Page 46 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

‘I’m in the middle of decorating this, um, house.’ Tara wasn’t sure what to call it.

‘Can I watch?’

‘Sure. Come through.’

Bonnie lifted up a section of the counter so the door underneath it opened and scurried through it. She came to stand by Tara’s elbow.

‘I’ve never seen a doll’s house being decorated before,’ she said. ‘Can you really change it whenever you want, like a real house?’

Tara remembered telling her the same thing the first time they’d met. ‘Yes, you can. Many people buy just the shell with no paint on it whatsoever, because they like doing it themselves.’ Tara pointed to a cardboard box on the floor under one of the shelves. ‘Take a look in there.’

Bonnie peered inside, and Tara smiled to see that the girl was careful not to touch anything.

‘You can take them out and have a look at them,’ she said. In the box were various rolls of paper, from brick-effect to slate, tiles to cobbles.

‘Wow!’ Bonnie picked up each one in turn. ‘They look real.’

Tara smiled. ‘That’s the idea.’

Bonnie returned to stand next to her as Tara explained how careful she had to be when measuring and cutting, and as she spoke, Tara kept glancing at her. The child had Cal’s eyes – the same colour and shape. She had his hair too, and his smile.

Tara wondered where he was right now. What was he doing? She hadn’t spoken to him since the night on his deck, although she’d glimpsed him in the distance, and if he’d gone out in his boat again, she hadn’t noticed. She wondered whether he was avoiding her because he was regretting his offer. Maybe he was regretting the evening itself.

She didn’t regret it at all. To be told that he’d only married Yvaine because she’d been pregnant had flipped a switch in Tara’s head. She was no longer bitter. Instead, she felt sad and regretful. If only he hadn’t been so sure back then that he knew what was best for her, she might have talked him around and persuaded him that they could have made their relationship work.

Instead he’d had rebound sex and a whole lot of grief had been the result. But, as he’d pointed out, if he and Tara had stayed together, the beautiful child standing by her side wouldn’t exist, and that was unimaginable.

Bonnie was gorgeous, and Tara’s heart went out to her. Tara mightn’t be able to ease the girl’s sadness at having to leave Duncoorie, but the doll’s house she was going to build for her might smooth the transition a little. She would start work on it as soon as she’d completed the funeral parlour.

An hour later – by this time Bonnie had borrowed a chair from one of the other studios and was perched next to Tara, ‘helping’ her – the door opened again.

Tara’s heart lurched when she saw it was Cal.

‘I thought I’d find you here,’ he said to his daughter, then he turned his gaze to Tara and said, ‘I hope she hasn’t been a nuisance?’

‘I’ve loved having her here,’ she answered truthfully. Bonnie was good company. She was enthusiastic, inquisitive, bright and chatty. She was a quick learner too, picking things up faster than Tara had when she’d first started making doll’s houses and all things tiny.

‘If she gets on your nerves, just kick her out. She won’t take offence, will you, Bon-Bon?’

‘Dad, stop calling me Bon-Bon.’

‘OK, Bon-Bon.’

‘Dad!’

He chuckled, and it warmed Tara’s heart to see what a lovely relationship he had with his daughter.

‘Mack has a couple of spaces in the boat for this afternoon’s trip,’ Cal said, his attention reverting to Bonnie. ‘Would you like to go?’

‘Me and you?’

‘Yes, me and you. Who did you think I meant?’

‘Me, you and Tara.’

Cal’s eyes widened a fraction. ‘I’m not sure Tara would want to come.’

‘Can you ask her?’ But before Cal could open his mouth, Bonnie said, ‘Mack does whale and dolphin watching trips. Have you ever seen a whale?’

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