Ashley was astonished to find Christine on her doorstep early in the morning.
“Edmund has left already. He will be sorry to have missed you.”
“Oh, I caught him on his way to work as he was walking past the hotel. I told him the news.”
“News? Come in, Christine. There’s coffee left in the pot.”
“I won’t stay long. I have to pack and get the noon train.”
“You are leaving? I hope everything at home is all right?”
It felt like pulling teeth to get information from Christine. She was making a meal out of whatever information she had, but Ashley contained her annoyance. The bottom line of this news was that Edmund’s mother was heading home to the east coast…. today! Her heart took up a wildly thumping beat that she hoped was invisible to her guest.
The coffee was poured and comments about the weather exchanged before Christine Jansen got to the point.
“You see, I have always had a great love of musical theatre. The local Repertory Group at home is planning a big production in the autumn and they have asked me to take the leading role of Reverend Mother in The Sound of Music.”
Ashley almost collapsed in laughter at the thought of Christine Jansen portraying the wise and warm nun with the glorious voice, on stage, but she controlled herself just in time and responded with appropriate enthusiasm.
“Why, that’s wonderful, Christine, and you will do a marvellous job.”
“Thank you, my dear! I must start rehearsals immediately. You must know nothing else would drag me away from you, Ashley, just when we are getting to know one another.”
Ashley felt an unusual pang of emotion at this tribute and responded in kind.
“Well, we have had some good days out and you know now how lovely Oban and its people are.”
“Yes, you are blessed with good friends, Ashley, and I can see how well respected my Edmund is in this community. Perhaps I may come again when you have decided on a more suitable home for a man in his position?”
Always a sting in the tail!
“Absolutely! We will look forward to that. Now don’t worry about the hotel bill. I will come over and settle it later today.”
“Good! I had better be going. Please inform your friends how much I have enjoyed meeting them and do take good care of my Edmund, Ashley.”
“I will! Indeed, I will!”
There was a tentative hug at the door and Ashley stood watching and waving as Christine made her way marching back to the hotel, with her handbag swinging from her arm.
Her first thought was for Edmund. Today she would take him a lunch and they could discuss the news on the tiny back patio. If they decided to cheer out loud, no one would be likely to hear.
Her second thought was for Anna. She made a quick call intending to leave a message if Anna and Alina were out somewhere with Philip enjoying the day. To her surprise, Anna picked up the phone after three rings.
“Anna! I have some marvellous news to tell you but if you are busy I can call back later.”
“Not at all, Ashley! Philip has just collapsed on the couch in the lounge after racing round here every hour since he arrived. Alina and I were enjoying the relative calm. Good news is always welcome here. Why don’t you get a cab and deliver the news in person. We’ll be waiting.”
“I will do that, but I have a date at lunchtime to share this with Edmund, so I won’t linger too long.”
“No problem, my dear. I am sure Philip will drive you to Edmund’s surgery. I have something important to share with you also, so your call is well timed.”
Now Ashley was curious as well as excited and she ran all the way to the Tesco parking lot where she was sure to find a cab that had just dropped off a passenger.
The short journey to the McCaig Estate House seemed to take much longer than usual. The distance was the same as always, but her inner excitement made every mile pass more slowly. By the time she saw Bev and Alan’s farm, she was jumping with anticipation.
Anna and Alina were waiting at the red door for her.
“Come in! Come in! We have tea or coffee and scones or cake; whichever suits your news or your taste.
Sit down and take a breath. You look as if you ran all the way here.”
“Oh, Anna! I feel as if I have been running a race ever since Christine arrived so unexpectedly in Oban! She certainly understands the art of surprise. This morning she announced she is leaving immediately to take up the role of Mother Superior in an amateur production of The Sound of Music in her home town.”
There was a sudden shocked silence following this statement. Then Anna and Alina burst out into fits of laughter. Ashley could not resist. She joined in until there were tears flowing and a box of Kleenex tissues was handed round to mop up the hilarity.
“Sorry, I just couldn’t come to grips with the picture you painted; Christine Jansen in a nun’s habit and folded hands, raising her voice to heaven in prayer. I simply could not make sense of it.”
“Anna, I am relieved you felt exactly as I did at the news. I had the worst time trying to hold back my laughter.”
“All right you two. Don’t set us off again! I have not met this person, but from what Anna tells me she is something of a dragon. For her son’s sake, please try to look less delighted at her sudden departure.”
“You are right, of course, Alina, but excuse us for this lapse of manners. I just had to share it with Anna who has a good idea of how annoying and overbearing Christine Jansen can be.”
“Hey! What’s going on in here? It sounds like a bunch of hysterical children have taken over the place.”
Philip’s arrival in the kitchen calmed the women down. Alina fetched another cup and patted the seat beside her. She knew the surprising announcements were not over and Philip was a part of the one that was heading to Ashley.
Anna took over.
“Ashley, will you come into the lounge with me for just a minute?”
Anna did not wait to see if Ashley complied. She went ahead into the lounge and shut the door behind them. By now, Ashley was becoming worried. Had she stepped over a line and upset her great-aunt?
“Sit with me, dear, and don’t look so worried. This should be very good news.
You know how I love and respect you. We grew very close that winter when you nursed me back to health and gave me the chance to open my heart about my life with Lawren.
Now that you and Edmund have declared your intentions to live here in Oban, I want you to know that this house will be yours when I die. Stop, Ashley! Don’t say anything until I finish!”
Ashley obeyed but she grasped Anna’s hands in hers as if to force her to feel the emotion that was coursing through her veins. This was a totally unexpected and totally generous bequest; typical of Anna to think of her great-niece who did not possess any property of her own in Canada because of a career that kept her moving from place to place. To one day own this house, this amazing house, was more than she could ever have dreamed.
“Now, I do not want you to be waiting anxiously for my eventual departure from this life, Ashley.”
“Anna! That thought would never, ever occur to me!”
“I know, dear. This intended inheritance has recently been transformed into a more useful package that will suit not just you and Edmund but also Alina and I. Philip is the one who will accomplish that for all of us.”
Ashley was confused. “I don’t understand.”
“I did not explain it very well, dear girl. I will start again.
The revised plan is for you and Edmund to take possession of the house when you marry.”
Anna ignored the gasp that came from Ashley.
“Philip will mastermind the design of a new wing of the house for your use. The original floor plan stays as is. The new part extends on this level out into the rear garden. Of course, you and Edmund will have input but I feel sure you will approve of Philip’s ideas. You can see his initial sketches on the kitchen table already.
Alina, Philp and I will go home to Canada eventually, but we hope you will agree that we can stay here with you, occasionally, using the present bedrooms, without disrupting your lives too much. We are most likely to want to travel to Scotland in the better weather so for most of the year the house will be yours alone, other than with the occasional addition of Christine, of course!
How does that sound to you?”
“Anna, I am speechless! I do not want to cry because I would not stop for hours. This is just such an incredible gift.”
“Ah, I just had another thought. Let’s go and tell Philip to make sure there’s enough room in the new wing for future children.”
Philip drove Ashley to the surgery and this time the miles vanished in the discussion about windows and energy conservation ideas Philip had admired in Fiona and Gordon’s Net Zero house in the forest.
“I can’t reproduce their system entirely, but I hope to incorporate some of the best features. When you two take over, you will be paying the bills for the whole place and the cost will be substantially more than in Fiona’s wee cottage.”
It was another item to be considered. Ashley thought it likely a new book project would be required to defray the costs.
She thanked Philip profusely and ran into the office in a state of great excitement. If Edmund was out on a call she thought she might explode with all she had to tell him bubbling inside unsaid.
Edmund was sitting in the tiny garden space with the sandwiches she had prepared for him and a dish of her favourite pasta, a bottle of red wine and two plastic glasses and a bouquet of flowers in a glass vase. The small table was overflowing.
“I knew you would come, Ashley! This is to thank you for putting up with my mother for so long. You have been marvellous, my darling girl. We have the cottage to ourselves again and I have more news that will make a huge difference in our lives. I received word this morning that a young doctor has been assigned to this practice to help me. Isn’t that grand? What a day this is! I owe Steve Collins a big vote of thanks for this.”
Ashley dared not move from the flimsy chair at the table. She wanted to throw herself into Edmund’s arms but that move would upend the table and all his lovely preparations would be ruined.
She simply poured the wine and rejoiced at her fiancé’s good news.
The rest of what made this an exceptional day in their lives, would wait until later when they were alone and the real celebrating could start in earnest with the beginning of their brilliant future.