Posh Doc, Society Wedding (4 page)

Her father, as things turned out, was in a highly charged mood when she visited him later that day.

‘You’re working with Ross Buchanan?’ His tone was grim. ‘As if it isn’t bad enough that he’s back among us. Why do we have to rub shoulders with him, too?’

Izzy’s mother came into the living room, setting down the tea tray on a low coffee table. She glanced at Izzy. ‘Sit yourself down, love. You’ve had a trying day by all accounts. You should relax with a cup of tea and some cake. I had a baking session this morning—fruitcake. Help yourself.’ She shook her head, making the soft brown tendrils of hair quiver as she lifted the teapot. ‘You wouldn’t think so many people would manage to get themselves into difficulties up in the hills, would you?’

Izzy sat down on the sofa and leaned forward to slide a wedge of cake on to a plate. ‘I’m more surprised that there are so many people who still want to walk the hills in December,’ she murmured. She glanced at her father. ‘As to Ross, he is at least doing a worthwhile job. You have to grant him that, surely?’

‘I’ll not grant him anything,’ her father said gruffly. ‘I’ve heard that he’s brought builders in to go on with that log cabin project his father started on the estate some six years back. I don’t know how on earth he managed to get planning permission. A lot of people objected to the development, and from my point of view it’ll be certain to draw away the tourists. I’m sure that’s his grand plan.’

‘But you’ll be all right, won’t you?’ Izzy said. ‘You have the regular people who come every year for the fishing. That’s more than a lot of the villagers have.’

‘That’s only because I kept hold of this land and my father and his father before him fought to stay on it. There were no thanks due to the old Laird and the generations that followed him for that. Their land borders ours, and if they’d had their way they’d have long since moved the boundaries and made it their own.’

Izzy bit into her cake and tried to keep exasperation from getting the better of her. She had learnt long ago that there was no point in arguing with her father when he was in this frame of mind.

Her mother’s gaze met hers across the table. ‘Your father’s upset because the salmon fishing went awry this year. There’s something wrong with the stretch of the river that flows across our land. He reckons it’s to do with some changes the Laird made higher up, at a point before the river reaches us.’

‘But Ross wasn’t here when all that went on, was he?’ Izzy murmured. ‘I don’t see how he can be to blame for everything that goes wrong around here.’

Her father’s brows shot up. ‘So who do you think gave Jake his instructions? And that log cabin has been a sore
point for a long time. Not just the cabin, but the lodges that go along with it. He said it was just for living accommodation for the family, but what does he need with that when he has the castle? Draughty it might be, and in need of repair, but they’ve lived there for generations without needing any cabins or lodges. It’s just an excuse. He’ll lure away the tourists to line his own pockets and take away any chance we have of making a living.’

‘He may not be here for all that long,’ Izzy said, accepting a cup of tea from her mother and taking slow sips of the hot liquid. ‘He said something about his job being kept open for him back in the Lake District. I have the feeling that he’s here to make sure Alice is going to be all right and to allow the children to be with her. Perhaps he’s planning on taking them all home once she’s well again.’

She frowned, thinking things over. Ross had always had a soft spot for Alice. If his brother hadn’t swept her away from him, who knew what might have come of their relationship? Perhaps Alice was bound to turn to him now more than ever. How would Ross react to that? Would he be pleased? Why else was he staying around to look after her when she had her older sister, Jess, to care for her?

It wasn’t something that she wanted to dwell on. Thinking about Ross and Alice as a couple always had the power to upset her. Her own feelings towards him were unsettling, and had caused her many a sleepless night. She put down her cup and brushed crumbs from her lap.

‘Are you all right?’ her mother asked. Grey eyes studied her thoughtfully.

‘I’m fine.’ Izzy gave her mother a reassuring smile.
She didn’t want to confide in her about the way her thoughts had turned, especially with her father looking on. Instead, she murmured, ‘I suppose I was thinking about Alice. It must be difficult for her, coming back here after all this time and yet still being so far away from her roots. Anyway, I’m going to see her tomorrow after work, all being well. You’re welcome to come along with me, if you like.’

She was aware of her father’s sharp glance resting on her as she spoke, but this was one instance where she would not back down. Alice had been like a sister to her, and the children, likewise, were precious to her…to Ross, too, if the truth were known.

‘I’d like that,’ her mother said. She shot a look over to her husband. ‘Alice is family,’ she said, ‘and you have to agree that she’s had more than her fair share of bad luck. Are you not going to come along with us and make your peace with her?’

Izzy’s father stood up abruptly. ‘You know how I feel about the situation,’ he said, his tone brisk. ‘Alice left of her own accord. She knew full well what she was doing when she chose to go off with a Buchanan.’

‘But the bairns, Stuart. Think of the bairns. Do you have no compassion?’ Her mother’s gaze entreated him. ‘What have they ever done to deserve being outcast?’

‘You go and see her and look to the bairns,’ he said. ‘I have things to do. I have to make repairs and get the boat ready for next season—or there’ll be no trips for the sea fishing and our income will take another dive. We have to do something to counteract the actions of our neighbours.’

He walked out of the room, his back straight, his head held high, and Izzy gave a soft sigh.

‘No one could say that you didn’t try, Mum,’ she said.

‘For all the good it did me.’ Her mother poured more tea. ‘You know he thinks Ross had something to do with causing the accident, don’t you? He’s battling with himself over that. He’s trying to come to terms with what happened to Alice, but he’s incensed because Ross might have had something to do with it.’

‘I don’t understand.’ Izzy sat bolt upright, a line indenting her brow. ‘How could Ross have had anything to do with the car smash? I heard he was hurt and had to be hospitalised with a chest injury.’

‘He was following them. Robert and Alice were driving over to her sister’s house to pick up the children, from what I heard. Ross was on the same road, and rumour has it that they’d all argued over something and feelings were running high. Folk say it was because she always cared for Ross, and Robert resented that. They think Robert lost control of the car because Ross was edging closer. Robert tried to pick up speed to outrun him, and then he took a bend too wide and it ended up as a three-car smash. It’s a wonder no one else was killed.’

Izzy was stunned by that revelation. ‘Perhaps it’s just that—as you say, rumour. If Ross had been driving dangerously the police would have prosecuted him, wouldn’t they?’

‘There was no proof. It was summertime, and the roads were dry. There doesn’t seem to be any other reason for the accident.’

Izzy shook her head. ‘I don’t believe it,’ she said. ‘I don’t believe Ross would have done anything to jeopardise the safety of his brother or Alice.’

Her mother laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘I only told
you because I don’t want you to be hurt,’ she said. ‘You try to look for the good in people, but the Buchanans have always brought trouble. Your father takes a stance that is hard to understand sometimes, but he’s protective of his family, and he was hurt when Alice ran away. To him it was like a betrayal, and the Buchanans were at the centre of it.’

Izzy understood that well enough. She just had no idea where all this bad feeling would lead. Nowhere good, that was for sure.

‘U
NCLE
R
OSS
,
Izzy says she’s going to do some baking,’ Molly exclaimed eagerly, tugging at Ross’s trousers. ‘We want to stay and help her. Can we? She said we could if you thought it was all right.’

Ross frowned. He was standing by his Range Rover, outside Izzy’s cottage, preparing to open up the door to the car’s loading area. ‘I don’t see how we can do that today,’ he murmured. ‘I have to go back home and talk to the men who are doing some building work for me. I’m sorry. Perhaps another time.’

Molly’s face crumpled. ‘Oh, but she’s making gingerbread men for the Christmas sale.’

‘They’re going to switch on the Christmas lights in the village tomorrow,’ Cameron put in. ‘Maggie said so. We wanted to make something for the stalls. Lorna said she’d ask if she and Izzy could take us to look around. They have all sorts of toys on sale. We could spend our pocket money.’

‘Whoa…steady on a minute.’ Ross threw up his hands as though to ward off the two youngsters. ‘This has jumped a bit, hasn’t it, from me dropping off a couple of heaters for Izzy? Now I’m being roped in for
baking sessions and an outing to the Christmas lights ceremony. I hadn’t bargained for any of that.’

Cameron put on his best angelic expression. ‘Mum
always
takes us to see the Christmas lights back home,’ he said, emphasising his words carefully. ‘She says it’s
magical
and singing Christmas carols round the tree is the start of all the celebrations.’

‘And she can’t go this year, so we could go for her and find her a present,’ Molly added, sealing the argument. ‘It would cheer her up no end to have some presents if she’s going to be in hospital at Christmas.’

Ross rolled his eyes heavenwards. ‘If I didn’t know better I’d say you had this all planned out beforehand. Have you two been making deals with Izzy and Lorna?’

‘No.’ Molly and Cameron both made wide, innocent eyes, and even Izzy, who
did
know better, would have been fooled—except for Molly’s soft-spoken admission. ‘But we were at the shop with Maggie, and Izzy’s mother said it was a nice idea, and Mr McKinnon said, “That would bring him down from his ivory tower, wouldn’t it?” I didn’t really understand that bit.’ She frowned. ‘Perhaps he meant Santa would be there?’ She sent her uncle a quizzical look, while his face in turn took on a faintly stunned expression, his head going back a fraction, as though she’d just poked him in the eye.

Molly’s gaze was uncertain now, and Izzy groaned inwardly, pulling a face. Turning away so that the children wouldn’t see, she said in a soft plea, ‘Ross, you don’t have to take my father’s words at face value. He’s not himself lately, with Alice being in hospital and his summer season going badly. He’s not approaching anything with a good frame of mind.’

‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’ Ross’s mouth made a flat line. ‘I think your father’s pretty much living up to expectations.’ He looked down at Molly and Cameron. ‘So, you think Santa might be there, do you?’

Molly nodded. ‘He’s going to have a grotto at the back of the community hall. That’s what Mary said, up at the shop. She said it would be a treat for us to go and see him.’

‘Hmm.’ He studied his niece and nephew thoughtfully. ‘I think I’m beginning to see a conspiracy at work here. You do realise that I might have to work tomorrow evening, don’t you? I’m on call, and I may not be able to stay with you, which means Maggie will be in charge.’

‘She won’t mind if Izzy and Lorna say they’ll look after us,’ Cameron put in quickly, sensing that his uncle might be weakening.

Ross’s mouth twisted at that, but he glanced towards Izzy with slightly raised eyebrows. ‘Are you sure about all this? Do you know what you’re letting yourselves in for?’

‘I’m okay with it,’ Izzy said, ‘and Lorna’s game, too. I’ll keep in touch with Maggie, if you like, to let her know what’s going on. And as for the baking—well, I could bring the children back to you as soon as we’re done. I’m assuming you’ll be at home later this afternoon?’

He nodded. ‘I’ll be showing the builders round the place. There are a few things that need doing—improving the damp course and pointing up the walls. I have to somehow try to turn the place into a home. I think Molly and Cameron are finding it a bit draughty and cold, especially in their bedrooms. They’ve been used to all their home comforts back in the Lake District. Which led me to thinking about your problems…I thought maybe you would be able to make use of these oil-filled radiators.’

He opened up the back of his car to reveal two mobile heaters stacked in the back. ‘I’ve asked an engineer to come and have a look at your central heating system, but he’s planned on coming along on Monday. I don’t know if that will be a problem for you.’

‘I’ll be on duty at the hospital on Monday,’ Izzy said, thinking things through. ‘It’s my on-call day. I’m not sure whether Lorna will be here to show him around.’

‘No problem,’ Lorna put in. ‘It’s my day off.’ She grinned mischievously. ‘There’s no chance he’ll be single, as well as tall, dark and handsome, I suppose?’

Ross chuckled. ‘That depends very much on your viewpoint, I imagine. He seems okay to me, but who am I to judge? As far as I know he isn’t accounted for.’

‘That’s sorted, then. His goose is as good as cooked.’ Lorna peered into the car. ‘Oh, they look just the business, don’t they? And each of them big enough to heat a large room. They’ll retain the heat for a while, as well, being oil filled. Great.’

‘I’m glad I could help.’ Ross lifted out the heaters and started to carry them into the cottage. ‘I’ve arranged for someone else to come and look at the roof, but the fence will take a little longer to put right. The carpenter has a full work-load after all the damage caused by the storm, but he’ll come and sort it out as soon as possible.’

‘That’s okay. At least we know that repairs are in hand.’ Izzy showed him where to place the heaters on the floor of the kitchen. ‘Thanks for dealing with it so speedily.’

‘It’s the least I can do.’ He made a crooked smile. ‘Besides, I wouldn’t want to give your father any more ammunition to fire at me. Last I heard he was calling a
meeting with the villagers to hatch a protest over the building work on the estate.’

Izzy wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Her father had every reason to worry about the effect Ross’s plans would have on his own tourist bookings, but as far as she could tell Ross was within his rights to go ahead with the work—unless he had extended the remit of the plans.

He bent to say goodbye to the children. ‘Be good, both of you…and if you get the chance save a gingerbread man for your mother. We could take it over to her tomorrow morning.’

Molly and Cameron whooped with excitement, before going off with Lorna to wash their hands.

Izzy walked with him back to the car. ‘I wish you and my father would try to call a truce,’ she said. ‘Could you not arrange a meeting of your own and try to iron out a few of the problems between you?’

He laid a hand on his chest, as though she had knocked him for six. ‘Do you really believe there’s any chance that he would agree to it?’ He shook his head. ‘Living in cloud cuckoo land springs to mind.’

He walked round to the driver’s side of the car and pulled open the door. ‘I don’t blame you for trying, though, Izzy…ever the peacemaker. Only I think you underestimate the extent of the problem.’

He smiled. ‘I promise for my part that I’ll try to keep things on a civil footing, but I have to bring the estate into the twenty-first century, and that means taking steps that may not be popular with everyone.’ Sliding into his seat, he added, ‘Will you give me a ring when you’re bringing the children back? That way I’ll make sure I’m able to greet you at the main door.’

She nodded, watching him as he drove away. Her thoughts were troubled as she went back to the kitchen, but the children were waiting and she put on a bright smile.

‘All right, then,’ she said, looking at them. ‘What’s the first thing we do when we’re about to bake?’

‘Weigh out the flour?’ Molly suggested.

‘That’s certainly something we need to do, but not the first thing. Good try, but no.’

‘Wash our hands?’ Cameron said, holding his up for her to see.

‘Another good answer, but not quite what I was thinking.’ She went over to the cooker. ‘We switch on the oven so that it can be heating up while we mix the ingredients. See?’ She turned the dial. ‘Right, then. Where’s Lorna? I thought she was going to help us?’

‘I’m here,’ Lorna said, coming into the kitchen. ‘I’m hungry already, just at the thought of baking. Shall we make some chocolate butterfly cakes, as well?’

An hour or so later they were all flour spattered, and a wonderful aroma of chocolate and ginger filled the kitchen. Molly and Cameron had smears of chocolate around their mouths, and Molly was putting the finishing touches to the icing on the last of the gingerbread men.

‘That one’s for Mummy,’ she said, ‘and this one’s for Uncle Ross. Do you think he’ll like his green icing tie?’

‘He’ll love it,’ Lorna answered. ‘He’s definitely the best-looking gingerbread man in the bunch.’

A short time later the children went up to the bathroom to clean up, while Izzy and Lorna tidied the kitchen.

‘They’re desperately hoping that Alice will be well enough to come home in the New Year,’ Lorna said. ‘Do you think it will happen?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Izzy said with a frown. ‘She’s still very weak, but the physiotherapist is coming in every day to work with her, and Greg is keeping an eye on things on the days when he’s based at the hospital in Inverness.’ She rinsed the baking tray and placed it on the rack on the draining board. ‘The one thing she has in her favour is that she’s desperate to get back home to be with the children. She’s worried about how they’re settling. They’ve been through a lot of upheaval in the last few months.’

Lorna nodded. ‘It must make her feel better to know that you’re keeping an eye on them. Ross seems to be doing everything within his means, but you’re family, too, and they probably need that extra involvement.’

Izzy washed the pastry board, thinking about the time she had spent with her cousin in hospital. ‘Alice has asked me to keep track of how they’re doing—I would have done it anyway, because I think the world of Molly and Cameron. She knows Ross will do his very best for them, but she’s aware of how the villagers feel about the Buchanans, and she doesn’t know if any of that will rub off on the children. Once they start to go to school here there might be problems, and added to that Ross is a busy man, with lots of demands on his time and energy. She worries that they might be missing out on love and cuddles.’

‘There’s not much chance of that,’ Lorna said with a smile, drying the mixing bowl with a teatowel. ‘Every time they come round you give them a big hug, and from what I hear Alice does the same at every visit.’

Molly and Cameron came into the room, arguing noisily. ‘
I’m
giving Mummy the chocolate cake with
icing on it,’ Molly said in an emphatic tone. ‘You’re giving her the one with the butterfly wings.’

‘I want to give her one with icing,’ Cameron insisted. ‘I said it first.’

‘You could both give her one of each
and
a gingerbread man,’ Izzy said, cutting in. ‘That way she’ll have a treat for nearly every day of the week.’

Satisfied, the children accepted that compromise, and some time later Izzy set off with them along the path to Ross’s home, taking with her a couple of rugs from the attic that might go well in the children’s rooms.

The castle was a grand stone building, with a square turret and long rectangular windows. It was situated towards the end of a long, rocky promontory, almost an island in itself, where the waters of the loch lapped gently against the craggy shoreline.

From some distance away the sea washed into the loch, and depending on the tide part of the land leading to the promontory might be flooded with water. A wide stone bridge spanned this stretch of land between the mainland and the castle, and Izzy paused there for a moment to gaze at Ross’s Highland home. It was beautiful, golden in the dying sunlight of the December day, a majestic edifice set against the clear blue of the sky, with a backdrop of wooded hills and distant mountain peaks and the glassy surface of the loch all around.

Ross met her at the main door, as promised, and immediately Molly bombarded him with the delights of her baking session. ‘I’ve made you a gingerbread man,’ she said, ‘and Cameron’s made you a chocolate cake.’

‘Just what I wanted,’ he said, ushering the children into the large hall and turning to relieve Izzy of the par
cels she was carrying. ‘Here, let me help,’ he said, placing them down on an elegant side-table.

He laid a hand lightly on the small of her back. ‘Come in, Izzy. It must be years since you’ve been up here. Will you stay awhile and have a drink with me? I can offer you tea, coffee, or something stronger…A glass of mulled wine, maybe, or perhaps you’d like to try one of our special fruit wines?’

‘Well…I ought to go back and give Lorna a hand with the chores,’ she said in a diffident fashion, wanting to back out, but searching for an excuse. It was one thing to watch over the children, or meet up with Ross because of their work commitments, but it was quite another to deliberately fraternise with the enemy.

She hadn’t bargained on the intimacy of his touch, though. It undermined all her defences. He was only welcoming her into his home, but his greeting felt very much like a caress. Even now it was doing strange things to her nervous system, so that all her senses had erupted into a feverish flurry of excitement.

‘I…um…I just wanted to drop off these wool rugs,’ she told him, indicating the parcels. ‘My aunt gave them to me when I moved into the cottage, but I’ve never had occasion to use them since my mother also gave me some. I thought they might come in handy for the children, though. They said the floors were bare in their rooms, and it might be nice for them to have them at the side of their beds. They’re very colourful, and they seem to like them, so it’s a shame for them to stay up in my attic. Unless you object, that is?’