Page 32 of Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall
‘Well, go for this yin,’ Moira said, a nostalgic smile on her face. ‘Unless you’ve got a reason nae to. I’ll tell you something about it. I wore this to my first Burns Night at the castle.’
‘You did?’
‘Aye, I did,’ Moira said proudly. ‘Oh, it was a special day. This is where I’m from. Longniddry. It’s a little village just east of Edinburgh. I came here as a nervous young thing, justeighteen years old, and got invited to the castle. Fergus…’ She trailed off, her expression softening. ‘Well, Fergus was a young man then. Very bonnie. Fancied myself a bit of that, I did. Of course, he only ever had eyes for—’ She stopped abruptly and visibly swallowed before trying to smile, but it was too tight to be believable. ‘Ignore me. Just an auld woman haverin’.’
Bex glanced towards Lorna and Eilidh, who were busy looking through more fabric while lost in conversation.
‘You knew,’ Bex said, trying to stop the way her heart was hammering in her chest. ‘You knew the other woman? The one he was in love with before he married Winny.’
Moira’s eyes narrowed as they fixed on Bex. ‘How do you know about that?’
‘He told me,’ Bex said. ‘Well, not much. Just that his marriage to Winny was more of a convenience, and that he had loved someone else. He said she passed away before he got a chance to propose. He said he didn’t even get to say goodbye.’
Moira’s gaze remained sharp. ‘That’s very strange,’ she murmured. ‘He must’ve thought an awful lot of you to confide in you like that. It was a long time ago. Not sure anyone in the village remembers it. Anyway, that’s nae something we talk about.’
‘Moira…’ Bex’s pulse was continuing to rise, though her voice was a near whisper. ‘There’s something I need to ask you. Something we think happened with Fergus and this woman.’
Moira’s jaw locked, and any trace of her smile was gone. ‘Like I said, that isnae something we talk about.’
‘But it’s?—’
‘Take your tartan, lass,’ Moira cut her off as she handed the tartan to Bex before speaking loud enough that Eilidh and Lorna could hear, drawing an end to the evening. ‘And have a braw time at the castle. Now, you should probably get off. You’ve got everything ye need frae me.’
26
The wind was biting as Bex and the others made their way back through the village to Lorna’s. Every day since her return to Scotland, she had been certain they were going to be hit with a snowstorm. The type where even a walk to the café was a near impossibility. She had even said as much to Kieron when he’d come to the cottage, but so far, the heavy snow had evaded them. Fingers crossed they wouldn’t have a whiteout on Burns Night. That would hardly seem fair, given all the work Kieron and everyone else were putting into the event. But having a massive celebration at the end of January in a part of the country known for temperamental weather was bound to cause problems now and then.
‘You okay? You’re pretty quiet,’ Lorna said as she opened the front door. ‘Were you thinking about how hot you’re going to look in your dress and how Duncan and Kieron aren’t going to be able to take their eyes off you?’
Bex groaned and rolled her eyes.
‘No, I was just thinking about work. That’s all.’
That was one way of putting it. What she’d really been thinking about was Moira’s response and the way she hadclosed up completely when Bex had tried to push her for more information. She knew who the love of Fergus’s life was and probably a lot more gossip too. If anybody was going to help them with their problem, then Moira was almost certainly the woman they needed. But Bex and Gordon would have to convince her to help without making it feel like she was betraying Fergus. Which she wouldn’t be, of course. This was what Fergus wanted, after all. He wanted everything to go to his rightful heir. Maybe they would just have to show her the will. She would suggest as much to Gordon in the morning.
‘I’ll get your dress ready for Tuesday,’ Eilidh said as she took the bag back from Bex, bringing her out of her thoughts. ‘And sorry about earlier, you know, when things got a little… tense.’
‘What happened?’ Lorna asked. ‘Why did things get tense?’
‘Oh, nothing,’ Bex said quickly, shaking her head. ‘We were just offering our opinions on different matters, that’s all.’
‘Oh.’ From the bluntness of Lorna’s tone, she knew exactly where the friends’ differing opinions lay. Thankfully, she didn’t say any more.
‘You don’t have anything to apologise for,’ Bex said, hoping Eilidh knew how much she meant it. ‘I know you only care. And I’m sorry too. I pushed that matter way too far. And thank you for the dress. It’s stunning. You are amazingly talented, you know that. When you become a massively famous clothes designer and need an accountant, don’t forget about me, will you?’
‘It’s a deal.’
The pair squeezed each other in the type of hug that could only be shared by friends who knew that, no matter what, they were there for each other. Arguments would happen, but the friendship would stay.
‘Well,’ Lorna said with a grin, ‘now that’s sorted, I fancy a drink. Do you want to come to the pub? We could celebrate. You know, a toast to finding the perfect tartan?’
Bex laughed. Lorna’s ability to make everything into a celebration was almost as skilled as her ability to bring Bex’s love life into every conversation.
‘I’m in,’ Eilidh said. ‘Though I don’t want a late one. Seeing all those fabrics has given me the inspiration for some new designs, and I want to get some sketches done before I go to bed. And I need to finish Bex’s dress. Though don’t worry, I’ll do that sober tomorrow,’ she added, with a glance at Bex.
‘We’ll just go for one,’ Lorna said, and Bex couldn’t help but wonder if she already knew that was a lie.
‘Bex?’ Eilidh said. ‘Are you coming? We still need to have a proper celebration for your new promotion?’
