‘It’s still early days,’ reassured Ella with hope in her voice. ‘Sometimes these new ventures take a while to build momentum.’
After they finished looking through the album, Wilbur returned to the bar. Ella sipped on her drink, deep in thought. ‘This restaurant has so much potential, and I can see why it was so special back in the day, with its exclusive club. There’s got to be some marketing ploy Flynn can use to get people in through the door – buy one meal, get one free?’ suggested Ella, looking out through the window. Flynn was still chatting to Roman, but Ella noticed the conversation looked quite serious. For a split second Flynn placed his hand on Roman’s back before walking towards the restaurant. Roman appeared to look troubled as he blew out a breath and placed his cap back on his head, leaving Ella wondering what the conversation was about. He then checked his watch and stepped back on to the boat. Right on half past the hour he tooted the boat’s horn, a sign to tell everyone who wanted to sail back to Heartcross that the boat would be leaving any minute. Ella’s eyes were drawn to him again. She couldn’t help it, there was something about him.
‘Flynn doesn’t want to go down that route, he wants to keep everything classy, upmarket.’
Ella didn’t answer, she was still watching Roman.
‘Earth to Ella.’ Callie nudged her arm. ‘Oh look, he’s waving at you now,’ mocked Callie, giving Roman a salute through the window. ‘He must have realised you were watching him.’
‘Give me strength, I was not watching him,’ replied Ella, shaking her head, but she knew she had been and was trying to play the situation down. Within seconds the boat had disappeared under the weeping willows and was now out of sight.
‘Cocktails is what we need,’ Callie looked over towards the bar and caught the eye of the waiter.
‘Callie, we can’t. I can’t afford to be extravagant, I need to watch every penny,’ Ella replied despondently.
‘This one is on me,’ insisted Callie and within minutes of choosing, they were halfway down their cocktails that were filled with crushed ice, squeezed fruit accompanied by fresh herbs and, of course, alcohol. Ella sucked on her straw; the alcohol zipped through her bloodstream only after a couple of sips. ‘These are great cocktails, maybe Flynn needs to do a cocktail hour?’
‘We’ve got a marketing meeting next week to put ideas forward, so why don’t you suggest it? You’d have thought, with the tourist population in Heartcross, it would be packed to the rafters in here.’
‘You’d think so, but maybe there’s too much choice? There’s the pub, the restaurants up at Starcross Manor, and the teashop… or maybe people think The Lakehouse is way too posh for them, or it’s a place to come just for special occasions. You never know what anyone is thinking.’
‘You might be right, and talking of the pub, Julia has invited us for Sunday lunch, if you fancy it? It’ll be a great way to meet the locals.’
Ella hesitated.
‘Look, you have to eat. Please don’t worry about paying your way at the minute. You’ll be back up on your feet soon enough. And I’ll let you into a little secret: most evenings Hamish leaves bags of vegetables and bread on the doorstep, free of charge.’
‘Everyone really does look out for each other here, don’t they?’
‘Absolutely they do, and you are one of us now.’
Ella was grateful, Callie’s words really warmed her heart. ‘That means a lot, thank you.’
This was exactly what Ella needed, to be part of a community that looked out for each other. She was looking forward to seeing Julia again, and it was going to be great to meet a whole bunch of new people and immerse herself in village life.
‘What do you know about Roman?’ asked Ella.
‘What do you want to know about Roman?’
‘Come on, spill the beans.’
‘Roman Docherty, handsome sailor, great smile, good sense of humour, but keeps his personal life very much private and lives over in the town. But recently he’s been late for work on a few occasions – car trouble, apparently.’
‘Single?’
‘I’ve never heard him talk about anyone. He’s an all-round friendly guy.’ Callie watched the slight smile hitch on Ella’s face before glancing over her shoulder and watching the staff hovering at the back of the restaurant with not much to do. ‘Hopefully when the TV news report airs, that will generate more business,’ said Callie, changing the subject whilst thinking out loud.
The waiter wandered back over to the table and asked if there was anything else he could get them as their cocktail glasses were empty. Callie looked towards Ella. ‘The boat has only just left, we have time to kill.’ But before they made a decision Callie heard her phone ringing.
Quickly rummaging inside her bag, she looked at the screen. ‘It’s Hamish, I wonder what he wants?’ she said, immediately taking the call.
Ella watched as Callie’s smile disappeared from her face and she concentrated on what Hamish was saying.
‘Callie, what’s up?’ Ella whispered. She waited patiently for Callie to hang up the call but could quite clearly see that something was wrong.
‘It’s Dolores.’ Callie was still staring at the phone, placing it on the table before meeting Ella’s gaze.
‘What’s happened?’ asked Ella, not liking the sound of that.
‘I don’t know. Hamish took her some lunch and discovered her lying on the living-room floor. She’s been taken to hospital and he’s asked if we could look after McCartney and Fred until he gets back. He doesn’t know how long he’s going to be there.’
‘Is she okay? Any broken bones?’
‘I don’t know, that’s all he said.’ Callie stood up and took out her purse. ‘Wilbur,’ she called out, ‘can we have the bill, please? We have to go. Oh damn… there’s no boat, it’s literally just left.’
Wilbur looked up from behind the bar. ‘Everything okay?’
‘Unfortunately not,’ shared Callie, explaining that Dolores was in hospital.
‘The boat has only just left, let me see if I can catch Roman,’ replied Wilbur, picking up the phone at the back of the bar. Wilbur waited patiently for Roman to pick up. ‘Roman, how far have you got? Is it possible to turn around?’
As soon as Wilbur placed the phone back on the hook, he confirmed that Roman was turning the boat around and that he’d be back at the jetty in approximately five minutes.
‘Thanks, Wilbur,’ said Callie, unzipping her purse, but Wilbur was having none of it. ‘Don’t worry about that. Get yourself back to Heartcross, and if you hear any news, do let us know.’
Roman arrived quickly, and he reminded Ella of James Bond as he stood up straight at the helm, looking like he was on a mission. As soon as he’d docked the boat and safely unfolded the gangplank he looked across at the girls with worry. ‘Is everything okay?’ he asked as they climbed on board. ‘Wilbur asked me to come straight back.’
‘It’s Dolores, she’s in hospital,’ replied Callie, sitting down on a seat. ‘We’re looking after her animals until we know what’s going on.’
Roman gave a salute. ‘I’ll get you back as quickly as possible.’
As Ella started walking up to the front of the boat, she noticed Roman take a call on his phone and move out of earshot. She sat down next to Callie, who was chatting away to another passenger and was oblivious to the fact that Ella was watching Roman. She’d noticed that his whole aura had changed in a matter of seconds, and as he hung up the call and took his place behind the wheel, Ella felt a slight tension in the air. Roman looked pensive, like he suddenly had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Callie was now scrolling through the photos on her phone, giving Ella a running commentary and showing her pictures from Julia’s fortieth birthday. ‘We took her ghost hunting, but she wasn’t impressed. I believe old Marley up at Heartcross Castle is in hospital. Have you heard anything, Roman?’
‘No sorry, I haven’t,’ he answered, but kept his eyes firmly on the water.
‘I wonder what will happen to that place when Marley passes away. That’s Heartcross Castle over there.’ Callie pointed in the distance.
‘It looks stunning,’ replied Ella, glancing over, then back towards Roman, who was participating in the conversation, but the faraway look in his eye suggested his mind was elsewhere.
‘It’s a huge place to stay empty. Has Marley got any relatives?’ he asked.
‘I’m not entirely sure, but I think I heard Wilbur talking about a daughter, but she doesn’t live round here,’ answered Callie.
Five minutes later Roman slowed the boat down and pulled in alongside the jetty outside The Boathouse. After he’d secured the boat Callie and Ellie stepped on to dry land.
They thanked Roman before ambling down the jetty towards the rocky path. Ella cast a glance back in his direction and saw he was standing in the middle of the boat with his phone pressed to his ear again.
‘Don’t you think that was a little strange?’ asked Ella.
‘What’s a little strange?’ replied Callie, linking her arm through Ella’s.
‘On the way there, Roman is over-chatty, shows me how to drive the boat, he’s laughing and joking. But on the way back, he barely looks at us, his conversation is minimal and he didn’t seem quite there.’
‘I didn’t notice at all. Maybe you’re over-thinking it. He was just doing his job.’
But Ella had noticed. There was no mistaking the fact that the easy-going, jovial atmosphere she’d enjoyed on the journey over to The Lakehouse had somewhat plummeted on the return journey. Something was bothering Roman, she just knew it.
Chapter Five
The following morning, as soon as Ella opened her eyes, she felt like she was being watched. She bolted upright to discover McCartney sitting on her bed, his eyes firmly fixed on her.
‘Good morning, McCartney,’ she said, reaching forward to stroke him.
As soon as Ella moved, his tail began to wag and he leapt forward, trying to lick her face before waggling his bum and rolling over on the bed, waving his back legs in the air. Ella tapped his nose then ruffled his tummy.
‘You must be missing Dolores, staying here must feel a little strange,’ she guessed, scooping him up in her arms and swinging her legs out of bed. ‘Let’s hope Dolores has had a comfortable night in hospital and hopefully will be home soon.’ Walking into the living room with McCartney in her arms, she popped a kiss on his head.
Callie was walking through to the living room from the kitchen, and placing McCartney down on the floor, Ella swiped a piece of toast from Callie’s plate.
‘Oi!’ exclaimed Callie, holding her plate up high, but it was too late.
‘Good morning,’ sang Ella, sinking her teeth into the hot, buttery slice of granary bread. ‘Any news on Dolores?’ she asked, looking over at Fred, who was busy pecking at his food, his cage placed in the middle of the coffee table.
‘I was up with the larks, so I nipped down to see Hamish. The poor man looks exhausted. I offered to sort out the morning papers, but he assured me it was all under control. I think he wants to stay busy.’ Callie poured them both a mug of tea and sat down at the table outside on the balcony. ‘I’m not sure how many more mornings we can brave sitting outside.’ She pulled her cardigan tightly around her shoulders. ‘But Dolores has had a comfortable night,’ Callie continued. ‘Hamish said she’d undergone numerous tests and it turns out her blood pressure was low.’
‘Has she suffered from low blood pressure before?’ asked Ella, knowing that her own grandma suffered with her blood pressure.
Callie shook her head. ‘Not from what I know of, but Hamish put it down to old age. He got quite upset when he was talking to me this morning, choked up.’
‘Bless him! Does he need any help in the shop at all? I don’t mind helping out. You’re at work today, aren’t you?
‘I am, and I already offered your services, but he’s roped in Aggie and Martha this morning; you’ve not met them yet. Pop down and say hello. Martha is Isla’s grandma and lives up at Foxglove Farm with them, and Aggie is Fergus’s mum. Fergus goes out with Felicity and works at the farm…’
‘I’ve met Felicity, the girl in the teashop.’
‘That’s the one. You’ll like them both.’ Callie glanced up at the clock. ‘I’m due at work just after lunch, there’s a couple of meetings I have to be present at. I think Flynn is going to throw some more marketing ideas on the table.’
‘Fingers crossed that whatever Flynn comes up with, helps to boost business. Is Roman at work today?’ Ella’s thoughts turned back to his change in mood yesterday.
‘Day off today, I think.’
Ella tucked into another piece of toast and flicked through the newspaper on the table. Every news article she read was depressing; there didn’t seem to be anything good going on in the world at all. ‘They should just print a happy paper,’ Ella suggested as she leaned over the balcony. ‘It’s so quiet without Dolores downstairs.’
‘I was thinking the very same,’ agreed Callie.
‘Has Dolores ever married?’ Ella was thinking about the photo of Dolores with the prince, and the handwritten letter she’d received yesterday. Maybe she still had someone special in her life.
‘I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never heard her talk about anyone, but I know she’s very close to Hamish. And he thinks the world of her.’
‘I miss my parents.’ As soon as Ella mentioned them, tears sprang to her eyes. ‘How does that happen?’ She flapped her hand in front of her face. ‘The second I mention them… the tears.’
Callie reached over and gently touched her arm. ‘It’s normal.’
‘It’s hard, all the things you take for granted, and then the next minute they’ve gone forever.’ Ella took a swig of her drink. ‘And Dolores reminds me a lot of my own grandmother, she has a very good heart.’
‘She has indeed.’
‘How far away is the hospital?’ asked Ella, thinking if she had the whole day to herself she could visit Dolores there. ‘I could go and keep her company.’
‘Good plan, she’ll love that. The hospital is over in Glensheil. It’s not far at all. I think the buses are every hour on a Sunday, or a taxi would drop you off straight at the door. I’ll check the bus times,’ she said, scooping up McCartney after he’d finished his own breakfast and wandering out on to the balcony. She placed him on her lap. ‘I bet this little one wonders where she is.’
‘Don’t worry, McCartney. Dolores will be home as soon as possible,’ Ella soothed, leaning across and lightly patting his back.
‘He can’t hear, you know.’
Ella chuckled. ‘I keep forgetting he’s deaf.’
They sat and chatted for the next ten minutes and were just about to clear away the breakfast dishes when the doorbell rang. Callie looked over towards Ella. ‘Are we expecting anyone?’
Ella shrugged and headed towards the door. She was surprised to find Roman standing on the other side.
‘We were just talking about you,’ she said, opening the door wide. ‘Were your ears burning?’
‘What do they say? “Right for spite, left for love”?’ He touched both ears. ‘All good, I hope.’
‘Now that would be telling,’ she joked. ‘Are you coming in?’
‘As long as I’m not intruding. I’ve just come to check up on Dolores. Any news?’ he asked, stepping inside the hallway.
Whatever had put him in his reflective mood yesterday, seemed to have passed as Roman was all smiles and in a very chatty mood.
‘Coffee?’ asked Ella.
‘That would be great.’
Callie leant back on her chair and clocked eyes with Roman. ‘Good morning, you’re up early.’
As Roman headed out towards the balcony, his woody aftershave filled the room, leaving Ella briefly closing her eyes and inhaling the aroma as he walked past her. Roman fussed over McCartney. ‘Sausage stealer,’ he joked, ruffling the top of his head. Immediately McCartney
rolled on his back with his four stumpy legs sticking up in the air, causing everyone to laugh. ‘See, he’s got no shame. Steals my food, and for the privilege I get to tickle his tummy.’
‘Ha, funny,’ replied Ella, thinking if she didn’t know any better, McCartney actually looked like he was smiling. ‘I’ll get your coffee.’
‘Thanks.’ He clocked the breakfast laid out on the table. ‘I didn’t mean to intrude, I was just checking up on Dolores.’
‘Here,’ said Ella, handing over the drink. ‘I’m going to head over to the hospital this morning, when I’ve worked out where exactly it is.’
‘That’s easy, I can take you.’ Roman waggled his car keys in the air. ‘It’s my day off and I’ve nothing else planned. The car’s outside.’
‘Really? Only if you don’t mind?’ Ella knew that would certainly be easier than trying to juggle the bus times.
‘Honestly, it’s no trouble. All I’ve got to do today is a supermarket shop, which doesn’t take long when you’re shopping for one, so it will be my pleasure.’
‘Perfect, as long as it’s no trouble.’
Roman drank his coffee and then reached into his pocket and looked at his vibrating phone. He hesitated for a second, then was up on his feet. ‘I’ve got to take this. Shall I meet you outside in around an hour? I’ve got a couple of errands to run first.’
Was it Ella’s imagination, or did Roman just bristle? Whoever was calling him, it was clear that Roman was reluctant to answer. Ella witnessed the same distressed look he’d had in his eye yesterday.
‘That will be great,’ replied Ella.
They watched him hurry to the door, still staring at the vibrating phone. Roman presumably answered the call as soon as the front door had shut behind him.
‘What do you make of that?’ asked Ella, moving to the window and watching Roman as he crossed over the street.
‘What do you mean?’ queried Callie. ‘He’s just answering a call. Maybe he wants some privacy.’
The Lake House Page 7