Page 93 of The Secret Christmas Library
‘There are always rumours in a big house,’ said Esme succinctly.
Jamie was rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Kids don’t understand anything, do they? It’s like trying to work out life from a poem. It’s exactly like the stupid acrostic. Nobody explains anything.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We grew up together. We were in that cottage all the time. Playing there all day. Then when we got to, like, thirteen or so . . . ’
He looked embarrassed.
‘Uh-oh,’ said Mirren.
‘No, no, nothing like that – Mrs Airdrie took me aside and said Bonnie was busy every time I went over and then . . . well, then I got sent away to school.’
‘Does Bonnie know?’
Esme’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. ‘She’s the one who nursed him. This house flows through her veins, upstairs and down.’
‘So odd,’ said Mirren. ‘You desperate to escape the place, her desperate to keep it.’
‘Who’s older?’ asked Theo. ‘Your mum or Bonnie’s mum?’
The siblings looked at one another.
‘Bon,’ said Jamie, calling her. She came.
‘I’m not talking about it,’ she said, fiercely. ‘My own dad was a ghillie. It’s all ancient history.’
‘I’m not . . . ’ Jamie said. ‘Okay. I just wanted to ask. Your gran’s old house . . . ’
‘The laird gave it to her and offered me the other one,’ said Bonnie immediately.
‘No, I’m not accusing you of anything . . . I’m just asking. How was it left?’
‘Just as it was,’ said Bonnie. ‘I would have cleaned it out if new staff had come but . . . they never did.’
There was another cracking tile on the roof.
‘It’s full of ghosts,’ she said.
‘Happy ghosts,’ said Jamie, remembering.
‘Oh, yeah,’ said Bonnie, looking at him. ‘A lot of happy times inthathouse.’
‘Did they . . . ’ Esme asked. ‘Did they rekindle their relationship?’
Bonnie shook her head. ‘He was . . . I mean, his family was here.’
Jamie bowed his head.
‘And by the time everything got settled . . . I think by then it was just too late. Too much had happened, too much time had passed. I think he was beginning to get really eccentric then, and my gran was busy with me and the house and, well, then she got sick, she had cancer on and off for years. He always tried to keep wooing her, though. Would always bring her things he thought she would like.’
Mirren understood immediately. ‘Books,’ she said.
‘Books,’ agreed Bonnie.
They were silent for a moment or so. Then Esme asked, ‘Is the cottage kept locked?’
‘Well, no,’ said Bonnie. ‘Generally, I feel if burglarswereto stop by, they’d start at the place with the ballroom?’
