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‘How did you meet?’ Her voice cut through his thoughts. Boy, she was persistent. She still hadn’t even mentioned the castle.
A shadow passed across his face and his lips tightened. ‘I met Angus when I was a small boy. I spent quite a bit of time at Annick Castle.’
Something flickered across her face—doubtless another question—but something obviously told her to change tack and she let it go.
‘So, what’s going to happen this weekend? Are you organising things?’ Did she think he was an employee? Even though he was offended, it was a reasonable assumption. After all, he had picked her up from the station.
He signalled and turned off the main road, passing some stone columns and an extravagant set of entry gates, and heading down a long, sweeping driveway.
He shook his head and his words were spoken through gritted teeth. ‘The Murder Mystery Weekend is nothing to do with me. It’s being organised by some outside company.’
She shook her head. ‘It’s the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard. Is it even legal? Inheritance law isn’t my field of expertise, but I’ve never heard of anything like this in my life.’
‘Neither have I.’ The words almost fell out of his mouth. He wasn’t embarrassed to say he’d spent the last week locked in a bitter war of words with Frank. But the solicitor had been unrepentant. He’d tried to talk Angus out of it. He’d talked him through all the legal implications, the challenges that might be brought against the decision. They’d even brought a doctor in to give a statement that Angus was of sound mind as he wrote the will.
But Angus McLean had been as determined as he always was in life. This was the way he wanted to do things, and nothing, and no one, could change his mind.
Callan could see Laurie looking around, taking in the impossibly long sweeping road to the castle, and the huge gardens. The car followed the bend in the road and she let out a little gasp, her hand going to her face.
‘Oh. Wow.’ Annick Castle was now clearly visible. Rebuilt in the seventeen-hundreds, the impressive building had over sixty rooms and a large drum tower at either side. It was clear the first glimpse of the castle took her breath away.
But instead of feeling secretly happy and proud, Callan could barely disguise his displeasure. Was she thinking that the castle might be hers after the weekend? The last guests from Canada had immediately asked what rooms were the best and whipped out a portfolio with extensive notes on the property. He’d almost ejected them from the car on the spot.
But Laurie wasn’t quite so brazen. Or maybe she was just better at hiding it?
She shook her head, her eyes open in wonder. ‘I just didn’t expect it to be so big.’ She pointed over at the sea wall. ‘I knew it was supposed to be on a cliff top. I guess I just hadn’t really realised how impressive it would be.’ She fumbled in her bag and produced a tissue, dabbing at her eyes. ‘My dad wouldn’t have believed this. He would have thought he was in a dream.’
For the tiniest second Callan almost felt sorry for her. He knew that three of Angus’s children had died: Laurie’s father, another woman from England and a son who’d lived in Canada. Laurie was an only child, but the son in Canada had three sons and two daughters, and the woman in England had had three children. It took the total number of possible inheritors to twelve. All of whom were now here.
They pulled up outside the main entrance and Laurie jumped out automatically. ‘I’ll show you to your room and introduce you to the staff,’ Callan said gruffly.
‘My room?’ She looked shocked, and then shook her head. ‘Oh, no, I’m not staying here.’ She started to fumble in her bag for her paperwork. ‘My secretary will have booked me in somewhere.’
Callan was starting to run out of patience. ‘She has—here.’
Laurie’s chin practically bounced off the driveway. ‘But I thought you’d just brought me here to show me where the castle was.’
He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. ‘It’s part of the stipulation of the weekend.’ Nothing he had any control over.
He waited until she’d extricated the crumpled paperwork from her bag and stared at it a few times as if she was still taking all of this in.
‘Like I said, come and I’ll introduce you to the staff.’
Her eyes widened. ‘There’s staff?’
He frowned. ‘Of course there’s staff. A place like this doesn’t look after itself.’
That was the trouble with all these people. None of them knew or understood a thing about Annick Castle. None of them appreciated the people who’d spent their life working here. It didn’t matter most of the staff had been left bequests, it was the actual castle that mattered to them—just as it mattered to Callan.
Laurie was still standing in amazement outside. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, leaving her bathed in a warm glow of pink, orange and lilac. With the beautiful sea in the background she could have been starring in a movie. With her dark eyes, long chestnut curls about her shoulders and her curves highlighted in her white tunic, Laurie Jenkins could prove quite a distraction.
She was the youngest relative here by far. And for a second he almost forgot that: the fact she was a relative—a potential inheritor. A complete stranger who would probably sell Annick Castle to the highest bidder as soon as she could.
It made the hackles rise at the back of his neck.
All day he’d picked people up and dropped them off. And there was no getting away from it. Some of them he already hated. They’d asked the value of the property, its potential price on the open market and how soon the inheritance would take to sort out.
So it didn’t matter how Laurie looked, or how she acted.
The truth was—she was the same as all the rest.
* * *
What was wrong with this guy? Ever since he’d picked her up at the train station he’d acted as if she’d jabbed him with a hot poker.
She had no idea what his role was here. It was a shame, because if he could actually wipe the permanent frown off his face, he would be attractive. And not just a little attractive. The kind of guy you spotted at the other side of a room and made your heart beat faster kind of attractive.
When she’d spotted him at the station she’d almost turned around to look for the film camera. Were they shooting a new film, and he’d been brought in as the resident hunk?
She smiled to herself. His hands had been firm. Was the rest of him? It certainly looked that way—his shirt did nothing to hide the wide planes of his chest.
Mr Silent and Brooding was obviously not planning on telling her much. She was trying to push aside the fact he was impossibly tall, dark and handsome. And she was especially trying to push away the fact he’d fixed on her face with the most incredible pair of green eyes she’d ever seen. Ones that sent a little shiver down her spine.
But nothing he’d said had exactly been an answer, and now she’d finally met someone who knew Angus McLean her brain was just bursting with questions. It was her duty to her dad to find out as much as she possibly could. She followed him inside and tried to stifle the gasp in her throat.
It was the biggest entrance hall she’d ever seen, with a huge curved staircase running up either side around the oval-shaped room. These were the kind of stairs a little girl would dream of in her imaginary castle. Dream that she was walking down to meet her Prince Charming. If only.
Callan dropped his car keys into a wooden dish with a clatter.
Fat chance of that happening here.
She shook hands with a grey-haired woman with a forehead knotted in a permanent frown just like Callan’s. Maybe they were related?
‘This is Marion. She’s the housekeeper. If you need anything you’ll generally find her around the kitchen area.’
Laurie couldn’t imagine a single occasion she’d want to seek out the fearful Marion but she nodded dutifully and followed him up the stairs.
There was an old full-length portrait at the top of the stairs of a young woman in a long red dress. Something about it seemed a little odd and she stopped mid-step. Callan gave her a few seconds, then finally smiled in amusement. It was the first time today he’d looked even remotely friendly.
‘You’re the first person that’s noticed,’ he said quietly.
‘But that’s just it. I know I’ve noticed something—’ she shook her head ‘—but I don’t know what it is.’
He pointed at the portrait’s serious face. ‘It’s an optical illusion. She’s an optical illusion.’
‘But, what...how?’ She was even more confused now.
Callum pointed to the stairs. ‘It doesn’t matter which side you walk up. It always seems as if she’s looking at you.’
‘Impossible!’ She couldn’t even make sense of the words.
He folded his arms across his chest and nodded to the other flight of stairs. His face had softened slightly. He was much more handsome without the permanent frown. ‘Go on, then, I’ll wait.’
She hesitated for a second but the temptation was just too great. She could only pray he wasn’t playing some kind of joke on her. She raced down one side and halfway up the other.
Her arm rested on the ornate banister, her eyes widening. The serene young woman was staring right at her—just as she’d been on the other staircase. She lifted up her hands in exasperation. ‘But that’s impossible. How old is that painting? Did optical illusions even exist back then?’
A cheeky grin flashed across his face. ‘Did rainbows?’
She felt the colour flood into her cheeks and a flare of annoyance. Of course. Nature’s greatest optical illusion. Now she felt like a prize idiot. Something tightened in her stomach.
She hated anyone thinking she was dumb. The only real joy in being a lawyer was the recognition that most people assumed you had to be smart to do the job in the first place.
But Callan didn’t seem to notice her embarrassment. He was looking at the painting again. ‘Angus liked to have fun. Once he discovered the painting he was determined to own it. It’s nearly two hundred years old. He put it there as a talking point.’ There was obvious affection in his voice and it irritated her even more.
Who was this guy? He’d already told her he’d spent some time living here. But why?
Why would Angus McLean take in a stranger, but ignore the six children that he had? It didn’t make sense.
All of a sudden she was tired and hungry. The long hours of work and travelling had caught up with her and all she wanted to do was lie down—preferably in her bed in London, not in some strange castle in Scotland.
‘Nice to know he had a sense of humour,’ she muttered under her breath as she brushed past him.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ snapped Callan.
She took a deep breath and turned to face him. ‘It means I’m tired, Callan. I’ve been travelling for hours.’ She lifted her hands in exasperation. ‘And it also means I’ve just found out about a family that’s apparently mine.’ She cringed as some of the relatives walked past downstairs, talking at the tops of their voices about the value of the antiques.
She looked Callan square in the eye. If she weren’t so tired she might have been unnerved. Up close, Callan’s eyes were even more mesmerising than she’d first suspected and she could see the tiny lines around the corners. He was tired too.
She took a deep breath. ‘I didn’t know Angus McLean, but, just so you know, you might have him up on some sort of pedestal—but I don’t. I’m not impressed by a man who lived in this—’ she spun around ‘—and spent his life ignoring his six children.’ She folded her arms across her chest. ‘Nice to see he got his priorities in order.’
CHAPTER TWO
JUST WHEN, FOR the tiniest second, he thought one of Angus’s relatives might not be quite as bad as the rest, she came out with something like that.
Callan felt a chill course over his body as he swept past her and along the corridor. ‘You’re right. You didn’t know Angus. And you have absolutely no right to comment.’ His blood was boiling as he flung open the door to her room. ‘Here’s your room.’ He stopped as she stepped through the doorway. Her head was facing his chest, only inches away from his. All it would take was one little step to close the distance between them.
It didn’t matter to him how attractive she was. It didn’t matter that he’d noticed her curves at the railway station, or the way she kept flicking back her long shiny brown curls. All that mattered to him was the fact she’d said something he didn’t like about the old man that he loved.
But Laurie Jenkins was having none of it. She folded her arms across her chest again. ‘That’s just the thing, Callan. I do have a right to comment—because, apparently, I’m family.’ She let the words hang in the air as she walked past him into the room.
Callan’s blood was about to reach the point of eruption.
The very thing that knotted his stomach. Family. And the fact he wasn’t.
He still hadn’t got over the fact Angus McLean had six children he’d never once mentioned. The reality was he was still hoping it wasn’t true—that someone would give him a nudge and he’d wake up from this nightmare.
Nothing about this seemed right. Angus had been the perennial bachelor, even in old age. Why on earth would he have children and never acknowledge them? It seemed bizarre.
Angus had had the biggest heart he’d ever known.
But then, he’d only known Angus for the last twenty-five years. Maybe in his youth he’d been a completely different person?
It bothered him. It bothered him so much he hadn’t slept the last few nights.
And now that he’d met some of the relatives it bothered him a whole lot more.
One of these money-grabbers was going to inherit Annick Castle. A place full of history and rich with antiques. A place full of memories that not a single one of them would care about.
Why hadn’t Angus let him buy it? He’d known that Callan loved it every bit as much as he did. It just didn’t make sense.
The family stuff. It enraged him more than he could ever have imagined.
Laurie was standing looking out of the window across the sea. Some of these bedrooms had the most spectacular views. He knew—his was just above.
And this complete stranger had just put him perfectly in his place.
She was right—she was family. The one thing he wasn’t.
He dumped her bag on the bed. ‘Dinner is at seven.’
He didn’t even wait for a response. The sooner he got away from Ms Jenkins, the better.
* * *
Laurie breathed out slowly, releasing the tight feeling that had spread across her chest.
What on earth was wrong with her? And why had she just offloaded to the one person who could actually tell her something about her grandfather?
Common sense told her it wasn’t wise to alienate Callan McGregor. He could probably tell her everything she could ever want to know—and a whole lot more besides.
She sagged down onto the bed. The bedroom was big, with panoramic views over the sea. How many people throughout the ages had stood at her window and looked out at this view? The sun had set rapidly leaving the sea looking dark, haunting and cold. Was it possible that the sea looked angry—just like Callan McGregor?
The history of this place intrigued her. It would be fascinating. If only she could take the time to learn it.
Her hand smoothed the coverings on the bed, taking in the carpet, curtains and other soft furnishings. At one time these must have been brand new and the height of fashion. But that time had clearly passed. How did you update a castle? She didn’t have a clue.
It wasn’t that anything was shabby. It was just—tired. A little dated maybe. And obviously in need of some TLC.
Angus had been ninety-seven when he’d died. How often had he looked around the castle to see what needed replacing and updating? And how much would all that cost?
She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She’d heard some of the conversation of the other relatives downstairs. They’d virtually had measuring tapes and calculators out, deciding how much everything was worth and where they could sell it.
It made her blood run cold.
This castle was their heritage. How could people immediately think like that?
She walked over to her bag and shook out her clothes. She was only here for a few days and had travelled light. One dress for evenings, some clean underwear, another pair of Capri pants, some light T-shirts and another shirt. What else could she possibly need?
An envelope on the mantelpiece caught her attention. Ms Mary Laurie Jenkins was written in calligraphy. She opened it and slid the thick card invitation out from inside.
It was instructions for the Murder Mystery Weekend: where to report, who would be in charge and a list of rules for participation.
Under normal circumstances something like this would have made her stomach fizz with fun.
But how could she even think like that when there was so much more at stake?
The whole heritage of this castle was dependent on the winner. And the weight of the responsibility was pressing on her shoulders. She fingered the curtains next to her. She knew nothing about Annick Castle. She had no connection to this place. She wouldn’t even know where to begin with renovations or upkeep. Or the responsibility of having staff to manage.
Working as a solicitor was a world away from all this. Everything and everyone wasn’t entirely dependent on her. There was a whole range of other bodies to share the responsibility. Thank goodness. She couldn’t stand it otherwise.
All of a sudden she wanted to pick up her bag and make a run for it. She shouldn’t have come here. She shouldn’t have agreed to be any part of this.
This whole thing made her uncomfortable. She looked at the invitation again. Costumes supplied. What did that mean? There was another little envelope with a character profile included, telling her who she was, and what her actions should be.
1920s. Lucy Clark. Twenty-seven. Heiress to a fortune. Keen interest in pharmacy. In a relationship with Bartholomew Grant, but also seeing Philippe Deveraux on the side.
It was a sad day when the pretend character you had to portray had a more exciting love life than you had.
It could be worse. Her card could have told her she was the killer. But maybe that came later?
Then again what did ‘keen interest in pharmacy’ mean? Was she going to poison someone?
Under normal circumstances this might be fun.
But these weren’t normal circumstances, and now she was here, and had actually seen Annick Castle, the whole thing made her very uncomfortable.
She glanced at the clock. There was still time before dinner to freshen up and get organised.
Maybe once she’d eaten that horrible little gnawing sensation at the pit of her stomach would disappear?
Or maybe that would take swallowing her pride and apologising to Callan.
Maybe, just maybe.
* * *
Callan had finally calmed down. He’d had to. Marion, the housekeeper, had flipped when one of the ovens had packed in and she’d thought dinner wouldn’t be ready on time. It had taken him five minutes to sort out the fuse and replace it.
Dinner would be served on time.
Served to the twelve strangers who were roaming all over the castle.
Which was why he was currently standing in his favourite haunt—the bottom left-hand corner of the maze in the front garden.
Callan could find his way through this maze with his eyes shut—and he had done since he was a boy. It was one part of the garden that was kept in pristine condition with the hedges neatly trimmed.
Other things had kind of fallen by the wayside recently. Bert, the old gardener, couldn’t manage the upkeep of the gardens any more. The truth was he probably needed another four staff to do everything that was required. Twenty years ago there had been a staff of around six to look after the grounds alone, but gradually they’d all retired or left. And the recession had hit. And Bert had become very set in his ways—not wanting others to interfere with ‘his’ garden. In the meantime the maze, the front garden and the rose garden were almost in pristine condition. As for the rest...
He was thankful for the peace and quiet. All of a sudden his safe haven seemed like a noisy hotel. Everyone seemed to talk at the tops of their voices, constantly asking questions. He’d tried to hide out in the library for a while, but even there he’d been disturbed by some of the relatives wondering if there were any valuable first editions.
If he’d had his way he would have locked some of the rooms to stop their prying eyes, not to mention their prying fingers. He’d caught one relative in his room earlier and had nearly blown a gasket.
A flash of red caught his eye, along with the sound of laughter and heels clipping on the concrete path. He took a few steps forward, crashing straight into Laurie as she rounded the corner of the maze.
‘Oh, sorry.’ She was out of breath and her eyes wide. ‘Isn’t this just fabulous?’
As much as he hated to admit it her enthusiasm was clearly genuine.
‘How long has the maze been here? I had no idea something like this existed. It’s amazing.’
He narrowed his gaze. He could barely focus on the question because his eyes and brain were immediately struck by the sight in front of him. The 1920s-style flapper dress skimmed her figure, hiding it beneath shimmering red glass beads. A feather was slightly askew on her head and he automatically reached up to straighten it. ‘What on earth are you wearing?’ Damn. There it was again—as soon as his hand touched the soft hair—the mysterious spark from earlier.
‘This?’ Her eyes widened again and she gave a little spin, sending a cascade of sparkling red lights scattering around them. She wrinkled her nose as she came to a halt. ‘Well, I hardly brought it with me, did I? I got it from the costume room. Haven’t you got into character yet?’ She held out her black-satin-gloved hand to shake his hand. ‘I’m Lucy Clark. Apparently an heiress and up to all things naughty with two different men.’
If he’d been anywhere else, at any other time, he would have acted on the current of electricity that was sizzling between them. He thought he might have imagined it, but his palm was tingling. He rubbed it fiercely against his thigh.
The Murder Mystery Weekend. The last thing on his mind right now. He hadn’t even opened the envelope that had been sitting above the fireplace in his room. And he had no idea what room in the castle had been deemed the ‘costume’ room. His fingers burrowed into his jacket pocket and he pulled out the crumpled envelope. ‘Oops.’ He shrugged.
She shook her head. ‘Come on, Callan, get into the spirit of things.’ She reached out to grab his envelope, then pulled her hand back. ‘I better not.’ She leaned forward and whispered, ‘I don’t want to find out you’re secretly a mass murderer.’
He shook his head and pulled the card from the envelope. He must have been out of his crazy mind to have agreed to be part of this.
Then again, he hadn’t really agreed. Frank, the solicitor, had informed him that Angus had expected Callan to make his guests feel welcome and help oversee the weekend’s activities. He’d had half a mind to walk away.
But his loyalty to Angus ran deep. Too deep.
If he walked away then he’d never find out who inherited the castle, or their plans for it. A tiny seed started to sprout in his brain.
Maybe being here wasn’t so crazy after all. Sure, inheriting a castle sounded good on paper, but once Angus’s relatives realised the implications, the upkeep, the financial commitments, he was pretty sure they would all run screaming for the hills. Maybe he could make them an offer? He’d always been prepared to pay a fair price, and if Angus wouldn’t accept it, maybe one of his children would?
His eyes fixed on Laurie. She was young. She was a lawyer in London. She wouldn’t want to be landed with a castle in the Highlands.