Page 60 of A Scottish Country Escape

‘There’s someone here,’ Gran gasped.

I stared around me. ‘What?’

She pulled herself out of my embrace and blinked up at me, her light-grey eyes startled. She was trembling. ‘I think we’ve got a prowler.’

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Before I could say anything, Dexter was marching past us and into the house.

‘Dexter! Dexter! What are you doing?’ I yelled after him, my concern for his safety escalating. ‘For god’s sake, be careful.’

Grandma stared at his disappearing back. ‘Young man, it could be dangerous!’

We both went after him, my grandmother huddling deeper into her knee-length cardigan. Dexter was already making quiet strides in his soiled sneakers through the hall. ‘Did you see someone?’ he whispered, inspecting the sitting room before crossing into the kitchen.

Gran shot me a panicked look. ‘I thought I did. I mean, I was sure I heard something.’

While Dexter insisted on bounding up the stairs to check the bedrooms, I squeezed Grandma’s arms. ‘Did you actually see anyone, Grandma?’

Her cheeks flared with colour. ‘Well, if you mean did I see someone in the house in a black ski mask, then no.’

‘So what or whom did you see?’

‘I’m not sure.’ Her face crumpled and I gathered her up into my arms again.

Dexter came back down the stairs towards us. Gran turned around to look at him. ‘I definitely heard some sort of noise.’

‘But did you actually see someone here?’ asked Dexter gently.

Grandma lowered her eyes to the hall carpet.

Dexter and I swapped charged expressions. Oh god. I hoped my Gran was all right. It wasn’t like her to be confused about anything.

We made our way back outside. The kitchen light was throwing out a pool of yellow onto our feet. ‘I think a noise spooked her,’ I hissed out the corner of my mouth. ‘It could have been anything.’

‘I may have had an awful fright, Elle, but I’m not bloody deaf!’

‘Sorry, Gran.’

Dexter buried a smile at my assertive grandmother. ‘I’ll check around outside the house.’

‘There’s really no need,’ I assured him.

Dexter shook his head. ‘I really would rather do it. It would give me peace of mind, at least.’

I stared up at him. ‘All right. Thank you,’ I said, ‘but you’re not going on your own. We’re coming with you.’

One of Dexter’s dark brows rose. ‘Are you worried about me?’

I ignored Gran’s expectant expression as she witnessed our verbal exchanges.

‘Not at all,’ I snorted far too quickly. ‘I just want to make sure you don’t avail yourself of the family silver.’

My grandmother ordered Dexter to wait there while she scurried to the left side of the house and reappeared moments later with a glinting garden spade.

‘Here,’ she said to Dexter, thrusting the handle at him. ‘Just in case we need it.’

Dexter studied it with an arch of his brow. ‘Thanks.’