by L. L. Muir
She was ushered through a set of doors, handed off to a second secretary, then escorted through two more sets before she stood inside the inner sanctum. No one seemed to know or care who she was, only that she was expected. Alexander Reardon had dealt with her all her life because it was expected, not because there was any relationship between them. But she was determined that their meeting would not, indeed, go as he expected this time.
“Ms. Philippa Reardon,” announced Secretary #2, then backed out of the room, pulling the doors closed as she went.
Seated at a huge mahogany desk that faced the wall to Pippa’s right, an older man with thinning hair waved vaguely without looking up from the papers in his hand. The morning sunlight came through the long windows and bounced off the inside of his glasses as his chair swiveled toward her. She’d never seen him wear glasses, and his hair had been full and darker the last time they’d been together—for a brief Christmas dinner in New York, because hey, even Alexander Reardon had to eat.
She might have relaxed a little if she could pretend he was someone else. But that face was unmistakable. It had lost a bit of color from the long winter, but it would be as tan as leather after his spring hunting trip.
“Sit down, M…Philippa.” Catching his near-mistake—almost calling her Ms. Reardon—pulled him out of his concentration. He put down his papers and stripped off the glasses with one hand. His smile was more embarrassment than welcome. “Hello, Philippa. Thank you for coming.”
He made it sound as if she’d come across town on her lunch hour, not taken a leave of absence from National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. and flown across an ocean for him.
“You’re welcome…sir.” She’d planned to call him Mr. Reardon, to return his impersonal greeting, but it was no use. He’d ordered her to come. She’d already obeyed. What was the use of rebelling now?
His lips jumped ever so slightly. He’d noticed the pause, but he pretended he hadn’t. “Are you well?”
“I am. And you?”
His gaze locked with hers. “I have not called you here to discuss my will, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Healthy then? Good.”
His nostrils flared briefly, and then his entire demeanor changed into something she’d never dealt with before. He smiled. “Forgive me. You’ve had a long journey and we haven’t seen each other for—”
“Five years. Christmas dinner. New York.”
“Yes. I remember. I should have… The truth is, I spend most of my time here in Scotland now. The hunting…”
She’d said the last in unison with him. Instead of being perturbed, he smiled again, as if he was pleased she understood him so well.
“There. We’re not such strangers after all. Come, let’s get comfortable.” He stood and gestured to a sitting area with leather couches, tasteful chairs, and an elaborately carved table of black wood that deigned to allow a stack of National Geographic Magazines to sit upon it.
“Of course we’re strangers, Father.” The F word sat like a hair on her tongue, but there was no getting it off again without making unflattering faces. “And I’m comfortable here.”
After a pointed glance at the yellow-framed magazines, he lowered himself back into his chair like a snake backing into its skin again. He couldn’t hide his relief. She’d let him off the hook for whatever fatherly display he’d had planned.
“Let’s get right to it, shall we?”
“Yes. Let’s.”
“I have been put in a position I hadn’t expected. A number of my holdings are deeply intertwined with the tourism of my beloved hunting grounds, so I now find myself on the board of Scotland Forever.”
She sensed those last two words left him wanting to scrape his tongue as well. And since he seemed prepared for her to pounce, she obliged.
“Tourism?” Pippa had to bite her bottom lip to keep from grinning. Her father was now involved with something literally pedestrian.
He forced his chin up. “Yes. It seems owning a great number of castles leads to such things.”
Yes. Like reckless sex leads to infections.
“Scotland Forever,” she repeated, just to keep the words in the air between them. “What has that got to do with me?”
He took a deep breath, a long blink, and looked her dead in the eyes. “You may laugh, but everyone on the board must find something new to promote. They want plans in motion for the time when the Outlander filming comes to an end.
“Father!” She couldn’t resist. “You just referred to a movie!”
He gave his head a tight shake. “This is not the time for joking, Philippa.” The leather of his chair creaked as he leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of him. “Obviously, I will not be involved, but I am happy to pay you to fill this assignment. I realize you may think it beneath you, as a professional reporter—”
“Journalist. A National Geographic Society Journalist.” She shook her head. “You’ve probably never read anything I’ve written.”
“Of course I have.” He pressed a button, but said nothing else.
Two seconds later, Secretary #2 flung the doors open, then held onto the handles while she waited for orders. Her boss pointed to the stack of magazines on the table and the woman scooped them up and brought them forward, shoving them into Pippa’s hands, then disappearing again. It had all been planned, obviously. It was an argument he’d anticipated.
Pippa had no choice but to glance through the issues—the only issues her reporting had been published in. It matched a personal stack on the shelves in her own apartment. “Someone’s done their homework.” She turned the top one over and skimmed the name and address on the mailing label. Alexander Reardon, an Edinburgh address. “Aw. You brought these from home.”
Her father sighed dramatically. “There is no pleasing you, Pippa.”
“Don’t call me Pippa now, Father.”
He winced and she very nearly regretted the barb. “I am asking you, Philippa, if you will come work for me. If the National Geographic Society can spare you for a while. I will cover all expenses while you’re in Scotland. You are welcome to stay and use our home here as your base. We also have homes in London, Glasgow, Inverness, and Skye if your research takes you in other directions.
“I’ll supply you with a car and driver—”
“No.”
He deflated then, adding a decade to his age. “You won’t do it?”
“I don’t want a car and driver. I will find you something promotable.”
He immediately straightened and those years disappeared, as if time were nothing more substantial than a light switch. “Thank you.” He gently cleared his throat, to let her know she wouldn’t like what he had to say next. “I would like to keep my name out of it. Perhaps you could use your mother’s maiden name while you—”
“No. My own name. I have a reputation, you know. Any research I do that ends up promoting a country will make me more relevant.”
He frowned for a long moment, then nodded. “Done. See Nancy on your way out. She’ll get you set up with everything you’ll need. Credit cards, addresses, phone numbers. Scotland is yours.” He smiled then like he’d just handed her a gift wrapped so beautifully, it didn’t matter what was inside.
The smile she returned was more awkward than she would have liked, but it was definitely a start.
“Nancy has a lead for you, by the way. An unusual number of sightings near Inverness—”
“Sightings of what?”
“Handsome men in kilts, supposedly. There might be another production company working on something. You may want to look into it.”
At the door, she turned back. “One question. Why me?”
Her father shrugged. “You fall into the demographic. And you’re a professional researcher. And…” He shrugged again, leaving his last thought unfinished. It was probably best, since he might have said something cruel.
“What demographic?”
“Fans of Outlander. The dri
ving force in Scottish tourism at the moment. If you think it’s promotable, they’ll be interested.”
“I suppose I should read the books, then.”
He gave her a look that told her he knew very well what books currently sat on her shelves, not far from her curated collection of her own published work, but she kept a straight face and strolled out the door as smoothly as she could manage in painful high heels.
Despite their past, she couldn’t possibly refuse him when he’d used words like “our” and “we”. And when she stepped out into the hallway, she took a second to look at those fancy gold R’s again. They still didn’t feel like hers—she hadn’t expected them to—but they weren’t nearly as menacing as they’d been twenty minutes ago.
A note from the author
Hi Everyone,
I’m so pleased to finally get Wyndham’s story to you. I have to say he and Bronagh are one of my favorite couples. You know I love a girl who can swear her way out of a situation, though I tried to keep her under control. But seriously, what Irish gal doesn’t use “feckin” on an hourly basis? And that’s when she’s sleepin’!
And Wyndham. A not so gentle gentleman who likes a good fight and a good meal, but would sacrifice all for a good snogging. He’s so considerate of Bronagh’s mental state, but it never occurred to him that she never worried about insanity until she met him. I’m sure the two of them will come to that realization soon. And since they’re in the neighborhood, you can count on them popping up again at some point.
At the time of this publication, we’re in the midst of the lockdown for the Corona virus. I’m glad I can offer something to take you away from your daily or hourly struggles, and since I’m all cooped up with nothing to do but write, I hope to get you plenty of material to help you through the summer if need be.
Also, I’ve got a big announcement coming in May. Watch for my newsletters! And if you haven’t signed up, go to www.llmuir.weebly.com and get on the list!
The next ghosts are planned as follows:
#52 Calum, from Diane Darcy is already out here: https://amzn.to/2V2zRVa
#53 McColl, by Jo Jones will be out in May (2020)
#54 Giver, written by me, will be out in June. You can read the opening of GIVER in the previous pages!
Big virtual hugs to all of you in our Ghosts of Culloden Moor Family!!!
~Lesli
(If you’re a Kindle Unlimited reader and you want to read Wyndham over again, please return it and check it out again so I get credit. You’re a peach!)
Get more books written by L.L. Muir
*Time Travel Romance
A Good Day for Crazy (one of my personal favorites!)
*Scottish Time Travel Romance
The Curse of Clan Ross Series…
1. ROSS
2. QUINN
3. GASPAR
4. WICKHAM
5. JAMES
6. PERCY
The Curse of Clan Ross Volume 1 (books 1-3)
The Curse of Clan Ross Volume 2 (books 4-6)
Christmas Kiss
Kiss This
*Scottish Historical Romance
Kilt Trip
Pirate Trip
Viking Trip (coming in 2019)
Under the Kissing Tree
*The Ghosts of Culloden Moor
By L.L. Muir unless otherwise noted
(Print copies are published as The Ghosts of Culloden Moor Collections)
1. The Gathering
2. Lachlan
3. Jamie
4. Payton
5. Gareth (Diane Darcy)
6. Fraser
7. Rabby
8. Duncan (Jo Jones)
9. Aiden (Diane Darcy)
10. Macbeth
11. Adam (Cathie MacRae)
12. Dougal
13. Kennedy
14. Liam (Diane Darcy)
15. Gerard
16. Malcolm (Cathie MacRae)
18. Watson
19. Iain (Melissa Mayhue)
20. Connor
21. MacLeod (Cathie MacRae)
22. Murdoch (Diane Darcy)
23. Brodrick
24. The Bugler
25. Kenrick (Diane Darcy)
26. Patrick (Cathie MacRae)
27. Finlay
28. Hamish
29. Rory (Jo Jones)
30. McBean (Diane Darcy)
31. Tristan
32. Niall (Diane Darcy)
33. Fergus (Bess McBride)
34. Angus (Jo Jones)
35. Bram
36. Alexander (Cassidy Cayman)
37. Ronan (Diane Darcy)
38. The Blacksmith
39. Ross (Jennae Vale)
40. Alistair (Jo Jones)
41. MacNabb (Diane Darcy)
42. Rhys
43. Gregor (Jo Jones)
44. Jack
45. The Storyteller (Terri Brisbin)
46. Moodie
47. Chisholm (Jo Jones)
48. Dallas (Cassidy Cayman)
49. Fisher
50. The Reckoning
51. Wyndham
52. Calum (Diane Darcy)
53. McColl (Jo Jones) coming May 2020
54. Giver coming June 2020
55. Harry (Diane Darcy) coming July 2020
*New Cozy Witch Mysteries
Be Witched
Be Fuddled (coming soon)
Be Serious (coming soon)
*Regency Historical Romance
Blood for Ink
Bones for Bread
Body and Soul
Breath of Laughter (coming May 2020)
Lord Fool to the Rescue
*Romantic Suspense
Gone Duck
*Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Somewhere Over the Freaking Rainbow
Freaking Off the Grid
*Middle Grade Children’s Books
Where to Pee on a Pirate Ship
*Western Romance
under the pen name Bella Bowen
BRIDE SCHOOL Series
Book One: GEN
Book Two: LIZZY
Book Three: MOLLY
Book Four: MARY
Book Five: NADIA (coming someday)
The Infamous Mrs. Wiggs Series
PICKLESFORK
American Mail-Order Brides Series
(50 books by various authors)
DARBY: Bride of Oregon
GHOST SERIES LIST
*The Ghosts of Culloden Moor
By L.L. Muir unless otherwise noted
(Print copies are published as The Ghosts of Culloden Moor Collections)
1. The Gathering
2. Lachlan
3. Jamie
4. Payton
5. Gareth (Diane Darcy)
6. Fraser
7. Rabby
8. Duncan (Jo Jones)
9. Aiden (Diane Darcy)
10. Macbeth
11. Adam (Cathie MacRae)
12. Dougal
13. Kennedy
14. Liam (Diane Darcy)
15. Gerard
16. Malcolm (Cathie MacRae)
18. Watson
19. Iain (Melissa Mayhue)
20. Connor
21. MacLeod (Cathie MacRae)
22. Murdoch (Diane Darcy)
23. Brodrick
24. The Bugler
25. Kenrick (Diane Darcy)
26. Patrick (Cathie MacRae)
27. Finlay
28. Hamish
29. Rory (Jo Jones)
30. McBean (Diane Darcy)
31. Tristan
32. Niall (Diane Darcy)
33. Fergus (Bess McBride)
34. Angus (Jo Jones)
35. Bram
36. Alexander (Cassidy Cayman)
37. Ronan (Diane Darcy)
38. The Blacksmith
39. Ross (Jennae Vale)
40. Alistair (Jo Jones)
41. MacNabb (Diane Darcy)
42. Rhys
&nbs
p; 43. Gregor (Jo Jones)
44. Jack
45. The Storyteller (Terri Brisbane) 9/18
46. Moodie
47. Chisholm (Jo Jones)
48. Dallas (Cassidy Cayman)
49. Fisher
50. The Reckoning
51. Wyndham
52. Calum (Diane Darcy)
53. McColl (Jo Jones) coming May 2020
54. Giver coming June 2020
55. Harry (Diane Darcy) coming July 2020
About the Author
L.L. Muir lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and growing family. She appreciates funny friends, a well-fed campfire, and rocking sleepy babies.
A disturbing amount of See’s bridge mix was consumed while writing WYNDHAM.
If you like Lesli’s books, be a sport and leave a review on the book’s Amazon page. You can reach her personally through her website— www.llmuir.weebly.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter. Or find her on Facebook at fictionbyllmuir, or the Ghosts of Culloden Moor page.
Thank you for playing!
Copyright
Published by Lesli Muir Lytle
Wyndham © 2020 L.Lytle
The Ghosts of Culloden Moor Series © 2015 L.Lytle
All rights reserved
Cover Art by Kelli Ann Morgan
License notes…
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. The ebook contained herein constitutes a copyrighted work and may not be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or stored in or introduced into an information storage and retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
