The House on the Shore (25 page)

“You didn’t…freak
me
out
.
I just didn’t hear you come in, that’s all.”

“Yeah.
It’s a good thing you didn’t have a knife in your hand when you spun around.
You might have inadvertently gutted me.”

“I would not
.
I’ve made up the spare room
.
I
t’s the one on the left at the top of the stairs
.
J
ust
watch your head on the ceiling, as
it’s rather low.
The middle door is the bathroom.
You’ll find clean towels in the cupboard.
If you want to take your bag up and wash your hands, dinner wil
l be ready when you come down.”

“
Okay
.
See you in a minute.”

Luke dumped his
bag
on the bed and looked around the room.
It was miniscule, scarcely larger than his cabin.
However, it was bright and welcoming, and came with a view of the loch and mountains beyond.
The walls were painted a delicate shade of blue.
Bordered by sapphire-coloured velvet curtains, the small dormer window faced south, and was ideally suited f
or keeping an eye on his yacht.

A
n
antique
chest
of drawers stood on either side of the door.
Their surfaces gleamed with a patina that only came from years of polishing.
The brass bed that filled the centre of the opposite wall was so large
,
that Luke wondered whether the room had been built around it.
Two paces either side of the bed and his head came into contact with the sloping ceiling.
He opened his bag, took out
his
sketchbook
, and propped it on the chest
of drawers nearest the window.

Anna’s lilting voice floated up the staircase.
“
Dinner
’
s ready.
”

He entered the kitchen
,
as she placed two plates steami
ng plates of food on the table.

“I’m sorry, there’s no wine.”

“That’s
all right
.”
Luke sniffed cautiously at his meal.
The aroma of herbs and spices and something he couldn’t quite identify assuaged his senses.
“What’s this?”

“Tatties, neeps, and haggis
.
”

“Could you translate that into English?”

Anna’s knife and fork paused in mid-air.

“Potatoes, turnip, and haggi
s.
Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”

“Mm.”
Luke replied, somewhat sceptical.
“And what
exactly
is haggis?”

Her eyes twinkled.
“
I
t’s a wee furry animal with only three legs
,
one of
which
is shorter than the other two so they can run round mountains.
Th
ey’re the very devil to catch.”

“Something tells me that’s the oldest joke in Scotland.”
He poked h
is knife at the brown substance
on his plate.
“
Y
ou
do you
expect me to eat
this
without knowing what
it is
I’m putting in my mouth.”

Anna swallowed the mouthful she’d been chewing.
“Lamb’s liver, onion, oatmeal, spices, suet,
all
cooked in a sheep’s stomach.”

“Gross!”

“Hardly.
Just think of it as the Scots’ equivalent of a boil
-in-the-bag meal,
”
s
he replied, unable to
keep the laughter from her voice.

“
My
God, that’s revolting.
”
Luke pushed his plate away.

“Taste it.
I dare you.”

“You dare me?”

“Yes, I do.
In fact I double dare you.”

“But not double dog dare.”

“
I h
aven’t heard of that one, but yes.
I double dog dare you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.
Times infinity.
Ha!”

With a sharp intake of breath he scooped up a small amount onto his fork and tentatively took a bite.
Anna watched the range of expressions on his face with glee.

He nodded.
“Not bad, even if it does look like kitty-litter.
But if it’s all the same to you
, I think I’ll pass in future.”

“O
kay
.
But don’t accept an invit
ation to a Burns’ Night Supper,
expecting to eat
foie gras
,
”
Anna warned
.
“
Because
all you’ll get is haggis and whisky.”

“I’ll remember that.
I like your friend, Morag.
She’s very down to earth.”

“Yes
,
she is.
She reminds me of one of the hens my grandmother used to keep, always darting here and there, making sure the younger birds are safe.
Even when we were young
,
she always wanted to nurture everyone. H
er maternal instinct
i
s
very
strong.”

“Does she have children?”

“
Sadly,
Morag
had a number of miscarriages.”

“That must have been tough on her and her husband.”

“It’s one of the reasons Lachlan is insisting they buy a farm of their own.
He used to work on the estate, but gave it up in favour of working on the oil rigs.
Morag hates him being away,
she’
s terrified he’ll be hurt in some unspeakable way.”

“When Morag asked you about having a friend stay, you mentioned something about them being busy with classes.
Are you a teacher?”
He leaned back in his chair and gave her a leisurely smile.

“I’m a lecturer in
media studies and
creative writing, or
at least I was until recently.”

“I’m impressed.
W
hat made you quit?”

A momentary look of discomfort crossed her face.
“I never said I quit.
It’s just…well, if you must know my situation became intolerable, partly through my own stupidity.
What is it they say
?
N
ever mix romance with business
?
Unfortunately, I didn’t take my own advice.
Mark and I had been seeing each other for nearly two years when a more senior post became vacant.
He promised me the job,
but
gave it to
someone else in the department.”

“Mark?
The
own
er
the boots you let me use?”

“Yes.
But hillwalkin
g isn’t his favourite pastime.”

“
S
o
,
you felt you had to leave.”

“It was bad enough that he’d been two-timing me, but when he ga
ve his new girlfriend the job
you can imagine how I felt, especially as I’m better qualified.
Her experience obvio
usly lies in other directions.”

“Mark sounds like a genuine bastard.
I think anyone in your position would have done the same thing.
Would you pass the salt, please?”

Anna handed Luke the cruet.
“Perhaps, but when I gave up my job, I also gave up my
apartment
,
too.”

“Oh?
Why was that?”

“The rent was extortionate.
If I’d stayed, my savings would have been gone within a few months.
Fortunately, I had this place to fall back on.”

“But you could have found another job.”

“I could have, but I ha
ve
this rather naïve idea of becoming
a writer
.”

“And are you
writing a book?”

“My life is simpler now, so I can.”

“Except for crazed intruders who wreck your house at night.”

She frowned at him.
“Except for recent events, things are good for me here.
I only work mornings, which leaves me free to write all afternoon.
The dogs are happier because I’m home more.”
She began to clear the table.
“Would you like some fruit or cheese?”

“No,
thanks.”

“How about some coffee?”

“
P
lease.
I like solitude too, especially when I’m painting.
My house overlooks the Atlantic, but it’s nowhere near as isolated as this place.”

Anna put a cafeti
è
re of coffee on a tray.
“It sounds fantastic
.
Do you take milk and sugar?”

“No to both.
Here, let
take
that
.”
He took the tray from her hands and carried it
in
to the
sitting room
.

Anna poured two cups
and passed one to Luke. She
settled back into the sofa, tucking her legs beneath her.

Luke took a sip.
“You said your parents are in China.
Are they on
vacation?”

“My father is a diplomat.”

“I see.
Could you have gone to stay with them for a while?
Why the big hurry to move out here?”

“It’s complicated.”
Anna looked away lest he see the sadness in her eyes.
“I
was sent
to boarding school when
I
was seven.
Unlike other children who went home for holidays,
I
spent the term breaks in the dorm being looked after by the teachers.
The only exception was the summer holiday when
I
joined
my
parents in whichever country they happened to be in at the time.
T
he airline tickets stopped arriving on
my
fourteenth birthday
.
I came here to the croft
,
instead.
The last time I saw my parents was at my university graduation.”

“Don’t you miss your friends in Edinburgh?”

“I enjoy sociali
z
ing like everyone else, but I’m also comfortable with my own company.
I think my childhood at boarding school prepared me for that.
I also believe it’s one of the reasons my grandmother left the croft to me
,
she knew I would use it and appreciate its surroundings.”

“My childhood couldn’t have been more different.
My brother Jack and I grew up in a small town in Vermont.
Dad taught art at the local high school, and Mom is what we used to call a housewife.
I guess the new term is ‘stay-at-home-mom
.
’
Anyway, we spent our summer vacation at the beach having picnics in the dunes.
We skied in Colorado almost every winter.
Even now, Jack and I still go home for every Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday.
Jack’s quite a guy.
You’d like him.”

“Is he anything like you?”

“He’s darker.
Taller.
Meaner
.
S
eriously, he’s the funny one in the family.
Owns a
garage
.
Builds race cars in his spare time.
Every now and again he wins something.”

“Any races I’d know about?”

“Doubtful.
All I know is that he keeps my old MG roadworthy.
Growing up with him was great
, although
I didn’t appreciate him at the time.
All I wanted to do was kill him.
And with all the BB’s I shot at him, I’m still surprised I didn’t!”