She found Effie lugging a couple of boxes into the library.
‘What is his problem?’ she asked.
Effie looked up. ‘Who? Fraser?’
Liv nodded. Effie paused as if considering whether to explain or not.
‘I’m not imagining it, am I? He is more grumpy with me than anyone else, isn’t he?’
Effie carried on dragging the box into the library. ‘Come in,’ she said. Liv gave a half-hearted attempt at helping with the box, but she didn’t want to spill her tea. Once inside Effie shut the door and looked around as if double-checking there was nobody there. ‘You’re English,’ said Effie in a way that implied that that one thing explained it all.
‘I know that. Does he hate everyone who’s not Scottish? Is he that prejudiced?’
‘It’s just that…’ Effie chewed her lip.
Did she know something? Liv was beginning to wonder if Fraser had shared anything with his cousin. Perhaps he did remember who she was and that was why he was keen for her to leave. It was starting to make her cranky. ‘Has he said something? Please tell me, Effie.’
Effie went over to the window seat and flopped down. ‘It’s a long story.’
Liv sat down next to her. ‘Then just give me a trailer-length version.’ Effie’s face contorted at the request. This was obviously a big ask. ‘Okay but try to keep it short.’
Effie took a deep breath. ‘Fraser went travelling a few years ago and met Lizzie. I don’t think she liked me.’
‘Is that why you said people called Liz aren’t very nice?’ asked Liv, remembering the odd conversation she’d had with Effie about names.
‘She used to laugh at things I said and say things to make me look stupid.’
‘That’s not nice,’ said Liv, already not liking the sound of Lizzie.
‘They met in Barcelona but Lizzie isn’t Spanish. They fell in love and when he came home Lizzie came with him. He changed when he was with her and that made him act differently around everyone else – and not a good different, but he was still Fraser and she seemed to make him happy.’
‘Where’s Lizzie now?’
‘I’m getting to that part,’ said Effie with a finger wiggle of irritation. ‘They had plans to move back to Spain and open a restaurant there but… Fraser felt he should stay here. Lizzie got really cross and I thought they were going to split up.’ Effie visibly brightened. ‘But they didn’t. The compromise was that they decided to open up a restaurant at the hotel, but Lizzie was never really on board with it.’
Liv failed to hide a yawn. It had been a long day and it felt like Effie still had a lot to tell her.
Effie continued. ‘Anyway, they got the right permissions and everything and then Lizzie dumped Fraser and went off with his best mate Callum, and Fraser didn’t want to continue with the restaurant on his own so he got a job in a pub in Fort William. Then two months ago we found out that Lizzie and Callum were opening up a restaurant a couple of miles away, and it’s basically what she and Fraser were going to do here. That upset him a lot. I mean like proper crazy upset.’ She twirled her hands at either side of her head.
‘I can imagine,’ said Liv.
‘I’ve not finished.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Fraser left the pub and started making plans to open the restaurant here on his own. He sold his flat and moved in here. There’s meant to be a big pre-launch event on the 23rd – I like to call it Christmas Eve Eve. It’s to gain support, but that doesn’t look like it will be able to go ahead if the snow sticks around.’
‘That it? Anything else?’ Liv was no wiser as to Fraser’s attitude towards her.
‘Um. No that’s everything. The end,’ said Effie, sitting up straight.
‘Thanks for telling me, but I’m still not entirely sure why he’s so pissy with me. Do I look like Lizzie?’
Effie laughed. ‘Noooo, Lizzie is really glamorous. Very pretty. Actually she’s more striking than pretty. The sort of face that makes men turn their heads to watch her walk by. She looks a bit like Blake Lively, and Lizzie’s super stylish too,’ she added with a glance over Liv’s jumpsuit.
‘Thanks for that,’ said Liv, feeling like a swamp monster.
‘And,’ said Effie, as if something important had struck her, ‘Lizzie is English.’
