Liv was glad to be back in the relative warmth of the hotel. Whilst Effie seemed nice, Liv had watched possibly too many horror films to be comfortable being out in the woods with someone with an axe and a machete, because in the films it usually didn’t end well for the one without any weapons. Now safely inside and the sharp implements put away, she was feeling calmer and more rational. She went through to the kitchen and automatically got a mug out to make a drink. Fraser was leaning over a piece of paper on the counter.
‘You English are obsessed with tea.’ He said it like it was a bad thing.
‘It could be worse. It could be deep-fried Mars bars.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Urban myth,’ he said.
‘Aww I was hoping they’d be for dessert tomorrow.’
‘You staying are you?’ He lifted his chin to look at her. Those eyes were even bluer than his profile picture. They seemed to see into her soul and she did not like the sensation one little bit. How could he look at her like that and yet have no flicker of recollection? Or was he just very good at hiding it? Whichever it was, it pissed her off.
She folded her arms. ‘Not a lot of choice given the weather forecast says more snow is coming, which won’t help on top of the ice. Trust me I’ll be out of here as soon as physically possible.’
‘Robbie rang to check we were all okay and to say that the snowplough should be able to get through in the morning. There’d be nothing to stop you leaving then.’ His expression was unreadable.
‘Now don’t you go getting my hopes up. Did you want a cuppa?’
‘No thanks.’ He tapped his water bottle and went back to his notes and his chewed pencil.
Curiosity got the better of Liv so she made her tea and came to stand next to him. ‘Is this tomorrow’s menu?’
‘I thought I should plan ahead in case our guests are staying. I need to defrost ingredients.’
Liv considered biting her tongue instead of blurting out what she was thinking, but this was the new Liv, so what the heck. ‘I don’t know why you’re going to so much trouble. They are an ungrateful bunch. I mean Aaron and Kacey are all right, but I doubt they’d be bothered what you served them, and Shanie doesn’t deserve anything so I’d be giving her shop-bought lasagne and baked beans.’
He seemed mildly amused. ‘I’m a chef,’ he said as if addressing someone a bit dim.
‘I know. Doesn’t mean you have to cook all the time. I doubt Bear Grylls drinks his own wee when he’s at home on his sofa watching the footie.’
Fraser put down the pencil and walked off. ‘Follow me,’ he said belatedly.
Liv walked over to where he opened the freezer. It was a large walk-in affair, which she’d seen him briefly open earlier when he’d labelled and stored some of the leftover cooked venison.
‘What do you see?’ he asked.
‘The inside of a giant freezer,’ she said. ‘Brrr, it’s almost as cold as outside.’
‘But what’s in it? And don’t say food,’ he said pre-empting her answer.
Liv tentatively stepped inside. She had a fear of being shut in one of these things. Now she thought about it she was definitely watching far too much scary stuff. She made a mental note to check out some romcom films for a change. She scanned the shelves and gave a brief commentary. ‘Different sorts of fish. Joints of meat. Herbs. Vegetables.’ She wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
‘Do you see a ready-made lasagne?’
‘Ahhh I get it now,’ she said exiting the freezer. ‘You’re being all hoity-toity because you make all your own food. Well, I think that’s just poor forward planning. I always keep a pizza in the freezer for emergencies.’
Fraser huffed and slammed the freezer shut, making Liv shudder – she was glad she was on the outside. He tutted and went back to preparing his menu.
‘Everyone likes pizza. Just saying,’ she added and she made a hasty exit, taking her mug of tea with her.
She found Effie lugging a couple of boxes into the library.
‘What is his problem?’ she asked.
Effie looked up. ‘Who? Fraser?’
Liv nodded. Effie paused as if considering whether to explain or not.
‘I’m not imagining it, am I? He is more grumpy with me than anyone else, isn’t he?’
Effie carried on dragging the box into the library. ‘Come in,’ she said. Liv gave a half-hearted attempt at helping with the box, but she didn’t want to spill her tea. Once inside Effie shut the door and looked around as if double-checking there was nobody there. ‘You’re English,’ said Effie in a way that implied that that one thing explained it all.
‘I know that. Does he hate everyone who’s not Scottish? Is he that prejudiced?’
‘It’s just that…’ Effie chewed her lip.
Did she know something? Liv was beginning to wonder if Fraser had shared anything with his cousin. Perhaps he did remember who she was and that was why he was keen for her to leave. It was starting to make her cranky. ‘Has he said something? Please tell me, Effie.’
Effie went over to the window seat and flopped down. ‘It’s a long story.’
Liv sat down next to her. ‘Then just give me a trailer-length version.’ Effie’s face contorted at the request. This was obviously a big ask. ‘Okay but try to keep it short.’
Effie took a deep breath. ‘Fraser went travelling a few years ago and met Lizzie. I don’t think she liked me.’
‘Is that why you said people called Liz aren’t very nice?’ asked Liv, remembering the odd conversation she’d had with Effie about names.
‘She used to laugh at things I said and say things to make me look stupid.’
‘That’s not nice,’ said Liv, already not liking the sound of Lizzie.
‘They met in Barcelona but Lizzie isn’t Spanish. They fell in love and when he came home Lizzie came with him. He changed when he was with her and that made him act differently around everyone else – and not a good different, but he was still Fraser and she seemed to make him happy.’
‘Where’s Lizzie now?’
‘I’m getting to that part,’ said Effie with a finger wiggle of irritation. ‘They had plans to move back to Spain and open a restaurant there but… Fraser felt he should stay here. Lizzie got really cross and I thought they were going to split up.’ Effie visibly brightened. ‘But they didn’t. The compromise was that they decided to open up a restaurant at the hotel, but Lizzie was never really on board with it.’
Liv failed to hide a yawn. It had been a long day and it felt like Effie still had a lot to tell her.
Effie continued. ‘Anyway, they got the right permissions and everything and then Lizzie dumped Fraser and went off with his best mate Callum, and Fraser didn’t want to continue with the restaurant on his own so he got a job in a pub in Fort William. Then two months ago we found out that Lizzie and Callum were opening up a restaurant a couple of miles away, and it’s basically what she and Fraser were going to do here. That upset him a lot. I mean like proper crazy upset.’ She twirled her hands at either side of her head.
‘I can imagine,’ said Liv.
‘I’ve not finished.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Fraser left the pub and started making plans to open the restaurant here on his own. He sold his flat and moved in here. There’s meant to be a big pre-launch event on the 23rd – I like to call it Christmas Eve Eve. It’s to gain support, but that doesn’t look like it will be able to go ahead if the snow sticks around.’
‘That it? Anything else?’ Liv was no wiser as to Fraser’s attitude towards her.
‘Um. No that’s everything. The end,’ said Effie, sitting up straight.
‘Thanks for telling me, but I’m still not entirely sure why he’s so pissy with me. Do I look like Lizzie?’
Effie laughed. ‘Noooo, Lizzie is really glamorous. Very pretty. Actually she’s more striking than pretty. The sort of face that makes men turn their heads to watch her walk by. She looks a bit like Blake Lively, and Lizzie’s super stylish too,’ she added with a glance over Liv’s jumpsuit.
‘Thanks for that,’ said Liv, feeling like a swamp monster.
‘And,’ said Effie, as if something important had struck her, ‘Lizzie is English.’
‘There we are,’ said Liv feeling a little vindicated. At least that explained why Fraser was frequently having a dig about the English and generally off with her. And now Liv was starting to make other connections. Was this why he’d ghosted her? Was it some sort of revenge plot on English girls? Maybe she wasn’t the only one. That would explain why he didn’t remember her. Or perhaps he didn’t remember her because she wasn’t that memorable and didn’t look like Blake Lively, but she couldn’t help that.
‘Don’t take it personally,’ said Effie. ‘Fraser doesn’t mean to be bad-mannered. He’s really kind.’ Effie lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘I think you remind him of Fiona Smith.’
‘And what was she like?’ asked Liv.
‘Terrible fringe and very shiny shoes.’
‘Ri-ight.’ Liv decided to change the subject. ‘What’s with the box?’
‘Christmas decorations! I thought it would cheer the old place up and get us all feeling festive, and then everyone will be less crabbit, that means grumpy.’
‘Good idea,’ said Liv although she wasn’t as sure as Effie that a few bits of tinsel would be enough.
They spent an hour arranging bits of the foliage they had gathered, entwining them with the strands of fairy lights that they could get to work. They hung a piece of mistletoe from the chandelier and some other sprigs all around the hotel as there was quite a lot of it. When Liv came back into the library, Effie had a string of tartan bunting draped around her neck and she was adjusting the mistletoe. ‘I guess only Aaron and Kacey will make good use of that,’ said Liv with a little sigh.
‘We’ll all benefit from the mistletoe,’ said Effie sounding extra earnest and making Liv wonder what sort of party games they played in these parts.
‘I’m not kissing anyone this Christmas,’ said Liv. The statement pulled her up short. Sure Christmas was a time for kids and families, but it was also special if you were in a relationship. There was something about being with someone at this time of year that made it feel extra special. Perhaps it was because each Christmas was a milestone; a marker in life that she pinned things to. And this would be the year she was on her own, double ghosted and most likely having Christmas dinner with her mum and sister. She loved her family with all her heart and would always want to be with them at Christmas, but how nice to have someone else to share that with too. Cuddling up with them to watch a soppy film and eat too many chocolates with and open thoughtful gifts you’d got each other.
She realised Effie was watching her closely. Maudlin wasn’t going to do her any good. ‘How will we all benefit from the mistletoe?’ she asked. If the answer was some sort of orgy then she was going to dig her way out with her bare hands if she had to.
‘The ancient Celts gathered mistletoe to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck,’ said Effie.
Liv was much relieved. ‘That’s good then. Might keep Janet away. Perhaps the holly will ward off pricks,’ she said with a smile.
‘Holly brings peace and fertility,’ said Effie.
‘Yeah that too. Why do people kiss under mistletoe and not holly then?’ she asked.
‘Because a couple of centuries ago someone decided a man could kiss any woman he liked if it was under the mistletoe and it was bad luck for her to refuse.’
‘I might have known it would have something to do with some chancer.’ Liv shook her head.
‘It’s kind of nice if someone wants to kiss you though,’ said Effie looking out of the window dreamily.
Liv took hold of the end of the tartan bunting they’d been pinning into the picture rail, got onto the chair and reached up.
‘Is this a Scottish tradition?’ asked Liv shoving a drawing pin into the end of the bunting with a sore thumb.
‘My great-grandmother, Ailsa, made it from soldiers’ kilts. When they came home from World War Two they handed in all their kit in exchange for a new suit. A lot of the clothes were good for nothing but rags, but the kilt is a hardwearing material so a lot of those could be used again. Those that couldn’t went to the needy. Ailsa made some of them into clothes for children because there was still rationing, and the bits that were left over she made into bunting.’
Liv looked at it afresh. It was all one type of tartan: navy and dark green with a yellow thread running through it. The thought that every piece had seen military service made it quite a piece of history. ‘The tartan is pretty. Is it all from one regiment?’
‘The Gordon Highlanders,’ said Dolly proudly as she entered the room and put down a mug.
‘It’s lovely. I like the colours. I noticed the curtains in my room are the same.’
Effie gasped and stood up very straight. ‘They are not,’ she said jutting her chin out.
‘It’s blue and green,’ said Liv.
‘The curtains are clan Campbell,’ explained Dolly. ‘The red and green tartan in the entrance lobby is Robertson, and the black and white with a thin red thread is Macpherson.’
Liv got the feeling she’d uttered something akin to blasphemy. ‘Sorry,’ she ventured.
‘We take our history and traditions seriously,’ said Dolly.
‘I’m learning that. No offence meant.’
‘Och, none taken,’ said Dolly.
‘I was expecting more men in kilts though,’ said Liv thinking out loud.
‘It’s more ceremonial these days,’ said Dolly.
‘Does Fraser have one – a kilt?’ Liv’s mind was painting interesting pictures.
‘Of course,’ said Effie. ‘He’s got a sporran and a sgian-dubh.’
‘What like a jet ski but for snow? They look cool,’ said Liv now picturing Fraser on a snowmobile with his kilt blowing in the wind.
Effie got a fit of the giggles. ‘No, silly. Not a skidoo, a sgian-dubh. That’s a knife. All the men have them.’
‘Ri-ight,’ said Liv. Things were quite different this far north.
Dolly did a lap of the room. ‘You’ve done a lovely job here, girls. But you know what this room needs?’
Dolly was looking towards the large window at the end of the room. ‘A Christmas tree,’ said Liv and Effie together.
‘Goodnight, girls,’ said Dolly, kissing first Effie and then to her surprise she wheeled over to Liv and held out her arms. Jock’O eyed her suspiciously as she tentatively leaned over him to accept the hug. As she pulled back she saw Jock’O had a sock under his paws.
‘Hey, is that my sock?’ said Liv but Jock’O quickly lay down.