‘What was that all about?’ asked Liv.
‘Families,’ said Dolly with a tut. ‘Nothing for you to worry about.’ She patted her arm as she passed.
Liv didn’t need to worry; it was nothing to do with her.Fraserwas nothing to do with her, but she was intrigued all the same. She went down the hallway towards the kitchen and was intercepted by Effie. As she came out of the kitchen there was the sound of someone banging pots and pans behind her. She shook her head firmly. ‘I’d stay out of his way for a bit. He’s crosser than a cat in a thunderstorm,’ said Effie as there was an almighty clang from the kitchen making them both jump. They crept away. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to ask Fraser what was going on.
Robbie came back and announced that Aaron’s hire car had been successfully pulled out of the ditch and the occupants had departed. He had no update on when Liv’s car would be looked at, but Liv wasn’t in a rush to go anywhere. She wanted to know what that kiss meant almost as much as she wanted to know why Fraser had ghosted her. Liv busied herself with tidying up the turret. She realised poor Ginger had been without her radio all night so she felt that she should return it to her. With no coat on she made the trip as quickly as possible. ‘Hi, Ginger. Bye, Ginger,’ she said putting the radio back where she’d found it and exiting the stable, pulling the door to behind her and hotfooting it back across the yard into the warmth of the hotel.
‘Fraser!’ came a panicked shout from Dolly, which got Liv’s attention, so she left tidying the tower and headed to the top of the stairs to see what was up.
‘Coming!’ called back Fraser as they all headed in Dolly’s direction.
Dolly was in the hallway below and her shouts had also alerted Robbie. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked as Fraser, Effie and Liv all came barrelling into the hallway.
‘Ginger has escaped,’ said Dolly.
‘Not again,’ said Effie.
‘How?’ said Fraser. ‘I checked that stable door was bolted after I fed her first thing. Someone must have let her out.’
‘Do you suspect foul play?’ asked Robbie looking eager and a little fired up as he pulled his notebook from his pocket.
‘Lizzie wouldn’t do something like that, would she?’ asked Dolly.
‘I wouldn’t put it past her,’ said Effie. ‘She’s not nice.’
Liv had a little flashback to her being keen to get back in the warm as she’d gone out without a coat on and of shutting the stable door. Or did she just pull it closed? She couldn’t be sure. Liv cleared her throat and all eyes swivelled in her direction. ‘I think it might have been me, sorry,’ she said in a small voice. Robbie put away his notebook. ‘You see the little tower room needed some music and I thought of Ginger’s radio, so I borrowed it, and this morning I returned it…’ The faces were not looking sympathetic. ‘I’ll find her. Don’t worry. I’ll get her back,’ said Liv sounding surer than she felt.
‘You can’t go out alone. You don’t know the terrain or the area,’ said Robbie.
‘He’s right,’ said Effie.
‘Fine, I’ll go with her,’ said Fraser stomping off up the hallway and Liv sheepishly followed.
They walked into the utility together. ‘I am really sorry. I know I pulled the stable door shut. But I guess that wasn’t enough.’
‘You think?’ He was cross again. Gone was the gentle man who had kissed her under the mistletoe.
‘I’m not going to beg for your forgiveness,’ she said looking for the coat she’d used the previous day and realising it had been shredded thanks to Jock’O. ‘But I need a coat if I’m going to help you look for her.’
‘Bloody hell. Here, wear Effie’s,’ he said taking it off the hook.
‘Thanks. I don’t know what’s going on with the estate agent and everything, but it’s not my fault.’
They didn’t speak as they donned their wellies and once again headed out into the wintry weather. Fraser sniffed the air. ‘It’s starting to thaw.’
‘Only a little bit.’ Liv looked around at the white landscape.
‘Yep, with any luck you’ll be out of here by this afternoon.’
‘Good,’ she said with feeling, and Fraser twitched as he did a double take. She stomped off across the yard.
‘What are you doing?’ he called after her.
‘Checking she’s not in the stable.’ Liv was ever hopeful that the daft cow had come back of her own accord.
‘She weighs about four hundred kilos – she’ll not be hiding in the hay.’
‘I know that!’ Liv was getting ratty and as she approached where the stable door was swinging wide open it was obvious the heifer wasn’t in there. But still, to make a point, she went into the stable, gave a theatrical performance of looking around before coming back outside to where Fraser was watching her with a smirk on his lips. ‘Right, best we find her then,’ said Liv. She marched past Fraser and mumbled under her breath. ‘Perhaps we can hunt down your sense of humour while we’re at it.’
