When she headed back to the car, Elle took out her sketchpad and found a place to sit with a view of the castle in the background and fields dotted with huge bales of hay in the foreground. Storm clouds were brewing in the distance behind the castle, and Elle found herself lost in the moment as she captured the scene on paper, her hand skimming across the page in quick movements, her mind oblivious to how much time had passed. When she’d finished, the first drops of rain had begun to fall, forcing her back to the car—the only one remaining in the carpark. She found a small pub room for the night and went to sleep dreaming of windswept castles and the sound of crashing waves below.

TEN

Ten

‘So, this was where you grew up?’ Elle asked the next day as they drew closer to the small coastal village. It was very beautiful, with miles of farming land overlooking the ocean.

Yes, Gran gave a happy sigh. I had a wonderful childhood here. Elle heard the smile in her gran’s voice and could picture her faraway gaze in those vivid blue eyes.

Take this next exit, Gran said as they passed the Portsoy sign, and Elle turned onto a road that took them down a steep hill to a cemetery near the water.

Elle climbed out of the car and looked around, breathing in the salty air. ‘Who are we here to see?’ she asked, sliding her sunglasses on top of her head to read the names on the closest gravestones. ‘Gran?’

Elle let out a frustrated breath, deciding she would just have to wander around until Gran did whatever she wanted to come here to do.

It was a lovely graveyard, as far as graveyards went. Elle walked along a few rows before she stopped in front of a familiar name. MacKenzie. There were in fact quite a few, which wasn’t surprising, but seeing a Lachlan and a Malcolm just a few graves over, Elle stepped over to take a closer look. Both men had died before she was born—in the late sixties and early seventies, which fitted the times that Gran’s brothers had passed away. She took a deep breath as she realised that these must be Gran’s older brothers, the men Elle’s two brothers had been named in honour of.

She searched the rest of the names, and when she found Gran’s mother she instantly felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. She had never met this woman, buried here for such a long time, and yet Elle felt an instant connection to her. These people were her family. Long gone now, but still connected. After a while, it was clear to Elle that Gran wasn’t in a talkative mood, and she headed back to the car, leaving Gran alone to whatever business she wanted to attend to here.