‘Butteries for breakfast today,’ said Zoe, sitting at the head of the table and pouring herself a cup of tea. ‘Help yourself and pass the plate. I recommend Marmite on them.’
I sat down next to her. She reached across and stroked my arm.
‘Thank you,’ I said and she nodded with a smile. Phew, we’ve made peace over me seeing the paintings.
A plate of hot stodgy butter-drenched flat rolls came my way. Starting the day with a mouth full of calories is not my kind of thing but I had to try one and they did smell good.
‘Now,’ said Zoe, ‘I should have said this to you all at the beginning of the week, we have a bandwidth allowance on the internet. I’ve had a warning to say we’ve almost used up our monthly allowance so please no more watching films online.’
‘The Young,’ tut-tutted Rupert, and Jane and Felicity nodded in agreement.
‘I haven’t been watching any,’ said Minty.
‘Nor me,’ said Giles.
‘Not me,’ said Shane, to which Lianne replied, ‘You have been Instagramming.’
‘So have you.’
‘Films will be the cause,’ said Zoe. ‘So please, no more.’
‘Miss,’ said Shane, ‘I looked you up on Instagram.’
‘And?’ I knew he had more to say.
‘Maybe you should be teaching us to draw hamsters.’ He burst into a fit of giggles and Louis, who had been drizzling Marmite around his buttery, ignoring Zoe altogether, gave me a giddy look across the table.
‘I draw people’s pets from time to time. Yes?’
‘Lots of pets @SusieMahl,’ said Shane. ‘Anyone got a hamster?’
‘I bet there’s good money in it,’ said Rupert. ‘And as we’re talking about it, I’ll commission you to draw our Labs right away.’
‘Oh thank you, but you’d better look at my style first.’
‘I’ll show you,’ said Shane, pulling his mobile out of his pocket.
‘Not at the table,’ said Rupert. ‘Later.’
‘You’re excellent at it,’ said Lianne. ‘I looked up your stuff too.’
‘If you want to draw animals,’ said Zoe, ‘we could organise a class amongst the Highland cows?’
‘I’d be up for that.’ Louis sounded keen.
‘As long as we keep to the right side of the fence,’ quivered Felicity.
The door to the dining room opened. ‘What’s all this?’ said Fergus, grabbing Haggis by the collar and booting him out.
‘Angel, there’s some interest for drawing the Highland cows.’
‘Well, I’ll see if Willie the farmer can cordon off a section of the field for you tomorrow if you’d like?’
‘I’m sure Willie will,’ said Zoe.
‘He’s a willing chap then,’ said Louis and I laughed.
‘I’ll go try him now.’
Fergus marched straight back out the room.
‘Whose birthday is it anyway?’ said Shane.
‘Sorry?’ Zoe was confused.
He pointed at a small pile next to her. ‘All those gifts.’
There were chocolates, a scented candle, posh soap and a jar of honey.
‘Oh these,’ said Zoe, laying a hand on top of them all. ‘They’re presents from Felicity, Jane and Rupert.’
‘But why?’
‘Sometimes,’ said Rupert, ‘when one goes to stay with people one takes a present for the hostess.’
‘House gifts to say thank you,’ said Felicity.
‘I never expected to receive any presents. These three have spoilt me.’
‘Susie,’ said Rupert, ‘are we going for the usual start time, in the music room?’
‘Yes, and we’ll be using watercolour so please fill your pots, arrange your paper and have your rags ready by ten.’
Felicity looked flustered until Jane flapped her hand across the table and insisted she had enough to share.
‘Louis,’ Zoe smiled, ‘you do look rather tired. Did Ewen force you to stay up awfully late? He’s a terrible night owl.’
Louis winked at her. I was a little put out.
‘We had a lot to catch up on,’ he said. ‘I’ll perk up after another cup of coffee.’
Rupert stood up. ‘I’m going to get a breath of fresh air before we begin. Anyone want to join me?’
‘Yes please.’ I jumped at the chance to see a bit more of our surroundings.
‘Right then. I’ll go get suited and booted and I’ll meet you out the front.’
‘Great.’
‘Susie?’ Zoe beckoned me to her side.
‘Yes?’
‘Have you found an opportunity to draw Haggis yet?’
Oh crumbs, I’d actually forgotten she’d asked me…‘No, not yet.’
‘If you don’t mind me saying, maybe this morning’s your chance. Take him on a walk with you now, then he’ll sit still for you later. He should keep to heel so don’t worry about a lead.’
It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and as soon as we took off down the back drive Rupert told me my nose had gone pink.
Auchen Laggan Tosh sits in a copse of Douglas firs, planted, according to Fergus, in the eighteenth century to offer protection from the bleak winter weather. There was an abundance of lichen on the bark and Haggis was ferreting around, hopefully tiring himself out. I’d set the pace, I wanted to try and reach Ewen’s house before turning back.
‘Building up some heat in here,’ said Rupert, unzipping his heavy tweed coat. Empty cartridges rattled around in his pocket prompting a rhapsody on shooting. ‘I can never get enough of pulling birds out of the sky. Quite the best sport ever invented. I love it. Stalking too.’
We emerged from the Douglas firs and continued, guarded on either side by Scots pines. A rabbit ran across the drive and Rupert swung his arms as if aiming a gun.
‘I’d have got that bunny for sure.’
I feigned an agreeable sound but it was drowned out by the piercing shrill of a bird. Caw, caw, caw stopped us in our tracks.
‘What’s that?’ I looked up. ‘I heard exactly the same noise the night I arrived.’
‘Ghastly, isn’t it. There. A raven.’ Rupert pointed at a flash of sky between the trees. ‘Oh look, there are two. Rather marvellous watching them frolic.’
A pair of birds, way up above us, were tipping and turning their wings as they croaked
