Page 65 of Coming Home to Winter Island
‘Come to help, Fraser?’ says Isla as he passes us.
‘Hopefully!’ He beams as a passenger gets out of his car. A smart young man, half Fraser’s age, doing up his suit jacket button beneath his smart knee-length woollen coat. I wonder for a moment if it’s one of Fraser’s family, brought as reinforcements.
‘This is Jack Drummond. From Drummond’s Spirits.’ Fraser looks at me. ‘On the mainland,’ he adds, as if I should know what he’s talking about. Seeing that I don’t, he carries on. ‘Drummond’s is a very big company, making a range of spirits.’
‘Oh, right.’ I nod, a lot, not quite sure why he’s here. ‘Well, we make just the one gin,’ I laugh, and can hear that I sound slightly hysterical. And we won’t make one at all if we can’t get on with this batch, I think.
‘At the moment.’ Jack Drummond smiles, a bright, attractive smile, and I realise that he may be interested in becoming a crowdfunder, which would be brilliant.
‘Yes, just one, very special gin,’ I say with pride. ‘Made with foraged botanicals from the island. We’re making an exclusive limited edition batch as we speak, whilst we’re crowdfunding to get the business back on its feet...’ I deliberate on how to put it, ‘after a few years on the back burner.’
‘So I hear,’ he says, and I’m not sure what he’s referring to: the crowdfunding, the limited edition batch, or the fact that the business has been on the back burner...or more like dead in the water. ‘I know of Teach Mhor gin, of course.’
‘I, er...well, if you’re interested in investing, we’d be delighted. We still have a little way to go to meet our target,’ I say, clapping my hands together and smiling. Today really is getting better and better.
‘You’re the woman singing on the crowdfunding page, aren’t you?’ he says, flashing me an even brighter smile.
‘I am.’ I find myself blushing.
‘You were great. Really gave a sense of what this place feels like.’ He looks around him, then up at the house. ‘Like it has a real sense of identity.’
‘Oh, it does.’ I smile. ‘It’s a very special place indeed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get on. But we’d love to see you at the tea party if you’re interested in investing.’ I pick up another barrel of water.
‘Oh, I’m not interested in investing.’ He smiles his killer smile again. ‘I’m interested in...’
Isla appears at the front door. ‘Lachlan says have you got that water?’ she says good-naturedly, and turns to go back to the distillery just as Jack finishes his sentence.
‘I’m interested in buying the place, the whole lot. Lock, stock and barrel.’
‘You’re what?!’ says Isla quietly and steadily from behind me, and I spin round. She has stopped in her tracks and turned to glare at Jack, and then at me. ‘Does Lachlan know about this? Or Hector, for that matter? Do they know you’re planning to sell Hector’s home from under him?’ She is clearly appalled. ‘Is this why you’re here? When you said you were helping with the business, is this what you meant: that you’re here to sell it to the highest bidder?’
I look at Isla’s furious expression and have no idea where to start explaining who I am or why I’m here or that everything seems to have changed and leaving is the very last thing I want to do. She turns, her face like thunder, and stalks off.
‘Er, great! Take a look around,’ I say, waving a hand at Jack and Fraser, and run after Isla.
‘Look, it’s not what you think,’ I say when I catch up with her. I reach out for her arm in the wood-panelled hall, but she shrugs me off.
‘Oh really? You turn up here and make out you’re with Lachlan and that you’re helping bring the gin back, but really you just want to sell off Hector’s home.’ Her eyes are flashing.
‘Actually, I never said that Lachlan and I were—’
‘Does Lachlan know? He’d never let this happen!’ She cuts me off, and again I struggle to find the words.
‘Actually,’ says a familiar and very welcome voice behind me, ‘he does.’ I turn to see Lachlan standing in the hall. Outside, Fraser and Jack Drummond are looking at the building’s facade and I can hear Drummond’s voice. We all can.
‘It’s got a great vibe. Nothing has been spoilt with updating. You can just see the tartan and the log fires. You can feel the heritage of the place. We want to celebrate its history.’
‘Except the history and heritage will be gone!’ Isla says.
‘Look,’ I say. ‘Fraser asked me to come here and we discussed selling the house so Hector could go into a care home. I’m his only remaining relative. His son’s daughter. His...granddaughter.’ And again I wonder why Fraser called me in the first place. He didn’t need me to agree. I didn’t even know Hector. But I’ve learnt a lot about my past since being here, and maybe a bit about living in the present too. I’ve spent my life chasing career goals, yet here, I live every day for what it brings. The seals, the stags, the changing weather. You go with what life throws at you on the day.
Joe has stuck to his word and cut off all communication with me, bar a message saying he’ll send on a box of my belongings from his flat and do I want any of the towel set we bought together. But I don’t want any of it. My life back there seems a million miles away right now. I have no idea what the future holds for me. I only know I have to get this gin made and organise the tea party. That’s as far as it goes right now. The last thing I need is to cause any upset before I leave.
‘The hospital thought it best, after his last fall, what with the way he is now,’ Lachlan is explaining.
‘But the house couldn’t be sold with a sitting tenant.’ I try and help out.
‘And the money’s needed to pay his care home fees.’ Lachlan and I seem to be working in sync to explain everything.
