by Ruth Hay
“Welcome, ladies! The Laird and Lady Fiona are waiting for you. I’ll show you the way to the new house and then go back by a shortcut through the woods to watch for the children arriving from school.”
There followed a series of turns and twists as they were directed on secondary roads and lanes to the depth of the forest. Jeanette was wondering if the next turn would mean ducking under the branches of tall fir trees when they suddenly emerged into a clearing on a rise filled with light.
There was no need for an announcement as the house lay before them in all its splendour. It was totally different from what Anna had expected. It was square in shape, clad in wood, with a flat roof covered in a green mat with panels of what she recognized as solar conductors tilted toward the sun. The house had two floors, large windows and an overhang that shaded the balconies on the upper level. To the side of the house, gardens stretched downhill toward the surrounding trees and there seemed to be a pond with tall reeds growing in and around it.
Before she could absorb any more, Fiona, with baby in her arms, was hauling open the van door and crying out, “Come out of there this minute, Anna. I can’t wait another second to hug you.”
It was a joyous reunion and a few tears escaped. The baby did not seem to mind being crushed between his mother and the stranger and only gave a hiccup in protest.
Fiona handed her son to Anna and led the way toward her new home.
“Come in, come in! We can’t wait to show our green house to you both. We are very proud of it.”
“But, how can you live so far in the forest? How do you get electricity and sewer services?”
Jeanette was asking the practical questions that were on the edge of Anna’s mind, now occupied with the weight and warmth of the tiny baby, Neil, in her arms.
“We don’t need those services which is why we can live in this beautiful spot.”
Gordon stepped out of the front door and smiled a welcome. “I’ve been instructed to give visitors the functions tour. Step this way and I’ll point out the features of our Net Zero house.
All four positioned themselves by the front entrance while Gordon Campbell explained how the roof panels provided electric power which heated water in a storage tank filled by rain water. Waste water from washing, baths and toilets was diverted to the pond where it was filtered by the reeds and eventually made its way back to the stream that ran into the river near the property.
“The house is built on a concrete pad which absorbs heat and regulates the overall temperature of the house. The walls are made of wood struts from our own trees and the insulation is recycled newspaper and sheep’s wool. The windows are triple glazed, capture all the light and the overhangs shade the interior in the summer.”
“That’s the basics,” interjected Fiona, with a voice that echoed her husband’s pride. “But there’s lots more to it inside. Come and see how comfortable it feels.”
Fiona was right, thought Anna, as she stepped into a large open kitchen that felt as warm as any Aga-heated farmhouse. It was painted in light, bright colours and had a floor of polished concrete with colourful scatter mats indicating the seating and playing areas. There was a whole wall of storage and book shelving and the views from all the windows were spectacular.
“So this is the Eco House you two always wanted?”
“Indeed it is,” said Gordon, as he retrieved his son and waved the women upstairs.
Jeanette soon discovered the bookshelf wall was the outer part of the staircase that wound around and deposited them on an upper gallery off which there were four bedrooms with even more spectacular views to the rear of the property.
“But how are you going to keep the children’s noise from disturbing you down below?” she asked.
“Well, when the doors are open we can hear what the older two are up to and when it’s time for sleep, the doors are double-insulated.”
“Very wise,” was Jeanette’s comment to Fiona. “You seem to have thought of everything and it could not be more different than the draughty old castle with all those stone stairs.”
Fiona placed her arm around Anna’s shoulders and said, “We loved our old castle but it was not the place to bring up three children; which reminds me to show you the family bathroom and our ensuite.
What luxury it is and it’s designed to save water.”
When they had finished admiring the bathroom’s shining modern fixtures and the underfloor heating, Gordon called them to come for tea, then excused himself as he had estate business to attend to, leaving the women to ooh and aah over the new baby and demand all the details of his birth from Fiona.
“Och, he was no trouble at all. Slipped out like a wee fish and cried for only a moment. Gordon was there for the birth and he was duly thrilled to have another son.”
“I think Neil is more like you, Fiona, than like a Campbell.”
“He has my colouring, I think, although his eyes could change to Gordon’s grey. He’s a grand wee chap and he sleeps and eats well. Shona is fascinated with him and wants to help every minute when she’s home, but Fergus says he’ll be more interested when his brother can play with him.”
Fiona suddenly turned serious and, with a glint in her eye, asked Jeanette if she would mind watching the baby, who was now sleeping peacefully in a Moses basket on the floor near where the trio sat.
“I have something to show Anna and I need to take her away for a few minutes.”
“Off you go! I am perfectly content right here with this wee lamb.”
* * *
Anna followed along as Fiona led her to the back of the house and a rear exit where Fiona described a play area and garden they were to build in the following spring. She did not stop there but moved onto a gravel path at the end of which Anna could see a shed or garden house sheltering under the tall firs that sheltered the property.
“Now, I don’t know how you will feel about this, Anna. I don’t want you to feel pressured in any way.”
“What are you talking about, Fiona? You are sounding very mysterious.”
“You’ll see.”
The door opened and Anna could see nothing in the dim interior until her eyes adjusted from the bright light outdoors. She gazed around and found only a few tools and some bins holding empty plant pots.
She was about to ask what she was supposed to be looking for when she heard the tiniest sound; a small squeak. At once her mind was flooded with memories of the time she had known just such a small squeaking sound very well.
“Fiona!” she gasped. “What have you done?”
“Nothing, really. You can blame Mother Nature. We found this little mite abandoned and close to death. It’s a hybrid, so not subject to the species preservation laws. I checked with the vet, it’s still Callum Moir by the way, and he confirmed our conclusion.”
Anna moved forward. She was compelled to see for herself. There, in the bottom of a deep cardboard box lay a kitten with the brindled brown colouring, small ears and brushy tail that identified it as a Scottish Wild Cat hybrid. Its mother must have been a stray cat that contributed only the slightly smaller size, as the father’s features were so strong.
There was silence in the shed other than the sound of their breathing, until Anna said with a quaver in her voice, “ Fiona, is it really another Sylvester after all these years?”
“I’m afraid not. This one is a Sylvia, if you don’t mind another female in your household? I know how you missed Morag.”
Anna longed to say a fervent ‘Yes’, but practical problems arose, preventing her from doing what she wanted.
“But, I will be leaving in a month or two. What will happen then?”
“I have talked to Bev. She is happy to resume your old system of the cat going back and forth between houses. Bev says she will be glad to have a cat around again to keep down the mice that creep inside in the autumn.”
“Oh, I can hardly believe this! Remember the old days when we nursed Sylvester in the kitchen cupboard and tried
to keep him safe inside?”
“Of course, I do. That was a real adventure for us. It was the first time we conspired together to defeat bureaucracy, and the experience gave me a taste for rebelling that remains to this day. Just ask Gordon!
As for Sylvia, you need to know I am encouraging the children to come and play with her briefly, to accustom her to the sound of human voices and the smells also.”
“Won’t they want to keep the kitten for themselves?”
“Well, I have explained it wouldn’t be safe for the new baby and we have enough already to care for. They are content with that. They have the whole forest world of animals to observe here and the river otters are particular favourites.”
“The children would have visiting privileges, naturally,” added Anna.
Fiona’s eyes opened wide.
“Do you mean you agree to take Sylvia?”
“Of course I do! How could I refuse? Morag’s window seat is waiting for her whenever you feel she is ready to be moved.”
“I am so glad. I can’t imagine a better home for her. Now that’s decided, let’s go back and you can tell me everything that has happened since I saw you last. Every single thing now; leave nothing out!
Chapter Fourteen
It was a different Anna who returned home in the van with Jeanette. She felt more settled and calm after their long, happy visit with Fiona’s family. Jeanette had asked more practical questions about food supplies for the Campbells if they were intending to live as independently as possible, and received a lengthy list of resources like vegetable and fruit gardens soon to be planted and cared for by the older children to which their parents would add fish from the river and venison from the deer cull in the winter.
“We are a long way from the nearest grocery shop,” explained Fiona, “but the children go back and forth to Oban for school so I can get supplies that way, if necessary.”
In conclusion, both Anna and Jeanette admired the enterprise of the Campbells and loved the idea of them living in the forest on a huge estate that provided all their needs.
“I’ll be taking my two to visit as soon as I can winkle George out of his office for an hour or two. We all need to see what self-sufficiency looks like in this new age that’s coming.”
Anna thought she was not likely to be alive in the new age to which Jeanette referred. For now she was glad to have the conveniences of her big stone estate house. She felt a sense of real homecoming as they approached up the lane. Jeanette came inside to inspect the cleaning work that had been done earlier, and she soon expressed satisfaction with the results. Ashley emerged from the office when she heard their voices and she gave every evidence of having been hard at work. She was stretching her shoulders and massaging her hands.
“Well, hello again, you two! You have been gone a long time. How was your first outing, Aunt Anna?”
“To tell the truth, Ashley, I am feeling a bit tired now after all the excitement of the day. “I’ll go up and get changed and maybe we can have something light for supper. I need an early night, but I have something to discuss with you before I sleep.”
Ashley thought she saw a conspiratorial glance pass between the friends but there were no further explanations. She went to the front door with Jeanette and discovered the air had cooled remarkably and the night had arrived while she was working in the office. She shivered as she waved farewell, then quickly closed the door and went into the cozy kitchen to find something for their supper.
She discovered a covered plate with muffins and a container of applesauce sitting on the table attached to a note asking for a review of the cleaning service.
“Smart move,” she declared. She was tired from her day’s writing efforts and cooking a meal at the end of the day was not appealing. She would add cheese, butter and grapes to the muffins and see if that satisfied Anna’s appetite.
Tonight was obviously not going to be an opportune moment to advance the story of Anna’s life with Lawren Drake but perhaps the topic her aunt wanted to discuss would lead to some other useful item for the book contents.
As soon as Anna had finished a muffin and a large mug of tea she introduced the subject of a new member of the family at the McCaig Estate farmhouse.
“Do you mean a kitten?” asked Ashley, with her surprise showing clearly. This was not what she had expected.
“Not just any kitten, Ashley. You must remember hearing about Sylvester, the Scottish Wildcat Fiona and I raised in this very kitchen years ago.”
“Of course I remember the stories, but wouldn’t a kitten mean a lot of work for you?” She was actually thinking of the time it would take from her writing project if her aunt was running after an active kitten.
“Fiona has promised to raise Sylvia until she is independent and at least partly house trained. The Campbell children will look after her for me until then. Callum Moir, the local vet, will check the kitten’s health and bring her over here when she is a bit bigger and Sylvia will take over from my Morag who was a fixture here for years and I shared her with Bev when I was in Canada. I see no reason why it would not work just as easily as it did before.”
Ashley knew there was no point in objecting. It was not her decision to make. She went off to bed with the hope that she could make good progress on the book before the distraction of a kitten stole away her aunt’s attention to her memories of life with Lawren Drake.
The next morning Ashley’s fears were realized. All Anna could talk about was what would need to be done before she could welcome Sylvia to her new home.
“The wee thing is living in a cardboard box at the moment. She will need a proper bed and a carrier cage to sleep in until we can trust her with free run of the house. Then there’s her food to get and possibly a harness and lead for a time. Oh, and a litter tray of course. I think I should call Cameron and get him to run me into Oban. I can pick some things up at the vet’s surgery and ask Callum Moir for advice about food, oh, and scratch boards to preserve our furnishings. And he will have to check the kitten over before he brings her home to us. Or more likely he will do that at Fiona’s.”
Anna looked across the empty breakfast dishes and thought her niece looked rather crestfallen at the sound of this plan.
“Of course, you should come too, Ashley. You were locked up here on your own all day yesterday. We could do some shopping and have lunch in town if you like. You never know, we might run into that nice Doctor Jansen and invite him to join us. What do you say?”
It would have been churlish to rebuke her aunt’s enthusiasm so Ashley soon found herself clad in a warm coat against the cold west wind and settling into Cameron’s Range Rover’s back seat.
“I am hearing there’s to be a new occupant at the estate house?” The question came from the driver as soon as the engine started.
“Now, I could ask how on earth you know that bit of information when I only found out about it myself yesterday, but it would be a silly question. You likely know more about everything that goes on within ten miles of this place better than anyone else.”
Cameron chortled as he changed gears for the main road. “Ach, Mrs. Drake, it’s nearer fifty miles than ten, I’m thinking. It was the vet who passed on the news to his assistant and she told her husband who mentioned it to ….…….”
“You can stop right there, Cameron. I get the picture.”
Ashley suddenly came alive to this information situation. “So, Cameron, what did the town think about my Aunt Anna’s adoption of the original Wildcat kitten?”
“Oh, that was in my dad’s time as driver. He said it was a nine-day wonder with folks siding with Mrs. Anna or the vet at the first. Fiona was the go-between for that entire time and she said Anna Mason, as you were then, had won over the vet and got her a part-time job besides. It was clear the lady was respectful of the native species and it stood well in her stead in those early days, I can tell you.
Of course, our Fiona was one of your aunt’s first contacts here and she is a su
pporter right to this very day.”
Anna smiled in agreement with this summary and only the sound of wheels turning on the road surface was heard for a mile or so until Cameron resumed.
“Now I’m thinking about furry creatures, there was another story about Mr. Lawren and that cat Morag who followed when the wild one moved on to the animal sanctuary.”
“Oh, and what was that about?” Ashley was determined to make the shopping expedition useful to her purposes in some way.
“If I remember it rightly from my dad’s account, it was Fiona herself who saw something remarkable in the kitchen one day. Morag was a solitary wee thing. She did not like strangers over much but Fee saw her climb into Mr. Lawren’s lap and purr like an engine while looking up into his eyes in a right peculiar way while he gently stroked her back.
Fee said it was quite unusual, but then, he was an unusual man, is that not so, Mrs. Drake?”
Anna swallowed a lump in her throat and replied quietly, “I can’t argue with that, Cameron.”
They rolled along in silence for a few minutes; each person lost in his or her own thoughts.
Cameron was thinking of his dad’s years of driving and the many stories he told.
Ashley was making a mental note to include the cat stories in her book.
Anna was feeling the emotion that surfaced every time she heard someone refer to Lawren Drake and his incredible abilities. It was always a feeling compounded of loss and pleasure; loss that he was no longer by her side and pleasure that he was not forgotten by others.
The women decided to divide and conquer. The wind from the sea was carrying cold moisture that would soon develop into rain. Offshore, Kerrera Island was already disappearing under a cloak of cloud.
Ashley went to do the shopping while Anna headed to the vet’s surgery to seek supplies.
It had been many years since she dared venture into the lair of the dragon, as she mentally named Callum Moir. It was a name derived from his decidedly brusque manner to all humans. He had given every evidence of greatly preferring the animal kingdom to the human one.
