Mrs.
Kinnaird is. Although her age will never reveal it so.”
Emma gave a small
smile. She was glad to see Ethel was being served by good and loyal staff.
“There you are,”
Theodore said from behind her. “I didn’t see you and thought you had left
without me.”
“I kind of wandered
in here,” Emma said with a shrug.
“Yes, but these are
staff quarters, Mrs. Winston,” he said. “I just don’t want any trouble from the
mistress.”
“Don’t take it
personally, Miss,” said Nancy. “But no one comes down here. No one. Not even Mr.
Cameron or his guests.”
“You make it sound
mysterious and forbidding, Nancy,” Theodore grumbled. “It’s just we need to
clear it out with the mistress, should you ever decide to visit Nancy again.
She can be quite the chatterbox. I understand why you would want to return
here. I do also for the same reasons.”
“I understand,” Emma
chuckled. “Of course.”
*****
Emma didn’t see or hear from Ethel Kinnaird for a while. So when she
opened the door one early afternoon, she was surprised to find her at her
doorstep.
“Hello there,” she said in a rather cheery tone. “I thought I might drop
by and introduce myself to the children.”
Ethel made herself quite comfortable as she got chatting with the
children. She noticed that both Jai and Hannah quickly developed a strong
affinity for the older woman. She saw a small dimple form in the woman’s cheeks
whenever she let out a hearty, croaky chuckle. She never noticed it before.
Jai spent the afternoon
bragging about his new high-powered electric planes and even let Ethel take a
spin at it in the backyard. After which, Hannah triggered an unending set of
riddles and jokes between themselves.
“So how have you been
spending your winter days when you’re not in school?” Ethel asked after another
bout of laughter.
“What can we do but
play indoor games and watch telly,” Jai complained. “There isn’t really much to
do in Skye, is there?”
“Really?” said Ethel.
“Is that all you’ve been doing? Well, we certainly must do something about
that, Theodore.”
Jai and Hannah stared
at her with unbelief.
“What…are
you…thinking of doing?” Jai asked slowly with curiosity.
“Well, we haven’t
taken out Lady Loch out in a long time. Maybe we should fire her up for
spring.”
“Who is Lady Loch ?”
asked Hannah
“My boat,” said
Ethel. “I think this would be a good time to take her out. It hasn’t seen the
water in a long time.”
“But what about
winter? And the snow?” asked Hannah, clearly worried. “It was terrible a few
days ago.”
Ethel let out a
giggle. “Oh no, honey. Those were rare days in Skye. You see, Skye lies in the
path of the Gulf Stream. And because it is only a small island, the weather
conditions are completely determined by the sea that surrounds it, which also
keeps the snow at bay.”
“Just like London?”
“Yes. Almost like
it.”
“But where are we
going?” asked Jai.
“The Black Cuillins ,” she said in a mysterious voice.
“The Black Cuillins ,” repeated Hannah softly to herself.
“Yes, but not until
next Saturday. It would be close to the end of winter so it might be even
warmer. And besides I have some meetings to attend to. So if your mother
doesn’t mind, we can all take that trip to Loch Coruisk .”
“But you said we were
going to The Black Cuillins ,” argued Hannah.
“Hannah,” Jai said
impatiently. “Loch Coruisk is the lake the lies at
the base of the The Cuillins .
That’s how we get to the mountains. Right, Mrs. Kinnaird?”
Ethel nodded, beaming
proudly.
“Well, Mum,” asked Jai.
“Do you want to take a boat ride to Loch Coruisk ?”
*****
Saturday couldn’t
come any quicker as the children waited impatiently for their trip. It was a
great start to their mid-term school break.
At about eleven in
the morning, Theodore drove by to pick them up. Attached at the rear of the
sports
Kinnaird is. Although her age will never reveal it so.”
Emma gave a small
smile. She was glad to see Ethel was being served by good and loyal staff.
“There you are,”
Theodore said from behind her. “I didn’t see you and thought you had left
without me.”
“I kind of wandered
in here,” Emma said with a shrug.
“Yes, but these are
staff quarters, Mrs. Winston,” he said. “I just don’t want any trouble from the
mistress.”
“Don’t take it
personally, Miss,” said Nancy. “But no one comes down here. No one. Not even Mr.
Cameron or his guests.”
“You make it sound
mysterious and forbidding, Nancy,” Theodore grumbled. “It’s just we need to
clear it out with the mistress, should you ever decide to visit Nancy again.
She can be quite the chatterbox. I understand why you would want to return
here. I do also for the same reasons.”
“I understand,” Emma
chuckled. “Of course.”
*****
Emma didn’t see or hear from Ethel Kinnaird for a while. So when she
opened the door one early afternoon, she was surprised to find her at her
doorstep.
“Hello there,” she said in a rather cheery tone. “I thought I might drop
by and introduce myself to the children.”
Ethel made herself quite comfortable as she got chatting with the
children. She noticed that both Jai and Hannah quickly developed a strong
affinity for the older woman. She saw a small dimple form in the woman’s cheeks
whenever she let out a hearty, croaky chuckle. She never noticed it before.
Jai spent the afternoon
bragging about his new high-powered electric planes and even let Ethel take a
spin at it in the backyard. After which, Hannah triggered an unending set of
riddles and jokes between themselves.
“So how have you been
spending your winter days when you’re not in school?” Ethel asked after another
bout of laughter.
“What can we do but
play indoor games and watch telly,” Jai complained. “There isn’t really much to
do in Skye, is there?”
“Really?” said Ethel.
“Is that all you’ve been doing? Well, we certainly must do something about
that, Theodore.”
Jai and Hannah stared
at her with unbelief.
“What…are
you…thinking of doing?” Jai asked slowly with curiosity.
“Well, we haven’t
taken out Lady Loch out in a long time. Maybe we should fire her up for
spring.”
“Who is Lady Loch ?”
asked Hannah
“My boat,” said
Ethel. “I think this would be a good time to take her out. It hasn’t seen the
water in a long time.”
“But what about
winter? And the snow?” asked Hannah, clearly worried. “It was terrible a few
days ago.”
Ethel let out a
giggle. “Oh no, honey. Those were rare days in Skye. You see, Skye lies in the
path of the Gulf Stream. And because it is only a small island, the weather
conditions are completely determined by the sea that surrounds it, which also
keeps the snow at bay.”
“Just like London?”
“Yes. Almost like
it.”
“But where are we
going?” asked Jai.
“The Black Cuillins ,” she said in a mysterious voice.
“The Black Cuillins ,” repeated Hannah softly to herself.
“Yes, but not until
next Saturday. It would be close to the end of winter so it might be even
warmer. And besides I have some meetings to attend to. So if your mother
doesn’t mind, we can all take that trip to Loch Coruisk .”
“But you said we were
going to The Black Cuillins ,” argued Hannah.
“Hannah,” Jai said
impatiently. “Loch Coruisk is the lake the lies at
the base of the The Cuillins .
That’s how we get to the mountains. Right, Mrs. Kinnaird?”
Ethel nodded, beaming
proudly.
“Well, Mum,” asked Jai.
“Do you want to take a boat ride to Loch Coruisk ?”
*****
Saturday couldn’t
come any quicker as the children waited impatiently for their trip. It was a
great start to their mid-term school break.
At about eleven in
the morning, Theodore drove by to pick them up. Attached at the rear of the
sports
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