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Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. Still, she felt as though she might blush, and that would be a sure sign.Don’t blush, she told herself sternly.For goodness’ sake.
‘Man, then,’ June continued. ‘Fair few eyes on him in the village, I’d say. Course, I’m too old for that kind of thing. But it doesn’t mean I don’t notice an attractive young man.’
‘Well, I wouldn’t know about that,’ Carrie said, shortly. She was only half lying; she hadn’t noticed women falling all over Rory, though he was always polite and charming to the customers in the restaurant. That was his job. But she also knew that the main thrust of June’s comment was that Rory was attractive, and that it would be understandable if Carrie had been taken in by his considerable charms. Which, of course, she had. But she didn’t want to tell June that. It would have been all round the village by dinner time. That was just the way Loch Cameron was.
Carrie wasn’t ashamed that she and Rory had slept together. It had been amazing. But, now that he’d disappeared, Carrie wasn’t particularly up for playing the role of the jilted lover or for having the whole village gossip about her, either. They were probably already doing that, just because she was the new stranger in town. Dotty had likely filled everyone in with Carrie’s story: how she’d lost her mum and now Claire, and come back to Loch Cameron, the place where she’d spent the best parts of her childhood. That story was probably irresistible.
Carrie noticed her phone light up in the bag at her feet, and she excused herself for a moment, lifting it out to check who was calling or texting her. It was another message from Graham.
I know it’s hard to talk. But I think we should. Call me when you’re ready.
She looked at the message for a minute, then put the phone back in the pocket of her bag. She still wasn’t ready to deal with Graham. Not yet.
‘Ah, well, then,’ June said. ‘Wednesday it is, hen. I’ll see you outside the main entrance. Let’s say… ten thirty? I’ve got some errands to do that day, so that suits me if it’s okay with you.’
‘That sounds fine. Thanks, June.’
‘No bother, lassie.’ June winked at her. ‘We’ll make you a nurse yet.’
TWENTY-SIX
‘So. Anythin’ interestin’ in Maud’s auld diaries?’ Dotty popped another lozenge into her mouth.
‘Hmm? Oh, right. There was, actually.’ Carrie got another cup of tea from the table and came back to sit by Dotty. All the attendees stood while they were singing in the choir, but some of the more elderly members, like Dotty and June, also had a seat nearby in the event that they got tired. ‘But what I don’t know is why Myrtle had them.’
‘Hmm. Well, I might know the answer to that.’ Dotty lowered her voice. ‘But if I tell ye, ye’ve got tae keep it under yer hat. Okay?’
‘All right.’ Carrie looked around them, but no one was nearby. ‘What is it, then?’
‘Well,’ Dotty said, looking from side to side and leaning in towards Carrie. ‘No’ tha’ it’s ma business, but Myrtle was ma friend, an’ over the years, we talked. As friends do.’
‘Of course.’ Carrie nodded, sipping her tea.
‘Well. Ye probably dinnae know but Myrtle took over the premises of the café from auld Len, whose place it was before her. But he didnae run a café. That was Myrtle’s invention.’
‘Oh. What was the place before, then?’ Carrie leaned in too, feeling as though they were sharing official secrets and not just gossiping about Dotty’s best friend.Talk about cloak and dagger, she thought, amused.
‘Well, Len had a barber’s. He’d cut women’s hair as well, mind, as long as it wasnae anythin’ too fancy. But what he did the most was run a bit o’ black-market tradin’ on the side.’ Dotty had lowered her voice even more so that Carrie had to really concentrate on what she was saying.
‘Black market?’
‘Aye. He’d get ye what ye needed, anythin’ from an engagement ring to a sofa, cheap. No one asked questions. For a lot o’ people in the village it was the only way to get a new washin’ machine or a tumble dryer or whatever. Len would let ye pay monthly, over time. Lot o’ poor people in Loch Cameron, especially twenty, thirty years back. It’s improved a bit now, but folks still find things hard.’
‘I had no idea,’ Carrie confessed. ‘Did the police know? What about the Laird?’
‘Aye, they knew. Everyone knew. Just one o’ those open secrets in the village. As far as I know, the police didnae mind as long as Len didnae bring any trouble intae the village, an’ he never did.’
‘But… where was he getting those things from? The engagement rings and washing machines?’ Carrie asked in a low voice. ‘Were they stolen?’
‘Dunno. I never asked Len and neither did Myrtle. He was a gentleman. It didnae feel right tae ask.’ Dotty shrugged.
Carrie frowned. ‘So, why are you telling me this? Did he come by Maud’s diaries somehow? Were they stolen or something? Not exactly your usual black-market goods.’
‘No. He didnae get them from someone.’ Dotty gave Carrie a look. ‘They belonged to him.’
‘What do you mean, they belonged to him?’ Carrie frowned. ‘They were Maud’s.’
‘Aye. An’ that’s what I’m tryin’ tae tell ye,’ Dotty said, patiently. ‘Len was Maud’s son. An’ I think, if ye’ve read the diaries by now, that you’ll know how that came aboot.’
