Chapter 31
Morning! Change of plan, said the message from Una the next morning. Can you come up to the office? Donald wants you up at Lochbrannich.
Gabe stood in the steam-filled bathroom looking down at his phone, cursing Una and her chirpy messages. He wiped steam from the window and looked at his face in the mirror, rubbing the week-old growth on his jaw. It was tidy enough to pass as a conscious attempt at a beard rather than what it was – the laid-back approach to grooming that came hand-in-hand with a job spent outdoors in all weathers. He ran a hand through his hair and started towelling himself dry. Back in the day he was clean shaven and dressed in a tailored suit every day, a row of freshly laundered shirts hanging in a line in the dressing room off the bedroom he’d shared with his ex. Now he pulled on a faded T-shirt under a sweater and covered up with weatherproof gear to protect him from the elements out on the hills.
He headed into the bedroom, pulling on a pair of work trousers, but compromising with a new grey shirt with the Grant Forestry logo embroidered on the pocket. He’d pull a sweater over the top for the meeting, then hopefully head out to the lighthouse to get on with the fencing job. Gabe had left Meg’s cottage reluctantly last night, wishing he could have stayed and talked into the night. The sun had come out when they were inside, and he’d waved a goodbye to her from the truck, watching her standing by the cottage gate, the early evening light shining low across the grass as Eliza cavorted around.
He brushed his teeth and headed to the office, knowing he’d be able to grab a coffee from the machine before setting off to Lochbrannich that morning.
Una was just filling the filter when he walked in.
‘Perfect timing,’ she said, turning to him with a smile. ‘You can fill me in on all your news while we wait for that to brew.’
‘My news?’ Gabe looked at her, nonplussed.
‘A little bird tells me you were late in leaving the site last night.’
‘George,’ groaned Gabe, laughing. ‘For goodness’ sake.’
‘I haven’t spoken to George,’ said Una, rifling in her desk drawer and pulling out a birthday card, which she proceeded to unwrap. ‘Kenny was working on the lighthouse visitor building and apparently you were spotted heading into Helen’s cottage with her pretty friend who’s house-sitting.’
Gabe raised his eyes heavenward. ‘This village is something else.’
‘Strike while the iron’s hot, and all that,’ said Una, uncapping a pen and looking at the card thoughtfully. ‘We don’t know how long Helen’s away for.’
‘I think Meg said two months,’ he said unthinkingly.
‘Aha,’ said Una, pen poised over the card. She looked up at him. ‘Plenty of time for you to make your move.’
‘Making moves is not really my style,’ Gabe said, feeling his phone vibrate in his back pocket and pulling it out to check who was messaging him.
‘Well, it should be,’ said Una with an owlish look. ‘We’ve only got one life. You might as well grab happiness if it’s standing there for the taking.’
‘I’ll get those coffees,’ said Gabe firmly. He headed across to the cupboard and took out a couple of forest green mugs with the forestry logo on the side. ‘I swear if I stand still too long, someone’s going to stamp Grant Forestry on my forehead.’
Una gave a snort of laughter. ‘It’s important to have a strong corporate identity,’ she said, as he passed her a coffee a moment later.
‘There’s no way anyone could accuse us of anything but that,’ said Gabe, relieved he’d managed to change the subject. ‘Anyway,’ he added for good measure, ‘what’s the deal with the Lochbrannich site today? Has anyone told George I’m going to be elsewhere?’
‘We’re sending Jamie up there instead.’
Jamie was one of the new tree planters who’d been working with them for a month or so. He’d arrived in a beaten-up old truck and had proved a hard worker, eager to learn and progress.
‘Oh, he’ll be pleased about that.’
‘Yeah, we’re trying to get some of the planters who are keen to stick around on the books – we’ve got work coming out of our ears right now. Talking of which, sorry – you asked about Lochbrannich. Apparently you were a bit of a hit with the duke – I reckon it’s the posh English accent – so Donald’s keen to get you up there.’
‘My accent’s not posh,’ he protested, laughing.
‘Sounds it to me,’ said Una, now licking the envelope for the card she’d written. ‘I must get that posted today.’
‘I’ll take it on my way if you like. Am I waiting for Donald?’
Una shook her head. ‘No, it’s just you going up. Here, I’ve printed you off the plans with the planting schedule now we’ve got it sorted. I think he just wants to run through the ideas with you, from what I can gather.’
‘Fair enough.’ Gabe took the plans, relieved that this time it wasn’t pouring with rain so they were at risk of turning to pulp before he got them to the duke’s office.
‘I am going to go bananas if I don’t find someone to give me a hand with all this admin soon.’ Una put her hands on her head, pushing her hair back in a gesture of stress.
‘You’re not meant to be as stressed as this at this hour of the morning,’ Gabe said, something in the back of his mind slotting into place. ‘What kind of help are you looking for?’
‘Anything. It’s so blooming hard to get people up here. I don’t mind someone doing it from home – in fact I’d probably prefer it.’ She looked around the office territorially. ‘This place is my domain.’
Gabe raised a finger. ‘Leave it with me,’ he said.
Una narrowed her eyes and looked at him. ‘If you can solve my problems, I’ll love you forever.’
‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ said Gabe, laughing as he headed for the door. ‘But let me see what I can do.’
He sat in the driver’s seat of the truck, looking at his phone for a moment. Stanley, eager to get going, was sitting on the passenger seat panting enthusiastically.
‘Two secs, Stan,’ he said, typing.
I think I might have a solution to your problem,he wrote.
A moment later, he saw she’d read the message. Three little dots meant a reply was on the way, and then a moment later they disappeared.
Oh and by the way, I won’t be up at the lighthouse today. I’ve got a meeting at Lochbrannich I wasn’t expecting.
He hit send before he second guessed himself. It was possible that Meg couldn’t care less if he was there or not, but he’d felt an unexpected wave of disappointment when he’d realised he wouldn’t bump into her while he was working today.
That’ll keep the Applemore gossip mill at bay, Meg replied a second later.
Too late for that, he replied, laughing to himself.
Seriously?
Oh yes. Kenny the builder must’ve hot-footed back with the news I had a cup of tea with you.
Or Greta,Meg replied. The Applemore News Network has eyes everywhere.
He turned on the ignition. Much as he’d like to chat to her all morning, he had work to do.
Forgot to ask – what’s the solution to my problem? (More to the point, she added, what’s my problem?)
The girl you were looking out for. I think I might’ve found her a job, if it helps.
Seriously? Oh, wow. That’s amazing. Thank you!
I’ll tell you more later, he typed, before tossing the phone to one side and pulling out onto the road. Better get to work.
Lochbrannich had burst into life since his last visit. The trees which had been in bud were now shaded with acid green as the new leaves danced in the sunlight, and the forest floor was carpeted with a sea of bluebells. The colours of the glen had changed completely, as if someone had taken a water-soaked brush to one of those Magic Colour pictures. Deep blue water sparkled in the sunlight, and the foliage of climbing roses twined round the gate posts.
‘Ah, we meet again.’ The duke was waiting for him as he pulled up, standing in the shade of one of the stone pillars that flanked the heavy door at the entrance to Lochbrannich House. He held out his hand and shook Gabe’s with a warm smile.
‘Coffee first, I think, don’t you?’
Gabe got the impression as they sat chatting in the duke’s study that he was happy to have someone to talk with that supported his plans.
‘Jennifer, my wife, would have been all for it. Sadly, she’s not quite well enough at the moment to listen to me rabbiting on, which is where you come in.’ The duke chuckled wheezily.
‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.’ She hadn’t been around the last time he’d been there, either. He was just wondering what the protocol was regarding asking after her health when the duke cleared his throat and stood up, wandering across to the other side of the room.
‘Nothing serious,’ he said, picking up a framed photograph and looking at it fondly for a moment. ‘A little bit of a problem with her heart, but I think we’ve got it under control now, thank goodness. I’m going to collect her from the hospital tomorrow. It’s a bit of a drive,’ he said with another chuckle, ‘but she’s worth it.’
Gabe smiled, watching as he put down the photograph.
‘My daughter thinks I’m stark raving mad, of course. She’s more old school than me. As I mentioned before, she’d have a fence around the estate to keep people out, but that’s not the way forward, in my opinion.’
The duke smiled. ‘Shall we?’
Gabe got the impression that the duke was mainly looking for a sympathetic ear.
Driving along in his battered old Land Rover, the duke chatted away, pointing out the wild garlic in flower and discussing the plans he had to clear out rampaging rhododendron bushes making their way up the hillside.
‘This place has given me such a lot of pleasure over the years. I feel it’s one’s duty to give something back.’
‘I think that’s a great way of looking at it.’
‘Fortunately, Jennifer agrees.’ The duke pulled up at the entrance to a little wood, turning to look at Gabe for a moment, his bushy brows questing upwards.
‘And are you married?’
Gabe shook his head. ‘No, I –’
‘Ah, divorced. Yes, we’ve all been there.’
‘Not divorced, no, but I – well, no, I’m single. At the moment,’ Gabe added, crossing his fingers mentally and thinking of Meg.
‘It sounds like you have a young lady in mind.’ The duke gave a nod of approval. ‘I met Jennifer when we were in our late forties. Best decision I ever made, marrying her. We’ve had forty years together and I couldn’t be happier.’
‘Forty years?’ Gabe couldn’t hide his surprise.
‘I shall take that as a compliment,’ said the duke, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. ‘Yes, the happiest years of my life. Goodness knows it made up for the first forty. My first wife was a terrible mistake.’
Gabe snorted with amusement.
‘One shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but really. It was a blessing in disguise when she popped her clogs.’
‘I know someone else who might say the same thing,’ Gabe said as they climbed out of the Land Rover. Possibly in rather more delicate terms, he added to himself, trying not to laugh.
‘I won’t suggest we walk up there right now, but if you have a moment sometime, take your little spaniel and have a wander up to the top of the hill. Once you get through the woods there’s a pretty little bothy. I’m thinking we might turn that into extra sleeping quarters for staff. Just wanted to point it out to you.’
‘Ah, I misunderstood. I thought you were planning to mostly have volunteers doing the work?’
‘Oh not at all, no. I’m hoping we can get some bodies in here on a full-time basis. I want to give something back to the community. It’s all very well getting keen beans up here to do some planting, but we have to think about the local economy, don’t you think?’
Gabe nodded, thinking once again about Meg. He got the feeling that she and the duke would get on well.
‘This young lady you have in mind,’ said the duke, looking at Gabe with a thoughtful expression. ‘Does she know how you feel?’
Gabe looked at the sunlight dappling the forest floor for a moment, listening to the sound of Stanley and Moss hurtling around following scents.
‘I don’t know,’ he said, after a long moment. ‘It’s complicated.’
‘Well, I should let her know,’ said the duke. ‘Love has a way of ironing out complications, I’ve found.’
Gabe didn’t say anything, but watched the dogs as they barrelled down the hill towards them before screeching to a halt in a shower of dead leaves and mud splashes.
The duke put an arm on his shoulder for a moment, surprising him.
‘Forgive me. I’m being an interfering old duffer.’ He patted Gabe. ‘But I was given the same advice forty years ago, and I’m very glad of it.’