Page 111 of A Scottish Island Summer

My heart lurched in sympathy for her. I knew what that felt like.

I folded the letter and handed it back to Campbell.

Behind us, a few guests had finished their breakfast and were meandering out towards reception. A couple of others clattered their knives, forks and spoons while they finished their cereal, fried eggs and bacon.

‘Do you think Victoria did find the cross or is she just teasing?’ I asked Campbell.

Campbell set down his teacup on his saucer. ‘I think there’s a possibility.’ He chewed the inside of his mouth. ‘Like I said, Victoria wrote this letter on the day of the Neist Point lighthouse being lit for the first time, so I don’t know if that’s just a coincidence or a clue.’ He gave his head a considered shake. ‘And why on earth would she exaggerate to her brother?’

He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. ‘I don’t know if it might be worth us speaking to Elliot again? See if he’s managed to unearth any more familial information?’

I frowned. ‘It just seems odd that Edward didn’t try to follow up the search for it. Or maybe he did and he didn’t have any luck?’

I smiled over at Kathleen and Julie, who were darting around the dining room, clearing away the breakfast things, while Campbell took the opportunity to ring Elliot.

At least this mystery surrounding Victoria’s letter was managing to distract me for a little while from Logan and the fallout from my video.

As Campbell continued his conversation with Elliot, I stared at Victoria’s letter again laying by Campbell’s plate. What if the stories about the Skye Lovers’ Cross were just that? Stories? Fables? Exaggerations?

Campbell rounded off his call with Elliot. ‘Edward apparently never had the chance to try and locate the stone, even if he’d wanted to.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Elliot just told me Edward McPherson was killed in a car accident a week after he received that letter from Victoria.’

‘That’s awful!’

Campbell shook his dead in dismay. ‘It is.’ He paused and tapped the letter gently with his fingertips. ‘I’m beginning to think that we might be wasting our time.’

‘Don’t say that, Campbell. You’ve spent so much time and energy trying to find it.’

‘Aye, and look where it’s got me.’

We both gave Victoria’s letter a sad glance.

Then a kernel of an idea started to grow. ‘Campbell, could you pass me the letter again, please?’

‘Sure.’

He slid it across the breakfast table and my eyes greedily scanned Victoria’s loopy, black handwriting.

‘What are you looking for?’

‘This line,’ I remarked, pointing at it. ‘Victoria says “And at least I still have Skye, where light meets the sea, in the heart of the island.”’

I gave the photocopy of the letter a waggle. ‘Don’t you think it’s a bit dramatic? Beautiful and poetic?’

Campbell considered my observations. ‘Yes. Come to think of it, it does stand out.’

I leant on the table and put down the letter. ‘Do you think Victoria might have been trying to convey a hidden message to her brother in that sentence? Maybe she was trying to say she thought the cross might be here in Portree?’

Campbell let out a defeatist sigh. ‘I bloody hope not! Even if it was, it could be anywhere in town.’

My frustration matched Campbell’s. Had Victoria actually discovered it or was she just telling tales?

I twirled the teaspoon between my fingers as I thought.

‘What do you want to do now, Darcie?’