His steps carried him onwards, quickening as his brain went into overdrive. Please don’t let her have headed to the caves. It was odd. He hadn’t given a second thought to any of the other relatives injuring themselves on the cliff-side stairs—even though they would probably sue Annick Castle—his only thought was for Laurie. The thought of her on those stairs sent a shudder down his spine. He really needed to see about something more substantial than a piece of rope to block them off.
He rounded the drum tower and stopped dead.
There she was. A yellow hard hat perched precariously on her head as she skirted around the edges of the round icehouse. She hesitated at the entrance, glancing at the roof, then in the blink of an eye she disappeared inside.
He resisted the temptation to shout at her, striding over and grabbing one of the other hard hats outside and jamming it on his head. He’d warned her about this place. It wasn’t safe. Part of the roof had already fallen in, and other parts looked distinctly dangerous.
He stuck his head inside. It was much darker in here. The only window was boarded up and there was no lighting, no electricity. The place hadn’t been used in over one hundred years.
‘Laurie? What are you doing?’
She was standing in the middle of the icehouse, looking up at the part of the ceiling that had fallen in. Could she be any more dangerous?
‘I just wanted to get a feel for the place, Callan. You talked about the history of the caves, but what about the history of this place?’
He folded his arms across his chest. ‘It was an icehouse. It stored ice that was brought up from the lake. It took the ice to the kitchen. End of.’
She walked over towards him. Even in this dim light he could see the sparkle in her eyes. Her voice changed timbre. ‘Callan McGregor, are you using your stern voice on me?’
‘Do I need to?’ His response was instant because Laurie Jenkins had gone from the middle of the room to directly under his nose. Didn’t she realise what those big brown eyes did to the men around her? Had this woman no idea of the electricity she could spark with those few words? She was flirting with him. She was definitely flirting.
‘Hmm...’ She was looking up at him through half-closed lids. In another life he’d have called them come-to-bed eyes. But Laurie didn’t seem the type.
But type or not, her very presence was having instant effects on his body.
She gave a shiver and he frowned. ‘Are you cold, Laurie?’
Why hadn’t he even considered that? He’d picked her up from the railway station; he knew she’d travelled light. He was wearing a big thick parka, the one he always used for tramping around the grounds of Annick Castle. But Laurie only had on a light summer jacket. It might be nearing the end of summer, but she obviously hadn’t banked on the Scottish coastal winds.
‘Isn’t it weird? How even though this place hasn’t been used in years, it’s just still so...cold.’ She gave a shudder and wrapped her arms around herself.
Callan moved closer, opening his jacket and putting one arm around her shoulders. He couldn’t quite fit her inside, but she slid her arm behind his waist and pressed her body up next to his.
He tried to focus. ‘What are you doing in here anyway?’
She smiled. ‘It’s this place. I like it. I love the shape—the circular building is gorgeous. And it’s bigger than you’d expect. Why didn’t Angus do something with this? Turn it into something else?’
Callan shook his head. ‘Like what? He’s already got two unused sets of stables, a gazebo, an orangery, an old water house, an old gas house, and—’ he gestured out beyond the doors ‘—a whole set of mystery caves.’
But Laurie was deep in thought, her mind obviously taking her off into her own world. ‘This could be a gorgeous coffee shop,’ she murmured, ‘right next to the castle, with views over the sea and over the gardens if this place had windows in it. It could make a fortune.’
The words sent prickles over his skin. Did Laurie know more about Annick Castle than she was letting on?
But she was obviously wrapped up in her own ideas. ‘Can’t you see it, Callan?’ She held her arms out. ‘Just think, wooden tables and chairs with red and white checked tablecloths. A whole variety of teas.’ She pointed to the other side of the round house. ‘There could be a whole circular serving area over here and one of those gorgeous coffee machines.’ Her eyes were lit up. ‘I can practically smell the different kinds of scones, gingerbread, sponges and chocolate buns. You could serve local produce from the neighbouring farms, maybe even from the castle gardens?’ She was walking around, obviously seeing the whole thing in her head. ‘It could be great. Two kinds of homemade soup every day and a different variety of scone.’ She came back over and slid her arm around his waist again.
He could feel himself bristle. ‘What’s the point? The castle isn’t open to the public. Who would come to a coffee shop?’
‘But maybe it should be.’ Her eyes looked up and met his.
He drew in a sharp breath. Her words put him instantly on the defensive.
And Laurie seemed to sense that, but she waved her hand. ‘Oh, don’t get all crabbit with me, Callan. I’ll be the first person to admit I know nothing about Annick Castle. But I’m not blind. I can see buildings lying in ruins. I can see the tiles and slates off the roof. That can’t be safe. That can’t be good for the castle. Don’t you want to see things restored? Wouldn’t you like it if that gorgeous pagoda that used to house birds down at the swan pond could be rebuilt? You already told me the upper floor used to be a teahouse. It seems like somebody, somewhere, at one time thought it was a good idea.’
He tried not to be defensive. He tried not to take it as a criticism. But the thought of a whole bunch of strangers tramping around Annick Castle didn’t fill him with joy.
He had to be rational about this. He had to put his business head on and think with his head and not his heart. ‘Do you think people would want to come and see around Annick Castle?’ There were a hundred little thoughts currently sparking around his brain. He’d only ever thought of Annick Castle as a home. He’d never even considered anything else. And deep down he knew Angus wouldn’t approve of having strangers on his property. But the sad fact was that times had changed, the comfortable nest egg the family used to have was gone, and so was Angus. It was certainly something that the new owner could look into.
‘Why ever not? There’s another castle about a hundred miles down the coast that’s open to the public. They have a kids’ playground, a teahouse, an old bookshop and stables too. Why couldn’t Annick Castle be like that?’
He could feel the hackles go up on the back of his neck, instantly suspicious of her wider knowledge. ‘How do you know that?’ His voice was low. It was practically a growl. But Callan McGregor couldn’t hide how he felt about things. Had she been planning this all along? He hated feeling as if he’d been duped.
Her arm slid out from around his waist. She folded her arms and stood in front of him. All of a sudden the dim light in the icehouse didn’t seem tranquil or romantic, it felt oppressive.
‘I know because I looked it up on the Internet, Callan. What did you think? That I’d planned all this before I got here?’
The words stuck in his throat. He was being ridiculous. He knew he was being ridiculous. He just couldn’t help it. As soon as anyone started making suggestions about Annick Castle he could virtually feel his own portcullis slide down in front of him.
The protection of Annick Castle lay at the very essence of his heart and soul. He couldn’t see past it. He couldn’t see around it.
And being around Laurie just seemed to heighten every emotion that he felt. Magnify it ten times over. He seemed to seesaw between high as a kite and lower than the belly of a snake all in the blink of an eye.
Laurie was annoyed. It was practically emanating fro
m her pores. And boy was she beautiful when she was angry. Her dark eyes flashed, ‘Get over yourself, Callan. I get that you love this place. I get that it means everything to you. But if you find yourself unable to have a rational, reasonable conversation about the place then I’ve got to ask the question if you’re the right person to be custodian of this place in the first place. I’m making one tiny suggestion.’ She held up her finger and thumb with the minimum of space between them. ‘That’s all. The very least you can do is listen.’
‘It’s not one tiny suggestion, Laurie.’ He held up his finger and thumb too, but then he held his arms open wide. ‘This is the kind of suggestion you’re making. Annick Castle hasn’t been open to the public since its first building was put up in the fifteen-hundreds. That’s more than five hundred years of history.’
She stepped closer, gritting her teeth. ‘Exactly. Five hundred years of history that should be shared with others.’
Their faces were inches apart. Even in this dim light he could see the normally hidden tiny freckles that were scattered across her nose. He didn’t even want to start thinking about those brown eyes again. In years gone by Laurie Jenkins would probably have been labelled an enchantress with eyes like those.
And she was obviously determined to get her point across. ‘Don’t you think visitors would love to know about the links with Mary Queen of Scots? Don’t you think there must be dozens of little boys who’d want to explore the smuggler’s caves and think about pirates? Don’t you think there must be a hundred crazy women like me who’d love a chance to sit in the gazebo that matches the one in The Sound of Music and dream their afternoon away?’
He could see the passion in her eyes. Passion in them for Annick Castle and what it represented and he couldn’t help but smile.
‘You’ve really got it bad for that gazebo, haven’t you?’
His words broke the tension in the air between them in an instant.
Her face broke into a smile too and she rolled her eyes. ‘You have no idea how much I love that gazebo.’
‘Every little girl’s dream?’
‘Oh, way more than that.’
‘Better than the castle double staircase?’
She grinned. ‘Yip. Even better than the castle staircase.’ She moved back towards him. ‘Why is it that we always head towards a fight? What is it I do that upsets you so much?’
‘I keep asking myself the same question.’ His voice had deepened; it was quieter—a virtual whisper. The words seemed to echo around the circular building.
She edged a little closer and he found himself doing the same thing. Any second now he could reach out and touch her. Touch the soft skin of her face, run his fingers through her loose curls. Or just grab her with both hands and pull her body next to his.
Her sultry perfume was winding its way around him again—like the Pied Piper’s music had lured the children of Hamelin. He couldn’t control it.
He couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face.
She blinked, her long dark eyelashes brushing against his lowered head. It was torture. ‘And have you found the answer yet, Callan?’
Even the way she said his name sent shivers down his spine. His hands reached up and cradled her hips. ‘It’s as much a mystery to me as it is to you. Maybe we’re just two people with a lot at stake.’
She squeezed her eyes shut. ‘Not the answer I was looking for.’
It wasn’t the answer he’d wanted to say either. But he couldn’t articulate what he really wanted to say. He couldn’t sort it out in his head. And until he did that, how could he say anything?
He couldn’t tell her that she was driving him crazy. He couldn’t tell her that he hadn’t been able to sleep since he’d kissed her. He definitely couldn’t tell her what she’d been doing in the five minutes’ worth of dreams he’d had last night.
And no matter how much his body was reacting around Laurie, no matter how much he felt drawn to her. No matter how much he was attracted to her both physically and emotionally, he still had the tiniest doubts in his head. Doubts placed there by his love of Annick Castle. And until that was resolved he couldn’t feel free to make any kind of other decision.
‘It’s the best I can do right now.’
She stepped backwards and gave him a gentle smile. ‘I know, Callan, I’m finding this just as hard as you are. You aren’t the only person with something at stake.’
She gave him a wink, but it wasn’t the playful kind of wink he’d experienced from Laurie before. This was different. It was more resigned. Almost sad.
She looked out of the doors, her eyes drifting over towards the crashing waves. ‘There’s something about this place, Callan. I can’t tell you what it is. I can’t put my finger on it. But Annick Castle, it just draws you in and holds you here.’
He understood. He understood completely. He always had, right from the first time he’d stayed here. Was it the dream of living in a castle, or was it just the austerity of the building, the magic of the surroundings?
And this was it. This was the tiny thing that kept creeping up on him. It was the long tendrils of jealousy that flickered around him when someone else said those words. When Annick Castle had that effect on them.
Her words tailed off. ‘But is it the castle...’ then her dark eyes fixed on his again and a jolt shot through him ‘...or is it you?’
She disappeared out of the door before he could reply.
His skin prickled. It didn’t matter what his selfish thoughts were. Laurie Jenkins had just laid it on the line.
Big time.
* * *
She’d only lain down on the bed for a few minutes. But it seemed as if the comfortable mattress and high thread-count sheets had lulled her off into a deep sleep. As her eyes flickered open the sun was lowering in the sky outside her window. It wouldn’t be sunset for a few hours yet but she’d slept much later than she’d expected.
A wave of panic swept over her as she glanced at her watch. She jumped from the bed and ran to the door. The ball was tonight and she had nothing to wear. She hadn’t even given it a thought; she’d been too busy baking in the kitchen and spending time with Callan. The costume room was on the floor underneath and her feet thudded heavily down the stairs. She’d always managed to find something suitable before; she would just have to grab the first thing that fitted.
Robin was flapping around the room. Flapping. It was the most accurate expression for him. ‘There you are! Where have you been? You’re the only person who hasn’t chosen a costume.’
‘Sorry, Robin, I fell asleep. I’ll just take whatever you think is appropriate.’
He pointed to the wall. ‘I’d already picked out a few possibilities for you.’
There were four dresses hanging from part of the coving on the wall. Should he really be doing that? Wouldn’t that damage the paintwork? She shuddered to think.
The costume room was packed full of colourful clothes, all hanging in rails by gender and size. Some women would absolutely adore this, but Laurie had never been the kind to spend hours mooning over clothes. She appreciated beautiful things, but didn’t want to spend the time having to find them. The last two dresses she’d had from this room Robin had recommended to her.
She walked over to the four dresses. All beautiful. All full-length. She wasn’t quite as elegant as others might think. There was a high possibility of her catching her feet in these dresses and tumbling down the curved staircase. That would make for an interesting ball.
She reached out and touched one. There was a variety of colours. Gem colours. Ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue and silver. All sparkling. All gorgeous.
She wrapped her arms around herself and turned to face Robin.
‘What’s wrong?’ he demanded. ‘Don’t you like them?’
She screwed
up her face; she really didn’t want to hurt his feelings. She hesitated before speaking. ‘I think they’re all beautiful. But I’m worried about wearing something full-length. It just isn’t me. There’s a strong likelihood I’ll fall over and ruin them.’
He scowled and touched the red one. ‘It’s a ball, Laurie. You’re supposed to wear something full-length—you know, a ball gown. I thought you might go for this one. It’s almost identical to the dress the girl is wearing in the picture at the top of the stairs.’
He was getting tetchy. She looked again. It was. It was perfect. A little more old-fashioned than the others but almost a perfect replica. Why couldn’t she imagine herself wearing it? It was so thoughtful that Robin had tried to take in the surroundings. But she just couldn’t picture herself walking down the stairs in that dress. If there were ghosts in this castle they’d probably push her down in disgust at her attempts to look regal.
She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Robin. I just don’t think they’re right for me.’
He let out a loud sigh and threw up his hands. ‘Okay then, Laurie. What is it? What is the dress you see in your dreams?’
She laughed. ‘It depends entirely what I’m dreaming about.’
‘Pfft.’ He waved his hand in disgust and touched his finger to the side of her forehead. ‘What is it, Laurie? What’s the one that you keep in here?’ Then his finger came down and pressed on her chest bone. ‘Or more importantly, what’s the one you keep in here?’
She flinched. ‘It’s the dress Liesl wore in The Sound of Music.’ The words came straight out without a second thought.
‘No!’ He was excited, and obviously a little surprised. He didn’t even have to ask what dress she was referring to as he clearly already knew. He flung his arms around her. ‘Oh, Laurie, you are going to love me!’
He disappeared in a flurry, snaking amongst the rails of clothing.
She caught her breath; he couldn’t have what she was looking for—could he? She stood on her tiptoes. Robin had disappeared from sight. She’d no idea where he’d disappeared to, then she heard an exclamation of pure pleasure. ‘I’ve got it!’
The Heir of the Castle (Harlequin Romance) Page 11
