‘That’s okay. I was turning into a ice lolly in the car myself.’ Kyle shivered. ‘Well, it’s a lot to explain. We’d been at loggerheads over the use of the land, and of course, you know that there’s been local opposition to the project. Anyway, we were finally able to hammer out a plan that I think will make everyone happy on a call last week. Part of the issue’s been that I couldn’t ever get a hold of him while he was off in New York this past month or so.’ Kyle sighed. ‘It’s good, I think. He says he’s going to make a big announcement about it, so I’ll leave it to him to tell you at the same time as everyone else. But he’s a good guy. I think what we’ve got planned will work.’
‘Well, now I’m intrigued.’ Deb returned her gaze to the road and shifted gears as she rounded the end of the long gravel drive leading back to the castle.
‘Yeah. Listen, Deb…’ It was unusual for Kyle to sound as unsure of himself as he did in that moment, and Deb shot him a curious look. He looked nervous.
‘I also wanted to say that I’m sorry,’ he continued, his voice halting. ‘When you told me about your grandmother and the cottages up on Gyle Head, I wasn’t as kind as I could have been. Hal told me that you’d told him about it, and I have to admit that when I started talking to him about it, I realised that I’d been really insensitive to you. Now, I don’t want that to sound like I listened to Hal because he’s a man and not to you when you said exactly the same thing.’
He held up his hand as if to ward off a comment from Deb. ‘I know how that sounds. It was just, when he told me the detailsof what you’d told him, I started thinking about how it must feel for you. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that before. It just felt like you were accusing me, like it was my fault, and I got my back up. I can be an idiot sometimes. And I guess I’ve got really defensive about the project, too, because of the local resistance.’ He sighed and put his head in his hands. ‘Basically, I messed up, and I’m sorry.’
‘Well, thank you. I appreciate the apology,’ Deb said, as they drove towards the castle. She felt awkward with Kyle’s sudden openness, but it also gave her a glow of happiness in her belly. She had wanted to reconnect with Kyle, and she hadn’t known how to broach the subject. Unexpectedly, he’d done it for her.
The gardening team had done brilliantly in winding what was probably miles of fairy lights around the trunks of the tall fir trees, and over and through the thick rhododendron bushes. Now that it was fully dark, the drive looked magical. Deb gasped a little at the enchanted effect as she drove along.
‘This your doing?’ Kyle asked, looking out of the window. ‘It’s gorgeous.’
‘Oh. Thank you.’ She was surprised at the compliment. They drove on in silence, and Deb parked in front of the castle. ‘Here we are, then,’ she said, awkwardly. Her initial irritation had worn off, and had been replaced by the simmering attraction that she always felt in his presence.
However, Deb was still unsure of where things stood between her and Kyle. He’d been lovely, and apologised for the thing that had been bothering her, all this time. But she still wasn’t sure what he wanted with her, if anything.
She wanted to say something, but before she had a chance, he’d hopped out of the car and slammed the door.
‘Thanks for the lift,’ he said, as she got out of the car, adjusting her dress self-consciously.
‘No problem.’ Deb started walking in, and then realised that Kyle had made her totally forget the whole reason she’d left the party in the first place. She gave herself a light smack on the hand and turned back to the car. ‘I’ve got to get something. I’ll see you in there.’ She waved him away.
‘Okay,’ she heard him reply.
So. Back to party organising, she thought to herself.You are actually here to work, unless you’d forgotten.
No, I hadn’t forgotten. Perhaps just got temporarily distracted.
She opened the back seat of the car and reached into the footwell, where she’d put the box of bottles from the Inn. It was heavier than she remembered, and she felt her ankle wobble threateningly with the unexpected weight.
‘Let me get those. You’ll twist an ankle on these flagstones in those shoes.’ Kyle appeared at her side. Deb jumped, not expecting him to be near; she’d thought he’d gone into the castle.
‘Oh. Thanks.’ She handed him the box, and locked the car. ‘Dotty forgot these ingredients for the signature cocktail for the evening. It’s called a Clan Cameron.’
‘Not the only yummy thing around here,’ he murmured, and gave her a brief, unusually shy grin.
Deb didn’t know how to reply to that, so she said nothing. But her heart pounded. What did Kyle mean? Was he flirting with her?
With a lump in her throat, she followed him into the castle, where the party was in full swing.
TWENTY-EIGHT
‘SAVE OUR SQUIRRELS AND CAPERCAILLIE!’ the shout rang out across the Great Hall, and Deb’s heart sank.
Oh, no.
She thought that she had persuaded Mina and the crochet coven not to make a scene at the party, but, apparently, she had been far too subtle in her efforts.
Mina, Sheila, Sue and some other women were carrying the finished protest quilt into the Great Hall between them, like a large flag. Deb could see the slogan in capitals, which had been sewn in green and black on a white quilted background.
‘WOMEN SEWING AGAINST ECOSYSTEM COLLAPSE!’ the group chanted as they made their way into the room.
‘Oh, for …’ Deb swore under her breath as she caught Hal Cameron’s eye. ‘Sheila!’ she hissed as the women passed her. ‘Is this really the time?’
‘It’s always the time for activism, Deb,’ Mina said primly as she walked past, holding up one side of the quilt.
