Laurie had no idea about any of this. When she’d done the Internet search for Annick Castle, she’d only really looked at the pictures of the actual castle. She hadn’t read up on how big the estate was or what it contained.
They’d reached the wall again that looked out over the sea. She placed her hands on her hips and looked around her. ‘This place is just amazing.’ She sighed.
‘Yeah. It is.’ Callan had that look again, the one where he just drifted off and she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his head.
She cleared her throat. ‘I hope you don’t mind me saying, but parts of it look a little...run-down.’
He didn’t hesitate. ‘I know. You’re right. I tried to speak to Angus about it for the last few years. But I’ve got no control over what happens on the estate, and I had no right to order repairs—even though I was willing to pay for some of them myself.’
‘He didn’t want to maintain the castle?’ It sounded odd. And she couldn’t imagine why.
Callan leaned back against the wall. ‘He just grew old—and stubborn. And he wouldn’t let me help him with his finances.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I was worried he didn’t actually have any money left. He still had his faculties but his decision-making processes, well—they just seemed to disintegrate.’
‘And yet he still managed to make the strangest will in the world?’
‘There’s no cure for old age, Laurie.’ He gave a nod towards the next set of steps. ‘Come on. Let’s put those wellies to good use.’
He removed a thin piece of rope closing off the steps and started down them. Laurie made to follow and stopped dead. It wasn’t a traditional set of steps. They were precarious, cut into the cliff side with only a thread rope as a handhold. At places they looked almost vertical.
Callan moved down them easily, sure-footed without a second’s hesitation. He made it look easy.
Except it was far from easy.
‘Come on,’ he shouted over his shoulder. ‘If you fall you’ll only land on me.’
Part of his confidence annoyed her—which was silly. He’d lived here for a good part of his life. He could probably go down these steps with his eyes shut.
Venturing down them in a pair of somebody else’s ill-fitting wellies was an entirely different story. In some ways she might have taken great pleasure in landing squarely between his shoulders. In another, despite his bravado, it was likely they would both tumble down the cliff face and land in the rocks below. Quite frankly, she wasn’t that brave.
She took her time as she edged down the steps, shouting down to Callan in an attempt to appear casual, ‘You never told me, how did you end up going from pure mathematics to computers?’
He was so far beneath her now. The noise from the crashing waves below almost drowned out his reply. ‘Boredom, or luck, I guess.’
She took the next few steps a little quicker. She was becoming more sure-footed, the thin rope slipping easily through her fingers. She knew her brow was wrinkled as she took the last few steps towards him. ‘I don’t get it. Boredom? Whoops—’
The last few steps were slicked with moss and lichens, the thick soles of the wellies having hardly any grip at all. His hands planted firmly on her hip bones, stopping her from losing her balance completely.
She was one step above him, meaning they were almost face-to-face.
If the breath hadn’t exited her lungs so quickly she might have smiled. The view was good here.
Any woman would tell you that from first glance Callan McGregor was a fine figure of a man. But this close she could see everything—his slightly tanned, slightly weathered skin. The smattering of tiny freckles across his nose. Her hands had lifted to stop her falling and were now naturally placed on the breadth of his chest. After a few seconds she could feel the heat from his skin seeping through his cotton shirt onto the palms of her hands.
She should move them. She really should. But right now they felt superglued to his chest.
She caught her breath. ‘Boredom?’ she asked softly.
They were so close now the crashing waves were merely background noise. He hadn’t moved his hands; they were still firmly on her hips, steering her closer to him.
He blinked. If he’d been any closer those long eyelashes of his might have brushed her cheek. She shouldn’t feel so comfortable. Under normal circumstances she would have jumped back, hating her personal space being invaded without her say-so.
But nothing about this weekend had been normal. Why change anything now?
From this position she had a real clear view of his green eyes. Bright green eyes. Unlike any she’d seen before. There was nothing pale or wishy-washy about them. She’d seen an emerald this green once before on the jewellery shopping channel. Was it from Colombia? It had been three carats, with a single carat diamond on either side. Probably the most gorgeous ring she’d ever seen and well out of her price range. Funny how the billionaire’s eyes reminded her of that.
He tilted his head to one side. ‘Just because I had a natural talent for maths didn’t mean I had to spend my life doing it.’
He said it as if it made perfect sense.
A gust of wind swept past her, pushing her even closer to him. Every hair on her arms stood on end. But it wasn’t the wind. It was him. His touch. And his words. Doing a whole host of strange things to her.
It was more than unsettling. She tried to pull her tongue down from its current position of sticking to the roof of her mouth. It wasn’t often in this life that Laurie found it difficult to talk.
‘But what did Angus say? Didn’t he tell you to find a career related to your degree?’ She’d already realised there was no point asking what his father thought. He hadn’t even mentioned his mother at all. And she couldn’t ask the question that was throbbing in her head right now: What would my father have thought if I’d walked away from law? Because neither Callan nor she would know the answer.
Callan smiled. A smile that reached right up into those green eyes. Little wrinkles appeared around them. Good wrinkles. He looked so much better when he smiled rather than the permanent frown that had been on his face since she’d met him.
‘Angus would never have told me to do something that made me unhappy. I’d completed my degree. It was up to me to find my place in life.’
He said the words so easily. As if it was the way it should be for everyone and she felt her stomach twist in tight knots.
Why couldn’t she have said something like that to her father? Only hers hadn’t been an ordinary kind of degree. What else could you do with a law degree if you didn’t practise law? Sure, there were some students in her class who hadn’t gone on to complete their professional qualifications after sitting their exams. They’d moved into other professions.
But she wasn’t exactly sure what. Truth was, she’d been too scared to pay too much attention to any other options. It had almost been easier to work on the assumption that there was none. She would never have disappointed her father. She just couldn’t have.
Horrible things were jumping around in her mind. What would have happened if she’d told her father that she didn’t like her degree? What would have happened if he’d still been alive and she’d told him she hated her job? She could feel tears prickling in the backs of her eyes. All of a sudden she felt cold. Really cold. Did this make her a coward?
‘Laurie?’ Callan’s voice was quiet; she could feel his warm breath on her cheek, see his eyes full of concern.
‘But what if you can’t find your place in life?’ she whispered. Or, you’re too scared to.
She was going to cry, any second now she was going to burst into tears, on the edge of the Scottish coastline with a virtual stranger.
Callan didn’t say a word. He slipped his arm around her shoulders, holding her close to his side, and guided her
down the last few steps onto the thin line of shingle beach. Judging from the moss and lichen on the shingles, this part of the coastline must regularly be underwater.
The warmth from his body was comforting. The feel of the arm around her shoulder was reassuring—protective almost. He hadn’t asked her any questions. It was almost as if he knew she was upset and he sensed not to push her.
They walked a few hundred yards along the coastline and he stopped at the rock face. ‘Look,’ he said, his mouth brushing against her ear.
She lifted her head. Carved into the rocks in front of her were three arches—as if someone had tried to create a house out of one of the natural caves. The arches were on three levels, almost as if it had been someone’s home.
‘What on earth is this?’ It was a perfect distraction. So unusual, and so mysterious that she couldn’t help but ask the question and push the other heavy thoughts from her mind.
‘Welcome to the history of Annick Castle. This part of the coast was a notorious centre for smuggling and the fortified caves beneath the castle were ideal for hiding contraband from the Revenue Officers. For centuries the Annick Kennedys and others on the estate were either directly involved in smuggling, or turned a blind eye to it, in exchange for a share of the profits.’
‘No.’ Laurie felt her eyes grow wide. ‘Really?’ This was fascinating to her. A whole part of her family history she knew nothing about. ‘So, you’re telling me my relatives were involved in smuggling?’
Callan smiled as they entered the cave. ‘It seems that way. This was all long before Angus’s time, but it is amazing, isn’t it? And it’s part of the heritage of Annick Castle.’
He sounded a little wistful as he said those words. They stood for a moment in the cave. It wasn’t quite as dark as she’d thought, the carved windows letting in lots of light. It was damp and slimy, with the water lapping around her wellies. There was a ledge high above her at the second window.
Laurie pointed. ‘I take it the contraband had to be moved up there at high tide?’
Callan shrugged. ‘I would assume so.’ He walked over and touched one of the walls. ‘Just imagine if these walls could talk. What do you think they would tell us?’
She walked over and laid her hand on the damp, cold wall next to his. ‘How many of those smugglers died on the rocks out there? This doesn’t look like the easiest bit of coast to navigate—not that I know anything about sailing.’
Callan nodded. ‘That’s a good point. This is a pretty treacherous part of the coast. Even today, sailing around here isn’t really encouraged. I can remember a few wrecks over the years.’ He gave a little smile. ‘When I was a young boy I spent most of my time down here fighting imaginary pirates.’
She could almost imagine him dressed up with a pretend sword, swooping in and out of the atmospheric cave. ‘Was it safe to play down here?’
He laughed. ‘I take it these days it would need a whole health and safety check before anyone set foot on those steps. But when I was young Angus could always tell me the tide tables. As long as it wasn’t high tide, I was allowed to come and play.’ He gave her a measured look. ‘Do you think you would have come and joined me?’
The question took her by surprise. A million thoughts and possibilities had floated around her head. What if Angus McLean had made contact with her dad years ago? What if she’d had a chance to spend summers here—to spend summers playing in The Sound of Music gazebo, pretending to be Liesl? What if she’d had a chance to grow up around Callan McGregor?
She pushed the thought from her mind and met his smile. ‘I was a girl’s girl. Pirates and damp caves would have horrified me. I guess, as every little girl would, I would have dreamed of being a fairy princess in the castle. To be honest, I would probably have spent most of my time sweeping up and down that fabulous staircase. Hours of fun presenting myself at the ball.’ She gave an imaginary curtsey. He went to speak but she raised her finger. ‘But as a teenager, I would have put a no-fly zone around the gazebo and spent every evening re-enacting the dancing scene, singing “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with the gentleman of my choice.’
Callan raised his eyebrows. ‘And who might that have been?’
He moved a little closer. Or did she just imagine it?
Nope. His fingers had definitely edged nearer hers on the wall. ‘That all depends.’
‘Depends on what?’
His voice had grown quieter, huskier. It was sending shivers down her spine and her body was reacting in the most natural manner—moving even closer to hear his words.
‘Depends on who the hero of the moment was.’ It was the perfect time to tease him. And she had to tease him. Because otherwise she might end up wishing for something else entirely. ‘When I was sixteen I went through a real retro phase—I loved Marty McFly from Back to the Future. I wanted him to magically appear in his DeLorean and take me off. By seventeen I’d moved on completely and thought I would marry a member of Take That.’
Callan cringed. ‘Save me from boy bands!’
She shook her head. ‘It was downhill all the way from there. I still had a tiny bit of retro films going on. Indiana Jones was definitely my overall favourite.’
He raised his eyes. ‘So, no pirates?’ His eyes were darker in here. He was standing with his back to the incoming light, making his pupils even bigger.
It was easy to imagine what film he was talking about now. She smiled. ‘No, funnily enough, pirates never did it for me.’
He blinked. Thick, dark lashes over bright green eyes nearly obliterated by the huge pupils. ‘Pity.’
He said the word so quietly it was almost a whisper. But it was the hidden implication. The expression on his face. Laurie was frozen. She couldn’t move. No, she didn’t want to move.
She knew exactly what he was thinking. Because her mind was in the same place.
She was in the same position as earlier. Inches away from Callan McGregor. Except this time she wasn’t standing on a set of exposed steps; this time she was standing in a darkened cave.
Any second now he might move closer. She couldn’t help it. Her lips felt instantly dry and she ran her tongue along them.
He lifted his hand and her breath caught in her throat. Was he going to kiss her? But no. He reached up and touched a long brown curl, pushing it back over her shoulder. ‘You’re a strange one, Laurie Jenkins.’
She tilted her head to the side. ‘What do you mean?’
He sighed. ‘I mean, I haven’t found you stealing the family silver. You don’t seem that interested in the Murder Mystery Weekend, but you do seem really interested in the castle.’
‘That’s because I am.’ It was the simplest answer because it was true. It was cold in here. If she just inched forward a little...
‘But why? Because of how much it will be worth if you inherit it?’
His words sounded harsh. And they offended her. She pulled back.
‘Is that what you think?’
Callan hadn’t moved his eyes from hers. ‘That’s just it, Laurie—I’m not sure what I think.’
She moved a little backwards. His gaze was starting to unnerve her. But she was determined to speak her mind.
‘I want the opportunity to meet other members of my so-called family. I’m still not sure how I feel about all this. Most of the time it makes me angry. You talk about Angus McLean with great affection, Callan, but for me—he’s just some unknown guy that ignored his children. I can’t get my head round that at all.’ She lifted her hands up. ‘And this, a castle, spectacular grounds, caves and a history just waiting to be learned. It’s more than I could ever have imagined. I’m trying to decide how much I want to be part of all this—if at all.’
His expression changed quickly. He looked almost scornful. ‘You mean you don’t want to inherit the castle?’
&nbs
p; She shook her head. He really didn’t understand her at all. And she wasn’t even sure she could put it into words. She could barely understand it herself. ‘I mean, I don’t know what I would do with it, Callan. Look at me.’ She put her hand on her chest. ‘I’m a London girl from a small family. I’m a lawyer. What do I know about castles? I’ve never seen anything like this before. How on earth would I fit in? You’ve had the benefit of being here since you were young. You grew up here. You know everything there is to know—’
‘Or not.’ His words were quick. She’d forgotten Angus hadn’t told him about his children either. This must be even harder for him than it was for her.
He’d cut off her frustration mid-sentence. And she just couldn’t find the words to continue. She needed some time. She needed some time to get her head around all this.
She took a deep breath in the vain hope it would fill her lungs and straighten out her head.
Work. Getting away from work had been the first step for her.
The letter and invite to Annick Castle had been the starting point in the process, but now she was away and out of her usual environment she was scared of how she was feeling. She was scared by how much she was embracing things, relishing the change and enjoying little things she would never usually experience.
She was scared of the horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realised she would have to board a train in a few days to head back down to London.
Back to the long hours, aching muscles and tension headaches. Back to a life that revolved completely around work. She’d long since abandoned her gym membership after she’d only found the time to go twice. Was that what she really wanted?
The waves started to lap in around her feet. Callan looked down. ‘Time to go. The tide comes in quite slowly at this time of day. We’ve got around twenty minutes to get up the steps.’
He strode out of the cave into the bright sunlight while Laurie stood for a few seconds longer.
The Heir of the Castle (Harlequin Romance) Page 7