Winter's End (8 page)

“I kind of wandered
in here,” Emma said with a shrug.

“Yes, but these are
staff quarters, Mrs. Winston,” he said. “I just don’t want any trouble from the
mistress.”

“Don’t take it
personally, Miss,” said Nancy. “But no one comes down here. No one. Not even Mr.
Cameron or his guests.”

“You make it sound
mysterious and forbidding, Nancy,” Theodore grumbled. “It’s just we need to
clear it out with the mistress, should you ever decide to visit Nancy again.
She can be quite the chatterbox. I understand why you would want to return
here. I do also for the same reasons.”

“I understand,” Emma
chuckled. “Of course.”

*****

Emma didn’t see or hear from Ethel Kinnaird for a while. So when she
opened the door one early afternoon, she was surprised to find her at her
doorstep.

“Hello there,” she said in a rather cheery tone. “I thought I might drop
by and introduce myself to the children.”

Ethel made herself quite comfortable as she got chatting with the
children. She noticed that both Jai and Hannah quickly developed a strong
affinity for the older woman. She saw a small dimple form in the woman’s cheeks
whenever she let out a hearty, croaky chuckle. She never noticed it before.

Jai spent the afternoon
bragging about his new high-powered electric planes and even let Ethel take a
spin at it in the backyard. After which, Hannah triggered an unending set of
riddles and jokes between themselves.

“So how have you been
spending your winter days when you’re not in school?” Ethel asked after another
bout of laughter.

“What can we do but
play indoor games and watch telly,” Jai complained. “There isn’t really much to
do in Skye, is there?”

“Really?” said Ethel.
“Is that all you’ve been doing? Well, we certainly must do something about
that, Theodore.”

Jai and Hannah stared
at her with unbelief.

“What…are
you…thinking of doing?” Jai asked slowly with curiosity.

“Well, we haven’t
taken out
Lady Loch
out in a long time. Maybe we should fire her up for
spring.”

“Who is
Lady Loch
?”
asked Hannah

“My boat,” said
Ethel. “I think this would be a good time to take her out. It hasn’t seen the
water in a long time.”

“But what about
winter? And the snow?” asked Hannah, clearly worried. “It was terrible a few
days ago.”

Ethel let out a
giggle. “Oh no, honey. Those were rare days in Skye. You see, Skye lies in the
path of the Gulf Stream. And because it is only a small island, the weather
conditions are completely determined by the sea that surrounds it, which also
keeps the snow at bay.”

“Just like London?”

“Yes. Almost like
it.”

“But where are we
going?” asked Jai.

“The Black
Cuillins
,” she said in a mysterious voice.

“The Black
Cuillins
,” repeated Hannah softly to herself.

“Yes, but not until
next Saturday. It would be close to the end of winter so it might be even
warmer. And besides I have some meetings to attend to. So if your mother
doesn’t mind, we can all take that trip to Loch
Coruisk
.”

“But you said we were
going to The Black
Cuillins
,” argued Hannah.

“Hannah,” Jai said
impatiently. “Loch
Coruisk
is the lake the lies at
the base of the
The
Cuillins
.
That’s how we get to the mountains. Right, Mrs. Kinnaird?”

Ethel nodded, beaming
proudly.

“Well, Mum,” asked Jai.
“Do you want to take a boat ride to Loch
Coruisk
?”

*****

Saturday couldn’t
come any quicker as the children waited impatiently for their trip. It was a
great start to their mid-term school break.

At about eleven in
the morning, Theodore drove by to pick them up. Attached at the rear of the
sports activity vehicle was a boat trailer on which sat a beautiful white boat.

“
Lady Loch
”
whispered Jai in an awe filled tone. He ran his hands along the sleek, clean
sides.

“So are you coming or
what?” said a voice as the back door flung open revealing Ethel.

The children
hurriedly sat into the far two rear seats, while Emma joined Ethel at the back.

“Nancy,” said Emma,
surprised on seeing the housekeeper in the front passenger seat. “You’re coming
along as well.”

“Couldn’t pass over
the opportunity, Mrs. Winston,” she answered, her face radiantly joyful.

Emma laughed. “I’m
glad.”

Half an hour through
Ford Road and then a set of series of right turns later, they stood at the Loch
Coruisk
jetty, looking over the waters at the Black
Cuillins
in the distance. Warmth of the oncoming spring had
caused a large number of people to flock to the
Elgol
lakeside. Trailers that served as booking offices for boat trips fringed the
tar sealed banks of the loch.

It didn’t take long
for Theodore to launch the boat from the trailer into the water. With everyone
on board, he revved up the engine and fired the boat through the lake, leaving
behind thin streams of water at its stern.

The triangular peaks
of the rugged mountains dominated the horizon. As they neared the mountains, seals
and their pups basked in the warmth of the morning on the small seaweed strewn
rock mounds that peeked over the water.

Theodore slowed the boat
into the bay, pulling close to the steep, wooden jetty. It was a rugged set of
steps that rose against the short cliff of rock, greatly complementing the
coarse and craggy landscape.

“It looks…almost
primitive,” said Emma in an awe-filled whisper. “Like someone has turned the
clock back in time.”

“I wish someone
could,” sighed Ethel. She watched the younger woman closely. Her auburn hair
was clasped back in a clip and her almond eyes glimmered with innocence as it
roamed the statuesque mountains.

“Aren’t you coming Mrs.
Kinnaird?” said Jai breaking into her thoughts.

“No,” she said. “I’m
too old to climb those stairs. Now run along and don’t forget to take your
mother with you.”

“Will you be alright,
Ethel?” Emma asked.

“Of course, I will.
Besides Nancy will be here with me. And she can manage this boat as good as
Theodore. Isn’t that right, Nancy?”

Nancy emerged from
the tiny, front cabin carrying a glass of juice for Ethel. “We will be fine, Miss.
I’ve been here several times, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about
us. And I also do need to stay to manoeuvre the boat away from the jetty to
allow others access to it.”

Emma gave a small,
assuring squeeze of Ethel’s hand and bounded out of the boat and up the stairs
after her children.

The top landing of
the stairs expanded into dark rocks that swept the hillside. Following Theodore
along the banks of the loch, the water narrowed into streams and waterfalls
into the River
Scavaig
, flowing over rocky slabs,
marking its end in the sea.

Emma dipped her hands
into the chilly, crystal water while Jai and Hannah leapt onto the rocks strewn
in its flowing pathway.

“Hey Hannah,” said Jai.
“Do you want to see some magic?”

He pulled out his
compass and covered the front with his fingers so Hannah couldn’t see it.
Looking intensely at his right palm that held the compass, he waved his left
fingers over them.

“
Aamanagoubishida
!”
he commanded and opened his palm, revealing the compass to Hannah. Its hands
were amazingly dancing, unable to locate their bearing.

“Why… how?” Hannah
whispered in astonishment.

But Jai pulled the
compass away from her, laughing. She ran after him, begging to see it again.

Theodore called the
girl over to him.

“You see,” he
explained. “the volcanic rock in the
Cuillins
has
some sort of magnetism that gives compasses their baffling qualities. I don’t
know why that is but it is. It’s no magic. It's science.”

Hannah looked over in
disbelief at the distant ridges that formed the eerie, dark summits in the
horizon.

“You don’t know what
those magnetic things are?” she asked

Theodore shook his
head.

She indicated for him
to come closer. “Maybe, it
is
magic. You just don’t know it yet,” she
said quietly in his ear.

Theodore chuckled. It
probably was.

An hour later, they
headed back to the jetty and climbed back aboard
Lady Loch
. Ethel was
still seated in her favourite spot under the fashionably designed roof that
covered most of the boat. Her eyes were glazed with inner thoughts. But on
hearing the children’s exciting voices, she rose her head towards them,
admiring their bountiful spirits. Their energy was so excitable that it made
her feel young and alive all over again. She couldn’t remember when she felt
that way. Maybe a long time ago when she had Arthur and her own children by her
side.

The boat veered out
of the bay, but the cauldrons of the mysterious mountain ridges still remained
visible. Their presence would prevail over them all the way across the lake to
Elgol
, she knew. She sighed.

“Mrs. Kinnaird,” said
Hannah, running up to her. “That was awesome. Can we come back again someday?”

“My old eyes might
have seen the last of the black cauldrons, child,” she said tiredly. “But maybe
one day, I could have someone else could bring you back here. Someone better
who could take you further in and climb the ridges and the traverse with you.
Maybe even The Red
Cuillins
.”

“I’d love that,” said
Hannah, giving her a hug. “Thank you, Mrs. Kinnaird.”

“ ‘Grandma’ would be
nice,” Ethel said, letting out another weary sigh. “Maybe you could call me
‘Grandma’.”

Nancy arched a
curious brow, turning her head towards Theodore. But Theodore was silent, his
eyes fixated on the
Elgol
jetty in the horizon,
pretending he hadn’t heard his mistress’s endearing wish. It was his tight,
pursed lips that gave him away.

Emma walked through
the damp meadow that lay behind the Kinnaird Estate. The children were back in
school for their spring term, leaving her alone once more for most part of the
day.

On some occasions she
sort the company of the Kinnaird household. She had become a regular guest in
Nancy’s kitchen while Ethel herself was now such a close friend, it was as if
they had known each other for a lifetime.

It was also amazing
how Jai and Hannah was growing fond of the old lady who they
 
fondly called Gran. Emma didn’t mind it at
all. She never really had parents of her own. Her mother was usually too drunk
or too busy to acknowledge her. And her late husband, Robert, had lost his living
parent, his mother, four years after their marriage. Ethel was the grandparent
the children never had.
 
She fussed over
them as if they were her own. Emma appreciated that.

But it was Theodore
and Nancy’s disposition that strangely worried her. They didn’t seem far too
keen on seeing her children call Ethel, “Gran”. Although, they never really
said how they felt about it aloud. At least to her. Nevertheless, it was clear
that they cherished the children as much as did Ethel. She supposed that that
should suffice and began to wonder if she was reading too much into the
situation.

She plucked a snow
white primrose amidst the many that were blossoming in the early spring
afternoon. The first blooms of violet were already on show and many of Skye’s
birds were back in their nests. She heard the tweets of skylarks in the trees
around her. A white-tailed eagle was seating perched on a distant rock.

The magic of spring
affected her in her gait as she walked back towards the house, her face beaming
from the freshness of the new season. She felt almost like a child, twirling
the small white flower in her hands, her head inclined to the sky while her
eyes tried to possess all the blueness in it.

As she neared her
house, she heard the children laughing. She smiled at first and increased her
pace to join them. But something stilled her instead. Their laughter possessed
a cheeriness that she had not heard in a long time- ever since they had left
London. It was then she heard his voice and her heart almost froze. Richard was
here.

*****

She stood at the door
of the living room as she watched Richard pick Hannah up onto his lap. Jai was
hovering over him, detailing his new school life and new found friends. They
giggled while they watched Jai comically demonstrate an antic that had landed
him into trouble with the teacher.