Sealed With a Kiss (20 page)

The clipped voice of the recorded announcement woke her up. Oh God, she was leaning on Roderick’s shoulder. Worse still, she realized, closing her mouth, which was dry as parchment,
she’d obviously been snoring. Attractive! She rubbed her eyes furiously and sat up.

‘Oh.’ She was dazed and took a moment to place herself. ‘It’s the boat – every time I get on it, I conk out, instantly. I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep
for a minute.’

Roderick rolled his eyes. ‘Twenty actually, and by God, you can’t half snore.’

Kate emitted a vague sort of harrumphing noise and scrambled up, escaping to the loo.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she was horrified, but not surprised, to discover that her crumpled face was imprinted with the rib of Roderick’s jumper. Her eyeliner was non-existent on
one eye, and smudged on the other. She made a vague attempt to make herself respectable and set off downstairs to find the Land Rover.

‘The pup’s fine,’ said Roderick, as she opened the car door. ‘I’ve checked. Still sleeping.’

The ferry pulled into the dock, and Kate tapped her fingers impatiently on the dashboard as they waited for all the cars and lorries in front to unload. It seemed to take forever. Finally they
rolled off the ferry and up the ramp onto the mainland. Roderick turned the car left into a car park, where a battered four-wheel drive was waiting.

‘Mark, hello.’ Roderick jumped out of the car. ‘This is Kate. She found the pup, and she saw the disturbance yesterday.’

Mark grinned at her and held out a filthy hand. ‘Might be a bit fishy, it’s just been feeding time. But lovely to meet you, Kate.’ He turned to Roderick, who was opening the
back of the Land Rover. ‘Bit late in the season for a grey, isn’t it?’

‘I thought so, too. But this little one is still hanging on, even if its mother has legged it.’ Roderick opened the carrier, and Mark peered in. Still nervous in case her pup
hadn’t made it, Kate hung back.

‘Let’s get it back to the sanctuary. We can get some food down it and see how we’re doing. Melanie’s back home, getting all the stuff ready for a tube feed.’

Phew, still alive then, thought Kate. They climbed back into the Land Rover and followed Mark out of town. They drove in silence for a couple of miles, then Roderick indicated right and pulled
over, through a wooden gate. The Seal Sanctuary sign was tattered and weathered by the elements, and the buildings had seen better days. Inside one of them they found Melanie, Mark’s wife. As
she expertly scooped up the seal, weighed it, then placed it down on the table, she explained how they’d ended up on the west coast of Scotland, saving seals.

‘I was taking a year out from teaching biology at secondary school, and Mark was a chemist for a big pharmaceutical company. We came up here on holiday, saw the seals and fell in
love.’

Roderick glanced at Kate quickly. She felt herself blushing, and looked down at her feet. Mark raised his eyebrows at Melanie. The whole thing happened in a split second, but was
excruciating.

‘How’s Fiona?’

‘Mark! Roderick’s here to deliver us a seal pup, not to discuss his love life.’ Melanie shot him a warning look.

‘Fiona is fine,’ said Roderick. ‘But we’re not – well, we went our separate ways a few months ago.’ He looked pained. No matter what he said, he must still
have feelings for her.

Kate stood up. ‘Melanie, have you got many other animals in at the moment?’ Her voice sounded brittle and higher than normal.

‘Yes, we have eight grey seals that came in earlier in the season, and a common seal that was found about half a mile from the sea, shuffling along the main road.’ She poured a
foul-smelling, yellow-grey sludge into a container, mixing it expertly. ‘This is what we feed them – it stinks, but it does the trick. Let me get this little chick sorted and then
I’ll show you round.’

Melanie and Mark worked together as a team, seemingly knowing what had to be done without using words. One held down the pup, and the other manoeuvred the feeding tube down the throat of the
startled seal.

‘It’s easy enough when they’re quiet, but when they get a bit bigger, mealtime is a bit hairy,’ said Mark, holding the pup steady as the liquid poured down her throat.
After a few moments of struggling, she remained still.

‘What is it?’

‘It’s an electrolyte supplement. After that, she’ll go onto a combination of fish oil, high-protein milk supplement and a vitamin mixture. It’ll build her up pretty
quickly; she’ll be catching fish on her own before you know it.’ Melanie gently pulled the tube out. ‘There you are, little one. We have to stop off the tube as it’s coming
back out, to make sure no liquid makes its way down into the lungs.’ She picked up the seal pup and placed it in a pen. ‘There you go, darling.’

‘Look at that – she’s picked up already.’ Mark smiled at the pup, beckoning Kate over. ‘What are you going to call her, Kate? It’s the finder’s
privilege.’

Kate looked into the seal kennel. The seal’s dark, liquid eyes were brighter already. As she watched, the pup rolled onto her side and began sucking on her flipper.

‘Flora.’

‘A good Scottish name,’ nodded Melanie. ‘Now let’s give her a bit of peace, and I’ll show you round.’

Melanie and Mark offered to put them up for the night, but with no bag, and feeling worried about Willow, Kate really wanted to get home. With promises of daily updates on
Flora’s progress, they left the mainland, managing to catch the last ferry home with seconds to spare.

If I’m honest with myself, Kate thought, what I want to do is lie on the couch with a glass of wine and my nice fire, and contemplate ways to bump off the vile Fiona.

‘Penny for your thoughts?’ said Roderick, interrupting her daydream.

‘I was just thinking about, um . . . ’ Kate plucked an idea out of her head, desperately, ‘. . . New Year.’

‘Mmm. It should be good.’ Roderick looked over at her. ‘You will come back for it, won’t you? I’d like you to see a proper island Hogmanay.’ Seemingly not
thinking, he said, ‘You think Bonfire Night was something. Wait until you see the islanders really let their hair down.’

Kate’s eyes widened, as Roderick realized his mistake. They looked at each other for a never-ending awkward moment. She decided to bluff her way out of it and continue with the fabrication
that nothing had happened.

‘It sounds interesting.’

‘That’s one word for it.’ The relief in his tone was evident as he continued, ‘It’s the biggest night of the year here on the island, and you’ll be expected
to be suitably impressed.’

Pulling her cold hands inside her sleeves, Kate thought for a moment. ‘I’m not going to get away with not coming to it, am I?’

‘Nope.’ He smiled at her. ‘If you don’t get back up here by the thirtieth of December, Jean will be beetling down the M1 to collect you herself.’

Bruno’s cafe was decorated for Christmas. The ceiling was adorned with crepe-paper hangings in vibrant, clashing colours, and he had Elvis’s
Christmas
Album
on a constant loop on the Wurlitzer. Behind the Formica counter, he was making coffee, wearing a Father Christmas hat.

‘I’ll be home for Christmas,’ he crooned, looking up at Kate. ‘When are you away?’

‘Tomorrow, on the 6 a.m. ferry.’

‘Early tae bed for you tonight?’ He passed over her coffee with a flourish.

The froth on the top was decorated with a swirl in the shape of a Christmas tree.

‘How do you do that?’ marvelled Kate, as was expected of her. ‘No, not an early night. Susan and Tom have invited me round for Christmas drinks. Worst-case scenario, I can
sleep on the train down to Cambridge.’

‘Just mind ye take a bit of water wi’ it – that ferry is no fun wi’ a sore heid. Believe me, there’s no an islander that wouldna say the same.’

Kate saluted him, laughing. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘And ye’ll be back for Hogmanay?’ Bruno wiped an invisible speck from the worktop with a bar cloth.

‘I don’t have any choice. Jean has issued an edict.’

‘Best ye’re back here in plenty of time, hen. I wouldna cross that one – she’s fierce.’

The hedges outside Susan and Tom’s house were woven with fairy lights, which sparkled in the dark. On the icy footpath, tiny waxed paper bags, each one with a tea-light
in the base, lit the way to the front door, which was decked with a huge, simple wreath of holly, hung on a deep-red ribbon. Kate opened the door and was hit with a blast of cinnamon, cloves and
something alcoholic.

‘Hello, stranger.’ Tom kissed her cheek. ‘You’re freezing. Come in, let me take your coat. Susan’s making mulled wine.’

In the kitchen Susan was standing, half-empty bottle of brandy in hand. Morag was at the table, holding a drowsing baby Mhairi. Through the hall Kate could hear the shouts of Jamie and Ted
playing a game of tennis on the Wii.

‘I’m afraid my hand slipped when I was adding a tot of brandy to the mulled wine,’ said Susan, with a conspiratorial grin. ‘It’s now like rocket fuel. D’you
want some?’

‘I’d love some. I’ve been warned by Bruno that I’m not to drink too much, though, or I’ll be dying on the six o’clock ferry in the morning.’

‘Ah,’ said Ted, coming into the room with Jamie on his shoulders. ‘But a hungover ferry journey is a rite of passage. We’ve all done it, haven’t we?’

The room filled with groans of reminiscence.

‘I’ll just have one,’ said Kate firmly. She was trying to ignore a slight feeling of disappointment. Half of her had been hoping that Roderick would have been there, given his
close friendship with Tom and Susan. But perhaps, she realized, they hadn’t invited him, knowing it might be awkward.

Morag put the baby down to bed. Tom lifted a protesting Jamie off Ted’s shoulders, saying, ‘Bed for you too, young man.’

Kate blew Jamie a kiss. ‘I’ve a special present in my bag for you – I’ll leave it under the Christmas tree. You can tell me what you think when I get back from
England.’

Jamie, eyes heavy with sleep, blew her a kiss back. ‘Night-night, Katie-Kate.’

‘Right then,’ said Susan gleefully, ‘Let the party commence.’ She ladled the steaming hot mulled wine into huge, heavy glasses, each of which appeared to be wearing a
little woollen coat. Kate took her drink and peered at the woollen attachment.

‘It’s Helen’s idea. It keeps them warm for longer,’ explained Susan, laughing. ‘Wait till you’re outside watching the fireworks and you’ll see the point
of them.’

‘Fireworks?’

‘Aye, it’s our little tradition – Christmas Day is for the children, so we take it in turns to have drinks at someone’s house the week before. The fireworks started off
as sparklers, but somehow over the years it snowballed.’

‘Is that your idea of a Christmas pun?’ Kate groaned.

‘Ha. No, but it’s a good one,’ said Susan.

There was a soft knock at the door, and suddenly the long hall was full of more visitors. Finn, a box under his arm, leaned over and kissed Kate hello. His face was cold. Remembering his recent
half-proposition, she blushed.

‘All right, gorgeous?’ He gave her a wink.

‘Roddy, will you take my coat?’

The voice filled Kate with horror. Oh please, no, she thought, looking past Finn. But oh God, yes, it was. Standing in the hall with a fur hat on top of her golden hair, thin-lipped mouth
pouting (not a good look, thought Kate) was Fiona. And behind her . . .

‘Kate.’ Roderick, strangely, looked pleased to see her. He leaned forward and kissed her in greeting. It was the first sign of affection he’d shown since his return from
Oxfordshire, and the briefest kiss on her cheek made her stomach disappear through her feet.

Perhaps he’s got a weird firework-fetish, she thought, and started to giggle.

‘Are you all right?’ He looked at her, puzzled.

‘Fine. Sorry, I was thinking about something.’

‘I’ll have a vodka and tonic,’ announced Fiona breezily, as she walked past Kate.

Kate looked round to see if there was anyone else at whom she could have been aiming the request, but the hall was empty. Finn was standing in the kitchen with Morag, and the others had made
their way to the sitting room.

‘I don’t think there is any – at least, I don’t know where it is. There’s mulled wine,’ said Kate, trying to be helpful.

‘Well, don’t you think you should find out that sort of thing at the beginning of the night?’ snapped Fiona.

‘Fiona! This isn’t Kate’s house. Why on earth would you expect her to know where the drinks are kept?’ Roderick looked over Fiona’s shoulder at Kate, pulling an
embarrassed face.

‘Is she not working tonight?’

Hello, thought Kate, I am actually standing right here.

‘Kate?’ Roderick burst out laughing. ‘Why on earth would she be working here? She’s friends with Tom and Susan – she’s here as a guest.’

‘Oh. I assumed, with what she was wearing,’ Fiona looked Kate up and down, taking in the black jeans and black polo neck, ‘that they’d borrowed her from you for the
night.’

Kate snorted. Roderick, sensing mutiny in the ranks, ushered Fiona through into the sitting room, throwing an apologetic look over his shoulder as he did so.

‘That bloody cow!’ Kate stormed into the kitchen, pouring herself a large top-up of the now-cooling mulled wine. She gulped it all, and slammed down her glass.

‘Fiona,’ said Finn and Morag in unison.

‘She’s vicious.’ Kate held out her glass.

Morag filled it to the brim, her face thunderous. ‘Aye, well, you don’t want to get on the wrong side of her.’

‘Do you think she and Roderick are back together?’ The thought make Kate feel quite ill.

Finn shook his head violently. ‘I can’t see it. But let’s face it, the stakes are fairly high with Roderick. She’ll not give up that easily.’

Morag nodded. ‘And that’s what worries me. Fiona doesn’t want Roddy because she loves him; she wants the house and the land and the cachet of being the laird’s
wife.’

‘Right enough,’ nodded Finn. ‘I tell you what, Kate, we were so pleased to get shot of her when she got the job on the mainland, I wanted to fly over to Glasgow and thank the
newspaper editor myself.’