Just Rose

Chapter 2

‘I am yes, I’m sorry I don’t…’ She was trying to get a word in edgeways, pulling her hand free from his hot embrace but his renewed energetic state had him cutting in over her.

‘Of course, you won’t remember me! You were such a wee thing, I never really saw much of you; just the odd glimpse in passing. The wife though, she used to bring you her jam tarts, because you had a sweet tooth and always gave her such a warm welcome.’ As soon as he said it, the memory in Rose’s head was jarred to the forefront. A pleasant round lady who always brought her tissue paper wrapped confectioneries, whenever she had been here for holiday.

‘Oh yes, I do remember her. And those tarts! Of course, I remember her! ... Alice was her name, I’m sure, right? ... It’s such a small world, isn’t it?’ Rose could see his smile widening to a grin, obvious devotion to his wife and confirming her memory was accurate.

‘Yes! It’s Alice and it really is, I can’t tell you how made up I am that Olivia’s niece is our new member. We were all worried that some American had moved in as there’s been talk, you know? Of a Yank around here.’ He leaned in with a whispered frown as though spies could possibly here him insulting an American.

Rose laughed, knowing only too well the small-town mentality on newcomers, especially those they classed as foreign. Like children whispering in fear of a strange intruder to their lands. She shook her head and beamed at him a little more.

‘Well can you tell her that I said hello. And, I remember her tarts, and cakes, so fondly.’ Rose was feeling more relaxed in the presence of this man. Somehow, she knew this is what she had wanted, a reminder of the people she would soon get to know. Olivia’s people and the reason she had always felt so at home here.

‘I shall my lovely girl; now you promise me you will get yourself into town and start mingling. There’s an awfy lot of people eager to meet you and today is the church book sale. Prime sunny day for a bit of introducing, if you know what I mean.’ He winked at her knowingly and gave her shoulder an affectionate pat.

‘I suppose you’re right, I’ve been cooped up here long enough. A drive into town might be a good idea.’ She gratefully smiled back at him, the sudden longing for more human companionship, now she had a taste of it.

‘I’m guessing you’re here on your own, seeing as there’s no man sorting this mess out for you Hen?’ He was now frowning at her with a lot of fatherly concern, a lot like her own dad used to display. Rose sighed down the giggle once more.

‘I have my little dog with me, but no man. Completely single I’m afraid.’ She couldn’t help but smile at this, knowing how old fashioned this place was and it’s view on unmarried young girls living alone. Soon she would have half the town trying to mother her.

‘Well, that’s a shame, but I guess it may be a good thing too.’ He winked cheekily. ‘I hear Rob’s available nowadays and quite a catch according to all the town women.’ Winking her way, looking at the watch on his wrist and sighing. Rose was trying to ignore his imminent matchmaking, as really, love was not on her agenda anytime soon and for all she knew the guy Rob could be horrendous.

‘I’m sure he is really nice; I will definitely check out the book sale in town.’ She was now walking him back to his parked van via her open gate, dismissing his suggestion as easily as she could. No matchmaking for her.

Hell no!

‘Yes, make sure you do Lassie, will be nice to get some of the fellows up here to sort this out for you. This is a man’s work, not for someone as dainty as you. I’ll talk to Rob and see if the gardeners will come over for you and sort it out.’ He had now left the garden and paused to think about his offer, but Rose was quick to refuse.

‘It’s fine, really, I’m sure your friend Rob has other things on his plate, I’ll just look into hiring a gardener from town if it gets too much for me. I am more than capable of manual labour honestly.’ Rose had always been someone capable of doing things herself and even though she was ultimately turning down his offer, she didn’t relish doing much more of this on her own.

‘Rob is the laird, he oversees wee things like this, to keep the town happy and beautiful; he has a crew of full time gardeners for the grounds and would take a half day to do this. Let me talk to him.’ He gave her another affectionate beaming smile and all she could do was smile back.

Setting me up with an old man Tommy? Tut Tut!

Rose had no intention of being harpooned into a date with some aging land owner, she had met the Laird in visits as a child and was pretty sure even then he had been married with children. Not her cup of tea at all. But then tastes among church going older women we’re bound to be completely out of whack with the tastes of a twenty-eight -year-old girl from Edinburgh.

‘Well thank you anyway, don’t go out of your way.’ She was trying to thank him, but he was already waving her off with a shaking head, which meant he was ignoring her refusals. He slid into his little van and with a beep of the horn pulled out to U-turn and left with another wave out of his side window.

Rose waved back, a feeling of complete deflation running over her now she had returned to rural silence. She hadn’t minded the quiet and peace the last couple of weeks, but now she was craving people after that interaction. She was intrigued about this dance too and she was not about to go to a ball, in however many weeks, knowing not a soul of her new community.

Rose turned back to the cottage and pushed open the door, walking inside just as Muffin peaked out to check all was clear, before snorting with a nose in the air as though he had personally chased off the visitor. He turned his little white bushy butt and trotted back off to her room, lately he’d been hoarding bones under her bed and loved nothing more than to lay in the dark underneath and chew on his prized possessions.

Moving further inside, after she closed the door, she pulled open the long envelope, dumping her other mail on the table in the hall and revealing a cream, elegant invitation with gold and brown scroll. It was announcing the event at Munro manor and was very classy. She frowned at the name Robert Munro under the Laird title and sighed, hoping to god the matchmaking wouldn’t continue at a public event as she really had no desire to date an older man at all, and judging by memory this one had to be in his late sixties by now.

The event was to raise funds for a local charity, they wanted to help build a new wing on the hospital and extend the children’s ward to include long term care rooms for children with more serious illnesses. How could Rose refuse that?

She put it on the top of the fridge, lightly running her fingers over the luxurious paper and already mentally going through the dresses in her wardrobe. She had never been to a dance that was so formal sounding before; she wondered if she would have anything at all to wear that wouldn’t look out of place in that big house.

She picked up a mirror and looked over her appearance almost automatically, while still mulling it over and shook her head. Sweaty and mucky, dirty fingernails and hair piled on top of her head in a haphazard mess.

This wouldn’t do for a town trip.

She turned, dropping the mirror and headed to the bathroom to run a bubble bath in a bid to remove the sweaty smell of desperation. A little spruce up and a trip to town to meet her new neighbours would help. If she played it cool and mingled, then they might not even notice that she was trying to find herself some new friends before it became glaringly obvious that she had none.

You know, make the first move, meet the locals. No longer be the stranger at the dance, but someone familiar. Less likely to get stared at.

Her internal pep talk was helping to quell the tight knot of apprehension at putting herself out there for the first time in years, hopefully by the time she came home it would have no need to even exist.

Chapter 2

After her long soak in the tub she opened her wardrobe to put on a dress. It was proving to be a gloriously sunny day and she felt like a town book sale demanded she made a little more effort with her appearance, after all, her community were getting the first glimpses of the ‘outsider’. She had been here a couple weeks, cooped up in this cottage, surrounded by the mess and eating microwave food and oven meals. A trip to suss out the local shops was not a bad idea, she could pick up something fresh, maybe even some cakes and take Muffin for a stroll beyond the gravel road that led out onto the main road from her own tree covered nook.

Pulling out a fitted baby pink sundress which flared out from the waist and brushed her knees, she slid her feet into matching flat pumps and brushed out her long dark hair, pinning it up the back of her head loosely, so tendrils fell around her face. Her skin had tanned to a lovely shade from all the garden work the last couple of days and she applied minimum make up. A spritz of her favourite perfume, a quick glance in the mirror to approve how she looked with a satisfied nod.

She grabbed a cream coloured canvas shoulder bag to throw her purse in and girly essentials, like strawberry lip balm and sun screen spray. She picked up her baby pink framed sunglasses, Audrey Hepburn style, and picked up Muffin and his leash.

Ready to rumble!

Rose was singing to herself tunelessly when she swept out to her car, with dog in tow.

Her little pink mini shone in the sunlight in front of the cottage, relieved to be free of both boxes and roof rack and crying out to be driven. Lovely and clean from her morning washing and polishing it days before. Rose had always had a pink obsession, since childhood, always obsessed with all things pink, girly and sparkly. Her car had been her one indulgence in London, going for a baby pink, tiny, car that suited her girly – All things cute! Obsession. She had hated that every male she had dated criticised it and it was partially why none of them made it beyond two weeks with her.

Blaring the summer hits CD, she pulled out with Muffin in the passenger seat and headed along the road; pulling out into the main road and reaching speed quickly, she was singing and smiling at how free she felt, energised by this impromptu outing and the glorious sunshine which was not typical for Scotland this early in the summer. It was truly shaping up to be a wonderful day.

Out of nowhere, the nose of a black car poked out in front of her from the tree edged hedge way, causing her to swerve and scream as she tried to hit the brakes in alarm. Her car skidded halfway across the road with an almighty screech before slamming to a halt and Rose fell forward on her steering wheel, trying to catch her breath; sure, she had just suffered a major heart attack.