Free Posh Doc, Society Wedding by Joanna Neil

venture?’
    He nodded. ‘When I came over the other year I saw how many wild fruits we had growing on the estate and suggested that we might have a go at fermenting a batch. They turned out pretty well, so I’m looking into starting up a wine-making business. After all, we have acres of land here, just asking to be planted.’
    He drew a bottle from the rack, placed it on the table, and then reached for a couple of wineglasses from an overhead cupboard. ‘Of course I’m not sure how people around here will respond to it. I doubt I’ll be able to rely on them as customers. I’m facing a bit of resistance in trying to win them over to my side, one way or another. Even Maggie has a fairly sceptical view of my motives, but I think she feels she needs to look out for the children.”
    He was right about the locals. The talk in the village was all about the new Laird—an incomer who didn’t belong. ‘Maybe that’s because you’ve been away for so long,’ she murmured. ‘After all, you weren’t even educated here. Your father sent you away to school.’
    ‘That’s true. I dare say that’s helped to provoke the feeling among the community that I’m an outsider.’ He shrugged. ‘Whatever the reason, I’m back now, and I have to do what I can to win them round.’
    He smiled. ‘Try this one,’ he said, uncorking a bottle. ‘See what you think. If you aren’t completely bowled over, I’m an impostor from the Lakes.’
    She sent him a fleeting glance. Had he read her mind? She shook the thought away. It was common knowledge that he would have to prove himself around here. Why was she worrying about the outcome?
    He poured the rich ruby liquid into a glass and handed it to her. She sipped slowly, savouring the wine on her tongue before swallowing. A sweet, warm sensation enveloped her and she took another sip. She blinked, and then looked up at him.
    ‘I think you must be the genuine article,’ she murmured. ‘This is delicious.’
    ‘I’m glad you like it.’ He poured more wine into the glass. ‘Have some cheese with it, and crackers.’ He laid out a selection of food and pushed a plate towards her, coming to join her at the table, taking a seat opposite.
    ‘I don’t know how you manage to pull it all in,’ she said. ‘You seem to have a lot of ideas and various projects on the go, and yet you’re without an estate manager. How are you going to keep everything going?’
    ‘Now, there you have me,’ he said. ‘Let’s just say my plans are fairly fluid at the moment. A lot will depend on Alice and the children and how much support they need.’
    She drank her wine, and tasted the cheese and crackers, and found after a while that she was oddly replete. A warm and comfortable feeling was enveloping her, with a general light-headed sensation that made her believe all was well with the world.
    Ross excused himself to go and check on the children, but he was back just a short time later. ‘Molly’s still playing with her dolls’ house, and Cameron’s just launched a major offensive with his toy soldiers, so I think they’ll be occupied for a while. Would you like to come and look at the grounds out back? I’ve been tidying up the kitchen garden whenever I’ve had the chance, and I’ve been thinking about a tree-planting scheme to break up the winds that blow across the north pasture in wintertime.’
    She stood up and went with him to the kitchen door. ‘Do the children know where we’ll be?’ she asked.
    He nodded. ‘I told them we might be looking out over the loch. They know to ring the bell that clangs outside if they have a problem of any kind.’
    ‘That’s a good idea.’ She went with him to fetch her soft cord jacket from the cloakroom, shrugging into it as she walked out with him.
    The cool air outside came as something of a surprise as she left the warmth of the kitchen behind. Her head swam a little with the after-effects of the wine, and Ross must have noticed because he put