Chapter Thirty-Eight
Clem drove along the tarmacked high road and when she got to the T-junction, instead of turning right to go home, she turned left. She couldn’t face the castle right now. Everyone who worked there was relying on her to keep them employed; there were repairs required everywhere she looked. She had a collection that was filling her with doubt, a burning desire to show Symeon she was better without him, and then there was Otto. Clem sighed, there was always Otto; Christ, she needed September to be done. She had a tiny break booked in Norfolk, a week before the show, to support Ari in the planning appeal. She was desperate to be there with her, but had also warned that if her collection wasn’t finished she would have to work on that. So that was another deadline. She touched her St Anthony medallion. I’m doing better, Da, but it’s not easy.
God knows she shouldn’t be driving along new roads exploring, but she just wanted a quick escape. She wished she had changed her stupid boots; she wished she hadn’t lost her temper in front of everyone, and she wished she wasn’t crying. It’s not like she was sobbing or anything, but tears just kept sliding down her cheeks. Gradually, she took a deep breath and wiped her face. It was okay, it had just got a bit overwhelming back there with those four men all looking down on her, and Rory having a go at her. It was going to be fine.
That’s when the car shuddered slightly, and very slowly came to a standstill. Clem looked at the warning fuel light that she had been ignoring for the past few days, and screamed as loudly as she could.
Eventually, she got out of the car and began to walk back along the road; her phone had no signal and she had no idea how many miles it was to Ruacoddy, but at least she knew how to get there. She had no idea where this road led though. Her feet were sore and the stupid boots were rubbing on her calves, but what else could she do? She was out of fuel and stuck in the middle of nowhere with a light drizzle falling. As much as she loved looking out over the wild, empty highlands she’d trade it all right now for a garage.
She had jumped out of the car and had slammed the door shut and then because that felt so good, she opened it and slammed it again. She did that a few times while screaming at the car and Otto and Rory and even Ari for thinking she would be able to fix things up here. Finally, when she knew slamming doors wouldn’t fix anything, she set off.
Just as she wondered if walking without the boots would be more comfortable, she heard a distant engine. If she was near the junction, it could be Iain and she could hitch a lift home. There was no sign of a car but the noise was getting closer, so she stepped off the road. Her eyes were fixed on the brow of the hill and with relief she saw a Land Rover crest it and drive past her at speed. As she turned she saw it brake and begin to reverse and her heart sank. It was bloody Rory. Well she wasn’t going to ask him for help. She carried on walking.
‘What are you doing up here?’
Clem turned as Rory was now reversing alongside her, his window down and shouting out at her.
‘Walking. Go away.’
‘Don’t be stupid. Are you okay?’
‘Yes, I’m fine. Go away.’
By now the pair of them had crested the hill. There wasn’t another car in sight and as far as Clem could see, she was nowhere near the junction and the road to Ruacoddy. Maybe walking across the land would be quicker?
‘You’re getting wet.’
‘No, I’m not.’
On cue the heavens opened and what was a light drizzle suddenly began to rain heavily.
‘How about now?’ asked Rory with a grin.
Clem stopped walking and tried to remember the calming exercises her mother had taught her. The problem with those exercises was that they were really hard to do when you were fuming. Glaring, she dashed over to the Land Rover and jumped in.
Clem looked about her: this was not his fancy Land Rover but a working vehicle full of straw and dirt; the seats were ripped and the dashboard looked like it came out of the ark. Aircon was the window, satnav was an OS map, and the heater looked to be a blanket.
‘Right, what are you doing out here?’
Clem debated not talking to him but that wasn’t going to help. It was just mortifying to have to declare how stupid she had been. He already thought she was greedy for trying to find a way to make the hydro scheme work. Now she had to confess to being an idiot.
‘I ran out of fuel.’
By now, Rory had pulled alongside her car and asked for her keys, just in case it was anything else. Clem sat and fumed; she knew it wasn’t anything else. Just how stupid did he think she was? Still, it’s not like she could say anything. She’d been daft enough not to put fuel in her car, and she didn’t have a leg to stand on.
Rory got back into his Land Rover and smiled at her, returning her keys.
‘Yep. Just fuel, happens to us all at some stage. Come on, we’ve got plenty of jerrycans back at the farm. We’ll go and pick one up and head on back here. You’ll be home in no time.’
Turning the key, the Land Rover rattled into life and set off. It was almost too loud for a conversation as the car drove along, but Rory rummaged around on the back seat with his left hand and passed Clem a towel.
‘For your hair.’
Clem muttered a very surly thanks and began to rub at her head. Her hair was an unruly mess at the best of times; at this rate she’d be lucky if she didn’t end up looking like Ronald McDonald. As the car bumped along Clem wondered what she could say to improve the situation and decided that silence would probably be her best option. If Rory was bothered he didn’t seem to show it. He was driving along with a smile on his lips and occasionally pointing out various landmarks to Clem, who would just shrug or mutter like a sulky teenager.
The fact was, she wanted to ask more about the highland games held over there, or where he first spotted a sea eagle, or if he thought that ring of stones was connected to hers. She loved the idea that he and his brothers would ski on these slopes and wanted to ask more about his family, but she just didn’t have the words. She was convinced that as soon as she started to talk he would turn the conversation to the hydroelectric scheme.
‘Here we are.’
Rory interrupted her thoughts as he turned off the road and down a smaller road. As they had come off the hillside the land had become more arable and there were lots of trees. Stone walls boxed in rolling fields and overall there was a sense of a more managed landscape. Another turn and then the car drove along a lane covered in mud, and a man in a passing tractor waved at Rory.
Pulling up in front of a small, detached cottage, Rory told her he would be back in a minute and, leaving the car, he walked around to a shed at the side of the cottage. The surrounding verge just seemed to grow right up to the walls and there was no attempt at a garden. While the building seemed in good repair, there was no sense of anyone making a home of the place. Clem looked around but apart from the tractor there seemed no other sign of life. This was a bit of a vacant place to live, thought Clem, as she compared this to her own rambling castle and then grinned. Right now she’d swap the two in a heartbeat; the bills for this place must be minuscule.
As she watched, Rory came out of the shed and headed to the back of the house. His clothes were a mess but he seemed at ease with himself. Clem wished she could find a way to get back to when they had both been laughing and dancing at Mari’s wedding. She smiled, remembering him singing to her and then her leading a song in which the whole table joined in the refrain. It had been a blast. Maybe he resented her kissing him. Maybe he was old-fashioned. Maybe he was repulsed. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe she should just ask him.
Rory return to the car empty-handed and got in.
‘Nothing. Callum must have used it and not returned it. Which would be typical of him. Come on, we’ll go up to the main house and grab some from there.’
Clem decided she was done with remaining silent. It wasn’t in her nature.
‘Who’s Callum?’
‘My kid brother. This is his house but I’m sharing with him whilst Hector and Ursula and the bairns are in the farm. Hector’s second eldest; he and Ursula are both architects and are in the middle of building their own place. So I moved out to give them some space. Plus, the baby screams through the night and Jamie and Giles leave their toys all over the place.’ Rory smiled at a memory and continued, ‘Mum and Dad also fled in fear of breaking their neck. They are out in the dower house.’
As he turned the corner, he slowed down for a group of hens that started to run in all directions. Muttering, he turned to Clem.
‘Looks like Giles has been helping to feed the hens and forgot to close the side gate again. That boy would forget his own head.’
Despite his words, Clem could only sense a deep warmth as he referred to his nephew.
‘He’s ten years old and suddenly knows everything. I don’t know how Hector copes with it.’
The car pulled up on a large, gravelled area in front of a big, sprawling farmhouse. There were lots of barns and outhouses; looking to her right she could see some big industrial-looking sheds and away down a track she could see a couple of other cottages. This was practically a hamlet in itself.
‘Right, give me a minute.’
As he left the car, the front door opened and an older lady in her sixties walked out towards Rory. Looking at the two of them side by side, Clem was certain that this was his mother. She looked to be about five foot six in height and sturdy rather than overweight. There was a strength to her softness and Clem could imagine that she gave the best hugs ever. She was standing in a pair of trainers, black jeans and a pretty impressive cardigan. From a distance, Clem couldn’t tell if it was a Kaffe Fassett or Lyndsey Gowan but it was glorious. Hanging down to her knees in a swirling mass of stitches, Clem would have loved to have a closer look but it would have to wait. There was no way today she could handle another person.
Rory and his mother looked back to the car and his mother waved at her, and Rory walked back towards her and came around to her side of the car.
‘Mum has invited you in for a cup of tea? I’ve warned her that you are probably too busy but she doesn’t tend to take no for an answer.’
Clem looked over at the woman who was smiling broadly at her. She recognised her as one of the ladies who had worked on Mari’s train, and Clem remembered that this woman had been particularly talented. There was no way Clem could turn down her invitation.
‘Okay then,’ she said and then looking at the wet gravel, sighed deeply. There was no other option as she kicked her wellies off and walked across the courtyard in her socks.
‘My dear!’ his mother called out, ‘where are your shoes? Rory carry her across.’
Clem turned in alarm at Rory. ‘Don’t you bloody dare,’ she hissed, then turned back to his mother. ‘I’m fine really, my boots are too dirty.’
As she got to the entrance, Rory’s mother introduced herself as Lynn and told her that muddy boots were part and parcel around here.
‘Rory tells me you’ve run out of petrol? Come and sit through here.’
They walked into a large living room with three sofas arranged around a fireplace. An old man was sitting in an armchair by the window, looking out over the fields.
‘Alan, this is Clem, a friend of Rory’s.’ Alan didn’t turn or comment and continued to gaze outwards. Lynn spoke softly to Clem.
‘Alan’s my father-in-law. His dementia’s quite advanced but he seems happy enough just watching the land he used to look after. He probably won’t say anything to you, but if he does, don’t be offended if he’s rude.’
Lynn looked worried but Clem reassured her that she would give as good as she got, and with a relieved smile she said she’d be back in a minute with a cup of tea.
The fire was giving out a nice heat and Clem grabbed a magazine from one of the sideboards and sat down closest to the hearth.
‘Who are you?’