Page 9 of The Secret Castle in the Highlands

I squinted as Caleb opened the door and flicked on the light switch. The annexe was illuminated in a glow of pale lemon, highlighting a single, neatly made-up bed in nautical striped covers and a powder-blue lamp sat on a simple, three-drawer bedside table. All the walls were painted in soft grey.

Through the door that led to the right was the bathroom, a simple white affair with a cubicle shower and polished blue tiles. Through the door on the left was the kitchen. It had been touched up since the last time I was here and now boasted dark wood benchtops with matching cupboards, and a chrome sink. A small fridge and dishwasher were secreted behind fake cupboard doors. It still at least possessed all the mod cons since Dad had slept up here to run the business from time to time.

‘Are you going to be all right staying here?’ asked Caleb. ‘It’s not exactly spacious.’

I dismissed his concerns with a wink. ‘Of course I will. It’s clean, it’s comfortable and it isn’t costing me anything. What’s not to like?’ I leaned on the breakfast bar. ‘You’re forgetting I’ve lived in a flat in London.’

Excitement and nerves about the task I was taking on swished around inside my stomach as I opened the fridge and peered inside its bright emptiness. I fetched the carrier bag Mum had given me, which Caleb had put by the door. Nestling inside was a loaf of seeded brown bread, two pints of milk, a box of cornflakes, a jar of marmalade, a tub of butter, some tea bags and half a packet of wafer biscuits. ‘Bless her. This will keep me going till I get to the shops tomorrow.’ I tugged out the milk and tea. ‘Would you like one before you go?’

‘We’d better not,’ said Caleb. ‘I’ve got an early start with my Super Shark comic strip.’

Katie cuddled into my brother, and they made for the door. As we all gave each other a peck on the cheek and a hug, Katie patted me on the arm. ‘Now remember, once you’ve got your head around what you want to do up here, let us know how we can help.’

Caleb opened his mouth to say something, but one swift glare from Katie made him clamp his lips shut and she bundled him out the door. ‘There’re clean towels in the airing cupboard and some extra blankets if you need them,’ she shouted from across the courtyard.

I hovered in the doorway and waved as Caleb’s streak of white car melted into the darkness. Then I locked the door, closed the hessian curtains and sank onto the edge of the bed.

Pictures of my beach wedding threatened to lodge themselves in my head again. I gave my face a tired rub and glanced around at my new living quarters.

The enormity of what I was going to do wasn’t lost on me – but I knew I had to at least try. And maybe this was exactly the distraction I needed? After Nick the Dick and leaving London, my art gallery job that I loved … this was where I needed to be.

Right now, nothing else mattered more than saving the cottages.

Chapter Four

Iwoke up the next morning, feeling chilly even under the swathe of blankets I’d piled on. The central heating in the annexe was more laboured than I’d expected and apparently hadn’t been used for a while.

Throwing on my thick dressing gown over pink fleecy pyjamas, I wriggled my feet into a pair of woollen hiking socks and made a mental note to add ‘hot water bottle’ to my shopping list.

Opening the short petrol-blue curtains, I looked out on a damp Monday, grey mist clinging onto everything as if with determined talons. The empty cottages blinked back at me determinedly from across the cobbled courtyard.

I boosted the hot water supply and once it heated up sufficiently, I grabbed a shower and washed my hair, before throwing on my jeans and a thick pecan-coloured jumper. It wasn’t until I began applying makeup to boost my weary complexion that I began to panic again about what the hell I’d done.

The cottages carried such sentimental memories for me, but was I secretly trying to prove something to my parents? Maybe I was subconsciously raising two fingers to Nick? Trying to prove to him and to myself that I had put him behind me and was capable of so much more? I mean, I wasn’t an experienced businesswoman, and an art degree didn’t exactly qualify me to renovate the cottages.

I twitched my freckly nose as I continued to examine my panicked reflection in the bathroom mirror. No. I just couldn’t allow Mum and Dad to quit the business; not so hastily and not without exploring other alternatives to give it a boost.

I tried to steady my prickling nerves.

Caleb had texted me last night, telling me the spare keys to all six of the cottages and to the office were bunched together on a starfish keyring at the back of the cutlery drawer.

After a brief rummage around, I located them. Shrugging on my quilted jacket, I pulled on my trainers and took another look around the annexe. It was a little sterile. A few cheerful-looking rugs and some pretty cushions would make it a bit homelier.

I decided to check out the office first, before heading over to the cottages.

The view over Port Starr harbour was still spectacular, even if there were swirls of smoky mist and cloud weaving their way around the spearing masts and creaking decks of the boats that were being slapped by the tide. To the left of the harbour, the beach spun away in a ribbon of deserted gold.

The office was a solid stone building with an old beechwood door. It used to be a stable for some of the wild horses that cantered across the countryside many years before.

The office door creaked open, the venetian blind suspended from it giving an indignant rattle as I closed it behind me. I switched on the main light and surveyed the cold, formal space.

All the family photographs of the four of us had been removed from the walls. Mum and Dad must have made a tentative start on clearing out some things before they put the business up for sale.

I trailed my fingers along the edge of the desk, a stout rectangular affair of dark wood surmounted by the computer, a little dusty laptop.

Opposite was a small kitchen with pebble-brown laminated flooring and two stools. Although it was all clean, the vanilla-coloured walls looked a bit weary.

I peered into the bathroom, which was situated next to a cupboard. That was the same. All clean and smelling sweet, thanks to an apple-scented air freshener, but the paint looked tired.