Chapter Seventeen
Mats greeted Monday with scant enthusiasm. As Ezzie hadn’t shown up forfikaon Sunday nor answered his most recent texts, he lay in wait for her to arrive for work. When she spotted him lurking in reception under the guise of chatting to Orla, she said, ‘Good morning,’ then strode into her office, pulling off her long overcoat. Though her face was wan, the rest of her was as immaculate as ever.
He followed her in. ‘Are you OK?’
Her blue eyes bleak, she answered indirectly. ‘Thea’s having difficulty with her pregnancy and has stayed in Dumfries. I need to concentrate on that and work stuff.’ She didn’t actually add,So please don’t talk to me about the crappy mess you dropped me into,but her tone suggested that she didn’t want to rehash his motormouth moment in front of Valentina on Saturday.
‘I’m sorry to hear it.’ He was shaken, imagining how he’d have felt if either of Inger’s pregnancies had come under threat. ‘Now I feel worse than ever.’
She settled herself at the desk without acknowledging his feelings. ‘I’ll send Grete a formal email. Then I must speak to Sheena about working around Thea’s absence.’
‘I understand,’ he said hollowly, getting the hint that she was manager and she wasn’t in favour of him informing his parents. After a pause to see if she’d add anything, he returned to the family quarters, hanging around until Grete received the email on her phone and read it aloud to him and Erik, her voice full of concern.
Erik knit his thick eyebrows anxiously. ‘We must hope for the best for Thea.’
‘Indeed.’ Grete phoned Ezz to ask her to come to the home office to discuss the staff situation once she’d spoken to Sheena. When Grete and Erik settled themselves there to plan for the rest of the family arriving on Sunday, Mats joined them.
‘Two hire cars will be waiting at Inverness Airport.’ Grete, perhaps not wanting to dwell on poor Thea’s situation before they knew the outcome, beamed at the prospect of seeing all her children and grandchildren together.
Mats listened to his parents discuss food and drink, and days out around the island. Affectionately, he said, ‘You’d think there were ninety extra people coming, not nine.’ But he was glad to see his parents putting their heads together. They’d been so natural and relaxed with each other since their heart-to-heart after Erik’s arrival that he was nurturing hopes they were sorting out their differences.
Grete treated him to a look of mock-reproof. ‘But they are nine very special people.’
They were laughing as Ezz knocked at the half-open door, her pallor exaggerated by her sombre black suit.Mats rose to give her his chair, while he took another at the side of the room. For some reason, it gave him satisfaction to think that she’d be able to feel the residual warmth of his body.
‘Any news from Thea?’ He wanted to show her that he was focused on her main concern.
She shook her head. ‘I’ve talked to Dev this morning, but Thea was sleeping. He said that it’s just a question of waiting to see.’ Her gaze switched to Grete and Erik. ‘I’ve spoken to Sheena.’
Erik smiled. ‘The gardens can be left in winter?’
Her blonde hair danced as she nodded. ‘To an extent. Tree surgeons are coming this week, so Sheena will oversee them. Other jobs on the gardeners’ planner up until New Year are pruning of shrubs and the grapevine, clearing leaves and things like that.’
‘Nothing world-ending,’ Grete observed kindly.
‘No. Though Thea loves that grapevine.’ Ezz managed a tiny smile. ‘The one thing that can’t be neglected is the feeding and general care of Clive and the ponies.’
Mats heard himself say, ‘I can do that. Then Sheena can concentrate on the gardens.’
All the eyes in the room swivelled his way. ‘Good, Mats,’ approved Grete.
‘Very helpful,’ added Erik.
An actual smile shone in Ezz’s eyes. ‘That would solve a small but important issue. Sheena will show you what supplementary feed they need in winter and how to check their water’s filling. It’s piped automatically but can freeze.’ She turned back to Grete. ‘You thought perhaps some of the older children might like to ride. Haggis and Scotch have tack in one of the outbuildings. I don’t think they’d mind coming out of retirement.’
Grete pursed her lips. ‘But we have done nothing about helmets. I think we do not tell the children that Scotch and Haggis have saddles until summer.’
Mats stored away the information that his mum expected at least some of the family to be at Rothach this summer and wondered if he’d be among them. At present, it was easy to arrange his holidays as and when they suited him, but if he left Larsson Fiskeri because of the long hours he’d been working then that might change. He studied Ezz as she listened to the conversation, the tiniest tuck between her pale brows, and wondered how much it would hurt to leave her behind when he went home to Sweden in the New Year. How had he fallen so hard and fast for the beautiful British blonde, the first woman he’d felt anything for since his divorce? Would he return in the summer and discover that Ezz had found a new man? A green spear of jealousy pierced him at the idea of her sharing with someone else that fierce, sensation-seeking passion that had gripped them both on Saturday night.
Grete spoke again. ‘I have texted to Thea our good wishes. She must not worry about work.’
Ezz blinked rapidly. ‘Thank you. I’m sure she appreciates your kindness.’
The sombre exchange made Mats think that both women feared the worst for Thea’s pregnancy. He wanted to take Ezz’s hand but knew how little she’d welcome it.Already dropped her in it with her sister by blabbing the biggest secret of her life? Why not let her employers know that she’s been sleeping with their son into the bargain? Awesome job, Mats.
Ezz’s tepid texts might not have blamed Mats for his stupid indiscretion, but the way her gaze skated awayfrom his suggested the opposite. He half-listened to a conversation about Orla from reception leaving on Friday. His dad was in rumbling mode, questioning whether they needed more help, holding up his big hands to count off on his fingers. ‘No assistant manager until February. No receptionist. No head gardener. Perhaps the Larssons are horrible?’ He gave one of his giant, beaming grins, but sobered quickly. ‘You are OK, Ezz? We distress if you are not OK with much work.’
Her smile for Erik was obviously genuine, and it was obvious that they got along well, despite Erik’s ungrammatical English. It dawned on Mats that if Erik had arrived at the hall at the same time as Mats, Grete and co, she might never have been so stiff and anxious to please. Ezz answered, ‘I haven’t met any horrible Larssons yet.’ She hesitated, frowning. ‘I’ll have to take back some of the routine tasks I gave Orla. Updating spreadsheets and collating statements for the accountants ready for the end of year and the fourth-quarter VAT return, for instance.’
