Rory reeled. “So ye have already seen the article?”
“No. I don’t need to.”
He couldn’t be hearing Penelope right. “Then how can ye be so calm with what she did? The things she told that reporter. How can ye just forgive her?”
“She’s my sister. I love her.”
“Aren’t ye upset that she’d do it in the first place? I mean, all this time she’s been tellin’ ye she accepts that yer gettin’ married, goin’ as far as pretendin’ she’d given ye her blessin’. How can ye be okay with it?”
Penelope smiled. “She gave that interview at Cawdor Castle. It was right after she found out I was moving, and she was hurt. At the time, she was still upset I was getting married. Add to it the shock of finding out I was going to be living here, and she did something stupid. But I knew that day I found my dress that she’d had a change of heart. The way she looked at me. She was happy for me. And she tried to make it right.”
“What are ye talkin’ about? There’s no way to make this right.”
“I overheard her trying to get the paper to not print it. She was begging.” Penelope smiled. “The things she said about me, the hurt in her voice. I knew she regretted doing it.”
“So ye were expectin’ this?”
Penelope nodded. “Yeah, I’ve known all along. I told Angus about it while we were in Edinburgh. He’s been expecting it.”
“But…”
“Plus, she told Angus that she knew he loved me. That she could see it in the way he looked at me. She’s not the same person she was when she got here. It may have started before she arrived, but the rest of the change…I suspect it has something to do with you.”
He raked a hand through his hair. The scene from the guesthouse came back with movie-quality clarity, and the realization of what he’d done made his chest tighten.
The look of remorse in her eyes. Her trembling lips. The unshed tears brimming to be released. She hadn’t even tried to fight him when he’d called her horrible names. In fact, she’d agreed with him. Paige had absorbed all of his wrath, and she’d done so without protest. And all the while, she’d tried to fix it. He hadn’t cleared the door before she’d broken down in gut-wrenching sobs.
“What did you do?”
“I told her to leave and never come back. I told her she disgusted me. That I never wanted to see her again, and that I was sure ye would never want to see her again either once I told ye about it.”
Penelope gasped and touched her lips. “Oh, Rory.”
He closed his eyes, and the sick feeling from before returned, but it was directed toward himself.
She’d wanted to tell him what was wrong after her nightmare, but Angus had gotten hurt. In the rush and anxiety of getting back to Rosegail Bridge, he’d completely forgotten about it. She’d tried to tell him.
He turned his back on Penelope, trying to slow his thoughts. He’d made a huge mistake. The things he hurled at her and the silent way she’d taken it…it began to eat at him. How was he going to fix this?
He faced Penelope and looked down. “I said some pretty terrible things to her tonight.”
“Go apologize. Tell her you’re sorry. She’s in love with you. I know she’ll forgive you.”
“I dinnae know. What I said—”
Penelope took his hand. “You want to know what I think?”
He nodded.
“You are using this as an excuse to run.”
“Naw… that’s…”
Penelope leveled her eyes at him. “The truth? Because it’s better to hold on to the idea of perfection with someone you can’t be with than it is to face an unknown future with someone that has the potential to hurt you.”
“I was goin’ to tell her I loved her.”
“Yeah, you were, but instead, at the first sign that she’d done something wrong, you pounced on her. You’d been looking for a way out, and you used this as the excuse.”
The truth. Plain, unmasked, and like a punch to the face. Penelope had summed him up in one conversation. He’d bolted when Paige told him she loved him, practically crawling over himself to get away. Then he’d found the paper on the front steps. It had been all he needed for a way out.
“Make it right, Rory. Make it right before you’re living with a regret that will be no one’s fault but your own.”
Rory hugged her. “Sweetheart, ye are a queen of a woman. Angus is a lucky man.”
“I know.”
He chuckled.
Penelope patted him on the back. “Go find my sister. Tell her you’re sorry. I’ll bet money, she’ll forgive you. She’s in love with you.”
“And I love her.”
Penelope smiled. “I know.”
He met her intense gaze and softened. “Tell them where I went. Tell them I’ll be back. Tell them—”
“Stop stalling and go.”
CHAPTER 37
When Rory had slammed the door on his way out, Paige had slumped over on the bed and cried until she couldn’t cry anymore. The sting of his words hurt, but not more than the truth that he was right. She’d been mean. Out of anger, she’d done something she couldn’t fix. The one time she’d wanted to fix her wrong, it was just beyond her reach.
And she’d sent that stupid invitation too.
She’d stuffed her suitcase with as much as she could remember and closed it. There were things she was probably leaving, but it was nothing that couldn’t be replaced. After she’d finished packing, she sat down and penned a letter to Penelope. It wouldn’t make what she’d done right, but hopefully, Penelope would know just how deeply sorry she was. It was a tangible, heartfelt apology. Maybe with time, Penelope would forgive her.
With her luggage in tow, she walked through the front door, locking it behind her. Her shoulders sagged. With the town in full Christmas mode, who knew how long it would take to get a cab, and she wanted to be gone before anyone returned.
Paige took a deep breath. The scent of burning wood filled the air. There wasn’t anywhere close enough that she would be smelling smoke from a fireplace. She left her luggage and walked around the guesthouse.
Her jaw dropped. Smoke billowed out of the barn windows as orange flames licked the sides of it. That beautiful new barn. Rory and Taran’s homes.
She could hear the horses whinnying in panic from inside. Her heart slammed against her ribs.
Paige took off at a run. The heat from the fire hit her square in the face and took her breath away as she skidded to a stop at the barn doors. She put up her arm and pushed through. Those horses had to get out. Taran and Rory would be devastated if they got hurt.
One by one, she opened the stalls, and they raced out into the night. Hopefully, Taran and Rory would be able to catch them later.
The flames shot higher. There was no way she could save the barn. The fire was going to destroy everything in its path, and there was nothing she could do. Her heart dropped into her stomach.
Alana…The box of memories was stored in his closet. If Rory lost that…
That box had to be saved. Regardless of what he thought of her, she loved him. Losing that would wreck him. It was all he had left of her, especially now that his flat was burning. All of her touches would be gone, unable to be replaced. Her heart broke for him.
Paige looked up the stairs and considered how much time she’d have. The fire was spreading so fast, and she could smell gasoline. Someone had set the fire; she was sure of it. She took the steps two at a time, careful to avoid the flames beginning to climb the rail of the stairs. The fire steadily made its way to the door.
Please don’t be locked. She tried the door and pushed inside. Thank you! The answer to the silent prayer meant more than she’d ever be able to express. She tore through the flat to the bedroom and found the box in the closet.
When she returned to the door, fire ringed the doorframe. She set the box down and wrapped her sweater around it to protect it. With a deep breath, she was running again and didn’t stop unt
il she’d cleared the barn doors. The clean, cold night air filled her lungs as she coughed.
There were candles on the bar. Yankee candles, and she knew they were no longer made because they’d been her favorite scent. More than likely, they were the last thing Alana bought for the flat.
Paige knew Rory couldn’t save the flat, but when he rebuilt the barn, he could at least have something of Alana’s to look at and remember her by.
Paige peeled off the sweater from the box and held it up to her nose.
One more trip. She could do this.
She ran back in and stopped again at the stairs to check them. They weren’t as stable as before. Large burned-out pieces made them look like swiss cheese.
Movement from the far end of the barn caught her eye. The small silhouette held something, and liquid splashed on the floor.
It was on purpose! She gasped and instantly regretted it. Smoke filled her lungs, and her eyes watered.
The figure jerked their glinting eyes in Paige’s direction. The perpetrator started toward her, and all reservations about climbing the stairs left her. Again, she took them two at a time. All she needed was the candles. If she could get them, she could get outside and call for help.
She smacked herself in the forehead. She was an idiot. She should have done that first.
The fire that had ringed the doorframe had all but eaten it away. She jumped through the door and ran straight to the bar. They were already melting. How was she going to save them? She pictured Rory’s heartbroken face, and that was all it took for her determination to be refilled. Quickly, she wrenched door after door open in the kitchen until she found something to cover them. She placed them in the container and wrapped it in her sweater.
When Paige turned around, her eyes widened. The fire had filled the flat. To get through, she’d literally be walking through fire. Paige zigzagged, trying to avoid as much of the heat as she could. At the door frame, she leaped through and stopped at the top of the stairs.
The edges of the stairs were the only solid part now. The narrow spaces wouldn’t be easy to miss, and she’d be falling through and hitting the ground below. She had no choice, though. It was the stairs or a fiery death.
It took work, and by the time she hit the bottom floor, her jeans were singed in several places. She’d made it, though.
Something moved behind her, and pain laced through her head. The box toppled out of her hand, and Paige hit the floor with a grunt.
CHAPTER 38
Rory couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The barn was engulfed in flames, and thick smoke rolled out of the windows. He quickly dialed the fire department, and the SUV rolled to a stop as two horses raced around the field by the barn. How did they get out?
He pushed out of the car and tried to process the scene as he stood with his hand on the top of the door. Why would anyone do this? His home was turning to ash right before his eyes. All of Alana’s touches would be gone.
Maybe he could save something. He rushed to the barn and found the blue box filled with Alana’s things sitting on the ground. A shriek came from inside the barn, and his heart sank. Paige.
Rory jerked off his coat and secured it over his head, covering his mouth and nose. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the fire and nearly choked. So much was happening all at once. There she was, standing in the middle of the barn with the side of her jeans blackened and picking her sweater off the floor.
“Paige!”
Her head jerked up, and she waved at him to go back as she ran toward him. Rory wrapped the coat around her, and they both ran until they reached the SUV. She set the sweater on the hood of the vehicle and collapsed to her knees, coughing.
“I think the fire was set on purpose” She continued to cough. “The smell of gasoline…was strong the first time I went in, and the next time, I actually saw someone. They were small. They hit me over the head.” She held up a finger and coughed hard again. “The hit to the head…slowed me down. I think I inhaled too much…smoke.”
The web of confusion continued to spread, and his thoughts were disjointed. “On purpose?”
“Yeah, I think so. I’m…pretty sure I saw someone.” She paused and coughed some more. “I got…the…horses out first. They were pretty spooked. I hope…you and Taran can catch them, but…I had to hurry. While I was in there…I ran upstairs and grabbed Alana’s box. It’s sitting over there.” She paused again and held her fist to her mouth as she coughed. “Did you see it? I think it’s fine.”
Rory stared at her in disbelief. Her face was covered in soot. Her shirt had burn holes in it, and he could see her calf peeking through her burned jeans.
She sucked in a sharp breath as she touched her leg. “I might need a Band-Aid.”
Paige shoved off the ground and unwrapped her sweater to inspect the contents of the container and then pulled out a candle. She groaned, and her shoulders sagged. “This is the only one I saved. When she hit me, I dropped them. The rest of them broke.” She looked at him. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save them all.”
The blaring siren of firetrucks grew closer. The sound brought him out of the fog he’d been in since moment he’d arrived. Rory took Paige by the arms. “What were ye thinkin’, goin’ into my flat?”
Her eyes widened, and the fire raging in the barn was reflected in them. “I thought…”
Three fire trucks skidded to a stop, and Rory let her go. The first man off the truck closest to them stopped, addressing them while the rest of the men began working furiously to put out the fire. “Is everyone okay? Are ye hurt?”
Paige coughed. “I think I’m fine.”
The man touched her head.
“Ow.” Paige winced and sucked in a sharp breath. “That hurts.”
He stepped closer. “Looks like ye hit yer head. Is yer leg burned?”
She looked down. “I think so. It kinda burns and throbs. I’ve got a headache. Everything’s kind of a blur, though. I had to get the horses out.”
“Come on. Let’s get ye checked out, okay?”
Paige nodded as she sheepishly looked at Rory and walked away with the fireman. After she left, he walked to the barn and picked up the box filled with Alana’s things. Paige had saved them. After all the things he’d said to her, she’d still run into a burning building to save things that meant something to him. And the candles? She’d braved the fire not once, but twice. For him.
He stumbled back to the SUV and placed the box next to the candles. He’d been standing in the yard grieving the loss of them until he heard her scream. Now, he was looking at them like they were nothing more than trinkets. Paige had risked her life for these stupid things.
Rory faced the barn and watched the men battle the fire while he battled with himself. Paige could have died. He would have lost her just like Alana, and the last words he’d have said to her was that she disgusted him. His chest felt like it was in a vice.
“Eh, mate?”
Rory turned as the fireman that had taken Paige walked up to him.
“Yes?” Rory replied.
“The lassie will be fine, but we’re takin’ her to the hospital. The bump on the head needs to be looked at, and the burn was worse than I thought. She’ll probably have to stay overnight.”
“The burn?”
“Aye, her leg has a pretty nasty burn. I would bet on it leavin’ a scar.”
“But she’s goin’ to be fine?” The fog began to clear a little more.
“Oh yeah.”
“Can I see her?”
“Uh, the ambulance just left with her. Are ye a relative?”
He shook his head. “No, her sister is in town, though. I’ll call her.”
“Okay.”
“The barn’s totaled. There’s evidence of gasoline. Do ye have any idea who’d do that?”
Rory blinked. “No, but someone’s been breakin’ sections of our fence. I thought it was a developer, but he left the island. I cannae imagine anyone around us doin’ anythin�
�� like this.”
The man nodded. “Okay, well, we’re goin’ to be lookin’ into it. If ye think of anythin’, call the station. Okay?”
“Sure.”
Someone did it on purpose. He knew it. He knew the fence was being done on purpose, and now this. And the fire had been set when they’d all be gone, which meant someone had watched all of them leave. Rory couldn’t for the life of him picture anyone he knew doing someone as awful as this.
At least it wasn’t the farmhouse. He hated losing the barn and his flat, but it could be rebuilt. They’d have to put up something temporary for the horses, of course. Taran was going to be absolutely heartbroken. The two of them had designed that barn themselves. It was sleek and modern and took a year to build. Now it was ashes.
And Paige. He watched the suited-up men working on the fire, and she’d run into that building with nothing but jeans and a shirt on. Now she’d live with a scar. All because of him. The shame of his actions from earlier in the night bore down on him in a crushing blow.
He pulled out his phone, dialed Angus’s number, and waited for him to answer.
“Rory?”
“Someone set the barn on fire.”
“What?”
“The barn. It’s gone, but ye need to tell Penelope that Paige is at the hospital.”
“Why?” Angus’s question came in a rush.
“She set the horses free, and someone hit her on the head.”
“We’re on our way. We’ll see you there.”
“Yeah,” Rory responded and ended the call.
Rory knew he needed to go to the hospital, but after everything he’d done, he couldn’t face Paige tonight, maybe ever. He was a coward, through and through.
CHAPTER 39
P aige sat on the hospital bed with her legs hanging over the side and her back to the door. The city lights could be seen from her room, and people were already starting to shoot off fireworks. The last thing she wanted was to spend New Year’s Eve in the hospital.
The bump on her head wasn’t so bad. They’d done all the little tests and found nothing. It just gave her a headache. She’d collected a few scratches and some bruises, but those she could handle.
Mending the Billionaire Scotsman: A Clean Scottish Romance Book Two Page 17