Two Kinds Of Truth(37)

Callum sniggers. “How about Norfolk and Chance?”

Maddie rolls her eyes and sighs. “Do you have to be so uncouth?” she chastises.

Callum looks down at her. “Can you think of something better?”

She nods. “Yeah. I thought we could call ourselves Les Quizerables.”

I take a swig of beer and chuckle into my glass. “I like it,” I say. “It sounds classy.”

“Yup, something you’ll never be,” Callum jokes.

“Ye, neither, arsehole,” I comment, and we both laugh out loud.

Callum jumps up and heads over to register our team.

“’Tis a great name,” I say, and Maddie swipes a lose curl away from her cheek.

“Thanks. I stole it from the internet.”

Callum rushes back and sits down. “The quiz is set to start,” he explains, and a hush sweeps across the entire pub.

“Right, folks, if I can have yir attention,” says Malcolm over the mic. “We’ll begin with question one: Which James Bond theme song, which starts with the words Meeting you, was the only double-O-seven theme song to reach the US charts?”

I can feel a blank expression crossing my face. I flick my gaze towards Callum, who has the exact same look on his face, too.

Maddie picks up a pencil and taps it lightly against the end of the table. “Off the top of your head,” she says, “give me some pop artists who were famous for singing on the James Bond movies.”

“Shirley Bassey,” I say.

“No way,” Callum replies, pulling a grimace. “She’s way too old.”

“How about Sheena Easton; she went to America.”

“Hmm. Think of the clue: Meeting you,” Maddie says and starts humming. “Wait, I think I’ve got it. Meeting you…with a view to a kill.”

“Aye, that’s it,” I say, and lower my voice to make sure the other teams can’t overhear. “Wasn’t that a hit for Duran Duran?”

Maddie nods enthusiastically and writes the answer on the piece of paper. “Yes! That’s it. Well done, Jamie.”

I grin smugly at Callum who glowers at me.

“Beginners luck,” he says.

“Ye either have it or ye dinnea,” I reply, and Maddie and I mark our victory with a high five.





Chapter 9


It’s almost midnight by the time we arrive back at the farm. It’s been an entertaining evening, and although we didn’t win the quiz, we certainly gave the other contestants a run for their money.

“I’ve had a fab night,” Maddie says, kicking off her shoes. She stands on each leg in turn, so she can massage the balls of her feet. She bends a little too far and loses her balance, grabbing the arm of a nearby chair to stop herself from falling. “Oops, I think I’ve had one too many,” she giggles, then plonks herself down into the chair and tucks her feet underneath her.

“I enjoyed tonight,” she adds. “The locals made me very welcome and they’re such lovely people.” She sits back and closes her eyes. “Oh no, everything’s spinning. I think I’m going to suffer a cracking hangover in the morning.”

“Away with ye. One more for the road won’t kill ye,” I say and pour three shots of Whisky. We’re in the study and I walk over and nudge her knee with mine. She forces her eyes open and I offer her the nightcap.

She tries to stifle a loud yawn as she takes the tumbler. “Thanks. But after this, I’m off to bed.”

I pass a glass to Callum. He’s sitting in one of the fireside chairs. “Slàinte mhath,” I say and we tip our glasses simultaneously, knocking back the golden liquid in one large gulp.

I go back to the bar server and refill both glasses.

“What does that mean?” Maddie asks, thoughtfully.

“Good health,” Callum explains, and he raises his glass towards his wife.

Maddie tries to pronounce the words in Gaelic. “Slanj-uh-va,” she says with a hiccup, then she giggles again. “Was that even close?”

Callum grins. “Not bad for a Sassenach.”

“Aye, we’ll make a Scot out of ye yet,” I joke.

“I doubt it,” Maddie replies, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t even know until tonight that the Loch Ness monster inhabits the second largest lake in Scotland.”

“Ah—that maybe so, but remember the loch has the freshest water. ’Tis also the deepest in the whole of Scotland, and why it’s able to hide monsters.”

Callum chuckles. “Oh, wee Nessie. The folklore never ceases to amaze me. Every time I come home, there’s been at least one more sighting.”

I lean against a large mahogany desk that sits in the centre of the room.

“And don’t forget there’s supposed to be more than one monster in the loch, ye ken?” I tease.

Maddie’s eyes grow wide. “You mean Nessie’s had babies?”

“Aye, so they say, but no one’s ever seen them. It’s pure speculation.”

Maddie turns towards her husband. “Oh, Cal, that reminds me: did you see the new-born baby tonight at the quiz? Wasn’t he adorable. Rhona, his mum, says I can pop by and see him anytime I wish.”

Callum’s grin slides from his face and he takes a large gulp of Whisky.