Page 38 of The Cottage in the Highlands

Her words stung. That wasn’t me. That wasn’t who I was. I bit back the hurt. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know anything about me.” Anger was flickering up inside me, like a growing flame, and I was struggling to contain it.

Athena, my new job, Miles… They were piling in on me; stoking my upset and frustration.

Lily Cruickshank smirked. “I’ve met the likes of you before. You’d deceive your own grandmother to get on.”

The hurt twisted itself deeper. I didn’t need this. Not now. Not today. On any other day, I would have walked on, shaking it off and dismissing her words with a polite goodbye. “That’s not true. And how dare you stand there and make all these assumptions.”

She was on a vitriolic roll. She ignored my protests. “Angling for promotion at work, are we? Keen to dig up any dirt you can to impress the boss?”

My stomach sank at the thought of Athena and her withering remarks at my feature suggestions for the Avanti cosmetics spread. They mingled and intertwined with the images of Miles’s white grin and the dazzling rock on his bride-to-be’s finger. They shimmered and blended with recollections of my happy, contented days at The Silver Ness News; of the banter and camaraderie between Frances, Doug and me.

My life as it was had melted into one giant, messy puddle.

Now, I was standing in the middle of a neglected but romantic garden, with Harley. The chill in the air was beginning to bite deeper and I was being verbally abused by this woman who looked like she wanted to rip my head off.

“Leave this garden now and don’t come back,” barked Lily Cruickshank. “Do you hear me?”

At any other time, I would have issued an apology and left, cursing the old bag under my breath. But not today. I was feeling lost and bruised, not sure who I was or where my life was heading.

I didn’t have the energy to remain composed. That was why I could feel my face crumpling. Tears gathered in my eyes and edged down my cheeks, and I didn’t care.

And all Lily Cruickshank could do was stare.

Chapter Thirteen

I dashed the back of my arm against my cheeks. Come on Leonie! Don’t give this rude woman the satisfaction.

“Sorry,” I ground out into the air. “This isn’t like me.”

Lily Cruickshank didn’t say anything. She shot indecipherable glances between me and Harley.

I rooted around inside my jeans pocket and located a tissue. I dabbed at my eyes.

She plunged her hands into the deep pockets of her skirt and shuffled from foot to foot.

Everything had just piled on top of each other and her terse words had sent my emotions skittering. I blew my nose, not making eye contact. I found myself developing a sudden fascination for the grass.

I let out an unladylike sniff. “I’m sorry about the fence. I’m more than happy to contribute to the cost of repairing it.”

Lily Cruickshank’s silvery brows gathered.

“I had no right to come into the garden, but when I saw all this…” I flailed around one weary arm. “Well, I couldn’t resist.”

Lily Cruickshank’s eyes followed my hand. They raked over the statues and the little garden bench. There was an agonising pause. “Yes,” she admitted. “It is lovely. A very special place.”

She seemed lost for a moment, transported somewhere else. “This house… and the garden… it seems to have that effect on people.” Then she returned to the present moment. Her gimlet gaze was back.

“Apologies again, Mrs Cruickshank.” I rooted around in the back pocket of my jeans where I always stashed a pen and a mini notebook. I dashed down my details. “I meant what I said about the damage to the fence. Please let me know the cost.”

The woman accepted the piece of paper and eyed it with an odd look.

I gave a gentle tug on Harley’s lead. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go.”

I set off across the lawn, the long grass tickling against my jean-clad legs and started to squeeze Harley and myself back through the gap in the fence. I wanted to get away from her sniping and go home.

I kept my back turned away from Lily Cruickshank. Crikey! How embarrassing was that?! Bursting into tears like that in front of a total stranger. But she had been so spiteful.

“Wait.”