From Scotland with Love by Katie Fforde Page A

deals.
    She went into the kitchen, prepared to tidy up after last night’s party and today’s breakfast. To her surprise, the kitchen was in pretty good shape. She did some wiping down and putting away but really Rory had done a very good job. She had put the kettle on for more tea when the back door opened and Mari came in.
    ‘I had to come and peek at the bairns,’ she said, apparently a little embarrassed. ‘I’m not here officially.’
    ‘Well, it’s lovely to see you whether you’re official or not,’ said Daisy. ‘Cup of something?’
    ‘Tea please. I’ll just go and see Grizzie.’
    Daisy went to join Mari and Rory in their puppy adoration and then Mari said, ‘Come on, you two need to get out. I’ll watch the babies.’
    Daisy suddenly yearned to leave the house and go out in the snow. She didn’t know how much longer it might last. When the snow went, or even partly went, she would have to go too.
    ‘Are you up for it, Daisy?’ asked Rory, as if she might not be.
    ‘Oh yes. We need to walk that breakfast off.’
    Well wrapped up, they walked in silence for a bit, finding the effort of walking through the snow enough without speaking as well. Eventually they stopped. They were on a ridge overlooking the loch and the mountains beyond.
    ‘I’m going to miss this,’ said Daisy. ‘I never thought I’d say that, but I really am.’
    ‘So am I,’ said Rory.
    Daisy looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’ A tiny part of her hoped he was going to say he would miss her. Most of her knew he wouldn’t.
    ‘I might have to sell it. I have an expensive wife to pay off and a one-time friend who isn’t as interested in the environment as I thought he was. As he thought he was, to be fair. Don’t tell me, Mari didn’t tell you all about it. She’s not a gossip but she likes people to be informed, which is how she defines it herself.’
    Daisy didn’t speak immediately then she plucked up her courage and said, ‘There is a way you could get money. Lots of it.’
    ‘I’m not selling that bit of land those foreigners are after,’ he said swiftly. ‘I don’t care how much they’re willing to pay. It’s possible there are wild cats on that site and I won’t have it built on!’
    ‘Oh! Mari didn’t tell me about that. Perhaps she thought I didn’t “need to know”.’
    He relaxed. ‘Sorry. All my friends – the few I’ve got I trust – have said I should just sell that little corner and all my troubles will be over, but I can’t. I worked damn hard to buy it and I’m keeping it.’
    ‘My idea was different.’
    ‘Tell me.’
    ‘You may not like this idea either.’ She knew, because Venetia had told her yet again in her previous text, that he had always completely rejected the idea of a contract for more than one book. But Athene wanted more than one book, four books for preference, for all sorts of reasons Venetia didn’t think she needed to share with Daisy.
    ‘What? It’s getting worse in my imagination all the time.’
    ‘Turn off your imagination! It’s agreeing to sign for four books and not just one. Athene would pay you shed loads.’ She didn’t know exactly how enormous the sheds were, but Venetia assured her they were massive.
    ‘Oh.’ He sounded as if this was an entirely new idea. ‘I’ve always insisted on only signing for one book at a time. I don’t like to be tied down by long contracts. I might want to give up writing.’
    ‘Well, it’s up to you of course. It’s a solution though, that doesn’t mean you have to lose any of this.’
    She made a sweeping gesture at the stunning scene before them.
    He didn’t speak for a long time. Daisy spent the time drinking in the beauty of the mountains, the snow, the silver light on the loch, the dark of the distant tree trunks contrasting with the snow weighing down the branches.
    He cleared his throat. ‘How much do you think I’d get?’
    ‘I don’t know. But I suggest you ask your agent for how much you want