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“The Kiltmobile?”
He frowned. “Ye Olde Eyesore is more like it.”
“Pride of Scotland?”
“Get on the coach.”
twelve
Hopefully,an afternoon on a lake populated by imaginary monsters would be less depressing than the battlefield had been. Loch Ness’s claim to fame, apart from the legendary creature that supposedly lived in its depths, was falling just short of being either the longest or the deepest lake in Scotland. It did, however, claim the title of largest lake by volume, which even the most interested of tourists will tell you means nothing.
On shore, Arnav led the way to the docks where the rental canoes waited. He would paddle on the lake with us while Lewis drove to the retrieval site a few miles away to wait.
The day had no cloud cover for a change, and I’d opted to wear capri pants and a light T-shirt, despite Lewis’s steady stream of reminders to dress in layers. Anecdotes about Scotland’s unpredictable weather had been a frequent topic of dinner conversation, with everyone seeming to have been suddenly caught in one freak storm or another. I toted along my fleece jacket but counted on staying warm enough from paddling the canoe while wearing a bulky flotation device.
At the docks, Arnav pointed up the lakeshore to Urquhart castle, just visible against the blue sky. At full zoom, my camera couldn’t capture more than a hint of the structure in shadows. Even though I had wanted to steer clear of the old woman tour, I wished for just a minute we had time to visit the castle.
Well, that and everything else we’d missed so far. Seeing all the sights in Scotland would take a lifetime.
Our canoe instructor Lily gave us a two-minute rundown on the basics of canoeing. Take smooth, even strokes, don’t stand in the boat, don’t lean overboard—not much to tell. I’d canoed quite often on Puget Sound, and although I didn’t consider myself an expert, I planned to show far better skill here than I had during the archery lesson.
Not that I hadn’t appreciated Duncan’s detailed coaching. Maybe I could finagle my way into one-on-one rowing lessons.
Lily looked us over as though trying to guess how much we could bench in her quest to make sure each boat had one strong rower. I wouldn’t have minded being paired up with Duncan, but she stuck him with Bea. Arnav went with Harlow, and Spencer with Rupert, leaving me with Carlos.
Carlos and I sized each other up. I might have had a decade on him, but I wasn’t so sure I had anything over him when it came to muscles.
Lily helped us buckle into life jackets before loading us into the boats, strong arm in the rear. I sat hard on the front bench while Carlos chuckled behind me. So I wasn’t the strong arm—he didn’t need to gloat.
We paddled onto the lake, and with a few parting words of encouragement from Lily, we set off. Arnav and Harlow took the lead, skimming along not far from the shoreline.
Experiencing such a quintessential Scottish activity as rowing a canoe on Loch Ness felt a little surreal. A few boats drifted on the green water, leaving hardly any wake. The sun warmed my skin, and I congratulated myself for stowing the fleece on such a perfect day.
“They say it’s most often seen in this area, as it’s the deepest point.” Rupert’s voice held a layer of awe to it. “Sometimes they get just a peek at the tail, but the lucky ones get a glimpse of her head.”
“Who is ‘they?’” Spencer asked.
“They,they, the Nessie experts. There are two exhibits in town. Bea and I visited both of them three years ago on holiday.”
“Rupert considers himself quite the authority on all things Nessie.” Although voices carried in the stillness, Bea shouted like she was in the bottom of a well.
“I thought someone confessed on their deathbed to faking the photos,” I said. That scandal and a grainy black and white photo were the sum total of my knowledge of the Loch Ness monster. Sitting in the little canoe, the idea of mysterious creatures swimming in the depths made my stomach creep. A lot could hide in eight hundred feet of water.
“Those photos weren’t the whole of it.” Under his sunhat, Rupert looked smug, as though he possessed secret knowledge. “Nessie sightings took place long before cameras were invented.”
Duncan turned slightly to catch my eye. “How would you have survived such times, Molly?”
“I feel faint just thinking about it.” See also: the way he said my name.
His answering wink made my stomach dip.
My canoe suddenly tilted hard to the left. I shrieked and crouched low, my mind filled with giant sea creatures ready to overturn my boat. When nothing more happened, I stared over my shoulder at Carlos.
“I thought I saw Nessie.” He spoiled his sham innocence with self-satisfied laughter.
“Let’s be safe, everybody.” Arnav sounded like a little brother trying to get family events in hand, shouting against aunts and uncles who were determined to ignore him.
Everything I might say to Carlos involved curse words, so I kept my mouth shut. He grinned away, but his dimples couldn’t win him any favors here.
