Page 80 of Highland Getaway
‘You mean .?.?. you mean you’re behind the . . .goings-on.?.?. Agnes?’ I say, swallowing hard in an attempt to hide how hurt I am by this little revelation. ‘You took my clothes? And stabbed my turnip?’
‘I took the clothes,’ the girl admits, her eyes downcast. ‘But I brought them all back again,’ she adds, looking up at me eagerly. ‘The Laird wanted me to hide them until you left, but, well, you were sonice. I just couldn’t do it. And I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since, by taking your photos for you, and stuff. I even brought you extra scones, I felt so guilty about it all, but I just .?.?. I need this job, or I’ll never save up enough for my course.’
She looks at me pleadingly, but I can’t quite meet her eye.
Not until I’ve had some time to process all of this, at least.
‘I stabbed the turnip myself, though,’ says the Laird proudly. ‘And, by God, I’d do it again. So don’t blame Agnes: she was just doing as I asked. And she didn’t want these WanderNest people in the hotel, either. None of the staff do. Well, other than Dante, here, but no one listens to him, anyway.’
Dante hisses like a snake.
‘I wish I’d brought my camera,’ says Daniel Foster. ‘This is all turning out to be quite entertaining.’
‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it,’ I tell him sharply. ‘I’ve been thinking someone was seriously out to get me.’
‘Someonewas, though,’ says Millie. ‘Him!’ She points at the Laird, who waggles his eyebrows devilishly at her. ‘So you were right, Rosie!’
She beams at me as if I should feel pleased about this, but the only emotion I can make sense of right now is anger. Burning, righteous anger, that starts at my toes and spreads all the way up to my head, where it joins forces with its friend, betrayal.
Iwasright. Someonewasdeliberately targeting me, and all because they thought I was someone else.
I can’t even get people tohateme for myself. What does that say about me? I wonder.
‘I think I’m going to go upstairs and pack,’ I say, my legs a little wobbly as I stand up. ‘I just want to go home now. It’s pretty obvious I’m not going to win the competition, or influence anyone, so I’ll leave you all to it.’
Hunter starts towards me, his arm outstretched, as if to stop me, but Zara gets there first.
‘Hold on,’ she says, grabbing me by the arm and making me spin around on the spot. ‘If you’re not the mystery guest, then who is?’
‘I’d like to know that too, actually,’ says Sabrina shrilly. ‘Because if one of you has been lying to us, by failing to disclose that you’re being paid to be here by someone else, then I can assure you, there will be serious consequences. I will sue. I’ll—’
‘No, you won’t, Sabrina,’ says Zara. ‘Calm down. I just want to know who it is. Someone here’s been lying to us, all this time.’
‘Well, I’m sure you can see it’s not me,’ says Bex, sniffing down at her stained jumper. ‘Or Daniel.’
‘It’s not me either,’ adds Millie, eagerly.
‘Or me,’ puts in Yasmin, sounding slightly disappointed to have to admit this. To be fair, she would’ve made anexcellentmystery guest.
‘Well, it’s definitely not me,’ says Zara, folding her arms in a businesslike manner. ‘So that just leaves—’
‘It’s me,’ says Luna, her voice barely audible.
Everyone jumps. I think we’d all forgotten she was even in the room with us – I know I had. Luna shuffles forward, as if pushed by some invisible force, her eyes rather watery as she blinks around at us all.
‘I’m really sorry,’ she says in a squeak. ‘But I think this is all my fault.’
Chapter 32
‘You?’ Sabrina says, looking at her assistant as if she can’t quite remember who she is. ‘What do you mean, it’syou?’
‘I’m the mystery guest,’ replies Luna miserably. ‘From WanderNest. They contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me if I’d be interested in a one-off job for them. I guess they must have somehow found out I’d be coming here anyway with you, so they figured it would be an easy way for them to get some feedback on the hotel. It, um, seemed like a good idea at the time?’
Now it’s Sabrina’s turn to explode, which she does in typical Sabrina fashion: by turning very pale and twitching slightly.
‘So you’ve been working for someone else while you’re supposed to be working for me?’ she says, her face a mask of tightly controlled emotion. ‘And you didn’t think that might be just thetiniestconflict of interest?’
‘Not .?.?. notworkingfor them exactly,’ replies Luna, blushing. ‘They just asked me to take some notes while I’m here; and photos, of course. Then, once we leave, I’ll have to fill out a questionnaire, I think. It hasn’t interfered with my work for you, Sabrina. I promise.’
