He hesitated. “That’s going to take time. Right now, the title is like an old coat that doesn’t fit because it’s been shaped to the form of a different man.” After a long silence, he added, “I’m not sure it will ever fit.”
“In time you’ll tailor it to a style that suits you. Keep listening to people and act confident,” she said seriously. “Confidence is vitally important. The last years have been difficult, and now Thorsay has lost the man who led us for over four decades. Many people remember no other laird. You need to look as if you have a sure hand on the tiller.” She smiled slightly. “And try not to flinch when someone says ‘the laird’ and they mean you.”
“I’ll do my best.” Raising his wineglass in a salute, he said, “Thank you for all you’ve done for Thorsay, Signy. And here’s to the day when you’ll have the time to be the artist you want to be!”
“I’ll drink to that.” She raised her glass, then swallowed the rest of her wine. “And may both our dreams come true!”
Chapter 10
As Signy had predicted, the day of Duncan’s funeral was the longest of a series of very long days. As the funeral feast wound down, most of the Thorsayians who had gathered to mourn the old laird left before dark, but pipers could be still be heard playing in the distance when Ramsay and Signy walked to the residence of the family lawyer, Fergus Maclean, who had asked them to stop by before returning home.
Despite the dark circles under his eyes, Fergus welcomed them warmly and ushered them to his study. “Thank you for meeting with me tonight,” he said. “You must both be exhausted, but I thought you should have a general idea how matters stand. Care for a drink?” He opened a cabinet well stocked with bottles and decanters. As a maid came in with a tea tray, he added, “Or you could have a nice hot cup of tea.”
The steaming teapot was wearing a knitted cozy designed to look like a puffin. Signy smiled when she saw it. “Tea, please. After being surrounded by so much food and drink for hours, simplicity is appealing.”
“The same for me,” Ramsay said. He looked tired, but he’d done an admirable job in his role as the new laird. Signy noticed that he’d drunk very little during the funeral feast, which had been a wise choice for a man trying to impress several islands’ worth of Thorsayians.
“Will you pour, Signy? I’m for tea also,” Fergus said. “And there’s a bottle of brandy there to add a bit of extra warmth for anyone who desires that.”
Signy did as he asked, adding dashes of brandy since everyone thought that sounded like a good idea. After serving the two men, she added cream and sugar to her cup and settled into a chair, curious what Fergus would have to say.
“That was a fine eulogy you gave for your grandfather,” the lawyer began.
“Signy warned me that a short speech would be expected, so I had time to think about it.” Ramsay tilted his cup at her in a salute. “I also asked her questions since she knew Duncan so well.”
Fergus nodded. “Indeed you did, Signy. The old laird was lucky to have you by his side. He realized that, which is why he left you Sea Cottage. The property is now yours.”
She felt a rush of pleasure at the news. “I’m glad,” she said simply. Not that she would have expected Ramsay to evict her, but it was good to know that she now owned her own home.
Ramsay took a deep swallow of tea and visibly relaxed. “I’m sure you had good reasons to ask us here tonight. Time for the bad news.”
He meant the comment jokingly, but Fergus’s expression was grave when he answered. “The financial situation is not good. You’ve surely heard how badly the islands were struck by bad weather and disease?”
Ramsay nodded. “Signy told me something about it, and how the old laird supplied aid where needed. I gather she did most of the assessing and distribution.”
“Yes, it was needful but the estate is near bankruptcy,” Fergus said bluntly. “Not only was he spending a great deal of money to help people, but many tenants couldn’t pay their rents, so the estate’s income is well below what it should be in normal times.”
Signy frowned. “I was sometimes surprised but mostly just grateful at how much money the laird was spending on people in need. I didn’t realize how great a strain he was putting on the estate.”
Fergus sighed, his face tired. “When matters were at their worst, he asked me if it might be possible to get a loan from an Edinburgh bank. I warned him about the risks of borrowing, but he said there was no point in being the laird if half of Thorsay died of disease and starvation.”
“It’s impossible to argue with that,” Ramsay observed. “Just how badly do matters stand? Are there massive debts?”
“I don’t really know,” Fergus said, sounding annoyed. “Your grandfather was secretive about money and handled all his finances himself. The records should be in his office.”
“They’re in a locked box,” Signy said. “I know where the key is kept. I did have the sense that money has been in very short supply for the past couple of years.”
“It will be interesting to look at his record books,” Ramsay said thoughtfully. “Luckily I have some money of my own thanks to the work I did for the government. Not vast wealth, but it should be enough to keep the estate running while we figure out how to make the islands more prosperous. Is there anything more I should know?”
Fergus shook his head. “There is much more detail to go over, but that’s for another day. Tonight I just wanted to give an overview of what you’ll be facing.” He slid open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out two letters. “Duncan left these for you two.”
The lawyer handed Signy and Ramsay letters sealed with red wax embossed with the fierce sea creature that was the emblem of Thorsay. Signy had always wondered if it was a sea dragon or the mythical selkie, a man upon the land and a seal upon the ocean. Gisela said it was just an imaginary sea beast so Signy could call it whatever she wanted.
Signy drew a deep breath and broke the seal. The brief lines inside were shaky, but in the old laird’s distinctive hand.
My dearest girl,
I’m not a very pious man, but I have often given thanks to God for bringing you into my life, though I regret that it was because of the tragic loss of your sister. You have been my right hand as well as my best loved child. I don’t know how I would have managed without you these last years. I have been selfish in using your strength; don’t let Kai do the same.
