CHAPTER 16

 

Anna jumped up from the kitchen table at Benview with a cry of exasperation.

‘Damn!’ she said, between gritted teeth. ‘This is taking forever. How could I have been so stupid as to leave my laptop at home? It’s one of the most important pieces of equipment to do my job.’

Although there was no one in the cottage to respond, it relieved her feelings slightly to act as if there was.

She glanced at the table, which was littered with papers covered in her sloping handwriting, with large sections scored out here and there. She had spent all morning writing, but hadn’t taken the time to number the pages, which meant that now she couldn’t even arrange them in order. Try as she might to do her work with pen and paper, it was proving to be a poor substitute for a computer screen and a keyboard. And she still had to transfer her notes from paper to laptop once Roddie arrived with her computer.

If only she hadn’t been in such a hurry to set out on her trip to Mull. But her impulsive nature had landed her in trouble often enough in the past. ‘More hurry, less speed,’ her dad used to say to her, frequently followed by, ‘Oh, Anna, will you never learn?’

She recalled some of the narrow escapes she’d had: like the day she had almost been knocked down by a car as she dashed into the middle of the road before the pedestrian crossing’s green light appeared; the numerous occasions on which she’d had to repeat her school work because, in her rush to finish it, her writing had become illegible; her feeble attempts at baking, when she pulled cakes out of the oven before they were ready. ‘They’ve been in long enough,’ she’d say.

Anna shook her head to clear away the memories of her previous disasters. ‘I know what I’ll do with these,’ she muttered. Then she swept the papers together, gathered them into a pile, and dumped them straight into the waste paper basket. She would just have to content herself to wait until Roddie and her laptop arrived.

Since she’d been in Mull, Anna had been conscious of a definite slower pace of life. And although she would have to return to the city, she felt a strange reluctance to leave. It was as if the island itself had a magnetic power which secretly held her here.

She’d already heard people say, ‘There’s no hurry in Mull’, but this was different. Memories of the Lorelei came to her – the siren who, as folklore had it, lured sailors to their death on a hazardous rock on the River Rhein. Was there a siren on the Isle of Mull? If so, she hoped it was a benign spirit who exercised her influence for no other purpose than to keep everyone who fell under her sway on the island.

 

Anna had just returned from a short walk in the fresh air to clear her head, when Roddie called again.

‘I meant to ask you earlier, how’s the research going, Anna? And how—?’

‘Whoa, Roddie, one question at a time, please. The research: I’ve tried working with pen and paper, but it’s not proving too successful. Next question?’

‘I was only going to ask if it would suit you for me to arrive tomorrow? With your laptop?’

‘Oh Roddie, that would be brilliant,’ she squealed. ‘But, can you spare the time?’

‘For you, Anna, I’ll make a point of it.’

‘Is Flo happy to take care of things for a bit? You will have time to stay?’ Anna asked.

‘Yes. She’s a great partner. She did say she’d love to come with me, but that’s not possible, of course. Can you arrange some accommodation for me?’

Anna noticed he hadn’t said ‘business partner’, but ignored the twinge of annoyance to reply. ‘No problem. I’m sure I can manage that.’

 

When she ended the call, Anna could scarcely believe how quickly her view of her situation had changed. If Roddie arrived with her laptop, she could attack her research in earnest, and make some progress with the project. Until now she had been a bit half-hearted, almost lethargic in her approach, but Roddie’s arrival would galvanise her into productive action. She quickly retrieved the pages she’d put in the waste paper basket – just in case they might prove to be useful.

First, though, she would have to make arrangements for Roddie’s accommodation. He wouldn’t be fortunate enough to find anyone like George travelling on the ferry to Craignure to take care of everything for him.

She decided to have lunch at Lochside, where she could ask advice about somewhere for Roddie to stay. Anna set off on the Benview bicycle, as she hadn’t yet contacted Kirsty to discuss using the car which was parked at the cottage. At least Roddie planned to bring his car over to Mull, so that would make travelling around a little easier.

There were three people at the regulars’ table in the bed and breakfast when she arrived: George, Finn, and a man Anna hadn’t met before.

‘Talk of the devil,’ George said, greeting her with a beaming smile. ‘We were just speaking about you. This is Adam, Kirsty’s husband. He’s come up to see how work is progressing on his cottage. On Benview.’

With the introductions over, Anna was able to tell Adam that she hadn’t seen much of the workmen. ‘I’ve been out much of the time, though, so I don’t know how they’re doing.’

‘I’ve arranged to meet Jimmy at Benview this afternoon. I’ll see then how it’s going. Is it all right if I go in and—’

‘Of course,’ Anna said. ‘It’s your cottage. It’s good of you to allow me to use it.’

Another thought suddenly occurred to her. ‘Would you like me to move on? Are you planning to stay?’

Adam laughed. ‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘I’m going back home later today. I may take one of the boys with me, depending on how much work still has to be done on the cottage. Are you quite happy there? Do you have everything you need?’

‘Right down to the bicycle I used to come over here,’ she assured him. ‘It’s perfect.’

‘That’s good,’ Adam said. ‘We’ll see how this arrangement with Elsa works. It might suit us all. She’s the person on the spot when we’re at home in Glasgow.’

Conversation became more general, less focused on Anna, which gave her the opportunity to study the men at the table. George was the oldest of the three; Finn reminded Anna of a silver fish, which would be appropriate for his love affair with the sea; and Adam was stocky but strong, with well-developed muscles. She had a great desire to take a picture of the three inhabitants – either full- or part-time – of the Isle of Mull; to capture the moment, and try to work out what they had in common. What had attracted the newcomers to the island? Was it contagious? Could it be that already the island was casting its spell over her, luring her to the Hebrides?

‘I have a friend who’s coming up for a couple of days,’ Anna said, taking advantage of a lull in the conversation. ‘I’m looking for accommodation for him.’

‘He can stay at the cottage,’ Adam said. ‘No problem.’

Anna felt the heat rising from her neck upwards. She was sure her face had turned that awkward shade of pink that shouted at her red hair.

‘We don’t… He isn’t…’ She stumbled over her attempts to explain that Roddie was not a boyfriend.

George came to her rescue. ‘They’re just good friends, I think.’

‘Oh, I see. Still, no problem,’ said Adam. ‘There’s a camp bed in the cupboard in the living room.’

‘Oh, thank you,’ Anna said, her voice light with relief. ‘Roddie’s my flatmate in Glasgow. In fact, it’s his flat that I live in. With another lad.’

All of a sudden, it struck Anna that most of her friends were men. In fact, she had no close female friends. And it was uncanny that she found herself, once again, surrounded by men. Perhaps she was more at ease in men’s company?

‘Is he arriving today?’ Finn asked.

‘No, tomorrow,’ Anna said.

‘Will he be staying long?’ Again, it was Finn posing the question.

‘I’m not sure.’

‘For pity’s sake, stop badgering the girl,’ George said.

Finn smiled. ‘Sorry, Anna,’ he said. ‘I wondered if he needed any help with transport?’

‘Oh, no thanks, Finn. He’ll come in his own car,’ Anna said.

‘So, he’ll be able to drive you round the island?’

‘Yes, thanks. That lets you off the hook.’ Anna caught the look of disappointment on Finn’s face. ‘You’ve been so kind since I arrived on the island. All of you have,’ she said, including the others in her remark. ‘I really appreciate your help.’