Tuesday Tales: From the Word NARROW

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tuesday Tales: Last week, I went back a little to tell you more about Uncle Angus and a Scottish custom that was near and dear to my mother-in-law’s heart. This week, we’re back in the airport with Marina. Our word is NARROW. Enjoy!

“Lady Fraser, I do apologize for this. It seems my desk calendar may have had an issue while I was away last week.” Her tone of voice spoke to her annoyance and confusion, but it was the words themselves that surprised Marina.

She stared down at the phone, dropping onto the narrow bench.

“What did you call me?”

“Lady Fraser. It’s who you are now that you’ve arrived on the Isle of Lewis to claim your birthright.”

Marina smiled, not quite sure how she felt about being Lady Fraser or Laird Fraser as Angus had been. Hell, back home, just being called Mrs. Fraser-Mitchell had made her uncomfortable.

“Are there other lairds and ladies here on the Isle of Lewis?”

“Yes, but not as many as there used to be since there are few large estates, most crofters owning their own bits of land.”

“I see. Could you just call me Marina? “

“Of course, Marina, but most people you’ll meet will likely call you Lady Fraser. It’s meant as a sign of respect.”

“I suppose … As for the mix-up with the plane, we did bandy around a lot of dates. At some point, we must’ve considered October 20 as my arrival date, but we did change it.”

It was impossible for her to be wrong. Last night had been her last night in Inverness. The hotel would not have made that mistake. Her plane ticket had been for this morning. Again, the airline would not have made that error.

Marina exhaled. Did it matter whose fault it was? What was done was done. So what if she hadn’t had a grand welcome home? She was here and that was all that mattered. What was important was that she get a ride out to Fraser Hall as soon as possible. What had seemed like a friendly airport had quickly lost its charm.

“Can Mr. MacDonald come and get me now?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not possible. He isn’t here.”

Not there! Her heart plummeted. What else could go wrong?

“He’s gone to Aberdeen for a deposition,” the secretary continued. “He planned it that way to be back tomorrow before your flight lands—or was supposed to land.” The woman’s accent was stronger in her agitation. “He’ll not be happy about this.”

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.