Page 16 of Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall
‘You and me both,’ Gordon said with a sigh. ‘You and me both.’
14
Gordon and Bex remained in the study, where everything was exactly as she had left it, the only additions to the now organised piles of paperwork being the extra motes of dust that had settled on the surfaces.
‘I put all the personal information that wasn’t relevant to the accounting in there,’ she said, pointing to a large dresser on the far side of the room. The glass cabinets and cupboards below were stacked with various notebooks, letters, even medical and vets’ records, not to mention the occasional photo. More than once, Bex had asked Fergus if he wanted to go through it all and decide what he actually wanted to keep, but he had always brushed the suggestion off, saying it was something he would do later. Had he known then that he would never get a chance? Quite probably. Fergus hated paperwork. It was hardly going to be one of his deathbed wishes that he hadn’t done more of it.
‘Well, that sounds like a grand place to start,’ Gordon said. ‘We should probably get comfortable.’
They worked in near silence, only occasionally passing comment between one another as to whether something could be important. Yet in the quiet, Bex repeatedly found herselfglancing around, looking for Ruby. The red lab loved nothing more than staying close to Bex while she worked, and strangely her absence felt almost more pointed than Fergus’s. Hopefully, she would be able to see her a few more times before she left. Perhaps even persuade Duncan to let her take her for a walk. Not that it was great walking weather. Maybe she should try to convince Kieron to let the dog indoors instead. As a personal request. She wasn’t sure if that would be easier or harder than convincing Duncan.
‘Should’ve brought sandwiches,’ Gordon said, a little after two. Four hours searching and they were no closer to discovering the reasons for Fergus’s cryptic will. ‘What do you say we pick this up tomorrow? I can give you a lift back to the village?’
Bex sat up straight, clicking her neck from side to side as she attempted to loosen her muscles.
‘That sounds like a plan,’ she replied. ‘And a lift would be great. Thank you.’
Early January was a very different world compared to the summers in the Highlands. Just the walk from the front door to the car would leave her feet numb with cold, while deep grey, ominous clouds hung heavy in the distance. From the way the wind had bolstered since the morning, she wouldn’t have been surprised if there was a storm on the way.
As she packed her things, Bex half-hoped she would see Kieron before leaving the castle, just to offer him a smile and ensure it didn’t seem like they were conspiring against him, although now it actually felt a little like they might be. Either way, there was no sign of him. However, as she reached Gordon’s car and went to open the passenger door, a distant voice cut through the quiet.
‘Ruby! Esther! Come on, girls. Stop y’ havering!’ Duncan was calling for the dogs and so much of Bex wanted to go to him. Tomake sure he was okay, to tell him that she did still miss him, and to let him know that this was just as hard for her as it was for him. But he’d made up his mind and now putting as much distance between them as possible felt like the only kind thing to do.
When she arrived back at Lorna’s cottage, Bex was officially done with paperwork for the day, which was why it was slightly unexpected to find the living room table covered in lists and notebooks, while Lorna was tapping away on her laptop.
‘What’s all this?’ Bex asked with a sudden flurry of worry. ‘Please don’t tell me you’re taking on another job. You really don’t have the time for that.’ Lorna was a chronic over worker, and coming from Bex, that was saying something.
‘Not quite. Though it might lead to that.’ Lorna shrugged before looking up from her computer. ‘I’m doing some planning. Kieron messaged. He’s having a Burns Night party. Wanted some help getting the village together.’
‘Burns Night?’ Bex questioned. She had heard of the celebration before. Apparently, back in the day, the Burns Night parties at the castle had been legendary. But the year before, she and Duncan had been down south visiting her family and Fergus had just wanted a quiet night. The year before that, she and Duncan had only been together for eight months or so, and though he’d suggested she went up, it hadn’t fitted in with her work schedule. As such, she still wasn’t exactly sure what it entailed.
‘It’s on the twenty-fifth. Celebrates Robert Burns. The poet,’ Lorna told her. ‘Anyway, Kieron’s throwing one of his big bashes. Only he wants this one to be even more special than usual. You know, now that he’s officially the laird and everything. He asked me to put together a list of people who we’d expect to come. Not to mention help with catering, cleaning. That kind of thing.’
‘So, you know Kieron well?’ Bex asked.
Lorna shrugged. ‘Not really. Did a couple of wee jobs for him before. That’s about it. I’m pretty sure he just asked me to do it because I was the first one he clapped eyes on this morning when he came in for a coffee.’
Bex pressed her lips together. Lorna was selling herself short again. She was massively talented, skilled and intelligent. Her problem was that she had so many talents, it was hard to pin down which path to take. One week, she’d talk about taking a business job, throwing her intelligence into spreadsheets and logistics. The next, she’d be focused on doing something crafty or artistic. Duncan had always worried about her, wishing she would decide on something and settle, but Bex loved her free spirit. It reminded her of her friend Daisy, who’d taken years to discover her calling was running a coffee shop on a canal boat.
‘So, how did it go at the castle?’ Lorna said as she closed her laptop lid. ‘Any idea how long you’re needed here yet?’
‘Not exactly,’ Bex replied. ‘Looks like it’s going to be a while, though. I suspect I’ll still be here.’
‘Right, what is it you’re doing again?’
‘Oh, just more accounting stuff,’ Bex lied, careful to avoid her friend’s eyes as she spoke. Gordon had warned her once again before they left that she was not to discuss the issue with anyone. But it was difficult. There was absolutely no one she could talk to about it, and it was such a big thing. The way Fergus had written his will implied there was another heir. There would be no other reason not to write Kieron’s name otherwise. And Gordon seemed to agree.
‘Well,’ Lorna said, breaking the silence, ‘do you want to go out for dinner? Or I’ve got some cheese in. I could make a rarebit if you fancy that.’
Bex raised an eyebrow.
‘Cheese on toast?’
‘Aye, cheese on toast,’ Lorna replied cheerfully.
Bex rolled her shoulders. The stiffness from spending so long hunched over a table was refusing to shift. What she’d really love was a good massage, and no one gave better massages than Duncan. What she wouldn’t give to have him work out those knots in her back. To push his thumbs deep into her muscles. She shook the thought from her head. Turning up on his door because she missed the dog and wanted her shoulders rubbed would give very mixed signals. The fact that she was still in love with him was irrelevant. Accepting that they had to move on was what mattered now.
‘Cheese on toast sounds good,’ Bex said. ‘But I’ll make it. I need to stand up for a bit. I feel like I’ve been hunched over bits of paper all day.’
