Page 5 of Heirs and Graces at Highland Hall
‘Right,’ Bex said, her mind working through other possibilities. Obviously, Duncan’s wasn’t an option, but there were some B&Bs in the village, provided they weren’t busy.
‘Look, just stay with me,’ Lorna said. ‘I’ve got a pull-out sofa. It’s comfy enough. When you remember to pull it out, that is.’
She offered Bex a slight grin as she said this, well aware that Bex had once fallen asleep on said sofa bed in an entirely inebriated state.
‘Are you sure?’ Bex asked. Lorna had already come all this way to pick her up. She didn’t want to put her out even further.
‘Yes, of course. The car’s up here.’
Lorna wasn’t joking when she said the weather had turned. Last time Bex had been in Scotland, a decent jumper and a pair of average socks had been more than enough. Now, after only a few minutes outside, her toes were already tingling and her teeth chattering. She would need to borrow some proper winter clothes, although it depended on how long she was going to have to stay, of course.
As they stepped into the car, Bex noticed it was conspicuously empty.
‘I thought your mum was going to be with us,’ she said. ‘Did you say you were taking her to Glasgow?’
‘Yeah, she wanted to stay there and do some shopping,’ Lorna said as she opened the boot to put Bex’s suitcase in. ‘She’ll get the train back. She doesn’t like being on other people’s schedules. Besides, I think she wanted to give us a bit of time to catch up.’
As a pointed silence filled the air, Bex was well aware of the one topic of conversation they were avoiding. There was a name that neither of them was saying. And as much as Bex didn’t want to bring him up, she didn’t want to feel the massive elephant in the room, either.
‘So, how has he been?’ she asked. Apparently saying Duncan’s name was still tricky, but she didn’t doubt that Lorna knew who she was talking about. And from the way her lips formed a thin line, it wasn’t good news.
‘He’s struggling,’ Lorna said softly. ‘I’ve tried talking to him about it, but he’s not himself. Not even close.’
A deep pain struck somewhere near Bex’s sternum, and for once it wasn’t only her pain. It hurt, knowing that he hurt. Knowing that someone she loved was suffering and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. In the silence, her stomach churned.
She could still remember the stories about when Duncan’s previous relationship – an engagement – ended. Lorna had told her all about how he’d turned reclusive. He wouldn’t let anyone into his life. She prayed he hadn’t gone back to that again, but it seemed to be his default. Shut out the world completely until you can cope with facing it again. And Bex understood. If it hadn’t been for her job and her friends, she would have been tempted to do the same these last few weeks. She glanced at Lorna, forcing asmall smile, only for her stomach to growl so loudly her friend’s eyes widened.
‘Hungry?’
‘It was an early flight,’ Bex admitted, placing her hands on her belly. ‘Not much time for breakfast.’
‘Then let’s head to the White Hart. I’m sure they’ll open the kitchen a bit early for a special guest like you.’
The White Hart was the first pub Bex had ever visited in the village over two and a half years ago. She’d gone there on a night out after being invited by Lorna and had fond memories of the evening. It was the first time she’d met Niall and Eilidh, Lorna’s friends, and their attempt to make her feel welcome in the small village had been deeply appreciated.
But it had also been the night that Duncan had tried to use her to make his ex jealous. Now, they could laugh about it; it was amusing, the way he’d hopelessly flirted with her, not even sure whether it had just been to get back at Katty, or if he’d genuinely liked her. But back then, Bex had been furious that he’d tried to use her that way. It had almost erased the attraction she’d felt for him. Almost. He’d been too good-looking for that. Not to mention charming. And kind. And generous. But then, thinking about Duncan’s good characteristics was the last thing she needed to be doing right now. She was here for work. That was it.
‘Do you want to send Niall and Eilidh a message?’ Lorna said as she drove. ‘See if they want to meet us for food. As long as you want to, that is.’
‘Absolutely. It’ll be good to see them,’ Bex said, before firing off a text in the friends’ group chat, which they immediately replied to.
For the rest of the journey, they talked about bits and bobs; how the village was coping without Fergus, what was expected to happen to the castle. That sort of thing. Mainly, though,they kept the conversation away from both Duncan and Fergus. At least with Lorna, that was easy to do. She had so many adventures and plans on the go that she could easily talk your ear off about them.
The journey by car always took longer than expected. The ice on the road had made it even slower, and it was well past midday. So by the time they reached the village, Bex had learned all about Lorna’s current plan: to move to America and open a traditional Scottish restaurant.
‘Good, I’m famished,’ Bex said as they stepped out of the car. Given that it was a Sunday and the White Hart was over half of LochDarroch’s go-to pub, Bex only hoped that Niall and Eilidh had managed to grab a table before it got too busy.
Taking her time on the slippery ground, Bex began making her way to the door when Lorna’s phone started ringing.
‘Oh, it’s Niall. They must be running late.’
She picked up the phone, but rather than speaking, she remained silent, obviously listening to whatever Niall was saying. As he spoke, Lorna bit down on her lip and glanced at Bex, her smile dropping as she did. Something in Bex’s gut tightened. She somehow knew they were talking about her.
‘Do you know what?’ Lorna said as she hung up the phone. ‘The guys were thinking that maybe we should go to The Haven instead to celebrate you being back. We haven’t seen you in ages.’
‘The Haven?’ Bex raised her eyebrows.
The Haven was the most expensive restaurant on the outskirts of town and part of a hotel. Duncan had taken her there for their first date, and there hadn’t been any prices on the menu, which in itself was an indication of how extortionate it was. The food had been incredible, but this wasn’t aHavenkind of situation.
