Chapter Twenty-Seven
Monty
A djusting his tie with a sigh, Monty focused on finalising his client’s financial projection report. Once it was done, he was heading out for a lunchtime catchup with his mum. She enjoyed meeting in the city and dining in one of Edinburgh’s finest restaurants – she always chose an expensive one and expected Monty to pay.
‘Nearly there.’ He scanned the spreadsheet on his screen. Rows of figures and charts filled the monitor, detailing revenue forecasts and investment strategies. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, a gloomy sound compared to the dreamy wash of the sea he’d enjoyed last week. How different things were now. He was back to normal, but normal felt odd and like it would never be the same. After his dad died, he’d thought that might be the case anyway, but this was worse than he’d ever imagined, because now he wasn’t just missing his dad, but the open skies of Barra, the smell of the sea, and Iona. Always Iona.
A knock interrupted him. ‘Come in.’ He straightened up in his chair.
Jenny, his assistant, peeked in with a smile. ‘I’m heading for lunch. You want anything?’
Monty shook his head. ‘No, thanks. I’m good. I’m meeting my mum for lunch today.’
‘Ah, how’s she getting on?’ Jenny tilted her head. ‘Is she coping without your dad?’
‘Sure. They were divorced, so it’s not been a big issue for her.’
‘Aw. Sorry. I didn’t realise that. And what about you?’
He gave a little shrug and arranged his papers into a neat stack. ‘It’s strange.’
‘It will be for a while. I lost my dad three years ago, and it takes a while to adjust. You’ll get there. It never goes away, but it gets easier.’
‘Thanks.’ After she left, he grabbed his suit jacket from the back of his chair and exited the office.
As he walked through the busy corridors, his mind wandered to a different track, making a beeline back to Iona – his favourite subject. He missed her so much. She’d messaged him after he left, saying she was sorry she’d let him go without telling him how she felt, though in rather typical Iona style, she didn’t say exactly what that was. Reading between the lines, he guessed she meant she returned the love he’d confessed before he left, but that didn’t change the stark reality of his life.
He reached the lift and sighed, pressing the button for the ground floor.
Edinburgh was a beautiful city, but his heart wasn’t here anymore. He walked briskly along the street in the drizzling rain towards the restaurant where he was meeting his mother. One step inside the smart modern interior made him want to turn around and go straight back out the shiny glass doors.
His mother wasn’t the only woman at the table. Sophie was there too, smiling at him in a way that didn’t appease him in the slightest. Why now? It was too late.
He stood near the entrance, vaguely registering a server had approached him.
‘Table for one?’
‘Oh… um, no.’ He frowned at his mother, who had got to her feet. ‘I’m with these ladies.’
‘Of course, sir.’
Monty headed over, passing the bar that was lit by spotlights – they may as well be focused on him; he felt like everyone was watching him, especially his ex-girlfriend. His mother was always immaculately turned out. Her pure white hair was neatly bobbed, and she had on a bright green Chanel jacket with a thick necklace and many rings.
‘Monty, darling, thanks heavens you’re back safe and sound.’ She took his face in her hands, pulled him down, and kissed him.
‘Why wouldn’t I be? Barra isn’t exactly a dangerous place.’ He gave her a brief hug.
‘Oh, I don’t know. The flight looked terrifying, and it’s so out in the sticks.’
‘It is.’ And life there was going on without him, which was a weird thought, but he kept circling back to the idea. Did the island still look the same when he wasn’t there?
‘Well, you’re here now.’
‘Why is she here?’ he whispered, indicating Sophie with a little look.
His mother turned around and smiled at Sophie. ‘Sophie is here because the two of you need to talk and I’ll be here as the mediator.’
‘Mediator?’
Sophie got to her feet and hugged Monty. He tried to recall a time when he’d have welcomed this, but his mind kept leaping back to Iona kite-surfing and riding waves. She was the only woman he wanted to hug and kiss.
‘There’s not much to talk about.’ Monty took a seat. ‘And I don’t have very long before I have to be back in the office.’
‘There’s plenty of time.’ His mother sat beside him. ‘You promised me at least an hour.’ She looked between him and Sophie. ‘Your relationship is important. The two of you are simply made for each other. You’ve had a blip, but you can get through this.’
Monty glanced at Sophie, and she smiled.
‘It was considerably more than a blip.’ Monty lifted the menu, wishing it was bigger, so he could hide behind it. This conversation was awkward enough, but having his mother here made it so much worse. Her mediating was more like meddling.
‘Monty, I really am sorry,’ Sophie said. ‘It was a stressful time, and I said some stupid things.’
‘It’s fine.’ He kept his eyes on the menu. ‘I don’t mind what you said. None of it’s an issue anymore.’
‘You forgive me?’
‘If that’s what you want, then yes.’
‘Wonderful.’ His mother clapped her hands. ‘That was easy.’
‘So…’ Sophie gave him a little grin. ‘You want to get back together?’
He placed the menu down and pushed his glasses further up his nose. ‘No, I don’t.’
‘But…’
‘I hold no ill will against you, but I… I don’t love you.’
‘Oh Monty.’ His mother frowned.
‘It’s fine. I understand.’ Sophie’s smiled had faded. ‘But under the circumstances…’ She picked up her bag. ‘I think I’ll leave. It’s probably for the best. No point dragging this out.’
Perhaps she expected him to say something to change her mind, but he didn’t. She gave a little shrug and stalked out.
‘Was that really necessary?’ his mother asked.
‘Actually yes. Because it’s the truth. There’s no point building a relationship on a lie. You, of all people, should know that.’
She let out a snort of a laugh. ‘Very true. Still, she’s a nice girl and you’re actually well suited to each other.’
‘Maybe. But I don’t love her.’
‘So you said. But love can be hard to find.’
‘Sometimes you find it when you’re not looking for it.’
She let out a sigh. ‘That’s leaving a lot to chance.’
‘I’ve already met someone else. Someone that I love.’
‘Really?’ His mother goggled. ‘That’s wonderful. Who is she?’
‘Iona McKenzie.’
‘Can I meet her?’
He shook his head. ‘That won’t be easy, but I can show you a picture of her and a film.’ He pulled out his phone and found a film of her kite-surfing. Tilting his hand so his mum could see it, he pressed play.
She peered at it, a frown growing. ‘This woman on the parachute thingy?’
‘Yes.’
‘And do you even know her? Or do you just have a crush on this film?’
Monty laughed and stopped the film. ‘I know her, but she lives on Barra.’
‘What? Oh, goodness gracious. Not that bloody island. Your father was fixated on it, obsessed, and now you.’
‘He was right about us having family there. I discovered we’re related to the family I stayed with.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. I share a great-great-grandfather with Catriona, who owned the guesthouse. Dad never got the chance to do all the research he wanted and to go and meet the people he was connected to. He worked himself to the bone and into an early grave.’ Monty didn’t want history to repeat itself. It was a wake-up call for him. ‘You should go visit yourself one day. It’ll surprise you. It surprised me.’
‘But you’re not seriously thinking about having a love affair with this woman, are you? How would that work?’
‘I really don’t know. If I can find a way, I will.’
His mum cupped her hands on the table and gave him a quizzical once over. ‘There’s always a way. If you’re serious about her, you’ll find it. It might mean change, upheaval…’
He covered his mouth to stifle a grin. The word had reminded him of going ‘up Heaval’, the hill he’d climbed with Iona.
‘What is so funny?’
‘Nothing, Mum. You’re right. If I want this, I can make it happen, but it’ll mean changes.’
‘Just don’t do anything rash, will you?’
‘Are you kidding? In the last few weeks, I’ve been on a plane that landed on a beach, I’ve swum in the sea, been bodyboarding, tried surfing…’ Not to mention some of the other things he’d done with Iona that he wasn’t going to mention to his mother… ‘My whole life on Barra was rash compared to here. I learned to be a different version of myself. And I enjoyed it. I’ve played it safe up until now and I’m ready to do something else.’
‘Such as? I mean, you can’t leave your job.’
‘I need my job, yes, but there might be something I can do. Let’s eat. Then I’m going back for a chat with my boss.’
Monty ate lunch with his mother, but his mind was racing ahead. Nothing was guaranteed. Roles couldn’t be invented just to suit him. But unless he tried, he’d never know.
‘Just be sensible.’ His mother patted his hand as he tapped his card to pay for the meal. ‘You can be adventurous without being crazy.’
‘I’m not sure I know what that means.’ He gave her a hug. ‘But I want to follow my heart. I’ve got a feeling it’ll see me right this time.’
Back in the office, Monty knocked on Mr Robertson’s office door and entered when he called him in. ‘Ah, hello, Monty. Is everything ok?’
‘I don’t suppose you have time for a quick chat?’
‘Sure, I do. Take a seat.’ Mr Robertson pointed to a seat.
‘Thanks.’ Monty sat opposite.
‘What’s on your mind?’
‘Well, you’ll be aware that my father died last month.’
‘Indeed.’
‘It’s shaken me, but also put things in perspective for me, and while I’m happy in my job and with my role here, I wonder if there’s a possibility of making it more flexible.’
Mr Robertson folded his hands on the desk. ‘In what way?’
‘I’m considering moving. Perhaps to somewhere more remote.’ Monty began carefully. ‘I wonder if there are any opportunities to work from home, perhaps based out of the Glasgow office, as that would be easier to reach.’ He might even get used to that landing on the sand. ‘This is all just thoughts at the moment, nothing concrete. I just want to test the water.’ He was getting good at that.
His boss tapped his pen with a measured look on his face. ‘You’ve always been a solid performer. Reliable and diligent. And I certainly understand the need for flexibility.’
‘I appreciate that,’ Monty said.
Mr Robertson leaned back in his chair. ‘Let me look into it. I can’t promise anything immediate, but I’ll see what arrangements we can make.’
‘Thank you. I’ll be ready to discuss any possibilities that arise.’
‘Good man.’ Mr Robertson reached out to shake Monty’s hand.
This was the first step, and there was still a long way to go, but a glimmer of hope shimmered on the horizon.