‘Yes, yes, I was. But I’ll be staying up here a little while longer now, so I thought it was best if we had a bit more room.’
‘We? Who’s we?’
Bex should have kept her eyes on the phone. If she’d done that, then perhaps it would have been okay, but instead, her gaze shifted to Ruby. The split-second action was all it took for Ruby to leap up from her bed and plant her paws on Bex’s lap, her big furry head covering the screen entirely.
‘Becky Boo, is that Ruby? What’s going on? Are you with Duncan? Did you get back together? Oh, darling! That’s such wonderful news.’
Her mother’s elation at the thought of a rekindled romance was all it took for tears to prick behind Bex’s eyes.
‘No, Mum. We didn’t get back together. We can’t.’ She could feel the heat welling. Any second now, and she wasn’t going to be able to stop it.
‘What do you mean you can’t, darling? I saw you two together, and it was clear how much he worshipped you. If you want to, you can find a way around this.’
‘It’s not that simple.’ She wiped her cheeks, shifting her gaze to the ceiling in hope of stemming the flow.
‘Life’s rarely simple, darling. That doesn’t mean you just give up on it.’
‘No, I mean… it’s… it’s too late.’
‘What do you mean it’s too late? Oh, dear… has he found somebody else? Darling, I’m so sorry.’
Bex shook her head, dislodging more tears from her eyes. As silly as it was, she didn’t have the strength to correct her. Somehow, it was easier letting her mother think Duncan had found someone else than explaining the truth to her. Duncan was the heir to a massive fortune, and if she rekindled their relationship now, she would look like nothing more than a gold digger.
Bex didn’t respond. The silence stretched.
‘Look, my darling,’ her mother said gently, ‘you look tired. Why don’t you have a nice warm bath, then get an early night? I’m sure you’re still tired from last night’s party. Get some proper rest. Things always seem better in the morning.’
Bex nodded, though she didn’t actually believe it.
‘You’re right. I’m just tired, that’s all.’
‘Well, we’ll speak tomorrow. And you can tell me all about where you are and why Ruby’s with you. We love you, Becky Boo. Okay? Remember that. You’re loved.’
‘Love you too. So much.’
As Bex hung up the phone, she glanced down at Ruby, who was now seated by her feet. Suddenly the idea of her dog sleeping across the floor made her feel incredibly cold.
‘Maybe we can get a blanket to go on the bed,’ she said. ‘But you have to promise to stay on it.’
4
While Bex’s intention had definitely been to have a bath, lying back on the bed was all it took for the weight of her eyelids to pull her down into a sleep.
Dream-filled sleep was something Bex only seemed to have when she was in Scotland. When she was busy working in London, there were always too many things going round and round in her mind to allow for a decent night’s rest. But generally speaking, Scotland changed that. Maybe it was something about the crispness of the air, or being away from the constant hum of an office environment. Or maybe it was just sheer exhaustion from the country walks they went on. Either way, she normally slept soundly here, though this time was different.
Feelings rather than images filtered through from her subconscious. A constant back and forth between contentment and claustrophobia. Fear and freedom. Whether the feelings were linked to her work life, her romantic life or something else altogether, she wasn’t sure, but at some point they were accompanied by sounds too. A light tapping that grew louder and louder until it was almost a hammering, so loud it jerked her awake. Only when the knocking continued did she realise it wasn’t part of the dream at all, but someone at the door.
‘Coming,’ she murmured, swinging her feet off the bed. She had no idea how long she’d been asleep. Dark nights drew in so early here, it was impossible to gauge the time, and yet she assumed it was Roddy. Probably coming to ask for a credit card deposit, as he hadn’t taken one earlier. She grabbed her wallet, ready to hand him a card, but when she opened the door, it wasn’t Roddy standing there. It was the last person she’d expected to see.
‘Kieron,’ she said, startled.
‘Bex, can we talk?’
There was no denying Kieron was an attractive man. Dark hair, deep-set eyes, and an absolutely chiselled jawline, he looked like he should be advertising luxury watches, holidays, or something else that evoked images of wealth and sophistication. And he dressed the part too, always in tailored suits and polished shoes. He was exactly the type of man she used to go for.
Bex had first met him when they were both travelling from London to Scotland on the same flight only a few weeks beforehand, when she’d learned of Fergus’s death – and how he wanted her there to help sort the will. Back then she hadn’t had any idea who Kieron was. She had, however, thought he was good-looking, charming and potentially datable. He’d thought the same about her, as evidenced by the napkin on which he’d written his phone number, although he’d chickened out of giving it to her on the plane and had only told her this several weeks later.
He’d invited her to his Burns Night event at the castle as his date, offered a very sweet if rather cringeworthy speech, dedicated to her at the event, and even bent his own rules about dogs in the castle after Ruby rescued Bex when she was lost in the snow. Kieron had always made his interest in Bex clear, being nothing but charming and lovely. Even when he’d learned about her shared past with Duncan. But now, as she stood before him, there was a nervousness flitting in her stomach that made her think this encounter might be different.
