she’d be dealing with on a regular basis.

But not yet; for now he needed to concentrate on Bonnie. She was his primary concern. Hisonlyconcern.

When Cal’s phone rang, Bonnie was in the castle’s kitchen scroungingsomething to eat even though she’d eaten a good lunch. It was Yvaine andshe was furious.

‘What the hell do you think you’re playing at, taking Bonnie to the castle?’ she yelled, and Cal winced, holding the phone away from him. When he put it to his ear again, she was saying, ‘Can you imagine what was going through my mind when she didn’t come home from school?’ She paused to take a breath and Cal wasted no time leaping into the momentary void.

‘Have you listened to your messages?’

‘No, but—’

He cut across her, his ire building. ‘I didn’t think so. If you had, you’d have realised I had no choice. You weren’t answering your phone, and neither was your mother. Or would you have preferred me to leave our daughter sitting with Mrs Brown when she was unwell? She feels better now, thanks for asking.’

Yvaine didn’t apologise, but at least she’d stopped yelling when she said, ‘I’ve got a new mobile number. I lost my old phone on holiday. It fell into the sea.’

‘You could have mentioned yesterday that you had a new number.’ He wasn’t at all mollified by her explanation.

‘I’ve only just this afternoon got a new phone. Can I speak to Bonnie?’

‘She’s pestering Cook for a snack.’

‘Please don’t let her eat too much rubbish, she won’t eat her tea.’

Cal held his tongue. Cook wasn’t in the habit of stocking ‘rubbish’ in her larder. Everything was homemade, using the freshest ingredients.

‘Are you at home now?’ he asked.

‘Where else would I be?’

In Lenn’s bed, he nearly said, before coming to his senses. He didn’t care whose bed she was in, but he cared about how her actions affected Bonnie. ‘We’ll be there in ten minutes.’

True to his word, Cal pulled up outside his ex-wife’s house within the promised timeframe. Usually when he dropped Bonnie off, he waited by the car until she was safely inside, unless she had a suitcase like yesterday. Today, though, he wanted a word with her mother, so he accompanied Bonnie to the front door, where Yvaine was waiting to greet her.

After checking with Bonnie that she was OK and placing a hand on her forehead to make sure she didn’t have a temperature, Yvaine turned her attention to Cal. ‘Was there something else?’ she asked, with raised eyebrows.

‘When you told me that you and Lenn were moving in together, I didn’t think you would be living at his place in Portree.’

‘Why ever not? It makes perfect sense. His house is twice the size of mine, and there’s more to do in Portree than in Duncoorie.’

‘Bonnie doesn’t want to move to Portree.’

‘I know, but she’ll get used to it. Children are very adaptable and it’s not as though we’re moving a hundred miles away.’

‘Her friends are here, her school—’

‘She’ll soon make new friends, and when she’s eleven her school willbein Portree. That’s where the high school is, in case you’ve forgotten.’

Calan hadn’t forgotten. But Bonnie wouldn’t be attending high school for another two years. ‘Why can’t Lenn move in with you until then? She’s settled and happy where she is. She doesn’t need the upheaval of moving schools and moving houses. She’s got enough to cope with getting used to you having a boyfriend.’

Was he being unreasonable? He didn’t think so, but Yvaine looked annoyed.

‘As I said, she’ll soon make new friends. And for your information, Lenn is more than a boyfriend. He’s the man I’ll be spending the rest of my life with. This isn’t about her, is it? It’s about you. Don’t worry, you’ll still have her every other weekend. That won’t change.’

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