Waiting for the Laird

by Willa Blair

  She nodded and her chin quivered, just a bit.

  “Memories?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Her gaze dropped, then returned to him. “And the realization…it’s time to put them away.”

  Her words stunned him. She’d just given him permission to pursue her. Relief and anticipation made him pull in a deep breath. “You don’t have to forget him,” he told her, striving to hide the elation coursing through him.

  “I know. And I never will.” She closed her eyes and her voice softened. “I see his face, his mannerisms, his way of speaking every day…in the twins.” She lifted her gaze to his face. “But he’s gone, and I’m here.”

  “I’m here, too.” Three simple words. Not the ones every woman wanted to hear. Plainly she wasn’t ready for those, and Ian wasn’t ready to say them. But her wide-eyed glance told him she’d heard and understood what he meant.

  “I…know. And I’m…grateful.”

  Grateful? He wanted much more than grateful. He wanted her hungry and eager and making room in her life…for him. He kissed her hands and let them go, biting down on the words he wanted to say. Not the time. Not the place.

  ****

  They finished lunch early, so Ian rang Caitlin to meet them at the house instead of coming out later after Lara retrieved the twins. Caitlin was due any minute. While Lara ran upstairs to change, Ian took advantage of her absence to strip out of the wedding finery and pull on the work clothes he’d carried into the house from the boot of his car. He’d worn the kilt the traditional way, so he was stuck going commando under his jeans. Not the first time—or the last, no doubt. Normally, he wouldn’t mind, but the jeans were ice cold, damn it, from spending the morning in the boot. He pulled a long-sleeve T-shirt over his head and followed it as fast as he could with his sweater, hoping that would warm him—all of him. Socks and boots, followed by a full minute of running in place, finally did the trick.

  A few minutes later, he stepped outside to put his wedding finery in his car in time to see Caitlin turn her estate wagon into the lane leading to Cairn Dubh and park behind Ian’s car.

  “Baron! How wonderful to see you.”

  “You, too, lass. But don’t call me that, no’ here.” Ian froze at the sound of footsteps coming up behind him on the gravel fronting the house. Lara joined them as he issued the warning. Had she heard? She hadn’t said anything after the ceremony yesterday, so maybe she had missed Blane’s slip after all.

  “Good afternoon, I’m Lara MacLaren.” She offered her hand to Caitlin.

  She’d changed into jeans and a blue sweater that looked softer than a cloud and hugged her curves in a way Ian approved. And her ring finger was still bare, so she hadn’t reconsidered the impulse that led her to remove it during the ceremony. He liked that even more.

  “Caitlin Paterson. I’m pleased to meet you, and eager to get to work.” Caitlin shook Lara’s hand and turned back to Ian. “You gave me a bare-bones description and said you’ve had time to get lights installed. Shall we have a look?”

  Ian turned to Lara. “Are you ready?”

  “And eager.” Lara led them into the house and through to the old wing, pointing out to Caitlin the work Ian had done as they went. “So, are you two related?” Lara asked as she preceded them up the now brightly lit main stairs.

  “Cousins,” Caitlin answered. “We grew up in different villages, both nearby.”

  Ian held his breath. He’d filled her in on the situation here. He hoped she’d be as discreet with his secrets as he’d promised Lara she’d be about the contents of the hidden rooms. If they’d been sealed for the reason he suspected, those items on the upper floors were of great historical value, and not just to the Macaulays.

  “I’ll enjoy talking to you, then,” Lara replied with a smile over her shoulder at Caitlin. “You can fill me in. Ian’s been exceptionally quiet about himself. I learned only a little more about him this morning at the wedding.”

  Caitlin cast a wide-eyed glance Ian’s way. “Wedding?”

  “Aye,” Ian answered, enjoying Caitlin’s shocked expression as she glanced from him to Lara and back again, totally misunderstanding and jumping to a wild conclusion. “Blane and Cassie eloped. We stood with them.” And seeing Lara remove her ring during the ceremony had hit him hard. He’d wanted to get her thinking about the start of a new relationship with him, not the end of her marriage with Angus. But perhaps taking off her ring meant she’d done both.

  “Ye two?” Caitlin gave them a long look.

  “I took pictures.” Ian responded, irritated he needed to justify his actions to his cousin. Or anyone else.

  “After I thought of it,” Lara chided. “They wouldn’t have had any to remember the day—or to show their families.”

  “Assuming they’re speaking, now they’ve defied both, and the deed is done,” Ian added. Along with smiles at the newly married couple, he’d seen some frowns cast his way as they left the registrar’s office. Whether they were meant to disapprove of his support for Blane and Cassie, or because Lara was with him, he didn’t know. But they’d reinforced his reluctance to be seen as taking advantage of her.

  “Well, perhaps having family around will make Ian more willing to open up,” Lara mused, apparently happy for another chance to needle him.

  Inwardly, Ian cringed. If he didn’t find the right time to tell her about himself, the fantasy running in his mind of how good it could be to have her on his arm every day—and in his bed every night—would never come true.

  “I’m not sure I’ll be much help,” Caitlin answered hesitantly, with a glance at her cousin.

  Ian planted his fists on his hips. “I am right here, lassies. I can hear you.”

  “Good.”

  Ian almost laughed out loud at Lara’s curt reply. Her curiosity about him must have been killing her for weeks. He’d managed to keep the lunchtime conversation yesterday focused on the happy couple. Although Caitlin had argued on the phone the sooner he was honest with Lara, the easier it would be to accomplish his goals, he couldn’t accept her advice. Not when hearts were involved. Hers and his. Nay, he had to keep playing this close to his chest, and make sure Caitlin didn’t ruin everything.

  Suddenly he doubted the wisdom of his decision to include his cousin. If she and Lara bonded, well, there was no telling where girl talk would lead them.

  They went all the way to the top floor first. Caitlin let out a whistle, then did a cursory walk through, but made no comment other than to say, “Let’s look downstairs.”

  Lara frowned but led the way to the lower floor and stood by as Caitlin repeated her survey of the upper room, not pausing to look closely at anything—even Fergus’s painting.

  Ian wanted to bounce on his heels, but he contented himself with shoving his hands into his pockets and balling them into fists. Caitlin’s theater would not help keep Lara from overreacting, not if this hoard was what he suspected.

  Finally, Caitlin joined them in the hallway area just outside the remaining stone partition and crossed her arms. “I will need to take some time up here,” she said to Lara. Then she looked to Ian. “Several items may help me date when these rooms were sealed, if not the reason why.” She shrugged and returned her attention to Lara. “And of course, I’ll need to do a thorough inventory, photography, the works, before I can give you an estimate with any accuracy. And because there are so many items to be catalogued, this could take a month or more.”

  Lara frowned. “A month? Really?”

  “Or more. Aye. I’ll use the inventory and photographs to create a catalog. I must do a great deal of research to verify the provenance of each item.”

  “But…” Lara turned her gaze to Ian. “What will that do to your schedule for restoring this wing? If all this needs to be removed…”

  He shrugged. “’Tis best to wait. Caitlin knows what she’s doing.”

  Caitlin gave Lara a brief, professional smile. “I’m sorry if you thought this would be a quick process, but to do
a good job, and to do the history of these items justice, I must take care.”

  That was his Caitlin! Ian wanted to cheer. She would buy him all the time he would need, both to woo Lara, and to prepare her for who he really was.

  “Will you be able to handle all of this yourself?” Lara asked. “What you described sounds like a lot of work.”

  “For the most part, yes. I may need to call in a few experts to verify my findings.”

  “That sounds expensive…”

  “Not in the long run. Antiquities auctions depend on trust and verification in establishing value. What’s your American saying? You must spend money to make money. But I will, of course, get your approval before doing anything carrying a significant expense.”

  “Well, that’s a relief,” Lara muttered to the floor.

  Ian quirked an eyebrow and exchanged a quick grin with Caitlin.

  “If any of these things have the monetary or historical value I think they have, you will want to hire another appraiser to give you a second opinion. I’m good at what I do, and my findings will be as accurate as I can make them, but I want you to be confident in the identification and in the valuation of every item.”

  “You can trust her,” Ian interjected. “And the inventory must be done and this space cleared before I can do much in here. Better no’ to have a lot of workmen snooping around up here, aye?”

  “Until we know what we’re dealing with,” Lara agreed. She turned to Ian and added, “Here’s another American saying—job security.” Then she lifted her chin and gave Caitlin a bright smile. “Where do you want to start?”

  ****

  Lara wasn’t unhappy when Ian left them with the promise to check on them later. He said he and Rollo still had plenty to do downstairs, and he needed to take care of some things at his office. Lara hoped if he wasn’t around, she might get more information from Caitlin.

  Cousins! Lara could barely hide her relief. She didn’t need to worry about Caitlin’s and Ian’s relationship being intimate. And knowing they were related, she could see the resemblance. Caitlin had the same shaped face, the same nose, but her eyes and hair were darker, her build slighter than Ian’s.

  One thing still bothered Lara—as she joined them outside, had she heard Caitlin call him Baron? She was sure there must be a story to go with the nickname, but she didn’t think she’d get it from Ian. Lara could swear she’d heard him hiss at Caitlin not to call him that. It had to be what Becky had started to call him the other day in town.

  She’d heard the odd nickname somewhere else, too.

  Blane greeting him as Baron had slipped her mind in the excitement of the elopement and Ian’s declaration after she’d removed her ring. It came back now, along with the emotional turmoil that had swamped her as Blane and Cassie said their vows. She rubbed the part of her finger her ring used to encircle and thought about Ian’s words. I’m here, too. His eyes had been full of promise…and compassion…and hunger. For her.

  But that moment was long past. She’d seen nothing like those emotions from Ian this afternoon. He must have been under the influence of the wedding. Now, he was back to reality, to the friendly but politely and carefully distant self she’d become accustomed to the past few months. She’d always heard weddings did strange things to men…and women. Now she’d seen the proof.

  Irritated, she turned to Caitlin. She and Ian’s cousin had a lot of work to do.

  Not talking must be a Paterson family trait. Once Caitlin finished explaining to Lara how she planned to document the contents of the secret rooms, she had little else to say. Lara settled in a corner and watched as Caitlin moved around, picking up, examining, and replacing some items, like the lace draped over the back of an overstuffed chair, ignoring others, like the swords and dirks piled in one corner. Finally, Lara stood. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  Caitlin paused and glanced her way. “No thanks. I’m merely doing another cursory look, then I’ll fetch my camera and notepad from my car to start the inventory in earnest. I’m used to working alone, so if you have something else you need to be doing…”

  Lara shook her head. “Not at the moment. But I have to leave at three to pick up the twins.”

  “Twins!” Caitlin laid a hand over her heart. “Ian didn’t mention you had twins. How old are they?”

  Lara chuckled. “Old enough to get into trouble in here. Nine. And a half.”

  “My, yes.” Caitlin nodded. “I look forward to meeting them. Best you keep them occupied somewhere else, though. There are a lot of breakables in here. Some, like that French vase, could be quite valuable.”

  “I’ll do my best, but they are very curious about this wing. Once they see all this…”

  “I get it.” Caitlin waved a hand in a short arc. “But you must understand what you have here. All this has been locked away for centuries—”

  Lara’s breath caught. “Do you know how old…?”

  “Not yet, but I will. My point is, these items have been untouched for a very long time. And it’s not just the individual items, but the collection as a whole, and what it might represent. A window into a time not our own.”

  “Wow. You really love your work.”

  Caitlin smiled and glanced around her. “I do. So does Ian. You couldn’t have a better man restoring Cairn Dubh. He’ll do what’s necessary to make it safe and sound, but he’ll respect it for what it is and for its history while he does.”

  Lara ran her fingertips across the back of a wooden chair. “I believe you. I’ve seen his work the last few months in the main manor. And in here,” she said and gestured to take in the entire wing, “he and Rollo are being meticulous about inspecting the foundation.”

  “I expect so.” Caitlin joined her by the chair and gestured for Lara to precede her out of the room. “Look,” she added as they moved into the hallway, “I’m ready to start taking pictures. Actually, do you have a camera?”

  “What?” The question threw Lara for a second. “I have twins. Of course I have a camera.”

  “Good. I want you to take pictures, too, of the rooms as a whole and as much as you can get in any one frame at a time while still retaining details. That way, you’ll have a record, as well.”

  Lara frowned. “You don’t want to be accused of stealing anything.”

  Caitlin’s head reared back, then she relaxed. “Well, nay, of course not. But I also want you to have a separate record in case anything happens to mine.” She waved a hand over the nearby table. “Bar…Ian will be furious if we lose track of any of this.” Caitlin swallowed and looked away.

  There it was again. Baron. Lara found her patience at an end. “Baron. What does that mean?”

  Caitlin shook her head. “Best Ian explain it to you.”

  “But…”

  She held up a hand. “It’s no’ my place to.”

  Lara frowned. “It doesn’t seem to be anyone’s.” She paused, considering how to get Caitlin to spill, then Caitlin’s earlier words penetrated. “Why would Ian be furious about losing any of this?”

  At the sudden switch in subject, Caitlin frowned in confusion for a moment. “He recommended me,” she said.

  Her response seemed too glib. Lara crossed her arms and waited.

  “He’d see that as harming his reputation, too,” Caitlin continued.

  That made sense, though Lara still felt Caitlin was holding something back. And like everyone else, she was determined to protect Ian. Lara threw up her hands, conceding defeat for the moment. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  They went down the stairs together. Lara picked the places to put her feet with care, mindful of the time she slipped in the dark. Not that her near-accident had turned out badly. She’d ended up in Ian’s arms, after all, and had nearly kissed him. She shook her head. She’d best keep her mind on her footing, or she’d wind up slipping again on the uneven steps. She didn’t think Caitlin big or strong enough to catch her, not the way her cousin had nor the way she wanted him t
o again.

  Lara retrieved her camera while Caitlin went out to her car. She climbed the stairs, alone this time, with even greater care. She was taking pictures on the second floor by the time Caitlin returned with her gear.

  “Sorry I took so long. One of my lenses went missing and took a while to find—under a seat, of course. Oh, and Ian’s never left. He and Rollo got to comparing notes, I think. He said he’d be up in a wee to see how we’re doing.”

  Lara’s heart skipped a beat, and she turned away to hide her response to Caitlin’s news. She really needed to stop reacting every time someone mentioned him. With the camera to her eye and her back to Caitlin she responded, “Good. I’d like to hear how things are going on the ground floor today. The sooner they finish there, the sooner they’ll start opening some of these bricked-up windows.”

  “Oh, not up here,” Caitlin objected. “Sunlight will be bad for the fabrics and papers. We’ll work in artificial light until we know what we’re dealing with.”

  Lara frowned and glanced back over her shoulder at Caitlin, who’d moved to photograph some of the items along the far wall. “Ugh. If the lights fail, it’ll be dark as a tomb up here.”

  “You have a flashlight app on yer phone, aye?”

  Ian! She hadn’t heard him coming up the stairs.

  “Of course we do…cousin,” Caitlin’s droll response greeted him.

  Ian lifted an eyebrow and fastened his gaze on his cousin. Lara guessed he’d not expected her to use that label for him, but she suspected Caitlin had done it deliberately to keep from calling him Baron. Or maybe she meant to apologize for when she called him that, earlier, or to let him know Lara had indeed heard the word before.

  Either way, her comment made Lara’s curiosity itch. It was odd, and there were enough odd things going on in this house without Caitlin adding to the mix. She and Ian were going to have a chat about this Baron thing—and soon. She’d call him on it now, but Caitlin looked so apologetic when she emphasized the word “cousin”, Lara couldn’t do it.