Free The Legacy of Lochandee by Gwen Kirkwood Page B

er … I’d invite you into the flat, but …’ He flushed. ‘A bit of a mess it is …’
    Rachel laughed aloud, a young pretty laugh, Nick thought, and his arms ached for Bridie. She was like her mother in many ways.
    â€˜I can imagine the state of it with two young bachelors. This will do very well and you can keep an eye on the petrol pumps at the same time.’
    Nick nodded and swept aside a pile of papers and dusters to make a seat for her. Rachel regarded him seriously.
    â€˜I want to talk to you about the future, Nick. If, and I mean if, it can be arranged, how would you feel about moving into the house at Glens of Lochandee and paying a rent for it, instead of taking out a bank loan to build a house here?’ Nick’s face darkened instantly, his mouth tightened angrily and his dark eyes sparked with anger. Rachel felt her heart sink.
    â€˜Bridie has put you up to this!’ He straightened as though he would walk out. ‘Too good to be true, it was! She would live here with me, she said, and set a wedding date. I knew …’
    â€˜No! Wait. Nick, let me explain –’
    â€˜You don’t need to.’ He spoke slowly and carefully now but his words were clipped with anger. ‘I know exactly how Bridie feels about leaving Glens of Lochandee, especially now she believes her father will spend his time at Nether Rullion. She did not need to be sending you. The whole affair we’ll be calling off now!’ Nick turned on his heel to walk away.
    â€˜No, Nick!’ Rachel grabbed his arm in panic. ‘Bridie doesn’t know anything about this. I don’t want her to know. Nor her father, not yet. Please wait until you’ve heard what I have to say? What I would like to do … please?’
    â€˜If Bridie doesn’t want me on my terms then she doesn’t love me enough to be my wife.’ Nick’s face was set and stubborn and Rachel knew Fiona had been right about him: he was vulnerable but he was proud and fiercely independent.
    â€˜Listen to me, Nick, please. If you love Bridie at all, the least you can do is hear what I have to say. I’ve just been to see Mr Niven myself – not for your sake, or for Bridie’s. You two are young; you have all your lives before you. Of course you’ll have problems, but you’ll solve them because I know you do love each other. It’s my own husband I’m worried about. If you marry Bridie and take her away, there will be far too much for Ross to manage alone, especially now he has bought Nether Rullion. He’ll not rest until he has paid back the bank loan, and I know how frustrated he was as a tenant with an absentee landlord and no repairs done to drains or fences, not even a shed to store tools, even less house cattle or store grain. He’ll want to do everything at once, now that it’s his own property.’
    â€˜So you want me to move in with you all?’ Nick said tightly, already shaking his head.
    â€˜No. You heard what Mr Murray said about my vase? I thought about little else all night. This morning I made up my mind and I asked him to take it with him to get another opinion, and to sell it if he’s right. He seems convinced he is. The money from the sale would help to build a small house, but not for you and Bridie. It would be for Ross and me – Ewan too, of course. I would build it right in the middle of Nether Rullion, instead of here beside the garage …’
    â€˜You’re serious?’ Nick stared at her incredulously. ‘Since yesterday evening? You have given it consideration …’
    â€˜I have. A great deal, believe me, Nick. It kept me awake most of the night. I loved Minnie’s old vase, but I loved it for sentimental reasons. If it really is so valuable, I should be almost afraid to dust it. I packed it up carefully in one of the wooden boxes which the animal drenches come in.