Page 92 of The Secret Castle in the Highlands

‘Oh, I would pay to see that.’

Once Katie had given the Barbour-wearing lady a copy of our brochure and she’d departed, Katie glanced at her watch. ‘Tell you what, you give me your order of what sandwiches you’d like for lunch and I’ll pop down to town and get them.’

I passed my sandwich request onto her and she returned fifteen minutes later with our lunch. ‘I just saw your Hottie Historian.’ Katie grinned, clutching one tomato-and-mozzarella sandwich for me and a salmon-and-cream-cheese bagel for herself.

I made a grunting noise. ‘Would you please stop with this Hottie Historian thing? And anyway, he’s not mine.’ I fiddled needlessly with the mouse of the PC. I didn’t want to ask the question. I wasn’t bothered either way, but I couldn’t help myself. ‘Where was he?’ As soon as I asked Katie, I got frustrated with myself.

She frowned. ‘I just saw him in his car, heading out of Port Starr. He looked like he was in a hurry.’

‘Oh. Right.’

I fought to summon up indifference. Where was he going? He had said his parents were leaving and that he was heading out of town for a few days.

Katie gave me a gentle smile. ‘This isn’t just about the highwayman, though, is it?’

‘What is?’

‘The way you’re feeling right now about the cottages; that creep Lapley; Blake Summers possibly being the Scarlet Highwayman; not to mention Mason.’

‘I couldn’t care less about Mason.’

‘Riiight.’

‘It’s true,’ I insisted, faffing around with my notebook.

Katie afforded me a measured look.

‘I should never have let myself develop feelings for him, Katie. There’s no chance of anything happening between us.’

‘How can you know that?’

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. ‘He’s quite happy to flirt and joke around, but if there’s a hint of anything else, he shuts down.’ I looked everywhere but at my sister-in-law. ‘And then there’s two other women he was seen with.’

‘Have you asked him about these women?’

‘What? No!’ I answered, horrified. ‘He’ll think I’m jealous.’ I blew out some air. ‘I’ve got a business to run and that’s far more important anyway.’

For the next couple of days, the cottages saw a satisfying stream of booking enquiries and reservations. Katie was delighted to witness a keen interest in a few of her new and more adventurous plates – a pink-and-white-striped affair and a black one with white polka dots.

I’d noticed a particular penchant for the textile designs I’d made of the lighthouse and a row of brightly coloured beach huts, which I’d placed in Puffin Cottage. That convinced me I should perhaps try out a few more of a similar nature; maybe experiment with some other textiles and fabrics.

When I mentioned to Katie I’d been considering making a couple more child-inspired designs – perhaps using shells to make a car, and rocks and gauze to construct a sandcastle – she was very enthusiastic.

‘Oh, go for it,’ she said with a grin. ‘I could just see parents and grandparents going nuts over cute pictures like that for their kids’ nursery or bedroom.’

As we chatted, the doorbell tinkled, announcing the arrival of our other cleaner, Maisie.

She looked glowing, despite her milky complexion, in a blush-pink shirt dress and white trainers. ‘I just saw that good-looking historian guy again.’

I shoved a stray hair back into my topknot bun and ignored her remark.

Katie glanced up to see my reaction, before she gave Maisie an emphatic ‘Please stop talking’ expression. When that didn’t work, she performed a quick slashing motion to her neck. However, Maisie was oblivious to Katie’s dramatic miming as she unfurled her bucket bag from her shoulder.

‘I overheard him talking to Mrs Compton outside the supermarket. She was all set for a good chinwag, but he apologised and said he had to shoot off.’

I tried to cut across Maisie’s conversation. The last thing I wanted to do was dwell on Mason. I felt a right tit about the whole thing. ‘Katie, do you think I should move my couple of Highland cattle watercolours out of Robin, to make way for the boats at sunset chalks I did the other week?’

Maisie folded her freckled arms, oblivious, and carried on discussing Mason. ‘I did hear Mrs Compton say something about him taking the Lower Falloch Road, if he wanted to get to the train station.’