Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brann
B rann scrolled through his digital banking app. His wages from the Glenvorneth job were in, no doubt paid for by Ophelia. She was nothing if not honourable. Perhaps too much so. Maybe it was that which made her feel wholly responsible for her family and the estate.
Ugh.
Brann shoved his phone into the pocket of his jeans and returned to scheduling the jobs for the week ahead. Since when had he become a pencil pusher? Still, he wasn’t complaining. As his business grew, so did the admin. And he was in demand. He could fill his weeks twice over the job requests. The loss of the Glenvorneth job didn’t hurt in that respect, but it stung in so many other ways.
Had they really run out of money, or was Ophelia using that as a reason to get him away? No doubt he’d freaked her out by saying those three little words. Her family didn’t seem the type to let those words out freely, so she probably hadn’t heard them too often.
‘Hey, Dad.’ Caitlin bounded into the kitchen, where he was sitting at the little table he’d made himself from repurposed wood. Was that the time? He checked and sure enough, it was after four. How quickly admin days flew by.
‘Hi.’ He got to his feet and wrapped her in a hug, then planted a kiss on her brow. She pulled a face, but he could tell she wasn’t really annoyed as she grinned. ‘How was your day?’
‘Fine, yeah. You will never guess what I did at the weekend though.’
‘Tell me.’
‘Look.’ She broke free of his hug and pulled out her phone. ‘I got a riding lesson.’ She angled the phone and swiped through the photos for him to see.
He frowned. ‘Where’s that?’ Because it was uncannily like Glenvorneth. But then, maybe all these horsey places looked the same.
‘It’s at Glenvorneth. That place I went on work experience with you.’
‘I thought it looked like it.’ Brann rubbed the back of his neck. This was weird. ‘Why were you there? I thought you didn’t like the Chattan-Blythe girl.’
‘I didn’t, but I found out it was all a mistake. We were both totally screwed over by Hope. She was behind it all.’
‘Who?’
‘She’s like this other girl at the theatre club. I guess she was jealous of me and Francesca. Anyway, Francesca’s sister, that posh woman, set the whole thing up for us. She even came and got me and mum and took us there. It was so cool, and they said I can do it again any time.’
‘Was it expensive?’
‘No charge. Because we’re friends.’
‘Wow.’ Brann sat back at the table with a sigh. ‘And Francesca’s sister set this up?’
‘Yeah. The one you like.’ Caitlin smirked. ‘I thought she was a real toff when I first met her, but she’s actually like really nice. She took us all for lunch after. Even mum said she was nice, and she was like really worried before about spending time with her in case she was dead snooty.’
‘Oh well, that’s good.’ What else could he say? How unexpected in many ways. Not least how gushing Caitlin was being about her. Might be a different story if she discovered exactly what had gone on between them.
‘Did you know she’s a really amazing designer?’
‘Who? Francesca?’ Though he knew that wasn’t who she meant.
‘No, silly. Ophelia. We googled her and you should see the business she runs. It’s called Timeless Butterfly Interiors, and she has a shop and everything. Her stuff is gorgeous but super expensive. She’s done these beautiful renovations in Edinburgh and in some big, fancy homes. I’m going to visit the shop with Mum one day.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, look her up. Go on.’
Brann switched screens on his laptop and typed in Timeless Butterfly Interiors. Caitlin jumped in behind him to show him which pages to click. Even the website had an expensive elegance about it. Brann clicked through the photos and testimonials. Wow. No wonder she’d done such a great job in the boathouse and the workers’ cottages. Also, no surprise why she was frustrated at the big house. She could work magic if her creative power was unleashed. What was holding her back? Money? Fear? Her family? Why had she never told him? She’d kept her light well hidden. She should be shouting about this and using her business skills to save the estate, not letting her family trample her into the ground.
‘You and her should go into business together,’ Caitlin said. ‘You could be like those fixer upper people on TV. You do the building stuff; she does the designs and interiors.’
‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea.’
‘Why not?’
‘We’re not compatible.’
‘Oh yeah? Harrison thinks you are.’ She giggled.
‘I’m not sure that’s what he means when he says shit like that.’
‘Language, Dad. And I know what he means. I’m not stupid. You said it yourself. You flirted with her.’
‘So what? It happens.’
‘Maybe. It would be funny if you got together with her.’
‘Funny?’
‘Well, yeah. You’d be like Lord Duthie or something.’
‘It doesn’t work like that.’
‘Kind of does. Because you wouldn’t exactly live here if you got married.’
‘Got married? What are you on about? How have you gone from working together to getting married?’
Caitlin doubled over, laughing.
‘I thought you hated the idea of me or mum dating anyone else.’
‘I kind of do, but if it’s someone I like, I suppose I don’t mind.’
Brann put his head in his hands and groaned. Sometimes his life was a strange place.
Brann and Harrison stopped for a breather on the second-floor landing as they manoeuvred the sofa up the staircase on the way to Harrison’s new flat. Just one more floor to go. These old flats were among some of the best priced in Glenbriar, but they were worn and tired.
‘Tell me again why you had to pick a place on the third floor,’ Brann grunted, adjusting the weight of the sofa.
Harrison snorted, sweat glistening on his forehead. ‘Because I’m poor. Otherwise I would have got one of those riverside places.’
‘Life goals. You can build up to it. This is a good starter flat.’
‘Yeah, and it’s practically a workout every day getting up these stairs.’
Finally reaching the third floor, they stood before the door of the flat. Brann wiped his brow and looked at Harrison. ‘Right, let’s see if we can get this thing in. I’m not sure I fancy starting your life here by having to remove the door and knock out part of the wall.’
Harrison laughed. ‘I guess I brought the right parent along if we need to do that.’
‘Glad I’ve still got my uses.’
‘Let’s go for it.’
Brann bumped open the door with his foot, and it thudded against a side wall.
‘Oh my god,’ a voice from inside said, and Harrison’s girlfriend, Colette, skipped into the hallway. ‘Will that fit in here?’
‘Dad’s already planning on knocking down walls if it doesn’t, so it’s going in one way or another.’
Colette clutched her cheeks. ‘Ok. Let’s hope.’
‘I don’t think sofas existed when these places were built. Or the people who owned them couldn’t afford them,’ Brann said. As they were originally built in the nineteenth century to house mill workers, the owners probably had very little.
With a lot of pushing, pulling and lifting, they finally got the sofa inside and along the short, oddly angled hallway into the living room cum kitchen space.
‘This place has so much potential.’ Brann tapped on the wooden floor with his trainer. Harrison had the skills to do it up and make it worth more, so hopefully it would prove to be a good investment.
Colette beamed and flopped onto the newly installed sofa. ‘Feels like home already.’
Brann winked at her. ‘Home is where the heart is. It’s not where you are, but the people you share it with.’
Harrison joined Colette on the sofa, wrapping an arm around her. ‘We’re all set then.’
‘Get a room,’ Brann muttered, but he smiled as he made his way back to the van. This was a new start for Harrison, and he was happy for him. A little tinge of green clouded his vision. Ok, so he was a little jealous too, but no way would he let it show. Just because his own love life was a tattered mess didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy seeing someone else’s happiness.