A Highland Family Affair (Highlands #3)

Chapter 8

8

Tuesday afternoon rolled around, and Olivia roped in the help of Brodie to sit in on the PA interviews for a second perspective, and Mirren to show the interviewees through to the office as they arrived. By four in the afternoon, they had interviewed five candidates but were disappointed to say the least.

‘I honestly thought we would have found the perfect person by now,’ Olivia said with a sigh as they waited for the final candidate to arrive. ‘I underestimated how hard it would be.’

Brodie sighed. ‘I must admit, I’m surprised that we haven’t got multiple options at this point. But none of them seemed just right.’

Olivia scoffed. ‘The first guy was just…’

‘ Arrogant ,’ they both stated simultaneously.

‘The way he said, “Oh, I could run this place with my eyes closed,” was the final straw,’ Olivia said with a roll of her eyes. ‘He made it sound like we were all incompetent and we’d be lucky to have him on board. Not the way to make friends and influence people.’

‘Yeah, and I just loved the way he said, “I think you’ll want to increase my salary pretty quickly once you see what improvements I can make to the place.”’ Brodie laughed. ‘Erm, I don’t think so, pal. You knew what the salary was when you agreed to the interview.’

Olivia paused for a moment, lost in thought. ‘And the last woman was too mousy. I can’t see her coping under stress.’

Brodie nodded. ‘Aye, I agree. She was picking at her nails the whole time.’ He contorted his face. ‘Bleurgh.’ He shook his head. ‘I think my dad would terrify her, never mind Mirren.’ He chuckled.

There was a knock on the door and Mirren opened it. ‘I heard that, Brodie MacLeod,’ she hissed, her eyes narrowed. ‘You make me sound like some kind of ogre.’

He grinned. ‘Good thing you love me, eh, Mama Mirren?’

She flicked her head, making a show of ignoring him, but Olivia caught the slight smile that flashed briefly on her lips. ‘Lady Olivia, your final candidate is here.’

‘Thanks, Mirren, show her in.’

A tall woman of, Olivia guessed, around thirty-five walked into the room. She had caramel-brown hair that sat in waves to her shoulders, and she was dressed in a very smart wool suit in pale pink and brown tweed. She carried a rather nice brown leather handbag and a matching leather folder. She definitely looks the part , Olivia thought. Although I’d better not get my hopes up . The woman smiled as she walked over to the leather chesterfield sofas where the interviews were being conducted, and held out her hand.

‘It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady MacBain. I’m Charlotte Szabo.’

Olivia shook her hand. ‘Good to meet you, Charlotte. Please, call me Olivia. And this is my partner, Brodie.’ She shook Brodie’s hand too and smiled brightly. Olivia gestured to the sofa. ‘Please have a seat.’ They all sat, and Olivia continued, ‘Szabo is an unusual name. Definitely not Scottish.’

Charlotte’s cheeks flushed. ‘Ah, yes. My ex-husband was… well, still is Hungarian.’

‘Ah, I see,’ Olivia said with a nod and a smile. Trust me to make that my first observation .

The interview went well. Charlotte was confident without being arrogant and pleasant without being mousy. She was currently helping out at the florist’s in Drumblair village but it was only part-time and she needed more hours. Olivia got a very positive feeling about her.

‘So, you’ve told us about your qualifications and experience, now tell us a little about yourself, Charlotte.’

Charlotte took a deep breath. ‘Hmm, where to start… I love horses. I like to ride in any spare time I get. In fact, I met my ex-husband at a riding stable that he owned. But perhaps that’s a story for another time. I love historical fiction and romance novels but never seem to have the time to read. And… I suppose the most important thing, I have a fourteen-year-old son called William, Will for short, who is my pride and joy. We relocated here from Hampshire after my divorce. I’m originally from Dornoch but moved away for university. Dornoch is lovely, of course, but I wanted to be closer to a city for Will, so we chose to rent in Drumblair village to get the best of both worlds. Oh, and we have a cat called Spock.’ She giggled. ‘Just to clarify, I didn’t name him.’

Brodie laughed. ‘Well, that’s a new one to add to the list of pet names. We do love a weird name around here.’

‘Thanks to my ex, my son is obsessed with Star Trek ,’ Charlotte said by way of explanation and with a shake of her head. ‘When Will was ten, we went to the Cat’s Protection to find him a pet and as soon as he saw the little black and white kitten he insisted on the name. Can you imagine what it’s like calling the cat in from the garden?’ She laughed.

‘We have a dog called Wilf and my brother has a dog named Sir Lancelot, so…’

Charlotte pulled her lips between her teeth and nodded. ‘Enough said.’

‘Right. Well, thank you so much for coming, Charlotte. It was lovely to meet you. We’ll be in touch very soon,’ Olivia said as she stood and held out her hand.

Charlotte followed suit. ‘Thank you so much.’ She turned to leave but paused and faced Olivia again. ‘Can I just say… this place is truly stunning. Ever since I moved back to Scotland from Hampshire, I’ve wanted to work here. I came on the castle tour when you first opened to the public and think it’s wonderful, and so brave, that you’ve allowed people into your home. It can’t have been easy. If things don’t go my way and you employ someone else, I want you to know that I wish you all the very best with what you’re doing here. May it go from strength to strength.’

Olivia smiled, warmed by her words. ‘That’s very kind, Charlotte. Thank you.’

Once Charlotte had left the office and closed the door, Olivia and Brodie turned to each other and simultaneously said, ‘She’s the one!’

Later that evening, after discussing the matter further, Olivia made the call to Charlotte.

The call was picked up after a couple of rings. ‘Hello?’

‘Oh, hello, I’m guessing you’re Will? Could I speak to Charlotte, please?’

‘Erm… yeah, hang on… Mum ! There’s some woman on the phone for you!’ Olivia held the handset away from her ear and winced.

‘Hello? Charlotte Szabo speaking.’

‘Hi, Charlotte, it’s Olivia MacBain from Drumblair Castle.’

‘Oh, my word, I’m so sorry about Will shouting like that! He has no phone etiquette, I’m so embarrassed. But then again, kids these days only ever send texts and WhatsApp messages. I hope your hearing is intact.’

Olivia laughed. ‘All good. But he has quite a pair of lungs on him. Anyway, I’ve phoned to offer you the job as my PA if you’re still interested.’ There was a long pause and Olivia’s stomach dropped. ‘Have… have you changed your mind?’

‘Oh, my goodness, no! I have definitely not changed my mind. I’m just surprised. I honestly thought I had totally fluffed the interview. I have a tendency to babble when I’m nervous.’

Relief flooded Olivia. ‘Well, if it’s any consolation, both Brodie and I thought you came across really well this afternoon. We agreed as soon as you left that you were the person for the job.’

‘I’m absolutely delighted. Thank you so much.’

Olivia could hear genuine excitement in her voice and was happy that they had made the right choice. ‘The question is, how soon can you start?’

‘Is Friday too soon?’

‘No, Friday’s good for me.’

‘That’s great. It gives me a couple of days to get organised and for Ellen at the florist’s to get one of her other helpers in.’

‘Right, well, we’ll see you on Friday,’ Olivia said.

‘I’m really looking forward to it. See you then,’ Charlotte replied.

Once the call ended, Olivia breathed another sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that her trip to Skye with Brodie could go ahead without delays.

By Wednesday lunchtime, Olivia had been stuck in the office all morning going over the initial plans for the Christmas Countdown Fayre and she was missing Bella terribly. Her best friend’s organisational skills had been second to none and Olivia was at least grateful for the copious amount of notes Bella had left, although her brain still ached with figures, suppliers, entertainment, who would be Santa this year, etc, etc, etc. She decided she needed fresh air.

Mirren was out with Dougie and Brodie was busy going over paperwork pertaining to the roof repairs and the logistics of getting the work done without disrupting the running of the castle. She wrapped up warm and headed out, making sure to pull up her thick knitted scarf against the icy breeze that was rattling the bare tree branches. The dark grey clouds above the castle threatened rain so she knew she didn’t want to get caught in that. A quick circuit of one of the paths through the grounds would give her time to clear her head and gather her thoughts. As she walked, she watched a buzzard hovering overhead before diving to the ground, no doubt to catch its lunch.

She greeted some members of the public as they passed her, walking their little black dog on an extendable lead. It still felt a little bizarre to her that complete strangers were wandering around her garden.

As she made her way along one of the paths that had been added as part of the public access, she saw Kerr coming towards her in the opposite direction. He was wearing that same beanie he had been carrying on the day he returned to Drumblair and he still looked skinnier than she was used to. Of course, his loyal companion trotted along beside him, his long fluffy tail wagging merrily as he did so.

As he got closer, Kerr called, ‘Olivia! Just the person! I need to talk to you about a brilliant business idea I’ve had.’

This wasn’t something she was particularly happy to hear. Her brother had been known for his brilliant ideas in the past. Many of which had taken place when he worked in stocks and shares after university, and equally as many had ended in huge financial losses for all concerned.

She decided, against her own better judgement, to humour him on this occasion, however. ‘Oh, really? What idea?’

‘How about I join you on your walk and I tell you all about it?’

So much for time to collect my thoughts . She nodded. ‘Okay, but I’m not making any promises.’

He fell into step beside her. ‘So, you know the Gordons?’

Olivia scrunched her brow. ‘The family who run the plant nursery?’

‘Yes, that’s them. Anyway, I was speaking to Mr Gordon when I was out walking with Lancey yesterday and he’s said he’s going to retire after Christmas.’

This was news to her. ‘Oh, right. Are you sure? He hasn’t mentioned anything to me about giving up the land.’

Kerr blurted, ‘I want to take it over.’

She wasn’t sure if he meant what she thought he meant. ‘You want to take what over?’

His eyes were wide and verging on manic, she thought. Although his hollow cheeks and pronounced cheekbones didn’t help his appearance.

‘Think about it, Liv, it’s the perfect solution. The business is up and running. It’s already on castle land. And instead of just receiving the tiny amount of rent Dad charged the Gordons, it could be another string to the castle’s bow. There’s virtually no risk at all.’ His enthusiasm wasn’t lost on her but his ability to run a plant business definitely was.

She curled her lip. ‘And you know all about growing and caring for plants and trees, do you?’

He cringed and stopped walking. ‘Not a thing, but I could learn. Dougie could give me some pointers. I could do it, Liv, just give me a chance.’

She held up her hands and carried on walking ahead of him. ‘I’m sorry, Kerr, but forgive me for not jumping at the chance. Am I the only one who remembers your many other business ideas? The ones that cost tons of people to lose thousands? Pardon me for not throwing wodges of cash at you to buy out a bloody nursery business that you have no experience of.’

He caught up to her and tugged her sleeve, so she stopped and faced him. ‘The thing is, Liv, I need a project, something to keep me occupied. I can’t just carry on sitting about all day like I’m doing at the moment. I’m struggling with the reality of sobriety and even though I’m fighting temptation and I’m determined to stick with it, I feel like being busy and having a focus would really help.’

She sighed. ‘But wouldn’t it be too stressful, learning new skills and running a business on top of new sobriety? And aren’t you supposed to steer clear of anything that might tempt you on that score?’

He shook his head. ‘Not at all, Liv. I’m not intending to make a quick buck. Nor am I expecting to keep the money. I’m thinking you could buy him out, he doesn’t want much, just enough to cover the goodwill. Mr Gordon owns his own house in the village and has a good private pension from what he told me. It’s not the biggest business in Scotland, granted, but I think it has such potential. My head is buzzing with ideas, Liv. The land is ours… erm… yours already.’

When Olivia didn’t speak, he continued.

‘I could work for meals and board. I’m thinking of getting more tenants for the town house, it’s too big for just me. And I don’t think living alone is a good idea at the moment anyway. The rent would give me a wage and some money to invest in the business too, so you can see I’m serious about this. And maybe, if you’d allow it, I could live indefinitely at Drumblair, in my old room. I wouldn’t get under your feet, I promise. I could be useful.’ He put his hands together in a praying motion. ‘I want to be useful. I want to make something of my life for once.’

‘And you think growing and selling plants and trees will satisfy you?’ She shook her head. ‘It’s hardly thrilling, Kerr, and you’ve always been about the thrill. You can’t deny that.’

He nodded. ‘I know I have in the past. But that’s not who I am any more. It’s not who I want to be. I have an opportunity to make a difference and a positive one for a change. I think I could make this work. I really do. And I’m not looking for a quick fix, Liv. I’m looking for something I can get my teeth into. Something completely different. I’ve also been looking into college courses in tree surgery. That way I could have a sideline year-round. The number of trees in this area and the storms we have, it’s essential for people to look after their trees, and I could be that person. I know it probably sounds utterly ridiculous, but I’ve never felt like this about anything before. I’ve never wanted to do something this much. All I’ve ever done is try to make and make millions quickly and I’ve failed every time, you’re right about that. But I really think I could make a go of this. I could give back to the castle. To you .’

The sincerity in his eyes shocked Olivia. But what shocked her even more was that she believed every word he had uttered. ‘But you’ve never done a day of physical labour in your life, Kerr, and you know that this is all physical labour, don’t you? I mean, you do understand that there’s no sitting behind a desk barking orders at people, don’t you?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘You really do underestimate me, don’t you? Of course I know it’s physical. But that’s exactly what I want. Something completely different.’

Olivia sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to support him but not to the detriment of the castle and its finances. ‘I’ll need to think about it, Kerr. I’ll need to decide if there’s money to invest in something like this. It wasn’t on the radar before so I can’t just agree and hand over the money. It’ll take a lot of consideration. And I’ll need to speak to Ali Gordon myself. He may have someone in mind to take over already. His son may want to.’

Kerr shook his head. ‘His son is moving to Shetland to take over a farm. And his daughter’s still working in Edinburgh for the law firm.’

‘Can you leave it with me, Kerr? I love that you’re excited, but I really need?—’

‘To think it through, of course, I get it. And I understand. You’ll need to speak to Brodie too. But… don’t take too long, will you? If this idea’s not going to work, I really need to find something else to fill my time, sis. I can’t sit around spending time in my own head. It’s not a healthy place to be.’

Olivia nodded. ‘I promise I’ll give it some serious thought.’

Kerr stuck his hands in his jacket pockets. ‘Thank you. I’ll go back, leave you to your walk. I wouldn’t stay out too long, though, looks like rain. Come on, Lancey.’ He turned and started to walk back in the direction of the castle. Olivia noted the dejection in his tone and the downturn of his mouth, it was clear he was expecting her to say no. The problem was, there was a good chance he was right.