Her sister’s jaw worked and then a tumble of words emerged. “I won’t be around, either. I’m going with Samantha. We thought we’d combine the trip. So we can be together.”
Gayle’s face brightened. “Well, that’s perfect. So the two of you are already together—I’ll join you.”
“I—we—that’s not a good idea.”
“I’d like to spend time with you. As long as you don’t expect me to wear a reindeer sweater, we’ll be fine. Where are you going?”
Ella looked wild-eyed and desperate. “I—Scotland!” The words flew from her lips. “We’re going to Scotland. Samantha has to check out its suitability for fam
ily gatherings.”
What? What?
She wanted to slap her hand over Ella’s mouth, but it was too late for that and anyway Ella was still talking.
“It’s miles away. Long flight. Hazardous drive along snowy roads. It’s an old shooting lodge. It will be cold. Bleak. We’ll probably be snowed in with a pile of dusty books. The place is isolated.” Ella sent Samantha a look of desperate apology and emphasized all the aspects of the trip that she knew their mother would hate in an attempt to recover her mistake. “There will be stags.”
Gayle looked dazed. “Stags?”
“With antlers.”
“Inside the shooting lodge?”
“I hope not actually inside, but—have you seen the size of those things? Terrifying.” Ella was scratching the back of her head, a sure sign that she was nervous.
“Scotland. That’s—” Gayle shook her head. “No. I can’t do it. I can’t go back.”
“Oh shame.” Ella didn’t quite manage to hide her relief. “Well, never mind. We’ll meet up for lunch a few times instead.”
Samantha was watching her mother. “What do you mean, you can’t go back? I didn’t know you’d been to Scotland.”
Gayle was staring into space.
“Mom?”
“Mmm?”
“Scotland. When were you in Scotland?”
Gayle shifted in the bed. “It was a long time ago.”
“Well, if you’ve been, you probably don’t want to go again,” Ella said, “and that’s fine. We understand. And we can have a celebration without it being Christmas. Samantha will pick a great restaurant, and we can—”
“Maybe it’s time.”
“Time for what?” Ella looked at her sister for clarification. “Time for what, Mom?”
“Time to go back to Scotland.”
“No! I mean—don’t put that pressure on yourself. If you fancied a return visit, summer might be better.”
“No.” Gayle gripped the bedcovers. Took a breath. “I’ll come with you.”
Samantha still couldn’t think of a time when her mother had been to Scotland. “Did you go when you were a child?”
“What? No. It’s fine. It will be fine.”
If Samantha hadn’t known better, she would have said her mother was nervous. “Where did you stay?”