Page 6 of A Scottish Love Story
The following morning, Roxie was up early, partly from habit, partly because she’d slept remarkably well despite the horrors of the day before, and also because she wasn’t sure yet what her duties were. Mrs Baxter had been vague about what she expected, but she had been quite definite that she didn’t expect, or want, her breakfast in bed.
‘I try to keep as active as I can. I don’t want to stiffen up altogether. The doctors have given me an option of having another operation, but we have agreed to wait a while to see if things improve. I have an automatic car, but unfortunately it is my right leg that is affected and I can’t rely on having the strength to press on the pedals. The pain can be severe after keeping my leg in one position, or putting pressure on it if I stand still for long. Have you driven an automatic car?’
‘Yes, my father preferred an automatic for travelling a distance. He enjoyed being driven so that he could survey the countryside, so I often drove when I went with him to pedigree-cattle sales or the shows. He used the Land Rover locally.’
‘In that case, we shall use my car most of the time. Ciaran wanted me to sell it. I did have a driver for a short time when I first came out of hospital, but she was most unsatisfactory. She said she was sixty and had driven all her life. She was so nervous and jumpy, even in her own car. I didn’t feel safe.’
‘Your son fears I won’t be suitable for the job — but I did pass the advanced motoring course last year.’
‘Did you tell him that?’
‘No... I couldn’t. At that point my car was balancing on a huge stone I hadn’t even seen.’ Amynta Baxter grinned at that.
‘Ciaran is having a difficult time with his workers letting him down at present,’ she said. ‘I expect that made him grumpy. Not that that’s an excuse. Maybe he will be in a better mood today with Jenny and Donald for company. Whatever he says, I’m pleased I stuck to my own choice. I have a feeling you and I are going to get along splendidly. I do like to get out and about in the summertime. I even enjoy going to the shops in the winter as they are always warm and it gets me out of the house.’
‘I can understand that.’
‘I was used to a busy life before we retired. Then we enjoyed planning the garden together when we moved here. Things have seemed rather dull since my husband died.’ She looked at Roxie sadly before smiling and her eyes twinkled. ‘That is why I insisted on having someone young and cheerful about the house, instead of either of the two women Ciaran thought would suit me as companions. It was a relief when I received your application, Roxanne. I have a feeling we shall deal well together.’
‘I do hope so.’
‘I have a woman who comes in two mornings a week to do the washing and cleaning. She usually makes lunch for me on those days, but she is not a cook and she doesn’t enjoy it. She cleans and washes for Ciaran at the farm two full days. I have known Iris for years. She used to help me at the farm, too. Unfortunately, she doesn’t drive. She lives a mile further up the road and, come rain or shine, she cycles here quite cheerfully. At the weekends I’ve been making light meals for myself. Did I ask if you can cook?’
‘Yes, and I enjoy cooking, and baking,’ Roxie said. ‘I was used to helping to do it, even before my mum died. I’ve looked after my father, and my brother and his friends.’
She felt a pang of homesickness when she thought of the big, warm kitchen at Willowbrook. In spite of his earlier irritation over the will, Tommy had been dismayed when she told himshe’d applied for a job in Scotland. He had urged her to stay and keep on doing the things she had always enjoyed doing, but Roxie knew their old happy relationship as a family could not continue. He had a wife now, and their father was no longer here to be head of the family. She had seen the flash of relief, almost triumph, on Gilda’s expressive face at the thought of her moving away.
‘Iris will be relieved if I have someone else to cook sometimes. She has done her best for me but...’ The telephone rang, interrupting their conversation, and Roxie moved to the other end of the kitchen to wash the breakfast dishes.
‘That was Jenny on the phone.’ Mrs Baxter smiled broadly a few minutes later. ‘She has invited us to lunch, but asks if we can go down about eleven fifteen so Ciaran can check your car first?’
‘Does that fit in okay with you?’ Roxie asked.
‘It does indeed, my dear. Jenny often cooks a Sunday roast for Ciaran when they come for the weekend and she usually asks me to join them. He fends for himself at weekends since I had my accident. Before that, he came here or he took me out for lunch.’ She sighed. ‘Standing aggravates my hip, or, really, it’s more my thigh, to tell the truth. They gave me a new hip joint, but by the time they realised I had broken my thigh bone too, it had begun to knit together and they were reluctant to break it and reset. They only discovered the damage to my thigh after I fainted with the pain when they tried to make me stand. I had never fainted in my life.’
‘That seems a dreadful mistake on someone’s part,’ Roxie said, aghast.
‘I’m so sorry you are still having to suffer such pain. I promise to do whatever I can to help alleviate it.’
‘I believe having your young and cheerful presence will be a great boon,’ Amy said with a smile.
* * *
When Roxie and Amy arrived at the farm, they saw Donald and Ciaran chatting together in the yard. Donald immediately came and opened the door for Amy, and escorted her into the house. Ciaran moved to Roxie’s side and she wound down the window, looking at him warily.
‘The inspection pit is in that building over there.’ He gave her a sheepish, almost boyish smile and pointed to a shed with two doors opened wide. He strode across and Roxie followed, driving cautiously. As she got nearer, she could see the pit but it looked quite wide. It was probably more for large vehicles and Land Rovers, rather than her small car. It would be terrible to end up with one wheel in the pit. She got out to look at it more closely.
‘Everything okay?’ Ciaran asked. Roxie saw the challenge in his blue eyes. She could never resist a challenge and she guessed he expected her to cry off. Her mouth firmed and she eyed him keenly.
‘I think so,’ she said stubbornly.’
‘All right, but it is a bit narrow for a wee car,’ he said. ‘I hadn’t thought about that. I will guide you. Stop when we have the front wheels in place and I will go to the other end and wave you slowly forward.’ Roxie’s heart was in her mouth as she edged closer to the pit. The bonnet of her car was not long, but she could no longer see the edges of the pit in relation to her wheels. She looked at Ciaran. His face was serious as he watched carefully, patiently beckoning her forward. Eventually he was satisfied the back of the car was over the pit. He held his hand up and grinned.
Roxie let out a long breath of relief and climbed out of the car.
‘Well done,’ he said, his eyes gleaming with admiration. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d want to attempt that when you saw the width of the pit.’
‘I can rarely resist a challenge. I shall go to the house now and leaveyouto reverse it out when you’ve completed the inspection.’ Roxie grinned.
