Page 41 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

‘Put it this way, it’s not the news I was hoping for.’

Properties in Duncoorie didn’t come on the market often, and when they did they were quickly snapped up. He didn’t anticipate Yvaine’s house lingering for long. It was a pity that Tara’s house in Edinburgh hadn’t been sold yet, because she might have been interested.

Or maybe not. It would be more than weird to have his first love live in the house that had once belonged to his ex-wife. Or it might be beyond Tara’s budget, or she mightn’t like it when she saw it.

Cal paused, an idea beginning to form. ‘A house in Duncoorie has just come on the market. Would you be interested in taking a look?’

‘I’ve not had a chance to put it on the website yet,’ the estate agent said, as Tara walked up the drive to meet him. ‘Mrs Fraser was delighted to have a viewing so soon. Shall we go inside?’

‘Please.’ Tara plastered a smile on her face, feeling awkward.

It was true that she intended to buy a property, and she was aware that houses didn’t come up for sale in Duncoorie very often, but it felt surreal to enter the house belonging to Cal’s ex-wife. She wasn’t convinced she wanted to buy it for that very reason.

However, she was curious, and teamed with Calan’s stilted and reluctant explanation that it would be a good idea for her to get the feel of the place and take some measurements and photos whilst she was there, because Yvaine would be too busy to take them herself, she’d agreed to arrange a viewing with the agent who was handling the sale.

‘You have a property in Edinburgh, is that right?’ the man asked.

‘Yes. It’s already on the market. I’ve relocated to the island and am looking for a permanent home here.’

He pushed open the front door and gestured for her to go inside. ‘This is the hall,’ he said, unnecessarily. ‘As you can see, it’s a bright and welcoming first impression, and it benefits from storage space under the stairs and a radiator.’

‘I’m going to take some photos, if that’s OK.’ She didn’t wait for his consent, taking out her phone and snapping away. She also had one of those laser measurement thingies, so she got that out too.

The agent gave her a suspicious look.

Tara had an explanation prepared. ‘I’ve got some quite large pieces of furniture – family heirlooms – that need to be accommodated,’ she said. ‘I need to make sure they’ll fit into whatever property I buy.’

The man didn’t look impressed, but neither did he make a comment, and Tara guessed he’d heard it all before. However, she didn’t want to explain why she was being so precise, in case he didn’t think she was a serious buyer and asked her to leave. Shewasa serious buyer – she just didn’t think she could be serious about buying this particular property, even though it was exactly what she was looking for.

Structurally, Yvaine’s house was a replica of Jinny’s next door, but that was where the similarity started and stopped.

Jinny’s house was a home.

Yvaine’s house was a photo in a lifestyle magazine. It was immaculate and incredibly stylish, but as far as Tara was concerned, it lacked soul. The decor was tasteful, in various shades of white, linen and biscuit, the cushions were plumped to within an inch of their lives, there wasn’t one personal item on display, and even the books on the coffee table were arranged in an artful stack. The ornaments dotted around the room looked as though they had been chosen purely to dress the house for sale.

The kitchen was equally as devoid of heart, and the master bedroom and guest bedroom were just as sterile. The only room with any character was Bonnie’s. It looked as though an explosion had taken place, with clothes and toys scattered everywhere. Tara wondered whether Yvaine hadn’t got around to tidying her daughter’s room, or whether she’d asked Bonnie to do it and Bonnie had ignored her.

The agent seemed a little put out at the state of the room. ‘The vendor has a young child,’ he explained, ‘but I’m sure you can see beyond the personal items and realise that this is a generously proportioned room. One could easily fit a double bed in here, or two singles. Along with the third bedroom, the property is an ideal size for a family.’

‘It will just be me, I’m afraid.’

The estate agent rallied quickly. ‘Plenty of room for entertaining, and the smaller bedroom could be turned into a lovely office.’

‘I think I’ve seen enough,’ Tara said.

‘Is the property of interest? Or maybe I could arrange to show you around one of the others on our books?’

‘No thanks, this is perfect.’

He beamed at her. ‘You’ve got my number if you’d like to make an offer. I suggest you be quick though, as I don’t anticipate it being on the market for long.’

‘Neither do I,’ she replied honestly. It was a lovely house and Tara could imagine how much nicer it could be with the addition of some personal touches. She added, ‘However, I intend to wait for an offer on my own property before I put an offer in on this one.’

His beaming smile lost some wattage. ‘I see.’ He ushered her outside. ‘As I said, you’ve got my number. Please call if you have any questions.’

‘I will. Thank you for showing me around.’

Tara lingered for a few minutes more, taking photos of the outside, and when she was done, she made her way back to the castle.

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