It was, on one hand, understandable to feel an affinity for the Scottish countryside: after all, Deb had lived in Scotland most of her life, apart from a few stints in London for work. Yet, she’d never been to Gyle Head before. And the feeling was specific to here: she loved the village of Loch Cameron, but she hadn’t felt this – not this exact feeling of rootedness and belonging – there.
Slowly, she turned around, stretching her arms out around her and spun around slowly, just for the sheer pleasure of it. She watched the landscape flash and merge with itself as she sped up, laughing like a child at her increasing giddiness. The green of the meadow merged with the blue of the sky, and the trees seemed to spread and waver at the edge of her vision.
Deb was so happy, just in that moment, feeling completely alone and caressed and supported by the landscape. She felt like a child: carefree and full of excitement and adventure, but also safe and protected. She belonged here, and she knew it at a cellular level of herself, though she couldn’t say why.
‘Wow. You really can’t keep away, can you?’ A deep voice broke her reverie, and Deb stopped spinning as soon as she realised that someone was standing in front of her.
‘What? How are you here?’ she gasped as she stopped whirling, trying to regain some sense of balance. She reached for the hedge to steady her, but her hand clasped around holly. ‘Ouch,’ she withdrew her hand and shook it.
‘You all right? Not going to fall over?’ Kyle Abernethy took her arm to steady her.
‘I’m perfectly fine, thank you,’ she pulled her arm away, and they stood there, looking awkwardly at each other. ‘I was just enjoying a walk. No law against that.’
‘No, no, indeed. Same here. I like to walk over this way for a break sometimes. It’s beautiful. I’m Kyle, by the way.’ He removed his hand from her arm.
‘Deb Sutherland.’
‘Good to meet you.’
‘And you,’ she said more as a reflex than anything. ‘Yes, it is beautiful,’ she said, guardedly. ‘And, I know your name. The women at the protest filled me in. This isn’t your land too, is it? I’m not trespassing again?’ She knew that there was an edge in her tone, but she couldn’t help it.Just try and tell me to get off your land one more time, she thought. ‘There weren’t any signs if it is.’
‘No, I don’t own this part. It is part of Gyle Head, but the development’s just at the top. I couldn’t do anything with this, anyway. Forest and protected land. I couldn’t if I wanted to.’
‘How come it’s not all protected?’ she asked. ‘The habitats, and all that?’
‘The habitatsareprotected. That’s this bit.’ Kyle waved a hand at the forest behind them. ‘This hedgerow’s hundreds of years old, as are the trees here. I know all about the bloody protected habitats and ecosystems up here. I had to sign more agreements to protect badgers and voles and pygmy nuthatches than you’d believe before Hal Cameron would sell that piece of land to me.’
‘Pygmy nuthatches? Are they indigenous to the area?’ Deb asked, raising a playful eyebrow.
‘All right, I was making that bit up. But, you get the idea.’ A grin lurked around the edge of his mouth.
‘The ladies from the community centre don’t think a lot of you. I’d go so far as to say that they wouldn’t believe you’re protecting anything.’ Deb raised an eyebrow.
‘They can believe what they want,’ Kyle replied, noncommittally. ‘None of my business, is it?’
‘No, I suppose not,’ Deb frowned, trying to work him out and failing. She had a sense that Kyle was holding something back, but, she reasoned, they’d only met briefly, so whatever he was thinking or not thinking was also really no business of hers.
‘If you walk that way, and over the stile at the end, there’s an amazing view of the loch.’ Changing the subject, Kyle pointed ahead of them at the end of the meadow which led into trees again. ‘Through the edge of that part of the forest, just follow it along and you’ll come to a little pathway. Follow that to the right and you’ll find it. It’s a lovely spot.’
‘Oh. Thank you,’ Deb was taken aback. ‘That’s… very kind.’
‘Welcome.’ He shrugged. ‘I was actually going that way myself.’
‘Oh. Well, let’s go, then. You can show me.’
‘Right,’ he strode off, and she had to scurry after him a little to keep up.
‘So how long have you been working on this development?’ she asked as she caught up.
‘Over a year, but the site hasn’t been up long.’
‘Listen, I wasn’t part of the protest group, the other day. They were just there when I was, and we got talking. Actually, some of them will be useful contacts for the party.’ Deb knew she didn’t have to explain, but she felt she wanted to anyway.
‘Party?’ He glanced at her. Deb couldn’t help admire his face in profile. The black beard highlighted his high cheekbones and noble face. His nose was straight and his brow was strong but not overwhelming like some men who had that caveman brow look.
‘Hmm. The May Day Party at the castle. I’m helping Hal out.’ She looked away, not wanting to be caught staring. Kyle nodded as he vaulted the stile and held out a hand for her to climb over it. Deb shook her head and climbed over herself.
‘You’re, what? A party planner?’ He strode into the trees, hardly waiting for her to keep up.
