Highland Secrets (English Edition) (2 page)

My eyes opened wide in shock. “Five hundred thousand pounds? But I can’t accept it. That’s not right.” My heart was beating so fast that it was threatening to jump out of my chest
.

“Why not
? Didn’t you just say that you were broke?«

“Yes, but
that’s enough money to restore an entire gallery of paintings.”

“It is a complete gallery. You should really accept the offer.
It was extremely important to Professor MacLeod. He had trust in your ability. And it really is a lot of money.” He wrinkled his forehead and gave me a serious and encouraging look.

I thought about it. When he put it like that, the lawyer was right. It didn’t look like I was going to find work in the next few weeks
. This work would keep my head above water for some time. And if these paintings were on the MacLeod’s estate, a family with a long tradition, then they must be truly great paintings. I would gain so much experience from restoring pieces of art like this and may even make a name for myself. And if I was honest, what other option did I have?

“Where is
Glenoak Hall?”

“On the Isle of Skye near
Dunvegan. About twelve hours from London.”

Twelve hours. That wasn’t exactly
closeby. However, I didn’t have any other plans at the moment. And I had always wanted to see Scotland, I thought to myself. And what did I have to lose? It was really just a win-win situation even if I didn’t know exactly what to think about it all. However, Professor MacLeod was a man I had always trusted. I had no reason to stop trusting him now, but there was still something I had to clear up.

“It says in the letter that the paintings would not be the real reason for my visit, what is the real reason?”

“Unfortunately, I am not allowed to say anything. The professor doesn’t want to influence you in this matter, but believe me when I tell you that it is not criminal or dangerous.”

I thought about and at the same time tried to ignore the uneasy feeling I had. This offer really
appealed  to me, who wouldn’t it appeal to? It involved a huge sum of money. I was chewing on my little fingernail. This was an annoying habit of mine, but helped me when I was thinking about something. “When shall I start?”

“A driver will pick you up tomorrow. Can you settle
your affairs by then?”

There isn’t that much I need to settle. “Yes.”

The car that picked me up was surprisingly not a taxi.
No, I was able to travel in style in a Mercedes Benz with extra features. There was chilled juice and champagne in the bar and there was a DVD player too. I felt insecure in my discreet clothing compared to that of the chaffeur and also felt out of place in the car. But all this luxury – and two glasses of delicious champagne – meant that I soon forgot about this feeling of unease.

I didn’t really have many possessions in my two suitcases. Just a few pieces of clothing that I had deemed acceptable.
The remaining space was taken up by my working utensils. The driver and I spent the journey in mutual silence. This gave me the opportunity to take in the wonderful rural areas which Skye had to offer. The woods were replaced by pastures on which the sheep were dosing. There were small, quiet fantasy towns and villages up in the hills and mountains. We travelled along the coast and to numerous lochs; Loch na Cairidh, Loch Ainort, Loch Sligachan and Loch Harport to name only a few of the major ones. The sky was just as grey here as it was in London, but the weather didn’t really matter to me. I would be spending most of my time in the house working anyway. Ultimately, I wasn’t here to relax, but to gain the experience I had often sought after.

Dunvegan
was the sort of small town that I had always imagined when I thought about the Highlands. “The town had been an important port for such a long time, but it’s now more of a tourist attraction. Almost all the tourists come here to visit Dunvegan Castle”, my driver explained to me. “You should also take a look at the castle while you’re here. There’s not much else to see. A couple of nice restaurants, a few souvenir shops and hotels. Oh, and perhaps you could go on a boat tour to one of the seal islands.”

Dunvegan
is by and large a romantic town that is like a fantasy. There were older houses, but most of them appeared to me to be under a hundred years old. A normal small town without anything special to offer. I was almost a little disappointed as I had actually expected many more historical buildings. Life was definitely to be found elsewhere. After just five minutes and a bakers, a butchers and a pub, we had passed through Dunvegan and were back on the open road. There were just single houses dotted around here and there.

We went along a really beautiful
street which prompted some motorbike riders to overtake us. After a few minutes, our car turned off onto an unsurfaced road, which meandered up a really steep hill on top of which there was a huge estate surrounded by green hedges. It was therefore only possible to see the dark green roof and two towers reinforced with square battlements that rose on both sides of the building. It was only possible to see the actual house, a large, rectangular box with high windows, countless bays and an entrance surrounded by pillars, after we had passed through the high cast-iron gate. We drove along a long driveway past an old spring fountain overgrown with moss at the centre of which there was a scantily-clad hero slaying a dragon.

The estate and the house left a good impression on me, but I di
dn’t expect anything else from Professor MacLeod. The car stopped in front of the house and I was excited about who and what awaited me in Glenoak Hall.

The driver opened the trunk and took out my bags. With a nod, he indicated for me to follow him, which I did. We hadn’t
quite reached the three steps which led to the entrance that was magnificently decorated with carvings when an older man in a tuxedo and with round nickel glasses on his nose opened the door.

After giving us a brief look, he offered a friendly smile and this time I got the impression that this smile was sincere. “Ms
. Sands, it is very nice to meet you.” His eyes sparkled slightly in a way that reminded me of sexual admiration if I hadn’t of known better. I was obviously mistaken because, as soon as I blinked and looked at the man with squinting eyes, I realized that he was just being distant.

“My name is Alfred and I am the house butler. Please come in.” He took the suitcases from the driver, quickly thanked him and sent him back to London.

I followed Alfred up a wide staircase to the top floor. The clacking sound of my heels was swallowed up by a dark-red carpet, which covered up every individual step and also decorated the long floor upstairs with numerous doors leading off it on one side. The floor was brightened up by soft lamps which were attached over chests of drawers or paintings on the walls.

“The bathroom is at the end of the corridor.
It’s the only own in the house. Otherwise, there is only one other bathroom in the men’s bedroom. But that shouldn’t be a problem.” Was there an element of sarcasm in the hoarse voice of the butler? “There are two more toilets on the ground floor; the guest toilet and one for the employees. You are welcome to use the guest toilet when you are downstairs. Then you don’t always have to come upstairs.”

As I assumed
that he didn’t expect an answer from me, I didn’t bother replying. A cold flow of air brushed across my cheek and my neck. There was a draught somewhere. I hoped that it was warmer in my room than it was here in the corridor. I didn’t like it when it was cold. My muscles would start to feel very stiff and I wasn’t able to work very well.

Alfred
opened a dark wooden door and let me enter in front of him. “Your room. I hope you will feel at home here. Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything else.”

I tried t
o suppress my enthusiasm at the breathtaking room and took a look around. A large, wide wooden bed dominated the room which was decorated with floral wallpaper and matched the old-fashioned style of the house as a whole. There was an enormous wardrobe directly behind me next to the door. I felt sorry for the person who at one time may have had to carry this monstrosity from the house when the cupboard was no longer needed. It appeared to be made from one piece of material, that’s how huge it was. The wood was already cracked in some places and the flowers that had been painted on it were fading, but it was still beautiful nonetheless. Back then, furniture was built to last an eternity. When I saw old objects that had been so well maintained, I often had to shake my head about the fast-paced world we live in today where nothing lasts long at all. This wardrobe had remained in good condition for two hundred years.

A landscape painting was hanging on the wall above
the bed, which, if I wasn’t mistaken, showed the wood which was attached to the back of the estate. A washbasin with a metal bowl and a ceramic jar stood between two round arched windows and opposite the bed was a fall front desk which made me green with envy. Maybe I should ask whether I can take this masterpiece with me when I departed. I had always wanted to own such a wonderful desk.

A fire was burning in a small black cast-iron oven. I could see the flames flickering through a
pane. Somebody had heated up the room for me. Maybe it was Alfred. That was very prudent of him.

Alfred
put both my suitcases down in the center of the room. “I will unpack them immediately, but first I just want to quickly ask Molly, my wife, when the food will be ready. You are no doubt hungry after your long journey.”

Now after Alfred
mentioned it, I actually had a strange feeling in my stomach. “You don’t have to unpack my suitcases. There is only work equipment in them anyway. I can do it on my own thanks.” He was probably used to doing all kinds of work for his employer, but then again I wasn’t used to being waited on. I didn’t like it. He would have to get used to the fact that I preferred to do some things myself.

“Then I will go and find Molly.
There is an intercom downstairs that you can call me on if you need anything. There used to be a bell pull, but we got rid of that years ago. Just press the button. The same device is in every room, so I will be able to hear you.” I nodded, but I knew that I definitely wouldn’t use it. The mere idea of my voice being heard in every room in the house sent a shiver down my spine.

“Oh a
nd Ms. Sands, about the mask on the bed”, he pointed to a carnival mask which looked like something from Venice if the historical films and documentaries I had seen were to be believed, “it’s for the masked ball that the man of the house is holding this evening. He would like you to attend. Have you brought a dress with you?” Alfred looked at me questioningly from under his raised eyebrows.

I actually wanted to do any
thing but attend a masked ball because I didn’t like being among large groups of people, but I considered it to be impolite to refuse, especially as the butler was looking at me so intently that I didn’t dare say no. I nodded in surprise, but at the same time in a way that showed I had not forgotten my good upbringing. The only dress I had packed may not have been at all suitable for this type of event, but it would have to do. I couldn’t be expected to have anything more than a plain dress just in case I went to a restaurant, as ultimately I wasn’t here to have fun.

After Alfred had left the
room which would be mine for the foreseeable future, I started to take a closer look at everything. The dark brown cupboard was empty and had a musty smell which was probably due to its age. A white floral bedspread made of smooth fabric was laid out over the bed and there was probably the most ample duvet I had ever seen under the bedspread. This duvet would definitely keep me warm. Note paper and a pen were left on the white fall front desk and were just waiting for me to use them. I added a few of my own notepads and pens to the collection. After I had finished exploring, I decided to have a shower to get rid of the smell from the long car journey and to make myself reasonably presentable for this masked ball.

The bathroom at the end of the corridor was completely different to the rest of the house. It was
furnished in a modern, yet simple way. The floor was decorated with black tiles and the walls were white with a green marble effect that could barely be seen. There was a shower with a wide shower head, which allowed water to trickle over me like light rain, and a corner bath. Everything looked almost brand new.

After having a refreshing shower, I immediately felt much better and ready for anything.
I went back to my room wearing just my simple, black dress to do my hair. After I had spent a while trying out different styles, I opted to have my hair loosely pinned up. A quick glance at the time on my cell phone showed that it was already eight o’clock in the evening. I listened out for noise from downstairs, but I couldn’t hear anything that indicated to me that the guests had already arrived.

With the mask in my hand, I turn
ed towards the mirror which was attached above the wash basin and I stroked my figure in satisfaction. The black, tight-fitting dress accentuated my figure which was something I was proud of. The low-cut décolleté didn’t reveal too much, but it still accentuated my cup size C in just the right way. The length of the dress was just long enough that it covered my thighs, which were my only flaw. They were a bit too fat.

I look at the mask in excitement, but also with a slightly uneasy feeling. It was covered in black velvet and the edge was sequined, which
sparkled in silver in the light of the ceiling lighting. White soft down feathers were attached to the top edge which swayed gently when you moved the mask or breathed on it.

I reluctantly put on the carnival mask and looked in the mirror. It took my breath away.
It covered my face and at the same time accentuated my green eyes in a mysterious way. It made them really light up and gave them a wonderfully attractive glow. And it accentuated my magnificent red made-up lips. This mask bestowed me with beauty that I wasn’t familiar with, but which fascinated me. And it made me anonymous.

I was able to move among the guests without anybody remembering or recognizing me afterwards when
they met me again. This feeling of anonymity gave me courage which I had never otherwise had when I was among people. A feeling of self-confidence that I had not known before flooded through me.

I may have been proud of my
figure which I always liked to accentuate, but I only did that to deflect attention away from my obvious flaw; being insecure when talking to people. I eventually realized that people noticed your beauty. They tolerated you more when you were beautiful in their eyes. The only person this trick didn’t work with was the person it should have worked with most of all and that was my grandmother.

Failure was unthinkable for her. When I made a mistake, I would be punished
with neglect. Neglect that would sometimes last for days on end depending on the severity of my mistake. This meant that she didn’t speak a single word to me. She didn’t cook me any food. She didn’t wash my clothes. She just treated me as if I didn’t exist. My grandmother’s behavior made me very demanding. I was never satisfied, but I was cautious about doing everything perfectly. It turned me into somebody who withdrew from everybody in an attempt to strive for perfection. I didn’t have any friends and was only aware of my own progress. My life consisted of work and the attempt to be faultless in everything I did. The lifestyle of self-imposed loneliness was therefore the reason why I felt uncomfortable in other people’s company. I was always slightly on edge which was reflected in my nervous babbling.

I looked at the mask in my mirror and smiled. It was now time to break loose and be somebody else. To reach the point where my courage didn’t let me down.