by Amy M. Reade
“Sometimes I wonder. It’s too bad we can’t go back and change the things we did wrong, isn’t it?”
My mind went back to Cauld Loch when I heard her words. I thought of my marriage to Callum, his mistakes, and our divorce. Would I have changed anything? I didn’t think so—at least, I wouldn’t have changed anything about myself or my actions. I would have changed Callum’s actions, that was sure, but I didn’t have that power. What I had said to Annabel applied to me, too—the past was in the past, and all I could do was to move forward. Which is exactly what I was doing.
Just then Cadi came in. Her eyes were bright and they darted around the room when she saw Annabel and me.
“Good morning, Cadi,” Annabel said. “I hope you slept well last night.”
“I did. Thank you. I expected the room to be cold, but we lit a fire in the fireplace and it was nice and warm. Almost too warm, really.”
“Speaking of warm, I think I need a sweater,” Annabel said, standing up.
Cadi helped herself to a cup of tea then came and sat down next to me.
“What did you think about what happened last night?” she asked. I was startled for a moment, thinking she meant the sounds I had heard in the hallway, but I realized she was probably talking about Annabel’s apology to her sons. Hugh must have discussed it with her.
“You mean Annabel’s apology?” I asked. “I know how nervous she was to talk to everyone about it, and I know she was afraid the boys wouldn’t accept her apology or allow her or themselves to move on from it, so I think it went quite well.”
Cadi waved her hand. “Oh, that. Yes, I suppose that went fine. God knows Hugh has been waiting for an apology for years. I meant what happened afterward.”
I shook my head warily, not wanting her to know I had heard the crying and the banging. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened?”
Her eyes widened. “Didn’t you hear the fight?”
“No. What fight?”
“Between Andreas and Sian.”
“I must have missed it.”
“I don’t know how you could have missed it,” Cadi said, taking a long swig of her tea. “They were loud enough to wake the dead.”
“Where?”
“In their bedroom. It was after midnight when Hugh came to bed. Andreas and Sian and Hugh and I are on the same wing. He had just gotten into bed when we heard shouting.” She paused, probably for dramatic effect. “Hugh has these earplugs he uses at night because he doesn’t sleep well. So he put the earplugs in and fell asleep after about fifteen minutes. The fight kept raging and I swear I heard Sian crying. Then about an hour later one of them left. I’m surprised you didn’t hear the front door slam.”
“I had no idea,” I lied.
“That’s shocking,” Cadi said, tossing her short hair. “Whoever slammed the door needs to be much quieter. It even woke Hugh up, despite his earplugs.”
It was against my better judgment to ask what the fight was about, but I had a feeling Cadi would volunteer the information if I waited long enough.
“Hopefully the fight was just a short-lived one and they’ll be fine this morning,” I said.
“Don’t count on it,” Cadi answered. “Fights like that one tend to repeat themselves over and over, if you know what I mean.”
I stared at her blankly. I really didn’t know what she meant, but I knew my response would nudge her to reveal the cause of the fight.
“Money,” she said, speaking as if I were simple.
“Money?” I repeated. I had been under the impression money was not an issue for Andreas and Sian.
“That’s right,” Cadi answered smugly. “You’d think a couple with everything wouldn’t fight about money, but they were furious.”
“How could you tell?”
“I heard them throwing around words like ‘mortgage’ and ‘credit cards’ and ‘bills.’ When you think about it, those are the financial things couples fight about. They’re no different from the rest of us, I guess.” She sounded almost gleeful.
Cadi had a point—Andreas and Sian did seem to have everything. They drove an expensive car, they wore designer, albeit casual, clothes, Sian carried a very expensive handbag, they had a posh address in London, and I had seen pictures of the baby’s nursery—it was breathtaking and definitely the room of a privileged child. Why should they be fighting about money?
Annabel came back into the dining room wrapped in a warm sweater. “This is much better,” she said. “Both of you girls help yourselves to breakfast. I’ll wait for the others.”
I went to the sideboard and prepared a plate of eggs, beans, and mushrooms. I had a feeling I would need some fortification to get through the day, so I took more food than usual. I sat at the dining room table while Annabel read the paper and Cadi simply sat looking out the window, sipping her tea now and then. Surely it had gotten cold.
Hugh came in next, followed quickly by Rhisiart. Each of them greeted Annabel with a peck on the cheek and Hugh sat down next to his wife. “Where are Andreas and Sian?” he asked.
“Not here yet,” she replied tersely.
“Did you say something about their fight last night?” Hugh asked her.
“Not yet,” she said, her gaze darting toward Annabel. Annabel looked over the top of the paper.
“What? Did Andreas and Sian have a fight last night? Oh, dear.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Mum,” Hugh said, walking over to the sideboard to load a plate with potatoes, eggs, sausage, and mushrooms. He plunked the plate down on the table and helped himself to a cup of tea with a shocking amount of sugar. Cadi watched him and grimaced.
“Well, I don’t like to think that they’re unhappy about something, especially with the baby coming,” Annabel fretted.
“Mum,” Hugh said with a sigh. “Every couple fights. It’s normal. Now eat breakfast and stop worrying, for pity’s sake.”
“I’ll wait for them,” his mother answered. “I want to make sure everything is all right. You are all scheduled to go hiking this afternoon, right, Eilidh?” she asked, turning to me. “I want everyone to enjoy the day.” Hugh shook his head and started eating. Cadi asked Annabel for a section of the newspaper and leafed through it, scanning the headlines while Hugh and I ate breakfast.
I had just finished my last sip of tea and was pushing by my chair back to go get another cup when Sian came into the room. Her eyebrows were knit together and her face looked stormy.
“Has anyone seen Andreas?” she asked.
We all looked at each other and shook our heads. “Where is he?” Cadi asked.
“If I knew that I wouldn’t have asked,” Sian answered with a sneer.
“I haven’t seen him yet this morning,” Annabel said, ignoring the glares that passed between her daughters-in-law. “Why don’t you sit down and have some breakfast? You look a little peaked.”
Sian gave Annabel a look of frustration, but she did as her mother-in-law suggested. She didn’t eat much, though, opting for just a piece of bread and a cup of herbal tea.
“Sian, are you sure you’re eating enough?” Annabel fretted. “I don’t want to meddle, but I want to make sure you’re getting plenty to eat. I want to make sure that grandbaby of mine is growing. Should I ask Maisie to prepare something else?”
“No, no,” Sian hastened to assure Annabel. “I’m fine. Just not very hungry, I guess. I’ll eat more later, I promise.”
“Anything wrong, Sian?” Cadi asked, her voice all innocence.
Sian cocked her head and stared at Cadi through narrowed eyes. “As if you have no idea what’s going on.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cadi said, a slight smile touching her lips.
Sian rolled her eyes. “Cadi, you’re positively flushed with excitement over what you must have heard last night.
Stop pretending.”
“Well, you two were a little loud. And I don’t know who left through the front door and slammed it, but that shook the building to its very rafters.”
“It could have been Andreas. I don’t know,” Sian answered.
“I’m sure it was Andreas,” Cadi said.
“Cadi, let it go. It’s none of our business,” Hugh admonished her, then continued, ignoring his own advice. “Sian, what’s Andreas up to that’s causing money problems?”
“Our financial matters are none of your business, Hugh,” Sian said.
“You made them our business when you shouted them at the tops of your lungs last night,” Cadi said.
Sian stood up and threw her napkin down on the table. “Annabel, I’m afraid I’ve lost my appetite. I’m going for a walk.” She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room as best a pregnant woman could do.
Annabel stood up, too. “Oh, no. Now what’ll we do? Andreas must be around here somewhere. He should really be the one to talk to Sian. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of them. I’m sure Sian doesn’t want to talk to me about their problems.”
“I’ll ask Maisie to make up a plate for Sian to eat later,” I offered. It gave me an excuse to leave the dining room, where it was becoming increasingly tense. I went downstairs to the relative calm of the kitchen and found Maisie in there.
“Maisie, could you fix a plate so Sian can have her breakfast later? She’s not herself this morning and I don’t think she feels like eating right now.”
“What’s the matter?” Maisie asked.
“She and Andreas had an argument last night and I think she’s still a bit upset,” I said.
“Sure,” Maisie said. She wiped her hands on a dish towel hanging next to her and hurried up the stairs. I lingered in the kitchen, wondering how long I could stay down there without Annabel starting to wonder where I had gone. I loved the peace and quiet of below-stairs and wasn’t ready to return to the family.
But the peace and quiet didn’t last long.
Chapter 4
Maisie came back downstairs after just a few minutes and informed me with a sympathetic smile that Annabel was looking for me.
I found my boss in the sitting room, twisting her scarf in her hands, a familiar gesture when she was upset or anxious about something.
“Maisie told me you’re looking for me, Annabel. What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid this argument between Andreas and Sian is serious. Andreas won’t answer my texts and I haven’t seen him anywhere this morning.”
“He may be your son, but don’t forget he’s a grown man,” I told her. “Maybe he just needs some time to himself. I’m sure he’ll answer your texts when he’s ready.”
“Did you hear the door in the great hall slam last night?” she asked me.
I nodded. “It woke me up. Did you hear it?”
“No,” she answered, shaking her head sadly. “I’m sure it was him. He must have been terribly angry to leave like that, especially with Sian so close to having the baby. That’s not like him.”
I wondered how well Annabel actually knew Andreas—he and Sian hadn’t exactly been frequent visitors since I had come to the castle. They had only visited four or five times over the months I had lived in Annabel’s home and never overnight; to me, their relationship with Annabel had never seemed especially close.
“Would you like me to look for him?” I asked. “This place is huge. Do you think it’s possible he’s lying low on one of the upper floors, maybe in a storage room or one of the bedrooms that isn’t used?”
Annabel pursed her lips. “I doubt it. He’s not a child, and that’s the sort of thing he and his brothers used to do when they were very young.”
“It couldn’t hurt to try,” I said gently.
“All right,” Annabel agreed. “I’m going out to see if Sian’s all right.” I went to my bedroom to fetch my mobile phone in case I needed a light.
Mobile phone in hand, I went to the main staircase. At the first landing there was a window overlooking the fields and the drive in front of the castle. I half expected to see Andreas walking toward the house, but the only people I saw were Sian and Annabel. I continued up the stairs to the top floor, where the hallway sconces were burning and the doors, like soldiers at attention, all stood closed to visitors. Once the sound of my footsteps died down, the silence was complete.
It was positively spooky.
I opened the door nearest me, then peered around the edge of the door, shaking my head vigorously as if to shake off any doubt or fear. I reached for the light switch on the wall and a single lamp came to life, giving a meager light to the room. I was in a storage room, so I looked around and under a few large pieces of furniture that were lined up neatly against the walls and I checked in the adjoining dressing room, but there was no one in there but me. I turned off the light and repeated the same actions in every room until I reached the end of the hallway without seeing any sign of Andreas.
I methodically searched the lower floors but after a few hours I was forced to admit that Andreas was not in the castle. It must have been him leaving when I heard the door slam during the night. As I descended the main staircase I looked out the windows and saw Sian and Annabel emerge from the English cottage garden. Of all the gardens surrounding the castle, including a wildflower garden and a Christmas garden, the English cottage garden was Annabel’s favorite. She loved to show people the plants she spent so much time tending. She and Sian were both worrying about Andreas, I was sure, so it was a good thing for them to have some time together.
Finally I went downstairs. Hugh, Cadi, and Rhisiart were already finishing lunch in the dining room.
“Annabel tells us you’ve planned some sort of hike for us this afternoon,” Hugh said, pointing at his hiking boots. “We don’t need to be entertained, you know.”
“I know, but Annabel didn’t want you to feel cooped up indoors. She thought this would be fun for you.”
“How much is the guide?” Cadi asked.
“Annabel had already paid the guide, including the gratuity. It won’t cost you anything,” I answered with just a hint of annoyance.
“Good,” Cadi muttered.
“The guide should be here soon,” I said. “Would you like to wait out front? He’ll arrive in a van so you don’t have to drive anywhere.”
“Good lord, we’re not children,” Rhisiart said in disgust.
“Annabel knows that,” I answered lightly. “She just wants you to have a worry-free holiday.”
Rhisiart made a “hmm” sound and shrugged his arms into the coat he carried. I walked the three of them to the front door. The trail guide happened to be parked outside already, so he bundled his guests into the van. I wasn’t sorry to see them drive away.
As I was turning to go back inside I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Griff, the man who managed Annabel’s stables, was coming around the nearest turret toward the front of the castle. I waited for him. He was of medium height with a stocky build and sandy-colored hair. He was dressed in a heavy jacket and muddy work boots. He looked down at his feet once he was inside. “Should I take these off?” he asked me.
“If you don’t mind,” I said. “I don’t want to make more work for Brenda.” He bent down to unlace the boots and then stood there in his sock feet.
“What brings you up to the house?” I asked.
“Annabel called me. She asked if I’d come up here. She wants to talk about building onto the stables.” I nodded. Annabel had spoken to me about the possibility of taking on more horses and creating a park where old horses could come and live out their “retirement” in happiness. Apparently she had decided to take the next step and discuss the issue with her stable manager. Talking to him would help take her mind off Andreas, too. I suggested that Griff have some lunch while he
waited for Annabel. He accepted and we sat across from each other in the dining room as we enjoyed Maisie’s hearty meal of ham sandwiches with potato salad.
Griff was quiet and easy to talk to. I told him what had been going on.
“Andreas’ll be back when he’s good and ready,” Griff said.
“I hope that’s soon,” I answered. “It’s rather selfish of him, considering he’s going to be a father very soon. I’m sure Sian is worried about him and she has enough to think about right now.”
He nodded in agreement and just then Annabel appeared in the doorway. “I apologize for being late,” she said. “I was showing Sian the English garden.” She greeted Griff warmly and sat down at the table after helping herself to a small lunch. I got up to leave, but she asked me to stay and talk about the planned horse retirement park with her and Griff.
Griff was enthusiastic about the plan. He said he would come up with some rough sketches for enlarging the current stable and adding on a new tack room. Eventually he stood up to leave.
I walked to the front door with him and stood waiting while he put his boots back on. When he left he hurried in the direction of the stables, turning around once to wave in my direction. I waved back and shut the door to find Annabel standing behind me.
“What a nice man,” she said, giving me a sly look. This wasn’t the first time Annabel had pointed out Griff’s fine personality or his rugged-outdoorsman looks, but I was in no mood for matchmaking, so I talked about something else.
“I searched the rooms on the upper floors and didn’t find Andreas, obviously. As Griff said earlier, I’m sure Andreas will come back when he’s good and ready.”
“I know that. Sometimes I wish my son would think of someone other than himself.” She turned around and walked toward her sitting room. “I have some things to do for my club,” she said, referring to the local ladies’ club she presided over. “Why don’t you take some time for yourself? When is Sylvie getting here?”
I had almost forgotten about Sylvie in the stress of looking for Andreas. I glanced at my watch. “She should be here in time for dinner,” I replied.