Elle, like every other tourist who came to Scotland, had been on the lookout for the shaggy red Highland coos, as they were lovingly called, in every gift shop and tourist centre she visited. She’d taken a few photos of some she’d found along the roadside but hadn’t yet seen one up close.

‘The mainland Highland breed are bigger, but they do better on pasture and quality feed. I have these because they’re a lot hardier and they’re better suited to the landscape here where it’s mostly hill ground. There’re plenty of native grasses and flora for them to forage, which helps lessen the damage to habitat for the wildlife.’

‘Is that your thing?’ she asked, interested in his decision to give up a law practice to become a farmer. ‘To turn your property into something of a conservationist-type farming venture?’

‘Yes and no. I mean my ancestors, and yours,’ Stuart added with a grin, ‘have been managing their land for generations. Agriculture has been happening here for something like six thousand years. I think farmers, particularly Scots, have always been conservationists at heart—managing farming and nature hand in hand. But I guess, in a way I just wanted to go back to more traditional roots with the livestock.’

Elle watched him as he drove, his hands big and capable on the wheel, his eyes constantly searching the land for his livestock, and checking any fences they came across. She could get used to this, she thought contentedly, before pulling herself up quickly as reality barged its way into her peaceful little fantasy. She would have to leave one day soon. This was not something she would ever have a chance to get used to.

The sooner she remembered that and stopped romanticising this whole thing, the better off she’d be.

But she didn’t have to leave just yet.

TWENTY-TWO

Twenty-two

The first streaks of daylight breached the sky and filtered into the conservatory as Elle listened to the dial tone on her phone.

‘Hi,’ Elle said when her friend answered. ‘I was hoping I did the maths right and you’d be waiting for Rose to get out of school.’

‘I am, actually,’ Lilly replied brightly. ‘And I was just thinking about you earlier. We got the postcard yesterday. Rose loved the cow.’

Elle hadn’t realised how much she missed hearing her old friend’s voice until now and felt her throat tighten unexpectedly. ‘Oh good. I was wondering if it’d turned up yet.’

‘I thought maybe you’d beat it home. How’s the trip?’

‘It’s great. I’ve been seeing so much. Met the rellies.’

‘You were about to head up there, you said in the postcard. How did that go?’