‘Oh. I had no idea.’ Sebastian looked between the two of them.
‘Yes, and once she’d wheedled her way into my life, there was no getting rid of her – and so here we are.’ The bright smile belied the older lady’s words and Jess burrowed in, enveloping Vivi in a massive hug.
‘How are you feeling?’ Jess said, her features creasing into a frown as she backed off and studied her aunt. ‘You look terrible.’
‘Ha! Thank you so much.’ Vivi sniffed. ‘Journey was a bit long, truth be told. Now, where’s my Digby-Dog?’
The sound of Vivi’s voice had been enough to set the little dog into overdrive, and Jess lifted a squirming Digby into her aunt’s lap, unclipping his coat and removing it as Vivi ran her fingers over the little dog, murmuring to him as he crooned in excitement.
‘Has he put on weight?’ she said, as Digby bounced on her knees.
‘I don’t think so,’ Jess said.
‘He’s been getting plenty of exercise?’
‘Yes. Wow, I feel like I’m in the headmistress’s office, Vivi. And you know I know whatthatfeels like.’
Vivi chuckled. ‘True enough.’
‘I’ve done my best with the dog, honestly,’ Jess said, glancing at Sebastian. He gave her what he hoped was a supportive grin.
Vivi continued her assessment, eventually nodding and smiling. ‘He looks very well, Jess. Thank you.’ Her expression darkened. ‘I’m sorry, could you lift him down, he’s …’
Sebastian did the honours, and Vivi did her best to shuffle in the chair. She was clearly in discomfort. ‘Can I help you with anything?’ he asked, thinking she might need the cushions adjusting.
‘Not really. Not unless you can turn back time by about twenty years. Getting old is, frankly, not for the faint-hearted.’ Vivi crossed her arms, and studied them, while Digby snuffled around at her feet. ‘So, tell me everything.’
The question was aimed at the room, rather than anyone specific, and Sebastian thought it was rather clever. The ultimate in open-ended information-gathering – there wasn’t even a starting point, let alone an expected answer.
Before either he or Jess could say anything, Craig and Isla were back in the room; Craig hastily pulling off gardening gloves and cap as he headed to greet Sebastian, with Isla talking about making tea.
‘Tea? Isla, it’s barely ten in the morning. Could I have coffee?’ Vivi asked. ‘Milk and a generous spoonful of sugar, if I may?’
Once he’d admitted he would love coffee too – with the same combination of milk and sugar, Sebastian took a seat at the small table at Craig’s insistence. As he glanced at Vivi, Sebastian was sure she gave him a conspiratorial look, edged with a smile.
It wasn’t long before the conversation returned to the death of his father, and Sebastian braced himself for another round of platitudes. However, this time they were brief – and overridden by Vivi mentioning someone on her street who had also died recently, and at a far younger age. Vivi then gave the Macwarrens a few moments of excruciating embarrassment, if their expressions were anything to go by, when she gave her opinion on extra-marital activities, especially in the aged. The words ‘silly old buffer’ were mentioned more than once and Craig straightened as though someone had poked him in the kidneys, his gaze fixed on Sebastian, waiting for his response.
If Sebastian hadn’t already been aware that gossip spread through Kirkshield quicker than a hot knife through butter, he knew it now. The circumstances of his father’s death had clearly been discussed.
‘Oh, I didn’t realisethat’swhat happened,’ Jess muttered, looking annoyed at having to play catch-up to her aunt.
‘Hmmm. With the housekeeper of all people, so you’d better watch your step, young lady.’ Vivi’s eyebrows arched as she fixed Sebastian with a direct look. A challenge. And for a moment Sebastian felt angry heat rising up from beneath his collar, the desire to push back demanding to take over. The need to tell her exactly how little he was like his father bubbled like lava. Then he noticed the twinkle in her eye, the way the edges of her lips were twitching, and his anger melted away. He started to laugh, the ludicrous nature of his father’s final moments finally settling in his head as being just that. Ludicrous.
‘It’s not funny,’ he said. ‘So why am I laughing?’
‘Because we experience all the emotions when we grieve,’ Vivi said. ‘Whatever it is we’re grieving about.’ She fixed him again, her gaze seeing past his face, as though she was staring into his soul. As though she knew that regardless of what had happened to his father, or why, whatever decision Sebastian now made about Kirkshield would impact on everything and everyone he cared about.
His laughter fell away, and Sebastian took a sip of coffee as he recalibrated. Craig Macwarren took the opportunity to move the conversation on.
‘I hope you don’t mind me saying, Your Lordship, but it will be such a treat to have music back in the castle.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Isla and I were talking about it with Dorathy Keel, not more than a couple of days ago. She was telling us how generous you’re being with your time, playing for the choir. You never knew your grandfather, him being long gone before your father married your mother, but like yourself he was also a very keen musician. Used to hear his pipes all the way down here when I was a boy.’ Craig frowned. ‘Did your father never tell you?’
‘The bagpipes?’ Sebastian asked, feeling adrift again.
‘Aye. And your great-grandmother played the piano. You’ve still got the grand up there, I presume?’ Craig barely waited for Sebastian to nod before he continued, ‘Oh, the parties they used to hold up there. The dancing. We used to go up and help with whatever needed doing, just so we could listen. Highland dancing bands, sometimes they had your kind of musicians up there, playing for the balls and dances they held, and once a year we got to go and let our hair down with the earl, too. Whatever kind of dancing the villagers wanted, that’s what the old earl put on. All stopped, of course, when your father took over.’ Craig paused, then gulped at his coffee. ‘Not one for the dances, was he? Much preferred his shooting and what-not.’
