Free Heather Song by Michael Phillips Page A

others for a moment. His mind was obviously revolving something.
    “Hello, Tavia,” he said at length. “I haven’t seen you in some time…Cora,” he added, then turned and left.
    “Excuse me,” I said. I set down my cup and ran to the door. Alasdair was disappearing along the corridor. I hurried after him, but he was walking quickly.
    “Alasdair,” I called behind him. I caught up with him and fell into step at his side. “I will be free in an hour,” I said, “after my lesson with Cora, if you—”
    “Forget it,” he said, still walking rapidly and not looking at me.
    “But if you—”
    “Forget it,” he said again. “It’s all right. I can see you’re busy.”
    “I only have the two lessons, and Tavia is just leaving. I didn’t realize you knew her.”
    “Yes, well…life is full of surprises.”
    “Alasdair, what in the world is wrong?”
    At last he stopped and turned toward me.
    “What are those women doing here?” he asked almost angrily.
    “I told you—just having harp lessons. I thought you—”
    “But why are they here together…and with Alicia…Why are they together  ? What were you talking about?”
    “I don’t know…nothing. Harp stuff.”
    “Is that all?”
    “Yes, of course. What else would you think it was?”
    “I don’t know, nothing…I just— Forget it. I just wondered if Olivia’s little clique of mischief was back in business and if you were getting drawn into the web.”
    “What web?”
    “Olivia’s web—they were all part of it.”
    “I know nothing about that. Please, Alasdair, I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.”
    “There are things you don’t know, Marie.”
    “Then tell me.”
    “It’s best you don’t know about them. Are you telling me that Olivia’s name never came up…that you only talked about your harp lessons?”
    “Yes…Well, she came up a time or two, but only in passing and then everyone clammed up and no one said anything about her. Actually, it was strange.”
    “So there was no talk of trying to initiate you into their little secretive club?”
    “Secretive club? They haven’t been together in years— Good heavens, no, there was nothing like that. If anything, just the opposite. I felt like the odd woman out.”
    “It would be Olivia’s pattern—to worm her way between us anyway she could to destroy the only time of happiness I have known in my life.”
    “Nothing will destroy it, Alasdair. Olivia is in Aberdeen. She’s got nothing to do with any of this.”
    “She has everything to do with it when those ladies are together. She can manipulate and control even when she is nowhere around. Maybe it’s telepathy, I don’t know.”
    “I assure you, it’s nothing at all like that.”
    “I hope you’re right,” said Alasdair, then he continued on down the hall, leaving me more perplexed than ever.
    If this had been our first “fight,” I suppose it was a mild one.
    Still, I didn’t like how it felt.

Chapter Nine
Crannoch Bin
    Thickest night, o’erhang my dwelling!
    Howling tempests, o’er me rave!
    Turbid torrents, wintry swelling,
    Still surround my lonely cave!
    Crystal streamlets gently flowing,
    Busy haunts of base mankind,
    Western breezes softly blowing,
    Suit not my distracted mind.
    —Robert Burns, “Strathallan’s Lament”
    A ll this time we heard nothing from Iain Barclay. I cannot say I forgot about him—I could never do that—but memories of our times together gradually receded into the background of my life with Alasdair.
    One day, however, my curiosity got the better of me. There was one man in the neighborhood who was sure to know what had become of the former minister of Deskmill Parish. If anyone knew, that man would be Iain’s former spiritual mentor, Ranald Bain.
    “How would you fancy a drive up the Bin to visit Ranald Bain?” I asked Alasdair at breakfast.
    “I’m sorry, my love,” he replied. “I have a meeting with the accountant of the Fochabers estate to review