Page 46 of Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall
Gordon’s chin bobbed in a nod as he scratched the bridge of his nose.
‘You’re probably right, but I’d feel better if we at least had everything out of sight.’
‘Fair enough,’ Bex said. ‘Well, I’ll head to the study, make sure everything’s okay there, if you’re all right.’
‘I’m grand,’ Gordon said. ‘And dinnae fuss about working all day today. You get home whenever you need. Reckon you’ve got a fair bit to get ready the nicht.’
That was one way of putting it. Lorna had arranged an entire afternoon of appointments, from hair and nails to a dress fitting with Eilidh, and final preparations to get ready for the event. But given how Bex was still feeling guilty for the previous week’s events, she was keen to make the most of the few hours she was there.
The study felt strangely empty, especially without even Ruby there, sitting in her armchair. Bex got to work. She really did think that Gordon was overreacting. There was no chance that people would see these stacks of paperwork and assume that Fergus’s will mentioned something about another heir. But her role was to help Gordon, and that was what she was going to do.
She moved to the cupboard to store away a couple of folders when a small leather notebook dropped out. It was the one she had seen several times before; the one with the names of hospitals in it. An entire notebook containing nothing but a list of hospital names, all of which had been neatly crossed through.
It was a lovely notebook. Worn tan leather with thick lined paper inside. The type of quality Bex wasn’t sure you could even get any more, certainly not without paying through the nose for it. If it had been hers, she would’ve ripped out or replaced that first page and started fresh. But it wasn’t hers. It was Fergus’s, or Kieron’s, or whoever everything of the old laird’s now belonged to.
Besides, she could never damage anything that had belonged to the old laird. Even a seemingly meaningless notebook. She lifted it up, slipped it back onto the pile in the cupboard and shut the door.
It was just after eleven when Gordon told her she should head back. It hardly seemed fair, given that she’d only done a few hours’ work, but he insisted.
‘Trust me, it’s going to get so loud in here soon you won’t be able to do anything. Give me a minute, and I’ll give you a lift back to the village.’
Bex hesitated. The sky outside was clear and blue. Yes, it was cold, but there wasn’t a hint of cloud, let alone a threat of snow. This wasn’t like the walk she’d taken before, across the fields where it was easy to get lost. She was going to walk straight back to the village, along paths she had trodden hundreds of times.
‘If you don’t mind,’ Bex said, ‘I really feel like I could do with the exercise. I’ve barely had a chance to stretch my legs.’
Gordon’s cheeks puffed out slightly as he considered how to respond. Bex wouldn’t put up a fight if he insisted on giving her a lift – that would hardly be reasonable – but with Lorna mollycoddling her so much lately, she really needed a bit of space.
‘Fine, but I need you to send me a message,’ Gordon said eventually, ‘the minute you’re back in the village.’
‘Yes, Dad,’ Bex replied, but she couldn’t help but grin. Gordon really did have a paternal air about him and it caused a warmth to fill her, especially given how far away she was from her own. That had been another reason Bex had never been able to see herself settling here. Being away from her family. Her friends. People she knew. Yet it never ceased to amaze her how many people there were in this little village that genuinely cared about her. And now it felt like she could add Gordon to that listtoo. She turned to leave before hesitating and looking back at the old man.
‘I guess I’ll see you tonight, won’t I? You are coming?’
He crinkled his nose and let out a slight huff.
‘We’ll see,’ he said. ‘And don’t forget about that text all right?’
The walk back was everything she needed. Fresh air to fill her lungs. Wide open space. It was ridiculous to think that a place this beautiful, this calm and serene, had been so deadly only a few days before. But it wasn’t a lesson she was going to forget anytime soon. If ever.
When she reached the cottage, Bex let herself in, thinking how strange it would be to go back to her own apartment, to sleep in her own bed. Lorna’s sofa bed, as temporary as it was, was incredibly comfortable, but Bex had been there for over a week now. She really needed to consider booking a B&B to stop imposing on Lorna, and since the business would cover the cost, it seemed like a fair solution. Not that Lorna would take too kindly to it. Bex was well aware of how much she enjoyed having a housemate. And given the night they were about to have, today didn’t feel like the right time to bring it up.
‘Hey, girl,’ Bex said as Ruby bounded up to her. ‘You’re back earlier than I thought you’d be. Did Lorna pick you up from Duncan’s after your walk? Where is she? Is she here? Lorna, I’m back,’ Bex called out as she stopped stroking Ruby long enough to slip off her shoes and hang up her coat. ‘I’m ready to learn what all the fuss for tonight is about.’ She walked into the living room, with her phone in her hand as she wrote her message to Gordon, saying she was back. As she typed away, her peripheral vision caught sight of someone sitting on the sofa. Lorna, she assumed. Only when she pressed send on the message and lifted her head up, it wasn’t Lorna she found herself looking at at all.
It was Duncan.
‘Can we talk?’ he asked.
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Ruby was standing between the pair of them, as if she wasn’t sure who she was supposed to go to, though the back-and-forth motion of her head only accentuated the silence between them.
‘I’m guessing you let yourself in with a spare key.’ Bex didn’t phrase it as a question. No matter how hard it had been for Lorna, she had tried to remain neutral when it came to the Duncan-Bex situation – unlike some other people – and there was no way that she would have let Duncan ambush Bex like this.
Rather than replying, Duncan stood up and pulled at the long strands of his beard, his gaze on the floor.
‘I owe you an apology,’ he said quietly.
‘You think?’ Bex’s voice was stone cold. A surprise even to herself.
