She could hear Algee’s frantic howls echoing off the stone walls of the room. Her own heartbeat threatened to drown out the noise.
“Lord MacLay?” Her voice barely a whisper, she questioned her own sanity in voicing his name aloud.
“At your service, lass.”
She watched in a combination of fear and fascination as he captured her hand in his and placed a soft kiss upon her palm.
“Or should I call you, Lady Noone?” The roguish grin was back and firmly in place.
“Not a bad day,” Devin mumbled softly. “I inherit a castle, a ghost and a gigantic, smelly dog. What more can a girl ask for?”
She faintly heard his muttered oath as dizziness overtook her. The fireplace poker clattered to the stone tiles at her feet. Her world suddenly plunged into darkness.
Kyle caught her before she could injure herself on the stone hearth. She felt like air in his embrace, yet every inch of his flesh where it touched hers burned as though on fire.
“God’s blood, woman. What have you done to me?” he murmured, staring down at her inert form in his arms.
Carefully, he laid her on the sofa, and then absently reached out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. The soft strand of hair felt like silk to his gentle touch. Of all the owners of the castle, she was most definitely the prettiest, and had a nice figure to boot.
She moaned; the sound a welcome relief to his ears.
She slowly turned her gaze to him. “So, you’re really a ghost. But how can I see and touch you? I thought ghosts were supposed to be invisible?”
Cautiously, she reached out and tentatively touched his sleeve.
“Don’t,” he ordered tersely, backing away. Her touch again incited riots within his body.
“Sorry, it’s just I’ve never seen a ghost up close before. I guess I thought you’d be more…disgusting looking.”
Devin always had a fantastic imagination. Even with her travel writing, her vivid imagery made the places come alive on the pages of the magazines.
He looked confused, his feelings obviously hurt. “Is that supposed to make me feel better somehow?”
She shook her head, the mass of red curls bouncing about her face. Then slowly, Devin sat upright and scrutinized him closely. “I mean…you know…more blood and guts, rotting flesh sort of appearance.”
“So sorry to disappoint you, Lady Noone.”
The title rolled off his tongue, sensuous and slow. Devin felt her stomach clench at the sound.
“But how and why?” She struggled to get the conversation back to a normal level, at least as normal as she could, considering the circumstances. Was he really a ghost? Or just some demented madman who took advantage of the castle staff’s grief to enter unannounced. Until she could summon help from Mrs. Goode, she needed to appease him. Hopefully, he wasn’t an escapee from a loony bin somewhere. Given that thought, she wondered if they had asylums in Scotland, and this far out of the city.
“Milady, if I had the answers you seek, I wouldn’t be standing here before you today.”
“Lord MacLay, how long did you know my cousin, Robbie?” Perhaps she could trip him up.
Kyle looked at her in surprise. He had expected her to question his appearance, but not like this. “Your cousin’s name was Roland, Roland Gregory Noone. Rollie, as you know, not Robbie. Your father and his were brothers. And I’ve known him since he bought Castle Loch Haven back in the year, let’s see, what was it, ah, yes, 1995.”
Devin let out a pent up breath. Okay, score one for the big guy, she thought. “So when did you say you moved in with my cousin?”
Kyle narrowed his gaze and moved a step closer. “I didn’t say, lass. And for your information, Rollie was the one who moved in. I have been here all along.”
Devin threw up her hands. “This is ridiculous. Okay, Lord MacLay, do something to convince me you are really a ghost. Do something magical or mystical or whatever it is you apparitions do?”
“Lass, is all this really necessary? It’s been a very long day.”
Devin slowly stood up, crossed her arms over her chest, and leveled her best stare at him. “So, you admit it then, you’re nothing more than a fake.”
“I admit nothing. You want proof, fine then, I’ll give you proof.” He moved closer still as Devin involuntarily took a step backward.
“What’s the matter, lass. Are you afraid of me?”
Her eyes blazed with fire. “No, should I be? Nothing you can do will ever convince me.”
“Nothing?” Kyle took another step forward, then abruptly vanished before her eyes.
“Where did you go?” Devin spun in a slow circle, searching the room, seeing nothing.
“I’m right here,” he reappeared scant inches beside her, his warm breath fanning the side of her face. “Miss me, milady?”
“Cheap parlor trick,” she shook her head, trying to keep up the false sense of bravado. “All beginning magicians know that one. How about something more spectacular?”
He narrowed his gaze on her, and then smiled. “As you wish, milady.”
He raised his arms to the ceiling and Devin felt a cold draft start at her ankles, then swirl slowly up her legs, even through the warmth of her slacks. The draperies billowed away from the walls, and the tapestries swayed to and fro in the strong breeze. Even the flames in the hearth seemed to shoot higher than before.
Then all was silent, as Lord MacLay lowered his arms back to his sides. “Satisfied, Lady Noone?”
Devin let out a gasp of surprise. “I…you…” She gulped and tried for false bravado. “Is that the best you can do?”
“You’re going to be a hard sell, Lady Noone. Rollie said you were a royal pain at times. I can see what he meant.” He closed his eyes and slowly lowered himself into a gray velvet armchair. “Give me a moment to regroup, milady. Then we’ll try again.”
“Wait a minute. Rollie said what?” Her ire up, Devin stomped her foot against the stone floor. “What do you mean, I’m a royal pain?”
Kyle grinned mischievously. Now he had her full attention. “Thought nothing I could say would convince you, lass. How about this? When you and Rollie were little, you were playing in the attic of his boyhood home. You bothered the wee lad till he could stand no more and, if memory serves me correctly, he told you to play quietly. You wouldn’t listen and ended up on your backside on the hard floor, howling in pain. Rollie said it took his mother’s chocolate cookies to quiet your yells.”
Devin dropped limply onto the sofa, her hands shaking as she cradled her injured palm to her chest. “He told you that? I had forgotten all about that day.” Her gaze took on a dreamy faraway look as she reflected back in time.
“He was reading a book on making money,” she continued. “I wanted him to play and he wouldn’t.”
Kyle leaned forward, enraptured by her engaging, soft smile. “He told me that was the day he promised to buy you a castle, Lady Devin.”
“Lady Devin,” Devin whispered, as the tears spilled from her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks. “That was what Rollie called me that day.”
“Ah, lass, I never meant to make you cry.” Kyle rose from the armchair, dropped to his knees before her and lightly cupped her cheek in his palm. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s too soon.” His fingers tingled, the brief contact with her skin setting his nerve endings on fire. He fought the urge to tear his hand away.
She looked up at him through her veil of tears, confusion evident on her features. “I don’t know what to believe right now. If you really are a ghost and you can do all these wondrous tricks and such, then why didn’t you intervene and stop Rollie’s death? Why couldn’t you help him?”
Kyle remained mute, unable to say anything that would bring her comfort. The words wouldn’t come, the answers evaded his mind. What he did know, would bring her no comfort.
Chapter Three
Devin turned away, unable to face him, her breathing ragged, as she tried to quell her ris
ing hysteria. Why couldn’t this all be a dream? A nightmare to be more exact; a horrid, horrid nightmare that at some point would end and she would wake to find everything as it had been weeks before. Yet deep in her heart, Devin desperately hoped that this was in fact reality and not a harsh, cold dream.
“Lady Noone.”
Devin groaned. Oh God, it wasn’t a dream.
Kyle moved closer to the large stone fireplace, agitation clearly marring his handsome features. Even in anger, he was gorgeous, she thought. His features looked as though set in granite. The hard set of his chin belied the strength she knew lay coiled behind that muscular body. A body a woman would kill to run her hands over and learn every inch. Appalled by the direction her thoughts had taken, Devin quickly closed her eyes and prayed for calm.
“I am sorry about your cousin. He was a wonderful man. We had many great times together, many excellent conversations and heated debates as well. He was a formidable foe as well as a trusted friend. They are very few men like him.”
“Then why couldn’t you help him?” She questioned again, hating the emotion she heard in her voice, the needy way she sounded, as though begging. Shoving her fingers through her hair, Devin sat down heavily on the sofa.
Kyle paced back and forth before her. “I wasn’t there at the end, lass. The doctor said it was a heart attack. Nothing anyone could have done. I had no warning he was ill. It caught me unaware as much as it did everyone else, including yourself.” He crossed his arms over his chest in frustration and reflected back to that fateful morning.
Kyle strode into the master bedroom, eager to hear Rollie’s news, news that could possibly set him free from his torment. Only the day before, Rollie had hinted that he was on to something, something that might be the key to solving the mystery of Kyle’s imprisonment on Earth. Kyle couldn’t wait to hear what Rollie had discovered. Anything that would end his this existence would be most welcome.
He stopped short a few feet from the massive four-poster, king-sized bed. Rollie lay still, an unnatural pallor graced his normally ruddy complexion. His right hand dangled awkwardly over the edge of the mattress.
“Oh Rollie, my lad, not you, not now. We have so much more to accomplish. How will I ever finish my quest without your able-bodied assistance?”
Kyle moved to the side of the bed, gently grasped Rollie’s cold, lifeless hand within his own. Then he carefully lay it upon Rollie’s chest and turned away to offer up a short, silent prayer to the heavens above.
“Goodbye, my dear friend. Thank you for all you have done for me. Till we meet again on the other side. Godspeed, Lord Roland.”
Kyle shook his head and pushed away the bittersweet memory, focusing his attention back to the woman standing a few scant feet away.
“There was nothing I could do, lass. If I could have traded place with Rollie, I gladly would have. Of that I am sure. To be free of this anguish would solve many problems for me. Your cousin was aiding me in determining why I still walk the Earth, unable to pass on. Then his own demise took precedence over my situation.”
He paused before continuing. “What happened was beyond my realm of control, milady. I am truly sorry for your loss.”
“I’m sorry, too. He was the closest thing to a brother that I had.” Devin looked at him with a resolve she didn’t feel, and came to stand before him. “Well then, Lord MacLay, if all of what you say is true, what do you suggest we do next?”
Looking at her, several ideas crossed Kyle’s mind, yet not one contained an iota of ending his infernal prison sentence through time, nor could he speak them aloud for fear of reprisal of her temper.
There was an image in his head of her lying naked beneath him upon the large mattress, her fiery red curls fanning out wildly about her shoulders. Another was of kissing her until the sun set and then rose again.
He groaned inwardly, perturbed and frustrated at the turn his thoughts had taken. This was no way to encourage her support and assistance. If Rollie’s stories were true, her temper was a force to be reckoned with if riled.
“Lord MacLay, do you have any ideas?” Devin repeated.
She reached out and lightly tapped his arm, hoping to regain his attention. Her touch incited his nerves to quiver, his flesh to feel as though on fire, and his breathing to quicken.
The simple act of her placing her hand on him created a response he hadn’t felt in centuries, but it should be impossible. He was a ghost, a spirit, not a mortal man with flesh and bones for a body. Kyle stared at the woman before him, who awaited his answer. And for the life of him, he’d forgotten what the question was. Blast it, the American had only been here two days and she was already wreaking havoc on him.
Kyle watched Devin move away from the fireplace, and walk about the spacious living room. He watched her brows crease with questions she wanted answers to, but didn’t quite know how to voice as of yet.
“Lass, I have no clues. I have no idea what is holding me here, detaining my departure.”
“Rollie didn’t give you any indication at all? Nothing to go on?” Devin questioned, grasping at straws.
“Nothing.” Kyle shook his head. “All he told me that previous eve was he had news to share. And then…then he was gone.”
Devin thought about what Kyle had just told her. There was nothing to go on, no way to know where to start looking. It was a virtual needle in the haystack, it seemed.
“Okay, so we start with the castle. Floor by floor, room by room,” she decided.
“That’s quite a daunting search, milady. As you know the castle is very large in size at present.”
“I know, but what else can we do? If this is what Rollie started, then as the new owner of Castle Loch Haven, I will finish his search and offer you my full assistance.”
Admiration shone in Kyle’s gaze. The lass had spunk. She was everything and more that Rollie had claimed. She was willing to take on a challenge and see it through. He knew he could count on her. Putting his trust in the American woman was a risk he had no choice but to take.
“Lady Noone, I wish to offer you…” His words broke off as Mrs. Goode came through the doorway of the solar.
“There you are, milady. How about a nice warm-up for your tea? And here are a few pieces of shortbread fresh from the oven for you.” Mrs. Goode bustled in the room, carrying a smaller version of the tray already on the coffee table.
“Thank you, Mrs. Goode. Oh, I want to apologize for the mess on the rug. I’ll pay for the cleaning.” Devin pointed to the spot on the carpet and to the ruined tea towel at the edge of the silver tray.
“Nonsense, milady. It’ll come out, not a problem. Nothing to worry about.”
“But the china? I thought it was an old set, from a hundred years ago.” Devin looked back to the fireplace; finding the room empty, save for herself and Mrs. Goode. She turned a complete circle, searching for Lord MacLay, but found nothing.
“Oh, we have plenty of china, Lady Noone. Lord Roland used to complain mightily about the number of china patterns we housed in the dining room. It’s all right. I’ll just have cook take out another cup and saucer. Now, how about a nice cup of tea, dear? It’ll help take the chill off your bones and tide you over till suppertime.”
“I saw him, you know,” Devin blurted out.
“Saw who, dear?” Mrs. Goode picked up the teapot and started to pour.
“Lord MacLay. He was in the solar and then here in my room, just moments ago.”
The floral teacup rattled against the china saucer, as Mrs. Goode fought to contain her reaction. Devin noticed Mrs. Goode’s hands shake as she accepted the proffered cup. Again, she had the uneasy feeling that Mrs. Goode knew exactly what Devin was referring to, just like out on the skiff when she’d skirted her question about the elusive music.
“Oh, milady, you probably fell asleep and were dreaming.”
Devin shook her head and replied firmly. “No, I wasn’t.”
From his unseen position by the fireplace, Kyle s
aw the myriad of emotions pass over Devin’s face as she replayed the incident in her mind.
He moved closer to the tea table, his presence still undetected until he chose otherwise. This was a conversation he would enjoy being privy to.
“It’s been a very long day for you, Lady Noone, and I suspect your imagination is running a bit wild right now. Castles are very drafty places, you know. The slightest breeze can set the drapes to fluttering or even the candles to flicker. As you can see, there’s no one here but you and I.”
Mrs. Goode’s relief was so blatantly obvious, Kyle wanted to laugh. Instead, he remained silent, awaiting Devin’s reaction.
Agitated, Devin moved across the room. “No, it’s more than that. Lord MacLay stood right here by the fireplace. Even Algee felt his presence.”
Mrs. Goode uttered a nervous laugh and darted a quick glance around. “Lady Noone, a butterfly would frighten poor Algee off. Now, drink up, dinner will be served shortly in the dining room.”
“Mrs. Goode, what is going on? I know I saw something on the cliffs today, and during my cab ride from the airport yesterday, and what I heard just now. I have had a conversation with a man who claims to be Lord Kyle MacLay, the second Laird of Castle Loch Haven and you act as though I’m dreaming.”
Kyle watched as the housekeeper wrung her hands within the voluminous folds of her white apron.
“Milady, it’s not a subject we should be discussing. No, no, wouldn’t be proper, Lady Noone.”
Devin sighed and rested her face in her hands for the briefest of seconds. “Mrs. Goode, I don’t know much about protocol or being a Lady, but if I asked you a direct question would you have to answer?“
The older woman had the grace to look chastised. “Yes, Lady Noone, I would.”
“Well then, I wish to know everything there is to know about Lord MacLay. Start at the beginning and don’t leave a word out.”
“But milady,” the older woman protested.
“Every little detail, Mrs. Goode or I will be forced to question each member of the staff individually until I get the answers I seek. And,” Devin fervently hoped her bluff would work. She never had a poker face in her life, and now was not the time to fail. “If I don’t get the answers I want, then I’m afraid I’ll be forced to take the story to the newspapers and the castle will be put on the market for sale.”
The Laird's Lady Page 4