Posh Doc, Society Wedding (7 page)

‘I was really glad of your help back there,’ she told Ross. ‘It meant that we could treat her much more quickly and get her on her way. Time is the enemy here, isn’t it?’

‘It is when it’s a bad injury like that one. The sooner we get her to hospital the better.’

They moved as swiftly as possible, all of them anxious to reach safe ground before nightfall. Other members of the team took over the stretcher-bearing, to give the first two a rest. Eventually they reached the forest once more, and Izzy paused to check on the status of her patient. ‘It’s all right, we can keep moving,’ she told the rest of the team. ‘She seems to be holding up well enough.’

When they finally reached the place where they had parked the rescue team’s van, Izzy watched over the transfer of her patient to the ambulance and helped Sarah’s friend to settle in beside her while Ross went to speak to the paramedics.

Satisfied that Sarah was comfortable, Izzy climbed down from the vehicle. Finn came to meet her. ‘A job well done, I think. We’ve a good group of people here, and with you and Ross on call the people around here can rest easy.’

‘Do you think he’ll decide to join the Mountain Rescue team?’ she asked. ‘I gather this was something of a trial run for him.’

‘I hope he will. I remember some years ago he used to do all sorts of outdoor activities—hill-walking, climbing, abseiling, to name just a few. Of course then he went off to do his medical training, and there was all that business with Alice.’ Finn spoke in a low voice. ‘It was a bad time all round when his brother stole her away from him. There was a breakdown of trust, if you like…not that they had ever been one hundred percent on brotherly love. Robert loved the estate, but Ross was the elder brother, and Robert tended to brood. I imagine that’s why he left in the end. Though it was a bad day when he took Alice with him.’

Izzy mulled that over. How must Ross have felt when his brother betrayed his trust? Things had always been difficult between them, but that must have hurt badly. Had they still been arguing years later, as her mother had said, when the accident happened? And did that mean that Ross would now be wondering if he might get another chance with Alice? Was that the true reason he had come home? Did he want to be close to Alice?

A bleak wave of despondency washed over her—a feeling she couldn’t explain, even to herself. She loved Alice as a sister, but her feelings for Ross went far deeper than that and were more complex, fraught with problems and complications.

She pushed those thoughts aside as Ross came to join them after he’d finished speaking with the paramedics. Within moments the ambulance had set off on its journey to Inverness.

‘I hope she’ll be all right,’ Izzy said. ‘We moved as quickly as we could, but these situations are difficult. The outcome isn’t always what you would hope for.’

‘Her age might work in her favour,’ Ross said. ‘She was fit and healthy before this, so we just have to keep our fingers crossed that all will go well for her. At least they’re on alert at the hospital.’

Finn nodded. ‘We can be on our way home now, anyway. Shall I be taking you back with me, Izzy?’

‘It’s out of your way, isn’t it, Finn?’ Ross said. ‘I can take Izzy home.’ He shot her a quick look. ‘If that’s all right with you? I have to pick up the children from Tom Slater’s house on the way.’

‘That’s fine.’ They started to walk towards the cars. ‘I imagine we’ll all be meeting up at the Christmas lights ceremony fairly soon, anyway. Although my offer still stands…I can take the children with me, if you would sooner opt out?’

Ross shook his head. ‘I don’t think that’s an option—even though a majority of the villagers might prefer it if I stay away.’

Finn acknowledged that with a rueful smile. ‘I’ll see you both later,’ he said. ‘Thanks for your help today.’

Izzy was still thinking about Ross’s comment. It was sad that people couldn’t see beyond ancient feuds. She said goodbye to Finn and the other members of the group, and then went to stand by Ross’s car.

‘I don’t imagine for one minute that Molly and Cameron will hear of me staying at home,’ Ross said as he started the engine. ‘They’re hoping that I’ll buy all sorts of things…Christmas decorations, for a start. Apparently those I dragged down from the attic are
way too ordinary, and something far more spectacular is called for—or at least that’s what they told Alice this morning.’

‘Of course—you went to see her, didn’t you? How is she?’ Oddly, Izzy felt warmth seep all around her as she settled more comfortably in her seat. A puzzled look came over her face, and she caught Ross’s quick glance.

His mouth curved. ‘The seats are heated,’ he said. ‘It was cold up there on Beinn Dearg, so I thought you might appreciate the warmth.’

She nodded. ‘Oh, I do. Just as I appreciated the hot coffee that Finn offered me. They’re very well prepared for these trips, aren’t they?’

‘True.’ He concentrated on the road as he came to a junction, and then he said lightly, ‘I thought Alice was looking a little better today. It always cheers her up to see the children, and they seem to encourage her to keep on with the physiotherapy. She’s beginning to walk around with help from the physios, and that’s a good sign.’

‘Yes, it is.’ Izzy was thoughtful for a while after that. It wasn’t lost on her that Alice’s cheeks always burned a little brighter whenever Ross was around. He had helped her through so much these last few months, and now he was taking care of her children. That was bound to make her appreciative of him.

Ross dropped her off at the cottage a short time later, after the children had bombarded her with talk of their exploits at the GP’s house. They were now very friendly with the doctor’s children, it seemed, and they were looking forward to meeting up with them later on at the lights ceremony.

Izzy hurried to get ready for the evening ahead. ‘I’m
off now,’ Lorna told her. ‘But I’ll see you later in the community hall.’

Izzy grabbed a bite to eat, and then went to change into a clean pair of jeans and a warm top. She ran a brush through her long hair, and added a touch of lipstick to her mouth.

A knock at the door startled her, but then she heard childish voices, and when she went to find out who was there she saw Ross with Molly and Cameron.

‘We came to give you a lift,’ he said. ‘I wondered if you might need a bit of cosseting after today’s efforts.’

‘What a wonderful thought…though you worked just as hard as I did. That was some trek, there and back, wasn’t it?’ She smiled at the gathering on her doorstep, noting how Molly and Cameron were turning towards the car. ‘I can see you’re all eager to be off, so I’ll fetch my bag and we’re all set.’

When she came back to them, Ross slid an arm around her waist, leading her out to his vehicle and gently assisting her into the passenger seat. She tried not to read anything into that. He was just being himself. He would have done the same for Lorna or anyone else who happened to be female, probably. What was it Lorna had said? He had loads of charisma and easy charm, and without even trying he knew just how to set a woman’s heart racing.

‘Hop in, you two,’ he said to the children. ‘Buckle up.’

In the village, a crowd had congregated around the huge tree on the common, and after the local dignitary had made his speech and led the countdown for the lights to be switched on they all sang carols, their breath misting on the cold air.

Perhaps that cold had seeped into Cameron, because he started to cough. Izzy drew him close to her, wrapping an arm around him and keeping him warm. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked him quietly.

He nodded. ‘Can we go round the fair rides, now?’ he asked. ‘I want to drive the train engine.’

‘And I want to go on the horses that go up and down,’ Molly said. She was tugging at Ross’s trousers, pulling him in the direction of the small amusements section, where roundabouts and candy-floss stalls had been set out in a small side road by the tree-clad embankment.

‘Okay, okay—I’m coming.’ He glanced at Izzy, taking her by the hand, and they both followed the children, who were running off in the direction of the rides.

‘Why is it that children are never still?’ Ross said some half an hour later, as they came out of the fish and chip shop and walked back towards the community hall, biting into hot chips from overflowing cones.

Izzy fanned her mouth to take away the heat of the potato. ‘Because there’s always something new to be explored,’ she said. ‘I expect you were just the same when you were that age.’

He laughed. ‘I suppose I was.’ They stood and finished off their salt-and-vinegar-slathered chips at the side of a building, basking in the golden pool of light from the nearby shop.

Cameron handed Izzy his empty carton. ‘I’ve finished,’ he said. ‘Can we go into the community hall now?’

‘All right.’ Izzy dropped all the cartons into a waste-bin and wiped her hands on a tissue.

They walked into the crowded hall, and Ross took
Molly to find Christmas decorations while Izzy went to see how her mother was getting on with the crafts stall.

‘Everything looks lovely,’ Izzy told her. ‘I don’t suppose you’ll be left with much at the end of the evening.’

‘Good. It’s all for the children’s charity,’ her mother said. ‘I want everything to go.’

‘I like those boxes,’ Cameron said, pointing to a small trinket box decorated with quilled scrolls and flower motifs. ‘Mum would love one of those for her Christmas present.’ He counted out coins from his pocket and handed them over to Izzy’s mother, waiting patiently while she wrapped it up.

‘I’m sure she’ll be over the moon with it,’ Izzy’s mother said. ‘It’s very pretty, isn’t it?’

Cameron nodded, caught out by another bout of coughing. Izzy took his purchase and watched him carefully. ‘I think you might be starting a cold,’ she said. She felt his forehead with the back of her hand. ‘You’ve a bit of a temperature, too. Maybe we ought to get you home soon.’

‘I don’t want to go home yet.’ He coughed again.

‘I can’t think why that boy’s out and about, with a cough like that,’ Izzy’s father said, coming over to them from a nearby stall. ‘What’s Ross thinking of, bringing him here? Those children could just as easily have stayed with their aunt down in the Lake District, where they had their friends and went to school.’

Izzy pressed her lips together, biting back a reply as she saw Ross coming towards them. From his taut expression, it was clear he had heard what her father had said, and her heart sank with the knowledge that those few curt words might bring a fraught end to what had been a lovely evening.

‘Are you all right, Cameron?’ Ross asked.

The boy nodded. ‘I want to look at the toy stall,’ he said.

‘Okay. Take Molly with you. I’ll be there in a minute.’ Ross watched the children go, and then turned to acknowledge Izzy’s mother. ‘You have some beautiful items here, Morag,’ he said. ‘I’ll take one of the flower pictures for Alice. I know she likes those.’ He handed over the money and looked towards Izzy’s father. ‘Cameron will be fine,’ he said. ‘He has a cold, that’s all. He’s a sturdy boy.’

‘Let’s hope so.’ Her father’s gaze narrowed on him. ‘I still think it’s strange, uprooting them from where they were happy.’

Ross looked at him steadily. ‘This is their heritage,’ he said. ‘They have every right to be here and know the place where their father was born. I see no reason to apologise for that.’

He accepted the package from Izzy’s mother and said, ‘Excuse me. I must go and find the children.’

Izzy’s gaze followed him, her heart squeezing a little. Had he really brought them here to know the ancient heritage that went through generation after generation? He was a proud man, steadfast in his beliefs, and she respected him for that—just as she understood why her father responded to him in his edgy, confrontational manner. She loved her father, and it saddened her to see them at loggerheads like this. All Ross had to do was unbend a little and try to meet him half way. Why could he not do that?

‘H
AVE
you heard the latest?’ Lorna broke the crust of her steak pie with the side of her fork and speared the tender meat.

‘No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.’ Izzy tasted the crunchy roast potato on her plate, and then followed it up with a forkful of carrots. It was early evening and they were sitting in the lounge bar of the Shore Inn, close by the large fireplace where hot coals burned in the grate.

‘Ross has brought a film crew to the castle,’ Lorna said. ‘They’re all talking about it at the bar. Greg was just telling me he was held up on the road into the village the other day because of their truck with all the equipment. He wasn’t best pleased. He said it made him late for work.’

‘A film crew?’ Izzy echoed. ‘What kind of film are they making? Do we know?’

Lorna shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea—but something swashbuckling, I bet. Apparently there was a horsebox in the line of traffic that kept Greg waiting, so I expect there’ll be scenes of riders dashing across the bridge up to the castle. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?’

‘It certainly does.’ Izzy’s eyes sparkled. ‘This is the first
time we’ve had anything like that happening around here. I wonder what the rest of the villagers will think about it?’

‘The landlord’s hoping they’ll be here for quite a while,’ Lorna said, waving her fork lightly in the air before scooping up a mouthful of mashed potato. ‘He’s looking forward to having more customers, and Mary at the shop is apparently checking her stock for things they might want—like souvenirs to take home, postcards and so on.’

Greg came to join them at their table. ‘They’re all full of it back there,’ he said, sitting down and taking a long swig from his glass. ‘I’d say it’s about half and half, those in favour and those against.’ He put the glass down. ‘I suppose the people who keep the hotel are quite pleased, too. With all those film folk needing a place to stay, trade will be looking up.’

‘I heard some of the others say that it’s an odd time to be filming,’ Lorna commented, ‘with the threat of snow in the air. But I suppose if they’re filming inside the castle that won’t really matter. They could do all the outside shots first. That’s the thing with filming, isn’t it—you do things out of sequence?’

‘I suppose that’s true,’ Greg answered, staring into the fire. ‘Not that I get much chance to watch films these days, let alone see them being made. After working at the A&E unit all day, and travelling to Inverness two or three times a week, I’m too shattered to take much notice of anything else going on.’

He sent a glance in Izzy’s direction. ‘Your Alice is looking much better of late, by the way. Apparently the children have an Advent calendar to help them to count down to Christmas, but they seem to think it’s also like
counting off the days until she’ll come home. Ross has had to explain to them that it’s a bit more complicated than that.’

Izzy smiled at him. ‘It’s comforting to know that you see Alice on a regular basis. I’ve been trying to get over there as often as I can, but it isn’t always easy with work getting in the way. Mostly I’ve been going over of an evening.’

A strange silence fell in the usually noisy lounge of the inn, and a faint breeze wafted into the room as someone opened the outer door. Izzy looked around to see why the chatter had suddenly come to a stop, and saw Ross’s tall figure in the doorway.

He looked around and nodded to the various people sitting at tables or standing by the bar. The landlord gave him a cheery welcome, but Izzy could see that others were hesitant.

‘What will you have?’ the landlord said.

‘A half of lager and a ploughman’s, please.’

‘Coming up. Are you on your way home, or are you planning on staying a while?’ He started to pour out the lager, and then pushed a platter of baguette, cheese and salad towards Ross. ‘We’re all keen to know what’s going on up at the castle with all your visitors. Is Maggie catering for them all? I’m not sure how that would go down with her.’

Ross shook his head. ‘Maggie has enough to do already. When she’s not seeing to the meals and doing the housework she’s looking after Molly and Cameron for me. The people at the hotel are sending out a selection of hot food for the film crew by van every morning, but I dare say you could get in on the act if you wanted.
There’s bound to be someone who wants something other than what’s provided.’

‘I might look into that. So, they’re all staying at the hotel, are they? No hope of any leading ladies being entertained up at the castle after hours, then?’ the landlord teased.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that,’ Ross said with a smile. ‘They’ve only been here for a couple of days, but I’m getting quite used to having them around.’

‘It’s all right for some.’ A disgruntled male voice sounded across the room. ‘Some people were born with the proverbial silver spoon in the mouth.’

‘Maybe it’s lucky you weren’t, then,’ Ross came back, quick as a flash. ‘With a mouth like that you might easily have choked.’ A faint hum of laughter went around the room.

‘With all this money rolling in from the filming, you’ll be able to put the rents down hereabouts, then?’ someone else said. Izzy recognised a man who worked as a carpet fitter in the nearby town.

‘I seem to remember a hefty bill for the new carpets I just had laid down at the castle. Will you be charging everyone less for your services in the future?’ Ross raised a dark brow. ‘When that day comes, I might consider it.’

The man made a face, and after that the general conversation resumed. Ross looked around and came over to Izzy’s table.

‘Hello, there,’ he said. ‘Might I join you?’

‘Of course.’ Izzy waved a hand towards the empty seat next to Greg. She and Lorna had both finished eating, and they pushed their plates to one side. ‘We were
just talking about the film crew descending on the village. How did that come about?’

‘They approached me some time ago and I agreed that they could do a shoot. I decided the fee would come in handy for the tree-planting. It’s only now that they’ve managed to fix their schedule.’

‘Are we talking documentary or entertainment?’ Greg asked. ‘And how about top actors and actresses? I think the girls here are hoping for swashbuckling heroes and lots of derring-do.’

Ross nodded. ‘That’s not too far off. A couple of top names, too. But I don’t think they’ll be around for long—maybe a week or two at most. They’re only shooting a few scenes here. The rest will be done at studios.’

‘I hope I’m to have an invitation to come and see them in action,’ Lorna said, looking brazenly optimistic. ‘I could always make myself useful—providing cups of tea and so on.’

‘By all means,’ Ross agreed with a smile. ‘Consider yourself invited…you, too, Izzy—and Greg. I’ll be at home mid-week in the afternoons. I’m not sure, but maybe they’ll be looking for extras.’

‘Whoo-hoo.’ Lorna chuckled. ‘Hollywood, here I come.’

‘Now, see—she’s getting carried away,’ Izzy said, her mouth curving. She sent Ross a disparaging glance. ‘Now look what you’ve done.’

‘It isn’t fair,’ he said, his jaw dropping as he looked from one to the other. ‘I get the blame for everything around here.’

‘Always have done, always will,’ Greg murmured, and they all laughed.

They talked for some time about the film crew, and their work at the hospital, and the air ambulance and mutual friends.

‘I must go,’ Izzy said after a while. ‘It’s getting late, and I have to sort out a few things before morning. I’m on call with the ambulance team from the early hours, so I need to be organised and ready.’ She glanced at Lorna. ‘Are you staying for a while?’

Lorna nodded. ‘I have a day off tomorrow…several hours all to myself…so I plan to take it easy. I expect Greg will give me a lift home—won’t you, Greg?’

‘Of course.’

Izzy stood up to take her leave of them, and Ross said, ‘I’ll walk you to your car. I need to go home and relieve the babysitter.’

They left the pub together, and Izzy paused for a moment by her car. ‘I think it’s good that you came to mix with the locals for a while,’ she said softly. ‘It’s the only way that you’re going to break down the barriers.’

‘Do you think I need to do that?’ he asked.

‘If you want to be accepted around here, yes, I do,’ she said. ‘You might think that you can turn your back on criticism, but I don’t think that will do you any good in the long run.’ For some reason she cared deeply about how he fitted in here. She wanted him to be accepted, to be part of the fabric of her home village.

‘I don’t see why I should have to explain myself to anyone,’ he said, coming to stand beside her. ‘I grew up with half these people. They should know who I am and what I believe in. If they can’t accept me for who I am, then that’s their problem.’

‘So you don’t think that their worries about rents are
of any consequence? Or that any unsettled feelings they might have about leasing land they feel is already rightfully theirs has anything to do with you?’

‘Why do you care about what they think of me, either way?’ He said it softly, but it was a challenge all the same.

‘You’re right. Why should I?’ Perhaps he hadn’t meant it in a harsh manner, but she braced herself, standing up very straight, unwilling to show any sign of weakness. Caring about someone who was heading helter-skelter into a quagmire was always going to be a difficult business. It led to all sorts of doubts and concerns, and it undermined confidence. But the fact was she did care, very deeply, about Ross Buchanan. Try as she might to tell herself that his problems were not hers, the thought had a hollow ring. How was it that he had managed to work his way into her affections?

He reached out a hand and lightly stroked the soft silk of her hair. Heat rose in her as his fingers left behind a trail of fire. ‘Much as I appreciate your concern, you don’t need to worry about me,’ he said. ‘I promise you I can take care of myself.’

‘I know that.’ That was the problem, wasn’t it? He was proud, some might say arrogant, but his attitude was all part and parcel of the way people around here felt about him. ‘It’s just that a lot of these problems are not actually truly yours. They’re hand-me-downs from your father, and from the fallout from your brother leaving. No matter what people say, I think you have an affinity with this place. It’s in your soul. It’s part of you.’

‘So you don’t see me as an outsider? I know that’s how others think of me.’

‘I don’t.’ She was all too conscious of his fingers
threading through her hair, of the way his thumb lightly trailed along the line of her jaw. That faint touch was enough to send her whole body into meltdown. Why was he being so gentle with her? Caressing her as though she mattered to him? Was he simply flirting with her because it came to him as naturally as breathing air?

Her parents’ warnings came back to her a hundredfold. She should stay away from him. He was trouble—a man at odds with himself and with the world in general.

‘You didn’t come back here after you qualified as a doctor—I think people expected that you would do that, but you stayed away. Perhaps while your brother was alive you felt you couldn’t take the reins. I don’t know. I don’t know what was going through your mind. But I don’t believe that you had no interest in coming back.’

Perhaps the simple truth was that he’d wanted to be where Alice was? Why else had he followed them, leaving his home village shortly after his brother?

‘There was nothing complicated going on,’ he said. ‘I worked hard to become a doctor, and I enjoy the work I do. With no family to provide for, there was no need for me to come back and become Laird.’ He let his hand fall to his side. ‘Whatever the crofters say, the rents are fair. I’ve looked into it, and the charges are reasonable. Perhaps the real problem is that they don’t want to be tenants at all. They want ownership, and that is quite a different thing. It’s a huge responsibility and one not to be taken lightly—as I’ve discovered.’

She sent him a thoughtful glance. ‘And that’s the reason why you’ve allowed a film crew to invade your family home, is it? You have the responsibility of making it all work. It’s the reason you’re planting trees and
planning to start your own winery. Perhaps you’re not thinking about going away after all? And if that’s the case you really need to work on getting along with the people around you.’

‘What a great adviser you are,’ he said, his tone lightly mocking. ‘Perhaps I should persuade you to come and be my personal assistant—to guide me through the shark-infested waters.’

She lifted her brows. ‘Is that another action plan—to market the castle as having a loch where sea monsters lurk?’

He made a soft chuckle. ‘I can see you’re a force to be reckoned with, Izzy. You don’t deal in romantic fantasy, do you? Everything is cut and dried, and you can see it all so very clearly. There are no blurred lines, no greying of images or taking the option of letting things ride to see how they work out. You’re certainly your father’s daughter, aren’t you? You see everything with a clinical eye.’

He moved in closer to her. ‘Perhaps I should work on that and try to win you round to my point of view. I could show you how to be more laid-back, more lackadaisical about what people think. Perhaps I could persuade you to think of me more fondly.’

The trouble was he could probably do it, too. She was already thinking of him far more than was good for her. She eased herself away from the car, away from his circle of power. ‘I must go,’ she said. ‘You’ll do as you please—as always. I’m just sorry that you might be wasting a golden opportunity to turn this community around.’

His mouth curved in amusement. ‘It isn’t this com
munity that I’m concerned about,’ he murmured. ‘I’m much more interested in a sweet-natured girl with chestnut coloured hair and a figure straight out of paradise. I’ve always wanted you, Izzy. You’ve always been the girl for me.’

‘No—don’t say that. I don’t believe it. Not for a minute. Alice was the one you wanted, the one you flirted with and kept close by. It was always Alice.’ How could he even say otherwise? His words stung her far more deeply than she might have expected. Was he playing with her? Teasing her? It had always been Alice that he loved. Everyone knew that.