A Trick of the Light by Ali Carter (surface ebook reader txt) 📕

‘A woman was driving it?’

‘Aye. That’s why it would be in a muddle.’

I feigned a smile. I see no point in rising to comments like this, but, you would have to be a real fool to take a wrong turn off a tarmac road onto what could hardly be described as more than a track. And if Ewen’s away, what was this woman doing? Very odd.

Davy’s head turned to the door. ‘Jimmy, this is Susie; Susie, Jimmy. Right, come on you pair, where shall we set up?’

Rosie and Jimmy looked a similar age, late teens I’d say, their spotty faces and lack of a smile giving that away.

‘Do you need any more help from me?’

‘No thanks,’ said Davy, ‘just pass on to the host, five minutes and we’ll be ready for you all.’

Dancing pairs were being drawn when the doorbell rang and Fergus rushed out of the drawing room.

Toby had arrived. I was embarrassed – he was late.

‘You’re just in time, son,’ said Davy as he and Fergus entered the room. ‘Better get yourself a partner. I’m about to give a wee demonstration of the Gay Gordons.’

Jane looked astounded.

I’ve reeled a bit in the past and know enough to be privy to the snobbery of it all. There are a handful of easy-peasy fling-your-partner-around-the-room dances known to cause upper (class) lips to curl, Gay Gordons being one of them. But Fergus had asked Davy to choose the reels, saying he and Zoe would keep out of it.

With Toby’s arrival numbers were now even, and Fergus, leaving no time for the rest of us to say hello, pushed him in Jane’s general direction. She had to join in now.

Toby managed to grin momentarily as he moved past me and I gave a slight nod hello.

‘Right you are then.’ Davy put down his accordion, grasped hold of Zoe, and the demonstration began.

‘That way, this way, no, this way, yes, that way…’ This great big jolly man shouted out the steps and, good on Zoe, she threw herself into it. Davy’s beer belly brushed against her midriff as they skipped and twirled and twisted around the room.

‘That looks easy,’ said Lianne smiling at Shane, as Louis, my partner, took my hand.

The music began and backwards and forwards we kicked out our legs in one giant circle.

‘FORWARDS FOR THREE, SWIVEL, BACKWARDS FOR THREE,’ Davy shouted enthusiastically over the din. ‘Hold your partner, that’s it, step, hop, step, hop.’

The great thing about Highland music is the way the chords repeat themselves over and over, and as long as you can jump up and down while wiggling your body, you get away with looking like you know what you’re doing.

But Louis was struggling, inhibition getting in the way. Every time I tried to speed up the twirling, get him to twist his arms over my head, he’d retaliate and stiffen up.

‘Is something wrong?’ I whispered and he looked at me as if I’d gone mad.

Jimmy and Rosie’s bows were moving at a tremendous speed as they played along to their father’s lead. I wonder if this is how they like to spend a Wednesday night?

The music reached a crescendo and cut out, the speaker crackled and Giles led us all in a round of applause.

‘Louis?’ I said before we parted.

‘Yes?’

‘What’s up?’

‘That was great. Thanks for being my partner.’ He kissed me on the cheek and drew away.

‘You weren’t very relaxed.’ I tugged on his arm.

‘Ouch.’

‘Sorry, are you okay?’

‘Just pulled a muscle and it really hurts.’

‘During the reel?’

‘No,’ he laughed. ‘But I hadn’t noticed it before.’

‘That wasn’t so hard,’ said Felicity, bustling between us.

‘It was embarrassing,’ said Minty.

‘It was a little,’ said Rupert.

‘Strip the Willow’s next,’ said Davy and brilliantly Shane asked me to dance. So far, I’d avoided having to even speak to Toby.

Jane took Fergus’s hand at the top of the set and we were told that, as this reel involved only one couple dancing at a time, ‘it’s so easy, you can learn it on the trot’. The music started and Fergus and Jane elegantly swung their way down and back up the line, twisting and turning until we all felt dizzy. When their routine was over, Minty and Giles were next. Both of them had said they’d reeled before and took it upon themselves to demonstrate a sophisticated double-arm manoeuvre. When Shane, my partner, tried to copy, it resulted in the most complicated entanglement. We were literally locked together and to the sound of stamping feet and yodelling we abandoned proceedings and repositioned ourselves at the bottom of the set.

Once everyone had fulfilled their turn Davy suggested an encore, but no one’s arms had it in them. ‘Let’s take a break,’ said Zoe, and without waiting for an answer she plonked herself down on a sofa against the wall.

‘I’ll go and get some drinks,’ said Fergus, already one step out the door. ‘Back in a sec.’

Toby was coming towards me and when his mouth opened and he said, ‘Sorry I was a bit late,’ I wished he’d started his apologies many months ago.

‘You’re here now.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m Giles Chesterton,’ said Giles, thankfully coming between us.

‘Toby Cropper.’

Fergus was back with the drinks and Toby, who has good manners, I’ll give him that, offered to help.

‘You take the water.’ Fergus handed him a jug. ‘Rupert’s coming with glasses.’

I poured myself a large glass of wine. I need more alcohol to get through this evening.

When the music began again all us girls, other than Jane who was most definitely a woman, kicked off our shoes to the great relief of our heels.

Giles asked me to dance and I disliked myself for wanting to say no. He was dripping with sweat and I felt revolted by the thought I’d get its precipitation when he performed his complex twirling. But, so far, I’d avoided having to dance with Toby and that thought cheered me up.

‘Eightsome reel,’ said Davy, drawing shut his accordion. ‘This one ain’t as tricky as it looks. Trust