Page 12 of A Christmas Escape to Arran

‘I need you to sell the shepherd’s hut.’

‘Oh . . . okay. I wasn’t expecting you to say that.’ A wave of panic made her blurt out, ‘Are you throwing me out already?’

‘No, dear, the opposite. Don’t you see? I want you to live here in the hut like a tourist and tell me what you like about it and what you don’t. Imagine you are here on holiday and this is the first time you have visited.’ Edie closed her eyes but continued to talk. ‘You are here to escape and are doing a travel review for a magazine about finding yourself again . . . perhaps your life has been lacking in purpose or focus and you’ve been struggling to find a clear sense of direction. Your time in the hut reconnecting with yourself and nature will help to clarify your goals and where you are going next, and you will leave with a sense of . . . calm, hope and joy.’

She snapped her eyes open.

Amelia couldn’t help feeling as though Edie’s words were aimed at her in particular. It was almost as though she could read her mind and knew what had happened in London, which left her slightly perturbed.

Edie rubbed her palms together. ‘But for the moment you’re telling me directly from your own lived experience what works and what doesn’t. Do you need any other items in the hut? Is it too hot or too cold? What would you like to do as a visitor? That way, with your help and feedback, I can make things perfect before its proper launch.’

Amelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Okay, so what you’re saying is that you want me to be part of your soft launch?’

Edie’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘What’s that?’

‘It’s what the big hotels and holiday resorts do. They do a trial run with guests to gain feedback about what the food is like or how soft the beds are, so that when it comes to the real launch they have ironed out any of the teething problems that may potentially create negative publicity. It’s usually done when a business doesn’t want to draw a great deal of attention to a product right away.’

‘Oh,’ said Edie in surprise. ‘Well, that is exactly what your job is here. A soft launcher . . . or something like that. I need your first-hand thoughts and your tourist perspective. Oh, and I could also do with a new website to advertise. And how do I advertise? And where do I advertise? I believe it’s all about being on social media these days?’

Edie exhaled a huge sigh of relief.

A buzz of excitement rippled through Amelia as she thought about how she could help Edie. Lots of ideas were already starting to take shape in her mind and she was desperate to write them down.

‘What do you say? Do you think you are up for the job?’

‘Yes!’ said Amelia. ‘The only problem I think you will have is getting people to leave the hut. It is blooming wonderful.’

‘Oh, good! That is what I like to hear.’

‘You can maybe tell me a bit about why you decided to buy it and why you chose a shepherd’s hut in particular.’

Edie sighed. ‘Well, I’m trying to plan for the future. My pension isn’t that great thanks to me being a woman of a certain age and I was looking on this as an investment. I know how quickly everything gets booked up over here during the school holidays. Even the campsites can be full. I saw it and, well, to be honest it was a bit of aspur-of-the-moment purchase.Initially I had actually been looking to have some sort of pottery studio put in the garden, and then while I was browsing it popped up and before I knew it I had kind of bought it.’

Amelia laughed. ‘That is one impressive random purchase.’ Glancing over at the window, she gasped. A man’s face was pressed up against the glass. ‘Edie, erm, stay exactly where you are and don’t turn round — but there’s a man outside and he’s staring at us. What will I do? Should I call the police?’

Chapter Ten

‘You can if you want. But they’ll take ages to get here,’ Edie said dismissively, turning round and clocking the man staring in. ‘Let’s go and confront him.’ She pointed to the back door. ‘Grab the broom over there . . . and be ready.’

Amelia followed Edie’s instructions and clasped her hands around the broom, ready to attack. Not that she really knew how to use a broom as a weapon. ‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’

Edie unlocked the door. ‘There’s only one way to find out.’

The door handle turned and Amelia paled. How could Edie be so calm when a weirdo was hanging around her garden? Maybe all that yoga she said she did helped keep her calm? The door opened and standing there, in his overalls and a woolly hat pulled down over his ears, was Fergus. The hat must have been obscuring his face when he was at the window. No wonder she didn’t recognise him, he looked completely different.

‘Ah, hello, ladies.’ He nodded at Amelia. ‘Edie, I’m doing a quick trip to the tip and I know you had something you wanted me to take away?’

‘Oh, Fergus, you are a treasure. That pile of cuttings in the corner.’

Amelia’s cheeks flushed when she saw Edie wink at her.

‘Are you going somewhere?’ Fergus asked Amelia.

‘What do you mean?’

He tipped his head to the broom she was gripping. ‘Um . . .’

‘She’s about to brush up those crumbs for me.’ Edie laughed. ‘Must be my age. Sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle trying to bend down to reach them.’

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