That must have been hard, and yet she never talked about it except to instill into her daughters the knowledge that becoming emotionally involved could make a woman vulnerable.
“We’re almost there.” Brodie turned onto a narrow track that followed the course of the river. Trees rose into the darkening sky, framing the road and the river. Snow was falling lightly, floating past the windows like confetti. “This whole of this area was once forest. Some of the trees are several hundreds of years old. Kings and lairds once hunted here.”
Samantha thought about the historical novel she’d brought with her to read in the privacy of her room. What had her mother’s love affair been like? Had it been romantic? It was almost impossible to picture her laughing and in love. Did her mother have a whole other side to her as Samantha did?
She ignored inner Samantha and forced herself to focus. “So forest covered everything?”
“Yes. And now there’s a fraction of it left, although we’re working on that.”
“Where did the trees go?” Tab piped up from the back seat, and Brodie glanced at her in the mirror.
“Some were chopped down for farming and timber. Some were eaten by animals like sheep and deer. We’re doing what we can to change that. We’re replanting trees, encouraging wildlife to return to the area.”
“Rewilding?” Samantha had read about it. “You’re doing that here?”
“On a small scale. We’ve changed our approach to land management. In the future we might explore the opportunities for ecotourism—” He glanced at her. “I’d appreciate your thoughts on that at some point, if you’re willing.”
“Of course.” It was a relief to know that he could still picture her in a professional capacity, not just as someone who wanted to have a wild affair and drink champagne naked.
She held on to her seat as they bounced their way down a bumpy track that wound its way through the forest.
“Kinleven was originally a Highland sporting estate. It’s been in our family for generations. It’s only recently that we’ve considered turning it into a commercial venture. It’s going to be a steep learning curve, for me at least.” He steered to avoid a deep rut in the track. “I hope you’ll be able to advise us. Ideally we’d like to attract groups who want to experience life on the estate.”
“Samantha is absolutely the right person to advise you,” Ella said. “There is nothing she doesn’t know about what people want from a festive vacation.”
They crested a ridge, and there was just enough light remaining for Samantha to see the view.
Behind her, Ella gasped. “Oh my! Will you look at that.”
Samantha was looking. It was an unspoiled wilderness, and the beauty of it took her breath away.
Right in front of them was the loch, it’s curving shores protected by dense forest. Behind the trees rose craggy peaks, coated with snow. And there, nestled on the shores of the loch was Kinleven Lodge, with its walls of golden stone and turrets that looked like upside-down ice cream cones. Snow clung to the roof and lights glowed from the windows.
An owl swooped in front of them, soaring through the dusky sky toward the safety of the trees, and Samantha felt a lump form in her throat. For a brief moment she forgot about her mother, about that conversation and how much Brodie knew about her. She focused only on how perfect the place was and how much her clients would love it. Already in her mind she was forming a list of people she would immediately contact.
Brodie glanced at her. “Say something. You think it’s too remote?”
“What? No! I’m thinking it’s beautiful.” The word didn’t begin to describe what she was seeing, but the descriptive language that came so easily to her when she was writing copy for the website had vanished.
“It is, although sometimes I forget that when the car is stuck in snow and my fingers are freezing. It’s even more beautiful when the sun is shining.” Brodie stopped the car in front of a set of gates and opened the car door, letting in a waft of icy air. “Just give me a minute.”
While he pushed open the gates, Samantha grabbed her camera and took a few shots.
Brodie climbed back into the vehicle, snow dusting his hair and shoulders. “You must be tired after your journey, so we thought you’d probably like to go straight to your rooms to freshen up, and then we’ll serve a light supper before you go to bed?”
“Sounds good. Thank you.”
He drove carefully along the track that opened up as they approached the lodge.
Samantha couldn’t stop l
ooking at the house. It was even more enchanting than the photos she’d seen. “I love the turrets.”
“Yes. They look charming, but they’re hell when the roof needs fixing.” He paused. “You like it?” There was uncertainty in his voice and she was quick to reassure him.
“I love it.”
And she did. It wasn’t just pretty; it was perfect. Her mind was already preoccupied with detail. Winter hiking. Drinks in front of a log fire. Maybe a poetry evening. She could easily book the place out for the entire winter season. She imagined all the people who were going to have the happiest of Christmases.