Chapter 40

　　Rose carried on with her shopping and meandering in town, making the most of the long drive here and not really wanting to go back to the cottage to stare at the clock and obsess over Rob’s absence.

　　He called late afternoon, her heart lurching and fingers pressed into her palm, willing him to make her feel better as his name flashed on the screen, but he didn’t. He was cool and distant on the phone, informing her they needed to rain check their trip. That the French meeting had been delayed and it was for the best, seeing as he had to collect Morag on the day they would have been leaving; tomorrow. He still had some things up in the air with the construction and told her he would probably be late and to not expect him, he would stay at the manor, collect Morag in the morning and be flying out early afternoon for Glasgow. He would call to let her know how it went with Morag and be back late Saturday, or early Sunday and would come by the cottage on Sunday when he got back.