Chapter 20
20
T he afternoon when Cally had laid on the sofa recharging and reading, she’d also flicked through quite a few pamphlets and old history books detailing all sorts about the estate. Her appetite regarding the estate had already been whetted just by strolling around and lapping it up, but learning more about it had really opened her eyes. She’d read with interest about the history of the house and its inhabitants, learnt more about the walking trails and read up on the wildlife, trees and many different plants on the doorstep. As she’d flicked through the books, she’d stopped with particular interest at a chapter about stargazing at the estate and the clarity of the skies.
Estate stargazing had piqued her interest, she’d noted the best-recommended spots and had planned on their last night to make the most of a clear sky and good weather. She’d planned what to eat, had walked down to the town to get supplies, and now stood in the kitchen over a huge bowl of chilli, spooning overloaded ladles into insulated Thermos bowls.
Across the other side of the kitchen, Logan had two open picnic baskets on the table and was putting a small gas cooker ring, a saucepan, and various other accoutrements into them. Cally put the two insulated bowls in one basket, went into the sitting room, grabbed a few of the tartan blankets from the back of the sofa, folded them neatly, and added them to one of the baskets.
Logan closed a basket and adjusted the little leather straps on the front. ‘Okay, are we all set? Do you think the chilli will stay warm enough?’
‘Yeah, it should do in those Thermos bowls. We’ll use the cooker thing if we need to.’
‘Excellent. Okay, we’re done. I just need to put the milk, chocolate powder, and marshmallows in.’
‘Yep, done.’
'Are you sure you're going to be warm enough?' Logan asked, eyeing Cally's layers critically. ‘It can be cool up the top there, even at this time of year.’
Cally nodded, adjusting her scarf. 'I've got a few layers on. Do you think I need my coat? Nah, I think I'm good.'
‘You definitely need your coat. Why risk it?’
‘Right, yes, true. You’re the expert in these matters. Pop that in, too.’
A few minutes later, each with a basket and a camping chair, they stomped out of the house, headed across the grounds, around the sunken garden, and made their way up the hill to the higher ground area detailed in the book. Logan carried a picnic basket in one hand, the bundle of tartan blankets in the other, and Cally clutched a bottle of wine and a smaller bag containing extra supplies. Chatting all the way, mostly about Birdie’s promotion offer, once they’d arrived at the top of the hill, Logan put down the stuff and looked around. 'This is the best spot. We've got a clear view of the sky, and the fire pit is just over there. This is the one the book said, wasn’t it? I haven’t been up here for a while.’
‘Yeah, it said this one for this time of year.’ Cally nodded, taking in the breathtaking panoramic view. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. In the distance, she could see the silhouette of the main house, its windows already glowing against the sky. 'I’m so glad we made the effort to do this.’
Logan smiled as he started to lay the blankets on the ground. 'Wait till you see it when it's properly dark. The stars up here are like nothing you've ever seen. It’s amazing. Alastair and I used to come up here often back in the day.'
Arranging their spot, they opened the chairs, put out the blankets for warmth and unpacked the food. Logan pulled dry kindling and wood out of a little brick cubby area by the firepit and got a fire going as Cally took the Thermos pots out.
Cally shook her head. 'The days have flown by up here. I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow and I’ve got to go back to work. It's gone by so fast.'
Logan nodded. 'We can come back any time you want.'
Cally sat down on one of the rugs, leaned back on her elbows, and tilted her head to look up at the deepening twilight. ‘Ahh, the colours are so pretty.’
Logan sat down and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 'It'll only get better as it gets darker.'
‘Hope so. In a funny way it reminds me of when we went in that hot air balloon. It must be because we’re high up. Remember that? I loved it. Imagine doing that over here…’ Cally remarked as she opened a basket and laid out cheese, French bread, and a jar of chutney she’d helped herself to via Cecilia at the main house.
As they sat eating the cheese and bread, it got darker and more and more stars winked into existence above them. The fire popped and hissed, Logan poured a couple of glasses of wine, and Cally wrapped one of the blankets over her shoulders.
The darker and later it got, the more stars came out. Cally sat with her head up looking at the sky. ‘Incredible. The stars in Lovely aren’t too shabby, but these are something else on another level.'
'I think there’s more light pollution down where we are. That's one of the things I love about coming up here – you can see the night sky in all its glory.’
Cally got lost in the sky, the air, the scenery, and the twinkles. ‘When I first came to Lovely, I never imagined I'd end up here stargazing in Scotland with you. Weird.'
Logan chuckled. 'Funny old world, eh?’
Cally nodded. 'When my grandma passed away, I was so focused on surviving I didn’t know what was what. I was just getting by day to day. I never really let myself think about the future and now I’m here.'
'You most certainly are and I love it and you.’ Logan smiled.
‘Things feel different now. I feel like my eyes have been opened. Before I was so bound up with caring, there wasn’t any time for anything else. God, I was so sheltered and unworldly. Do you know what I mean?’ Cally asked even though she was fairly sure Logan had no clue what she really meant deep down. He was far from unworldly.
‘Yeah. You’re different even from when we first met.’
‘Am I? How?’
‘I don’t know.’ Logan shrugged. ‘Lighter.’
Cally sighed and looked up. It was a good way to put it. He wasn’t wrong. ‘There’s so much to explore up here. It makes me realise how little I’ve seen of the world. This island we’re on alone…’
'We'll do it all if you want to. Whatever you want.'
‘That’s the thing. I don’t really want to do that much. I was chatting to Morag about it. Things like this are just amazing to me. I don’t need to go gallivanting all over the place.’
‘That’s why I love you.’ Logan winked. ‘Easy to please.’
‘Right back at you. You don’t want to jet off like Alastair and Octavia?’
‘Nah, not really. I mean I wouldn't mind a few weeks in the sun if someone offered it to me on a plate.’
‘True.’
‘It’s been great up here, hasn't it? Really good to get away.’
Cally nodded. ‘Definitely.’
‘What’s been your best bit?’
‘Hard to choose. The pub night was fun. I think I’ve got a long way to go before I love whisky, that I do now know. I think my favourite part has been just being here, on the estate. I’ve really loved the walks and all the nature.'
Logan chuckled. ‘Not the fancy dinner? You didn't love that?’
Cally widened her eyes. ‘It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.’
‘Good. I know my family can be a lot sometimes.'
Cally laughed. 'They can. They've been so welcoming, actually when you think about it. I mean, really what more could I ask for?'
'Even Aunt Agatha?' Logan teased.
‘Give me strength.’
‘I did warn you.’
‘You certainly did.’ Cally’s eyes widened as a shooting star streaked across the sky. 'Oh! Did you see that?'
'You have to make a wish if you see one. That’s what we always used to say when we were up here when we were little.’
Cally closed her eyes for a moment and wished that a flat she could afford would come up in Lovely.
'What did you wish for?'
'Can't tell you.'
Logan laughed. ‘Ha. Right, I’ll get the chilli, shall I?’
‘Yes, I’m famished.’
As they sat and ate the chilli, they talked about everything and anything, discussed what a nice time they’d had and how good the weather had been. Cally had thoroughly enjoyed herself, and it showed all over her face. Her heart wasn’t far behind it. She’d needed a bit of time off from her three jobs and constant saving. She gestured in the direction of the main house. ‘I can see why you love it so much and why it’s a big part of the family.'
‘Some people think it’s too boring and too cold. Honestly, we’ve had visitors and guests who’ve said never again.’
‘I bet it’s chilly in the winter.’
‘Yep. We’ll have to come up. It’s magical when everything is white.
‘Aww, I’d love that. I really love snow.’
‘Autumn's good too. When the leaves change colour, everything is red and gold,’ Logan nodded. 'And, yes, winter. You haven't seen the estate until you’ve seen it in the snow, Cal. It's amazing but it is really cold. Speaking of cold, how are you holding up?’
'It is getting nippy but I don't want to go down yet.'
Logan stood up, pulled the chairs closer to the fire, began to rearrange their blankets and wrapped another one around both chairs and over their shoulders like a cocoon.
Cally snuggled into his side. 'Much better.'
They sat back, gazing up at the sky. Cally held up her finger and traced the constellations. 'I'm going to miss it up here but not Aunt Agatha and her stamps. Definitely not.'
Logan chuckled. 'I'm with you on that.'
‘You’re really lucky to have family. I've never had this before, you know? This sense of belonging to a place, to a family. It really is worth a lot if you ask me.'
‘Get used to it. The Henry-Hicks clan have kidnapped you.’ Logan joked. ‘Just wait, though, so far you’ve only seen the good bits. We’ve got lots of old skeletons lurking in cupboards all over the place.’
Cally pulled the blanket over her shoulders and stared down at the silhouette of the main house and thought that the Henry-Hicks family didn’t have any bad bits as such. From what she’d seen nothing bad ever appeared to happen to any of them. In a way, it didn’t seem fair.
Logan rubbed his hands together. 'We should probably think about heading back soon.'
Cally nodded, but didn’t make any move to get up. ‘I think I could stay here all night and just sit and dream.’
As she tucked her feet up underneath her and stared at the sky, she thought about the weekend with the Henry-Hicks family and how she was now part of it. She winced a little bit as she thought about Logan’s family and Alastair as he’d made his announcement. She couldn’t put her finger on it but she had a strange feeling inside that something was going to happen. That after they’d left the estate and made their way back to Lovely things were going to change. She brushed the thought away. Ridiculous. The Scottish air was doing funny things to her head.