‘We wanted to let you know in person… we’ve hired a car. We’re heading to Scotland!’
Kelsey took over now, coming to stand by Jonathan’s side. ‘I told Jonathan we should just ring you and get going but he wanted to see you.’
‘Didn’t want to skip town on Christmas without letting you know first. Sure you can’t come with us?’ Jonathan threw in, still grinning with the excitement of heading north.
Mirren took them both by the shoulders and turned them for the door. ‘What a great idea, getting away to Scotland for a while. You should really get going or it’ll be dark by the time you hit the Borders.’
‘You don’t mind?’ Jonathan was asking as Mirren yanked the door and bustled them out into the chill.
‘Me? No, I’m working, can’t leave Kenneth in the lurch. Have a few of Mari’s kilties for me, OK?’
Jonathan was looking at Mirren perplexed but still letting her shove them both down the pub steps to where their hire car was parked.
‘Is that yours?’ Mirren asked. ‘In you get then. Get out of this cold.’ She rubbed her arms and gritted her teeth with an exaggerated, ‘brrrr!’
‘Uh, OK, well, happy holidays, Mirren,’ Jonathan said, unlocking the car and getting into the driver’s seat.
When he was out of earshot Kelsey gripped at Mirren’s arms and whispered urgently, ‘Oh my God, that was a close one. I tried to dissuade him but he’s surprisingly determined when his mind’s set on something. He wasn’t going to go without making sure you didn’t mind us leaving town first.’
Mirren was dismissing his concerns with the wave of her hand. ‘Pfft! I’m fine, never mind all that. Did you see him? By the bar?Wagstaff.’ The whispered name was barely audible over the hire car’s engine starting up.
Kelsey nodded rapidly. ‘I saw him. I justknewhe’d be there the minute Jonathan suggested visiting you, but how was I supposed to put him off without looking suspicious? What if they’d had a father-son recognition scene like in a Shakespeare play? Can you imagine? My heart’s pounding!’ Kelsey had her hand over her coat lapels trying to settle her breathing.
‘They didn’t even notice each other. Why would they? They’re strangers.’
‘I know, but still, I thought maybe they’d see something in one another…’ Kelsey had a faraway look in her eyes that betrayed all her hopes for a reunion between them.
‘We don’t even know if they’re related. You’re the one who told me not to push it…’ Mirren cautioned.
‘I know but… maybe if you did alittledigging?’
‘I tried, but Wagstaff’s pretty tight-lipped, said he didn’t have any family. That’s all I got from him.’
Jonathan was rolling the window down which silenced them, and the exhaust fumes made it impossible to stand by the car any longer.
‘Go on, get in. Give your mum a hug from me, OK?’ Mirren told her.
Soon they were pulling away, Kelsey waving frantically and Jonathan tooting the car horn, leaving Mirren waving from the pavement. Kelsey’s shoulders slumped and she mentally weighed up her feelings; mainly relief that drama had been avoided, mixed with some regret that a reunion hadn’t been possible.
‘Are you all right, Kelsey? You were kinda jumpy back there?’
‘What? I’m great!’ she replied, a little too quickly. ‘Mirren doesn’t like to be disturbed at work, that’s all.’
‘So are you going to tell me?’ He glanced at her, suddenly serious, as he navigated the narrow riverside streets heading for the main road out of town.
Kelsey started in fright, fixing round eyes on him. Had he overheard everything? She gulped. ‘Tell you what?’
‘What exactly akiltieis?’ Jonathan grinned.
Back at the Yorick, Adrian was hanging up his phone with a glower and looking for Mirren who was now standing by the bar pouring herself another glass of bubbly before downing it in three big glugs. Wagstaff had lumbered away unnoticed in all the excitement and his barstool sat empty.
Seeing Adrian approach she felt strangely comforted by his presence. ‘Mr Ferdinand? What did he want?’ she asked, nodding towards the hand that held his phone.
‘Who knows, mad old stick insect! He kept asking what I was doing today, whether or not I’d be in the office. I told him I was busy. He’d probably forgotten some job or other he wanted me to do before the break. Well, it’s too late. I’m on holiday now.’
Mirren eyed him, considering something for a long time. Adrian let her look, his head tipping.
‘Penny for them?’ he said.
