Chapter 30
Bex didn’t know what was worse, how terrible she felt about accusing Roddy, or the way Duncan looked at her. With such disappointment. And she got it. She’d been so caught up in everything going on with Fi and the stress of life, she hadn’t even taken the time to consider any other possibilities.
Duncan had rung Roddy the moment he found the ring.
Although Roddy had picked up, he’d refused to accept the apology, stating it needed to be from Bex instead.
But when she tried to ring him, he’d let the call ring out.
Fi hadn’t picked up her call either, although she had responded to a text message to say she was feeling unwell and didn’t know when she would next be in.
Bex felt like an idiot. A complete and utter fool. But she’d based things on evidence. That’s what she’d done, and her reasoning had been sound, hadn’t it?
To make matters worse, Amanda had sent an email, rescinding her resignation, thanking her for such an eventful day, and asking if the publication could change their story slightly, as the magazine would now like to expand their written article to talk about the stresses and strains of commoners in such positions as theirs.
Yes, she would mind, Bex thought. Very much so.
The next morning she was up with the birdsong, though she wasn’t alone. Claire and Daisy were already downstairs, as if they’d wanted a chance to speak to her before the chaos of the day began. Which meant she’d had to tell them the truth about the ring.
‘I should’ve known he wouldn’t do something like that,’ Bex tried to explain as the three of them headed down to the loch together, as if the crisp morning breeze might wash away the guilt.
‘Or even if I’d thought it, I shouldn’t have just accused him like that.
In front of everyone. It would be like Duncan accusing you guys.
And it’s not like life isn’t hard enough for him at the moment with all the work he has to do. ’
Daisy and Claire exchanged a look. A knowing one that caused a sense of unease to shiver through Bex.
‘What?’ she asked. ‘What are you not saying?’
The pair exchanged another look, before Claire wordlessly drew the short straw and replied, ‘You don’t think you’re both just doing too much? Maybe you need to step back from things a bit.’
‘Step back from things?’ Bex responded. ‘There’s nothing we can step back from. Unless you think my job’s a hobby too?’
‘What?’ Daisy questioned. ‘Bex, we know how hard you’ve worked. We’ve been there beside you, your entire life, remember?’
‘Sorry.’ Bex shook her head with a sigh. She didn’t want to get into an argument with her best friends, not when they were only trying to help. But the truth was, there was nothing they could do. ‘It’s just like I said. There’s nothing that can give. Not right now.’
‘Apart from maybe the wedding,’ Daisy said quietly. ‘You could delay that for a bit, couldn’t you? I mean, lots of people have two- or three-year engagements.’
‘But that’s not what I want,’ Bex replied. ‘We’ve never wanted that.’
‘I know, I know. It’s just a thought,’ Daisy said. ‘That’s all.’
It was worse than just a thought, though, Bex realised. Because Duncan had said exactly the same thing to her that morning.
‘Why don’t we reassess at Christmas time,’ he’d said.
‘Reassess?’ Bex had replied. ‘You mean like reassess if you want to marry me?’
‘No, no. Of course that’s not what I meant. Of course I want to marry you. But reassess how things are going for us. Work-wise, I mean.’
It wasn’t a type of conversation anyone ever wanted to have with the person they loved and not one she’d ever thought she and Duncan would have had, but then she’d never imagined they’d have to invite two hundred people she didn’t know to a wedding in a location that wasn’t even where she wanted to get married.
‘I need to go and see Roddy,’ she said now. ‘I need to try to put this right. Duncan’s waiting for me. He’s going to come for moral support. Assuming Roddy’ll even speak to me.’
After walking back up to the castle, Bex left Claire and Daisy fixing breakfast with her parents in the kitchen. Duncan met her in the hallway, a familiar box in his hand.
‘What are you doing with that?’ Bex questioned. Merely the sight of it was enough to make her squirm. And yet, a smile quirked on Duncan’s lips.
‘Figured I might start a tradition.’
Bex had never visited Fi and Roddy’s place before.
She wasn’t exactly sure where they lived, but obviously Duncan did as he walked through the village without the slightest hesitation.
Like most of the houses in LochDarroch, it was a cottage, this one double-fronted, although judging by the sounds, the pair were in the garden.
‘I feel like such an idiot,’ Bex said, fidgeting with the strap of the large tote bag that hung over her shoulder. ‘I’m not sure if I can do this.’
‘We’re together. We can do anything together, remember.’
They knocked on the door. No answer. They opened the gate and stepped round, and immediately Bex wanted to shrivel into herself. So much for being the best boss in the world. She was now, quite possibly, the most hated person.
Fi and Roddy were sitting together at a patio table beneath a beautiful willow archway.
It looked like the type of thing that Amanda would have loved to have had in one of her photoshoots, and had the situation been a different one, Bex might have said as much, but the way Fi stood up, crossed her arms and locked her jaws the instant she saw her, Bex knew this wasn’t the right time.
‘I just want to talk. To apologise,’ Bex said.
‘Go on then,’ Fi grunted marching towards her.
Bex drew in a deep breath. Why was it so easy to let the wrong words spill out from you in torrents, and so difficult to find the right words when you desperately needed them?
‘I’m sorry. I am really sorry,’ she started.
‘And I know it’s not an excuse at all, but it’s a mistake I won’t make again.
And while I know there are a lot of other things we have to discuss right now, I want to start by saying that I would like you to carry on working for me, but if you do, you can’t carry on working at The Haven too. ’
Fi’s eyes flashed. ‘Then we can’t—’
‘Please let us come in. Let us explain. We might have a solution.’
‘It’s fine,’ Roddy said. ‘Let ’em pass. I wanna hear what they’ve got to say.’
Slowly, Fi sidestepped, clearing the path through to Roddy.
‘I messed up,’ Bex said. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’
Roddy grunted in response. It was hardly an acceptance, but then what was she expecting? Knowing that there was more to be said, she looked to Duncan, ready for him to take over.
‘I’m sorry too,’ he said. ‘And not just because I should have stood up for you more, but because I didn’t appreciate everything you did. Everything you are. Which is why I want to offer you a new job. The groundskeeper’s job.’
Roddy blinked.
‘It’s more than just a groundskeeper though, you know that,’ Duncan continued. ‘I need you to be my everything man. I want you to be for me what I was to Fergus.’
‘Seriously?’ Roddy smiled, but the action faded rapidly. ‘Does that mean I get my own lackey to run around and do jobs for me?’
‘Is that a yes?’
Roddy glanced at Fi. Worryingly, she looked far more hesitant to accept the offer than Bex had hoped for.
‘It comes with the cottage,’ Bex said. ‘Rent free.’
She watched Fi’s eyes widen.
‘And if you do accept, there’s another bonus,’ Duncan said. ‘As well as, yes, interviewing your own lackey. Although this is more of a tradition than a bonus.’
‘Which is?’ Fi questioned.
‘He’s got to accept first,’ Bex replied. ‘But it’s good, I promise.’
As the young couple looked between one another, Bex’s heart was in her chest. They wouldn’t really say no, would they? It was hard to know. Finally, Roddy’s face broke into a smile.
‘’Course I’ll accept, you fool. It’s what I’ve been hanging on for this whole time.’
‘Then why didn’t you tell me?’
‘Didn’t think it was that difficult to work out,’ Roddy replied. ‘Why d’you think I gave you such weak groundskeepers to interview?’
A loud laugh chuckled from Duncan. ‘Fair enough.’
‘So what’s the other bonus?’ Fi said, jumping back into the conversation. ‘I mean, if I’m not working at The Haven, then we’re going to need it.’
Bex’s heart fluttered. ‘So you’ll come back?’
‘’Course I’ll come back. And I’m sorry, what I said wasn’t okay. Not at all.’
It felt as if a massive weight had lifted from Bex’s shoulders. ‘No, it wasn’t. But I appreciate your apology.’ She looked at Duncan, before reaching into the tote bag and pulling out a box.
‘I know stuff is tough for you, and you only took the job because of the wedding you have to pay for. And the whole rat thing was a blow, but the thing is, Duncan never actually bought me an engagement ring. And his dad never bought his mum one either.’
‘What?’ Fi replied, frowning at the rock on Bex’s finger.
‘It was a tradition,’ Duncan said. ‘The laird allowed the groundskeeper to choose one from their selection.’
Fi’s eyes widened. ‘No, you’re joking, right? You’re making this up.’
‘Well, okay, maybe it wasn’t just because of their jobs, but we want to do this,’ Duncan said.
‘You guys are family to us,’ Bex took over. ‘And I know this doesn’t go any way to excusing what I did, but I would really like it if you would choose one of these rings. Assuming there’s one you like, of course. It’s a pretty good selection.’
After placing the box on the patio table in front of them, Bex opened it up.
‘Did you check that these are actually insured to wander around the village with?’ she whispered to Duncan.
‘We’ll get them back to the house fast.’ He grinned back before they returned their attention to the newly engaged pair. Tears glistened in Fi’s eyes.
‘You’re sure? I mean, these are phenomenal. They’re priceless.’
‘So are people you trust. And I’m sorry that I broke that,’ Bex said.
‘Me too,’ Fi said. ‘I’m really sorry.’
Silence spanned between them. Silence that, for the first time in a while, felt good.
‘I would say I’d leave them here so you could look through them all, but—’
‘No, no, don’t do that. I already know. If it’s okay… if you really mean it, I’d love this one.’ Fi pulled out a silver band with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. ‘I mean, if it’s too big—’
‘No. If that’s the one you want, that’s perfect,’ Bex said, before looking at Duncan, who pulled out a key and handed it to Roddy.
‘For the lodge,’ he said.
Roddy nodded. Seemingly out of words. Actually, since he’d accepted the job, Bex wasn’t even sure he’d said anything. Then again, it was a lot to take in.
‘It’s time we got going,’ Bex said. ‘You guys are gonna want to start packing up your things. Get away from the rats, I’d guess. And we need to head back too. There’s a gala to get ready for.’