The Heir of the Castle

Chapter TWELVE


‘WHAT?’

Callan couldn’t believe his ears. This day was getting madder by the second.

‘You can’t do that.’

‘Yes, I think you’ll find I can. Can’t I, Frank?’

Frank nodded numbly.

Callan knelt down in front of Laurie. She looked exhausted and she was still soaking wet. They were all soaking wet. ‘Laurie, you’ve had a shock. You’re not thinking clearly.’

Her words were crisp. ‘I’m thinking perfectly clearly, Callan. If Annick Castle is mine, then I can do what I want with it.’

He shook his head. ‘But Angus wanted it to go to family. You’re his family, Laurie, not me.’

She leaned forward, her face inches away from his. ‘And I can see exactly how much that hurts you, Callan. What is a family anyway? Is it the person that created you genetically? Or is it the person that’s loved you, protected you and sheltered you from the world? Isn’t family the people who’ve taken care of you, helped you do your homework, played with you and looked out for you when you were a kid? Shaped you into the adult you’ve become? What does the word family mean to you, Callan?’ She reached out her finger and touched his chest. ‘What does it mean to you in here?’

He couldn’t speak. He felt totally blindsided by her. It was as if she could see inside his head. See every bad thought that had entered his brain. Every time he’d bitten his tongue this weekend to stop him saying something he shouldn’t.

He knew exactly what she meant. He’d heard her talk about her father. She’d loved him unconditionally—much like the way he’d loved Angus. Whenever she was thinking deeply about something she fingered the gold locket around her neck, the one her father had given her. The love she felt for her father had lasted long after her father’s death. And he felt the same; he’d never forget Angus.

‘Angus was my family,’ he whispered. His throat felt dry and scratchy. Saying the words still hurt. Facing up to the fact that Angus hadn’t thought of him as family still hurt. But now he’d discovered so much more.

He reached over and took her hand. ‘Let me show you something—something I just found.’

He didn’t wait for her response; he just pulled her along behind him. Down the corridor and up the carved staircase towards the room that held Angus’s things.

Laurie hadn’t stopped crying yet. Slow tears were still trickling down her cheeks. She reached over and put her hand on his cheek. ‘What is it, Callan? Because I can’t deal with this right now. I can’t deal with you.’ She pressed her hand to her chest.

He dropped down onto the carpet and pulled the photo album from the top of the box. ‘I don’t want you to give me the castle, Laurie. It’s not right. It’s not the way it’s supposed to be.’

She lifted her head up. He could see the determined look across her face. The kind of look that dared anyone to argue with her. ‘I don’t agree with what Angus has done. And I don’t need to. But I can put right what I think is wrong.’

Callan shook his head. Every other relative had looked as if they wanted to sell the castle. Laurie was the only person who hadn’t considered that. Did she have any idea what the castle was really worth?

‘Laurie, I have to tell you. I’d planned to speak to whoever inherited the castle to see if they would accept my offer. I’d always planned to try and buy Annick Castle. I certainly don’t want you to give it to me.’ He placed the album in her hands. ‘But this is what Angus McLean left me. Something so much more important than a castle.’

He was starting to panic. This didn’t feel right. Callan McGregor was always entirely above board. He didn’t want Laurie to give him the castle. No way.

How would that look?

Particularly now—when he wanted her to stay.

This confused everything. He’d wanted to ask her to stay this morning. Before any of this happened. And he should have asked her. He should have asked her then.

He wanted her to understand everything. He wanted her to look through the album and realise he believed she was right. The gift that Angus had given him was security. A place where a little boy could thrive and be loved by a family. The people who stayed here were his family. Blood didn’t matter. Genetics didn’t matter.

But Laurie’s face was blank. Was she listening to him at all? She still hadn’t opened the album. The album that told the story of his life. He had to try something else.

‘I’ll buy it from you. We’ll get an independent survey, an independent evaluation.’ He was starting to babble, but he just couldn’t help it. He felt as if everything was slipping through his fingers. Which was strange, because up until a few days ago his priority had been Annick Castle. A few days ago, this would have been exactly what he wanted.

And part of him still wanted it. Just not without her.

He shook his head. ‘I’ve looked at the accounts. Things aren’t good. Annick Castle is in trouble. The nest egg that Angus used to have just isn’t there any more. You’ve seen for yourself that there are areas that need attention. And with a place like this there are no simple fixes. Even things that seem simple need a master craftsman. Traditional materials, specialist trades, everything has to meet the standards for listed building consent. Things need to change around here.’

Laurie stood up. ‘What are you talking about, Callan? I’ve told you. I want to give you Annick Castle. I don’t want your money. I don’t want you to buy it from me. It doesn’t even feel as if it should really be mine.’ She flung her hands in the air, letting the album fall to the floor. ‘It’s ridiculous. I inherit this place on the basis of the name I wrote on a card?’ She turned to face Frank too. ‘Tell me this isn’t fundamentally wrong—because we all know it is. This place, never mind its monetary value, what about its heritage value, its history? These are the things that are important. These are the things that make Annick Castle special.’ She turned back to Callan. ‘Angus was wrong. Annick Castle should always have been yours. You’re the one with the connection with this place. You’re the one who loves it. It should be yours.’ There was real passion in her voice. As if she knew, as if she understood.


And he could recognise it. Because he understood completely.

He placed his hand on her arm. ‘But that’s just it, Laurie. I’m not the only one with a connection to this place, am I?’

He watched her eyes widen. She started to stutter, ‘B-but...’

‘Tell me.’ He stepped forward and placed his hand on her chest. ‘Tell me how Annick Castle makes you feel in here, Laurie.’

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer.

‘I could see it, Laurie. I could see it in your eyes, in everything you did this weekend. From the moment you saw this place, from the moment you set foot in this place, Annick Castle started to get under your skin. You asked questions, you took an interest in everything that happens around here. You looked at this place with a fresh set of eyes.’ His voice lowered. ‘You introduced me to ideas that I would never have considered myself.’ He shook his head as he grew more determined—as he started to see in his head exactly what he wanted to happen.

It was like standing at the railway station again, watching the smoke clear around Laurie’s curves. He just knew.

‘I can’t do this without you, Laurie. I don’t want to do this without you. This morning, when I woke up I watched you sleeping. I wanted to ask you then. I should have asked you then.’

‘Asked me what?’

‘To stay. To stay with me.’ The words that had been skirting around the edges of his brain for the last few hours. It was so much easier to say them out loud than he could possibly have imagined.

He sat her down on the chaise longue next to the window and put the album in her lap, flicking past the first few pages of Angus’s photographs and onto the pages that showed him as a young boy.

He could see her sharp intake of breath. ‘Laurie, I don’t care what you do with Annick Castle. If I ever want to move on, I have to let it go. I have to get past this. But I can’t get past you.’

Her eyes widened as he turned the pages, letting her see every year of his life recorded by Angus. Letting her see the love between them, letting her see the warmth and security that he’d been provided with. Letting her see his family.

‘What is this?’ she murmured.

‘This is me. This is the legacy that Angus left me.’ He put his hand over hers and squeezed tightly. ‘It means so much more than bricks and mortar. Angus, and the people here, helped me grow into the man I am today.’ He traced a finger down her cheek. ‘One that knows if you love someone, you should always put them first.’

Her voice trembled. ‘What do you mean you can’t get past me, Callan? What are you saying?’

‘I’m saying whatever your decision—about Annick Castle, or about your job—I want to be in your life. I want to be part of your life.’ He put both of his hands on her cheeks. ‘I want to be your family.’

Tears glistened in her eyes.

‘You have to know that I’ve never connected with anyone the way I’ve connected with you. I don’t want to let you go. I don’t want this weekend to end.’ He held up his arms. ‘I wanted to ask you to stay with me this morning, Laurie, but I didn’t know where I’d be. I didn’t know what I’d have to offer you.’

Her voice cracked. ‘Why would you need to offer me anything, Callan? I don’t expect anything from you.’

‘But that’s just it, Laurie. I want you to. I want to be part of your life. I want to be here for you. Wherever you want to be, just tell me. I can find a way to make this work.’

He could see her breath catching in her throat.

Her head was spinning. He was asking her to stay. He was telling her he wanted to be with her. But he hadn’t said the words. The three little words she needed to hear.

She took his hands from her cheeks and intertwined her fingers with his. It had finally stopped raining and the sun was peeking out from behind some clouds. Beneath them the gardens lay out in all their coloured glory. Who wouldn’t want to look out at that every single day?

She took a deep breath. ‘I’ve been so confused, Callan. You’re right. From the moment I set foot in Annick Castle I feel as if it’s got a hold on me. I love this place. I love every single part of it.’

She hesitated. Should she say the next part?

‘You’ve made some of my dreams come true, Callan. I never expected it. I never imagined it.’

His hand clasped over hers. ‘Every girl should have their own Sound of Music gazebo. Every girl should have their own princess staircase.’

‘But I don’t want every girl to have you.’ Did she just say that out loud? In another life she might have cringed, but not here, and not now. This was the moment she found out if her life was going to change for ever.

His voice was low and sincere. ‘Every girl can’t have me. There’s only one girl I want. There’s only one girl I want in my life, now and always.’ His hand reached up and stroked her cheek. ‘Know that I will go anywhere with you, any time.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I can Blether all over the world, but there’s no one else I want to blether with. It’s you or nobody. I love you, Laurie Jenkins. Please say you’ll stay with me. Please say we have a future together.’

She reached up and caught his finger in her hand. ‘I love you too. I can’t imagine spending a single day without you.’

She was going to cry again. The tears were building in her eyes.

‘Can I interest you in an Edinburgh town house, Laurie Jenkins?’

‘Can I interest you in a slightly dishevelled castle, Callan McGregor?’

He smiled, his eyes crinkling as pulled her towards him in a kiss. ‘Let’s begin negotiations. I think I’m going to need a good lawyer.’

She laughed. ‘I know just the person.’





EPILOGUE


AS SOON AS he walked through the doors all he could smell was the wonderful array of baking. Gingerbread, chocolate cake, freshly baked scones and the bubbling smell of lentil soup. His stomach growled in instant response but there was a bus tour due in an hour. He had to keep his mind on the job. ‘Laurie, where are you?’

The former icehouse was exactly as she’d planned. Windows all the way around showing views of the gardens and views of the sea. Red and white checked tablecloths, comfortable chairs at the tables, a separate play area for kids and a very expensive coffee machine that Callan had already burned himself on. Still, it was red and matched perfectly. And it had put a huge smile on Laurie’s face.

She appeared from behind the counter, looking a little flushed, wiping her hands on a towel. ‘It can’t be that time already?’

He raised his eyebrows. ‘It is.’

‘But I haven’t got changed, or fixed my hair, and my make-up must be halfway down my face.’

He shook his head and put his hands on her waist. ‘You look perfect.’

‘But I’ve still to—’

He bent down and kissed her to stop her talking. It was amazing how often he had to do that. But it worked like a charm every time. She wound her hands around his neck. ‘You’re distracting me,’ she murmured.

‘It’s my job.’

He pulled back and smiled. ‘I have two special customers that we can’t keep waiting.’

Fourteen months of blood, sweat, tears and lots and lots of special memories. Annick Castle was theirs. Together. And it was now open to the public. The repairs had been put in order. They’d been exhausting and daunting. There had been hours of planning and negotiations with local authorities. They’d even had to redo the steps down the cliff side and install a proper handrail.


But the important thing was that they’d done them together.

And the truth was he’d never seen her look happier. She gave a nervous laugh. ‘Customers. Now I’m really scared.’

‘Oh, don’t worry. I think they’ll like this place,’ he said with confidence as she flicked the sign on the door from Closed to Open.

Marion and Bert didn’t waste any time. Bert went straight to the strawberry and cream sponge sitting under a glass dome. ‘I’ll have a bit of that and a mug of tea.’ He wagged his finger at Laurie. ‘Don’t be giving me any of those fancy china cups.’

Marion was the extreme opposite. ‘I’ll have a toasted scone with butter and jam, and a pot of tea.’ She nodded at Laurie. ‘And I do want a china cup.’

Laurie scurried off, obviously overjoyed by her first customers. Callan sat down at one of the round tables, staring out at the crashing ocean. It was August. The doors to Annick Castle opened today. His stomach was churning a little at the thought of it.

Part of it was genuine nerves about what people might think of the place he loved. Part of it was fear that things wouldn’t work out. Laurie would be devastated. He was beginning to suspect she loved this place even more than he did. Could that even be possible?

He heard the clink of china being set on a table, appreciative voices, then he felt a hand on his back and Laurie slid into the chair next to him, putting a large piece of his favourite chocolate cake on the table in front of him.

‘How does it feel?’

She smiled and glanced out of the window, looking the other way towards the gardens. ‘It feels right,’ she said quietly as she reached over and squeezed his hands.

‘No regrets about leaving London?’

She shook her head fiercely. ‘Not a single one. I haven’t had a tension headache since I moved here.’

‘Even with all the hassles with the castle?’

‘They weren’t hassles. They were teething problems.’ She leaned over and kissed him. ‘Besides I had someone I could moan to every night in bed with me.’

He gave her a wink as he put a piece of chocolate cake in his mouth. ‘I hope that wasn’t the only reason you were moaning.’ He didn’t wait for her reaction before he let out a yelp. ‘Ouch! What’s that?’

Laurie jumped up. ‘What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the cake?’

‘There’s something very wrong. I just got a lump of something in it.’ He couldn’t stop the gleam in his eyes as he pretended to fish something out of his mouth.

She still hadn’t clicked. ‘What is it?’ she demanded as she made a grab for his palm. ‘Oh!’

The emerald and diamond ring lay in the palm of his hand. He’d wanted to propose to her from the moment she’d moved here. But there was never a more perfect time than now—the first day of their new life together.

‘Is that all you can say—oh?’

She smiled. ‘Oh, no, you don’t, Callan McGregor. I want the whole shebang.’

He slid down onto the floor, kneeling in front of her. ‘I should have taken you to the gazebo, shouldn’t I?’

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. ‘Don’t worry, our last trip to the gazebo seems to have left us with more than memories.’

‘Really?’ He jumped straight back up and pulled her into his arms, swinging her around. ‘Really?’ He couldn’t believe it. Nothing could be more perfect.

‘Really.’ She smiled as he lowered her to the floor.

For the first time in years Callan felt flustered. He grabbed the ring and knelt down again in front of her. ‘Then I better make this quick, before people start getting out calendars and looking at the date.’ He took both her hands in his. ‘Laurie Jenkins, I love you more than life itself. Will you do me the honour of walking down our gorgeous staircase in a wedding dress and becoming my wife?’ He slid the ring onto her finger.

‘I think you’re supposed to wait for my answer.’ She smiled.

He leaned forward and kissed her, laying his hand gently on her stomach. ‘It seems to me that you’ve already realised I’ve got no patience. How about we get ready for a castle full of them?’

‘I can’t wait,’ she replied as she kissed him again and again.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from SWEPT AWAY BY THE TYCOON by Barbara Wallace.





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