‘Tell you what, Fi,’ Struan said, studying his daughter while puffing out little wisps of smoke. ‘If you promise to give up that hideous fizzy drink you’re addicted to, I’ll think about giving up the baccy.’

Fiona laughed. ‘Now, let me think, what’s worse for the health? A few cans of Diet Coke every day or an entire packet of pipe tobacco inhaled into your lungs?’

‘Well, I agree with you about the smoking, sweetheart, but have you seen how bad Coke is for your teeth?’

‘That’s why I drink from a straw!’ Fiona downed the last of her wine.

Dorothy took the sewing basket from her husband and sat down, leaning back into her rickety chair as she opened it.

‘You need to superglue these chairs again, Struan, they’re falling to bits.’ Dorothy shook her chair from side to side then pulled out a needle and black thread.

Struan walked back to the table and gave his chair a shoogle. He sighed then returned to his pipe. ‘Okay, how about this, Fi. Let’s start tomorrow after breakfast – no more cans of killer Coke for you, no more pipe for me.’

‘So, no more rancid fumes all over the house?’ Fiona smirked. ‘Sounds like a plan.’

‘I’ll just nip along to the petrol station for a last pack of Condor then that’s it. Sunday is the start of a new life. In fact, I thought I’d teach Jamie to fly that big red kite tomorrow. It’s been sitting in the garage for ages. We could take it onto the Green,’ he said, grabbing his coat from a hook by the door. He put it on and patted his pockets. ‘Christ, no bloody money, where’d I put my wallet, Dot?’

‘Dad, you’ve got to stop swearing when Jamie’s around.’

‘What, like your bloody Aussie fugitive?’ Struan said. ‘First time I met him, I thought he had Tourette’s syndrome.’

‘Ignore him, he comes out with some strange things these days,’ said Dorothy, as Struan disappeared out the door. ‘You know he won’t be able to give up his pipe either.’

She leant down to snip off the thread with her teeth then replaced the needle in the basket. ‘But it’ll be so good for him to have Jamie around, he looked better today than I’ve seen him in weeks.’

‘Good.’ Fiona smiled and started to load the dishwasher. ‘Mum, I was planning to get the train to Edinburgh on Tuesday, got a few things to do there. You okay to look after Jamie?’

‘Of course, sweetheart, any time. That’s why I’m so glad I left the school last year.’ She shook her head. ‘Retirement doesn’t seem to suit your father quite as well though.’

CHAPTER 9

Chapter 9

Tuesday 30 December 1879