A Trick of the Light by Ali Carter

Author:Ali Carter [Scrivner Love, Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

My morning alarm woke me with a fright. Where am I? Home? No. Scotland. It’s morning. Really? Yes, morning. That was far too short a night. I reached for the snooze button and promptly fell fast asleep again.

Ten minutes later it began to beep. Unfortunately, I really had to get up now. I went to the bathroom and splashed my face with freezing water. Then, gently slapping my cheeks trying to get some colour, I whizzed through the hurdles I had to get over today – replacing life drawing with another activity; finding time to take my car to the garage; spending the evening with Toby; mastering the art of Scottish reeling. Oh God, give me strength for the day ahead.

I hurried back to my room and pulled on my clothes. I needed to give myself as much time as I could to put on my face. The late nights were taking their toll and my puffy eyes had terrible bags.

By the time I rushed downstairs I was behind schedule and last into breakfast. There’s nothing like a hangover to heighten hunger. Even Minty was eating salty porridge this morning. I sat down with a bowl of my own and Louis, all the way up the other end of the table, gave me a nod. I smiled back, not too much, just enough to get rid of any awkwardness. The great thing about hitting your thirties is you simply don’t get that self-conscious nausea after a romantic escapade. It plagued my teens and my twenties when I often did things just to have done them and then felt desperately awkward the morning after a fumble. I’m not saying it wasn’t good fun or that every boy who passed my lips was purely for practice. Just that the I-know-what-I’m-doing mature self now makes it so much less embarrassing at moments like this.

The breakfast conversation was buzzing with last night’s show.

‘Fergus told me all about it,’ said Zoe.

‘Did he tell you Cailey got her kit off?’ shouted Shane.

‘Yes, enough of that.’

‘Not sure how I feel about drawing her today,’ said Jane.

‘You took the words straight out my mouth,’ said Rupert.

‘It won’t be a problem,’ said Fergus, staring at his wife.

‘Not at all. As you all showed such enthusiasm for drawing Highland cows, we’ve cancelled the life class and this morning you’ll be out in the field instead.’

‘Brilliant,’ said Shane.

‘Yeah, I’d much rather be outside,’ said Lianne. ‘Means we don’t have to listen to Louis’ jazz.’

‘What would you prefer? R&B?’

‘Anything but jazz.’

‘I hear you were on stage last night, Lianne,’ said Zoe.

‘She saved me,’ cried Felicity. ‘I’d have fainted if I’d had to dance.’

‘Lianne loved it.’ Shane tapped her on the back.

‘I sure did.’

‘So, you’ll all be happy drawing cows this morning?’ said Fergus.

‘Not in the field,’ exclaimed Jane.

‘No. Don’t worry, they’ll be fenced off.’

‘What a relief.’

‘It looks jolly chilly outside,’ shivered Felicity.

‘Well, perhaps, darling, you could arrange some thermoses. Put something warm in them, you know.’ Fergus revealed his undomesticated hand – surely he could pass this message onto Mhàiri himself?

‘I’ll get a basket of goodies made up.

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