Despite herself, her heart gave a tiny skip. ‘I don’t think—’
‘Please.’ His smile was warm and hopeful. ‘I hate usbeing so distant, Ezzie. I know I made a horrible mistake, but I would never hurt you intentionally.’
Involuntarily, she flinched. She’d made a much bigger mistake ten years ago. In his grey eyes she saw what she knew only too well herself: regret. And something she felt seriously short of: affection. Her smile muscles wavered into life. ‘Thank you. That would be lovely.’
‘Leave the car,’ he said. ‘Jonas or Ebba can move it.’
Half an hour in the big lounge with the oversized tree and the crackling fire turned out to be incredibly cheering, where the children gathered noisily around the table full of cakes and drink while the adults kept casual watch over them. Mats’ sister Maja buttonholed Ezz. She favoured Erik in her colouring and had gorgeous smiling eyes. ‘We’d love to see something of the island in winter. I’m sure you know lovely places to recommend.’ She spoke the same perfect English as Mats.
Ezz had met Maja only occasionally when she’d been assistant manager, but now she warmed to the other woman. ‘There are glorious places to visit like Fairy Glen or the Fairy Pools. The island’s just one enormous scenery fest with the snowy mountaintops. If you’re feeling less energetic, there are lots of nice cafés in Broadford and the capital, Portree, all sparkling with Christmas lights.’
Jonas, Maja and Mats’ brother, joined them. He too was dark, a more compact man than either his brother or his dad, with a short, easy-care haircut and a face that looked ready to crease into laughter. ‘I’ve read that there are dinosaur footprints on Skye, but have never seen them.’
‘There are,’ Ezz assured him. ‘Though I can’t explain the geological process that preserved them. They’re not far from Portree. Behind the reception desk we have a boxof leaflets that other visitor attractions send us. I could get you some.’
‘If I know my dear sister Maja, she’d enjoy digging through the box herself.’ When Jonas grinned, he looked more like Mats than she’d thought. Maybe they both got the lovely smile from Grete.
Maja looked unabashed. ‘True. I’ll do that. I expect you’ve met my husband Nils before?’ She smiled as Nils arrived, with thin blond hair and an adoring expression whenever his gaze fell on his wife or children. ‘He’s a teacher for the younger children in Grundskolan, which is the school for six to fifteen years old.’
Then Jonas’ wife Ebba drifted up, brown hair gleaming like horse chestnuts. Maja explained that they’d been questioning Ezz about what they might do on Skye, prompting Ebba to declare solemnly, ‘We need to tire the children out each day, so we can have peaceful evenings.’ Her English was good, but, like Josefin’s, more accented than that of Mats and his siblings.
As Ezz chatted, she saw Josefin appear and pause to speak to one of the children – Ezz thought it was Walter – who was eating shortbread as if frightened it would be snatched away. She waited to catch Josefin’s eye and exchange smiles, but Josefin seemed to avoid her gaze. Ezz wondered whether she’d warm up if she realised that Mats had dropped her in the disaster zone with Valentina and that sat between them like a giant, immovable boulder.
Then she realised Mats was watching her from across the room. She turned hot – nothing to do with the warm gingerbread Gwen had just passed round, but because of the unguarded desire in his eyes. Their night together rushed back at her in a wave of blood-boiling lust.
Of course,thenJosefin chose to look up and catch the exchange. She looked away, her expression shuttered.
On Monday, Ezz was in her office when Gwen brought in a young woman with a ponytail and rainbow-framed glasses. ‘This is my sister’s granddaughter Caitriona, who’s starting today. She has her ID for your records.’
Ezz smiled at Caitriona, who was a similar height to Gwen, slighter, but with a similar can-do air. ‘Welcome to the team. It’s only nine days until Christmas Day. You’re prepared to work where requested throughout Christmas, are you? Mr and Mrs Larsson and their family don’t require twenty-four-hour-a-day hotel service, but as well as providing occasional meals, there will be constant clearing of the kitchen, making cakes, snacks and sandwiches to stock the fridge, cleaning as required, and frequent shopping.’
Caitriona nodded enthusiastically, her ponytail dancing. ‘Aye, my great aunt explained. I don’t mind working through Christmas and Hogmanay. It’s to help me pay my way next term at uni. I’d love work during the Easter and summer holidays too, if it comes up. I’m at Abertay in Dundee, and I get casual work there but I’ve my studying to do.’
Ezz understood that though the Scottish enjoyed the unparalleled luxury of free university tuition, living costs had still to be found. ‘Then let’s get you on the seasonal workers list,’ she suggested, waving Caitriona to a chair. ‘I’m not sure about Easter yet, but we’ll certainly need help in summer.’
Not long after the formalities had been completed and Caitriona had departed in Gwen’s wake to be introduced to Grete and Erik and then shown the kitchen, Astrid,Alvin and what looked like all the Larsson children but baby Ronja burst through the white door and tumbled across reception and into Ezz’s office.
‘This is our Ezzie,’ Astrid said possessively, as if Ezz hadn’t been present atfikayesterday. Probably the children had all been so excited to see each other that another adult more or less hadn’t been noted.
Pleased by the ‘our’, Ezzie smiled round at the children, who bobbed before her desk in a sea of mini humanity. ‘Hello again, everyone. Should I start by seeing if I can remember all your names?’ As they all nodded expectantly, she began with the tallest. ‘You’re Emil, the eldest? And this is your brother, Filip.’
Filip, as dark as his father Jonas, nodded. ‘I’m eight and Emil’s ten.’
Ezz worked her way through the others. Liam was three like Alvin, and Walter was seven, a bit older than Astrid. ‘And we’ve got a baby,’ Walter said, dismissing his little sister Ronja. ‘But can you take us to see the ponies? Mormor says there are two new ones.’
‘He means Haggis and Scotch,’ Astrid said, showing off that she was in the know. ‘And he calls Farmor “Mormor” because she’s his mother’s mother.’
‘Thanks for the reminder.’ But Ezz assumed an expression of regret, as if there had been any realistic chance of her taking off with almost every child in the place without arrangement. ‘I’m afraid I have to stay here to work. Maybe Josefin will take you?’
Astrid gave an elaborate shrug, small pink palms upturned. ‘Josefin’s gone home. Farfar’s driving her to the airport.’
Shocked, Ezz stared. ‘I thought she was spending Christmas with you all.’ Then, remembering Josefin’sunsmiling countenance yesterday, she wondered whether she’d received bad news.
The white door opened again, then Mats strode over the lobby to gaze at the children severely, while they all grinned cheerfully back. ‘You’re not supposed to bother Ezz.’ Then with a smile, he supplied her with details that Astrid had omitted. ‘Josefin’s son’s travelling home to Sweden for Christmas after a bust-up with his partner, so she’s gone to share the festivities with him. We have plenty of adults around to look after kids after all. Dad drove her to Inverness early this morning. I expect he’ll be back soon.’
Ezz was surprised and a touch hurt that Josefin hadn’t so much as texted a goodbye. Though Ezzie felt for her if she had a crush on Mats, Josefin had lived with his family for some time without him showing interest, so it seemed hard if Ezz had copped the blame. Evidently, Josefin and Valentina could form a club called ‘Ezzie’s on my shitlist’.
Mats broke into her dismal thoughts. ‘Children, I’m going to take the feed down to the ponies, so let’s check it’s OK with your parents for you guys to come.’
