Page 35 of The Moon Sister
I walked out of the kitchen and made my way along the corridor to the Great Room. Zed was sitting in front of the fire, a laptop on the coffee table in front of him. The air smelt heavily of stale cigar smoke and alcohol.
‘Ah, I see my chauffeur has arrived,’ he said, smiling up at me. ‘Which is good, as I was just about to throw my laptop out of the window. The only reliable internet connection is in Beryl’s office and I do not like to invade her territory.’
‘I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.’
‘She is an interesting woman; not to be challenged, I’d say,’ Zed commented as he stood up and walked towards me. ‘I am not sure she approves of me.’
‘Oh, I’m sure she does, really, she told me on New Year’s Eve that she thought you were a gentleman.’
‘Then she does not know me at all.’ He chuckled as he saw the expression on my face. ‘I am only joking, Tiggy. Right, shall we go?’
Outside, I loaded the radio pack and the basket of coffee and biscuits onto the back seat of Beryl, then climbed up behind the wheel. I showed Zed how to heave the passenger door closed, once he’d installed himself on the seat next to me.
‘I think it is time the owner invested in some new transportation for his guests,’ he said as we rattled off. ‘The ladies came back from their tour yesterday with very sore backsides.’
‘I’m sure it’s on his list, but as you know, he’s only just opened the Lodge to guests. Have you found everything comfortable so far?’
‘Extremely, yes, apart from this car.’ He glanced at me while I navigated a steep bend. ‘You are tougher than you look, aren’t you?’
‘I’m certainly used to the outdoor life, yes.’
‘So what is a girl from Switzerland doing up in the wilds of Scotland?’
I explained as briefly as I could as I drove us carefully downhill into the main glen. ‘Look,’ I said, bringing the car to a slithery halt, grabbing the binoculars from the back seat and handing them to him. ‘Up there, on the hillside beneath that clump of trees, there’s a small herd of hinds.’
Zed took the binoculars and, following my finger, focused them on the snow-covered cluster of trees.
‘Yes, I see them.’
‘A lot of them are pregnant at the moment, so they stay away from the males, who we’ll see on the south side of the glen. They bask in the sun whilst the females shiver in the shadows,’ I added.
‘Typical males, choosing the warmest spot for themselves,’ Zed chuckled, handing back the binoculars.
‘I’m afraid there’s not much to see here at this time of year, given all the snow. You should come back in the summer when the glens come alive. It’s truly beautiful.’
‘I can imagine, but I am more of a city person myself.’
‘Where do you live?’
‘I have places in New York, London and Zurich, and a boat I keep in Saint-Tropez for the summers. I travel a lot.’
‘Sounds like you’re a very busy man.’
‘Yes, the last few months in particular have been hectic.’ He let out a deep sigh. ‘Is this all there is?’ he said as we drove deeper into the estate, which, covered by ice and snow as it was, did not give me much to show him.
‘There’s the Highland cattle just ahead in the glen. They’re very cute. And if you’re really lucky, you might see a golden eagle.’
‘Or in fact I may not. I think I have seen enough, Tiggy. What I want is a quiet lunch and a glass of wine by a roaring fire. Do you know of a pub or a restaurant close by?’
‘I’m afraid not. I haven’t been out to eat or drink since I arrived and there’s nothing “close by” to Kinnaird.’
‘Then it’s back to base camp, please. I am freezing. If I had known the car did not have heating, I would have worn my ski suit.’
‘Okay,’ I said with a shrug and did a slippery three-point turn. ‘I’m sure Beryl can rustle up something for you back at the Lodge.’
‘I will be honest with you, Tiggy: it was not the countryside I wanted to see today.’
I could feel his eyes boring into me as I concentrated on navigating the icy track back. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks and I hated myself for it.
