Chapter 7 #2
Behind her, a dapper man with a greying beard emerged. He gave Evan a brief hug. ‘Hi, Dad.’
Then his father’s attention fell on me, loitering in the background. ‘Are you going to introduce us, son?’
Evan beckoned me over. ‘Mum. Dad. This is Daisy. Daisy, these are my parents, Alison and Bennett.’
Alison Lord’s ice blue eyes, which reminded me of Dane’s, creased as she smiled at me. We shook hands. ‘Lovely to meet you, Daisy.’
‘And you.’
Bennett shook my hand next. ‘Is this the young lady you told us about on the phone? The one who kindly drove you up here?’
‘Yes, Daisy got me out of a tight spot.’ Evan smiled at me, and I found my skin prickling.
‘It was fine. No big deal,’ I insisted.
Alison tutted. ‘You never told us we were going to have company, Evan.’
Evan sighed. ‘It’s not an issue, Mum. Not as big an issue as those unexploded bombs. That’s why Daisy is staying with us, until that’s sorted out.’ He gestured to me. ‘Daisy comes from Strath Ross.’
‘I don’t want to put you to any unnecessary trouble,’ I bleated.
Alison wafted her manicured hand. ‘Of course it isn’t any trouble.
’ She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Just heard about those bombs on the radio news. Hope they can sort it out soon.’ She turned her attention back on me again.
‘The main guest room is already all made up, and I’ll make sure there’s clean towels.
’ She twinkled. ‘Unless I’ve got the sleeping arrangements wrong. ’
Not again! Maybe I should wear a sign around my neck in capital letters saying, ‘EVAN AND I ARE NOT A COUPLE!’ I shook my head and refused to think about her inference about Evan and me sharing a bed. ‘Oh no. It isn’t like that.’
I flapped my hands around like a windmill. ‘I was providing hospitality at a birthday lunch yesterday; Evan was there as a guest and after he found out the planes were grounded and heard me saying I was driving to Scotland, and, well, I gave him a lift.’
I slipped Evan a look out of the corner of my eye. His mouth had flipped into an amused hint of a smile.
‘Oh, I see,’ said Bennett. ‘Well, thank you very much again for helping him out.’
‘Anyway,’ exclaimed Alison, ‘you get yourself settled, and then we can have dinner. Evan, please show Daisy to the main guest room.’
And with that, she flounced off in a haze of caramel outfit and blonde hair, and Bennett followed up the rear.
My trainers slapped on the ornate staircase as Evan assisted me with taking my trolley case to my room. I’d assured him I could manage, but he’d insisted, taking the handle with one firm grip, his muscles bunching under his T-shirt as he manoeuvred it.
We reached a large, closed, panelled door.
Evan cranked the handle and opened it.
I was greeted by a sumptuous four-poster bed, decked out in lemon and white bedding. There was an ensuite bathroom with white fittings and peach and cream accessories. The whole pastel effect reminded me of a cornucopia of delicious summer ice creams.
Pale, gold, satin curtains framed the bedroom window and pooled down to the biscuit-coloured carpet. Sunshine was splashing over the bed covers.
‘This is stunning,’ I breathed.
Evan set my case down by the foot of the bed. ‘I hope you’ll be comfortable in here.’
‘Are you joking? It’s beautiful!’
‘Good. You relax for a bit before dinner.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘No rest for the wicked.’ He flashed me a loaded grin.
I ignored a squiggle in my stomach and faffed around with a corner of the duvet.
‘I’m going to start a piece about men and romance in the twenty-first century that I’ve been asked to write for a woman’s magazine.’
He clicked the door handle and stepped out into the hall. He hesitated and turned to look at me. ‘Did it seem so outlandish?’
‘Sorry?’
‘The idea of us being romantically involved?’
My heart zipped in my chest. Bloody hell. What was going on with me? Why was I reacting like this? ‘No. Of course not,’ I floundered. ‘I mean, you’re very good-looking.’
I froze. Shit! What did I just go and say that for? Was I losing my mind?
Evan smiled. ‘Thank you. Ditto.’
I found myself fascinated by my bedroom window and the glimpses of the lawns.
‘It’s just… Well, we’re not; I mean, we’re not involved.
We’re not a couple. Obviously. So, it’s ridiculous.
’ I felt like I was scrambling for a lifebelt as a wave tried to pull me under.
‘You did me a favour, making sure I didn’t get sacked, and I did you a favour, driving you to Scotland, so we’re even.
’ I was saying the words, but they sounded hollow, even to my ears. I’ll soon be out of your hair anyway.’
Evan gave me a thoughtful look that I was struggling to read. ‘See you for dinner.’
* * *
I was sure I wouldn’t be able to walk ever again after Alison and Bennett Lord’s hospitality.
Their housekeeper, a cheery, effervescent and widowed middle-aged lady called Louise Compston, was tasked with coming up with something special for Sunday evening dinner.
Boy, did she achieve that!
She served Scottish sea bass in a lemon and chive sauce, accompanied by boiled potatoes and assorted vegetables. For pudding, there was homemade sticky toffee pudding with a dollop of clotted cream ice cream.
Dane didn’t join us for dinner.
‘He’s got a gig in Aviemore tonight,’ remarked Alison across the table to me.
‘So, Dane’s a musician?’ I asked, recalling his earlier comment.
‘He’s lead singer with his own rock band,’ interjected Bennett.
‘Disciple.’ He rolled his smoky grey eyes.
‘Dane’s got a great voice, and the lads in the band are talented musicians, but whether they’ll have any huge commercial success, I don’t know.
He tends to treat this place like some sort of hotel when he’s visiting. ’
‘Dane’s a bit of a free spirit,’ remarked Alison dryly, taking a gulp of her white wine. ‘Does his own thing.’
‘That’s putting it mildly,’ ground out Evan beside me.
I frowned. The two brothers didn’t seem especially close. I thought about my own situation, being an only child, and my parents’ selfish approach to parenting. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt as though I always had to prove something growing up if I’d had a sibling.
* * *
The drive from England to Scotland was catching up on me with a vengeance, so I thanked Alison and Bennett for their kind hospitality and said I was heading for an early night.
I just wanted to crawl into that regal four-poster bed and lose myself in the cosy fuzziness of sleep.
It was as I was approaching my bedroom door that I heard tapping from across the hallway.
The door was ajar, and I could see Evan seated at a writing desk in his room, concentrating on his laptop.
The screen was highlighting his serious features, the light sparkling off the Clark Kent spectacles he was wearing.
A lock of thick, dark hair kept tumbling forward onto his brow as he focused.
Every so often, he’d push it back with one, pensive hand.
I found myself appreciating him and gave myself a mental shake. Come on, Daisy. Remember what you said to yourself before. What I’d been saying to myself on a loop, in fact, ever since Evan and his classy cufflinks had appeared at the posh cream tea.
I was about to turn around and head back to my room when he spotted me.
He slid off his spectacles and dumped them on top of his desk. ‘Hey.’
Oh no. I hoped he hadn’t seen me lurking about watching him. ‘Hi.’
He beckoned me in through the partially open door and stood up.
His room had a queen-sized bed, topped with navy blue and silver bedding to complement the blue-toned carpet. There was an ensuite bathroom off to the right and long, deep, sapphire-coloured curtains at the far window.
‘I was just going to say goodnight,’ I said, fidgeting on the spot and not understanding why. I’d intended to slip away to my room without Evan seeing me. ‘Thank you again for your hospitality.’
Evan’s gaze flickered. ‘You’re welcome. I’m the one who should be thanking you. You got me here when British aviation didn’t.’
‘Like I said before, you stopped me from getting sacked yesterday after my moment of seeing red.’
Evan’s mouth morphed into a smile. ‘Believe me, we’ve all been there.’
I remained standing close to his bedroom door.
‘Well, goodnight then, Evan,’ I said, knotting my hands together.
I began to turn away, when what was on his laptop screen caught my attention. It was branded ‘News Update.’
Evan’s gaze followed mine. Underneath the words ‘News Update’, flashed, ‘Bomb find.’
I moved towards his desk for a better look.
It has been confirmed in the last few minutes that two unexploded bombs discovered on the outskirts of Loch Crawe in the Scottish Highlands are both SC-500 devices, weighing 500kg each, used during the Second World War.
Renowned Inverness-based war historian Professor Morris Sneddon confirmed the findings only a short while ago. ‘These bombs are around eighty-five years old and could potentially cause a great deal of damage.’
An expert bomb disposal team are now in the Loch Crawe area assessing next steps.
The leader of the team, Captain Susan Muir, said, ‘This is a highly complex operation, with a disposal team comprised of army and search squadron.’ She added, ‘We will be assisted by other emergency services and partners, who can all provide expert knowledge in their field.’
Captain Muir confirmed that the two unexploded bombs would be dealt with on site, and that one option would be to construct a sand-filled pit around the two bombs to mitigate any surrounding damage to the area when they are neutralised.
An army disposal spokesperson explained that the operation to neutralise both bombs would take several days to complete.
I let out a loud groan. Oh, you had to be kidding! Several days? A week in other words? I’d been trying to convince myself it would be just a couple of days at most, and then I’d be gone.
Evan straightened up beside me. ‘That bad, huh?’
‘It’s just … well … several days? I was so looking forward to seeing my grandfather and Strath Ross again.’ And putting distance between me and you.
Then another voice chipped in with, Why would that be?
‘And you still will get to Strath Ross and see him,’ assured Evan, his lips curling in a sympathetic smile that made his eyes shine.
My breathing did a funny, raggedy thing. I had to leave here as soon as I could. My acting had to come first, especially now when I was struggling to secure auditions and roles. Allowing myself to fall for a pair of sexy, chocolate eyes wouldn’t help me.
Evan continued to look at me.
My breathing picked up a sterner pace.
It was then that his mobile trilled to life by his laptop.
I glanced down at Evan’s phone.
I recognised her photo on his phone screen. It was that blonde reporter from earlier. Sacha whatsit.
My fast breathing vanished. A dull, odd feeling took over.
Evan’s gaze followed mine to his ringing phone screen.
I could feel my wobbling emotional walls growing stronger again, shooting high up into the sky, impenetrable and solid. Her picture had reminded me of why I had to stay strong, forge my own path and not allow myself to become emotionally attached to another man.
I flicked a dismissive look at Evan’s phone, lying there ringing on his desk. ‘Aren’t you going to answer that?’
Then I strode out of his room and headed across to mine.
I banged my bedroom door shut behind me. Maybe Sacha calling when she did had been a godsend. It had brought clarity where there had been initial thoughts starting to creep in about Evan, a stirring attraction threatening to shake my resolve.
I suspected there had been something between them when Evan had caught sight of her on the country lane earlier today. That police officer friend of Evan’s had hinted as much.
As soon as the bomb situation was over, I’d leave.
I couldn’t wait.