Chapter Six
Iona
I ona slumped down at the kitchen table with a bowl of porridge. She stifled a yawn, but there was no stopping it.
‘’Scuse me.’ She flapped her hand in front of her face. ‘I really don’t do mornings.’
‘It’s not that early. I’ve already done a day’s work,’ Alex muttered. He finished spreading jam on a slice of toast and pushed it over to Eilidh. ‘Eat it up. Crusts and all, then you’ll get lovely curly hair.’
‘I don’t want curly hair.’ Eilidh started tearing off the crusts as soon as the plate was in reach.
‘Don’t waste food.’ Catriona gave her a cup of water. ‘It’s a nice day.’ She glanced out the window. ‘I think you should take Monty to the castle today if you have a spare hour. Poor guy looks a bit lost.’
‘Lost?’ Iona groaned, spoon halfway to her mouth. ‘I’d say helpless, more than lost. Yesterday, I had to fix his bike tyre. He didn’t have a clue what he was doing.’
Alex scoffed, not looking up from his phone. ‘Probably spent most of his life behind a desk, that’s why.’
Catriona folded her arms. ‘Not everyone grew up fixing things, you know. I’m sure he has other skills. He seems like a nice man.’
Iona rolled her eyes. ‘Nice man or not, he’s a pest. When’s he leaving?’
‘Not until next week.’
‘Next week?’ Iona pulled a face. ‘I don’t get why people like him book trips for that long to places like this. He looks completely unprepared. He was riding the bike in jeans in the rain yesterday. God knows what it was like taking them off. They must have been stuck and I bet he had an extremely sore bum.’
Eilidh giggled into her breakfast.
Catriona checked the time. ‘Eat up, Eilidh. The bus will be here in ten minutes.’ She leaned over close to Iona. ‘Lay off the poor man. You probably make him nervous.’
Iona snorted. ‘Nervous? Me? Why would he be? I was only annoyed with him because he kept knocking into me.’ And creeping into her thoughts more than she liked.
Alex looked up from his phone and smirked. ‘Fancies you.’
‘What?’ Iona almost choked on a mouthful of porridge, and Eilidh laughed.
Catriona flashed Alex a look. ‘Don’t be silly, but you can be intimidating, Iona.’
‘Me?’ Iona blinked and furrowed her brow. Was that true? She didn’t mean to be. And she always made friends easily. Surely that didn’t make her intimidating.
‘To someone quiet like him, I suspect you’re very intimidating,’ Catriona went on. ‘Just be nice to him.’
‘Nice? I’m planning on keeping out of his way.’ And hey, she’d fixed the bike for him, hadn’t she?
‘I think he’s sweet.’ Catriona leaned against the counter. ‘And polite. Not bad looking either.’
Alex rolled his eyes, like this whole conversation was ridiculous.
‘No way.’ Iona caught Eilidh’s eye, and she giggled again. ‘Well, he’s not my idea of good looking.’
Catriona shrugged. ‘He’s got that rugged, academic thing going on. Lots of women go for that.’
Alex snorted. ‘In films maybe, not real life.’
‘Thanks for mansplaining your opinion. Just be nice to him. Both of you. It won’t kill you to try.’ Catriona looked pointedly at Iona.
‘I have been.’ Iona held out a hand. ‘Otherwise, he’d still be sitting on the dune trying to fix a flat.’
Catriona glanced at the clock. ‘Come on, Eilidh. The bus will be here any minute.’ She pulled out a brush from the top drawer of the dresser. ‘Let’s get your hair up. And, please Iona, take the man to the castle. It’s not like it’s a hardship for you.’
‘Just mind numbing if he goes on and on about his ancestors,’ Iona muttered aside to Alex.
He gave a little shrug. ‘Make up some stories and give him something to think about.’
‘Push him overboard more like.’ Iona gritted her teeth. ‘It’ll be a miracle if he’s still alive when we get back.’ If he started banging on about his heritage, she might have to take drastic action. Though deep down, maybe that wasn’t the big issue, but it was the easiest one to blame.
Alex sniggered, but Catriona threw a warning glance across the table. When she took Eilidh out to the minibus, Iona left too. She made her way into the breakfast room, scanning about. Monty was eating his breakfast and reading something on his phone. He pushed his glasses further up his nose. Iona froze in the doorway. Hmm. He was surprisingly easy on the eye. Irritating really because she’d rather he was as dull and uninteresting as she’d told herself he was. But his features had an almost classical look, kind of like an old movie star, though he definitely wasn’t as well-groomed. Maybe that first day, he’d got close with the shirt. Now he looked like he’d been dragged through a hedge backwards – the wind here did that fairly quickly to even the toughest people. Definitely not suited to island life. A couple of days in and he was frazzled.
Iona approached him. Still engrossed in his phone, he didn’t look up as she got closer. She took a deep breath, plastering on a smile. ‘Hey.’
Monty looked up and blinked. His lips quirked up, though his eyes were uncertain in their focus. ‘Oh, hey.’ He glanced around. ‘Is everything ok?’
‘Fine. The weather’s ok if you still want to go to the castle today.’
‘Um… With you?’
‘That’s the general idea. Unless you’ve learned how to drive a boat overnight.’
‘No… I haven’t. I just thought you were too busy.’
She folded her arms. ‘A window has opened up.’
‘Well, if you don’t mind, that would be great. Thank you. I really appreciate it.’
‘No need to thank me.’ She waved a hand. ‘I assume you’re paying for it.’
Monty nodded. ‘Of course I am. Thanks again.’
‘Yeah, well.’ Iona’s shoulders twitched. Why was she so tetchy around him? Normally she was a lot more chill. He had a way of bringing out something in her – like he was raking through her, turning over furrows of unwanted thoughts and feelings. Even now, his hazel eyes held her in a tight grip, and she couldn’t look away. ‘It’s no big deal.’
‘It will be for me. I don’t like boats.’
‘Why do it then?’
‘It’s not exactly a choice.’
‘Well, it’s just a short trip.’ She held onto her eyeroll. No doubt it was a calling from his ancestors. ‘We’ll head out after breakfast. Make sure you’ve got a jacket – it’s always cooler on the water.’
‘Will do.’ Monty took a sip of his coffee. ‘I’ll be ready as soon as I’m finished here.’
Iona nodded. ‘Ok, meet me outside when you’re done.’
Monty gave her another little smile. She wished he wouldn’t. Something about that look flipped her insides like a pancake and made her oddly giddy.
She headed back to the kitchen and filled up a pint glass of water. As she sipped it, she watched Alex and Catriona through the window. Alex looked like he was describing something to Catriona, but she wasn’t making eye contact, and her expression was stony. Iona’s gaze travelled back to the breakfast room, and she saw Monty packing up his things, standing up and adjusting his glasses.
‘Time to get this over with,’ she muttered under her breath.
Twenty minutes later, Iona climbed into the driver’s seat of the car, waiting as Monty settled in beside her. The engine growled to life, and they set off towards Castlebay and the marina. Should she say something? But what? It wasn’t like they had a lot in common. Make that nothing. But sitting like this without talking was weird. She normally made small talk without even thinking, but nothing was coming to her today.
‘So, what is it you do?’ she asked, forcing out the words to what was probably the most stupid and boring question, but it was that or ask about his family and she really didn’t want to listen to family history stories. They reminded her too much of her mother. She’d been obsessed with genealogy and ancestry to the point where it was more important than the present. Unfortunately, Iona hadn’t lived up to their family standard. She wasn’t a great doctor, a missionary, a pioneering scientist, or anything of note like everyone else on her family tree apparently was. She’d disgraced her family instead – in so many ways.
‘I work in banking.’ Monty leaned his elbow on the windowsill and ran his fingers through his hair. The movement disturbed the air and diffused a rather pleasant scent around the car and she didn’t want to find anything about him attractive.
‘Banking?’ She bit back a yawn. ‘Oh yeah, I remember now. You said to Catriona, didn’t you? I bet that’s fun.’
He huffed out a laugh. ‘Well, I wouldn’t say fun exactly, but it has its moments. It can get pretty intense with the current economic climate.’
Iona nodded. ‘Hmm.’ How dry did that sound? Pencil-pushing at its finest. So like Tom – that scumbag of an ex. Her mind wandered back to her civil service days. The endless reports, the mountains of paperwork, and the constant pressure to perform. Her failure to succeed made her cringe inwardly.
‘Sometimes you have to make quick decisions that can impact a lot of people,’ Monty said. ‘I guess that’s about as exciting as it gets.’
‘Sounds… challenging.’ Iona kept her eyes on the road. This was Tom all over again. He’d lived and breathed numbers… When he wasn’t sleeping around and cheating, that was. This time, Iona wouldn’t be getting anywhere near close enough to be burned.
‘It is challenging, yes, but it can be rewarding too, knowing you’re making a difference, helping people secure their futures.’
She only just resisted the urge to roll her eyes again. Helping people? Yeah right! How noble did he make it sound? But she doubted it was as fulfilling as he made it out to be. More likely, he was simply justifying the long hours and stress. She’d had enough of that kind of life. She’d learned her lesson the hard way, and she wasn’t going back.
They reached the marina, and she parked the car in the uneven car park near the walkway to the jetty. Monty got out, looking around; his smile had faded. The slight pink on his cheeks had dulled to an almost grey colour. He clutched a backpack in his arms.
‘Let’s get going then.’ She unlocked a little gate and headed along a suspended walkway that led down to the jetty. When she reached the steps, she turned back.
Monty was edging his way slowly along, his eyes pinned forward like he didn’t want to look at the water below him on either side. She sensed him taking deep breaths. Surely, he wouldn’t get seasick on a short crossing like this? Though it could get choppy even here, especially in a boat as small as hers. She carried on down the stairs and along the jetty, then hopped aboard her little boat: a small tender driven from a wheel in the middle behind a tiny cabin in the front. She gestured for Monty to follow. He hesitated, still taking deep breaths and clutching his bag tighter.
‘Are you coming?’
‘Yeah.’ Inhaling deeply, he stepped aboard, steadying himself on the windshield at the helm.
‘You need to put this on.’ She handed him a buoyancy aid, then pulled on her own and clipped it up. Monty had put his bag on the floor and was looking at the buoyancy aid as if uncertain which way it went. She turned it the right way. ‘Like that.’
He zipped it up and frowned.
‘You can sit there.’ Iona pointed to a bench near the stern. ‘And hold on. It’s nice and calm, but there are always some waves.’
Monty nodded, his face another notch paler. He settled onto the bench, gripping the edge of the seat and clinging onto his bag. What was in there?
Iona started the engine and guided the boat out of the marina. The light waves slapped against the hull, and the boat rocked with the impact. She glanced back at Monty, who was staring fixedly at a point on the horizon, his knuckles white.
‘You ok?’ she called over the noise of the engine and the sea.
He gave a weak nod but didn’t speak. His lips were pressed together in a thin line.
‘If you’re going to be sick, do it over the side.’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘We don’t want to be cleaning that up.’
Monty’s eyes flicked to her, and all the humour drained from his expression, before he turned his gaze back to the horizon.
‘We’ll be there shortly,’ Iona said. ‘It’s really not far.’
She could see him breathing deeply, steadying himself, and she shook her head. Honestly, was it that bad? Just in the bay? She stood at the helm, steering towards the castle. After all the buildup, he wasn’t even looking. This was a photo-worthy moment, but he was missing it.
Was he really that ill? He must be. It made no sense why he was putting himself through this. His sad expression gave her a twinge in her chest. Just like she hadn’t been able to leave him to fix the tyre himself, she couldn’t ignore his pain now either. Something in his eyes said this was more than just seasickness, but what? Surely, he didn’t think he had empathic powers and was channelling a dead ancestor from the castle? That would be too woo-woo for her.
‘Here.’ She rummaged in a storage compartment and pulled out a bottle of water. She handed it to him. ‘Take a sip. Might help.’
He took the bottle with a shaky hand and sipped gingerly. ‘Thanks.’ The words barely passed his lips and was more of a breath than speech.
Iona adjusted their course, keeping an eye on him. He looked miserable, clutching his bag like a lifeline, his jaw clamped shut. She sighed. Jeez , she’d been so harsh. This was tough to watch. Why, oh why, was he putting himself through this?
‘We’re almost there,’ she said. ‘Just hang on a little longer.’
Monty nodded again, his eyes never leaving the horizon. The castle loomed ahead, dark and shadowy against the grey sky. Iona steered the boat towards the slipway. Thank god they were nearly there.
As they approached, she cut the engine and let the boat glide in. It bumped gently against the edge and Iona secured the ropes.
‘We made it.’ She offered him a hand to help him stand. He took it, his grip surprisingly strong, and stumbled to his feet.
‘Thanks.’ The tiniest of smiles tweaked the corner of his lips. He didn’t let go of her hand as she helped him onto to dry land. The pressure sent shock waves through her, not unpleasant, but unexpected and kind of weird.
‘You survived.’ She raised her eyebrows and their gazes met. Heat burned deep in her core and she clutched his hand firmly. If she so much as moved a little finger and grazed over him, he might get the wrong idea… Or maybe she would. Whatever . She just had to make sure she didn’t touch him in any way other than in friendly assistance.
He nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving her. ‘Thanks.’
Iona let go of his hand. ‘No problem.’ She glanced around. ‘So, we’re here now. What do you want to do? As you can see, it’s not very big and you’re not allowed to go inside. You can scramble about the rocks surrounding it, but not for too long. When the tide comes in, it covers the whole base and goes right up to the castle wall.’
He unzipped his buoyancy aid and tossed it back into the boat. ‘I’ll try not to be too long. I, um, just need a moment,’ he said, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘Just to… Well, if you don’t mind me being alone for a bit.’
Iona nodded. ‘Sure. Just take care. If you’re going around the rocks, they’ll be slippery.’
‘Thank you. I really appreciate this.’ He walked away and Iona watched him. What was his deal? Why on earth did he want to come here when he looked anything but happy about it?
She sat on the slipway, picking a few tufts of grass from the cracks and throwing them into the air. A flurry of bizarre thoughts swooped on her mind like gulls heading for a chip wrapper. Some of them involved Monty turning into a mad axe murderer and appearing behind her with a weapon he’d hidden in that bag, but most of them were even stranger, and involved wandering into his personal life. What kind of women did he like? Was he married? Why did she care? She really shouldn’t. And yet, she couldn’t shove the thoughts out either.