Signy nodded. “When someone has nothing left but his pride, it is cruel to take that away as well.”
He accepted the paper and returned it to his inside pocket. “More surprising was a statement from the Bank of Scotland showing a balance of just over five thousand pounds.”
Signy stared. “That’s a small fortune.”
“Yes, and I wonder where it came from given how low revenues have been in the last several years.” Ramsay frowned. “The Bank of Clanwick was my grandfather’s bank. I wonder if he went to the Bank of Scotland for a loan that he couldn’t get in Clanwick. But there are no loan documents describing the terms or repayment.”
“I know nothing of this,” Signy said. “I wish he hadn’t been so secretive!”
“So do I. I’ll have to write Edinburgh to see what the bank says.”
“Would you try to collect on those loans?” she asked uneasily.
His brows arched. “What kind of man do you think I am? Of course not.”
“I didn’t think you would, but Roald would if he’d made those loans.” She swallowed the last of her ale. “He’d say it was a simple matter of business.”
“True, but Thorsay isn’t a business. It’s a sacred trust.”
She blinked at his words. She agreed but hadn’t realized that Ramsay felt the same way. She supposed he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t.
As she packed away the cups and the remnants of the meal, she said, “I brought my sketchbook since you’re interested in having drawings of the various ruins. I can do some quick drawings before we move on.”
“Do we have time? I’m not sure how long it will take to reach the kelp works.”
“This is the narrowest part of the island, so we can explore more here and still reach the works before the afternoon is over.”
“Excellent! I’d love to get a closer look at the ruins.” Ramsay crossed to his saddlebags and took out a notebook and an odd implement.
“What’s that device you have?” Signy asked as she retrieved her sketching kit from her own saddlebags.
He unfolded the handle to reveal a small shovel. “Bare hands aren’t much good for poking around ruins. I came up with the idea, and a smith in Constantinople made this for me. Small enough to carry easily and very useful for investigating.”
“Just what every antiquarian needs,” she said with a smile.
“As long as they don’t mind getting their hands dirty. I want to see how much of the original structures remain.” He headed around the wall that had blocked the wind, his expression enthusiastic.
The gleam in his eyes was proof of the antiquarian interests that had driven him so far from his home. Signy hoped that Thorsay had enough ruins to hold his attention.
She followed him around the wall, sketching kit in hand. The kit was a flat waterproofed pouch that contained her tablet, a thin board to support the tablet, and several types of sketching pencils. Ramsay beckoned her closer. “You can see the outlines of this main building. It’s sizable and it looks as though there are several outbuildings as well. A pity so many of the stones were scavenged for other uses, but there are enough left to get a sense of the place. It looks as if there was a defensive ditch around the area, though it’s mostly filled in now.”
As she followed his gestures, what had seemed like random bits of stone took on a clear, obviously manmade outline.
“What would you like me to draw?” she asked. “The ruins of the tower are the most appealing from a scenic point of view, but I assume you’re more interested in an accurate record of the site.”
“Exactly.” He paced several yards to the right. “I think this would be a good view. Would you like to walk the site with me first?”
She nodded. “That will give me a better idea of what to draw.” Glad she was wearing boots, she accompanied him around the remnants of the farm. It was surprisingly interesting as he pointed out faint lines or depressions that made it possible to imagine the structure in its prime. Probably an entrance here, perhaps a storeroom here. His suggestions made the site come alive.
She asked, “Do you have any idea how old these ruins are?”
“Old!Many centuries.” He gazed across the grassy turf whose scattered stones sketched outlines of the past. “There might well have been multiple buildings on this site over a very long period of time.”
Her brow furrowed. “How can you learn whether that’s true?”
“By digging down to see if there are more layers of ruins below, then spending a long time studying what is found.” He brandished his little shovel. “Antiquarian studies are not for the impatient.”
“Why do you do it?” she asked, intrigued.
