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

‘I thought that didn’t apply in Scotland,’ said Giles.

‘Scotland’s worse than England,’ said Rupert. ‘They’d fine you on cough medicine here, wouldn’t they?’ He looked at Zoe, who charmed him with a chuckle. ‘Do you let any days?’ he asked, turning back to Fergus. ‘Shooting’s a frightfully expensive business in the twenty-first century.’

‘It’s all gone to a syndicate, grouse and pheasant. We provide lunch in the bothy and tea in the house.’

‘Bothy?’ snorted Giles.

‘It’s a small hut on the moor.’

‘Letting your shoot is probably a nice little earner,’ said Jane, hinting she was familiar with country pursuit sums.

‘Yes,’ said Zoe. ‘But I’m full of ideas for making the most of living here.’

She proceeded to reel off endless suggestions: yurts, a plant nursery, craft courses, cookery demonstrations. When she mentioned ‘spinning classes from local sheep’s wool’ Fergus’s face fell. His wife was irrepressible in her ideas for making money, and as he subconsciously patted his tummy, one could sense him begging for a baby that would calm her down.

Loyally he said, ‘Zoe’s done wonders at thinking of all sorts of innovative ways to sustain living here. She’s even taken the estate’s accounts in hand. But, darling, we must remember limited internet in these parts will restrict the extent of what we can and can’t do.’

‘My husband,’ Zoe teased, ‘insists people expect to be permanently logged on.’

‘He does have a point,’ said Louis.

‘You must have a book festival,’ said Jane. ‘They’re terribly popular in the south.’

‘Yes,’ agreed Rupert. ‘My wife simply loves our local affair. Makes her feel part of the intelligentsia.’

‘Weddings?’ suggested Minty, and Zoe answered before her husband could.

‘No, no, that works in the south but here in the Highlands the weather’s too unreliable.’

‘Of course,’ Minty giggled at her mistake.

‘What about a film location?’ said Giles.

‘Our friends put us off that.’ Fergus shook his head. ‘Their Dorset estate featured in the adaptation of Jane Austen’s Love and Friendship – they’d never do it again.’

‘Why not?’ said Lianne.

‘They had to leave home for a month, no contact, and when they returned the place was a complete tip. That’s enough to put anyone off.’

Shane’s eyes lit up. ‘I bet the money was good.’

‘Still, it doesn’t sound worth it to me.’

‘Me neither,’ said Jane and I wondered if she lived in a large house herself.

‘Being a land agent, as I myself am,’ said Rupert, ‘one can imagine this place is very expensive to run.’

‘Why don’t you sell it then?’ said Shane. ‘You’d make millions.’

‘No, no.’ Zoe shook her head vigorously, and Fergus explained, ‘This house has been in my family for over two hundred and fifty years, never been bought or sold, passed down through the generations by inheritance since 1761. I’d hate to lose hold of it. Zoe and I are one link in a larger chain and our primary aim is to pass it on to the next generation in good condition.’

‘I have enormous respect for your ambition,’ said Rupert.

‘Do you have brothers and sisters?’ asked Minty.

‘One brother living down the back drive.’

Wow, I thought, if he’s living bang next door, they must get on very well. I’d find it tough to see my sibling (if I had one) inherit all this.

‘You have a brother?’ exclaimed Rupert. ‘Terribly unlike me but I never thought to ask. He must be the younger?’

‘Yes,’ Zoe gloated, clearly proud of having bagged the elder.

‘I bet he’s jealous of you,’ Shane stared at Fergus and Louis smirked. I think we share a sense of humour.

Zoe diverted the conversation. ‘We’re adapting to the contemporary world.’

‘Exactly, we no longer see Auchen Laggan Tosh as a private home,’ Fergus declared.

‘Really?’ said Giles.

‘Yes, this place is something we must share in order to afford living here.’

‘That bloke,’ Shane was pointing at a portrait of a general in full Blues and Royals rigmarole, ‘has money plastered all over him.’

The colour drained from Fergus’s cheeks. ‘My grandfather,’ he said.

I stared at the picture. I hadn’t seen a portrait composition like it before. The head was in profile and the body was face on, and in my opinion they didn’t meld together very well. The only quick explanation I could think of was that the sitter had a scar down one side of his face and decided halfway through the process to turn his head.

‘Would anyone like second helpings?’ said Zoe and when no one accepted she began clearing the plates. Minty and I jumped up too.

‘Sit down,’ she said with a kind but firm smile. ‘There’ll be plenty of opportunity for everyone to muck in. Fergus and I will do this course.’

‘No, no,’ I said, ‘it’s the least I can do.’

‘Angel,’ said Zoe firmly as she beckoned him with her free hand.

‘What is it?’ he asked without getting up.

‘Please,’ I said, ‘let me help.’

Zoe had no choice but to accept, and with a handful of plates I grasped the opportunity to enter the kitchen.

Good Lord. There was a shattering of glass on the linoleum floor and the stout woman standing amongst it looked utterly terrified on seeing me.

‘Thank you, Mhàiri,’ said Zoe, as she breezed in. ‘That was delicious and how you knock it up in this restrictive space I’ll never know. My mother-in-law’s kitchen is the next step in our modifications, I promise. In the meantime, we must attach a blackout blind to that window.’

Mhàiri’s hands trembled as she made space for the plates.

‘Hello,’ I said, with a sympathetic smile, realising a bird must have come in from outside, flying into its reflection and breaking the window as well as its neck.

‘This is our tutor for the week,’ said Zoe.

‘Yes, I’m Susie, Susie Mahl.’

‘Hello.’

‘So Susie,’ said Zoe, with a matronly tone, ‘now you see why I didn’t want you in here. I’d hate for you to cut yourself.’ She turned to Mhàiri and asked, ‘Have you called Stuart?’

‘Aye and me husband, they’re both going to come and patch it up. I’ll see to it all.’

‘Oh good. Thank you. Come along now, Susie, we must get out of here