Instantly, Ezz put down her coffee, assuming employee status. She turned awkwardly to include Grete, probably feeling that reporting to Erik while Grete stood there might look like going over her head. ‘This morning, I’ve worked on an email regarding the Christmas activities you talked about for next year, ready to reach out to six reputable hotels on the island in the hopes of partnering.’
‘What Christmas activities?’ Erik asked, regarding a chunk of tablet quizzically before popping it into his mouth.
Ezz hesitated, her gaze flicking towards Grete. Calmly, Grete stepped in. ‘I asked Ezzie to explore winter visitor attractions. We talked of partnering with hotels by offering events for their guests and a festive menu at the café.’
Erik looked blank. ‘Here? Why?’
Ezz’s eyes widened as her glance at Grete plainly said,Have I spoken out of turn?
Grete gave a wintry smile. ‘I looked for ways to make Rothach Hall more self-supporting … as you are talking of selling.’ She lifted her chin.
Ezz’s gaze swung to Erik, horrified. Mats shared her reaction.Selling?
Erik looked uncomfortable. He switched to Swedish to rap out a tense: ‘We should discuss this privately.’
Grete shrugged and nodded.
Ezz’s eyes shot to Mats, as if hoping he could transmit a translation. Then clearly feeling her role in theconversation to be over, she drew on her employee status to excuse herself. ‘I’ll help Gwen clear up.’
Soon she’d vanished into the kitchen. Ten seconds later, she glided past the lounge with a smile and bustled out through the connecting door. A guest no more.
The room fell quiet in her wake. Josefin distracted Astrid and Alvin by helping them switch baubles around on the glittering, multi-coloured Christmas tree with its swathes of silver bells. Mats watched his parents silently sipping coffee. In Swedish he said, ‘I had no idea you were thinking of selling, Dad.’
Erik made a scoffing noise. ‘Your mother and I had one conversation, that’s all.’
Grete rapped out a reply, low and angry. ‘When I asked if we could visit Rothach for longer each year, instead of working, working, working, you said you’d rather sell the damned place. That was your answer – not to ease up so we could spend some of the money we’ve earnt, but simply remove what you saw as the cause of the argument, regardless of how much I love Skye.’ Hurt and accusation rang in her voice.
Erik beetled his thick eyebrows but adopted a pacifying tone. ‘You’re half owner, Grete. You know I couldn’t sell without your agreement.’
Grete took a step closer to her husband, eyes glinting. ‘What I know is that you could make it very difficult to keep Rothach Hall, because you retain the major control of everything. When it comes to Larsson Fiskeri I have worked by your side for decades, butIdon’t hold a title of CEO or chairman. I am executive officer, second-in-command, responsible for formulating policy for the board’s approval, but with no vote of my own. You decide what our joint income will be and how much we canafford to funnel towards Rothach Hall. So, I looked for ways to bring in more money.’
Mats rocked on his heels, unsure whether to say,You need to discuss this alone,or to stay and listen. He’d assumed that Rothach Hall would one day pass to himself, Jonas and Maja so they and their children would be able to enjoy the gracious old house for years to come. It hadn’t occurred to him that his dad would consider cutting the family connection with Skye. After overseeing the restoration of Rothach Hall, he’d thought Erik loved the place too. His parents had both wanted the hall, after all.
Grete bit out, ‘You didn’t want to take your hands off the reins of the company to take prolonged breaks with me, so you rattled your weapons to make me see things your way. But it didn’t work, because here I am at Rothach.’ Her voice tightened. ‘And here I may stay.’ With one last scorching glare, she turned and swept from the room. Diplomatically, Josefin kept the children occupied debating which baubles were the shiniest.
Erik, ruddier than ever, glanced at Mats, looking shaken. ‘Do we have any snaps?’
He shook his head. ‘We’re being Scottish. We have whisky. But if I were you, Dad, I’d keep a clear head. I don’t think your discussion with Mum’s over yet.’ Annoyance at his father for trying to bluster his way through every problem made him add, ‘Now I know why she’s been so unlike herself.’
About to turn away he was halted when Erik murmured, ‘I love her. I can’t lose her.’
All Mats’ anger seeped away. Had he ever felt one half of the love for Inger that he heard ringing in Erik’s voice? He softened his voice. ‘She’s tired. She doesn’t want to work so much. Would it be so bad to take time off with hersometimes? The business really isn’t everything, Dad. I’ve found that. This time enjoying life with the children … it’s made me realise that I used to work too much. Life’s for enjoying, too, and time away from loved ones is time we never get back.’
Erik passed his hand across his mouth – not quite hiding the trembling of his lips.
Mats was dismayed, but before he could find a way to help his growly but loveable bear of a father, Grete returned softly to the room. Her eyes, even behind her glasses, were pink-rimmed. When Erik turned towards her, she laid a tentative hand on his arm. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You came a long way to speak to me, so I shouldn’t have stormed out. Come upstairs and tell me what you came to say.’
Mats had to swallow at the way his parents gazed at each other, each reading the face of the other with the familiarity of decades of shared love. Newly aware of Grete’s silver hair and Erik’s round-shouldered stoop, Mats cleared his throat. ‘Sounds like a good offer, Pappa.’
Erik nodded, though his attention remained on his wife. ‘Yes. We need to talk,’ he told Grete. He took her hand, and together they left the room.
Mats didn’t mind that their attention had been too much on each other to say goodbye to him. Optimistic that his brief heart-to-heart with his dad might have made Erik think hard about exactlywhathe should say to Grete to return them to sharing life’s path, Mats crossed the room to enjoy the company of his children.
Ezz readied herself to meet Mats at the Jolly Abbot, half-expecting a text or call crying off after Erik’s surprise arrival.
Why had he suggested they go out this evening? Was that in the friend zone? Or edging into the dating zone? Which did she want it to be?
She regarded her reflection in her mirror, applying the Law of Opposites.If I bother with make-up he won’t turn up. If I go over there looking like Plain Jane, then he will.
