‘I’m sorry,’ Euan said, gulping. ‘But I did everything by the book. I used the keypad you left for me; I followed the manufacturer’s instructions from the box. I checked and rechecked it was working. It was fine when I left, I promise.’
Carenza wouldn’t hear his protests. ‘Young man, Fire Officer Dunoon told me about the flood at the school which you were responsible for.’
These words made the whole shed fall deathly silent.
‘You ought to have informed me about that.’
‘That was nothing; just a teensy mistake, anybody could have made it…’
‘You have made your last mistake in the employ of Carenza McDowell!’ she tolled. ‘And I’ll see to it that you cannot dupe any other hapless property owners into hiring you ever again!’
‘Mum!’ Peaches cried, but there was no stopping her when she was caught up in indignation like this.
‘Mrs McDowell, please…’ Euan began, before realising his mistake, one millisecond before Carenza picked him up on it.
‘It’s Ms,’ she told him coolly, and turned on her heel, attempting a dignified sweep from the room. ‘Peaches,’ she called over her shoulder, ‘I’ll be late home tonight. Goodness knows how Arnaud at the salon will sort this!’
‘You’re going to Inverness? Now?’ Peaches ran after her, stopping only to tell Euan not to worry, she’d fix this. Her mum just needed some time to calm down and she’d see sense. She hoped Euan could tell from the way she squeezed his wrist that she didn’t just mean she’d fix the whole electrical explosion thing; she was going to make sure their Beltane bonfire date still went ahead too.
Euan, however, only crumpled onto his chair, pulling at the cape fastened around his neck and throwing it off.
‘Mum!’ Peaches ran behind, catching up just as Carenza was getting into her Lexus on the gravel drive. ‘Wait.’
‘Darling, do you mind if I pick us up some dinner on my way home?’ She was already pulling her seatbelt on, barely registering the urgency in Peaches’ looks.
She knew there was only one way to stop her mother, running to the passenger side and getting in the car.
‘Sweetheart, what on earth are you doing? I was lucky to even get an appointment at the salon. I’ll have to leave this minute.’
Once in the seat, Peaches pulled the door closed.
‘Did you have to yell at him in front of everybody like that?’
‘What?’ She blinked in wonder. ‘That boy could have destroyed one of my properties with his incompetence.’
‘You don’t know it was his fault, and it wasn’t destroyed, was it?’
Carenza shot her daughter a cautioning look. This was usually enough to stop her in her tracks, but not today. Not when they’d finally made some kind of progress towards cutting the apron strings.
‘You’re not changing your mind about Euan, are you?’
Her face set hard. ‘How can he work at my properties with a reputation for danger? Be sensible, Peach.’
‘I don’t mean that, Mum, I mean did you change your mind about the Beltane Bonfire and the date?’
Carenza drew back her neck. ‘Have you been using the hot glue gun again?’ She placed a hand on her forehead. ‘I’ve told you about the dangers of working with solvents before.’
‘Mum! Have you changed your mind about my date?’ If she wasn’t curled on the passenger seat she’d have stamped her foot in frustration.
‘Of course not! Why on earth would I? Haveyouchanged your mind?’ Her mother’s voice lost all its edges, turning soft and ticklish again.
‘No, Mum. I really want to go.’
Carenza let her hand settle on Peaches’ cheek. ‘You are a good girl.’
They were getting somewhere. She exhaled hard with the relief.
‘On that note,’ Carenza said, momentarily putting aside the urgency of her hair appointment and the long drive ahead of her in favour of her new pet project. She slipped her phone from her blazer pocket. ‘Have a look at these. I was going to show you later.’ She jabbed a slightly singed red fingernail over her screen. ‘Valerie sent these over.’
