‘Football,’ Clare said, with a snort. ‘It’s more like a cross between rugby and a mass brawl. And it goes on for hours. I’ve known it take more than eight hours for someone to get the ba’ across the metaphorical line.’
‘Hardly anyone gets injured,’ Andrew objected. ‘In the teams, at any rate. The spectators are sometimes collateral damage.’
‘Sounds like the kind of sport my fellow Kiwis would love,’ Jess said. She looked at Andrew. ‘And you’ve won it twice?’
He nodded. ‘There’s a boy’s match in the morning and a men’s match in the afternoon. I’ve been lucky enough to be on the winning side in both matches, although a few years apart.’
‘Only because you carried the ba’ over the rooftops,’ Niall observed, then sighed as he glanced at Jess and Merry. ‘Which is entirely within the rules and got him presented with the ba’ itself at the end of the match.’
It sounded exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure, Merry thought, and she couldn’t imagine anything she’d like to do less. ‘So which team has won the most?’
‘The Uppies,’ Andrew said, pride evident in his tone. ‘Obviously the better team.’
Hugh nodded his agreement but Niall shook his head. ‘I think, if you check with the Orkney Archive offices, you’ll find that the Doonies have won more.’
Andrew took a deep breath, obviously preparing himself to argue, and Clare cleared her throat meaningfully. ‘If we’ve all finished eating, why don’t we take this fascinating discussion through to the living room?’
‘Good idea,’ Hugh said. ‘That’s where the whisky is, after all.’
But by the time they’d thanked Clare for the outstanding meal, and taken themselves through to the sofas, the fire had gone out of the argument and the conversation moved onto other subjects. Eventually, Merry found herself hiding two consecutive yawns and glanced at her watch to discover it was almost midnight.
She glanced over at Jess, who was sandwiched between Andrew and Niall. ‘We should probably make a move,’ she said.
‘Us too,’ Niall agreed. ‘We’ll drop you back at the croft if you like. Save Hugh from having to go out.’
‘That would be great,’ Merry said. ‘If it’s not too much trouble.’
‘None at all,’ Niall replied, smiling. ‘We’re heading that way.’
They thanked Clare and Hugh for their hospitality, and Jess promised to send Clare a copy of her new book as soon as it was available.
‘That’ll make Sheila grind her teeth with jealousy,’ Clare said, grinning in delight.
Then they climbed into Niall’s car and drove down the track that led to the main road. A few minutes later, they were outside the croft and Jess was saying goodbye.
‘So good to see you again,’ she said to Andrew, throwing her arms around him before turning to Niall. ‘And you – thanks for taking such good care of me.’
She hugged him too, and Merry saw him whisper something into his ear before she stepped back. Whatever she’d said, it caused Niall’s face to turn pink. And that caused the glowing embers of Merry’s irritation to burst into sullen flames.
‘Thanks for the lift,’ she said, aware of the brusqueness in her tone but unable to prevent it. ‘Nice to see you again, Andrew.’
She caught Jess looking sideways at her but ignored her friend. Instead, she turned and went into the croft.
Jess stayed outside and Merry guessed she was waving the car off. No sooner had the front door closed, however, than Jess was confronting her. ‘Okay, Mer, what gives?’
Merry pressed her lips together, determined not to give in to her annoyance but Jess wasn’t letting her off the hook. ‘Don’t pretend there’s nothing wrong,’ she went on. ‘You’ve been giving me daggers all evening and you were downright rude to Andrew and Niall out there. What’s going on?’
And just like that, Merry’s temper broke. ‘I’ll tell you what’s wrong – you don’t seem to understand the concept of acting professionally.’
Jess’s jaw dropped. ‘Come again?’
The words tumbled from Merry’s mouth before she could stop them. ‘You know what I’m talking about. You’ve been draping yourself over Niall for the past four hours, flirting with him like we were in a nightclub instead of my friends’ house. I know you have a crush on him but you’re going home tomorrow, Jess. I have to work with these people – it’s just not professional.’
‘So that’s it,’ Jess said quietly and took a deep breath. ‘For your information, I wasn’t flirting with Niall and I don’t have a crush on him.’
‘Don’t bother denying it,’ Merry snapped. ‘It was obvious to everyone in the room. And whispering in his ear when we got back here – what was that about if you weren’t flirting?’
‘That’s between me and Niall,’ Jess said evenly. ‘But I promise you it wasn’t anything close to flirting. I’m your best friend, for god’s sake – I’d never behave that way around someone you’re interested in.’
That made Merry’s blood boil even more. ‘I’m not interested in him,’ she said furiously. ‘How many times do I have to tell you that? It’s our working relationship I’m worried about.’
Jess tipped her head. ‘So you keep saying. But I’ve got to be honest, Merry – if the thought of Niall with another woman gets you this bent out of shape, perhaps you need to think about why.’ Turning on her heel, she headed for the bedroom. ‘I’m going to pack my case for the morning. And after that, I’ll sleep on the sofa.’
The words took some of the fire from Merry’s anger. ‘It’s too small.’
‘That’s right, it is,’ Jess said, pausing in the doorway. ‘But I’d rather take my chances on there than have you try to stab me in the back while we sleep. Goodnight, Merry.’
Her tone was so final that Merry knew better than to argue more. She locked herself in the bathroom, splashing water onto her flushed face and staring at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t been imagining it, had she? Jess had definitely been all over Niall – even Hugh must have noticed. Maybe she’d ask Clare in the morning, she decided, once she’d taken Jess to the airport. The last of her fury drained away as she rested her head against the coolness of the mirror, leaving an empty uncertainty in its place. She and Jess had never argued like this, not even once in their long friendship, and she had no idea how to make it right. She’d just have to hope a good night’s sleep would provide the answer.
* * *
Merry woke up the following morning to an uncharacteristically silent croft. She padded through to the living room to find the sofa empty and a hastily scrawled note on the coffee table.
I got a cab to the airport – seemed like the best idea. Let’s speak soon when our tempers have cooled. Love, Jess.
Merry sat on the sofa for several long seconds, staring at the scrap of paper torn from Jess’s notebook. And then she put her head in her hands and sobbed.
Chapter Five
‘Did Jess get to the airport all right?’ Clare asked, when Merry stopped by to see her on Friday afternoon.
Merry’s shoulders drooped. ‘I assume so. She – er – took a cab and left before I got up.’
Clare lowered her mug of tea to the table and stared. ‘That doesn’t sound good. What happened?’
The whole sorry story spilled out: Merry’s gradually building suspicion that Jess was attracted to Niall, the argument that had resulted when they’d returned to the croft and Jess’s furious denial.
‘And the worst of it is, I don’t know how much of it was my imagination,’ Merry finished wretchedly. ‘I can’t decide if I’m losing the plot.’
‘Why would it matter if she was attracted to Niall?’ Clare asked, frowning. Her eyes widened ‘Unless— oh.’
‘Exactly,’ Merry said. ‘She’s got it into her head that I’m jealous.’
Clare regarded her steadily. ‘Right. Are you jealous?’
‘No!’
‘Okay,’ Clare said, pursing her lips. ‘Well, I can’t say I
noticed her flirting with Niall but I was in the kitchen a lot of the time.’
Now it was Merry’s turn to stare. ‘She was all over him, especially in the living room after dinner.’
Clare shook her head, smiling sadly. ‘That’s not what I saw. But whether she was or she wasn’t, she is right about one thing. You need to work out why it’s such a problem for you.’
Something heavy settled in the pit of Merry’s stomach as she absorbed the meaning of those words. Her feelings for Niall were purely professional, weren’t they?
Weren’t they?
* * *
It felt odd not to be in contact with Jess over the weeks that followed. Merry lost count of the number of times she’d reached for her phone to send a message or share a joke with her best friend, before remembering that they didn’t do that anymore. She’d received a single message to say Jess had landed safely, and that they’d talk soon, but there’d been no further communication. Merry took refuge in her work, delving into her copyedits with a grim determination to lose herself in the story she’d created, but the moment she resurfaced, her silent phone reminded her of Jess’s absence.
She kept her distance from Niall, too, claiming she was busy wrapping up the last of her Writer in Residence projects when he asked if she was okay. But she should have known she wouldn’t be able to fend him off for ever. He turned up at the croft early one Saturday morning in mid-July, dressed in hiking gear and carrying a hefty rucksack.
‘Get your hiking boots on,’ he instructed, in a tone that was unusually business-like. ‘I’m taking you island hopping.’
The sky was bright blue over his shoulder and Merry realized with a start that it had probably been days – no, weeks – since she’d left the croft, other than for her regular runs with Sheila. And, suddenly, she longed for a different view.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, but Niall refused to be drawn.
‘You’ll need layers, as always, but try to bring as little as possible,’ he said. ‘And make sure you bring some ID.’
It wasn’t until they turned down the road to Kirkwall Airport that Merry understood why she needed some identification: they were catching a plane.
‘Seriously, Niall, where are we going?’ she asked, as he led the way towards the Departure gates.
He pointed at the boards. ‘North Ronaldsay. There are a few people there I think you need to meet.’
The Loganair flight reminded Merry of her arrival on Orkney, back in February, when she’d thought she might actually die mid-air. But it was easier this time as Niall kept her talking, pointing out the towering red and white lighthouse of North Ronaldsay as soon as it appeared, and she’d barely got used to the fact that they were airborne before the pilot was instructing them to prepare for landing.
The landscape of the island was typical of Orkney: flat and green. Niall took a moment to get his bearings, then headed towards a building not far from the airport. As they got closer, Merry could see that it was a garage.
‘Are we hiring a car?’ she asked.
Niall shook his head. ‘Not a car. I suppose I should have checked this before, but I hope you know how to ride a bike.’
‘We’re cycling?’
‘Over to the lighthouse. I thought you might like a tour. But first, we’re going to meet a friend of mine.’ He paused to smile. ‘I guarantee you won’t have met anyone like her before.’
It had been some time since Merry had been on a bike and that had been in London. She doubted she’d have to contend with inconsiderate commuters and oblivious buses on North Ronaldsay but those weren’t the only things concerning her. ‘How far is it exactly?’
‘The lighthouse is a couple of miles north. But the island is only three miles long from tip to tip.’ He gave her an encouraging smile. ‘We can have lunch at the lighthouse café and I’ve brought plenty of snacks for the journey.’
‘Sorry, I sound like a toddler,’ she said, embarrassed at her own ingratitude. ‘Okay, I’m game. Is your friend’s house on the way?’
‘Not exactly,’ he said. ‘We’re going to see her at work. Which today means a detour to the southernmost tip of the island.’
Merry did the maths in her head. ‘So that’s a six-mile round trip, right?’
‘We can leave the bikes at the lighthouse if you think your leg muscles aren’t up to it,’ Niall said. ‘I’m sure I can persuade someone to drive us back to the airport later.’
And that made Merry feel even more like a child. ‘It’s not my legs I’m worried about,’ she replied. ‘Without wishing to be indelicate, it’s the seat that’s the issue. My flabby writer’s bum isn’t used to spending six miles on a bike – it might protest.’
Understanding dawned on Niall’s face. ‘Ah, I see. Well, without wishing to be indelicate myself, you ran the Orkney half-marathon a few weeks ago. Your bum doesn’t look flabby to me.’
His ears turned pink the moment he’d stopped talking and Merry felt her cheeks start to flush. ‘That’s – uh – good to know,’ she said, hoping she sounded less awkward than she felt. ‘Shall we get the bikes?’
Ten minutes later, Merry was astride a sleek grey-and-black bicycle, with a helmet firmly clipped onto her head. She was sure she looked ridiculous as she wobbled along the road after Niall but it didn’t take long for her to remember how to ride. And the roads were flat and quiet, which was a blessing. Merry found she was able to take in the lush green fields on either side of her and listen to Niall as he talked more about the island.
‘As you might have guessed, it’s not the busiest of places,’ he told her. ‘The population has been steadily falling and I think there are only around sixty residents now, mostly older people. But they’re trying to encourage families with children to come and live here.’
Merry tried to imagine living somewhere so remote that she’d need to catch a plane to go to a supermarket. ‘Is there a school here?’
‘There was,’ he replied. ‘The only pupil started secondary school a few years ago, so it’s currently closed. There’s a bird observatory, though – there’s obviously an abundance of the usual suspects but I’m told the opportunities for spotting a Peregrine falcon or a Merlin are pretty good too.’
Merry smiled. She’d never been much of a twitcher but watching the birds over Brightwater Bay had been one of her unexpected pleasures during her time in the croft and now she could easily identify a wide range of Orkney’s bird population, from gulls to puffins. She wasn’t sure she’d like to see a bird of prey among them, however. That sounded altogether too stressful. ‘Is that where your friend works – at the observatory?’
Niall gave a shake of the head. ‘No. She’s – well, it’s probably best if I let Kirsty explain it. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.’
It wasn’t long before Merry caught the distant sparkle of sunshine on waves. A few minutes later they arrived at a dry-stone wall, beyond which the North Sea gently lapped at the rocky shore, and Niall came to a stop. ‘This is Nouster. Do you see the pier over there?’
Merry gazed across the blue-grey water and saw a narrow finger of stone jutting out into the bay. She nodded.
‘If we’d caught the ferry from Kirkwall, that’s where we would have disembarked,’ he explained. ‘But it takes two hours and forty minutes and I thought it made more sense to fly. Especially after Hoy.’
Merry shivered. The last time she and Niall had taken a ferry to one of the smaller islands, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and she’d caught a fever that had knocked her off her feet. ‘Good idea.’
He checked his phone, frowning. ‘Kirsty said she’d be somewhere around here this morning.’ Wheeling his bike to the side of the road, he propped it onto its stand. ‘We can leave these here while we find her. I seriously doubt anyone will move them.’
He set off along the course of the stone wall. Merry looked around. Apart from the pier and a couple of isolated houses overlooking the bay, there didn’t seem to be anywhere for N
iall’s friend to work. Unless she was a fisherman. Which was entirely possible, Merry supposed.
She became aware of the sheep after they’d been walking for around a minute. It was on the other side of the dry-stone wall, head down and nibbling at something on the rocks. As Niall and Merry drew level, it raised its head to stare at them, chewing methodically as it did so.
‘Shouldn’t that sheep be on this side of the wall?’ she asked Niall.
‘No,’ he said, glancing across the layer of vertical stones that topped the wall. ‘If it were on this side, we’d have a problem.’
Frowning, Merry peered at the sheep again. It seemed to have a string of something brown and distinctly seaweedy hanging from its mouth. ‘Are you sure?’ she said. ‘It looks a bit lost, all on its own.’
‘It’s not alone,’ he said, pointing further along the shore. ‘There are more over there.’
And there were, Merry saw, a small cluster of creamy white animals with brown faces and neat little horns. Others were dotted along the shoreline, in groups or alone. Some were brown, others were black, but they all had one thing in common: every single one appeared to be enjoying a tasty mouthful of seaweed.
‘Ah, there she is,’ Niall exclaimed and raised his arm to wave. ‘Kirsty! We’re here!’
Merry followed his line of sight and saw a woman’s head peeking over the other side of the wall, some fifty metres away. She looked up when Niall called and waved cheerfully back.
‘Stay there,’ she called. ‘I’ll come to you.’
A few moments later, she was standing in front of them and Merry noticed she wore heavy-duty workmen’s dungarees and thick sturdy boots, all of which looked practical and waterproof. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up; then again, she didn’t need to, Merry thought as she took in the other woman’s bright eyes and healthy glowing complexion.
‘Hello, Niall,’ she said, nodding at him. ‘Good to see you again.’
Sunset over Brightwater Bay Page 5