From Scotland with Love (6 page)

‘And that includes being a midwife to their dogs?’

‘From now on, it’ll be added to the list.’

He chuckled, and put his arm round her. This time, instead of just giving her a squeeze, he kissed the top of her head. Daisy supressed a little sigh. He was so gorgeous (she now let herself admit it) but he would think she was far too young for him. He was treating her like a baby sister, which was not what she wanted at all.

It was eleven thirty, and Griselda was the proud mother of five puppies when one got stuck. She pushed and cried and caused Rory to breathe quickly. ‘You could go and ring Hamish,’ suggested Daisy, who was frightened herself.

‘No point. I had a text while I was making sandwiches. He’s got no chance.’

‘Just us then,’ said Daisy. She swallowed and looked at the lump protruding from Griselda. The dog was in pain and the puppy could easily die. What worried Daisy more was what would happen to Griselda if all the afterbirth didn’t come away, if there were more pups stuck in the queue. Then they’d really need Hamish. ‘Could you hand me a towel?’

As gently as she could, trying to set aside her fears, she took hold of the puppy and pulled and turned it a little. To her enormous relief if came out and she was able to lift it away. It was very still though and trapped in its bag. ‘Scissors,’ she said softly. Rory handed them to her and even more careful now, she cut until its face was no longer covered. It hadn’t moved. Griselda was panting her way through another contraction so Daisy did what she’d seen her mother do, and rubbed the little creature briskly, roughly almost. At last it squeaked. Daisy sighed deeply and handed it to the dog who had looked up anxiously when she heard her pup make a noise.

When Daisy had dealt with the afterbirth she felt suddenly very tired and emotional. She knew it was mostly relief that all seemed to be well, but it made her feel rather wobbly. She looked at Rory and realised he was wobbly too. It seemed natural to take him into her arms and give him a hug. He hugged her back, and they stood there, both holding on tightly.

At last Daisy felt she should break out of where she really wanted to stay forever. She looked up, about to say something about a cup of tea. Rory was looking down at her, his mind obviously on something quite different. Daisy took a breath. What was about to happen was not professional, but it was what she wanted more than anything. His mouth came down on hers.

Hardly had his lips met hers than there was a frantic banging on the back door. For a second they stared at each other. Daisy felt horribly caught out as if somehow work had discovered she was about to kiss their top author. Rory was confused for a moment and then he grinned.

‘It must be after midnight. That’s the sound of a First Footer if ever I heard one!’

They went to the door together. Mari and two men Daisy didn’t recognise were there. The one nearest the door had hair the colour of soot. But it wasn’t his hair colour that had Rory so delighted.

‘Hamish! You made it!’

‘I got as far as these guy’s –’ He indicated Mari and a man Daisy took to be her husband. ‘They said they’d come with me.’ Without wasting time on either ancient rituals or formalities, Rory lead Hamish to where Griselda and the pups were.

Mari was in a little less of a hurry to see the new arrivals although only slightly. ‘We knew the puppies would be here or nearly here, so we said we’d come first footing and get an early look. Oh, Daisy, this is Ian, my man and this is Daisy.’

Ian smiled down kindly at Daisy, his red hair making him look far more Scottish than the dark haired Hamish. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you, Daisy.’

Daisy shuddered. ‘I’m not even going to try and find out what.’

Rather than overcrowd the new mother Daisy went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Then she found glasses and got out the cake.

Mari joined her shortly afterwards. ‘They’re not what you’d call cute but adorable, for all that. And seven of them! That’s a good number.’

Daisy nodded. ‘I feel as if they’re my puppies too! Now what will people want? Whisky or tea?’

‘Whisky. And traditionally we’d eat Black Bun with it.’

Daisy frowned. ‘What on earth is Black Bun?’

Mari laughed. ‘It’s a cake. You’ve got a cake there. I’ve brought shortbread with me. Oh and some coal – don’t ask –’

‘Even I know that coal is to do with the first footing thing you go in for up here.’

Mari laughed again. ‘We have to buy some specially. We all use wood burners up here. Ah, here they come. I’ll get pouring.’

The kitchen was suddenly full of men laughing and banging each other on the backs. Daisy and Mari handed out tumblers of whisky, cake and shortbread. Suddenly there was a silence. Rory raised his glass. ‘A toast! To Daisy! She may be a rubbish PR girl but she’s a brilliant midwife when it comes to puppies!’

Daisy realised no one but she and Rory had a clue what a PR girl was and accepted the toasts, the kisses and the appreciation that came her way.

‘I must say,’ said Hamish, ‘speaking as a vet, you did all the right things with Grizzie. Rory was very lucky you were there.’

Daisy realised she was blushing. ‘I’ve seen puppies being born before.’

‘You were still brilliant,’ said Rory.

Daisy found herself looking up into his eyes and blushed some more. There was respect, appreciation and something she really hoped was lust in them. She wished she could magic away the other people and see if he would really kiss her then.

‘Let’s go by the fire and sit down,’ he said a second later. ‘I’m exhausted. And you guys must be too. Walking all that way in the snow.’

Then the cosy sitting room was full of people, easily taking up the two arm chairs and the sofa. The room looked lovely, Daisy thought, having lit the candles while Rory made up the fire. Hamish went round topping up glasses and Mari muttered about making crumbs with the shortbread. It was a delightful party.

Daisy found herself with nowhere to sit and somehow ended up on the rug in front of the fire, leaning against the armchair Rory was sitting on. He offered her the chair but she declined. ‘I like being able to really see the flames,’ she explained and he didn’t argue.

Daisy didn’t really know any of these people and yet as she listened to their chat she realised she felt quite at home among them which was ridiculous. She had as much place in their lives as one of those orchids that last forever did among the heather, or the wild mountain thyme. She was just starting to feel more than a little sentimental when everyone was on their feet and going.

There was a lot of hugging and seasonal greetings and then suddenly everyone was gone. It was just Rory and Daisy, confronting each other. No one spoke for long seconds. Daisy caved in first. ‘We’d better check on Grizzie,’ she said.

Rory nodded solemnly. ‘Yes. She was only checked by one of the best vets in the Highlands a few minutes ago.’

‘Well, I haven’t seen her for a while!’ said Daisy and tiptoed into her room.

Griselda lay, almost as long as a man, on the special bedding Hamish had brought with him, her pups all latched on, sucking away. She raised her head when Daisy entered and lifted her tail, half proud and half bemused by what had happened to her.

It took Daisy a long time to convey to Grizzie just what a clever girl she was and how beautiful her (slightly rat-like) puppies were. Rory came in just as she was finishing. He took Daisy’s hand and raised her to her feet.

‘I’m going to sleep in here with Grizzie. Hamish says these big dogs can be a bit clumsy.’

‘Well, let me know if you’d like me to take a turn. I wouldn’t mind at all.’

‘I know you wouldn’t. You’re very loyal.’

‘Well, to Grizzie, I am!’ said Daisy.

‘To us both, you are.’

Daisy was suddenly desperate to get away. She’d longed for him to take her into his arms, to his bed but now she didn’t seem able to handle the situation.

‘You go to bed now, Daisy,’ he said gently. ‘You must be exhausted.’

She was awoken the following morning by the smell of bacon frying. For a while she lay there, wondering what was going on and then she remembered the puppies. She got out of bed and grabbed Eleanor’s abandoned dressing gown (also cashmere). She was still doing it up as she ran down the stairs to see how Griselda was getting on.

She was lying on her side, seven rat-sized puppies kneading her side as they had their breakfast. The previous evening they’d been tube shaped. Today, they were little balloons. They’d obviously been feeding all night. Rory came in while she was still kneeling, telling Griselda what a good and clever dog she was.

‘It’s amazing, isn’t it?’ she said, looking up at him.

‘It is. And there’s breakfast. Come and have some. Grizzie will still be here afterwards.’

Daisy got to her feet and tightened her dressing-gown belt. ‘I’ll pop up and get dressed.’

‘Don’t, come as you are. You look enchanting. I like you without make-up and your hair in a bird’s nest.’

‘It took me hours to get it like this,’ she said solemnly.

‘Yes, about eight hours,’ he said, grinning. ‘Come and have bacon and eggs.’

There was definitely a feeling of celebration as they ate the enormous breakfast cooked by Rory.

‘I don’t usually have much first thing,’ said Daisy, on her second slice of toast having eaten a very ‘full Scottish’.

‘Well, it isn’t first thing, being ten o’clock,’ said Rory. ‘Are you sure you won’t try the fried haggis? It’s very tasty.’

‘I’m sure it is but I’ve eaten enough bacon and eggs for six PR girls already. I couldn’t manage another thing.’

He leaned forward and scooped a tiny blob of marmalade from the corner of her mouth.

‘I’m going to get showered now,’ said Daisy, suddenly feeling very under dressed.

She came down a little later, showered, dressed and with a bit of make-up. It was all very well for Rory to say she looked good without it but she knew better. She’d replied to a long text from Venetia who was pleased about the pups but wanted to know if she’d managed to ask Rory to sign up for the four books Athene so wanted from him yet. Daisy had replied she was waiting for the right moment when in fact, she’d forgotten all about that. She just wanted to think about Rory, Griselda and the puppies, not book deals.

She went into the kitchen, prepared to tidy up after last night’s party and today’s breakfast. To her surprise, the kitchen was in pretty good shape. She did some wiping down and putting away but really Rory had done a very good job. She had put the kettle on for more tea when the back door opened and Mari came in.

‘I had to come and peek at the bairns,’ she said, apparently a little embarrassed. ‘I’m not here officially.’

‘Well, it’s lovely to see you whether you’re official or not,’ said Daisy. ‘Cup of something?’

‘Tea please. I’ll just go and see Grizzie.’

Daisy went to join Mari and Rory in their puppy adoration and then Mari said, ‘Come on, you two need to get out. I’ll watch the babies.’

Daisy suddenly yearned to leave the house and go out in the snow. She didn’t know how much longer it might last. When the snow went, or even partly went, she would have to go too.

‘Are you up for it, Daisy?’ asked Rory, as if she might not be.

‘Oh yes. We need to walk that breakfast off.’

Well wrapped up, they walked in silence for a bit, finding the effort of walking through the snow enough without speaking as well. Eventually they stopped. They were on a ridge overlooking the loch and the mountains beyond.

‘I’m going to miss this,’ said Daisy. ‘I never thought I’d say that, but I really am.’

‘So am I,’ said Rory.

Daisy looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’ A tiny part of her hoped he was going to say he would miss her. Most of her knew he wouldn’t.

‘I might have to sell it. I have an expensive wife to pay off and a one-time friend who isn’t as interested in the environment as I thought he was. As he thought he was, to be fair. Don’t tell me, Mari didn’t tell you all about it. She’s not a gossip but she likes people to be informed, which is how she defines it herself.’

Daisy didn’t speak immediately then she plucked up her courage and said, ‘There is a way you could get money. Lots of it.’

‘I’m not selling that bit of land those foreigners are after,’ he said swiftly. ‘I don’t care how much they’re willing to pay. It’s possible there are wild cats on that site and I won’t have it built on!’

‘Oh! Mari didn’t tell me about that. Perhaps she thought I didn’t “need to know”.’

He relaxed. ‘Sorry. All my friends – the few I’ve got I trust – have said I should just sell that little corner and all my troubles will be over, but I can’t. I worked damn hard to buy it and I’m keeping it.’

‘My idea was different.’

‘Tell me.’

‘You may not like this idea either.’ She knew, because Venetia had told her yet again in her previous text, that he had always completely rejected the idea of a contract for more than one book. But Athene wanted more than one book, four books for preference, for all sorts of reasons Venetia didn’t think she needed to share with Daisy.

‘What? It’s getting worse in my imagination all the time.’

‘Turn off your imagination! It’s agreeing to sign for four books and not just one. Athene would pay you shed loads.’ She didn’t know exactly how enormous the sheds were, but Venetia assured her they were massive.

‘Oh.’ He sounded as if this was an entirely new idea. ‘I’ve always insisted on only signing for one book at a time. I don’t like to be tied down by long contracts. I might want to give up writing.’

‘Well, it’s up to you of course. It’s a solution though, that doesn’t mean you have to lose any of this.’

She made a sweeping gesture at the stunning scene before them.

He didn’t speak for a long time. Daisy spent the time drinking in the beauty of the mountains, the snow, the silver light on the loch, the dark of the distant tree trunks contrasting with the snow weighing down the branches.

He cleared his throat. ‘How much do you think I’d get?’

‘I don’t know. But I suggest you ask your agent for how much you want and then leave it with him.’