Winter in the Scottish Highlands (Scottish Highlands #1)
Chapter 1
Eleanor walked down the six concrete steps to the street, holding onto the wrought iron railings for support. She stood for a moment on the pavement, staring at the polished bronze plaque, a name, a place, embossed in thick gold lettering: Dr Leopold, Physician, Harley Street. She shuddered. The result was not what she had been expecting. Her thoughts turned to her husband.
She turned away from the impressive Georgian-fronted building and began to walk, heading for the nearest tube station, heading for home. The sound of a car horn gave her a start, forcing her attention to the road, where a convoy of cars waited impatiently to get past a slow-moving black Jaguar. She quickened her pace. Another car horn sounded. She glanced at the Jaguar as several cars quickly sped up and overtook it, narrowly avoiding the oncoming traffic.
She stopped.
The Jaguar stopped.
She stood watching as the dark-tinted driver window opened. The driver, wearing black leather gloves and a flat-topped peaked hat leaned across the seat. ‘Eleanor, come get in the car. Please.’
Eleanor sighed. There were times she just wanted to be on her own; not chaperoned everywhere like a child. She was a grown woman. ‘No, Edward. I want to walk.’
‘You always want to walk afterwards. Come now – get in the car,’ he implored. ‘You do not want to get swept up amongst the crowd of commuters spilling out of their offices, heading home after work.’
Eleanor walked to the waiting Jag and bent down to look at the old chauffeur. ‘I’d really like to go home by myself this time.’ As with everything else in her life, Eleanor always felt compelled to ask somebody’s permission.
‘Each time is the same, eh?’ Edward shook his head solemnly.
Eleanor made no response. She preferred to go to these appointments on her own. She turned from the car, headed down the street and started buttoning up her long coat against the chill wind. It had been sleeting when she’d arrived. Now it had turned into the first snowfall in December. Although it was not heavy, it was cold enough to leave a dusting on the London pavements.
‘You be careful,’ the chauffeur shouted after her.
A few moments later, to Eleanor’s relief, the Jag sped off. She watched the bright red taillights turn a corner and disappear. She had thought Edward might hang around, keeping an eye out, watching her until she’d made it safely to a tube station. After all, it was already dark, even though it was barely teatime.
She didn’t like putting Edward in this awkward position. It was his job, after all; a job she knew he loved, that he’d had for many years. He had worked for the family ever since she could remember, and she certainly would never want to jeopardise that. So she had always relented. But today was different. She needed time to think. Today, she didn’t want to feel Edward’s sympathetic gaze settling knowingly on her in the rear-view mirror.
Today, Eleanor got the tube.