The Secrets of the Glen (Scottish Highlands #2)

Chapter 3

In town, Robyn walked up and down the high street in Aviemore but didn’t enter a single shop.

Robyn got in the van and slammed the door shut. ‘There isn’t a single soft furnishing shop in this place where you can buy curtains, cushions, rugs – that sort of thing.’

‘I could have told you that.’

‘I know. I just had to see for myself.’

David started the engine. ‘Where to?’

Robyn looked at her watch. She’d promised Rose that she’d be round in the afternoon with the swatches. She’d have to turn up empty-handed. ‘I need to go to Rose’s house, but only if you’ve got a delivery to make. I don’t want you to have to go out of your way.’

‘Robyn.’ David smirked. ‘I’m a long way out of my way already. Besides, how will you get to Rose and George’s house otherwise?’

‘There’s a bus stop there now, so I could get a bus from Aviemore, I think.’

‘You think?’ David shook his head as he reversed the car out of the parking bay.

‘Besides, this has been the best working day I’ve had in …’ he lifted his hands off the steering wheel, ‘so long.’

‘How come?’

‘Having your company, of course.’

Robyn didn’t stop smiling all the way to Rose’s house.

‘How long will you be?’ David asked as they drew up outside the house. He looked around. ‘Wow, this estate is coming along in leaps and bounds, isn’t it? It must be popular. Lots of sold boards.’

The sold boards didn’t surprise Robyn. People were buying properties off-plan, so that the sales would complete by the time the houses were ready to move into. Very soon, Rose and her husband, the first occupants on the new-build development, would have lots of neighbours. Robyn wondered if any of their new neighbours would be interested in her interior design service too.

Robyn opened the van door. ‘I don’t expect I’ll be long. I just wanted to let her know that I have to go further afield to source some materials, so I’ll go over some colour schemes with her before I do.’

David nodded. ‘Sounds like a plan.’

Robyn glanced over her shoulder at the boxes in the back of the van, awaiting delivery. ‘Look, I don’t want you to get behind with your deliveries.’

‘It’s okay. I don’t mind waiting.’

‘Well, all right. I promise I won’t be long.’ Robyn left him sitting outside in the van.

When Rose opened the door, Robyn realised she must have been at the window and had spotted her arriving. ‘I see there’s a handsome young man waiting for you in the van. That’s David, isn’t it?’

Robyn’s face flushed. ‘Um, yes. He gave me a lift.’

‘Well, invite him in. I didn’t get a chance to speak with him at the loch the other night when you were ice skating.’

‘Perhaps another time. I won’t be staying long. I’m afraid I couldn’t find what I was looking for in Aviemore, so I’m going to have to travel further afield.’

‘Have you brought some swatches for me to be looking at?’

Robyn stood at the front door and bit her lower lip. It was the swatches she’d been talking about. Rose had mentioned there wasn’t a fabric shop in Aviemore, but she’d wanted to look herself. ‘I haven’t got any yet.’

Rose shook her head. ‘No matter. It was nice of you to stop by and let me know.’ Rose glanced past her at the van. ‘Are you sure David can’t pop in too?’

‘He’s on his way to do some deliveries, so he hasn’t really got time to stop and chat.’ Robyn had intended for it just to be a quick stop. She imagined that if David went in too, Rose would insist on making a pot of tea, and interrogating David – in a nice way. Then the quick visit might go on into the afternoon if she wasn’t careful.

‘I’d recognise that van anywhere,’ commented Rose.

Robyn wasn’t surprised. Rose and her husband had lived in the area nearly all their lives. They’d probably seen the Gillespie van out on deliveries. David’s father might have made grocery deliveries to their old street, or even to Rose and George themselves in the past.

‘David is making deliveries at the moment for his father, Mr Gillespie.’

Rose nodded. ‘Like I said, I’d recognise that van anywhere. Unfortunately, I have bumped into his father too on occasion when I’ve been shopping in Aviemore.’

What did she mean – unfortunately? Robyn wanted to ask. Although she didn’t have to; David’s father was a mean old man. At least, that had been her experience when she’d met Mr Gillespie on New Year’s Eve.

Rose answered an unspoken question. ‘He’s a skinflint, a tightwad. He must make a lot of money with the extortionate prices he charges in his grocery store. Just because he’s one of the few local grocery stores, and has a loyal customer base of people my generation – god knows why they’re loyal, though.’

Robyn guessed that Rose didn’t do her grocery shopping at Mr Gillespie’s store.

She pointed at his van. ‘It’s men like him that you read in the papers about – they die extremely rich men.’

‘Really?’ Robyn glanced over her shoulder at the beaten-up old van and thought of the tattered, weather-beaten general store in town. She couldn’t imagine David’s father having money. If he’d had some once, it sounded as though he’d gambled it away, to the point where he’d lost his home. Now David had a house guest he didn’t want – his father.

Robyn bit her lip and decided to keep that to herself.

‘Never bought his kids much, you know.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘At Christmas, he’d go around delivering hampers and gifts with his boys. I recall I’d see him turn up where we used to live in his van, when his boys were young, and sit in the van while his two boys delivered hampers of Christmas food, and gifts, to my neighbours’ doors. We had deliveries too, back then, before there were the supermarkets in Aviemore. I remember David being excited about Christmas when his mother was around. Theirs used to be happy Christmases, with a Christmas tree, and tinsel, and the best of all presents. But it all stopped when she disappeared.’

‘She disappeared?’

‘Just up and left – so the story goes. I remember thinking at the time that I just couldn’t see her as the type to leave her little boys behind – not them, with that horrible man.’

‘What’s got into you? You were really chatty before you spoke to Rose.’

Robyn just shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

When she didn’t respond, he answered his own question. ‘Some people will always have the capacity to cheese you off if you let them.’

‘I like her.’ Robyn went on the defensive.

‘She speaks!’ David attempted to lighten the mood.

‘David?’ Robyn turned to look at him as they drove back to Aviemore. ‘What happened to your mother?’

He eyed her. ‘Ah. I see that Rose has been stirring the pot again. She just loves to gossip.’

Robyn thought of the very first time she had seen Rose, her front curtain twitching as they drew up to her house in Gayle’s car.

‘She left us, to answer your question. Just walked out. Like me, she didn’t have … how shall we say, a rapport with my father. But then I don’t think many people do.’

‘So, you never saw her again?’

David shook his head. ‘My father said she wanted to take me with her.’

Robyn wondered what had happened that had made her go and leave her children behind.

‘How old were you?’

‘Eight – I guess.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t be. If she didn’t want to stick around – that was her prerogative.’

Robyn looked at him sharply. Was that bitterness in his voice? She wouldn’t be surprised – David’s mum had not only left him and Joe but had left them with that horrible man.

Robyn kept her thoughts to herself. Although she did ask, ‘Do you remember what happened the day she left?’

David shook his head. ‘I woke up one morning, and she was gone.’

‘What, like, she packed her suitcases and left suddenly?’

‘Oh yeah. I remember checking her wardrobe, not believing my dad, thinking perhaps she’d decided just to pop to the shops in Aviemore, and she’d be back. Except her wardrobe was empty, and all her clothes were gone. Even her favourite souvenirs and ornaments she’d collected over the years – she’d packed them all and taken them with her. All while we were sleeping. My brother and I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.’

Robyn stared at him. How awful to wake up one morning and find that the life you knew was gone, changed forever. Robyn could empathise, in a way. ‘Did she leave you a letter, a note?’

David shook his head.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘There’s nothing to be sorry about.’ He shrugged. ‘It is what it is.’

‘Did you ever try to find her?’ Robyn ventured.

David shook his head. ‘If she wants to get back in touch, we’re still here. I did think that she might see me on TV – the sports news, or something – and maybe she’d get in touch or even return here. But that never happened.’

Robyn had to say it. ‘Do you think she didn’t come back because she was afraid of your father? Rose said he was mean, and never bothered with Christmas for you and Joe after your mum left.’

‘Yeah, when I was younger, it occurred to me, but then as I grew older, all I saw was a man still grieving for the woman he loved. He was a changed man when she left. Before, he was so … different towards us. But once she was gone, it was like someone flicked a switch. All these years later, I think he is still grieving. He still goes for long drives in the evening.’

‘Long drives?’

‘Yeah. I didn’t realise until we lived together again for the first time in years. He used to do that late at night when he thought we were asleep. I’d hear the car and see him go out.’

David fell silent as he started the engine and drove out of the development.

Robyn sighed. ‘Your life sounds as though it really changed without your mum around.’ She didn’t know what else to say.

‘Oh, yeah. Not just my life, but my dad’s too, like I said.’ He glanced at Robyn. ‘I guess that’s not surprising, losing the love of your life. And not only that, but he had a full-time business to run and two young boys to bring up all on his own. Who can blame him for not having the time to build a rapport with people?’

Robyn couldn’t believe he was making excuses for his father. ‘That didn’t have to stop him building a rapport with his sons.’

David countered that comment. ‘I think the life they had together wasn’t easy – the general store involved long hours of work, and that was when it was open, even before the stock-taking, ordering, and balancing the books when the store was closed. I wouldn’t be surprised if a part of him resented her just walking out and leaving her family – something I remember him saying to us, soon after she’d left. He said that he’d never leave us.’

That surprised Robyn.

‘I think, in hindsight, maybe he wanted me to become this famous star, to prove he had been a success, you know, prove to the world that he had successfully raised his sons. And maybe as a message to my mother, wherever she was.’

Robyn thought about this. ‘Or maybe he just wanted the money.’

‘What money?’

‘You know, from you being this big sports star.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Because I told him that I was going to make sure, whatever I earned, he never got a dime.’ He smiled.

From what he’d told her about his childhood – his father forcing him to practise, practise, practise, to forego a normal childhood and adolescence for the sake of ice hockey – she wasn’t surprised that he’d made sure his father never shared the financial gains.

Robyn thought of his flashy sports car that she’d driven into on Christmas Day. ‘You spent it all, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, most of it, after I squirrelled away some money in long-term investments. Just to be sure I wouldn’t be tempted if he ever asked.’

‘And did he?’ Robyn said, ‘Ask – I mean?’

David didn’t answer immediately. ‘No.’ He glanced at her again. I had pictured it so many times, the satisfaction I’d get from finally telling him to take a hike, actually just saying no to his face, if he asked.’

Robyn stared at him.

‘That sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it?’

‘Actually, it sounded,’ she giggled, ‘I’m sorry,’ she giggled some more, ‘pretty funny.’

‘Childish.’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, needless to say, he didn’t get any money. I put it all into my house, and some stock market investments.’

‘And your pretty sports car that I wrecked.’

‘Yeah – that too.’ He smiled. ‘But seriously, I can’t sit on my hands all day, doing nothing, so in the end I’m doing exactly what I vowed never to do, and that’s help him out.’

Robyn sat reflecting on what she’d just heard. She knew that David wasn’t just helping his father out at the store, but putting a roof over his head too. She could imagine the tensions at home.

She’d first found that out when he’d driven her home to Gayle’s after their night out together on New Year’s Eve. David had jokingly asked if there was a room free at Lark Lodge.

It hadn’t been Gayle’s intention to turn it into a guesthouse, but with demand in the area, and with Robyn and Nick staying there already, Gayle was coming round to the idea. She did love the company. And it was a lovely old house. It was little wonder that David found the thought of moving in appealing.

Even though it sounded as though David understood that his father was bitter because his wife had walked out, he still clearly didn’t like the man. Well, that makes two of us , thought Robyn. She hoped she’d never have to meet Mr Gillespie again. The problem was that this was a small town.