Nina only quirked her lips in a wry smile that told him he was right.
‘I thought as much. She’s a Scottish star as it is. Never mind,’ he shrugged in sympathy. ‘Munro’s a good person too,’ Mutt added. ‘I’ll have to buy some of his glass before I head back home to Pennan. They make good presents.’
‘You’re leaving?’ Nina said, unable to hold back her surprise.
‘Soon as I’m finished here. There’s,uh, some unfinished business I need to sort out back home. Can’t hide out here any longer.’ Mutt hitched his tool belt up and looked truly sorry he’d be going soon.
‘Another runaway?’ Nina said, making Mutt squint at her. ‘That’s what Beatrice calls the people who come here looking to find something.’
‘Or to lose something,’ Mutt said gruffly, his mind elsewhere. Shifting his weight to his back foot, he fell silent.
‘So… it’s getting dark and it’s pretty cold. I’m going to head inside.’ Nina gestured towards the door but didn’t move, not until Mutt stepped away awkwardly.
‘Right you are, see you Tuesday.’
‘You know it’s a formal thing, right?’ she told him.
Mutt ran a hand down his paint-spattered t-shirt. ‘It’ll come as a surprise to you, no doubt, I do own clean clothes.’
They’d both held their ground smilingly, saying goodbye until it really was getting ridiculous and Nina had walked inside.
She’d smiled all the way to the media room, firing up the computer and logging in to her work inbox only to be met with an email flagged red for urgent that wiped the smile away.
I understand you’ve been injured on this trip. Legal need you to fill in some forms. Mitch is sending them. Your whisky idea was interesting. Find me another like that. Mitch has you booked on a flight January twenty-seventh. The execs will give you twenty minutes to pitch your findings on the twenty-eighth first thing. Be prepared.
Seamus.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Mother Nature
‘Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…’ Beatrice dropped a little lilac pill into each compartment of the plastic medication organiser she’d picked up at the general stores a couple of weeks ago.
One purple pregnancy vitamin and one folic acid tablet now nestled in each of the chambers and she snapped the clear lids shut. It gave her a quiet kind of satisfaction to be refilling it again. Each refill was a tiny celebration. Another week navigated with a baby still safely on board. Popping each morning’s lid open and swallowing the tablet was a secret, comforting ritual and the only moment of the day where she focused on the fledgling feelings of hope and progress before shutting them down again.
‘Knock knock.’
Atholl’s appearance at the bathroom door startled her.
‘A parcel’s arrived for you, from Warwick.’
They sat together on the bed while Beatrice ripped at the wrapping paper. ‘It’s from Vic and Angela,’ she said, unfolding a yellow waffle blanket in baby soft wool. ‘Ah!’ Beatrice’s face froze in a smile.
‘That’s a braw blanket,’ Atholl said, keeping an eye on Beatrice. ‘Very nice of them to send it.’
‘Right,’ Beatrice nodded, folding it again. ‘It’s lovely.’
‘But?’ Atholl took the little package from her hands. ‘Do you want me to put it away somewhere?’
A little breathless suddenly, Beatrice agreed. ‘Please.’
Atholl placed the bundle inside the wardrobe right at the back on a high shelf, pulling a pile of jumpers in front of it.
‘Sorry, that winded me a bit.’ She lowered her head.
‘I know, and you don’t have to do anything or think anything right now.’
‘I’ll… I’ll send them a thank-you card.’
