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“Someone local?” Joyce said

“Of course”

The bus was parked in the tourist car park beside the loch No one was using the space this time of year—not until the Christmas Market was on, anyway, and that didn’t start for another teeks Which made her wonder why her parents had arrived so early She cast a glance towards her father He orking on an old laptop at the back of the bus He had a desk in the bedroom area, which was cluttered with textbooks and notes

“What’s Eric working on?” she said

“He’s researching sustainable food sources and the govern a talk at the Enviro Conference in Holland in February”

Rainne had heard a few of her father’s lectures over the years They were heavy with science and intellectual reasoning It was easy to forget that her taciturn father had two doctorates and could be articulate when the need took him

“What about you?” she asked her ht now?”

“The national debt,” her mother said while she stirred the pot “We need to stop the capitalist attitude that’s ruining this country Greed is killing people, not just the econo event planned for London at the sa read He could use some help with that”

It took Rainne a moment to follow her mother’s point

“But I’ll be here, busy with the shop,” she said

She saw hertowards the bus Her heart fluttered

“I hope you don’t mind,” she said “I invited someone for dinner”

Joyce was less than pleased

“Lake?” she said tightly

“No Remember, he said he was busy This is Alastair Afriend of mine”