The Little Gift Shop on the Loch

by Maggie Conway

  Her thoughts slid back to those times, at her newfound confidence beside him, how she loved the feeling of the two of them working as a team and how close they’d become. Or so she had thought.

  Forcing her thoughts back to the present, Lily tried to picture the shop once all the stock was in place and to be honest it didn’t take much imagination. The shop held such warmth and character, there was no doubt in her mind that her mother would have been able to turn it into a thriving small business.

  Breaking her reverie, Lily reminded herself what she was supposed to be doing and moved over to investigate the pile of boxes stacked in the corner. She reached up and pulled the dust sheet off, fine particles catching the back of her throat and making her splutter. Bundling the sheet into a ball, she took it to the front door where, after saying good morning to a young couple and waiting for them to safely pass, she gave it a good shake.

  Back inside, Lily felt a flutter of anticipation as she lifted down the first box, kneeling on the floor to open it. Her fingers delved into a mass of packing chips where she found pretty decorative pebbles made from white stoneware clay. She studied them for a few moments before moving onto the next box where nestling in bubble wrap she found Caithness glass paperweights and tea light holders.

  A few boxes later it was beginning to look like Christmas morning. Lily sat back on her heels, slightly dazed by how much stock there was. She hadn’t even opened everything yet and already she’d found Harris Tweed purses, a selection of enamelled jewellery and some beautiful cashmere scarves in shades of muted blues and forest greens.

  She’d seen similar items before in Bremners and other shops in Edinburgh. They were all good quality products and she was sure they would sell here in Carroch, particularly as there were no other gift shops in the village. Lily wondered how her mother would have gone about displaying and selling it all, and felt an ache of sorrow that she would never now have the chance to do it.

  Lily smiled ruefully, imagining her mum getting her head around the difference between profit and turnover, or how much stock to buy. She would have asked Lily to go through it all for her eventually and Lily would have loved to have helped her.

  Lily didn’t like how unfinished it all felt. She’d need to go over it all properly and see if she could find invoices for everything. She couldn’t imagine her mother keeping strict records but knew there must be some paperwork somewhere. She rooted about behind the counter and found a couple of notepads, some random pieces of paper and a folder stuffed with invoices. As Lily suspected there was no discernible system or order to them and her accountant’s brain itched to go through it all.

  Taking one of the notepads she started to list everything down, not helped by Misty who kept either disappearing into the boxes or attacking the wrapping paper in quite a vicious manner. It was only when she looked up to give her eyes a rest that Lily noticed a large white unopened cardboard box in the corner. Not sure how she’d manage to miss it, she lifted it onto the counter and opened the lid, surprised to find an envelope with her mother’s name on it.

  She held it in her hand for a moment. The poignancy of a letter addressed to Patty that she would never open made Lily’s heart heavy. It almost didn’t seem right just to tear it open but equally, leaving it unread didn’t seem right either. Lily sat down on the stool behind the counter and carefully opened the envelope to read the letter inside.

  Dear Patty

  It was so lovely to meet you and it’s so exciting that we’re both starting our businesses at the same time.

  As discussed, here is your first order. I know you said you weren’t in a hurry but even so it has taken me much longer than I thought – sorry!

  As agreed, let’s see how they sell before we discuss further orders or price. I’m really keen for any feedback you get and I can’t wait to see how they sell – hopefully well!

  I know this is new to us both and I’m so looking forward to us working together.

  Beth Brookes

  Taigh-na-bruich Cottage

  Lily stared at the flowing handwriting as she mulled over the contents of the letter. She placed it down and then gently started to lift the contents out of the box. Wrapped in white tissue paper she discovered a range of bath and skin products made from essential oils.

  Tilting her head, she studied the various brown jars and bottles. The packaging was simple but effective, the name Highland Aromatics printed in a handwritten font on cream-coloured labels. Lily felt her senses implode simply reading the list of ingredients; bergamot, lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, rosewood and ginger, all made into balms and lotions designed to relax, revive, sooth and calm.

  Unable to resist, Lily prised open a jar of body oil and breathed in its delicate herbal aroma. It was divine, the scent seemingly wrapping itself around her. She felt something stirring within her, instinctively knowing there was something special about them. Clearly they were a quality product but there was also a charming, natural cottage-industry feel about them.

  She understood from the letter it was a new business which explained why she hadn’t seen the products being sold anywhere else before. Intrigued, she picked up the note and scanned the words again. She wondered if this Beth lady knew Patty had died. Surely, she couldn’t still be waiting to hear from her after all this time. The thought unsettled her and she felt an overwhelming need to respond to Beth, an obligation not only to her but to her mother.

  Lily looked up on suddenly hearing a noise and noticed a shiny BMW pull up outside the shop The driver clearly wasn’t too concerned about parking restrictions or the fact they were effectively blocking the pavement.

  A man climbed out, carrying a file under his arm. Immaculately groomed and wearing a smart suit, Lily knew she’d be able to smell his expensive cologne from ten paces away. Her eyes followed him as he walked round the car, his appearance and businesslike manner making him look incongruous amongst the tourists and hill walkers. He paused briefly, his eyes squinting against the sunlight as he looked up at the front of the shop.

  Lily braced herself, aware she was about to have a visitor. She moved quickly, scooping up and shoving the things she’d unpacked back into their boxes. For some reason she didn’t want anyone seeing them, not until she’d figured out where all this stuff had come from and what she was going to do with it all. A moment later she heard a tap and the door opened. Lily turned and smiled tentatively, her mild irritation at being interrupted tempered by curiosity.

  ‘Can I help you?’ she asked, notes of cedar and musk proving she’d been right about his cologne.

  ‘Good morning.’ His smile revealed teeth almost as dazzlingly white as his shirt. ‘I’m Finlay Reid from Thornton’s commercial property.’

  She took his extended hand, his appearance now making sense.

  ‘Obviously I keep my ear close to the ground and I’d heard someone had moved in. I was in the area and thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce myself.’

  His eyes flitted around the shop. His ear must have been very close to the ground to have found out so soon. But Lily supposed that was his job – to be out and about, making contacts.

  ‘You’re intending on opening soon?’ he enquired politely.

  ‘Oh no.’ She gave her head a little shake. ‘I won’t be opening. The shop belonged to my mother but she passed away.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he sympathised.

  ‘Thank you.’

  He left a respectful pause before speaking. ‘Have you made any decisions about what you’re going to do?’

  She wasn’t sure why she hesitated; it wasn’t as if it was a secret. ‘Only that I’ll be selling.’

  He nodded in a slightly imperiously fashion implying this was clearly the sensible option. ‘Luckily Thornton’s have offices all over Scotland and our fee structure is very competitive.’

  Lily didn’t think there was anything lucky about having to sell due to her mother’s death but that small detail seemed lost on him. Oblivious, he
carried on. ‘We have a team of experts and years of experience in selling commercial properties.’

  Lily wasn’t sure she was ready to discuss selling yet, it all felt a bit soon. But there didn’t seem to be any stopping him, he’d already taken a couple of steps in, casting assessing eyes around the shop and giving Lily the benefit of his expertise.

  ‘Clearly it’s a bit tired around the edges and of course you won’t be selling as a going concern so you won’t have any accounts to show profit and turnover or seasonal variations for potential buyers to see.’

  ‘Do you think that will be an issue?’

  His mouth tugged down at the corners. ‘Could be with some buyers but I really don’t think so.’ He continued breezily, ‘But you can leave all that for us to deal with, you wouldn’t even need to stay around. Simply leave us keys and let us get on with it. Where is it you’ve come from?’

  ‘Edinburgh.’

  ‘I love Edinburgh,’ he gushed. ‘Went to university there.’ He lowered his voice in a conspiratorial tone. ‘You must be finding this place a bit different. Bet you can’t wait to get back.’

  Lily muttered something vaguely in agreement. She thought of her neat, quiet flat in Edinburgh where everything would be waiting for her just as she’d left it. Then her thoughts drifted upstairs to the cluttered little flat. She imagined it would be nice knowing it was there at the end of a day working in the shop. Giving herself a small shake, she turned her attention back to Finlay.

  He flashed her another smile. It was a business smile and one she’d seen a thousand times before. She doubted it held much genuine warmth but even so, Lily allowed herself to be reassured by it. Admittedly Finlay had been quick off the mark, but she was grateful to have someone who knew the local market. There was no room for sentimentality. Business was business and she owed it to her mother to get the best price she could. Perhaps she could make a donation of some sorts to the sheltered housing where the knitting ladies lived.

  ‘There’s a few things I need to sort through first,’ she told him. ‘I’ll need a bit of time but after that we could discuss getting it on the market.’

  ‘Of course, I’d be delighted to. Perhaps I could come back in—’

  ‘Hello.’ A deep voice came from the door.

  Lily turned, surprised to see Jack at the door. She frowned, wondering what on earth he was doing here. Simultaneously, her stomach did a strange little flip at seeing him. She really should have remembered to lock the door.

  He smiled briefly at Lily before shooting a look at Finlay which was nothing less than arctic.

  ‘Jack.’ Finlay spoke in a tight voice, his smooth demeanour momentarily dented. Jack glared back at him in silence. Lily didn’t suppose it was that surprising they knew each other; what surprised her was the sudden chill in the air that had nothing to do with the weather outside.

  Lily couldn’t help noticing the glaring differences between the two men. Where Finlay was all sharp suited and groomed, Jack was rugged and outdoorsy, wearing an old shirt and pair of jeans that had clearly been washed a hundred times.

  Luckily the little impasse didn’t last long with Finlay apparently deciding it was time to leave. He handed Lily his business card. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you Lily. Call me if you have any questions.’.’

  Lily had no intention of going for a drink with Finlay but something about the way Jack had taken a couple of steps, almost as if deliberately manoeuvring himself between her and Finlay had irritated her. ‘Thanks, I will,’ she said pointedly.

  She took the proffered card just as Misty decided to join proceedings, strolling in and releasing a rather vicious hiss in Finlay’s direction. As Lily led Finlay to the door she saw Jack out the corner of her eye bend down to Misty. ‘Good girl’ he murmured.

  She closed the shop door and turned to face him, hands on her hips. ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘This is for Misty, in case you need to take her somewhere’ He held up a cat carrier and then placed it on the floor. ‘Leave it here, will I?’

  She stared blankly at it for a moment. ‘Right, thanks.’

  ‘Not wasting anytime getting the place on the market, I see.’

  Lily bristled, wondering how he had the ability to make her feel so judged. She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Not that it’s any of your business but he just showed up, I didn’t invite him.’

  Jack held up a hand. ‘You’re right, it’s none of my business.’

  Remembering his acerbic remark about getting a good price for the shop, Lily wasn’t prepared to let it go so easily. ‘You seem to have formed the impression that I’ve turned up simply to sell for as much as I can when that’s not the case at all.’ Feeling oddly fired up, she tilted her chin defiantly. ‘Let me assure you I am not here just to see how much money I can get. I know I should have been here before now but well, it’s complicated.’ God, she hated saying that. It sounded like a get-out-of-jail-free card, an excuse for not dealing with things. But in this case, it really was true.

  He was looking at her, wide-eyed.

  ‘I’m grateful to you for looking after Misty and I’m sorry if that inconvenienced you in anyway.’

  ‘It didn’t.’ He shook his head. ‘I was happy to do it and you have every right to do what you want with the property.’ He let a moment go by. ‘I’m also really sorry about the circumstances that brought you here – none of this can be easy for you.’

  She just about managed to keep the huff out of her voice. ‘Thank you.’

  He ran a hand around the back of neck. ‘I guess I was trying to say don’t rush or agree to anything you’re not happy with.’

  ‘Trust me, I won’t. All I want is to sell and go and I’m perfectly capable of handling it.’

  An uncomfortable silence descended. Jack dug his hands in his pockets, casting a glance at the various packages and boxes scattered around. ‘So, do you need a hand with anything?’ he asked awkwardly.

  Lily shook her head. ‘I’m just sorting through the stock my mum had bought.’ Absently she picked up one of the cashmere scarves lying on the counter, feeling its softness between her fingers as her eyes landing on Beth’s letter.

  Glancing over at Jack, she figured she may as well use his local knowledge. She picked the letter up and pointed to the address at the bottom of the page. ‘Would you be able to tell me where this is?’

  He came to stand beside her, close enough for Lily to breathe in his woody masculine scent. He scanned the page. ‘That’s one of the cottages on Dallochmore Estate.’

  ‘Dallochmore?’ she repeated, liking the sound. ‘Is it near here?’

  ‘About twenty miles north of Carroch.’ He leaned against the counter as he continued. ‘It’s one of the largest estates in Scotland, been in the same family for hundreds of years which is quite unusual these days. But they’ve had to work hard and diversify to make it viable. There’s a few cottages which were originally built for estate workers but now they’re a mixture of holiday accommodation and longer lets. Taigh-na-bruich is one of those.’

  Lily listened with interest. Her mind’s eye pictured Beth making her creams and lotions in a little cottage and she felt her curiosity piqued. There was no phone number but Lily thought she’d like to try and see her. Clearly a lot of time and effort had gone into making the products and she’d at least like to return them to her or else offer to pay for them.

  ‘Thanks.’ She nodded thoughtfully. ‘How long would it take to drive?’

  ‘About half an hour.’ His forehead creased. ‘You’re planning on going there?’

  ‘Possibly.’ She shrugged, thinking out loud. ‘I’ll see if I can borrow Iris’s car.’

  Jack’s expression changed. ‘It’s not the easiest of places to get to and you don’t know the roads.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ll manage,’ she replied dryly.

  ‘There’s a lot of single-track road and there’ll be a lot of caravans this time of year.’

  ‘I’ll keep that in mind.�
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  He shook his head, sounding almost irritated. ‘I’ll take you, I’ll be going that way anyway in a couple of days.’

  As offers went Lily wouldn’t exactly call it gracious and if it was his attempt at being friendly, then it was too little too late as far as she was concerned. ‘I’ll manage on my own, thanks,’ she said firmly, making a point of checking her watch. ‘Now if you don’t mind, I have things to do.’

  ‘Suit yourself.’

  He opened the door to let himself out and Lily locked it behind him, dragging her eyes back inside to stop herself watching as he walked away.

  Chapter 7

  The water looked dark and unforgiving and Lily wondered if she was mad before acknowledging that of course she was. You had to be slightly mad to go swimming in a loch in Scotland, no matter what the time of year or how good the weather. She slipped off her jacket and rolled it up along with her towel and bag. She found a spot under one of the trees a little distance from the jetty where Iris had told her the swimming group met.

  She was glad she appeared to be the first person here. She had arrived deliberately early, not only to compose herself but to give her time to make a hasty escape if she suddenly decided to chicken out which, she had to face it, was entirely possible.

  She’d woken early that morning, filled with an energy she didn’t know what to do with. After feeding the cat and drinking a cup of tea, her eyes had settled on the wetsuit which she’d left lying on the back of the chair. Along with Iris’s offer to join the swimmers echoing in her head, it seemed to tempt and dare her.

  She thought of all the times she used to paddle in the shallows of the loch, then as she had grown older, venturing out further and deeper. She remembered the thrill of the ice-cold water, the feeling of putting her body in extreme conditions. She knew she would never forgive herself if she came to Carroch and didn’t experience that sensation again.