Page 85 of A Scottish Highland Surprise

Saffy rolled her eyes. “He got off lightly, all things considered. Because his plagiarism couldn’t be definitively proved, he’s still managing to just about keep his cheating head above water, now that he’s back from the States.” She offered me a look. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the subtle but still evident American twang?”

She reached down for the strap of her handbag by her feet, then rose on her wedged sandals and moved towards the shop door, just as the elderly couple with the big umbrella were about to come in.

I accompanied Saffy to the door, my head reconciling everything she had just told me. “Thank you for coming to see me and for explaining everything. You didn’t have to do that.”

Saffy pushed her hands into the pockets of her trendy scarlet jacket. “Yes, I did. How could I not? Xander is very special to me and what sort of friend would I be if I didn’t look out for him?”

I watched Saffy’s spiral curls head out of the door. She paused and spun round. “I think you should speak to him.” She acknowledged the couple as they made their way past her, flapping their wet umbrella and complaining about the rain.

She adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag. “So anyway, I just wanted to tell you the truth. Don’t believe a word that snake Caldwell has told you.” She gazed at me levelly. “Xander is worth a million of him. He’s not the guilty party in all of this.”

Then she was gone.

Chapter Forty-One

My head was scrambled after Saffy’s departure, but I managed to keep my professional demeanour together long enough to sell the endearing elderly couple a new teapot to replace their broken one. “We’ve had our Sheridan Staffordshire for years,” sighed the lady, her bright, silvery button eyes shining. “But it was beginning to leak all over the place.”

“So, time for a new one,” chipped in her husband.

As soon as I had thanked them, Cass reappeared, having placed our latest stock order; my office was now vacant again.

I excused myself for a few minutes with my mobile and shut myself in my office. Snapshots of the shocked, crestfallen look in Xander’s eyes when he saw me with Jake revisited me again.

The compunction to talk to Xander, to explain to him, was all-consuming. Saffy’s words echoed in my head while I sought out his number. It must have taken so much for her to come here and talk to me. The way she spoke about Xander and the softness in her voice just confirmed to me the depth of her feelings for him. Even from the first time I met her at her studio, I could tell she thought much more of him than she cared to admit.

I deliberated for a moment about what to do. I didn’t want to put Saffy in an awkward position, but the idea of Xander thinking I was with Jake was intolerable. I wanted him to know the truth.

I located his number and it gave a series of urgent, energetic rings that seemed to last for ages.

I had no idea what I was going to say to him. All I knew was that I had to let him know that I wasn’t like Nadia; that I had been harbouring growing feelings for him, but after the pain of what happened with Callum, I’d shared his reluctance to open up and trust someone else again.

I wanted to tell him how despicable I thought Jake Caldwell was and how stupid and naïve I felt after being manipulated by him. I should never have listened to Jake’s lies or believed him in the first place.

Xander’s phone rang out a few more times and then there was the click of my call being answered. “Xander,” I said in a rush, my breath catching at the base of my throat. My heart was jumping about in my chest.

“Hello?”

My spine turned to ice. It was a female voice. “Er…” I shot out of my office chair. “Hi. Sorry. I was looking for Xander.”

There was a questioning lift to her words. “This is Nadia Gates speaking, Xander’s girlfriend. He’s on a Zoom call at the moment, but won’t be long. Can I take a message?”

My legs stiffened under my pinstripe trousers. Nadia? My mind homed in on her description of herself as his girlfriend. Did this mean Xander had forgiven her? Had he decided to rekindle his relationship with her?

My mouth turned to ash. If Nadia had turned up again, begging for forgiveness and convincing Xander they could make a fresh start…. My thoughts tumbled over each other.

I searched the teapot paintings on my office wall. I was fighting to speak. “It doesn’t matter,” I struggled, biting back the pain. “I’m sorry. Sorry to bother you.”

Then I hung up.

Chapter Forty-Two

I managed to force conversation and smiles for the remainder of Monday morning.

Cass knew there was something I was struggling with. Every so often, I would catch her eyeing me with concern. She asked me a couple of times if I felt all right and I pretended an unsettled night’s sleep was the reason for me being reserved.

I didn’t want to talk about it. I felt stupid and frustrated with myself.

As I wrapped a purchase of a simple but pretty white porcelain teacup and saucer, emblazoned with a thistle, in a sheet of purple tissue paper, I made a decision. I would have to accept the messy situation for what it was and move on.