‘So it would appear.’ Liv wasn’t sure if she’d successfully hoodwinked the doctor or if she did actually have concussion. She didn’t feel great about either option. But she had been honest about banging her head, blacking out and feeling queasy.
‘I’m sorry if it ever came across that I doubted you.’ He looked sheepish. ‘Doc says you need to stay put for a couple of days.’
She couldn’t stay for a couple of days. For one the whole deception thing was getting out of hand. For another she needed to get in touch with her family and let them know she was okay. They were expecting her home later that day. ‘I’ll stay in a Travelodge or something,’ she said getting to her feet.
‘Nearest one of those is at Fort William.’
‘Great,’ said Liv, heading for the door.
‘Which is just over twenty miles in that direction,’ he said pointing over his shoulder.
‘Right.’ Liv was trying to work out how she was going to get to the car and then find someone to sort out the flat tyre and then she wasn’t even sure if she was meant to drive or not.
‘You’d better stay here,’ he said.
Was he telling her or was he just being nice? Her head started to hurt again but possibly for different reasons. ‘I couldn’t impose any longer,’ she said.
‘I don’t think you have a lot of choice. But it’s up to you,’ he said.
She didn’t like that he was right and she wasn’t keen on staying in such close proximity to him, but even if she just stayed long enough to find her phone and work out an exit strategy. What choice did she have? ‘Okay. Thanks.’
He nodded before reaching for the door. ‘Seeing as you’re staying for free you may want to pitch in and help. Just a thought.’ He opened the door and Effie almost fell inside.
She did a very bad mime of someone dusting the doorframe without a duster. ‘What’s happening? I guessed you’re not going to hospital. Are you staying? Please say she’s staying.’ She looked from Fraser to Liv and back to Fraser.
‘Daphne’s staying,’ he said with a roll of his eyes and he left the room.
‘Yay!’ squealed Effie clapping her hands together. ‘We are going to have the best time.’ She wrapped Liv in an unexpected hug. For a moment Liv was resistant but then she relaxed and it was really quite nice to be held. After the roller coaster of the last twenty-four hours she’d been so caught up in everything she’d not realised that what she really needed was someone to hold her. Effie pulled away. ‘Dear Daphne, what’s wrong?’
Liv wiped away a tear from her eyes. ‘I don’t know. Must be the knock on the head.’
‘You’re going to be fine. Me and Fraser are going to look after you. You’re safe now.’
‘Thanks,’ said Liv. Effie’s kindness made her smile despite everything. ‘Fraser said I could help out. I thought the hotel was closed. What did he mean?’
Effie became animated. It didn’t seem to take much to get her excited. ‘It’s the build-up to the big launch of Fraser’s new restaurant. We’re holding a showcase dinner on the twenty-third of December, assuming everything is ready.’
Liv didn’t want to be the voice of doom but from the bedrooms she’d seen last night they were a very long way from being able to have paying guests. ‘I think the bedrooms need quite a bit of attention. One of them has water pouring through the ceiling.’
‘It’s only the restaurant that’s opening, not the hotel. But if that makes money Fraser might be able to open the hotel again but then it’s really only the cooking he’s interested in, so maybe not. He’s focused on the kitchen, the dining room and the menu. And I’m going to be a waitress and maybe help a bit in the kitchen when I’m not caring for my grandmother. And now you’re going to work here too. This is so exciting!’ She began clapping her hands again.
‘It’s only for a couple of days remember.’ Effie looked instantly deflated and Liv felt bad. ‘But we’ll make the most of it, okay?’
‘I can show you where everything is in the kitchen. I can show you now.’ She turned to leave.
‘Actually there was something else I wanted to ask,’ said Liv. ‘Doc said something about Robbie Williams. Does he live around here?’ She knew he’d lived in LA but she remembered reading something about him moving back to the UK.
‘Yes he does. He lives at Invergarry, which isn’t far. He’s kinda cute.’
‘My mum likes him,’ said Liv, thinking that an autographed something would make an excellent extra Christmas present as she’d only got her smellies so far.
Effie frowned at her. ‘Your mam knows Robbie?’
‘She’s never met him. She’s just a fan of his music. You know,’ said Liv breaking into a hummed version of ‘Let Me Entertain You’.
Effie started to giggle. ‘You are silly. NotthatRobbie Williams. He doesn’t live around here. The one you met last night –thatRobbie Williams.’
It was Liv’s turn to frown. ‘The bloke who was laughing with Dolly?’
