Page 92 of A Scottish Country Escape

Her eyes bore into Dexter, shards of sadness lodged in them. Her voice cracked before she turned her ire on me. ‘You wondered the same, didn’t you, Ms Cassidy, about why his daughter has suddenly arrived in Fir Haven?’

There was an awkward pause.

I flicked the briefest glance up at Dexter, but before I could answer he was staring down at me from under his arched black brows. ‘You thought it too?’ He let out a hollow laugh. ‘You thought I brought Nadia here deliberately, for my own ends? To save my own skin? Wow! My reputation really does precede me then.’

I let my hands rise and fall. ‘I’m sorry, Dexter. I would be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind.’

Dexter dragged a hand across his stubbly chin. ‘I thought you could see another side to me. You never treated me any differently, even though I had all this fame nonsense going on.’

A rising tide of guilt was promising to swamp me. ‘Dexter, I’m sorry. But when Nadia appeared out of the blue like that, surely you can understand I was sceptical, especially after all that’s happened?’

He shook his dark head at Linda Carlucci and me. Pain cluttered his eyes. ‘You have no idea about the real me, or about my life. None at all.’

Then he strode back towards the fair to collect his daughter.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

I didn’t even bother to watch Linda Carlucci drive off. I walked briskly back along the pavement after Dexter.

Nadia was helping to serve customers at Cate’s stall when the pair of us returned. There was an awkward silence.

Cate and Lucy had Nadia sandwiched between them and were giggling at Nadia’s impersonation of Donald Duck. Shelley, meanwhile, had treated herself to three handbags and two chiffon scarves.

Their smiles faded when they saw Dexter and me.

‘Where the hell have you been?’ erupted Shelley. ‘I was about to contact the police! I’ve just had to use my own credit card!’

Dexter’s eyes rolled.

Elsa, examining some pots of honey on a nearby stall, meandered back over.

Dexter managed a wink at his daughter. ‘Come on, monkey, let’s go.’

‘But, Uncle Dexter, I want to stay and help Cate and Lucy!’

Brooking no argument, Dexter outstretched his arms and scooped a sulky Nadia into them. ‘Thanks for keeping her amused.’

‘No problem,’ said Lucy. ‘She’s such a cutie pie.’

Elsa studied Dexter. ‘Mr Grayling, Nadia is having such a lovely time. Don’t you think—?’

Dexter swung round. Nadia’s arms were draped around his neck. ‘I’ll say what’s best for her!’

Elsa’s cheeks burned, but she maintained a dignified silence.

‘Elsa,’ managed Dexter, shame now scrawled across his face. ‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.’

Nadia put her arms out to Elsa and she crawled into them. They had a brief cuddle and then walked off, hand in hand.

‘Are you all right, Elsa?’ I called across the sound of bagpipes and laughing children. She didn’t turn around.

‘Of course she is,’ barked Shelley. ‘I wouldn’t worry about her.’

My eyes burned into her as she wobbled away, weighed down with purchases. Dexter was already striding off.

Cate and Lucy turned to look at me, having observed all the fractious exchanges taking place right in front of them. Lucy pulled a face, muttered ‘Bloody celebrities!’ again and moved off to help serve someone enquiring about one of Cate’s ring designs.

My mind lurched back to the hurt clouding Dexter’s Caribbean-blue eyes when he realised I’d doubted his motives for bringing Nadia to Scotland.