Page 234 of The Moon Sister
We all cheered as Hamish arrived back in the kitchen with a bottle of whisky.
‘Goodness, are you really opening that after all these years?’ Fiona teased him.
‘Aye, that I am.’ Hamish opened the seal and poured the liquid into seven glasses, which he handed round. ‘The old Laird gave me this years ago after I’d helped him wi’ digging the newborn lambs out after a snowfall . . . I’d say this was the perfect moment tae drink it. Tae new beginnings.’
‘New beginnings,’ we toasted.
After knocking back his whisky, Cal reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a round object, about the size of a large grapefruit, wrapped in muslin.
‘What on earth is that?’ I asked, as he thumped it down on the table and all eyes in the room fell upon it.
‘’Tis a haggis, lassie. But I reckon I’ll be needin’ another dram before what comes next.’ He held out his glass to Hamish, who obliged with a hefty refill.
‘I once promised Tig that if a white stag was seen on the estate, I’d run around naked wi’ only a haggis coverin’ my bits ’n’ pieces. An’ I’m nothing if not a man o’ my word,’ he explained for the benefit of the assembled company as his stout fingers moved to his shirt buttons.
‘Cal, I don’t think that’s a promise I’m going to hold you to.’ I stopped him as we all laughed. ‘Besides, I think you’ve already done enough for both Pegasuses, don’t you?’
‘I think this one is hungry.’ Charlie indicated the calf, who was squirming in his lap, searching for milk.
‘Take him next door into the sitting room where it’s quieter,’ Fiona suggested as I removed the bottle from the hot water and tested it on the back of my hand.
‘Thanks.’ I made to take Pegasus from Charlie.
‘I’ll carry him through,’ he said. When we reached the sitting room, he settled Pegasus on my knee and the calf suckled eagerly on the teat.
Charlie stood watching me; I saw his eyes were misty, as were mine.
‘Did you see Beryl?’ I asked, breaking the silence.
‘Yes. After a lot of tears and endless apologies on her part, I managed to persuade her to come back.’
‘Thank goodness! She’s the only one who knows how to work those ovens.’
‘Actually, we both agreed they should go and we’d get a range put back in.’ Charlie raised an eyebrow. ‘Ditto those industrial lights, and that monolith of a centre unit. I kept the original pine table in the barn, so that’s being reinstated too.’
‘The kitchen’s definitely the heart of a house, as we’ve just seen,’ I agreed.
‘I also had a word with Cal on our way up here. I was thinking about it before Fraser appeared on the scene at Christmas, but after all Cal’s family’s years of service, it’s about time he had his own patch of land. So as a wedding present, I’ve told Cal I’m giving him and Caitlin a hundred acres, just near the entrance to the estate. There’s an old bothy on it – that’s a cottage to you, Tiggy – which has been empty for years. With a bit of work, it could make him and Caitlin a decent home.’
‘That’s so lovely of you, Charlie, I bet he was thrilled.’
‘He was, but it’s nothing less than he deserves. I also told him I was going to sell off some land to my neighbours, which, as well as funding the divorce, will pay for some extra staff, plus a new “Beryl”.’
‘Wow, you have been busy,’ I said with a smile.
‘Yes, I needed to be, to stop me thinking about what you’ve been thinking.’
‘Right.’
‘I mean, if you need some more time . . .’
‘I don’t, Charlie.’
‘So, will you stay, or are you running away to Africa and your lions and tigers?’
I looked down at Pegasus, who had guzzled the whole bottle and was dozing contentedly. Then up at Charlie.
‘I think I have enough wildlife to conserve here, don’t you?’
