‘I like her very much.’ Effie was pleased to have another female around, who was of a similar age to her. ‘I hope she stays.’
Dolly gave her a look that Effie was very used to seeing from a lot of people – a mix of pity and tolerance. ‘I’m afraid that once she remembers who she is she’ll be off.’
‘I wonder where she’s from. Do you think she’s foreign? She could have travelled thousands of miles only to get knocked over by Ginger.’
‘I doubt it,’ said Dolly giving Jock’O a stroke. ‘From her accent I’d guess Manchester or Liverpool. I always get those two mixed up.’
‘Still, that’s a long way away.’ It was further than Effie had ever been. She had dreams of going on epic journeys to far-flung places. The celebrity television travel documentaries were her favourite. Effie had plans. One day she’d do it. She’d be like her mother and leave Glendormie and see for real the things she’d only seen through a TV screen. But for now, Dolly needed her, so this was where she had to stay. She didn’t begrudge being her grandmother’s carer. There weren’t many jobs locally that she’d want to do. Most of them came and went with the tourist seasons. And as she didn’t drive, working from home was very convenient.
Effie helped Dolly make the drinks and they went through to the small living room. Jock’O made the short jump from Dolly’s lap to the sofa and while he settled down with his night-time biscuit, Effie stealthily repossessed her soggy sock.
‘Jings!’ said Effie as a thought struck her.
Dolly put her hand to her chest. ‘Goodness, Effie. You gave my pacemaker a start! What is it?’
‘We could have asked the girl to stay with us.’ Effie was thoroughly disappointed that she’d not thought of this earlier. ‘Should I call Fraser to bring her down here?’
‘And where would she sleep?’ asked Dolly blowing on her cocoa.
Effie mentally went through the house. There was Dolly’s room, which was the largest but it didn’t have a big bed. There was Effie’s tiny bedroom with a single bed. ‘There’s the sofa.’ The dog finished his biscuit and eyed her suspiciously.
‘And where would Jock’O sleep?’ asked Dolly, looking put out on his behalf.
‘He has a bed in the kitchen.’
‘And when has he ever slept in it?’ asked Dolly. ‘I’m sure the English girl will be just fine with Fraser.’ There was a brief pause. ‘I’m just not that sure how our Fraser will be with her.’
They both winced at the thought.
8
Liv took off her wet things, dried herself and got changed under the covers because the room was so chilly but once she was in bed she was actually quite cosy. The sheets were a high thread count and despite the pillows being a bit lumpy, and her various body parts aching, she managed to get comfy. She’d found a box in the corner of the room, torn off a flap of cardboard and after folding it multiple times it made a good wedge for the door. She’d placed the biggest of the books, she’d found inside the box, on the bedside cabinet so if she needed to defend herself in the night it would make a good impromptu weapon.
Despite everything she wasn’t worried about being murdered in her sleep by Fraser. Her brain was unhelpfully thinking about Janet the witch. She wasn’t usually spooked by ghost stories but now she’d seen the painting it seemed to come to life in her mind, which wasn’t helpful. She squeezed her eyes tight shut. She was tired and she needed to get to sleep.
She must have nodded off because she turned over and something pulled her awake. She plumped her pillow and snuggled down again. That was when she heard it. A sort of rhythmic moaning noise. Was she dreaming it? She gave her arm a pinch. Nope, she was now wide awake and there was the noise again. Was it Fraser messing with her? That must be it.
There was only one light switch and it was by the door. She swung her legs out of bed and crept across the room. She’d show him she wasn’t that easily spooked. She stood by the door waiting for the noise but when the moaning started again it was behind her. Liv spun around, her heart thumping.
She squinted across the dark room. There was nothing there but the moaning continued. She crept towards the end of the bed where another piece of furniture was still covered in a dust sheet. A shiver ran through her. What had her mother said to her about following strange noises? But she had to investigate. She tried to keep her nerve. What had Fraser rigged up under there to scare her? She grabbed the sheet and with a tug it came free. With that something burst from under the sheet right at her face. Liv screamed louder than she thought possible. She waved her arms about in panic. What was it? Was it Janet come to claim her soul?
There was a thudding sound and someone tried to push the door free of the cardboard wedge. At last the door swung open, the bedroom light came on and a panicked Liv turned around. ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ asked Fraser, looking tired with his hair all dishevelled.
‘There was a thing. It was moaning and then it came at me out of the darkness and it freaked me out.’
The moaning started again. ‘Shhh,’ whispered Liv. ‘Did you hear that?’
Fraser’s expression changed from annoyed to intrigued. He crept past her and around the bed. He crouched down and when he stood up he was grinning. That annoying smug grin she’d seen earlier. ‘I think I’ve found the culprit,’ he said, holding a pigeon in his hands. He pulled back the curtain to reveal the window had sprung open again. As an icy gust came in he put the pigeon out and shut the window. This time double-checking the catch. He didn’t say anything as he left the room. Liv muttered a reluctant thank you and went back to bed.
She didn’t have the best night’s sleep. As well as the pigeon incident, different parts of her ached at different times and her brain kept going over everything: how come Fraser didn’t seem to recognise her? Why had he let her stay? Was he being kind or was it all part of an elaborate master plan that her tired brain couldn’t work out? The rain continued to lash it down, which sounded like someone had a hosepipe trained on her bedroom window. At one point it had sounded like gravel being thrown at the windows. It was cold and there was a draught coming from somewhere because the tassels on the four-poster bed kept moving. On top of that she was starting to think the place was haunted. Every time she was dropping off to sleep there would be another creak, bump or noise, which would freak her out.
The sound of the dawn chorus woke her and she took stock. She’d made it through the night without being murdered or having her soul sucked from her. There was a bump on her head that was tender to the touch, but the throbbing had stopped. Her ankle was stiff but not as painful as the previous night, and whilst her body felt a bit achy, she was otherwise fine. She lifted the covers. She’d spent the night wearing Fraser’s T-shirt and underwear, which was not how she’d expected her day to end when she’d set off from Lancashire. She was very confused about Fraser. He had seemed grumpy and aloof but then, in his defence, she had almost taken him out with the long pole thing. But carrying her upstairs, finding her a room she was happy with and lending her something of his to sleep in were really kind things to do.
The cold light of day was an actual thing in Scotland, she discovered as she opened her curtains and the source of the chill became abundantly clear. Outside, the windowsill was covered in snow. She looked beyond to see that it wasn’t just the windowsill. The view from her window was stunning and only enhanced by the frosty coating. The trees were all coated in nature’s icing sugar and the sun glinted off the icy water like a mirror. Then she snapped out of the fairy tale. ‘Shitting hell. Snow!’
She’d survived the night, now all she had to do was find her mobile that she’d dropped when she fell, sort out the ripped tyre, give Fraser a piece of her mind and get the hell out of the haunted hotel and forget all about Fraser. It seemed like a daunting list of things. Liv picked up her clothes that she’d hopefully placed on an ancient-looking radiator the night before. They were no longer dripping wet but they weren’t dry either. She was hunting for a hairdryer when she could hear someone knocking but it wasn’t on her door so she carried on. The knocking got closer until it was at her door and it abruptly opened, making her jump.
‘Here you are!’ said Effie marching over and wrapping her in a hug. ‘I’m so glad you’re still here. Do you know who you are yet?’
