There was a hubbub of noise. Mina, giving her corner of the quilt to Sheila, went up to the band at the front of the hall and tapped the microphone.
‘Sorry to interrupt the party,’ she began. ‘But as this IS a community gathering, we wanted to make our voices heard. Say no to new houses on Gyle Head!’ she shouted. The microphone squealed, and Deb recoiled from the volume.
It was typical. She’d worked so hard on the party and tried so hard to get everything right. In fact, Deb was really proud of everything she’d done. And now, Mina and Sheila and the rest of them were ruining everything. She was mortified.
Hal must think I’m the worst party planner in the world, she thought, running to the stage. She didn’t have a plan in mind per se, but it was a panic reaction. If she could get there and reason with Mina… if she could persuade her to let it go, then they could let the party continue.
Deb looked back at Kyle, standing at the back of the room. A look passed between them. I’m sorry, she wanted to say.You don’t deserve this.
Yet, before she could get there, Hal Cameron was smiling kindly at Mina and taking the microphone out of her hands. He gestured for quiet.
‘Thank ye, Mina,’ he said, kindly. ‘That quilt is absolutely stonkin’. I know that you all must’ve worked really hard on that, aye. An’ you’re right. This is a community celebration, an’ you’ve got a right tae be heard.’
‘Thank you, Hal,’ Mina replied, smugly. ‘I think we can all agree that something needs to be done about the development on Gyle Head. I’m sorry that we had to bring it up in this way, but we didn’t feel like there had been any action. It’s been frustrating, seeing all the work starting, and not being listened to.’
There was a general murmur of agreement in the crowd, and Hal nodded seriously.
‘I understand. An’ I’d like tae respond, if I may,’ he said.
‘Of course, Hal.’ Mina nodded.
‘Aye, well then. We know aboot the housin’ development up on Gyle Head,’ Hal began, as the crowd began to quiet. ‘I know a lot o’ you have opposed it. An’ I’d never want to restrict your right tae be heard.’
‘Good thing, too,’ Dotty muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Those new houses are a menace!’ She shot a dirty look at Kyle, who was standing at the other side of the room and looking self-conscious.
Deb smiled politely, not keen to incur Dotty’s wrath by disagreeing, but feeling awkward at standing next to someone who was throwing daggers at the man she had just brought up here in the car.
‘Well, that’s no’ strictly true,’ Hal continued, frowning. ‘It’s true that Kyle and I – that’s Kyle Abernethy, the developer – had a differing vision fer the development at first. The problem seems to have come up because he changed the plan fer the houses he was plannin’ up on Gyle Head. I thought that meant that he wasnae goin’ tae be buildin’ affordable housin’, but in fact that’s no’ the case. Sixty per cent o’ those houses’re goin tae be fer some o’ the poorest families, because I’m goin’ tae be subsidisin’ them.’
There was a whoop of surprise from the audience. Mina looked completely taken aback.
‘Well… that’s not what I heard,’ she argued, shooting a glance over at Kyle at the back of the room.
‘That is what Kyle and I have agreed,’ Hal said, firmly. ‘We’ve been meeting about it over the past few weeks, an’ he’s also been workin’ really hard tae protect those bird an’ squirrel environments yer all so worried aboot. Rightly o’ course. I think Kyle’s plannin’ tae tell ye all aboot everythin’ in a community meetin’ very soon. Okay?’
‘All right.’ Deb could see that Mina didn’t know what to say. ‘Thank you.’
‘Aye. I’m goin’ tae leave that tae Kyle, when he’s ready. Now, unfortunately, I do have somethin’ else tae say which isnae so happy.’ Hal frowned, and paused a little before he continued. ‘Deb knows about this already. She was the one that brought it tae my attention.’
Hal caught Deb’s eye, as if to check with her that it was all right for him to go ahead: she nodded, with a feeling of nervousness. She understood that this would be part of Hal’smaking it right, but she was still a little nervous that everyone here was going to hear about Grandma Elise. She reminded herself that this was good. Clearing karma. Righting wrongs.
‘What ye might no’ ken is that there was an unfortunate bit o’ history up on Gyle Head, an’ I’m afraid that one of ma ancestors was responsible,’ he said. ‘It seems that when the former Laird was Clan Chief, he decided that he wanted tae turn Gyle Head intae a kind o’ pleasure garden for himself. You’ll know that there’s a stone circle he built on the castle grounds, down by the loch. Well, that was the same Laird as built the auld Folly up on Gyle Head. It’s in ruins now, but I’ve got pictures of when it was new. Very bonny, with ornamental gardens, an’ a lake.
‘Unfortunately, so that he could build all o’ that, so that he could entertain his friends on the weekends when they came up from the city, an’ in the summers, the Laird decided tae knock down some cottages tae make room for his amusements. An’ he evicted the families that lived there. I had no idea about this awful abuse of a landlord’s power until Deb Sutherland unearthed some auld maps of the area, an’ brought them tae me. I did some research an’ found the truth.’
A murmur went around the crowd, and several heads swivelled in Deb’s direction.
‘Now. It seems that there were four families affected. The McKinleys, the Dalgliesh family, the McCarrons, and the Sutherlands.’ The Laird consulted a piece of paper he’d beenholding in his hand. ‘In fact, the Sutherlands were Deb’s own ancestors. This was an abuse of power that never should’ve happened, and I wanted tae be open about it. And I’ll be makin’ reparations. I’m no’ sure exactly what, yet, but I’ll try tae make it right as best I can. I pledge that to you, Deb, and to the descendants of the other families too.’
Deb nodded gratefully at Hal, but there was a strange feeling of heat coming up from her middle, and she felt suddenly as though she very much needed to sit down.
The room spun around her and she reached out for Dotty, who was standing next to her.
‘Ach, she’s gone pale!’ Deb heard Dotty call out. Her legs felt suddenly wobbly, as if she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. She closed her eyes, and felt herself falling.
TWENTY-NINE
‘Deb. Talk to me. Come on.’
