Posh Doc, Society Wedding. Joanna Neil

flows across our land. He reckons it’s to do with some changes the Laird made higher up, at a point before the river reaches us.’

      ‘But Ross wasn’t here when all that went on, was he?’ Izzy murmured. ‘I don’t see how he can be to blame for everything that goes wrong around here.’

      Her father’s brows shot up. ‘So who do you think gave Jake his instructions? And that log cabin has been a sore point for a long time. Not just the cabin, but the lodges that go along with it. He said it was just for living accommodation for the family, but what does he need with that when he has the castle? Draughty it might be, and in need of repair, but they’ve lived there for generations without needing any cabins or lodges. It’s just an excuse. He’ll lure away the tourists to line his own pockets and take away any chance we have of making a living.’

      ‘He may not be here for all that long,’ Izzy said, accepting a cup of tea from her mother and taking slow sips of the hot liquid. ‘He said something about his job being kept open for him back in the Lake District. I have the feeling that he’s here to make sure Alice is going to be all right and to allow the children to be with her. Perhaps he’s planning on taking them all home once she’s well again.’

      She frowned, thinking things over. Ross had always had a soft spot for Alice. If his brother hadn’t swept her away from him, who knew what might have come of their relationship? Perhaps Alice was bound to turn to him now more than ever. How would Ross react to that? Would he be pleased? Why else was he staying around to look after her when she had her older sister, Jess, to care for her?

      It wasn’t something that she wanted to dwell on. Thinking about Ross and Alice as a couple always had the power to upset her. Her own feelings towards him were unsettling, and had caused her many a sleepless night. She put down her cup and brushed crumbs from her lap.