Page 7 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

My heart ached at the bewildering array of emotions that crossed Mum’s face as I told her about the shop.

Mum stared up at me in disbelief from her armchair. She gasped, her hands turning over in each other. Photographs of Dad surrounded her, his twinkly dark-blue eyes a mirror image of mine, as well as his thick conker-brown hair.

A golfing weekend with the boys, a family visit to Blackpool, sporting a hard hat while out on site during his construction career – they all merged together to tug at my heart.

I whipped my attention away from my late dad’s photographs.

‘But that’s awful!’ she gulped. ‘I don’t believe it. How could they do such a thing? But you were going to buy the business…’ Her voice faded. ‘And what about poor Orla and those kids of hers? Three teenagers now. What is she supposed to do?’

She shook her brunette head in disbelief.

‘Vivian was intending on telling you and Orla, but she is in bits about it all too, Mum. I said I thought you might take the news a bit better coming from me.’

Mum let out a weary sigh. ‘Thanks to your father, I’m not struggling or desperate to find another job straight away, but I really enjoy working there. It’s the company and being busy, you know? But Orla…’ Her voice erupted. ‘And you, lovey! You were so looking forward to taking over.’

Her mouth flattened. ‘Thank goodness your father isn’t here. He would have been storming up to that landlord’s office.’ She pressed her lips together. ‘Any time to receive news like this is awful, but just before Christmas? Don’t these people have a conscience?’

‘Mum, when it comes to money, the answer is no.’

Renewed worry swamped her delicate features. She sat and fiddled with her toffee-highlighted hair.

‘I’m sorry about your job, Mum. Yours and Orla’s.’

‘Och, don’t worry about us. We will be all right. I might be able to get a few more odd hours with Susie, just to get me out of the house. It’s you I’m most bothered about.’

She stared across from her squashy wheat-coloured hessian armchair. ‘So, end of December closing, you say?’

I nodded.

‘I can’t believe all this. You have worked so hard in that place.’ Realisation dawned across her anxious features. ‘But what does all this mean for you, sweetheart? What are you going to do?’

I forced my mouth into a smile. ‘Oh, don’t you worry about me, Mum. I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll get something else at some point.’

She raised her plucked, fair brows. ‘Yes, but when? Where? Craig Brae isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with business opportunities.’ Her expression fell further. You were so excited about buying Christmas Crackers.’

‘I know. It isn’t fair, is it?’

‘No, it isn’t. I don’t know how those people will be able to sleep at night, after treating you and Vivian like this.’

She was pensive for a few moments. ‘Surely, there are some vacancies around in the run-up to Christmas? At least it would be something to tide you over.’ I could see her brain working away. She crinkled her nose. ‘I could ask Susie if there’s anything going for you at Eternal Flame? I know she’s only just taken on a couple of new part-timers though, to help out with packaging and gift-wrapping in time for Christmas.’

Mum had started helping out one of her friends occasionally with her online scented candle making business. I thought it was more a diversion after losing my dad. ‘If she does have anything for you, it would probably only be a few odd hours there and there, but at least it’s better than nothing.’

I didn’t want to appear ungrateful, so I said that would be great and thanked her. If I found I was struggling to get something else, it might prove to be a godsend to get something like that to keep me going for now. Now more than ever, I was grateful for the money Dad had left me in his will. I no longer needed it to put towards buying Christmas Crackers, I realised with mounting anger again, but I didn’t want to start dipping into it to keep me going while job hunting.

At that rate, I would have none of it left in six months.

I watched Mum as she suddenly shot out one arm for her mobile beside her. Her eyes were hard. ‘I want a word with that bloody landlord. It won’t do any good, but it will make me feel a darn sight better. What’s their number?’

‘Mum, don’t. They won’t speak to you or will just feed you a bunch of excuses anyway.’

She rose from her armchair and pushed a hunk of hair back behind her ears. ‘Have you told Orla yet?’

‘No. I’m dreading it.’

Mum nodded her understanding. ‘She’s attending a crafts fair tonight and then meeting up with her cousin for a bite to eat. She’s been looking forward to it for the last couple of weeks.’

‘Well, in that case, I won’t spoil her evening by going round to her house to tell her,’ I decided. ‘I will break the news to her face to face tomorrow at work.’