by Ali Carter
‘Soft green velvet, it goes with your dress.’ He stroked my shoulder and I felt my face go hot.
‘Angel,’ said Zoe, ‘I think we should eat.’
‘Yes, come on then. The haggis, neeps and tatties will be waiting. Rupert, will you bring the wine, and Giles, put the guard in front of the fire, will you please?’
Zoe led the way to the dining room; no one hesitated about where to sit. We all plonked ourselves down in order and I ended up perfectly happily between Fergus and Giles. Lianne, Zoe and Rupert served the food and when a plate was put in front of him Shane exclaimed, ‘Yuk.’
‘Oi, don’t be so rude,’ said Giles.
‘But it looks like a nutty turd.’
‘Now you’ve spoilt it for all of us,’ said Lianne.
‘Why don’t you just try it?’ encouraged Zoe. ‘You might be surprised.’
Shane put the tiniest amount on his fork and we all watched as he pushed it between his reluctant-to-open lips.
‘Maybe it’s not so bad.’ He gave a massive smile.
‘Well, if you like it that much,’ said Minty, ‘you can have a bit of mine.’
‘No thanks.’
‘You don’t have to eat it all,’ said Fergus. ‘Just leave what you don’t want, and we’ll feed it to the namesake.’
‘He won’t get any from me,’ said Rupert.
‘Me neither,’ said Felicity.
‘Or Louis,’ I teased. ‘The French love offal.’
‘Too true.’ He beamed at me across the table and I wondered if we’d have another kiss tonight.
I quite like eating haggis once every five years and it’s amusing that Zoe and Fergus are feeding it to us tonight. They’re trying their best to give a Scottish experience and, as naff as it is, it adds to the occasion.
I looked across at Jane sitting on Fergus’s right and when I overheard her say, ‘You are fortunate to have help spanning two generations,’ I leant in to hear more.
‘Aren’t we just,’ he agreed. ‘My parents taught Mhàiri and Donald the ropes and now Zoe and I are reaping the benefits.’
‘It is marvellous they’re not ambitious,’ said Jane. ‘My mother always maintained education’s dangerous. It makes the likes of country folk want to move on, get up in the world. It’s a real bonus for you if the schools are bad round here. It’ll keep your staff loyal, you know.’
‘I’ve never looked at it like that. But I do worry for our children before they’re old enough to board.’
‘You mustn’t,’ said Jane. ‘The sophistication of life here combined with a little bit of,’ she lowered her voice, ‘nepotism,’ and raised it again, ‘will see them sail through Common Entrance.’
‘I do hope so.’
I’m rather surprised by Jane’s sudden will to engage. It’s not like she’s made much of an effort to chat to the Muchtons before. But here, now, although I completely disagree with what she’s saying, it’s made me happy to see her in a good mood. It’s almost as if a huge weight has lifted off her mind. Most likely she’s managed to rearrange her flight and is in better spirits knowing this is her last night.
She complimented Fergus on his library and tucked into her food.
‘Do you like reading, Susie?’ Fergus asked.
‘Yes, very much.’
‘I try, but it tends to send me to sleep.’
‘Very helpful in the right circumstances.’
‘Indeed.’ He looked at my empty plate. ‘Would you like some more?’
‘Angel,’ called Zoe with an eye on his actions. ‘I’m afraid we’ve started to clear. We mustn’t let dinner drag on.’
‘No, of course not. Here, let me help.’
The main course plates were stacked and steam pudding arrived to the delight of all. The whisky cream to drizzle on top looked particularly delicious, and if I were Mhàiri I would have made an extra portion to guzzle in the kitchen.
Felicity licked her lips. ‘Mmm, mmm, such rich food you have here.’
‘Like how much?’ said Shane.
‘Rich as in creamy. Duh,’ said Lianne.
The swing door opened and in rushed Mhàiri. She whispered something in Fergus’s ear.
‘Susie,’ he said. ‘That’ll probably be your friend.’
My heart jumped. Friend, yeah right. We both got up and left the room.
In the hall, filling more than his fair share of it, was a pot-bellied man with a bright red face.
‘Davy?’ said Fergus.
‘Aye. Nice to meet you, Sir.’ He shoved out his right hand. ‘And you, Madam,’ Davy nodded; he hadn’t mistaken me for Zoe.
‘Welcome,’ said Fergus.
‘I hoped to be here a bit earlier but we got caught up on your drive with a van. Had to reverse back, never an easy thing to do in the dark.’
‘On our drive?’ said Fergus, a little surprised.
‘Aye.’
‘How strange. Did you come up the front or the back?’
‘It had a cottage a wee way up it.’
‘Ah yes, the back. It must have been my brother. Now, Susie, would you mind showing Davy to the music room and I’ll go and let Zoe know the band’s arrived.’
‘Of course.’ I looked at Davy. ‘Would you like me to carry anything?’
‘No. I’ve got my accordion in here, and let me just give the others a wee shoot. They’re a bit timid of a big hoose like this.’
Davy stuck his head outside and back with it came a girl tripping through the front door, violin case in one hand and a battery pack in the other.
‘This is me daughter, Rosie.’
‘Hi, I’m Susie, nice to meet you. Here, let me carry something.’ She handed me the battery. ‘We’ll put this all in the music room, follow me.’
‘It’s humungous,’ said Davy as we entered.
‘It gets bigger,’ I said. ‘Would you mind helping me pull back the folding door?’
‘That yun down there?’
‘Yes.’
‘A few of you here then?’
‘Twelve in total.’
‘You ken the reels?’
‘I’ve done a bit before but not sure I remember them. We’re all from the south so you’ll have to talk us through it.’
‘Aye, I thought so from your accent but you canee be too sure in a hoose like this.’
‘Dad,’ said Rosie, ‘shall I go get the speakers? I think Jimmy needs a hand.’
‘Aye, Rosie, go fetch him.’
Davy spun three hundred and sixty degrees on the heel of his buckled shoe. ‘Quite a place they’ve got here. Friends of the Muchtons, are you?’
‘Not officially; there’s a group of us on an art residency for the week. I’m the tutor.’
‘Having fun, are you?’
‘Yes, it’s been great.’
Zoe came into the room and shook Davy’s hand. ‘Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Zoe. Is there anything you need?’
‘No, you’re fine. My wains will be here in a moment. They’ve got the rest of the kit. Give us ten minutes or so and we’ll be ready for you.’
Zoe left and I hovered around to ‘help’.
‘So,’ I said with a carefree breath, ‘what was this van like you saw?’
‘It was a silver Transit, you ken. Wasn’t expecting that. Must have been lost.’
It sounded very like the one I’d seen in Mike’s yard.
‘Were there people in it?’
‘Aye, just one and we were only late because I didn’t want to have to make the lady reverse.’
‘A woman was driving it?’
‘Aye. That’s why it would be in a muddle.’
I feigned a smile. I see no point in rising to comments like this, but, you would have to be a real fool to take a wrong turn off a tarmac road onto what could hardly be described as more than a track. And if Ewen’s away, what was this woman doing? Very odd.
Davy’s head turned to the door. ‘Jimmy, this is Susie; Susie, Jimmy. Right, come on you pair, where shall
we set up?’
Rosie and Jimmy looked a similar age, late teens I’d say, their spotty faces and lack of a smile giving that away.
‘Do you need any more help from me?’
‘No thanks,’ said Davy, ‘just pass on to the host, five minutes and we’ll be ready for you all.’
Dancing pairs were being drawn when the doorbell rang and Fergus rushed out of the drawing room.
Toby had arrived. I was embarrassed – he was late.
‘You’re just in time, son,’ said Davy as he and Fergus entered the room. ‘Better get yourself a partner. I’m about to give a wee demonstration of the Gay Gordons.’
Jane looked astounded.
I’ve reeled a bit in the past and know enough to be privy to the snobbery of it all. There are a handful of easy-peasy fling-your-partner-around-the-room dances known to cause upper (class) lips to curl, Gay Gordons being one of them. But Fergus had asked Davy to choose the reels, saying he and Zoe would keep out of it.
With Toby’s arrival numbers were now even, and Fergus, leaving no time for the rest of us to say hello, pushed him in Jane’s general direction. She had to join in now.
Toby managed to grin momentarily as he moved past me and I gave a slight nod hello.
‘Right you are then.’ Davy put down his accordion, grasped hold of Zoe, and the demonstration began.
‘That way, this way, no, this way, yes, that way…’ This great big jolly man shouted out the steps and, good on Zoe, she threw herself into it. Davy’s beer belly brushed against her midriff as they skipped and twirled and twisted around the room.
‘That looks easy,’ said Lianne smiling at Shane, as Louis, my partner, took my hand.
The music began and backwards and forwards we kicked out our legs in one giant circle.
‘FORWARDS FOR THREE, SWIVEL, BACKWARDS FOR THREE,’ Davy shouted enthusiastically over the din. ‘Hold your partner, that’s it, step, hop, step, hop.’
The great thing about Highland music is the way the chords repeat themselves over and over, and as long as you can jump up and down while wiggling your body, you get away with looking like you know what you’re doing.
But Louis was struggling, inhibition getting in the way. Every time I tried to speed up the twirling, get him to twist his arms over my head, he’d retaliate and stiffen up.
‘Is something wrong?’ I whispered and he looked at me as if I’d gone mad.
Jimmy and Rosie’s bows were moving at a tremendous speed as they played along to their father’s lead. I wonder if this is how they like to spend a Wednesday night?
The music reached a crescendo and cut out, the speaker crackled and Giles led us all in a round of applause.
‘Louis?’ I said before we parted.
‘Yes?’
‘What’s up?’
‘That was great. Thanks for being my partner.’ He kissed me on the cheek and drew away.
‘You weren’t very relaxed.’ I tugged on his arm.
‘Ouch.’
‘Sorry, are you okay?’
‘Just pulled a muscle and it really hurts.’
‘During the reel?’
‘No,’ he laughed. ‘But I hadn’t noticed it before.’
‘That wasn’t so hard,’ said Felicity, bustling between us.
‘It was embarrassing,’ said Minty.
‘It was a little,’ said Rupert.
‘Strip the Willow’s next,’ said Davy and brilliantly Shane asked me to dance. So far, I’d avoided having to even speak to Toby.
Jane took Fergus’s hand at the top of the set and we were told that, as this reel involved only one couple dancing at a time, ‘it’s so easy, you can learn it on the trot’. The music started and Fergus and Jane elegantly swung their way down and back up the line, twisting and turning until we all felt dizzy. When their routine was over, Minty and Giles were next. Both of them had said they’d reeled before and took it upon themselves to demonstrate a sophisticated double-arm manoeuvre. When Shane, my partner, tried to copy, it resulted in the most complicated entanglement. We were literally locked together and to the sound of stamping feet and yodelling we abandoned proceedings and repositioned ourselves at the bottom of the set.
Once everyone had fulfilled their turn Davy suggested an encore, but no one’s arms had it in them. ‘Let’s take a break,’ said Zoe, and without waiting for an answer she plonked herself down on a sofa against the wall.
‘I’ll go and get some drinks,’ said Fergus, already one step out the door. ‘Back in a sec.’
Toby was coming towards me and when his mouth opened and he said, ‘Sorry I was a bit late,’ I wished he’d started his apologies many months ago.
‘You’re here now.’
‘Yes.’
‘I’m Giles Chesterton,’ said Giles, thankfully coming between us.
‘Toby Cropper.’
Fergus was back with the drinks and Toby, who has good manners, I’ll give him that, offered to help.
‘You take the water.’ Fergus handed him a jug. ‘Rupert’s coming with glasses.’
I poured myself a large glass of wine. I need more alcohol to get through this evening.
When the music began again all us girls, other than Jane who was most definitely a woman, kicked off our shoes to the great relief of our heels.
Giles asked me to dance and I disliked myself for wanting to say no. He was dripping with sweat and I felt revolted by the thought I’d get its precipitation when he performed his complex twirling. But, so far, I’d avoided having to dance with Toby and that thought cheered me up.
‘Eightsome reel,’ said Davy, drawing shut his accordion. ‘This one ain’t as tricky as it looks. Trust me. My Lord, you must know it, don’t you?’
‘My Lord?’ said Shane. ‘Who’s he when he’s at home?’
‘Do call me Fergus,’ said Fergus modestly.
‘Right ye are. I’m going to play very slowly and you and…’ Davy paused.
‘Zoe, call me Zoe.’
‘…Zoe can walk through the moves showing the others.’
‘This calls for a set of only eight people,’ said Fergus. ‘So, once we’ve demonstrated, Zoe and I will keep you straight from the side-lines.’
‘We’ll happily step out too,’ said Jane, dragging Rupert with her.
‘Okay, perfect. We can always have another go after.’
The demonstration began in slow mode.
‘This is a difficult one,’ said Felicity.
‘But it’s such a good reel,’ said Minty.
‘You’ve done it before?’ I smiled.
‘Many times. I go to the Highland Ball most seasons.’
‘Now that’s a marvellous dance,’ said Jane, who was hovering just outside the set, ready to step in if anyone made a mistake. ‘I went several times as a child.’
‘Did you grow up in Scotland?’ I asked.
‘No, my parents had connections here.’
‘Here exactly…or generally?’
‘Don’t be silly.’ Jane avoided an answer.
Zoe and Fergus left the set and the music began. Round we all went in a circle for ten and back for ten. Jane couldn’t help herself shouting out directions, ‘SET, set, TURN your partner, SET, set, figure of eight. Figure of eight.’
Louis was on my right with his partner Lianne, and when she threw her arms up in the air for a twirl, I was pleased to see him flinch again. He really had pulled a muscle, it wasn’t anything to do with me.
The Eightsome reel is a killer if, like me, you’re shy at heart. The absolutely worst part comes when you have to stand in the centre of a turning circle, all alone, performing a little jig. Everyone’s eyes are on you and the whole ghastly process seems to take an age.
‘In you go, Lianne,’ shouted Jane and the good-time girl burst into uncontrollable giggles. The momentum was lost, the set fell apart and I was unbelievably relieved to have missed my turn.
Davy wasn’t going to let us rest. He coaxed his children to speed u
p the tempo and bellowed at us all to ‘TWIRL’ and ‘CLAP’ and ‘SPIN’ and ‘BOUNCE’, ‘SWAP YOUR PARTNERS ONE TWO THREE.’ It was mayhem but surprisingly good fun.
When the music stopped, Louis came and whispered in my ear, ‘Save the last dance for me.’ I smiled a smile full of joy – only because I thought Toby might be watching.
‘Who wants another drink?’ said Rupert, offering the bottle of white wine around the room. Rather too at home, I thought.
Louis, Lianne, Shane and Giles went outside to cool off and I glided alone up one end of the room.
‘What a place this is,’ I heard behind me and turned to meet Toby’s sparkling blue eyes.
‘Not bad.’
‘I’ve just had a little snoop, pretended I was going to the loo. Kind of thing you’d do.’
I didn’t react. It annoyed me he knew me so well.
‘They’ve got some great paintings, haven’t they?’
‘They do.’
‘Come on, Susie, can’t we at least have a conversation?’
‘Sure.’
‘Okay then. Have you looked at the paintings?’
‘Fergus gave us a tour.’
‘Lucky you. Any particular gems?’
‘I’d never seen any Landseer oil sketches before and there are a lot of them upstairs.’
‘He used to give them as presents when he went to stay, didn’t he?’
Why isn’t there anything Toby doesn’t know? I bet he was a right suck at school. Loser.
‘Yes, he did.’
‘Well, he must have come here a lot…Perhaps there was something going on?’
‘Like what?’
‘An affair or something.’
Grrr. This was going all wrong. I had no way out of the conversation.
‘He was Fergus’s great-aunt’s lover.’
‘Great-aunt? That would make him about a hundred and thirty-seven years old.’
‘Very clever,’ I finally smiled. Toby knew his stuff. ‘Great-great-great-great-great-aunt then.’
His laugh made me laugh. It was difficult not to. I adore Toby, had adored Toby. His blue eyes, his curly hair, his ability to mingle in any company. He liked walking and swimming and cooking and being with me. My heart sank; would I ever find someone as companionable as that?
‘Susie,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.’