Highland Fling (4 page)

He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. Shit. Phil had seen it. Would he tell the others? Would he make a joke of it in front of
her?
He raced from the room jumping the stairs three at a time and burst into the sitting room. The others were all there and they stared up at him in surprise.

‘You okay mate?’ Pete said.

‘Fine. Why?’ His eyes found Phil’s.

Pete grinned. ‘You ran in 'ere like the devil 'imself was after you. Seen a ghost?’

Phil shook his head in answer to Jack’s unspoken question and Jack relaxed slightly.

‘'Ave some of these biscuits Jack,’ Pete was saying offering him a plate of homemade shortbreads and chocolate chip cookies and Jack took two. ‘They’re top banana.’

‘This is some place eh?’ Steve said, his eyes taking in his surroundings.

Heavy crewel work curtains hung at the casement windows, beneath which, was a window-seat strewn with several plump cushions. Two overstuffed, oversized, sofas, one green leather, the other red and green tartan chenille, formed an L-shape on one side of the ornate stone fireplace. Three leather wing chairs and one club chair were on the other side.

The massive hearth with its black, wrought iron fire basket and shining, black fire-irons held a roaring log and coal fire and either side of this were a wrought iron coal scuttle and a large wicker woven log basket, containing what was once a tree, chopped into fire-size logs. Set back from the fire and centred between the sofas and chairs was a long, low, oak coffee table.

On the other side of the room from the fire were a large antique oak sideboard, a writing desk and chair, an ornate drinks cabinet and the door into the main hall. Opposite the front window, at the other end of the room were several bookcases full of books and on the same wall as the fireplace, a door connecting into another smaller sitting room which housed the television, DVD player, two comfy sofas, four chairs and a smaller fireplace, which backed on to the main one.

‘Do you think that’s a real fire or one of those gas effect things?’ Jeff asked staring into the flames.

‘It’s real, thickhead,’ Steve said munching on two biscuits at a time. ‘They don’t make gas fires that big. I’ll tell you something, if she cooks this good and owns this place I might just make her one of my girls.’

Jack choked on a biscuit.

‘I don’t think you will,’ Phil said, ‘she’s already spoken for.’ His eyes met Jack’s.

‘Yeah?’ How do you know that?’ Steve asked.

Phil sipped his coffee and Jack held his breath. ‘She’s married. She said so on the way here.’

‘So, what’s going on then?’

Jane dropped on to the rocking chair she’d pulled in front of Alastair’s basket and stroked Alastair’s ears whilst Lizzie frenetically stirred the contents of the cast iron pot on one of the Aga hotplates.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, for one thing you’re going to wear a hole in that pot.’

Lizzie stopped stirring. ‘It’s nothing.’

‘Yeah, yeah. I’ve known you for years Elizabeth Marshall and I’ve never seen you quite this edgy.’

‘I’m just anxious about this weekend that’s all.’ Lizzie resumed stirring.

‘Why? The guys seem a nice bunch – especially Jack – aha! Do I detect a flicker of interest?’

‘What? Are you mad? It may have escaped your attention madam but I do believe he’s the bridegroom!’

‘Intended bridegroom. He’s not married yet Lizzie.’

‘What are you going on about? Sometimes I really do think you’ve lost your mind. Hand me the pepper please.’

‘Oh come on. Don’t give me that high and mighty, holier than thou crap and don’t look at me like that either.’ Jane got up and got the pepper from the herb cupboard. She passed it to Lizzie.  ‘I saw the two of you on the station platform.’

Lizzie glanced at her. ‘Yes. We were chasing an inflatable doll, if you remember.’ She added pepper to the soup she was making, then tasted a teaspoon full.

‘But look what happened when you caught it.’

‘Nothing happened.’

‘Okay, okay. If that’s the way you want to play it fine but I saw the look on your face when you got to your feet. You were blushing from head to toe and you only do that when you really fancy someone.’

Jane tapped Lizzie on the hip and Lizzie moved slightly so that Jane could get the rolls out of the oven.

‘You are mad! It’s official. I wasn’t blushing. My face was red from the cold.’

‘Yeah right. I’ve seen you cold and I’ve seen you when you fancy someone and I can tell the difference. In fact, you had the exact same look when you met Max.’

‘What? I did not! Anyway, look where that got me. Do you really think I want to go through it all again with someone else? No thank you.’

Jane sighed, removing the rolls from their oven tray and placing them on a cooling tray on the kitchen table. ‘Okay, you weren’t blushing and you’re not crazy about him and –’

‘Crazy about him! I don’t even know him.’

‘You don’t have to know someone to be crazy about them Lizzie – and I saw the way he looked at you.’

Lizzie put the lid on the soup pot and turned the hob to simmer. She tried to sound casual when she said, ‘Looked at me?’

‘There you see, I knew you were interested.’

Lizzie threw a tea towel at Jane but it missed and landed on Alastair making him jump from his basket, barking loudly.

‘Sorry boy,’ Lizzie said, scowling at Jane.

‘There, there boy.’ Jane stroked him and he settled back down but kept one eye on Lizzie and one ear up as if unsure whether another missile might come his way.

‘Look Lizzie, I’m just saying that you’re interested in him and I’m pretty certain he’s interested in you. No, don’t argue. When you said they’d have to split into threes to go in the Land Rovers, he instantly said he’d go with you then quickly added Ross and Phil to his group. You can’t deny that. And the look he gave you on the station platform. Phew! It could have melted glaciers.’

Lizzie tutted and shook her head. ‘Okay but so what? He’s getting married Jane.’

‘So you admit it?’

‘I admit nothing. I will merely say that it’s been a long time since I’ve met such a good-looking man.’

‘And had one on top of you. Don’t throw it! You’ll hit Alastair.’

Lizzie put down the wooden spoon she’d aimed at Jane.

Jane pulled out a chair and sat at the kitchen table. ‘Look Lizzie, you could do with a bit of fun and let’s face it, that’s what a stag party is all about isn’t it? Fun. So, if you fancy him and he fancies you what harm is there in a quick fling?’

‘A quick ...! Jane. That’s almost exactly what Max said when I found him in our bed with
that woman
!’

Jane frowned. ‘Sorry. But that was different. He
was
married. This guy isn’t.’

‘He’s engaged and that’s almost as good as far as I’m concerned. I’m sorry Jane but I don’t think infidelity is something to encourage. And besides, I’m thirty-two years old – as you are so fond of reminding me, I’ve got a house that constantly needs repairs and costs a fortune to run. Animals, that eat me out of house and home. A husband who thinks we can still make a go of our marriage despite the fact that we live over six hundred miles apart, rarely see one another and I’ve told him repeatedly it’s over, and a mad friend who thinks having a fling with a man just weeks before his wedding is perfectly acceptable. Don’t you think I’ve got enough to worry about without having to deal with a broken heart too?’

Jane poured herself and Lizzie mugs of coffee from the coffee pot. ‘I’m not suggesting you fall in love with the guy. I’m only saying you need to have some fun. And it might help get Max out of your system once and for all. He’s not going to believe it’s over if you fall into bed with him every time he turns up here and turns on the charm and let’s face it, if he found out you could play at that game too, he might stop taking you for granted. Besides, if Jack keeps looking at you the way he has been – I’d say it’s pretty much a done deal.’

Jack knocked on the kitchen door moments later and peered around it. ‘Everything okay?’ he said, seeing Lizzie’s flushed cheeks and Jane picking up a broken mug and a wooden spoon from the floor. ‘We heard something smash and I thought you might ... um ... need a hand.’

Jane smiled at him, although his eyes were fixed on Lizzie. ‘No we’re fine thanks. Just dropped a mug, that’s all.’

‘Oh ... okay.’ He turned to leave then stopped. ‘Those biscuits were delicious. Did you make them?’ His eyes rested on Lizzie’s bent head.

‘Yes,’ she said without looking up.

‘Just one of her many talents,’ Jane said beaming at him. ‘Do you like the mugs? Lizzie makes those too. Sells them as souvenirs. Perhaps you’d like one to take back with you – as a reminder of Lizzie – and the weekend.’

Both Lizzie and Jack’s eyes shot to Jane’s face but she ignored them and stroked Alastair who had come to see if what she was picking up, was edible.

‘Yes. Yes. I probably will.’

‘Unless something else takes your fancy,’ Jane purred, thoroughly enjoying herself despite everything Lizzie had just said. ‘Lizzie is good at lots of things as I’m sure you’ll discover,  but I must get on. Things to do, animals to feed, and all that stuff. Come on Alastair.’ She stood up, threw the broken mug in the bin, grabbed her coat and was gone, leaving a confused Jack and a furious Lizzie staring after her.

Chapter Three

‘Coast clear?’ Jane asked poking her head round the kitchen door twenty minutes later, with Alastair doing the same.

Lizzie sighed and shook her head wearily. ‘Give it a rest Jane, please.’

‘You’re no fun. Where are they? Still in the sitting room?’

‘As far as I know. I said I’d call them when lunch is ready.’

‘Oh good, more money for you.’

‘When I start charging for soup and rolls, things really will be desperate.’

‘Things are desperate. The roof leaks, remember?’

‘Yes but it’s only soup for heaven’s sake. Make yourself useful and go and tell them it’s ready will you?’

Jane was about to open the door when Jack knocked and walked in. ‘Anything I can do? Lay the table or something?’

‘Or something,’ Jane said, an innocent smile on her lips.

‘You can tell the others it’s ready,’ Lizzie said, glowering at Jane.

‘Proper little helper isn’t he?’ Jane said when he’d gone. ‘Comes running when the china breaks. Comes running to help with lunch. You should ask him if he’s any good at mending roofs. Save yourself a fortune. And if he is, if I were you, I’d keep him.’

Lizzie sucked in her breath. ‘You’re not going to let this drop are you?’

‘Nope! Shall I take the bowls through, or shall we see if Jack comes back?’

‘God give me strength.’

During lunch the snow stopped and the afternoon sun broke through the clouds, its rays making the crisp, virgin snow look like alternating stripes of white and golden caster sugar.

‘Hey!’ the sun’s come out,’ Ross said.

‘Wow! Looks like a little winter wonderland out there. What d’ya say we go for a stroll after lunch and get our bearings?’ Phil said. ‘Can we reach the village by foot?’

Lizzie looked up from her soup. All through lunch she’d tried to avoid eye contact with Jack who’d been staring at her almost non-stop for fifteen minutes, a small furrow forming between his intense blue eyes. Jane was watching her and grinning like a Cheshire cat and for some reason, Phil kept giving her strange looks too, so she was glad of the possibility of a peaceful afternoon.

‘Yes but it’ll take a lot longer in this,’ she said, nodding towards the snow-covered fields, ‘and you won’t be able to see the path, although it’s marked on signposts and is only a couple of miles. We can drive you if you’d rather.’

‘Nah. You’re all right. Can I 'ave some more of these?’ Pete said, grabbing another bread roll from the plate filled with a selection of them, ranging from white to wholemeal and seeded. ‘Did you make these too?’

Lizzie sniggered. He was behaving as if he hadn’t eaten for a week. ‘Jane made them.’

‘Wow! They’re bloody lovely!’

‘Thank you,’ Jane said, bowing her head towards him, ‘we aim to please.’

‘I bet you do,’ Pete said, winking at her.

‘Is there a pub in the village?’ Steve asked. ‘What?’ he saw the look Jack gave him. ‘It’s after twelve and I could murder a pint.’

Lizzie grinned. ‘Yes there is. It’s the first building you come to when you reach the village. There’s also a shop that carries an amazing variety of stock and has a small post office and an off licence in it.’ She knew that would please Ross.

‘You could take Alastair,’ Jane said. ‘He knows the way to the village so you wouldn’t get lost and he’s allowed in the pub. He drinks bitter.’

‘Who’s Alastair?’ Ross asked.

Jack was grinning. ‘A Labrador. He’s in the kitchen.’

‘Yeah?’ Pete yelled. ‘I love dogs. Does 'e really drink bitter?’

‘He does,’ Lizzie confirmed, ‘although he’s only allowed a small bowl. There’s one with his name on behind the bar.’

‘Nah? You’re kidding?’

‘I’m not. They really do have a bowl especially for him. It’s for water but he does like bitter and we let him have it as a treat. Oh that’s the telephone. Excuse me.’ Lizzie strode into the hall to answer it.

‘Well, that’s it then,’ Pete was saying as she came back in, ‘we’re off to the pub.’

Lizzie started to collect the plates.

‘Let me help,’ Jack said, jumping to his feet.

‘No. We’re fine thanks. You go off and enjoy yourselves.’

Jack felt like a child being sent out to play. He was getting the distinct impression that she was trying to keep him at arm’s length.

‘That was my neighbour Iain Hamilton on the phone,’ Lizzie was saying. ‘He owns Heatherdown, the large farm that borders this place. It seems he’s decided to have a ceilidh tomorrow night. Everyone’s invited.’

‘Including us lot?’ Phil asked.

Lizzie nodded. ‘He’ll send his son Fraser for us at seven. He’s got a sort of open wagon they use in the summer to take tourists around the farm so we’ll all fit in.’