A Rose Petal Summer

by Katie Fforde

  On a shelf in front of the rows of bottles was a notebook. It was open so it didn’t seem as if she’d be prying more than she had been before if she read it. There were mathematical calculations and lists of more strange-sounding ingredients.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ said a voice from the back door.

  She shot round. Alec was standing there, his hands on his hips. As he had his back against the light it was hard to read his expression but his stance implied annoyance mixed with resignation.

  ‘You couldn’t wait for me to tell you what I’ve been up to in here?’

  She did feel horribly guilty but also justified. ‘You wouldn’t tell me; I had to find out for myself.’ She paused. ‘Although, to be fair, I’m still none the wiser. What are these strange ingredients for?’ But as she spoke she suddenly realised she knew. ‘Are you making perfume here?’

  His head inclined a little. ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘The ingredients – the labels on the bottles. I couldn’t make sense of them at first but now I remember reading something in a magazine about making perfume. It was fascinating!’ But really it was because she remembered a young man she could hardly see telling her of his dream, his passion for fragrance. She paused. ‘This has been a long-time interest for you, hasn’t it?’

  He nodded. ‘And it’s one none of my family can remotely understand. My father … Well, I don’t need to tell you what he thinks about a son of his making perfume – scent, he calls it.’

  She laughed. ‘I can imagine he’d prefer you to set up business as a professional deer grallocher or something.’

  He laughed too. ‘If such a profession existed, he would infinitely prefer I did that for a living. Taking the intestines out of freshly stalked deer is very much more his thing.’

  Caro wrinkled her nose. ‘Tell me about the perfume. How long have you been making it?’

  ‘Not long enough. When I came back from studying it – in France – and had spent a few years on the oil rigs, there was so much to do on the estate I hardly had time. And it’s hard enough to start up on your own even if you have your family behind you. And I don’t.’

  ‘What about your sister? Isn’t Lennie interested in perfume?’

  ‘She’s not against me doing it in principle but she doesn’t much care about it. She’s quite happy to splash a bit of something on if I give it to her, but only as long as she remembers. Skye is the same. And in their hearts they both think I should do something more manly.’

  ‘I remember this magazine article saying that originally only men wore perfume and that women who did were considered prostitutes – or perhaps they were prostitutes.’ She smiled. ‘I bet Heather is on your side though.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘Because she put a hot-water bottle in my bed the first night. She wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t want to make me feel cherished. Because if I’m cherished I won’t grumble about the caravan too much.’

  He laughed properly now. ‘Poor Caro! Is the caravan really that bad?’

  ‘It smells,’ she said. But she’d have put up with it smelling like a sewage farm if it would make him look at her like that again. It was a look full of warmth and sympathy and something that may have been interest. She looked at her watch. ‘I should be getting back. Murdo will be needing his tea and shortbread.’

  ‘I know I don’t need to ask you—’ he began.

  ‘No, you don’t need to ask me,’ she said quickly before he could ask her anything. ‘I won’t tell Murdo, or anyone, about this project. But for the record, I think it’s great!’

  She turned and went out of the back door without waiting to see his reaction.

  When back at the house, although it wasn’t quite time for tea, she went to check on Murdo before she put the kettle on.

  He was lying on the floor.

  Chapter Four

  A strange sort of calm came over Caro as she ran to Murdo. She found his pulse and as she held his wrist he started to stir. George, the little dog, tried to get between her and his master.

  Polite but firm, she moved George aside.

  ‘Hi, Murdo, you seem to have fallen out of your chair. Are you all right?’

  He grunted and George licked his face.

  ‘Can you smile?’ She’d had to go through this once with her own father and at the time had been extremely grateful that she’d rehearsed it with him. Sadly she hadn’t done this with Murdo; he might not react well to being asked to smile in a non-smiling situation.

  Murdo mumbled and turned his head away from the dog’s caring tongue.

  Caro put a pillow under his head and then pulled out her phone from her back pocket. Praying there was enough signal, she tapped in 999.

  She knew it would take a while for the ambulance to get there, so she covered Murdo with a couple of tartan blankets and generally made him comfortable. Then she went to the house phone to call the rest of the family.

  No one seemed to be answering their mobiles so she left messages. She’d just signed off from Rowan, having said, ‘Your grandfather is ill. It would be good if you could come over,’ when Murdo spoke.

  ‘What am I doing lying here?’ he said. His speech was a bit slurred but he didn’t sound too bad.

  ‘I think you’ve had a small stroke, Murdo. I won’t try to get you up as I’m not strong enough, but I’ll try to keep you comfy until the ambulance comes.’

  ‘Ambulance? I don’t need an ambulance! Fell out of my chair while I was asleep.’

  ‘Well, the ambulance is on its way. If there’s nothing wrong with you, they’ll go away again.’

  Caro spoke calmly but she knew perfectly well that the ambulance would send him to hospital to be checked over, even if he hadn’t had a stroke. ‘There is a test we can do now though,’ she went on.

  ‘Uh?’

  ‘Can you smile?’ He hadn’t responded when she’d asked him before.

  ‘What have I got to smile about?’ His grumpiness was encouraging. ‘I’m lying on the floor and you won’t help me up in case you do your back in.’

  His usual crisp diction was missing but his emotions all seemed as usual.

  ‘I’ve called all your family, so one of the men might arrive soon and between us we could get you on to the sofa. Now I’ll make the fire up to stop you getting cold.’

  ‘None of me family care about me. If Frazer were still here it would be different.’

  It was unlike Murdo to sound sentimental but maybe this softer side should be encouraged. ‘Tell me about him.’ Caro felt a bit guilty for getting Murdo to talk about Frazer but he had brought the subject up himself and she didn’t want him to slip into unconsciousness again while she was on her own with him.

  ‘Like a son to me, he was. Took more interest in the estate than Alexander ever did.’

  It took Caro a second to realise he was referring to Alec.

  Caro couldn’t help sticking up for Alec. Ever since he’d told her that bit of land by the lochan which was so beautiful was going to be turned into a golf course because Frazer and Murdo had sold it, she had been prejudiced against the former factor. ‘But that was his job, though, wasn’t it? To take an interest in the estate?’

  ‘I suppose so. But he left the moment he heard Alexander was coming home.’

  Caro thought about this. She’d thought Alec had to come home because Frazer was leaving. ‘Do you ever hear from Frazer? Does he keep in touch? Do you keep in touch with him?’

  ‘No. But I’d like to. I must ask m’daughter if we’ve got an address for him. When she comes home,’ he added, eyeing Caro in a way that clearly said, ‘I have not lost my marbles, even if I am lying on the floor covered in blankets.’

  ‘Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?’

  ‘Half a tumbler of Glenmorangie would help.’

  ‘No,’ said Caro. ‘Not even a cup of tea.’ She paused. ‘My father had a stroke – not a bad one; he recovered completely �
�� but afterwards I read up on it so I knew what to do if it happened again. You mustn’t have anything to eat or drink.’

  ‘You’re a hard woman. I know Frazer would have given me a drink by now.’

  ‘I’m sure he would,’ said Caro, her tone making it clear what she thought about that.

  ‘If you’re not going to give me a drink, or even a cup of tea, I might as well continue with my nap. I’m feeling quite sleepy.’

  ‘Sorry. That’s not allowed either.’

  ‘What? I only want to go to sleep!’

  ‘I promise I’m only looking after your best interests by keeping you awake. Tell me some more about Frazer. Why did you like him so much?’

  ‘I don’t want to talk, I want to sleep!’

  ‘I can’t let you.’

  ‘You’re a sadist!’ said Murdo.

  ‘I know. It’s what makes me good at my job. So tell me about the estate. What was it like when you were a boy?’

  ‘Well, it was a hell of a lot better than it is now! Me and m’sisters used to roam around all day on our ponies. No “health and safety” then. The estate was a lot bigger and we didn’t have to have a smokery or anything like that on it.’

  ‘So how did it support itself?’

  ‘The shooting, stalking, rents. I inherited a lot of debt and death duties when my father died.’

  ‘Is that why you built the smokery?’ Murdo sounded drowsy and Caro was concerned he might nod off in spite of her best efforts.

  ‘That’s far more recent. We sold off quite a lot of land. I wanted to keep what was left intact, but Frazer recommended selling off the bit by the lochan so I did.’

  ‘There was no alternative?’

  ‘I suggested a few but Frazer was determined we should sell. He had a buyer. It all went through quite quickly. He knew more about it all than I did.’

  ‘And you made enough to put in order everything that was left?’

  ‘I don’t want to discuss it if you don’t mind.’

  ‘I’ll take that as a “no”.’ Caro didn’t take this personally but it was a bit worrying that he didn’t want to talk about the sale. She felt it meant he wasn’t really happy about it. Had he been pushed into it for some reason?

  To her relief, Ewan, Heather’s husband, appeared. After a bit of careful questioning of Murdo and some discussion with Caro, they decided not to try and move Murdo. In spite of his grumblings, he seemed comfortable enough on the floor.

  Soon afterwards the ambulance crew arrived. Caro took the opportunity to put the kettle on. Murdo might not be allowed tea but she was desperate for a cup herself. She drank it secretly in the kitchen and then refilled the kettle. There might be more refreshments required. The ambulance people had been so brilliant – if they had time for a quick cuppa she wanted to make sure they got one.

  The crew were still doing tests on Murdo when Alec and Rowan arrived.

  Alec went straight over to Murdo, obviously very concerned. ‘Dad? Are you all right?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be lying here if I was all right!’ said Murdo brusquely.

  Caro had become very fond of her charge but just now she wanted to give him a good talking-to. He’d been perfectly polite to everyone else who’d asked after him; why couldn’t he make the same effort with his son?

  The ambulance team had finally finished their assessment and were loading Murdo into their vehicle when Skye turned up. Ignoring everything that was going on outside the house she swept into the drawing room.

  ‘I know it must be tricky for you,’ she said to Caro, ‘but FYI, don’t ring me again if Murdo has a fall. He’s my ex-father-in-law, and I don’t have time to look after him as well as everything else. It’s not as if there aren’t a zillion people ready to do that!’ Her eyes swept the room where Alec, Heather, Ewan, Caro and Rowan were all standing.

  ‘What are you doing here, Ro?’ she asked. ‘If you’ve nothing better to do you can help me change beds. I’ve got twelve people coming for a yoga retreat tomorrow and I’m up to my eyes!’

  She swept out of the room and then came back in. ‘Well, come on, Rowan! Your grandfather will be just fine, I’m sure!’

  Rowan looked at her father for confirmation.

  ‘He will be all right, sweetheart,’ Alec said.

  ‘I expect he will be OK, Rowan,’ said Caro. ‘It seems he’s had a little stroke but my father had one like that and completely recovered.’

  ‘But he’s not alive now though, is he?’ said Rowan, her voice shaking.

  ‘No, but he had his stroke in his seventies and lived to be over eighty,’ said Caro.

  ‘I’ll call you when he’s been assessed in hospital,’ said Alec reassuringly. ‘You’d better go and help your mother.’

  Alec went with his father in the ambulance. Ewan went back to doing what he had been before he got the call, and Heather and Caro went into the kitchen.

  ‘Definitely tea and shortbread,’ said Heather.

  ‘I am fairly certain that Murdo will be OK,’ said Caro, aware that Heather was also quite upset. ‘They’re just taking him in to be sure.’

  ‘I know. And I’ve rung Lennie. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter just at this moment but she’s going to look at flights and come home as soon as she can.’

  ‘Is her daughter all right to be left with the baby?’

  ‘I think so. She says she can always go back if she has to.’ Heather put a mug of tea in front of Caro. ‘I’m going to miss you though.’ She turned away to find the shortbread tin. ‘You seem to have really got the place, if you know what I mean. Not everyone does.’

  Caro was touched. Heather wasn’t one for showing her feelings on the whole. Yet at the same time she was taken aback for a second or two. Of course, with Lennie coming back her own time here would be cut short. She cleared her throat. ‘It’s so beautiful here I don’t know how anyone could fail to love it.’

  ‘It’s also a bit scruffy,’ said Heather.

  ‘Shabby chic,’ said Caro and then laughed at Heather’s expression.

  ‘Then there was the whole fiasco about the cottage,’ Heather went on, refusing to be amused. ‘Lennie is going to be furious when she finds out you haven’t been in it. Alec promised it would all be sorted out in time for your arrival.’

  ‘I’ve got quite fond of my caravan. The views are amazing and it’s cosy once you understand how the heating works.’

  ‘And you’ve been brilliant with Murdo too. He’s not easy.’

  ‘I lived with my father for years before he died. It was a good apprenticeship.’ She swallowed to clear her throat of the sudden tears that had gathered there.

  ‘It’s easy with fathers and daughter,’ said Heather. ‘My daughter can get anything she wants from Ewan but my son has to get round me!’ She chuckled briefly.

  ‘What are they up to now? Your children?’

  ‘Spreading their wings. They grew up here but they want to see a bit of the world before they decide whether to come back here to settle down. They’re young yet.’

  ‘That’s the same as my daughter, only she’s visiting her father in Australia. He emigrated years ago.’ Caro paused, thinking how she’d got together with Posy’s father because she was on the rebound from one brief night on a Greek island. ‘Selfishly I hope she doesn’t settle there, but if she does, well, I’m sure she’ll make a go of it.

  ‘It’s a shame that Rowan isn’t getting the same chance to see a bit of the world.’

  Caro realised that Heather must have been shaken up to criticise the family. She was very loyal.

  Caro shrugged. ‘Rowan is a bit young to go backpacking round South America or anything, I agree. But she should be thinking about her further education.’

  ‘She is thinking about it!’ said Heather. ‘Talking about it, even, but her mother doesn’t listen. And if Alec—’ Heather paused. ‘Well, I won’t go on.’

  ‘Skye gets difficult?’ suggested Caro tentatively.

  Heather’s pursed
lips and disapproving expression gave Caro her answer.

  ‘Rowan’s a very talented artist,’ Caro went on, to stop Heather feeling awkward about having been critical of Skye and Alec. ‘As far as I can judge. She could go to art school in Edinburgh or Glasgow. I know they’re not exactly near, but near enough to stop her parents from worrying, I’d have thought.’

  ‘The trouble is, Alec would let her go but Skye thinks she’ll go on drugs and get pregnant during her first week at uni.’ Heather obviously felt strongly about this. ‘But if her parents were agreed on the matter it would help.’

  Caro nodded. ‘Although I agree that Rowan should go away to study, being so beautiful will make her a bit vulnerable.’

  ‘She wouldn’t be so vulnerable if she’d mixed with kids her own age more and had a chance to toughen up a bit!’ Heather sighed. ‘Anyway, it’s nothing to do with us!’

  A week after his stroke, Murdo was still in hospital having tests. The plan was to move him from the big hospital in Glasgow to the small hospital that was much nearer Glen Liddell but the paperwork as well as the tests seemed to be taking a long time.

  Although he stated he was furious about this, it seemed to Caro, when it was her turn to go in and see him, that he was happy enough. The hospital he was in currently was three hours away and so people took it in turns to visit. It would be much easier for everyone if he were nearer home.

  When she went, she read to him out of the paper, listened to his complaints and told him not to grumble. But as she drove home, she realised her role was nearly over and she should plan to go back to London. Lennie would be flying back any day now and apart from visiting Murdo in hospital, there was nothing for her to do, officially. Of course she made herself very useful and was never idle, but would the estate be willing to pay her if she wasn’t really needed?

  She’d miss being up here terribly, she realised. It was so beautiful, she liked everyone so much, and she still nursed a sort of schoolgirl crush on Alec. Although they had almost shared a moment on their walk together and again when he’d found her in the cottage, since Murdo had been ill, he was so busy she hardly ever saw him. It would be madness to think he might come to return her feelings and even if he did, it couldn’t go anywhere, with her in London and him up here. Far healthier for her to accept defeat and go home.