Callum

by Melissa Schroeder

  “Let’s get down to business.”

  * * * *

  Phoebe frowned at herself in the mirror. “I think I should wear my hair up. I look horrible with it down.”

  “Ooch, will you trust me. I would kill for this body. My hair is so flat.”

  Phoebe rolled her eyes. “And you’re mental if you think people don’t want hair like that. It is as smooth as a loch. I just think I look better with it up and controlled.”

  Anice shook her head. “You’re nervous.”

  Of course she was. She was about to be in the same room as the man who had been working for years to keep the Lennons from succeeding. And she had been in collusion with him. Granted, she hadn’t known it at the time, but she hadn’t been forthcoming with the information. She should have told Callum. Lying wasn’t something she had ever been very good at. She was guilty of omission and it wasn’t right. How was she going to explain it to Callum? She had been trying to come up with a way to tell him for days.

  “Phoebe?” Anice asked.

  Phoebe shook herself. “Oh, yes, I’m nervous. I’m not very good at these things. I hate to get dressed up, and I hate social gatherings like this. Add in the element of danger, and well, there is a good chance I might have a breakdown.”

  Anice laughed and patted her shoulder as she picked up a brush and started to comb out Phoebe’s hair.

  “Doona worry, my cousin will take good care of you.”

  “I know that.” She sighed. “You don’t mind that I’m involved with Callum?”

  Anice shook her head. “No. Callum’s needed someone like you for a very long time. He’s definitely smitten. I’ve never known Callum to spend the afternoon in his office tupping one of his lady loves.”

  Phoebe’s face burned. “I cannot believe we did that. Worse, we were caught.”

  Anice laughed and leaned down to give her a hug. “No, it’s wonderful. He’s freer with you, able to be himself. He’s never had that, not in all these years. There’s been women, don’t get me wrong. But he has always had to watch himself. We all do.”

  Anice’s smile faded as she picked up a jeweled hair clip.

  “It must be very hard,” Phoebe said quietly.

  Anice shrugged and put down the clip. “Not that hard. Well, not until recently. Maybe we are on the right track, though. If we can get the ball rolling with this one, we might just be able to break the curse completely. Then I can have a real life.”

  Phoebe didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t imagine what it had been like all these years, yearning to have a real relationship and not being able to. It was horrible.

  Before Phoebe could say anything, Anice shook herself and smiled. “Let’s get your dress on you. Callum is going to die when he sees you.”

  “Anice?”

  She glanced down at Phoebe.

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  Anice gave her another quick hug. “We better hurry. My cousin isna what you would call a very patient man.”

  * * * *

  Callum paced the foyer, waiting for Phoebe. She was late, but he should have guessed that was going to happen. After a couple of centuries with Anice, Callum knew women took forever to get ready.

  “You’re starting to make me nervous,” Fletcher said.

  “Then go away.” He paced away again. “Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this with Phoebe.”

  “You know that this is the best way. Unless you want to go in alone. You know she can’t help with the actual stealing of the diamond. We need Anice.”

  He wanted to growl, but something at the top of the stairs caught his attention. When he saw Phoebe, his brain stopped working.

  Phoebe was dressed in his plaid. Anice must have had to pull a lot of people together to get the garb ready, but she was in traditional dress. The full skirt was pulled tight at the waist. The plain ivory blouse she wore beneath her corset was a little low-cut in his opinion. All that glorious blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, a riot of curls that he ached to touch.

  “She looks good in our plaid,” Fletcher said. His cousins grunted their approval, but Callum couldn’t say a word. He watched her as she walked down the stairs to him.

  By the time she reached the bottom, she looked very nervous.

  He leaned closer so that only she could hear. “What has you worried, lass?”

  “I’m not used to so much attention.”

  “Get used to it dressed like that.”

  He gave her a quick kiss that he wanted to deepen, but he couldn’t.

  “Ready for a little wine and deception, love?”

  She looked up at him seriously and nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

  Anice helped Phoebe with her cloak. Callum ushered her out into the cold night, hoping that everything went as planned.

  * * * *

  Phoebe felt her heart trip as they walked up the stairs of the Edinburgh Castle. It was set ablaze, lights everywhere, and people milling around. It was as if she were attending a ball from centuries earlier, a laird by her side. She thought she might pass out.

  “Let me take your cloak, Phoebe.”

  Callum’s deep voice broke her out of her trance. He brushed his mouth against her cheek then pulled off the heavy fabric. She felt the interest in them increase tenfold. She watched him walk to the coat check. What planet was she on that she had a man like that at her beck and call? When she’d walked down the stairs and saw him dressed in his plaid, with his crisp white shirt, she had almost lost it. For a woman who loved history, it was a sight to see. Everything in her had yearned to return upstairs and just forget all their problems. First and foremost, she had to tell him of her deception.

  “What has you worried, love?”

  She shook her head. “Worries.”

  He gave her a quick buss on the mouth. Her entire body tingled even though his touch had been light. She glanced around and noticed they had gained the attention of most of the people in the area.

  She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Why are they staring?”

  He chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. “Love, you're wearing my colors."

  It was then that she realized why Anice had insisted she wear the outfit. Phoebe was going to kill the woman when she got back to the house.

  They moved through the crowd. Without probably realizing it, people moved out of their way. Callum commanded that they did. Not in voice, but his presence was enough to cause them to move.

  They walked through the crowd, looking at the different antiquities. Her gut churned, and she knew she had to tell him now. At that instant. When she caught sight of a small alcove away from everyone else, she steered Callum there. He gave her a sexy smile and started to bend his head.

  "Good lord, I didn't come over here for that."

  He shook his head. "Then what are you thinking about, lass?"

  "I need to tell you something, something that will probably make you hate me."

  "There's nothing you can say that would make that happen." He tried to kiss her again as he slipped his hands around her waist.

  "No. Callum, seriously, do you only have one thing on your mind? I have something very important to tell you. I should have told you earlier, but I was scared to."

  He stopped and stared down at her with a frown. "What's the problem, Phoebe?"

  "What she didn't tell you, Lennon, was that she was working for me."

  Both of them turned, and she saw McWalton standing there. The pictures of him had not been great, and the reality was even worse. He was a big man, but more of a brute than a strong man. The nasty smile he gave her told her he was going to pay her back for leaving him in the wind. Her heart sank as she glanced at Callum, who was also looking at McWalton.

  "What do you want, McWalton?"

  "I wanted to have a word with Dr. Chilton about the grant she was trying to gain from studying some documents from your family."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Callum shook his head, trying
to keep from hearing what he had. His first instinct was to punch the wanker and then get Phoebe out of there. But when he looked at Phoebe, he knew that McWalton wasn't lying. She looked guilty, and she looked like she was going to pass out.

  "Oh, I see that your lover didn't tell you what was going on. See, I was the head of a committee that was offering a grant. Your Dr. Chilton was trying to gain it by looking over your documents."

  He watched Phoebe, and his heart started sinking.

  "Phoebe?"

  "Only when I first showed up."

  Then she sliced his heart to shreds. Right there in front of most of Scotland, she had ripped it apart and stomped on it.

  "I wondered what you were doing when you didn't answer my calls," McWalton said. “Of course, I should have asked whom you were doing.”

  She shot a look at McWalton that had the bastard taking a step back. "I told you I wasn't going to go after the grant. I contacted you, left a message. Besides, let's be honest. There never was a grant."

  Callum grabbed her by the arms and shook her until she looked at him.

  "Is what he’s saying the truth?"

  She sighed and glanced around. He knew they had an audience, but he didn't give a damn if she was embarrassed.

  “Tell me.”

  “Yes.”

  He grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the alcove. He heard McWalton laughing as he dragged her through the crowd. The whispers were loud enough for a deaf man to hear, but he didn't give a bloody damn. He continued to pull her out of the castle and down the stairs.

  "Callum, I need to get Anice's cloak."

  "Leave it."

  He didn't want to go back in. He wanted more than anything to pretend that none of this had happened. That tonight, he had not heard from his enemy that the woman he loved had betrayed him.

  The valet brought the car around, but once they were in the car he said nothing but sped off into the night.

  "Are you going to let me explain?" she asked.

  Her voice was frigid as if she were the one who had been betrayed. He knew it was a reflex. She had spent years hiding behind proper façade. He didn’t care. His fucking heart was bleeding, and he didn't like it, not one bit.

  "If you are trying to kill me in a wreck, it will be much easier if I take off my seatbelt. Just let me know, and I will try to accommodate you."

  "You have the nerve to get pissed at me?" he asked, but he did slow down. "Tell me something? Did McWalton tell you to whore yourself out to me, or was that just improvising on your part?"

  She said nothing but looked out the window.

  "I mean, you didn't have to sleep with me."

  "No, I didn't. Nor did I invite you to my room the first time. That was you. All you. But, why would I ever try and..." she swallowed and fell silent.

  "Finish what you were saying."

  "I know that I am sadly lacking in that department. Really, if McWalton was trying to get a woman in your bed, I have a feeling he would have sent a much prettier woman."

  He snorted. "You're probably right there."

  She fell silent as he did. He wanted to yell at her, demand that she tell him it was all a lie, but he knew it was the truth. By the time they reached the house, he was ready to have a nice big fight, but it wouldn't do to have it in the middle of the street. She didn't wait for him to put the car in park. She opened her door, slammed it, and stomped up the stairs. By the time he caught up to her, she was already stepping through the front door. Anice was running down the hall, apparently already alerted to their arrival.

  “What happened?"

  "We have a traitor in our midst," he said when she didn’t respond to his cousin.

  She looked from Phoebe to him and back to Phoebe.

  "Yes, it was I. I am the modern day Mati Hari. I seduced your brother into my bed to cause him to tell me all his secrets. Of course, amazingly, it was him getting shot that caused me to find out. So I am apparently lacking in that department."

  She moved past both of them, her head held high and that spine of hers straight as a broom handle.

  “Where do you think you're going?"

  She continued walking. "I'm going to get these colors off me."

  He wanted to deny her the right. He wanted her wearing his damned colors, and he wanted everyone to see it. But he said nothing as he watched her disappear around the corner.

  “What the hell happened?” Anice asked.

  “She was in league with McWalton.”

  Anice shook her head and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Not possible.”

  “He told me himself, and she agreed.”

  “She said she was gaining secrets from you to give to him?”

  He turned and headed down the hallway to his office. “He said enough.”

  She followed him into the room before he could slam the door in her face. “What exactly did he say?”

  “He said she was going for a grant and using our family documents to get it.”

  Anice mulled that over as he collapsed into the chair behind his desk.

  “That’s different.”

  Callum shook his head. “In what way? I know you want to think the best of her, but she was deceitful.”

  “I’m not saying that she wasn’t. But, I don’t think she was in it to expose us. What is more important than anything in the world to Phoebe?”

  “Research.”

  “Yes, and that is why she came here.” She cocked her head and studied him. “What did she say when he accused her?”

  “She said that she had been going for the grant, but she found out it wasn’t real.”

  Anice sighed. “I think that it was just a misunderstanding.”

  “She’s guilty.”

  “I’m not saying that she wasn’t. What I am saying is that you can’t trust McWalton. I can imagine what he was thinking when he saw her on your arm. You all but declared yourself to Edinburgh.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You didn’t see yourself with her tonight. I did. You’re beyond smitten, and I’m sure everyone in the castle knew it. It must have eaten McWalton up when he saw you.”

  He closed his eyes and tried to forget what it had felt like. He had wanted everyone to know she was his. When he saw her dressed in his colors, he had never been so proud in his life. But he couldn’t deal with the pain that brought about thinking of the fact that she had been using him as a means to an end.

  “Any word from Fletcher?”

  She gave him a look that told Callum she knew he was trying to change the subject. For once, she took pity on him.

  “Yes. He’s in position, as are Logan and Angus. We’re ready. I’m pretty sure after that big mess, McWalton will definitely remove it tonight. And seeing that he can’t afford a security detail, he’ll transport it on his body.”

  “Good. The faster we get this done the better.”

  * * * *

  Phoebe was throwing her clothes in her suitcase when her mobile rang. She saw the number and knew if she picked it up, Izzy would know something was wrong. Phoebe had never been able to hide anything from her. But she needed her friend.

  “Just ringing you to check up on you.”

  “You don’t think I can handle myself?” she asked, and her voice cracked.

  “Oh, honey, what happened?”

  She drew in a deep breath and sat down on the bed. “Everything. Apparently McWalton hates Callum, and he made Callum think that I was spying on him. Which I was to begin with, but not since we slept together.”

  “You slept with McWalton?”

  “No. Follow along, Izzy. I slept with Callum. A lot.”

  “Good for you.”

  She shook her head even though she knew Izzy couldn’t see her. “No. He thinks I betrayed him.”

  She laughed. “Phoebe Chilton betray someone? I think not. Hell, you stayed with that bastard even though I would have cut off his meds and left him to die. If Callum Le
nnon thinks you betrayed him, he doesn’t know you very well.”

  She sighed. “I hurt him. I don’t know if I can fix it.”

  “Come back to England. Roberto and I are here for a week.”

  “That sounds good.” But as she thought about leaving, she glanced at her half-packed bag. She could run and take shelter with Izzy. Roberto and her best friend would baby her. As tempting as that was, she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t leave Callum and his cousins. They needed her help.

  “No.”

  “What?” Izzy asked.

  “No. I’m staying. I am going to see this through.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I have to unpack and go confront the dragon in his lair. I’ll call you when I get a chance.”

  With that, she rang off and started to unpack. She wasn’t leaving until she saw this through.

  * * * *

  Kenneth McWalton felt sweat at the small of his back, and he could barely breathe. He had thought for sure Callum would leave the tramp at the castle, abandoning her to his ministrations. Kenneth wanted to ruin the bitch’s reputation. Now, though, it was late, and he was traveling in the car with a priceless diamond. For over two centuries, his family had made sure that the McLennan had no access to the diary or the jewels. It had been foolish of him to flaunt the one that he had in his possession. It was enough for Ferris to use in his bid to have Kenneth thrown out as laird, damned his cousin.

  “Can you hurry it home? I’m not liking the looks of this storm that’s brewing.”

  “Yes, sir,” Phillip said as he hit the accelerator. They took off faster, but in a couple of minutes, Phillip slammed the brakes when a car pulled in front of them. They fishtailed to a stop and another car came up behind them. Fear curled in his gut as he saw two figures get out of the car behind them. Phillip honked his horn, then was stupid enough to roll down his window. One of the men hurried to the side, smacking Phillip on the back of his head with the butt of a gun. Then, he hit the locks and Kenneth’s door was yanked open.