the window frame, which was spongy with age. ‘So, working in island time, we’re
thinking these will be finished by about Christmas?’
‘No chance! I’ve got a provisional booking from Glasgow University marine-biology department for next June.’ The excitement was written on his face. ‘My friend Sian
Cowley is head lecturer there, and they’re really keen to get over here and have a base for their studies. They want to see the behaviour of the common seals when they haul in to pup, and
come back again this time next year to look at the grey seals.’
Kate rubbed her shoulder, absent-mindedly. ‘Well, now I’m in one piece, perhaps it’s time I started doing the work I’m supposed to do?’
‘That’s a great idea. Now let’s collect that puppy of yours from Susan’s and get you home.’
5
Fireworks
Kate found Roderick in the library, tapping a pen against his forehead in irritation.
‘You okay?’ He spun round to face her in the big leather chair. He rubbed his unshaven chin thoughtfully, not waiting for an answer. ‘These grant applications will be the death
of me.’
‘We’ve had a report from some walkers of some sort of plastic netting washed up down on the shore. Can you take a look?’
‘If it gets me out of this, definitely.’ Roderick picked up his coat from the back of the battered leather sofa where he’d thrown it earlier. His dogs, eager for something to
do, leapt to attention. ‘Come, if you like?’ His voice was casual. ‘This time of year you might see the first of the Canada geese arriving. It’s pretty
impressive.’
The fire-regulation documents that she was reading on the computer were pretty poor competition, and she’d done enough for today in any case.
‘Give me a second to grab my coat. I’ll meet you outside.’
She shut down the laptop, waking Willow from her sleep with a jingling shake of her lead. By the time she made it outside, Roderick had already loaded the dogs into the back of the car. He held
the door open for Kate, motioning for her to climb in. His manners were impeccable.
‘I could do with checking how Billy’s doing, on the floors in the cottages – could we stop in on the way back?’ she asked.
‘Of course.’ He turned the key in the ignition.
Driving up towards the south of the island, they stopped the car to spy on a magnificent grey seal, which sat motionless, perched on a rock.
‘She’s on the equivalent of a coffee break,’ Roderick explained. ‘I’d say she’s left her pup on the shore there and has nipped out for something to eat and a
bit of a relax. They do it quite often.’
‘And what happens to the pups?’
Roderick passed Kate the binoculars, sliding his seat back so that she could look past him. She leaned across for a closer look.
‘Well, left to their own devices, they just snooze. The trouble comes, of course, if people spot a pup on the shore and assume it’s been abandoned. As soon as they touch it,
there’s trouble.’
‘Because the mother attacks?’ Catching a scent of his aftershave, Kate had a sudden sense of just how closely she was leaning across him. She sat up with a start, passing back the
binoculars, feeling awkward.
He looked at her with an amused expression. ‘No, because she abandons the pup, and then you’re in danger of it starving to death. The trouble is it’s hard to explain to people
that, once you touch that cute fluffy seal pup, you mark it with your scent and the mother won’t go near it.’
‘So rule number one is: never go near a seal pup?’
‘You’ve got it.’ He leaned over to put the binoculars into the glove compartment, just grazing her knee with his hand as he did so. Kate felt her heart thump slightly out of
time as they drove in silence towards the furthest beach on the island.
Nethervannan was completely deserted, the walkers who had reported the trouble having long gone. One hand on his binoculars, Roderick scanned the water line. The tide
thinking these will be finished by about Christmas?’
‘No chance! I’ve got a provisional booking from Glasgow University marine-biology department for next June.’ The excitement was written on his face. ‘My friend Sian
Cowley is head lecturer there, and they’re really keen to get over here and have a base for their studies. They want to see the behaviour of the common seals when they haul in to pup, and
come back again this time next year to look at the grey seals.’
Kate rubbed her shoulder, absent-mindedly. ‘Well, now I’m in one piece, perhaps it’s time I started doing the work I’m supposed to do?’
‘That’s a great idea. Now let’s collect that puppy of yours from Susan’s and get you home.’
5
Fireworks
Kate found Roderick in the library, tapping a pen against his forehead in irritation.
‘You okay?’ He spun round to face her in the big leather chair. He rubbed his unshaven chin thoughtfully, not waiting for an answer. ‘These grant applications will be the death
of me.’
‘We’ve had a report from some walkers of some sort of plastic netting washed up down on the shore. Can you take a look?’
‘If it gets me out of this, definitely.’ Roderick picked up his coat from the back of the battered leather sofa where he’d thrown it earlier. His dogs, eager for something to
do, leapt to attention. ‘Come, if you like?’ His voice was casual. ‘This time of year you might see the first of the Canada geese arriving. It’s pretty
impressive.’
The fire-regulation documents that she was reading on the computer were pretty poor competition, and she’d done enough for today in any case.
‘Give me a second to grab my coat. I’ll meet you outside.’
She shut down the laptop, waking Willow from her sleep with a jingling shake of her lead. By the time she made it outside, Roderick had already loaded the dogs into the back of the car. He held
the door open for Kate, motioning for her to climb in. His manners were impeccable.
‘I could do with checking how Billy’s doing, on the floors in the cottages – could we stop in on the way back?’ she asked.
‘Of course.’ He turned the key in the ignition.
Driving up towards the south of the island, they stopped the car to spy on a magnificent grey seal, which sat motionless, perched on a rock.
‘She’s on the equivalent of a coffee break,’ Roderick explained. ‘I’d say she’s left her pup on the shore there and has nipped out for something to eat and a
bit of a relax. They do it quite often.’
‘And what happens to the pups?’
Roderick passed Kate the binoculars, sliding his seat back so that she could look past him. She leaned across for a closer look.
‘Well, left to their own devices, they just snooze. The trouble comes, of course, if people spot a pup on the shore and assume it’s been abandoned. As soon as they touch it,
there’s trouble.’
‘Because the mother attacks?’ Catching a scent of his aftershave, Kate had a sudden sense of just how closely she was leaning across him. She sat up with a start, passing back the
binoculars, feeling awkward.
He looked at her with an amused expression. ‘No, because she abandons the pup, and then you’re in danger of it starving to death. The trouble is it’s hard to explain to people
that, once you touch that cute fluffy seal pup, you mark it with your scent and the mother won’t go near it.’
‘So rule number one is: never go near a seal pup?’
‘You’ve got it.’ He leaned over to put the binoculars into the glove compartment, just grazing her knee with his hand as he did so. Kate felt her heart thump slightly out of
time as they drove in silence towards the furthest beach on the island.
Nethervannan was completely deserted, the walkers who had reported the trouble having long gone. One hand on his binoculars, Roderick scanned the water line. The tide
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