‘That isn’t good,’ he said.
‘I know.’ Lara frowned, all the pleasure she had felt earlier disappearing.
‘I could put some feelers out about the builder who did the work,’ offered Mick. ‘I could check out if he’s known for this kind of thing.’
‘If it’s no trouble, I’d appreciate it.’
‘I’ll ask Ed McAnulty. I know you don’t like him but he has got his ear to the ground, he’ll more than likely know whether this kind of thing goes on or not.’
Lara pulled a face. She’d rather not have anything to do with Ed McAnulty if she could help it.
‘And now let’s talk about something a little more cheerful,’ he said, touching her arm. ‘Us.’
Lara found she liked it when he sat so close, but she couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. Mick took her hand. ‘It’s good to get you on your own for once.’
‘You see me at home.’
‘But that’s not the same, is it? There I’m your housemate. Here I could be … your boyfriend?’
Lara sat back and raised her glass for a sip, to make a barrier between them. ‘But you’re not my boyfriend, are you?’
‘I want to be. Isn’t that enough?’ He reached over and took her hand again. He didn’t have any of her hang ups, and as he slowly stroked her fingers, she felt her doubts begin to slip away.
‘It’s just, I don’t really …’
‘You don’t really?’
‘Er.’ She couldn’t remember what she had been going to say. What was it? Ah, yes, the truth. ‘I haven’t really had many boyfriends. So I’m not used to …’ she gestured to the two of them, ‘All this.’
He looked puzzled. ‘I can’t believe it. You’re so beautiful.’
At that she blushed outright. He was so sweet – or was he joking? ‘No I’m not. The reason I haven’t had many boyfriends is …’ She took a deep breath. ‘It’s because the ones I like don’t like me and the ones who like me aren’t …’ She searched for the word. ‘Worthwhile.’
He had taken her hand again and tangled his fingers with hers. He was still listening, but the smile had gone from his eyes. ‘And where do I fit in?’
‘You’re different.’
‘In what way?’ He was listening. He really seemed to want to know. Or was that just another part of his charm?
‘Because I, er, like you and you seem to like me back. At the same time.’
He smiled then, as though he had won a jackpot, and a little light seemed to sparkle in his eyes. ‘That sounds good enough to me. We’ll see how we get on from here, shall we?’
Lara knew it would be sensible to argue, but somehow she didn’t want to. She watched Mick as he made his way across the crowded room to get them another drink. She was paying this time but he insisted on going to the bar, saying she wasn’t pushy enough to get served here. He received greetings from all sides, but kept on going, elbowing his way through the crowd. He wasn’t aggressive, but he certainly knew how to get what he wanted. She wondered how many aspects of his life that applied to.
When Mick came back to the table with two glasses and a packet of crisps she said, ‘How long have you worked at Loreburn High? You seem to know everyone there. And in here, for that matter.’
‘Far too long,’ said Mick lightly. ‘But it’s not a bad school, as you’ve probably gathered. A good headteacher makes a difference for pupils and staff alike.’
‘That’s true. We’re very lucky in Mr McIntyre.’ She twirled her glass in her fingers, musing. ‘If you’ve been there so long, why haven’t you gone for a promoted post?’ She wondered why she hadn’t asked him that when they had gone out for the meal. Probably because she had been too busy worrying about herself. Now she found she wanted to know more about him.
Mick said, ‘There aren’t any promoted posts going at the High. I would have to move elsewhere, or wait until Sandy retires, which won’t be soon.’
‘Have you looked elsewhere? There are two other secondary schools in Loreburn, aren’t there?’
Mick pulled a face. ‘Are you trying to get rid of me?’
‘I just wondered. You are good at what you do, everyone says so.’
‘Do they?’ He sat up with mock pride. ‘People talking nicely about me? They can’t be feeling right.’
‘Joke about it if you like, but you know it’s true. The kids like you, you get a lot out of them and you put in goodness knows how many extra hours.’
‘I do it because I enjoy it,’ said Mick shortly.
‘Why not reap the benefit? Go for promotion, the money’s better and the hours couldn’t be worse.’
‘And the responsibility? Not to mention all the paperwork. No thanks.’
Lara wondered why she was pressing him. She wasn’t at all keen on promotion for herself.
He put his head on one side and asked, ‘Would I be better boyfriend material if I went for head of department?’
‘Don’t be silly.’
He grinned. ‘I knew that would annoy you. But there are many who think that way.’
‘I know.’ She hesitated and then gave in. She found it was too tempting talking properly to him. ‘I was acting head of department at my last school, and it was awful. Awful.’
‘Why was that?’
So she told him. It wasn’t acting as head of department that had been the problem, but what had happened afterwards. She had thought she had done a good job, but when the new appointment was made, Miss Marjory Dunlop had done everything she could to undermine decisions Lara had made. She had turned the other staff against Lara and even reported her to the headteacher for sloppy work.
‘Sloppy work?’ said Mick in amazement. ‘You?’
‘It’s amazing how easy it is to make people look useless if you try hard enough,’ said Lara sadly.
‘But not everyone thought you were useless. I know McIntyre had heard good things about you, that’s why he was keen to have you down here.’
‘I was lucky. My previous head of department put in a good word for me. He seemed to find my work satisfactory.’
‘This Marjory Dunlop sounds to have been totally out of order,’ said Mick, looking annoyed now. ‘Couldn’t you have challenged her? Wouldn’t the union have backed you?’
Lara shrugged. ‘I’m not very good at confrontation.’
She remembered that last incident, which had brought everything to a head. It was clear now that Marjory Dunlop had resented Lara right from the beginning, as soon as she heard that Lara had also applied for her job. At first it had just been questioning her judgement, picking on her for tiny errors that no one else would have bothered about. Then it had progressed to gainsaying her in front of a couple of her classes, which never helped a teacher’s standing.
And then one afternoon, when she was instructing the kids to pack up at the end of after-school Geography Club, the woman had come marching in. Lara had adored that Geography Club. She had set it up from scratch and it was really making a difference to the exam results of the kids who came along, kids who really needed that little extra help. They were learning so much more about what geography was really all about. And having fun! It was exactly the sort of thing she would have love to have been part of when she was at school.
Marjory Dunlop hadn’t come alone. Old Mr Naismith, the school head, was with her. He looked uncomfortable, but before he could say anything, Marjory had burst out, ‘Look, isn’t that exactly what I’ve been telling you, Mr Naismith? This room is in chaos! And the children didn’t even stand up when we came in.’
This was an after-school club, not a lesson, so Lara hadn’t expected the children to stand, even if they should normally have done so for the head teacher. A few of them shuffled to their feet, looking worried. And poor Kayleigh Granton, who was always on the clumsy side, had knocked over a bottle of mapping ink, right across the best selection of the school’s maps and onto the floor. The room hadn’t been in chaos before, but it was now.
Marjory Dunlop
had been delighted. ‘What did I tell you! … Not properly supervised … Young teachers who have ideas above their station …’
Instead of standing up for Lara, Mr Naismith had muttered ineffectually about ‘meaning well’. Some of the children giggled as they slunk out. When Marjory had called after them, ‘And that’s the end of this club! I’m closing it down as of today,’ Lara had known there was no future for her at that school. It wasn’t just the loss of a club that she had put so much time and energy into, it was the vindictiveness of the woman.
She didn’t tell Mick that, or course. She just said, ‘I realised we could never work together, so I decided it would be easiest if I just left. And here I am.’
‘And I’m very glad you are,’ said Mick, touching her hand, but still frowning. ‘But I hate to think of you being treated like that. Unfairness drives me mad.’
‘It’s over with now.’ Lara found she was no longer hurt by the memories. Rather, she was warmed by Mick’s concern. ‘I just wanted to tell you so you would see I’m not one of those people who think promoted posts are the best thing in the world.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’
‘Although I do think you would make a very good head of department …’
Mick just laughed and turned the subject to whether they should go to a Chinese or an Indian restaurant for a meal.
Chapter Seventeen
The following morning Lara rose early and was pleased to find Mick had already left to see his father. They had had a lovely evening, but she still wasn’t sure where she stood with him. She was determined devote her energies today to tracking down Gary Glover.
As it happened, this pursuit proved unnecessary. His dirty white van drew up at the house just after the two girls finished their breakfast. He climbed out and approached the door at what was for him a hurried pace.
‘Well, well,’ said Lara. ‘What have we here?’
‘I’ve just heard about yer troubles,’ he said as he entered, not waiting for their queries to begin. ‘The missus has no’ been so well and I was up at the hospital with her. Only got all your messages this morning.’
‘I’m sorry about your wife,’ said Alex.
‘Yes,’ agreed Lara. ‘I hope she’s all right? Now, do you think you can explain what’s been going on at Ladybank Row? How did the asbestos land up in that river?’
‘It was no’ me,’ said the little man, shaking his sandy head. ‘I’ll have to check with the lads who took the load up to Lanarkshire for me, but I cannae see why they’d dump it like that. We’d paid for disposal all right and proper. I’m sorry for your troubles.’
Lara frowned and Alex looked puzzled. They had expected the roofer to be guilty, or defensive, but instead he seemed genuinely concerned.
‘So what happened? It doesn’t make sense,’ said Lara, adding hopefully, ‘Perhaps it wasn’t our asbestos after all?’
‘It’s no’ like SEPA to make a mistake,’ said Gary Glover gloomily. ‘I’m off up to meet them now. I’ll let you know what they say, but I can’t make any sense of it.’
‘Nor can we,’ said Lara.
‘Thanks for coming over,’ said Alex. The poor man looked really worried. ‘I hope your wife’s better soon.’
‘I think he was telling the truth,’ she said as soon as he was out of earshot.
‘I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see,’ said Lara. Somehow, after the events of the last evening, she couldn’t find it in herself to be too depressed about this. They would sort it out. ‘Coffee?’
‘No thanks. We’ve just had breakfast. I’m trying to cut down. Eat less and exercise more.’
Lara stared at her friend. ‘I was only suggesting a coffee.’
‘I know.’ Alex smiled nervously. ‘And you would manage to only have a drink. But every time I have a coffee I want a biscuit with it, and then another. So I’ve decided, I’m not going to eat or drink between meals. And I’m going to take more exercise. Like Mick.’
‘That’s, er, impressive.’ Lara tried to see Alex in a tracksuit, jogging across town, and failed.
Alex blushed slightly. ‘Maybe not exactly like Mick. But I’ll try and walk more, at least.’
Lara wanted to hug her friend for showing such decision, but was worried if she made too much of it she might put Alex off. So she merely smiled and said, ‘Perhaps both of us could walk over to Ladybank Row later on. Even if we can’t work on the houses we can still make plans, can’t we? We should make a list of all the things that need doing.’
‘Aren’t you going to spend some time with Mick?’
‘He’s gone to see his dad,’ said Lara quickly. She didn’t want to discuss Mick.
‘You could have gone with him, couldn’t you?’
‘He invited me along but I didn’t want to go. I needed to be here, didn’t I, to see Gary Glover?’ Lara didn’t tell Alex she really didn’t want to meet Mick’s family. Families made her nervous. She never felt at ease with her own and the brief trip to Dubai had made her realise she never would. She found it hard to understand other people’s. Happy, bustling, affectionate ones, which she suspected Mick’s would be, were the worst. ‘So, are you willing to walk to Ladybank Row?’
Alex looked momentarily doubtful, and then, to Lara’s delight, raised her rather plump chin and said, ‘I am if you are.’
‘I think I’ll go back to England a week or so earlier than we had originally planned.’ Elizabeth broke this news to Derek over breakfast. He was a morning person and she hoped he could be more amenable to agreeing with her at this hour.
She had been thinking over this possibility ever since Lara’s departure, and now she had reached a decision.
She waited nervously as Derek poured himself a second cup of coffee.
‘A week earlier? Why would you want to do that?’
‘I’ll have everything packed here by next weekend, and all my goodbyes will have been said.’
‘I still have to work until the following Friday. It’s in my contract.’
‘But you could manage without me, couldn’t you? I’ll leave everything organised for you, as I did last time.’
‘But why would you want to go over early?’ Derek didn’t seem annoyed, just interested. In the bright morning sunlight his white hair shone brightly, but his face looked tired. Elizabeth felt a pang. He needed her. Was she doing the wrong thing leaving him alone for that last week? But then she remembered Lara. She had to do this.
‘I want to spend some time with Lara.’ There, she had said it. ‘I want to see these funny little houses she and Alex have bought, and meet her housemate. And just, well, see what her life is like these days.’ Her voice trailed off. She didn’t expect Derek to understand. He had never been close to his daughter. It didn’t seem to worry him, but it worried her. If he tried to persuade her to change her mind she was still going to go. She was!
‘That’s not a bad idea,’ he said musingly, patting his lips with a napkin. ‘I don’t know why she thinks we don’t take an interest in her. Of course we do. We’re just not the sort of parents who interfere in their child’s life.’
‘I don’t want to interfere. I just want to – see.’
‘If that’s what you want, then do it. I’m sure the travel agent can change your flights. But don’t take on too much, will you? Travelling to Scotland will be tiring enough, don’t let Lara talk you into doing any of the work for her. You’ll need to save your energies for sorting out the house in Devon.’
‘I won’t do too much,’ said Elizabeth. She couldn’t believe how well this was going. She had already spoken to the travel agent and knew she could change her flights.
‘Maybe whilst you’re there you can make her see sense,’ mused Derek. ‘Didn’t she say there was a builder interested in buying the derelict houses off them? Now if you could persuade her to accept his offer and buy herself a nice modern place I’d be very pleased.’
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ said Elizabeth. She had no intention
of trying to persuade Lara into anything. Yes, it would have been wonderful if their daughter had wanted to move to Devon. But she hadn’t. It was just important Lara was happy, wherever she was. And that Elizabeth should see her. She still remembered Lara’s words, on that last evening of her visit. Don’t worry, you probably won’t see me again for years. It was as if she thought her parents didn’t want to see her. Elizabeth was determined to show her how wrong she was.
For Lara, the next few days passed in a haze – a happy one. As long as she didn’t think about families, and Mick didn’t press her about them, she could relax. She was discovering that spending time with Mick was just incredibly good fun. She cooked a meal for them both, and Alex of course. It wasn’t a date, nothing special, but it felt right. And Alex seemed to manage to leave the two of them alone quite a bit, although Mick didn’t push to take much advantage of that. A brief kiss, holding her hand, little touches that meant she was allowed to set the pace. It was exciting and worrying at the same time.
When the new school week started she realised with a jolt that it was less than a month until the summer holidays. It was hard to believe how much time had passed already. She always enjoyed the long summer break, and this year she had so much more to look forward to. Surely, surely they would be able to start work on the houses again soon, and with weeks of free time on her hands they would really make progress on the houses.
And, perhaps, she would spend even more time with Mick. Perhaps they could really become girlfriend and boyfriend? She was starting to think it might be possible, until she was looking through some photos of previous school sports days with Maggie, one of the Home Economics teachers. And every second young female teacher seemed to be mentioned in some connection to Mick. Previous girlfriend, one he’d pursued, one who had moved to Edinburgh or maybe he would still be seeing …
Lara didn’t know why this upset her. She had known it all before. That he was popular, played the field. She was stupid to have let herself forget it, even briefly.
On Thursday, Mr McIntyre popped into her classroom as the bell went for the lunchtime break. This was the second time he had sought her out in the last couple of weeks. The first had been that uncomfortable conversation about her being late for the lesson, and she hoped he hadn’t come to discuss that again.
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