Page 75 of The Moon Sister
‘The Laird’ll come good soon enough. You just need tae have patience.’
‘Another bizarre thing is that one of the first things Chilly told me was that I’d be leaving soon. I mean, the cats are basically fine now. Charlie’d be much better off employing someone to help you maintain the estate.’
‘As a matter o’ fact, I have Lochie starting in a couple o’ days’ time. I called the Laird and he sanctioned it.’
‘Cal, that’s really good news! Lochie seems like just the kind of person you need.’
‘He only agreed ’cos Lochie’s bein’ subsidised by the government on one o’ their trainee programmes, mind you, but I’m happy anyway. Now then, it’s obvious you’re wrecked. Why don’t yae have an early night?’
‘You mean get my beauty sleep for Zed? Maybe I should get out my best lingerie and paint my toenails too . . .’
‘Aye.’ Cal stood up. ‘Yae’ve made your point an’ I agree. I’m going tae go across to the Lodge now and tell Beryl that you’re busy tomorrow, okay?’
‘But then I’ll feel bad for Beryl. I mean, it’s not her fault, and she seems so stressed at the moment . . .’
‘Don’t yae worry, lassie, I’ll sort it.’ Cal was already walking towards the door. ‘You get off tae your bed.’
*
I was relieved that I slept a dreamless sleep and woke up the following morning feeling much calmer. As I fed the cats, I decided I’d have to brave the Lodge at some point, not only to chase up my European elk contact, who hadn’t yet replied to my email, but also to look up Sacromonte and Lucía Albaycín on the internet. Only then would I know if Chilly was telling the truth.
‘Feeling better this morning?’ Cal asked me when I got back.
‘I am. Sorry about last night, I wasn’t myself, but I’m fine today. Thanks for being so great, Cal.’
‘Don’t be daft. Now listen, why don’t you come out wi’ me this morning? I’m off to do a headcount of the deer in the main glen.’
‘So you can reduce their number tomorrow?’
‘Aye, but there’s no harm in you knowing more about where they like to hide themselves, is there? And it’ll put you out o’ harm’s way this morning in case his Lordship won’t take no for an answer from Beryl.’
‘You told her then?’
‘I did that, an’ she agreed. So I’m off in ten minutes, and we’ll take Chilly’s lunch with us too. By the way, turns out it might be me who has tae deal with our guest, rather than you. He caught me as I was leavin’ the Lodge last night and asked if I’d organise a gun and some target practice for him while he’s here.’
I pondered on the information Cal had imparted as I donned my habitual layers in preparation for going outside. I stood in the courtyard and whistled for Thistle, who lumbered out of the barn and happily hoisted his gangly body onto the back seat of Beryl. Then, armed with binoculars, we drove slowly down into the main glen. Cal stopped every so often and pointed to clumps of trees, under which the stags and hinds were taking shelter in separate groups on opposite sides of the valley.
‘They’ll be off up tae higher ground to graze soon, so early morning is the best time tae count them,’ said Cal, pointing out a small copse that lay just across the frozen burn that snaked through the valley. ‘How many over there, Tig?’
I focused my binoculars on the copse where seven stags huddled close together, then I looked again. And again . . .
‘Cal, quickly!’
‘What?’
‘Oh my God! I think there’s a white stag, just there, to the left . . .’
Cal shifted his own binoculars to my window.
‘Can you see him? He’s just between those two, standing apart right at the back . . .’
‘I cannae, Tig.’ He dropped his binoculars after a while and shook his head at me. ‘That’s what comes o’ staring at snow for too long. It starts to move and take on strange shapes in front of your eyes.’
‘No! I’m sure I saw him!’
Without waiting for Cal’s response, I heaved open the door and leapt out. Once off the narrow track, the snow was up to my knees, the wooden bridge a treacherous ice rink. Having negotiated it and now only forty metres or so away from the copse, I retrained my binoculars, but the stags must have heard the crunch of my footsteps approaching and had disappeared into the trees.
‘Damn it!’ I swore under my breath. ‘I saw you, I know I did.’
