“Not exactly. I was thinking of setting up on my own.”

He was distracted by the smooth neck, the touch of her ankle against his leg. He would not otherwise have confided in her.

“How exciting! What as?”

“Oh,” he said vaguely, “as a consultant. To provide an advisory service in my own field.” Then, perhaps to impress her, he said: “ It would make me a private detective, I suppose.”

He had never used the words before and he thought how sleazy and squalid they sounded.

“How exciting!” she repeated, but she did not sound impressed and he thought she was thinking of something else. He turned away from her and watched Sandy and Agnes greet their guests by the door.

James came in alone. George had met Melissa once, quite by chance when she was out walking on the hill. He had hoped to see her again and was disappointed that James was alone. Poor Melissa, George thought. So she couldn’t face it. James took a glass of whisky and drank it very fast. George was surprised. He was a lay preacher. He did not usually drink at all.

The guests all began to take their seats. The two families were separated as usual. The Dances sat on one side of the horseshoe and the Stennets on the other. Nothing was meant by the separation, but everyone felt more comfortable that way.

Sandy went out to tell the young couple that their guests were ready for them. It only took him five minutes to get from the hall to Unsta. As he went out of the door he put on the old cap which he always wore. He was happy. He had all his children home now. He had never lived off the island and could not understand the attraction of life away. There had been a real contentment in seeing everyone together in the hall to welcome Jim and his English wife. She would settle soon. The women would make her feel at home. Maggie was a good woman and would help her.

It was dark and there was only an occasional moon but he knew the road to Unsta well enough. It had been his father’s house. He had been born there. He had built Sandwick after he had married Agnes. He had wanted his own place, his own land. I was ambitious too, he thought, when I was young. Alec is like me. But he is impatient. He has too many new ideas all at once. I have Mary to think about. She must come first. The others can look after themselves. Maggie is a good woman but she pushes Alec. He has ambition enough without her pushing him. I was lucky. Agnes was happy to leave the planning to me.