‘Bye, love. I’ll let you know how it goes. Ciao for now.’
Bella groaned.Thatupdate would be interesting. Bella was meeting her mum and Ash at Meadowbank Guesthouse andthey were going for brunch. They had plans to meet Rosie and Luke later. Given that it looked set to be a scorcher of a day, she couldn’t wait. Ben had promised to call her as soon as he had finished work at the distillery. They hadn’t seen each other properly since that night at the beach bar a few days ago. He had been working flat out since and they had only snatched hours here and there between their shifts. However, he had managed to tell her that he now knew about his mum and Luke and he was fine about it. Bella was so relieved. She’d hated knowing when he didn’t. It didn’t feel right at all. Bella quickly pulled on her shorts and a blue t-shirt and left her hair wavy over her shoulders. Then she sunk her feet into her sandals and grabbed a bag, stuffing a sweater and a brolly in, just in case. This was Scotland, after all, and you never could be too sure.
The sun was shining and she couldn’t believe how still the water was as she made her way up the hill towards the guesthouse. Bella was almost tempted to go for a swim. Hopefully they would be able to go for a dip later on. Bella always loved the walk up here as it was so peaceful and had the most amazing view over the bay at Brodick. The name Meadowbank leant itself to a rustic and quaint building that needed lots doing to it. However, Becky’s parents had turned their childhood home into an oasis of luxury and her aunt, Amy, had recently had the dilapidated barn in the grounds converted.
The cottage itself was actually quite a substantial blonde sandstone, with an elegant timber staircase leading to a wide hallway and six bedrooms, three of which were ensuite, and a family bathroom. The house was full of character and charm but they’d also added a modern twist. Each of the three guest rooms had white linen and thick duvets and the plumpest pillows with cosy throws in different colours to match the room names: yellow, orange and green. Outside, the garden, lush with colourful blooms and palm trees, thanks to its warming positionin the Gulf Stream. Behind was the glen, which led on to a lovely meandering walk through trees and past rivers all the way to Lamlash. She could understand why Ash loved it so much.
As she approached the guesthouse, she spotted her mum and Ash sitting outside on a bench enjoying the sunshine. They were also dressed for the weather with their sunglasses perched on their heads.
‘Hey, birthday girl,’ said Ash, jumping up and hugging her. ‘How are you now that you’re a year older?’
‘Positively ancient,’ she said with a wide smile.
Isobel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. ‘Happy birthday, darling.’
Bella grinned. ‘Thank you, Mum. And thanks for both coming over to be here.’
‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ she said firmly.
Ash nodded in agreement. ‘Any excuse to stay here too. It’s just so idyllic.’
Isobel nodded. ‘I agree. It feels like my birthday and not yours!’
Bella laughed.
‘So, we do have gifts,’ said Ash. ‘But shall we go and find a nice place for breakfast? I’m not going to lie, I’m hungry this morning. It was such an effort having to miss Kirsty’s breakfast, especially when I could smell it.’
Isobel hit him playfully. ‘Och, away you go. It will do you good to give your digestive system a rest. You’re always eating, Ash. It’s good to have a bit of a fast. It’s all the rage.’
He gave her a pointed stare.
‘Let’s go,’ said Bella, linking arms between them. ‘Does anyone want to hear my interesting piece of news?’ she said, in a bid to distract them from one of theirdiscussions. They had been known to go off at tangents when food became the topic.
They both stopped still in their tracks and stared at her.
‘Oh, good gawd,’ said Isobel. ‘What more? I’ve had enough interesting news this summer to keep me going for life.’
‘Oh, but I’m intrigued now,’ said Ash, raising both his eyebrows. ‘Do share.’
Bella chuckled as she continued walking towards the village centre. ‘All in good time,’ she said. ‘All in good time. I’ll wait until you’re sitting down.’ Suddenly, their pace quickened and within a few minutes they were sat in the Little Rock café overlooking the water with a prime window seat.
‘Right, spill,’ said Isobel tersely.
‘Well, Gran was on the phone earlier and she was telling me about her plans tonight. Oh, and by the way, Ash, she said you’d better go and see her before you leave the country.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, I will make sure that I do. Either before or after your mum tells her the news. Maybe after?’
Bella noticed her mum wince. ‘Anyway, Mum, do you know where she’s away to tonight?’
‘She’s off to see a cabaret show at the fringe in Edinburgh.’
‘Turns out it’s theLadyboys of Bangkok.’
Ash, who had just taken a sip of water, spluttered.
Isobel grinned feebly and sank her head in her hands and Ash’s eyes then twinkled with amusement.
Isobel pulled a face. ‘It’s maybe not a bad thing, you know. Hopefully by the time she has watched it, thennothingwill surprise her. By the time we tell her about Ash being your dad, then she’ll maybe just take it in her stride.’
