Sealed With a Kiss (26 page)

‘By the sounds of things, he was a bit of a wet blanket – what on earth did Kate see in him?’

‘I think she was just happy to settle with the first man who’d have her, and along came Ian. He was nice enough – but he had nothing about him. She’s worth so much
more.’

Kate smiled to herself. Her mother had always been so nice about Ian. It was a relief to discover what she really thought of him.

‘So you’ll not have been sorry to see the back of him?’ asked Morag. The two women were standing in Thor’s stable, their voices carrying clearly across the silent
evening.

‘Not at all. I think moving up here has been the best thing for Kate. She seems much happier in herself, don’t you think?’

Kate almost gasped, a hand across her mouth in shock. To hear her mother admit that moving away was a good thing was almost unthinkable.

‘She’s a lot more confident now than when I first met her, that’s certain,’ agreed Morag. ‘And she’s met a couple of nice men while she’s been up here,
although I’m sure I probably shouldn’t be telling you that.’

No, you blooming well shouldn’t, thought Kate. I’ll be getting the third degree tonight over dinner. Mum might have loosened the apron strings, but given half a chance she’ll
be strangling me with them again.

‘Well, that’s the best thing that could happen to her, if you ask me. I’d hate for her to end up like me.’ Kate’s mother sighed.

‘In what way?’ Morag’s voice was gentle.

‘I’ve spent fifteen years on my own.’ There was a pause, and when she spoke again her voice was lower, and quiet. ‘I didn’t feel it was right to replace
Kate’s father.’

There was a scuffling. Kate could imagine Thor shuffling backwards obediently as Morag opened the stable door, letting Elizabeth out.

‘You know,’ said Morag reasonably, ‘you can’t live your life through her.’

‘I see that now. It took Kate going away for me to realize that. I was trying to cling onto the life I had before Malcolm died, but that’s no way to live, is it?’

‘No, Mum, it’s not.’ Kate had stepped forward out of the shadows and across the stable yard. She stood in front of her mother, tears in her eyes.

‘My darling. I felt it was my fault you lost him. If we hadn’t argued, he wouldn’t have stormed off. And if he hadn’t stormed off, he wouldn’t have been hit by that
car.’ Kate’s mother reached forward, taking her daughter’s hands. ‘I had to be mother and father to you. It was the least I could do.’

And she’d given up the last fifteen years of her life to do so, Kate realized. All that time she’d felt smothered, but her mum had been trying to do the job of two parents, drowning
in guilt.

‘I don’t blame you for Dad dying. I never did.’ Thinking of the house full of photographs – a life preserved exactly as it had been the day her father died – she
felt a wave of sadness. ‘And I hate to think of you being on your own because of me.’

‘I’m sorry, Kate.’ Smiling sadly, Elizabeth looked into Kate’s eyes. ‘If you’ve felt suffocated, that was never my intention. You were all I had, and for a
long time I felt that if I could just keep you safe, it would make everything else okay.’

Kate let go of her mum’s hands, throwing her arms around her instead. ‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said, muffled by the camel coat.

‘I just want the best for you. I want you to have the best life you can – to make up for ruining your childhood.’ Elizabeth’s voice was choked with emotion.

‘Look,’ Kate pulled away, looking at her mother. ‘I love you, Mum, and you
didn’t
ruin my childhood, so you have nothing to feel guilty about. I promise. People
die. We’ve only got one life. I want to enjoy this one.’

Her mother fished in her handbag for a tissue, before blowing her nose.

‘Let’s make a pact,’ said Kate. ‘You start living your own life now, and I’ll live mine. Mistakes and all.’

‘Deal.’ Elizabeth gave a watery smile.

‘Well, I’m glad that’s all sorted,’ said Morag briskly, closing the stable door. ‘Although I’m afraid you’ve got horse-slobber all down your lovely
coat, Elizabeth.’

Kate’s mum looked down at her expensive coat. It was smeared with a frothy green slime. Amazingly she started to laugh, and threw her arms around a surprised Thor’s neck. Never one
to miss an opportunity, he whiffled hopefully in her pockets.

‘It’s a small price to pay for clearing the air, I think. Now, Kate, shall we get back for some of this famous soup you’ve been telling me about?’

Elizabeth took her daughter’s hand. Morag watched, smiling to herself, as they set off down the lane to Bruar Cottage.

It was amazing what a difference there was in her mother. Instead of finding fault with everything, and criticizing the muddle in Kate’s cottage, Elizabeth curled up on
the sofa with Willow, drinking soup out of a mug, watching old DVDs and laughing about Kate’s escapades on Auchenmor.

‘What’s the plan for tomorrow? Are you going to take me to meet the famous Roderick?’

Kate groaned. ‘He’s a normal person, Mum. He just happens to be the Laird of Duntarvie.’

‘And owner of a castle, and five hundred acres of land, and a house in Oxfordshire with more land – and single.’ Her mother winked at her.

‘Enough!’ Kate stood up, collecting the mugs. ‘I thought we’d go for breakfast at Bruno’s cafe – you’ll love it. And then perhaps I’ll take you
over to see the cottages. One of them is occupied, but I can show you the smaller cottage, and you can see how we’re getting on with the bunkhouse.’

‘That sounds perfect, darling.’

Bruno placed breakfast in front of Kate’s mother. The soft curds of creamy scrambled eggs covered two slices of Italian rye bread. On top lay thin curls of crisply fried
pancetta.

‘And fresh plum tomatoes as well,’ added Bruno. ‘You’re getting the special treatment, you two. Black pepper?’

‘This looks delicious.’ Elizabeth smiled up at him. ‘I was expecting a greasy spoon and fried everything, not a breakfast that would fit perfectly in a cafe in Rome.’

‘Aye, well, we do our best.’ Bruno looked rather proud of himself, settling an identical plate in front of Kate with a grin.

‘It’s gorgeous.’

‘It always is,’ explained Kate, her mouth full of toast, ‘that’s why I can’t let myself come too often, or I’d end up the size of a house.’

Bruno returned with coffee, slipping into the booth alongside Elizabeth. ‘Can I join you two girls for a moment?’

‘That would be lovely.’ Elizabeth smiled at him, shuffling sideways with a little giggle.

If I didn’t know better, thought Kate, I’d say there was a bit of flirting going on here. Her mother and Bruno had hit it off immediately, sharing reminiscences of teenage years
spent in cafes that looked identical to this one. The two of them had spent ten minutes flicking through the songs on the Wurlitzer, laughing and remembering tunes from their dancing days. Kate had
sat quietly at the table, leafing through the local paper, amused at how well her mother was slotting into island life.

‘So where are you girls off to this morning?’

‘Kate’s taking me over to the cottages she’s been working on. I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s done.’

‘Aye, she and Roddy have done a grand job over there.’ Bruno leaned back on his chair, cradling his coffee in both hands. ‘They make a guid team.’

‘So I hear.’ Her mother smirked slightly. Kate kicked her under the table.

A group of teenagers ambled into the cafe, settling down around the high counter, laughing and joking with each other. Kate recognized some of them as the students who had worked for Murdo at
Hogmanay. Standing at the till, rifling through her purse for change, she gave them a shy smile, not sure if they’d be too cool to acknowledge her in public.

‘Hiya, Kate – how’re you doing? You recovered from New Year?’

Obviously not. ‘Yes, it was a lovely night. I felt a bit gruesome the next morning, though.’

The larger teenager laughed in sympathy, turning back to his friends.

‘Come on then, Mum. I’ll drive round the long way, show you a bit more of the island.’

‘I’d like that. Maybe I’ll see you again before I go, Bruno?’ said her mother, with a coy little wave.

‘I’d like
that
.’ Bruno leaned forward, kissing Elizabeth on both cheeks. Kate raised her eyebrows. After their conversation of last night, her mother wasn’t
hanging about. Mind you, Kate supposed, after fifteen years of being on her own, she had a fair bit of catching up to do. She held the door open, winding her scarf up against the biting wind
blowing off the sea.

They were at the highest point of the island, looking across the water to the island of Eilean Mòr, which lay forbidding in its emptiness. Snow tipped the hills there,
and the wind was even harsher. It was a relief to climb back into the car, even with the temperamental heater blowing out more cold air than hot. Kate’s mother wisely kept her gloves on,
rubbing her hands together to try and warm them up.

‘It’s a lot colder up here than it is in England.’

‘A lot more beautiful, though, wouldn’t you agree?’ Kate parked the car up on the verge opposite the track that led up to the cottages. ‘Look down there – can you
see the grey seals by the water?’

It had been a relief to see the seals returning to the beach, following the scare they’d had. She’d driven over during the following days, checking hopefully, until one day she
pulled up to find them back in their rightful places, curving over the stones, statue-like in their peace.

‘But there’s so many of them! When you said you’d seen seals, I thought you meant one or two – not huge gatherings of them.’ The cold forgotten, her mother climbed
out of the car. They scrambled across the rocks, Kate stopping to point out a flock of oystercatchers, their long beaks probing the shingle. Seeing her smile as she stood watching the seals, Kate
tucked her hand into her mother’s arm.

Something in the sky caught Elizabeth’s eye. ‘What on earth is that? It’s huge!’

Kate followed her gaze. Swooping above them, silent and graceful in a sapphire sky, wings outstretched, was a golden eagle. Roderick had told her about them many times, but she had never been
lucky enough to spot one. Until now.

‘Keep still and don’t make a sound,’ she whispered to her mother.

They stood together, watching with awe as the enormous bird swooped over their heads and, with two beats of its powerful wings, disappeared out of sight into the pine-covered hills.

‘And
that
is why I love it here. I’ve learned so much about the wildlife on the island,’ explained Kate, leading her mother across the rocks and back up the shingle
beach to the road, ‘and now, with the idea of wildlife tours, there’s a real chance that we can start to bring tourists – and money – back to the island.’

The track up to the cottages was still frozen solid. A thin ribbon of smoke curled from the chimney of Fiona’s cottage. Her booking had been extended, bringing welcome income to the
estate, but in the most unwelcome of forms. Bruno had told Kate that Fiona was using the cottage as somewhere to work during the day, away from the noise of the hotel. And the distractions of
Roderick, thought Kate, frowning. As they drew closer it was clear there was nobody in – the curtains were open, no lights were on and there was no sign of her car. She’d probably
flounced into the kitchen at Duntarvie House by now, heels clattering on the flagstones, expensive handbag thrown across the table, demanding a drink.

‘Looks like we’ve missed Fiona,’ said Kate, ‘so I can quickly show you both the cottages as well as the bunkhouse.’

‘I’m very impressed with all of this.’ Her mother waved a hand, encompassing the whole steading. Billy and his workers had done an amazing job of clearing away all the rubble
and the twisted, rusted old pieces of machinery. In their place were old feeding troughs filled with pansies, laced with frost, from Helen’s shop. Each cottage now had a beautiful, wide
wooden door with an old-fashioned bell attached to the wall.

‘Come and look at the bunkhouse. It’s not finished yet, but you can imagine it.’

Kate led her mother around the side of the cottages, to the old cow byre. The building, full of straw the first time Kate had seen it, was now floored, the walls lined and plastered. The roof
beams had been treated and the old wood was seasoned and full of character.

‘There’ll be a shower room here,’ explained Kate, taking her mother through to an empty space at the end of the building. ‘This used to be the room where the cowman
washed the milk churns, so we didn’t have to build any walls.’ She ran her hands along the smooth plasterwork, smiling to herself at Billy’s artistry. It was flawless. She could
visualize the bunkhouse full of chattering students, talking in the velvety blackness long after lights out.

‘Kate?’

‘Sorry, I was in a dream. What d’you think?’

‘I think you’ve been hiding your light under a bushel.’ Her mother squeezed her hand, looking at her with admiration. ‘Morag told me you’ve run this project pretty
much single-handed. I always knew you were capable of so much more than all those temp jobs. You’ve really worked hard at this, darling. I’m proud of you.’

Kate scratched her head, not quite sure what to do with the compliment. ‘I don’t think I knew I had it in me. But it hasn’t seemed like hard work, and I couldn’t have
done it on my own – Roderick has been by my side the whole way.’

‘Mmm,’ her mother said with a small smile, ‘has he now?’

‘Mum! There is nothing going on between me and Roderick – not least because he’s back together with Fiona. Come on, I’ll show you round the cottages.’

She locked the door of the bunkhouse, making a note to herself to buy Billy a bottle of his favourite malt whisky by way of thanks for the work he’d done.

‘I feel a bit naughty taking you in here.’ Kate looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to Fiona’s cottage. A waft of Fiona’s strong, floral
scent hit the back of Kate’s nose as she pushed the door open. She stopped in her tracks, pulling a face.

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake. If she catches us, we’ll say we were inspecting the pipes or something.’ Elizabeth pushed her daughter forward into the open-plan room. Kate
laughed at her mother’s new, rebellious spirit. After fifteen years of doing the right thing, she seemed to be determined to make up for it.