Page 58 of A Scottish Love Story
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It was a bright summer morning and Roxanne had woken early. She lay in bed for a while, relaxing and listening to the birds singing. She was looking forward to spending her birthday with Ciaran. He had said he would collect her fairly early. The forecast was good so they planned to head for the Galloway hillsand the west coast, and find a nice place for lunch near the shore. It was all new country for her, so she was looking forward to it.
Roxie hummed to herself and put on a pretty floral cotton dress. It had a full skirt and was sleeveless, but it had a little matching bolero that could be removed if it became very warm. She put on her sandals, but collected her comfortable shoes and a jacket in case they decided to take a walk anywhere.
Amy greeted her in the kitchen. ‘Oh, Roxie, how pretty you look. I do wish you a very happy birthday.’ She moved round the table to give Roxie a warm embrace. ‘I have made your breakfast for a change since this is your special day.’
‘You’re spoiling me . . .’
‘Now, don’t protest. You are worth it, and it is wonderful to feel more like my old self again and be able to do things without hobbling around with those horrid wheels. I hardly even need my stick when I’m in the kitchen with most things in reach. Ciaran said he might join us for breakfast, if everything was going well, but we don’t need to wait for him. You know how quickly he can demolish a meal if he is hungry.’
They finished bacon and eggs, and the toast and honey, and moved onto their second cup of coffee, but there was no sign of Ciaran.
‘I expect there is a cow calving or some other animal in trouble.’ Amy sighed. ‘Anyway, that is no reason why I should wait to give you your birthday present, Roxie.’
‘I thought you were inviting Jenny, Donald and baby Peter, and making us a buffet supper as my birthday present,’ Roxie said.
‘Oh, that wouldn’t be much of a present.’ Amy smiled broadly. She passed Roxie a lovely card and a small parcel wrapped in silver paper. When she unwrapped it and opened the jeweller’s box with the white silk lining, Roxie gasped aloud.
‘Oh, this is beautiful, absolutely beautiful, b-but it is far too much. Oh Amy...’ There were tears in her eyes as she looked up. Amy shook her head.
‘You deserve that, and more, lassie,’ she said warmly, her voice husky with emotion. ‘I was not sure about the choice but...’
‘It’s truly lovely, but it looks very expensive and — and I-I don’t know what to say...’
‘Try on the bracelet. I thought that might be something blue you could wear on your wedding day if you wanted.’
‘You’re right! I had nothing in blue. Oh, Amy, you are so thoughtful and far, far too generous.’
‘Roxie. It will give me the greatest pleasure to know that my new daughter-in-law is wearing a small gift from me on her wedding day.’ Roxie stood up and hugged Amy warmly.
‘You have been kind and generous to me since the day I arrived.’
‘Anne’s daughter and niece did some shopping research in Edinburgh before we went so that made...’
They both turned as Ciaran came through the back door looking hot and disgruntled, still in his working clothes.
‘Sit down, Ciaran and calm yourself,’ Amy said. ‘Your breakfast is ready and keeping warm in the bottom oven. I will just add a couple of eggs to the frying pan and make some fresh toast, while you drink your fruit juice.’
‘Don’t rush, Ciaran, we have all day,’ Roxie said calmly. ‘Presumably something is wrong with one of the animals?’
‘No, there’s nothing wrong with the stock. It’s the stockman.’
‘Billy, you mean? Didn’t he turn up for the milking? You should have pho—’
‘Oh, he turned up this morning all right. He has known for weeks that I planned to go away today, but he has still arrangedto go with the youth team to a football match up in Ayrshire this afternoon.’
‘Ah, so he will not be here for the afternoon milking?’ Roxie asked. ‘Never mind, we’ll have most of the day together. We shall have to come back a bit earlier than we planned, but I’ll bring my jeans and a T-shirt and help you,’ she added amiably.
‘What a shame, son, today of all days, and when you had made plans,’ Amy said, looking troubled because she knew Ciaran had planned Tommy’s surprise visit too. ‘Had Billy forgotten you had made arrangements to go away for Roxie’s birthday?’
‘No, he hadn’t forgotten. He thinks he should do as he likes lately.’ He couldn’t tell either of them of Billy’s spiteful comments about his forthcoming wedding, and that they would both have a woman for a boss once she got a ring on her finger.
‘I’m afraid I lost my temper this time,’ Ciaran muttered. ‘I told him he needs to consider what is more important to him — his job or the football club. We both got rather heated. He said he was sick of the bloody cows and fitting his life round their routine. Then he said if a day out with “a bloody woman” was so important to me, he would come back and milk the cows at two o’clock this afternoon and get away by four thirty.’
‘Two o’clock!’ Roxie gasped. ‘The cows will not be ready for milking again by then. Tomorrow morning some of them will have so much milk they will have painfully swollen udders...’
‘Precisely,’ Ciaran said grimly. ‘Even young Vic would realise that. I told him we would come back earlier than planned and I would do the milking myself.’ Ciaran took a deep breath and grimaced. ‘I’m afraid I was so angry, so frustrated with him, I told him that since his job means so little to him he could take a month’s notice and look for a job to suit his own pursuits.’
