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

‘My Lord?’ said Shane. ‘Who’s he when he’s at home?’

‘Do call me Fergus,’ said Fergus modestly.

‘Right ye are. I’m going to play very slowly and you and…’ Davy paused.

‘Zoe, call me Zoe.’

‘…Zoe can walk through the moves showing the others.’

‘This calls for a set of only eight people,’ said Fergus. ‘So, once we’ve demonstrated, Zoe and I will keep you straight from the side-lines.’

‘We’ll happily step out too,’ said Jane, dragging Rupert with her.

‘Okay, perfect. We can always have another go after.’

The demonstration began in slow mode.

‘This is a difficult one,’ said Felicity.

‘But it’s such a good reel,’ said Minty.

‘You’ve done it before?’ I smiled.

‘Many times. I go to the Highland Ball most seasons.’

‘Now that’s a marvellous dance,’ said Jane, who was hovering just outside the set, ready to step in if anyone made a mistake. ‘I went several times as a child.’

‘Did you grow up in Scotland?’ I asked.

‘No, my parents had connections here.’

‘Here exactly…or generally?’

‘Don’t be silly.’ Jane avoided an answer.

Zoe and Fergus left the set and the music began. Round we all went in a circle for ten and back for ten. Jane couldn’t help herself shouting out directions, ‘SET, set, TURN your partner, SET, set, figure of eight. Figure of eight.’

Louis was on my right with his partner Lianne, and when she threw her arms up in the air for a twirl, I was pleased to see him flinch again. He really had pulled a muscle, it wasn’t anything to do with me.

The Eightsome reel is a killer if, like me, you’re shy at heart. The absolutely worst part comes when you have to stand in the centre of a turning circle, all alone, performing a little jig. Everyone’s eyes are on you and the whole ghastly process seems to take an age.

‘In you go, Lianne,’ shouted Jane and the good-time girl burst into uncontrollable giggles. The momentum was lost, the set fell apart and I was unbelievably relieved to have missed my turn.

Davy wasn’t going to let us rest. He coaxed his children to speed up the tempo and bellowed at us all to ‘TWIRL’ and ‘CLAP’ and ‘SPIN’ and ‘BOUNCE’, ‘SWAP YOUR PARTNERS ONE TWO THREE.’ It was mayhem but surprisingly good fun.

When the music stopped, Louis came and whispered in my ear, ‘Save the last dance for me.’ I smiled a smile full of joy – only because I thought Toby might be watching.

‘Who wants another drink?’ said Rupert, offering the bottle of white wine around the room. Rather too at home, I thought.

Louis, Lianne, Shane and Giles went outside to cool off and I glided alone up one end of the room.

‘What a place this is,’ I heard behind me and turned to meet Toby’s sparkling blue eyes.

‘Not bad.’

‘I’ve just had a little snoop, pretended I was going to the loo. Kind of thing you’d do.’

I didn’t react. It annoyed me he knew me so well.

‘They’ve got some great paintings, haven’t they?’

‘They do.’

‘Come on, Susie, can’t we at least have a conversation?’

‘Sure.’

‘Okay then. Have you looked at the paintings?’

‘Fergus gave us a tour.’

‘Lucky you. Any particular gems?’

‘I’d never seen any Landseer oil sketches before and there are a lot of them upstairs.’

‘He used to give them as presents when he went to stay, didn’t he?’

Why isn’t there anything Toby doesn’t know? I bet he was a right suck at school. Loser.

‘Yes, he did.’

‘Well, he must have come here a lot…Perhaps there was something going on?’

‘Like what?’

‘An affair or something.’

Grrr. This was going all wrong. I had no way out of the conversation.

‘He was Fergus’s great-aunt’s lover.’

‘Great-aunt? That would make him about a hundred and thirty-seven years old.’

‘Very clever,’ I finally smiled. Toby knew his stuff. ‘Great-great-great-great-great-aunt then.’

His laugh made me laugh. It was difficult not to. I adore Toby, had adored Toby. His blue eyes, his curly hair, his ability to mingle in any company. He liked walking and swimming and cooking and being with me. My heart sank; would I ever find someone as companionable as that?

‘Susie,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.’

Wow, an apology, he has grown up.

I gave him a sad smile.

‘I kind of get the feeling I’ve hurt you.’ He looked pathetic. ‘But I don’t know why.’

‘You don’t know why?’ I was furious.

‘No. I sent you a text the other night, and as you didn’t reply I thought we were all cool.’

‘Well, we’re not.’ I now regretted deleting his message. From here on in I’m going to have to improvise.

‘How can I have done something wrong?’ he pleaded. ‘We haven’t seen each other for ages.’

Tears began welling up inside me. There are so many things he’s done wrong. He hasn’t written to me; he hasn’t been in touch; he hasn’t apologised for leading me down the garden path; and to top it off he’s come here tonight.

‘Yowch,’ came Lianne’s cry and without answering Toby I rushed to the door. She was sprawled on the floor, her halter-neck dress struggling to keep her bosoms in check, and as I stretched out an arm, Shane found the whole thing highly amusing.

‘Lianne,’ said Zoe from the opposite side of the room, ‘are you okay?’

‘Yeah, thanks.’ She got up and slapped Shane on the cheek.

‘Time for more dancing,’ said Fergus and I caught Louis’ eye. But, at the very same time, Toby prodded my back and held out his right hand.

‘No,’ said Louis, striding towards us. ‘I’ve booked Susie for this one.’ He squeezed my shoulders and kissed me on the forehead. Crumbs, I kind of wanted to tell po-faced Toby there was nothing serious going on, but a large part of me loved that he was jealous.

Davy announced it would be Dashing White Sergeant, and I felt physically sick. ‘You’ll need to be in threes for this one,’ he explained, ‘two gentlemen and a lady, or two ladies and a gentleman.’

‘Great,’ said Toby with a huge grin. ‘Shall we?’

‘Sure,’ said Louis, rising to the challenge.

Holding hands, me sandwiched between the two