by Ruth Hay
“George McLennan was her only confidant and it was through his investigations that Anna learned much of the story. She was living in Canada and knew nothing of Helen until George’s letter arrived offering her the house in Oban.”
“That must have been some surprise!”
“You can say that again, Caroline! Anna’s Samba pals in Canada joined together to persuade her to take the plunge and cross the Atlantic for the first time to see what the house was like. She had only an aerial photo to give her a clue and, believe me, she was very reluctant to take the chance. She wanted to sell the place and use the cash to buy herself a small house in London, Ontario. It took all of us Canadian women, Susan, Alina, Maria and Bev, to force her to go to Scotland on a two month trial basis.”
James interrupted as his mother stopped to take a breath. He had heard most of this tale before but a new thought struck him.
“I think the Anna you describe must have been a very different person to the one I first knew. I can’t imagine ‘my’ Anna hesitating about anything. She has always been a mover and shaker since I’ve known her.”
“Oh, you are so right, James! Those first months here with just Fiona to help were the making of Anna.
She changed from a disillusioned, tired female to the purposeful woman we all love and respect.”
“I can attest to that, James. It was not easy for her at first as she dealt with the problems of an old Victorian home lacking in many of the modern features, but we worked through the problems together and she became a surrogate mother to me.”
“Fiona knows Anna helped many others as well. Many in Oban have reason to be grateful Anna Mason kept the McCaig Estate House.”
There were nods around the table as the impact of Bev’s words sunk in.
“I peeked into Anna’s bedroom and saw the famous painting. James also showed me the framed self-portrait of her husband Lawren Drake. He said it is one of Ashley’s recent discoveries.
Where is the author of Anna’s book living now?”
It was Jeanette’s turn to provide information to Caroline.
“Anna told me Ashley returned to Prince Edward Island on Canada’s east coast to help her grandmother look after Anna’s brother Simon. She hops between there, Halifax and Toronto when her publisher calls, but she hopes to be back here to join Edmund Jansen, the local doctor.”
It was evident to Caroline how intertwined the lives of these women were with Anna Drake and her family. Her James was no exception. She began to understand what drew James here when he sought respite from the hectic life down south. It was not only the surroundings; it was also the supportive community of caring people. Compared to the unreliable and poisonous relationships she experienced in the arena of politics, this was a remarkable relief.
“Well, thank you all for your input. I already love the house but now it means so much more knowing the story behind it.”
Caroline had barely finished speaking when the sound of a child’s raised voice turned all heads including that of Fiona, who immediately recognized Fergus. There was a general exodus from the tea room back into the kitchen where they heard Fergus explaining to Alan the children had found a lamb trapped in some rocks.
“The dam is verra upset, Alan! Come quick! Liam is standing by the stream to show you the way and Annette and Shona are trying to keep the dam quiet. We didna touch them, Alan! We know that’s wrong.”
The party broke up as Alan and Gordon ran uphill with Fergus to check out the situation.
Bev turned to Rena and Steve, and to Caroline, to explain.
“It’s nothing to worry about. The lambs have not been on the hills for long and one or two always get themselves into scrapes of one kind or another. Alan will sort them out and bring the children back safely with Gordon’s help. Bring the dishes in here and we’ll clear up while we wait.”
Jeanette and Fiona washed plates and cups while Bev put the remaining cakes and scones into containers. The others watched through the kitchen windows at the progress of the men and Fergus as they climbed the stone-filled valley where the rushing water of the stream descended from the heights. They gave regular updates.
“They’ve found something. I can see the two children waiting.”
“Gordon’s bringing the four children back.”
“They look a bit grimy but all are fine.”
“Alan’s carrying the lamb and the mother sheep is following him.”
James, who spent his early teen years in the Matthews’ farmhouse after his mother married Alan, knew enough to understand that the lamb needed help. He went to the cupboard and retrieved the box of first aid supplies. He took this outside to the bench and was ready when Alan returned.
The lamb had a broken leg and would need a splint. Alan quickly bound the leg up and allowed the dam to sniff everything as he did so. The children watched quietly to see if the lamb would be able to walk again. Alan kept the lamb in his arms and led the dam over to the pen near the house where there was an open enclosure for shelter, filled with straw.
“They’ll be fine there for a few days until the lamb can jump around again.
Well done, children! I’ll make shepherds of you yet!”
He turned and sent a sidelong smile toward James who, like his brother Eric, had chosen city life instead of following in his stepfather’s footsteps.
Jeanette took the opportunity to gather her brood and remind Fiona her children were invited back to Oban for supper with them.
“Oh, Jeanette! Are you sure you want to bother?”
“Certainly! The children are looking forward to it. I made George promise to get the meal started and my Mom is on stand-by in case he makes a mess of it.”
“All right, then. But it’s our turn next time, for sure.”
“That’s a real treat for the children. They love the Meco house. You two have a quiet evening together with Neil. We’ll bring the older ones back later.”
* * *
Caroline and James said their goodbyes and walked back to Anna’s house.
As the tall chimneys came into view at the end of the track, Caroline saw the house in a different light now she knew something of its history. She caught James’ arm and snuggled in close to him.
“Well! Now I’ve seen something of country life, I must say it has its delights not least of which is coming home to this lovely place with you, having spent time among the people who mean so much to you. I believe I understand you better James Patterson, and I am so glad you talked me into taking this time away from the hustle and bustle of London and Brussels.”
James squeezed her arm in reply. His smile was huge. Just as he hoped, this place was working its magic on Caroline Fenton.
Chapter Four
Fiona and Gordon dropped off Fergus and Shona at Jeanette’s, said a quick hello to George and Jean, Jeanette’s mother, and continued on to Glenmorie with a sleeping Neil behind them in his car seat.
Gordon was conscious of the opportunity to talk privately with his wife and he began with the topic uppermost in his mind.
“I’ve been looking over the accounts lately, darling.”
“Yes?”
“We are just about breaking even but if you want to send Fergus to this art school we will have fees to pay in addition to all the expenses the other children incur. I think we need a sizable contingency fund to cushion us for the future, but I am not seeing a way to do that.
Any ideas?”
Fiona leaned back into the leather seats of the Subaru and considered this an opportunity she had been waiting for. She needed to be diplomatic. Gordon was a proud man. She did not want to undermine his confidence in any way.
“I have a thought or two along those lines. It brings its own problems, and yet, it would answer a few of your issues.”
“Go ahead, Fiona. You are a partner in this estate enterprise in every possible way and I rely on your good sense.”
Thus emboldened, Fiona expanded on her ideas.
“I’ve been thinking I could get a part-time job with the Wildlife Services again. I could easily integrate it with conservation work on the estate. There’s a lot of renewed interest in the pine marten lately, and we have a family of them, in addition to our wildcat project and the river otters. I could do a study or two for a wildlife magazine.”
“All that would help of course, lass, but what about the wee lad sleeping in the back there?”
“I would try to restrict my duties to the local area. There are sea studies on the coastline already underway and I have experience with those. Neil is a good baby and he is becoming more independent now that he’s running around. Donald tells me has a niece in Oban who has childcare training. Marie is pregnant and on leave for now. She might step in for a few hours and she could travel up to Glenmorie with her uncle.”
“Well now! How long have you been planning all this?”
She laughed. “Not that long, Gordon! But I am aware how expensive the Meco house has been and I do not want that project to fail.”
“I agree totally about that. Any other ideas from the fertile mind of the Lady of Glenmorie?”
“Since you ask, my dear husband, I wonder if you noted the results of last September’s Best of the West Festival at Inveraray Castle? The Duke and Duchess of Argyll had over six thousand visitors. Their estate produce and special events over the weekend earned two million pounds!”
Gordon’s foot went down hard on the accelerator and the car jumped forward. His wife knew the sign. It meant he had learned of these results and he was concerned.
“Gordon, sweetheart, I know well we can’t possibly compete with the huge Inveraray Castle estate or the throngs of visitors who arrive there from cruise ships, but perhaps we could do something on a lesser scale and at a different time, without upsetting the clan chief and Eleanor. I could contact the Duchess. She’s a really lovely person, according to all who know her. She might be able to give us some ideas.”
He chuckled in response, which Fiona considered a very good indicator of his interest.
“You are giving me a number of good ideas, Fiona Campbell. Not all related to our finances.
It’s not often we have Meco to ourselves. The castle is five minutes away now. If we can get Neil into his cot without waking him, we have a chance to discuss things in bed, in peace, after some relaxing adult activities. Fergus and Shona won’t be back for hours. We can feed Neil and ourselves then.
Agreed?”
“Absolutely!”
It was an even better conclusion than Fiona had hoped to get. Gordon was always in a very responsive mood after a spot of love-making. They would have time to flesh out the ideas she had presented and see if they were both practical and possible.
She looked over with affection at the tall, dark-haired, grey-eyed man who had captured her heart. He grew more handsome with every passing year. She met him long before she knew his inheritance and although the thought of her position as Lady of the Castle was not what she would have preferred, she would have followed him into a broken-down hovel by the shoreline, if that was where they were headed. It was all about the man, not the grandeur of the castle life.
Fiona had never had cause to regret her decision to cast in her lot with Gordon Campbell.
* * *
Dusk was descending amidst the calling of birds and the rustling of trees. The car sped toward their home and Fiona was content to know that Fergus would have his chance and she could return to work without too much disruption.
She had put several proposals in motion. Time would tell if she was on the right track.
Rena and Steve Collins woke early on Sunday morning. It was their habit to take advantage of the weekends to complete at least one long run. Solomon, their black and white collie dog, waited eagerly for his master and mistress to don their running outfits and set off.
They had explored all the local paths and climbs in the first months after they arrived in Oban and now they were expanding their territory toward Glencoe and the slopes of Ben Nevis.
Rena was not the lifelong devoted runner that her husband was. In Toronto, she had never had time or inclination to run for exercise, although running became a metaphor for escape after she fell into the clutches of the man who almost ruined her life. Her subsequent, dangerous and daring attempt to remove herself as far as possible from Gregory Verkers, took her to a hidden life in England.
It was there she met Steve, quite by accident one morning, when he was out for a run with Solomon. Running early in the day was something she discovered to be a stress reliever during this troubled part of her escape and, in that semi-rural part of Sussex where she was hiding out from the British authorities, she had easy access to paths through the Ashdown Forest.
It had been a long, slow progress toward a relationship with Steve Collins. Most of it was promoted by Solomon. From the first, the collie dog was the one who could track Rena’s steps and find her in the woods.
Rena had many secrets. After Verkers, she was reluctant to trust another man but Sol was a different matter. She eventually realized that if a smart and wily animal like Sol loved his master so unreservedly, it would be safe for her to open her heart to him and hope he could understand her complicated motives and actions.
The move north to Scotland was their way to escape from the area in England that was rife with some bad memories for Rena. The process of reconciling her situation with the authorities was long and complex. Marrying Steve simplified that process and allowed her finally to reconcile with her beloved father in Canada. It was only after obtaining his permission to marry Steve that she felt free to pursue their life together.
Scotland and Oban was another stage in her journey but this stage came with Steve’s full support and the advantage of beginning again surrounded by the wonderful community of friends introduced to them by James Patterson, Caroline Fenton, and the approval of Anna Drake.
Not all of these acquaintances knew the full story of Rena’s life before Steve appeared. It was a fresh start in every possible way and one that Rena knew would repair her heart again. She had returned to her love of teaching, and in a beautiful, peaceful place so far removed from everything she had known before, that every day was like a new adventure.
She understood how much Steve felt excited by being in the land that was an acknowledged climber’s paradise. He waxed enthusiastic about tackling “The Munros” a series of mountain ascents that sounded to Rena like a marathon of pain. She had no intention of attempting that challenge. She was content, for now, with trying to scale the rocky heights in and around Glencoe where every effort was rewarded with the most spectacular vistas over amazing landscapes, tumbling streams and dark, mysterious lochs.
She hoped to ascend Ben Nevis with Steve in the school holidays, but not before she had researched all the best ways to do this. Initial investigations confirmed that the rounded sides of the tallest mountain in Scotland were deceptive. The absence of rugged crags did not mean it was an easy climb. She reminded Steve of the importance of the weather at such a height and he was pleased she was even willing to consider it.
She returned from these less challenging weekend adventures refreshed and invigorated. Their rented stone Victorian house had been extensively renovated, and it provided everything they needed including a small back garden for Solomon. He was now used to the departure of his people every day but happy when Rena could pop home to see him sometimes when she had extra time over lunch.
His master worked in a variety of offices advising on building and engineering projects in the area. Steve had days when he worked from home and that satisfied Sol that this move, so far away from their usual well-travelled Sussex runs, was a better choice now that his master was so happy with Rena.
Sol took the entire marriage accomplishment as his own. After all, he deduced in his doggy brain, he was the one who was responsible for introducing them. If only they could get themselves ready faster on the weekends and get out of the house without
stopping to do that kissing thing, he would be a very contented dog.
Chapter Five
Sunday was Fiona’s favourite day of the week. Everyone was safe at home. The older children had their own projects to pursue on the estate. She and Gordon had more time to play with Neil and, with weather permitting, they could go out as a family into the estate in the afternoon and check in on new creature births and the progress of various initiatives begun in the last year.
Gordon had instigated a viewing platform near a stretch of the river from which bird-watchers could see the resident osprey family fishing for their food. This was at some distance from the tall tree supporting the large ragged osprey nest. He did not want visitors disturbing the young or poking their camera lenses too close to the site. Last summer, he had planted bushes as a cover around the wooden hide, and he was happy to see that several small birds were now nesting in these bushes.
“If the big birds refuse to cooperate, the birders can content themselves with close-up photos of other colourful species.”
“Do you mean to continue with selling tickets for this kind of opportunity?”
“Aye. Not only does it help finances, it also keeps the less serious bird-watchers away, leaving space for the types who don’t mind waiting around for hours for a sighting of a rare bird in its nesting phase.”
It was a continual comfort to Fiona that she had found, and kept, a man who had similar sensitivities to birds and animals as she had. He could have chosen to set up a small farm on the property he owned but it was difficult, and expensive, to maintain farm animals unless intensive methods were used and these Gordon abhorred. He was resigned to the necessity for the hunting of grouse, partridges and pheasants in season, as he knew these species were prolific and fairly low down on the brain functioning level. But keeping cattle and pigs in pens for most of their lives was something he could not condone despite the fact it could bring much-needed cash to the operation of the estate.