“That’s usually how we get to the first floor,” came Mrs M’s humoured voice as he passed her by. “What were you expecting, dear? A chairlift?”
Once secured in the sanctity of his room, Trevor shut the door. Karl and Mary must have gone out to get their luggage, because Trevor heard no more voices until after he had showered. He had almost forgotten about the paper-thin walls between his bathroom and the kitchen. When he stood at the mirror, brushing his teeth, he could quite clearly hear two female voices talking, both of them raised.
“—and as I have already stated. In my condition, I cannot be expected to—”
“Stop right there,” came Mrs M’s distinctive voice. “That’s just about enough from you, young missy.”
“I haven’t finished—” began Mary.
“Oh, yes, you have. Now be quiet and let me run through a few house rules. First of all, the kitchen is my domain. If you want to prepare your own food, that’s fine. But you go through me. However, I am more than capable of handling vegetarian meals, something I have done for many years. What type of vegetarian are you?”
“What do you mean, what kind of vegetarian am I?” came the derogatory voice. “I don’t eat meat, of course.”
“Do you eat cheese and eggs?”
“Of course.”
“But no red meats, poultry, fish or shellfish.”
“I have eaten fish occasionally. And some shellfish. Prawns and shrimps as long as they’re cleaned thoroughly. For the protein.”
“So you’re a pescatarian? Not strictly vegetarian.”
“Mostly vegetarian.”
“One of our previous guests was the same, so I can create dishes specially for you. I’m happy to do that. Alternatively, you can prepare your own. But if you do so, you work to my schedule, and eat with the rest of us. Are we clear?”
“I don’t see why—”
“Are we clear?”
Even though they had probably only been together since April, Trevor could hear how Mary had already adopted Karl’s rebellious tone. But nobody—nobody—messed with Mrs M.
“Fine,” said Mary, the word expelled like an expletive.
“Secondly,” said Mrs M in quick succession, “Cheryl and Trevor went to a lot of trouble organising this holiday, something they’ve done for years, one they’ve invested time and energy planning, and something to which—”
“Look, Mrs M. We understand—” began Karl.
“—something to which we have been kindly invited. So you will both show them respect and think yourself lucky they’ve agreed to include you. You will not walk in here and start throwing your weight around just because one of you is pregnant and hormonal. That was your choice. I’ve been there and out the other side. My Cheryl is living proof of that. And when I was a mum-to-be, I shared one bathroom with a family of eight. I know what it’s like better than anyone in this lodge. Which is why you have been allocated a bedroom with an en suite bathroom on the first floor. We have a long-standing informal arrangement on our holidays about room allocation, meal times and kitchen duties, use of communal areas, smoking policy, eating and drinking and other things that form a part of our annual get-together. Everyone follows these simple rules and so will you. Karl can fill you in as well as anyone. And if you decide to stay, you’ll be kind enough to keep your mouth shut and your opinions to yourself. Am I making myself clear?”
“I don’t see why—”
Trevor thought he heard Karl mutter something to Mary.
“Am I making myself clear?”
This time, Trevor would have been surprised if everyone in the lodge hadn’t heard Mrs M.
“Yes,” came both Karl’s and Mary’s sullen voices.
“If you find our basic rules too much for you, Johnny tells me there are numerous small hotels around Fort William. You can drive there tomorrow. And I’m sure Trevor can arrange a refund for you. Now let me show you to your room, so you can freshen up for dinner.”
As he tugged on his jeans and thin sweater, Trevor felt increasingly nauseous, wondering if Mrs M’s harsh words would make things better or worse. He almost felt sorry for Karl. Was he destined to be henpecked for the rest of his life? But then Karl had made his bed. Surely he had solid feelings for her, and wasn’t about to ditch her if he found himself unable to handle the pressures of marriage or, worse still, fatherhood. And more immediately, how the hell were they going to get through dinner tonight without there being causalities?
Heading to the empty kitchen early, he decided he needed a fortifying drink or two before round two.
Chapter Five
