The House on the Shore (18 page)

“Hear, hear!” yelled MacIver.

Anna was about to point out that the estate didn’t own the loch
or the land around it
when Charles Downie, one of t
he tenant sheep farmers, spoke.

“Get away with you
,
man.
We don’t want folk coming in and spoiling the glen.
Think of all the extra traffic through the village.
W
ho would pay to improve the road?
Not the estate, that’s for sure.
That would be the responsibility of the local council, which would mean higher taxes for us all.
It’s not fair Mr
.
Alistair, and we want none of your grand plans.
Go back to France and let us be!”

Angus Murray,
the owner of the garage, stood,
and pointed
at
the man standing next to Anna.
“Hold your tongue man!
It will be your turn to speak once the Laird has finished telling us his plans.
Have the gr
ace to listen to what he says.”

A murmur of voices went round the hall.
Alista
ir banged his hand on the table
.

“If I may be allowed to continue,” he shouted above the noise.
“I also plan to increase the number of shooting parties on the estate, both for stags and game birds.
That will not only
mean
more trade for the hotel, it will also bring further employment opportunities for the rest of you, at least during the shooting season.
I’ve only mentioned a few of the possibilities, all of which will improve your standard of living and
bring
new life into the glen.”

Anna felt a reluctant approval for Alistair.
His voice had depth and authority.
He was calm, articulate, but more importantly, was prepared to dispel his tenant’s reservations.
She
thought about
leaving
,
but
he star
t
ed speaking once more.

“However, unless the estate can be put back into profit, I’ll have no choice but to make some of my employees redundant, and possibly consider selling some of the cottages.
The estate will not, and cannot afford to continue as it did under my father’s control.”
He sat down and took a sip of water from the glass in front of him.

Old Dougal stood and took off his cap.
“With respect, Mr
.
Alistair, do I understand you to say that the estate has financial difficulties?
If so, how to you propose to pay for all these changes?”

Alistair flinched.
“The financial stability of the estate has nothing to do with my
plan
s.
I am, however, proposing a rent increase of ten per
cent
to take effect immediately
.”

The room erupted.
Mrs
.
McPherson looked ready to faint.
Old D
ougal fanned her with his cap.

“But
our rents wer
e increased only six months ago
,
” a grudging voice barked from the middle of the room.

“Your father would not be
do
ing that
,” shouted Fraser.
“He’d find another way
.
”

“The only person
who benefits from these wild plans, is you Alistair Grant!
Not us!” Morag screamed, pointing an accusing finger.

The Reverend Cameron stood.
“Quiet
,
please.
Mr
.
Alistair, would you care to respond to
your tenant’s concerns
?”

Alistair ran a hand through his hair.
“The truth of the matter is that my father let things slip.
The nat
ure of his illness is such, that
most the time he is unaware of what he is doing.
I know for a fact that until six months ago, there had been no
rent
increase for five years.
I’m assured by my factor,” Alistair nodded to the little man on his right, “that the new rent proposed for the crofts and cottages
is
still well below the market value.”

“Aye, but we only have your word for that!” they shouted as one.

Alistair held up both his hands.
He
shouted
over the protests.
“If…if you are unhappy with the increases, there is provision in your leases for arbitration.
But be warned, i
f you decided to invoke that clause, and the rent on your property is subsequently found to be less than it should be, then the estate not only has the right to charge the correct amount, but also
claim
any
cost
s incurred in
the arbitration hearing.”

“Well, I’ll no pay you anymore,”
a woman near the front yelled.

Alistair stared at the woman.
“Mrs
.
Stewart, isn’t it?”

She nodded, grey curls bouncing in anger.
“Aye.
I’ve lived
in the village
since you were in
your pram
, and like many other folk here tonight, I’ve only my pension to live on since my man died.
Hamish worked for your family all his life.
Your father and his father before him always looked after the folk who served
them
, unlike you, you…upstart…with your extravagant ways and expensive tastes!”

Alistair rested his hands on the table and
glar
ed at the woman.
“That’s not quite true, is it, Mrs
.
Stewart?
You’re forgetting the
e
state provides you with all your winter fuel free of charge.”

“A few loads of logs
and a bag of peat
!
How generous you are, Alistair Grant!
I’m telling you, if you put the rent up again, your tenants will not stand for it.
They will move elsewhere.
The village will become deserted like others in the Highlands.
Then what will you do with your fancy
ideas
?”

Exasperated, Alistair sat down.
His
factor shouted over the heads of the village
r
s in an attempt to
regain control, but it was pointless.
Annoyed that the meeting had fallen into bedlam, Alistair
stood
.
A
ccompanied by his factor,
he climbed down off the stage,
and left the hall.

Anna slipped out of the door.
She’d heard enough.
The villagers would stay and argue for hours.
Alistair might think he could develop the
e
stat
e, but without considerable aid
and the approval of the local council, his plans were likely no
thing more than empty dreams.

She
was about to unlock the Land Rover when someone took her arm and spun her round.

“O
h, Alistair, you surprised me.”

“I thou
ght I saw you at the meeting,” he said, smiling.

Her cheeks burned.
“I know I’m not a tenant, but I didn’t think you would object if I
came along
, seeing as Tigh na Cladach
land
shares a boundary with
your land
.
A
ny plans you have might affect
me
.”

“Why should I object?
You’re as much a part of this community as
everyone else
.
W
hy don’t you come across to the hotel and have a drink with me, and you can tell me how you thought the meeting went.”

She hesitated.
“I should be getting back, but…all right.
Just a quick one
as
I’m driving.”

Alistair touched her elbow, urging yet protective.
“Come on;
if we hurry, we can get there before everyone else
.”
They
turned and
walked the short distance
to
the hotel
bar
.

“
T
here’s a table in the corner free.
Go and sit down and I’ll bring the drinks over.
What would you like?”

“
A glass of white wine, please.”

While Anna waited for her drink she looked around the crowded bar.
Malcolm Fraser and Charles Downie sat at a table
op
posite. T
heir heads bent together, no doub
t discussing Alistair’s plans.

Then
she saw him
, t
he mysterious guest from room thirteen.
His hooded eyes studied her with a curious intensity as he perched
on a stool
at the end of the bar.
Anna shuddered involuntarily.
Relief washed over her a second later when Alistair returned with two glasses.
He placed one on the table in front of her.

“Thank you.”
She struggled to focus on him.
Do not look at
the ugly man, she told herself, e
ven though he’s looking at you.
Don’t turn around.

“Are you all right?”
Alistair
asked.

“
I’m fine
.
But the tenants don’t seem very hap
py about your plans, Alistair.”

“I expected some resistance.
Things have changed since my father inherited.
Sheep farming and forestry no longer bring in the income they once did.
The
e
state needs to diversify, Anna, if it’s going to
survive for another
fifty
years.”

“I understand that, b
ut do you really think turning
the
d
owager
h
ouse
into an adventure scho
ol for children is a good idea?
You will need specialist staff, and that means there won’t be many well-paid jobs for the villagers.”
Anna watched a frown settle into his features.

“Perhaps not.
M
ost estate
s have other sources of income.
These were only suggestions, Anna.
I’m still discussing my options with the accountants
and solicitors
.
I just wanted the tenants to understand that they can’t expect things to remain the same now that I’m in charge.”

Anna rested a hand on his arm.
“I see that
,
Alistair, but you have to admit that two rent rises in six months is a bit unfair.
This isn’t Mayfair, you know.”
She forced a smile.

“I appreciate
what you’re saying
.
Father just didn’t keep up the land.”
He held up his hand when she tried to interrupt.
“I know that isn’t entirely his fault
,
and that I should have shown more interest, but there’s no getting awa
y from the fact that the tenant
s have had an easy time of it for the last few years.”

Anna picked up her glass and played with the stem.
She felt irked by his cool, aloof manner in dealing with such an emotive subject, and could understand Morag’s and the other tenants’ hos
tility to his proposed changes.

“I know it’s none of my business, but will you take some advice?”

“I’m always happy to listen to you, Anna
,
dear.”

“In that case, don’t rush into making changes without considering all of your options.
Whatever you decide will affect everyone in the glen.
You could try to involve as many people as possible before committing yourself to one scheme or another
.
O
therwise you
may
find yourself fighting the very people you need to implement them.”

His patrician features stiffened.
“Anna, I own the estate and what I do with it is my decision
.
”

“You may own the land, Alistair, but without the hard
work of the people of this glen,
the estate would be worthless.
I’m telling you, if you don’t consider their needs alongside those of the estate, you might as well move back to France now.”
She swallowed the last of her wine.
“Thanks for the drink.
I’ll see you around.”