The Secrets of the Glen (Scottish Highlands #2)

Chapter 4

‘What was she like?’ Robyn asked. ‘Your mother? If you don’t mind me asking.’ She couldn’t stop thinking about David’s mother leaving her husband, leaving her boys. As she would never meet David’s mother, she hoped David would share something about her.

‘History.’ He turned to her and smiled.

‘History?’ Robyn repeated.

‘Oh, how she loved history.’

‘She did?’

‘Uh-huh. I think she particularly liked British history. And she also used to read me stories of legends like King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.’ He was suddenly quiet, lost in his own thoughts.

He looked at her, his eyes glazed over. ‘How I loved those stories.’

‘Better than ice hockey?’

‘Oh yes, no question,’ he said quickly. Then he paused. ‘That wasn’t a question, was it?’

Robyn shook her head. ‘You can tell when people talk about things they love …’

‘Go on.’

‘Oh I don’t know.’ Robyn looked out of the window. ‘You can tell it’s a passion.’

‘Yes, I’ve always loved history.’

Robyn bit her lower lip. She had the makings of a brilliant idea. But first there was something she needed to know. She leaned forward in her seat. ‘Isn’t there something else you want to do with your life, besides driving that van around on deliveries?’

She couldn’t imagine he’d want to spend the rest of his life working in his father’s store. But he did seem stuck in a rut. Robyn knew it wasn’t her call, or her business, but she still wanted him to turn his life around and do something meaningful for himself. She looked at David across the table. ‘How about retraining in … in something?’

They were sitting in a booth in a café inside an out-of-town shopping centre. She would never have found the place if it hadn’t been for David. It wasn’t like a city centre shopping mall; it was more like a large farm shop and garden centre, with some pricey but very nice shopping outlets in the tastefully converted outbuildings. The buildings surrounded a central courtyard with seating outside where visitors could have a coffee or eat al fresco in nice weather, but they’d chosen to sit inside the café looking out on to the courtyard. Robyn had noticed the delicious array of home-cooked pastries, and cakes at the counter when they’d walked in.

She looked past David to the woman who was making her way towards them, carrying a tray.

‘Here you go, folks.’ The waitress set the tray down and put a cup of coffee on the table in front of David. She plonked Robyn’s cup down with barely a second glance and then hovered by the table, smiling at David, trying to catch his attention. Robyn thanked her. The waitress looked back at David, still smiling, and deposited the bill in front of him. He nodded briefly at her.

Robyn waited for the waitress to leave. Then she put both elbows on the table and leaned towards David. ‘How about college?’

‘College?’ David was about to drink his coffee. He lowered the cup. ‘I don’t know where I’d get the money to go to college. Like I told you before, most of my money is tied up in the house and some investments.’

Robyn leaned against the plastic seat-back of the booth. She thought of Rose’s parting words about the possibility of David’s father really being wealthy. Of course, it was a ridiculous idea. Why would he have had to sell his own house, and move in with his son, if he had money? And even if he did have some money squirrelled away, would he pay for David to attend college? Would David even consider asking? As far as he was concerned, his father couldn’t be trusted with money. Robyn knew that no was the short answer to both of those questions.

Robyn briefly considered whether she could ask David’s father herself, but after the embarrassing brush-off at the New Year’s street party, she wouldn’t ask him for help if her life depended on it. Besides, she didn’t even know him, and he scared her a bit too.

Robyn took a sip of coffee and looked at David as he asked, ‘What would I do at college?’

‘History,’ she said simply as she brought the cup to her lips.

‘Excuse me?’

Robyn put her cup down. ‘You should go to college to study something you love, and you love history.’

‘Okay. Suppose you’re right, that I do love history.’

‘Which you do,’ Robyn said matter-of-factly.

‘Alright, as you seem to have all the answers, tell me this …’ He put his coffee cup down. ‘When I’ve finished studying history, what exactly am I going to do, you know, as in a job, work, a career?’

Robyn placed her empty coffee cup on the table. Resting her chin in her hands, she stared into space.

‘Well?’

‘I’m thinking.’

After a brief moment, David breathed a heavy sigh. ‘There, you see. It’s pointless.’

To Robyn’s surprise, he sounded genuinely disappointed that she hadn’t come up with something.

She watched him sweep up the bill and go to pay.

But I will, she thought. Then lots of ideas came in quick succession.

David returned and immediately caught her expression. Searching her face, he said, ‘You’ve thought of something – haven’t you?’ He sat down opposite her.

‘You could be an archivist or a history teacher. What about a historian, or an academic researcher?’

David raised an eyebrow. ‘I’ve got to be honest, Robyn. I don’t really see myself as an academic. I wouldn’t mind doing a bit of history as a hobby, but I think I’d be pretty useless in those jobs. The trouble with me is that the thought of going back to study at my age …’

Robyn said, ‘I think you can be anything you want, if you set your mind to it.’

David smiled at her. He reached across the table, and took her hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze, as he said, ‘Nope, I think you can be anything you want if you put your mind to it, Robyn. You’re creating your own business, your own money, out of nothing. You haven’t even finished college, got a qualification.’

Robyn had told him she was at St Andrews University but didn’t want to return after the Christmas break. He hadn’t tried to persuade her to return, and had been quite honest when he’d said that for his own selfish reasons, he was glad she wanted to stay.

Robyn suddenly had a moment of self-doubt. She frowned. ‘Do you think I’m crazy, not returning to university and getting a qualification before I launch my business?’

‘Not at all. I think you know what you’re good at, and you’re just going with it.’

That gave Robyn an idea. ‘What are you good at?’

‘Ice hockey!’

Robyn sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. She should have known he’d say that.

They finished their coffee in silence. David stood up and held out his hand. ‘Come on.’ She took it as she got out of the booth. ‘I believe you have some shopping to do.’

Robyn nodded and smiled, thinking about how thoughtful it was of him to bring her.

‘I’ve got something I need to buy too that I can’t get in Aviemore.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’ll meet you back here in one hour?’ He looked at her. ‘Although it might take you longer if there is lots of choice. And if there isn’t, at least there are plenty of shops to browse in.’

‘That’s fine.’ Robyn looked at him. ‘One hour.’ She moved off quickly. She wanted to make the most of the time and just hoped they had what she was looking for.

Although it was a cold day, the sun was shining, and people were sitting outside on the little al fresco tables and chairs, wrapped up in coats, scarfs and gloves, drinking tea and coffee, and eating fruit scones.

Robyn decided that the next time they went there, she’d like to sit outside and have some refreshments – even though there were some outside heaters, perhaps she’d prefer it in the spring, when it wasn’t freezing cold.

Robyn stood for a moment, looking around the inner courtyard. There were shops fronting the courtyard with creative window displays enticing shoppers inside. Robyn wandered around the courtyard, looking in shop windows. There was a clothes shop selling woollen jumpers, hats, scarfs and gloves. Her mouth watered when she saw one shop with cakes, biscuits, homemade preserves, and savoury pasties and pies in the window display. She moved on to a shop selling fishing equipment, then several Highland souvenir shops, and one dedicated to all things tartan. She’d seen two coaches in the car park when they’d arrived, and guessed this was a popular place for daytrips and for stops on tours of Scotland. The café also served meals, all home-cooked from local produce.

Robyn was tempted to browse some of the shops, but first she needed to look for fabric. Across the courtyard, a shop displaying soft furnishings – a small armchair, with a throw, cushions, and a standard lamp, caught her attention. She walked into the shop and discovered that along with furniture items on the ground floor, there were stairs that rose to another floor which appeared to stock curtains and blinds. But did they sell fabric too?

Robyn emerged at the top of the stairs into what looked like a haberdashery shop. There was a large counter selling buttons, ribbons, and lots of other small items for sewing and dressmaking. She sighed, disappointed. She was just turning on her heel to return down the stairs when a lady asked if she could help.

Robyn shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. I needed some fabric for curtains, cushions – that sort of thing. Some swatches would be good too.

‘Come this way.’

Robyn looked at her, surprised. She followed her round a corner into another part of the shop where she found just what she was after – curtains, blinds, cushions, and rolls of fabrics by the metre.

She walked around, running her hands down the rolls of fabrics. She picked up large heavy, bound books containing different fabric swatches.

Robyn realised there was just too much choice – an hour wasn’t going to be long enough.

‘Sorry,’ Robyn said as they got back in the van. David had helped her back to the car, carrying a heavy book of swatches that the shop had been kind enough to lend her. She had some rolls of material too. She had been well over an hour.

David just shook his head. ‘Hey, that’s okay.’

She asked, ‘Did you get what you needed?’

Robyn’s eyes drifted to the brown paper bag in David’s hand.

‘Yep.’

He didn’t say what was in the bag. She didn’t ask.

‘You?’ he said, putting the book of swatches in the van.

‘Yeah – kind of.’

‘‘You call that kind of?’ He gestured at the heap of multi-coloured material and fabric swatches she’d just deposited on the seat.

She gave a weak smile. He was right; the quantity was pretty impressive. But would Rose be happy with the quality of the fabric, or even the colours and patterns? She got the feeling that Rose would be a hard customer to please.

In Gayle’s driveway, Robyn climbed out of the van and reached in for the fabric.

David put her hand on hers. ‘Leave them.’

‘But I need to take them to Rose’s house tomorrow.’

‘I know. So why load them out just to put them back again?’

David lifted his hand from hers.

‘Do you have another delivery out there in the morning?’

David shrugged. ‘Maybe.’

Robyn smiled. It was clearly a fib. She left them where they were. ‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.’

‘Morning or afternoon?’

‘I’d like to go first thing – if that’s okay with you.’ She knew it would be. Robyn shut the van door. The window was still open on the driver’s side. She walked around the van and paused by the open window. ‘Now, are you sure I’m not being any trouble?’

David grinned. ‘You’ve been trouble since the day we met.’

Robyn smiled knowingly. Of course, it was a joke, but then again, it wasn’t far off the truth either. His sports car had been a write-off in the crash. And then he’d got into that fight with his father on New Year’s Eve. Not that the fight had been her fault; it had been his dad’s fault for being so rude to her.

She reached through the open window and tentatively touched the scar above his eye.

‘I think Gayle might be right. You’re going to be left with a scar.’

‘Good.’

They exchanged another knowing smile. It had been in the early hours of New Year’s Day, just the previous day, that Gayle, who had been cleaning the wound and applying a bandage, had mentioned he might be left with a scar.

David had come out with a silly comment that he wouldn’t mind because women loved guys with scars. He’d read it in a women’s magazine. Robyn and Gayle had burst out laughing. It was ridiculous. They’d said as much. Even so, David clearly didn’t believe them.

He reached up and gently took Robyn’s hand, surprising her by putting her hand to his lips and giving it a kiss. ‘See you tomorrow, Robyn.’

She stepped away from the van and watched him reverse. She watched his van disappear down the drive and turn into the road, out of sight, then turned on her heel to face the house. She thought again of David’s joke about moving in there, instead of going home, now that his father was living with him. Robyn wished he would move in. She was already counting down the hours until she saw him again in the morning.

‘Why the glum face?’ Gayle asked, catching her expression as she walked into the kitchen. ‘Ah, you didn’t find any fabrics or swatches for Rose.’

‘No, I’ve got plenty of those.’

Gayle looked around.

‘They’re still in David’s van.’

‘You and David had another falling-out, then?’

Robyn looked at her hand, where he’d gently kissed her. ‘No. I just miss him already.’

‘How come? Is he going away?’

Robyn didn’t understand the question. ‘No, he’ll be here in the morning to give me a lift to Rose’s house.’

‘Ah, I get it.’

‘Get what?’

‘Oh, Robyn. I’m not blind. Are you?’

Robyn took a seat at the kitchen table while Gayle put the kettle on. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t follow.’

Gayle shook her head and smiled. ‘I remember feeling like you once, when I was a lot younger, years ago. I’d like to meet someone and feel that way again.’

Robyn looked at her blankly.

‘Robyn, if you can’t bear to be apart from him for one minute, let alone an entire night, then that means only one thing.’

Robyn frowned. ‘What’s that?’

‘Oh, Robyn, you silly girl. Why, you’re in love – of course.’