‘Oh my God, Zed. I’m seriously overwhelmed. I can’t take it in. But still, why me?’
‘Please try to remember that your track record at university and at Servion Zoo would place you anyway at the forefront of suitable young candidates. This is not a favour, Tiggy, however fond I might be of you. It is a serious proposition, although I will expect a lot in return.’
‘I’m sure,’ I said, trying to cover up any irony in my voice. ‘And it’s an amazing opportunity,’ I agreed, ‘but—’
‘You need time to think it over.’
‘Yes, I do.’
‘That is okay, you shall have it,’ he said as he stood. ‘I think we would work together very well.’ Zed made to walk towards me, halting abruptly as Thistle began to growl. ‘I will leave you to think about it and when you are ready we can discuss it further.’
‘Okay, I will,’ I promised. ‘And really, thanks for the opportunity.’
‘Goodnight, Tiggy.’
‘Night, Zed.’
Later, as I lay in bed in my freezing room in the cottage, and despite the massive drawback of Zed being my boss, I couldn’t help myself fantasising about the plains of Africa, all that money, and the countless animals I could help to save with it . . .
*
I was awake very early the next morning and padded into the kitchen, where Cal was ramming a piece of toast into his mouth in readiness to leave.
‘Morning, I was just off tae feed your cats. Up tae coming and say hello to them yourself?’
‘Yes, my cough seems much better after being stuck inside for the past few days, and I could do with some fresh air. How have they been?’
‘As antisocial as usual. We’ll take Beryl, as I want tae go on and see where the deer are hidin’ in the snow. We have a big shoot here tomorrow, your Lover Boy included. Hopefully it will bring in a few pennies tae put towards a new Beryl. I’ve finally got a phone call booked with the Laird later today.’
Thistle, who was still coughing, clambered into the back of the car with us, and we set off.
Gratifyingly, the cats came out to say hello to me, almost as though they’d missed my presence.
‘You know, I really think it’s doubtful they’ll breed this year. If ever,’ I muttered, as I threw the kill into the enclosures.
‘Not like you tae be negative, Tig.’
‘I’ve got to be realistic, Cal. And I really am wondering if there is a job here for me to do,’ I said as we got back into Beryl.
‘Well now, I’m going tae tell you something that might perk you up.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘It’s your kind o’ thing, Tig. You’ll laugh when you hear, especially comin’ from me.’
‘Tell me, then,’ I urged him, as he pulled Beryl to a stop in front of the birch copse of his own accord and trained his binoculars on it.
‘Well now, that night I came out tae find yae, the blizzard was something else, one o’ the worst I’ve ever seen. I got tae about where we are now, an’ I was nervous of driving any further, what with the burn being so close. Even for me, who knows the road like the back o’ my hand, I was disorientated. And then – and this is the bit you’ll laugh at – the snowflakes on the windscreen seemed to morph together and form a shape. And . . .’ Cal took a deep breath. ‘I saw a white stag standin’ just there.’ He pointed through the window. ‘It was staring at me – I saw its eyes glinting in the moonlight. Then it turned and began to run along in front of me, stopping tae turn its head back as if it was encouraging me tae follow it. So I did. A few minutes later, I saw the shape o’ Beryl, covered in snow, with you inside. The stag stood there for a few seconds, then as I made tae get out, it disappeared into nowhere.’ Cal continued to train his binoculars on the copse. ‘It was like he was leadin’ me to you.’
‘Wow,’ I breathed, then eyed him. ‘You’re not teasing me, are you?’
‘I only wish I was. Problem is, now I’m as eager as you tae spot the damned thing, otherwise I’ll start tae believe in those faeries that live in the glen too.’
Despite his joking, I could sense that the whole experience had really affected him. One part of me was happy that I might just have won over my most challenging convert, and the other was full of wonder and awe that perhaps my mythical creature had saved my life.
‘I didnae tell you at the time, but if it hadnae been for that stag, or what looked like a stag anyway, I’d never have found you,’ Cal admitted. ‘Now, let’s take a walk over there, shall we? See if your familiar will come out and say hello tae his girl.’
We did so, crouching behind a row of gorse bushes so that the deer wouldn’t notice we’d come closer. As it was early, they were still there, packed together under the meagre shelter the trees provided, but fifteen minutes later, we headed back to the relative warmth of the car, having seen nothing except the red deer.
‘What d’you say tae staking out the copse at dawn every morning?’ Cal suggested.
‘You know I’m up for it, Cal. He’s there somewhere.’
‘Finally, Tig, I’m beginning tae believe you.’
*
Later that afternoon, I was surprised to hear the rare ping of a text arriving on my phone. I ran to the bathroom where I usually left it propped against the window in the hope of getting a signal, and saw it was a message from Star. The gist of it was that CeCe had been photographed in Thailand with some guy who was wanted for bank fraud and the picture had ended up in the newspapers.
‘Shit!’ I muttered, wondering what that was all about and feeling guilty for not keeping in touch with my sisters more often. I managed to reply to Star and send CeCe a text asking if she was okay before the signal died again.
In need of distraction, I decided to take Thistle down to Chilly’s cabin in Beryl.
Chilly was once again lying on his bed, eyes closed, rather than in his habitual position in the chair beside the wood-burner. Worried that his fever might have returned, or worse, I approached the bed with trepidation. As I did so, his eyes popped open.
‘You better now, missy?’
‘I am, yes, but Thistle’s got a cough. I wondered if you have any herbs I could mix to help him?’
Chilly contemplated Thistle, who had sunk to the floor in front of the woodburner.
‘No, Hotchiwitchi, you do cure him yourself. Use your own hands – they have the power in them. I did tell you that before.’
‘But I don’t know how, Chilly.’
He reached out his own gnarled hands to take mine, his eyes suddenly rolling back in his head.
‘You’ll be gone soon, but then you will come home.’
‘Right then, I must get back,’ I said, ignoring what he’d said and feeling unusually irritated by the way he spoke in riddles. I just wanted a cure for Thistle’s cough.
‘What did he mean by me being “gone”?’ I muttered to Thistle as we traipsed back across the ice.
When I arrived home, the snow had begun to fall again, so I lit the fire and laying Thistle down in front of it, I knelt beside him to try and ‘use my hands’ as Chilly had told me to. I placed them on Thistle’s throat and chest, which only succeeded in making him think he was on for a fuss and had him rolling onto his back with his paws in the air. Although I’d been told many times that I had a ‘knack’ for healing animals, consciously trying to do so was obviously another matter.
When Cal came home, I pleaded with him to let Thistle stay inside.
‘He’s just not himself, you must have noticed his cough,’ I said. ‘Can’t we let him sleep in the warm for a few nights?’
‘He’s gettin’ on is all, and it’s just the time o’ year for animals and humans to get the wheezes. An’ it’ll no’ do him any good to be flittin’ from warm to cold all the time.’
‘I went to see if Chilly had a herbal remedy for him,’ I persisted, ‘but I came away empty-handed.’ I didn’t mention my own feeble attempts at treating the dog, or Cal would probably think I’d lost the plo
t completely. ‘Would you mind if I got Fiona to take a look at him?’
Cal went over to scratch Thistle behind the ears for a few moments, then relented. ‘Aye, it cannae do any harm, and he’s due a check-up anyway.’
I offered Cal some vegetable soup and sat down opposite him to eat my own.
‘Cal, I need some advice.’
‘Fire away, though if it’s tae do with relationship stuff, I’m not the person tae be talkin’ to.’
‘Actually, it’s got to do with my future career.’
‘Then I’m all ears.’
So I told Cal about what Zed had offered me and he whistled when he heard the budget.
‘You can imagine how tempting it sounds, especially as things up here at Kinnaird seem to be so . . . uncertain at the moment.’
‘True, true, but what about Zed? I cannae help feeling that you’d be walking straight into the lion’s den, literally,’ he cackled.
‘He said I’d be based in Africa a lot of the time.’
‘An’ the question is, how often would your boss be poppin’ over on that private plane he’s bound to have on permanent stand-by? On the other hand, Tig, I agree you’re wasted here at the moment.’
‘I keep thinking about Chilly and what he said to me the first time I met him. He said it again today.’
‘Which was?’
‘That I wouldn’t be at Kinnaird for long; that I’d be leaving soon.’
‘Och, don’t pay too much attention tae him, Tig. His heart’s in the right place, but he’s getting frailer by the day.’
‘And this from a man who recently told me that snowflakes morphed into a white stag that led you to me!’
‘I agree, but when you’re makin’ big decisions, you shouldn’t let anything he says affect your judgement.’
‘No, but it’s hard not to.’
‘I think it’s time we stopped dancin’ around and got tae the heart of the matter. How do you feel about Zed, apart from the fact he’s rich as Croesus and has just offered you your dream job?’
‘Truthfully? I find him totally creepy.’
‘Then tha’s not good news, is it, if he’s goin’ tae be your boss? There’ll be nobody tae stop him either, ’cos whatever your official relationship, he’s going tae make sure he’ll be working closely with you. An’ yae’ve got to be sure you can cope with that if you take the job.’
‘Oh God, I know.’ I shuddered. ‘Why can’t life be simple?’
‘Well, you asked my opinion and I’m tellin’ you straight; that Zed’s used tae gettin’ what he wants. And just now it’s you. Seems to me he’ll stop at nothing, even if that means inventing a wildlife charity so he can offer you a job. Now then, I’ve said it and I’m sorry.’ Cal stood up. ‘I’m for a hot bath an’ my bed. Night, Tig.’
*
The next morning, with Thistle still coughing, I called Fiona the vet, and she arrived within the hour.
After examining Thistle, she smiled up at me.
‘I don’t think it’s anything serious. Just a minor infection. I’ll prescribe him a course of antibiotics and give him a steroid shot to open up his airways, which should do the trick. If it doesn’t, call me again then we can get him up to the surgery and run some tests. My instinct is that he’ll be fine.’
‘Thanks, Fiona,’ I said gratefully. ‘Talking of instincts, the thing is . . .’
‘Yes?’ she said, as she administered the injection.
‘Well, even though I have no proper training, I’ve always been quite good at nursing sick animals. I’ve been thinking that’s what I’d like to do more of in the future. Like, use natural methods.’
‘You mean, work holistically?’
‘Well, yes, but is there such a thing for animals?’
‘Absolutely there is. I know a number of vets who combine both medical and alternative treatments in their practice. I’ve always been interested in taking some courses, but to be honest, I’ve never had the time. If you did decide to do that, I’d certainly be open to you working alongside me.’
‘Oh my goodness, really?’
‘Really,’ Fiona smiled. ‘Anyway,’ she said as she repacked her medicine bag, ‘that conversation is for another day. I have a sick heifer to run to now.’
After she’d left, I sat with Thistle on my lap, staring into the fire. ‘Lions and tigers, or you, sheep and cows.’ I said to him as I nuzzled my face into his fur. Even though I could hardly bear to think of turning Zed down, I already knew I had no choice. But before I made the final decision, I needed to email my sister. I didn’t want to upset Maia by bringing up a past boyfriend, but if anyone knew the details of a relationship she’d had in the past with Zed, it was Ally. Later, I sneaked into the office and fired off a quick email to her.
Hello darling Ally,
Sorry I’ve not been in touch very often. There’s only one internet computer here which we all have to share, and the mobile signal is nearly as bad! I hope you and my little nephew
(I added ‘or niece’ even though something told me it was going to be a boy)
are well and healthy. You’ll never guess what there’s a guest staying in our main lodge at the moment called Zed Eszu. Apparently he knew Maia at uni, and they ‘saw’ each other. I don’t want to mention this or him to her as it might be upsetting, but I thought you would know what happened, as you two are so close. He’s an unusual man (!) and seems very keen to get to know me. He’s even offered me a job! The question is, why?
Anyway, got to run now and count some deer, but email me back as soon as you can with anything you know.
A big hug to you, that little one of yours, and your newly discovered twin brother (I’d love to meet him soon!)
Tiggy xxx
‘So,’ I said, as I stood up and made my way back to the cottage, with Thistle by my side, ‘let’s see what my big sis has to say about Zed, shall we?’
18
‘By the way,’ Cal said as we drove back from the birch copse after the fourth day’s fruitless dawn vigil looking for the white stag, ‘Beryl told me last night that the Laird’s wife wants to come up here tae Kinnaird tae stay for a while. Apparently she’s irritated that our guest is outstaying his welcome.’
‘I think we’d all agree with her on that,’ I said with feeling.
‘Odd though, as in their whole marriage, she’s probably come up here for no more than a few nights. I reckon she designed the Lodge with an eye on livin’ in it herself.’
‘Well, I’m sure Zed wouldn’t mind sharing it with her – Ulrika’s probably exactly his type.’
‘Aye, if he’s intae older women,’ Cal said bitchily. ‘Yae up for another dawn stakeout tomorrow?’
‘Absolutely, we just have to persevere and we will see that white stag, Cal, I promise.’
It was another three freezing-cold mornings until we did . . .
At first, I thought I was hallucinating; I’d been staring at the snow for so long and his white coat blended in so perfectly with the snow beneath him, his large antlers the same soft brown as the trees he slowly emerged from. But now he stood alone, away from the other red deer, perhaps only a few metres from me.
‘Pegasus.’ The name arrived on my tongue as though it had always been there. And then, as if he knew it was his name, he lifted his head and looked straight at me.
A precious five seconds passed, during which I thought I might never breathe again. Pegasus blinked slowly, and I blinked back, a moment of understanding passing between us.
‘Jesus!’
Pegasus started, then ran into the copse and disappeared. I groaned in frustration and glared at Cal, who had just lowered his binoculars and was staring at me as though he really had just seen Jesus.
‘Tig, he’s real!’ he stage-whispered.
‘Yes, and you scared him away,’ I scolded him. ‘But he’ll be back, I know he will.’
‘Are you sure you saw him too?’
‘Absolutely,’ I confirmed.
‘Oh my God.’ Cal swallowed hard and blinked. I realised he was close to tears. ‘We’d better tell the Laird what he has on his land. Ask what he wants us tae do about the stag. It’ll need protecting from poachers once word gets out, that’s for sure. I couldn’t name a price for a white stag’s head but it would be just that – priceless.’
‘God, Cal,’ I shuddered, horrified at the thought. ‘Can we not just keep it between ourselves for now?’
‘The Laird should know, Tig, it’s his land after all – his stag come tae that. An’ he wouldnae put any animal in danger, I promise. I need tae ask him if I can build a hide near the copse. We’re going tae have to put our Pegasus under twenty-four-hour watch just in case, an’ that’ll take manpower. The stag’s as vulnerable as a newborn baby naked in the snow once others find out about him.’
So Cal put in the call to Charlie, and with the help of Lochie and Ben, the handyman, swiftly erected a simple but effective hide from timber and tarpaulin, which would keep Pegasus’s protectors shielded from the freezing wind.
Over the next week, I got into the habit of waking at five every morning and going down with a thermos of coffee to take over from the night shift made up of tried and trusted ex-Kinnaird employees, to wait for Pegasus to arrive. It was as if he could sense me, because like clockwork, he would arrive out of the foggy darkness, and we would watch the sun rise together, the red and purple lights streaking across the sky and dappling his white coat like a painting, before he would retreat once more into the safety of the copse.
Charlie had asked for photos, and it was one snowy dawn in the fourth week of January that we managed to snap pictures of Pegasus before the stag disappeared into the blinding white landscape.
‘I’ll go and get these pictures developed so at least the Laird won’t think we’re imagining things. And nor will I,’ Cal added with a grin.
I went with him to the tiny local post office that did everything from developing pictures to cutting keys. We had a coffee whilst we waited for the film to be developed, then pounced on the photos, which were still sticky from the machine.
The Moon Sister Page 24