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“Honey, how are you? Are you in London yet?”

“Hi, Mom, I'm still at Castle Mal.”

“What are you doing there for so long? Did you like it so much that you decided to stay forever?”

“No, I just took a long vacation. I’m enjoying northern Scotland, it's very beautiful here, and I want to stay a bit longer,” the girl answered.

“Dear, you've been there for three months. What more is there to see? You can explore the entire north from end to end in just a few days. I can't understand you. It's a godforsaken place, where life has stopped, and there's no development. In my opinion, there's nothing to do there for more than a week,” Arline said, puzzled, unaware of what was really happening with her daughter.

“Everyone has their own opinion. Tell me how you're doing instead,” Megan decided to change the subject.

“Honey, I've missed you. You haven't visited us for a long time, and I really want to see you. Come back to London. Ted and I will be there in five days.”

Megan was stunned listening to her mother. Leave Derek and go to London in five days? She wasn't ready for that.

“Have you already bought the tickets?” she asked nervously.

“Yes, dear, we have,” Arline's voice was filled with genuine joy.

“Mom why don’t you come here to Castle Mal? It's your home, after all.”

“Megan, I have unpleasant memories of that house. I don't want to go back there. And your grandfather would turn in his grave if I stepped foot in Castle Mal,” Arline sighed heavily.

“But what happened between the two of you in the past? He didn't even want to reconcile with his only daughter before he died. There must have been a good reason.”

There was a brief silence on the line.

“Mom, can you hear me?”

“Baby, this isn't a conversation for over the phone. We'll talk when we meet.”

Megan suggested enthusiastically, “I have an idea! Let's meet in Edinburgh? I plan to return to London a bit later. Sam keeps in touch with me daily; everything’s fine at the restaurant and there’s no need for me to be there all the time. You know that over the years we've streamlined operations so much that now, for the first time in my life, I can afford to take a longer break.”