Page 20 of Surprises on the Scottish Isle

Mhairi nodded and calmly sipped her tea.

‘Hello, Calan Fraser speaking.’

‘I’m sorry to trouble you, Mr Fraser, but could you collect Bonnie from school? She’s not well.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Headache, feeling sick, complaining of a tummy ache, lethargic. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, but we do feel she needs to go home.’

‘I’m at work. Have you tried phoning her mother?’ As he said it, he realised how daft he was being. Obviously, they would have called Yvaine first.

‘We have, but we can’t get through. We’ve tried Bonnie’s grandmother as well, but no joy there, I’m afraid.’

Mhairi had been listening to the conversation and had understood the gist of it because she flapped a hand at him and mouthed, ‘Go.’

Informing the school that he would be with them in ten minutes, he ended the call and began to apologise to Mhairi.

She said, ‘Don’t be daft. Go fetch Bonnie, and if she doesn’t seem too poorly, bring her back here. Otherwise, take her to the cottage and stay with her for as long as you need.’

Worry prodding him in the chest, Cal jumped in the car and drove to the little school. It was so wee and quaint, it made him smile every time he saw it.

When he was buzzed inside, he found his daughter sitting with Mrs Brown, the school secretary. Bonnie’s face was pale and she had shadows like bruises under her eyes.

Crouching beside the chair, he said, ‘Mrs Brown says you’re not well. What’s wrong Bon-Bon?’

Bonnie scowled and glanced around furtively before hissing, ‘Don’t call me that.’

‘Sorry. What’s wrong, Bonnie?’

‘I’ve got a headache.’ She put the back of her hand to her forehead to demonstrate. ‘And my tummy hurts.’

‘OK. Let’s get a dose of medicine into you, and you’ll soon feel better.’ He straightened and held out his hand. Bonnie slipped her palm into his and gave the secretary a small wave as he led her outside.

Cal expected Bonnie to be wan and listless on the way to the castle, but she seemed upset and annoyed, rather than unwell. And he had an awful feeling he knew what was causing it. However, he decided not to say anything, in case he was wrong and Yvaine hadn’t yet mentioned to her that Lenn was moving in with them.

They’d pulled into the castle grounds when Bonnie finally spoke. ‘I hate Lenn and I hate Mummy, too.’

Cal drove down the lane and parked in his usual spot outside his cottage. ‘You don’t mean it.’

‘I do!’

‘Why? What’s happened?’

‘Mummy says we have to go live with Lenn, but I don’t want to. She can’t make me, can she?’ Her little face was hopeful, and Cal’s heart constricted.

‘I think she can, Bon-Bon.’ He gave her an apologetic look.

‘Well, I’m not going, so there!’

‘It won’t be so bad—’ he began, then he realised what Bonnie had said. ‘You’regoing to live withLenn?’

‘Yes, Daddy. Weren’t you listening?’

‘I was, but I thought he would move intoyourhouse, with you and Mummy.’

She pursed her lips. ‘No. Mummy says we’re going to live in Portree. I don’t want to live in Portree. I don’t want to go to a new school, and Katie won’t be next door.’ Then she burst into noisy tears.

His heart breaking for her, Cal scrambled out of the car, lifted her out of her booster seat and carried her inside the cottage, where he gently deposited her on the sofa. After locating a packet of tissues, he sat next to her and held her until she was all cried out.

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