Page 6 of Journey to the Scottish Highlands

She too was sporting a very similar outfit to me, but the collar of her shirt was white.

She yanked open the door and encouraged me inside. ‘Daisy?’

‘Yes, that’s me.’

We shook hands.

‘I’m Sue Arnold. I’m in charge of the waitressing for this event. Nice to meet you. You come highly recommended.’

I blushed. ‘Well, that’s very nice to know. Thank you,’ I silently thanked Jade and her parents for the glowing report.

Behind Sue’s coiffed, highlighted hair, the kitchen was a gleaming chrome and black expanse, with a marble-topped breakfast bar that looked as long as the M6. Copper pots, pans and saucepans were strung up on hooks.

On the breakfast bar was an assortment of platters covered in dome lids and dozens upon dozens of glinting champagne flutes.

I was beginning to get a little worried. There was no sign of any other waiting staff here. Surely it wasn’t just us? It really would be like Fawlty Towers if it was.

But my doubts were soon put to rest when the kitchen door swung open and four other people dressed just like me emerged. They all looked like students. There were two guys, one in trendy spectacles and the other with a quiff, and two girls: one with a long, swinging blonde plait and the other sporting jam-red lipstick.

Sue rattled through their names, Jason, Kieran, Jasmine and Iris.

‘We’re expecting around sixty guests,’ trilled Sue, appraising all of us like a sergeant major. ‘High profile names. So remember, slick, approachable but phantom-like.’

I think I knew what she was trying to say; we were to serve the guests but not scare them.

She turned to Jason and Kieran. ‘Birthday balloons blown up and in the garden room?’

Jason pushed his red spectacles back up his nose. ‘Yes. All done.’

Jasmine and Iris offered me friendly smiles.

‘Do you know who’s coming along today?’ Iris hissed out of the corner of her mouth to me. ‘I had a look on Google to try and find this place, but…’

Sue swung her neat, blonde hair. ‘You’ll find out soon enough, but remember. You all signed confidentiality agreements, so unless you want to be sued, I strongly advise the five of you to keep information about today to yourselves. Remember, we act professionally at all times.’

I’d tried to prise information out of Jade about who owned Carston Manor, but she said even she didn’t know much. ‘It’s a couple my parents met last year on a cruise. I think he’s something big in the luxury hotel business.’

My attention fell on the lush green trees and hedges past the kitchen windows. Oh well. A few hours running back and forth for people who in all likelihood wouldn’t give me the time of day, and then I could jump in Marlene and begin my journey home.

Sue glanced down at her wristwatch. ‘Ok, folks. Action stations. The guests are due to begin arriving in about fifteen minutes.’

Beside me, Iris let out a subtle groan. ‘Do you think Sue was a company director in a previous life?’

The next fifteen minutes shot past in a flurry of noise from the other side of the kitchen door where we were whizzing around. The babble of conversation and peals of loud laughter rang out from the gathering guests.

Sue had tasked me with pouring bottles of Armand de Brignac champagne into glasses, which I’d stationed on numerous silver trays.

Snippets of guests’ conversation bounced through the door towards me.

My hand stilled as I suspended the bottle of champers over another tray of flutes. A couple of the guests’ voices echoed in my head.

I was sure I recognised them.

Trying to stem my curiosity and failing, I waited until Sue was occupied with giving orders to Jason and slipped across the kitchen to the door.

I eased it open and peeked through the slim crack.

It was like a who’s who of the British acting fraternity, stirred up with a couple of well-known TV presenters. Some were in huddles in the hallway, while others were gliding into the garden room.