Page 221 of The Moon Sister
‘. . . Besides which, Mum is still young enough to have kids if she stays with Fraser. That offer is just pathetic. Pathetic!’ Zara shouted, angry tears beginning to course down her cheeks.
‘Zara, you asked to be treated like an adult, and that’s what I’m doing,’ Charlie said gently. ‘I understand how upset you are, but it’s just the way it is.’
‘Well, Dad, grow some balls, will you? Fight!’ Zara kicked the back of a chair hard. ‘I need some air, I’m going outside.’
We watched her march to the door, open it and slam it shut behind her.
‘The trouble is, I’ve been fighting since January and it’s got me absolutely nowhere.’ Charlie shook his head. ‘At the end of the day, this will come down to a judge’s decision, but it’s highly unlikely that Fraser will walk away empty-handed.’
‘Should I go after Zara?’ I asked him.
‘No, she just needs some time to cool off. She may not like it, but she’s definitely inherited her mother’s temper.’ Charlie gave a grimace. ‘What a bloody awful mess.’
‘Yes, it is,’ I agreed.
‘The sad thing is that Kinnaird was essentially destroyed many years before I came into the world. What it actually needs is millions poured into it now to save its beauty for future generations. And whoever wins, neither I nor Fraser have the funds to do what’s necessary.’
‘But what about all the grants you’ve applied for, Charlie?’
‘Tiggy, I don’t want to sound patronising, but whatever I’d get is a drop in the ocean. As a matter of fact, I spoke to someone from the Scottish National Trust a couple of weeks ago. And if by some miracle, I did manage to hold on to Kinnaird, that might just be the way forward.’
‘How?’
‘Well, I could “gift” it to the nation – in other words, give it to them for nothing, in return for my family remaining on the estate – i.e. here in the Lodge – in perpetuity. It’s quite common for those in my situation to do that. Anyway, it’s really not worth thinking about just now – it could be months if not years before the case grinds its way to court.’
‘I’m so sorry, Charlie, I really am. And especially about Ulrika. You must be devastated, under the circumstances.’
‘I know how bad it seems and why Zara hates her mother just now, but she – and you – don’t know the whole story. The truth is that I should never have married her in the first place. I was on the rebound from Jessie, and Ulrika was very beautiful and very keen, and yes, a lot of it had to do with lust. When that died and Ulrika saw that while she’d married a laird of the land, in reality I was just an ordinary man earning my living as a doctor, she was very . . .’ Charlie searched for the word. ‘Disappointed.’
‘I understand.’ I nodded, thinking how loyal he was, even though I’d had to suppress a shudder when he’d talked about lusting after his wife.
‘We married each other for the wrong reasons, and it’s as simple as that,’ Charlie continued. ‘It’s interesting, because even though I should be giving Fraser a good beating for stealing my wife, the irony is that I’m actually relieved. Really, Tiggy, I hope they’ll be happy together, I honestly do. I’ve been waiting for years for her to find someone else.’
‘You would never have divorced her?’
‘No. That either makes me a coward, or a father who wanted to at least try and give his daughter a stable upbringing. The worst thing about it all is that I know I’ve failed on that score.’
‘You did what you thought was right, Charlie, and no one can do more than that.’
‘I also know my own faults, Tiggy. When Zara told me to grow some balls, she had a point. I prefer a simple life, with no drama. Sadly, I’ve managed to get the opposite, in my personal life at least.’
‘Well, I think it takes enormous strength to do the job you do every day, Charlie.’
‘Anyway,’ he sighed, ‘none of this is your problem, Tiggy, and I’m really sorry you’ve become so embroiled in it all.’
‘Please don’t apologise. From what you’ve said, none of this is your fault at all. I’m going to go and see if I can find Zara.’ I stood up and so did he.
He walked towards me and reached for my hand. ‘Thank you for being here for her.’
At that moment, the door to the Great Room opened and there stood Ulrika, with Fraser lurking behind her.
‘So sorry to interrupt your little love nest, Charlie,’ Ulrika said, as she strode over to us. Charlie immediately dropped my hand.
‘Tiggy is my friend, Ulrika, as I’ve said over and over again. What do you want?’
‘I hear Zara’s up here at Kinnaird. I want to see her. Where is she?’
‘She went out to get some air.’
