The Heir of the Castle

Chapter SEVEN


THIS WAS, WITHOUT doubt, Laurie’s favourite room in the whole castle.

She leaned back in the well-worn leather chair and turned the pages of the book in front of her. It was one of the classics—Anne of Green Gables—and she’d never had the chance to read it before.

Her feet were tucked under her and the sun was streaming through the multi-paned windows. She took a deep breath. She loved that. The inhalation of the smell of books and wood.

The library was one of the grandest rooms in the castle. Set in the base of one of the large drum towers, the circular bookshelves ran along the inside of the room on three different levels. There was even a sliding set of stairs that allowed you to reach the books on the top level. But the real pièce de résistance was the views all around the tower. Sitting in the middle of the room Laurie could see the sea on one side and the beautiful gardens on the other. The room was every book lover’s dream.

The knock at the door startled her. She’d closed the door and turned the key in the lock in order to try and have a little privacy. Just her, the views, the books and a steaming-hot cup of lemon tea.

She shrank down into the chair. It was silly. No one could see through the door. No one could really know she was in here. Maybe if she just kept quiet they would go away?

But no. The knock was more insistent this time, sharper and louder. She cringed.

‘Laurie? Laurie, I know you’re in there. Can you open the door, please?’

She straightened in her chair. Callan.

After his abrupt departure last night she hadn’t seen him again.

She had no idea what she’d said or done to upset him. One minute they’d been almost flirting, the next second he’d disappeared. She’d made excuses as soon as she could and tiptoed up the stairs to bed. She hadn’t really been in the mood for socialising after that, her excitement about the ball all but crushed.

The knock came again. ‘Laurie? Will you let me in, please?’

She sighed. Callan. This was his home. She couldn’t really keep him locked out. He probably had a master key somewhere anyway.

She walked over and opened the door, not even waiting to speak to him but crossing back to her chair, sitting down and picking her book back up.

He was carrying a tray in his hands that he set down on one of the tables before turning and locking the door again.

The fresh smell of his aftershave drifted across the room. She was trying to make a point by ignoring him.

But ignoring a six-foot-four man who’d just locked them both in a room was kind of hard.

That and the smell of bacon rolls that was floating across the room towards her.

Her stomach betrayed her and rumbled loudly. A plate landed on her lap. ‘Can I interest you in some breakfast?’

She looked up. ‘Is this an apology?’

He hesitated. ‘It’s a peace offering.’

‘Did you bring ketchup?’

He lifted the bottle and shook it.

She held out her hand. ‘Let me think about it while I’m eating.’

He sat down in the chair next to her with his own bacon roll and a cup of tea.

He smiled. ‘I see you went for the old lock-the-door-and-keep-them-out trick.’

She was mid-chew. ‘Sometimes it feels as if there are just too many people about. I mean, I know it’s a big place—it’s a castle, for goodness’ sake. And I can always lock myself away in my room. But it’s weird—sometimes I feel I just need a little space. A little time out.’

He nodded. ‘I get it. I do. And I get agitated every time I see a measuring tape.’

She burst out laughing. ‘I know. They were doing it again last night as I was going to bed. What is the obsession with that and taking pictures with their phone?’

He shook his head. ‘I’m trying hard not to think about it. I’m sure if I go online I’ll probably see half the furniture and antiques in this castle listed for sale.’

She was horrified. ‘Callan? Do you really think that?’

He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What other reason is there? I take it they’re sending the pictures to someone to get things valued first.’

She shook her head. ‘That’s horrible.’

‘That’s life.’

He said the words so simply. As if he was finally trying to accept the fact that in the next few days Annick Castle would have a new owner. She couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling. If people came into her home and started doing things like that—well, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions.

Their eyes met and there it was again. That connection she felt every time she was around him. Her breath hitched in her throat. She didn’t want to drag her eyes away from his. What she really wanted was to get to the bottom of what was happening here.


They hadn’t discussed it. They hadn’t acknowledged it. Surely this wasn’t just in her head?

Callan looked away and she took a steadying breath, bringing herself back to reality. She had to think about normal things. Things that weren’t Callan McGregor.

Focus. She took a sip of her tea and looked around the room. That bacon roll had really hit the mark. ‘I still don’t get it. How did Angus McLean manage to have so many children that no one knew about?’ She stood up and started walking around the room.

There were a few pictures of Angus in here. One with him in his army uniform in World War II. Another with him looking a little older and standing in front of the sign for Ellis Island in New York.

Callan walked over next to her. ‘I’ve been trying to figure it out—believe me.’ He pointed to the picture of Angus in his uniform. ‘I’ve worked out that Angus was stationed in a few places throughout World War II. He was down in England for a time, then over in Canada just after the war. I think that accounts for two—or maybe even three of his children.’

‘What about this one—the New York picture?’

He nodded. ‘He was apparently sent there after the war to negotiate deals for the pharmaceutical company.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘That would be another child.’

‘Wow. The guy certainly got about.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘What about my Irish relatives, then? Did he go to Ireland?’

Callan shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. But Mary said her mother was originally from Scotland and moved over to Ireland as a young woman.’

‘A young woman with a baby on board?’

Callan shrugged. ‘It’s just as much a mystery to me as it is to you, Laurie.’

She couldn’t help it. Talking about Angus McLean just made her frustrated. ‘But how? How could he have six children and not bother with them?’

Callan slumped down into the chaise longue and put his head in his hands. She was staring out at the gardens thinking what a beautiful environment this would have been to be raised as a child. ‘I’ve got some boxes of paperwork—old things, to go through. Maybe I’ll find something there that will shed some light on all of this.’

‘Should you be doing that?’ Her lawyer head was instantly slotting into place. Callan wasn’t related to Angus.

He looked up at her. His brow was wrinkled again and the green of his eyes seemed to make her want to step closer. He ran his fingers through his dark hair. ‘That’s just it, Laurie. I might not be family, but I was named as Angus’s next of kin. So, until all this is sorted, I’m pretty sure I’m allowed to sort things out. At least that’s what Frank tells me.’

‘Wow.’ She sat down next to him and automatically put her hand on his leg. It was meant to be friendly. It was meant to be reassuring—or supportive. But it was none of those things.

It was her fine fingers feeling his thick, muscular thighs. How did a guy with a desk job get thighs like that? And what did they look like when he wasn’t fully dressed?

The wayward thoughts made her blush and her instant reaction was to pull her hand away. But Callan stopped that. He put his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze.

She could swear that right now a thousand butterflies were fluttering over the skin on her hand. She couldn’t stop staring at him. Even though she wanted to.

She must look like some star-struck teenager, hardly appealing.

‘Didn’t you know he’d named you as his next of kin?’ Great. Her voice had turned into an unintelligible squeak.

He shook his head. ‘Maybe I should have guessed. As far as I knew, Angus didn’t really have anyone else to name as next of kin. But we’d never talked about it. I found out as he became really unwell. Frank told me.’

‘But he didn’t tell you the rest?’

Callan raised his eyebrows. ‘That he had six mystery children? Oh, no. Frank didn’t mention that.’

‘Have you asked him about it?’

‘That’s just it. I’m not entirely sure how much Frank knows. He said he’s checked back and Angus’s family have dealt with Ferguson and Dalglish solicitors for years. As far as he can see, Angus was contacted at various points in his life and made payments.’

‘What kind of payments?’

‘I guess it must have been some sort of child support. All of this happened before I was even born.’

Laurie shook her head. ‘Isn’t there anyone else you can ask?’

He lifted one hand and held it up. ‘Like who? Angus was ninety-seven. All his friends and acquaintances are long since gone.’

It made sense. Whether she liked it or not.

But here was the thing. She wasn’t really concentrating on why Angus McLean had only acknowledged his children financially. She was far too interested in the fact that their fingers were still intertwined on his thigh. Her ability to concentrate on anything else was fading fast.

Laurie pointed at one of the photos. Anything to try and keep herself distracted. ‘I have to say, I can’t really see any family resemblance between Angus and my dad. I can definitely see a resemblance with some of the other relatives. I notice lots of subtle similarities between Mary from Ireland and my dad. They’re half-siblings. It’s only natural. But it just feels really strange. It’s almost like having a little part of him back.’

Her eyes instantly filled with tears. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She didn’t want to get emotional in front of Callan.

But Callan didn’t hesitate. He stood up in front of her and pulled her up, enveloping her in his arms.

She’d never been the kind of girl to act like a shrinking violet. She’d never been the kind of girl that needed rescuing by some dashing guy.

But just that act of kindness—that feeling of someone putting their arms around her—made her breath hitch in her throat. How long had it been since this had happened?

It was so nice to feel the warmth of someone’s body next to hers. It was so nice to be comforted—to not feel alone any more—that for a few seconds she went with her natural responses and just buried her head against his chest. She could hear his heart thudding in her ear through the thin cotton of his shirt. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest next to her skin.

It was warm. It was comforting. It was something else entirely.

What would it be like if this could be the sound she woke up to every morning?

Her brain was doing crazy things to her today. If he’d hovered around the edges of her dream the night before, then there was no denying that he’d had the starring role last night. It was funny the things an unexpected kiss could cause to pop up in a dream.

He pulled back a little. ‘Are you okay?’ Before she had a chance to speak, his hand came down and tilted her chin up towards him. ‘I’m sorry, Laurie. I don’t mean to be a bear. I’ve been so caught up in the fact that Annick Castle will soon be gone that I’ve not really thought about how all this might be affecting others—affecting you.’

There was real sincerity in his words, real concern in his eyes. She should feel comforted. She should feel reassured. But all she could feel was the blood currently buzzing around her body.

‘Angus’s funeral was only a month ago. And all this has come as a bolt out of the blue. I still wake up in the morning and it takes me a few seconds to remember that he’s not here any more. It takes me a few seconds to realise I’m in the middle of all this. I feel as if I haven’t really had a chance to say goodbye to him yet.’


His words stopped her blood buzzing. Stopped it dead.

She could relate. She could totally relate. Grieving was a completely individual process, but Callan’s sounded similar to how she’d felt.

This time she reached out to him. And it was the most natural thing in the world for her. Her hand reached up and cradled the side of his cheek.

‘I hated that. That few perfect seconds where everything was all right—just as you woke up. Then, that horrible sicky feeling you got as soon as you remembered. It was like that when my dad died. It took months for it to go away, Callan—and even now, ten years later, tiny little things—a headline in a paper, a picture of something, or someone saying something totally random to me—can bring it all flooding back. It doesn’t go away. It never goes away.’

He hadn’t moved. He was just watching her with his steady green eyes. He probably didn’t realise it, but she could see the myriad emotions flitting behind his eyes.

She was starting to see a clearer picture now. She’d been making assumptions. But it was clear to her now that, in Callan’s head, Angus had been his father figure. The person he’d relied on, the person he’d looked up to. How would she feel if she were in his shoes?

His arms were still around her waist. Her hand was still on his cheek. She almost felt frozen in time. She could stay like this for ever.

For the first time, in a long time, she felt as if she was home. Home in Callan McGregor’s arms. The realisation was startling. It didn’t matter how she felt about Angus McLean. She had to respect the fact that, for Callan, he’d been family.

‘What happened to your own mum and dad, Callan?’

It was an intrusive question and she felt him bristle under her touch. But it was just the two of them, with no interruptions. If she wanted to understand Callan McGregor better, she had to ask.

His eyes fixed on hers and she could almost see his mind jumble around trying to decide what to say. ‘My mother was never really around. I’m not entirely sure what happened in their marriage. It was only me and my dad since I was a young boy. My dad would never talk about her.’

‘Do you remember anything about her?’

‘I remember the police coming to the door of our house when I was fifteen to tell my dad she was dead. I was more or less staying with Angus all the time by then, but I went home on occasion.’

‘What happened to her?’

He shook his head. ‘I didn’t actually find out until years later. She had a mental health condition—schizophrenia. She’d taken an accidental overdose.’

‘That’s awful. Do you think she left because of her mental health problem?’

‘No. I think she left because of my dad.’

His answer was instant. The next question was poised on her lips, but something told her not to ask it. Not to pry. Callan took several deep breaths. Even sharing that little part of himself had been hard for him.

He pulled back and she was surprised by how hurt she felt as he walked across the room, picking up the plates and cups and putting them on the tray.

She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted him to stay here, with her. And that made her insides curl up in confusion.

‘I’ll take these back to the kitchen. Are you baking today?’

The conversation was clearly over. At least that part of it was.

She took a deep breath and smiled. ‘I think Marion has me lined up to make a raspberry cheesecake and some more gingerbread.’

‘You could leave the staff to it, you know.’

‘No. I couldn’t. I like being in the kitchen. Next to this room—’ she held out her arms ‘—it’s the place I feel most at home.’

She hadn’t meant to say it like that. She hadn’t meant to imply that she was thinking of this place as home. Because she wasn’t. Really she wasn’t. Her mind was getting jumbled with the huge range of emotions Annick Castle was conjuring up for her. And something flickered across his face. A look of discomfort, that was quickly replaced by a quick nod of the head.

‘I’m going to go for another walk later—back around the grounds. Or, do you want me to help you with Angus’s boxes?’ It was a measured question. It was her trying to offer a hand of friendship.

Was she really comfortable making that offer? Who was she to go through Angus’s things? Grandfather or not, she hadn’t known him and never would. Not the way Callan had.

But she’d seen the look in Callan’s eyes earlier. She’d seen how hurt he was, how he was struggling with his bereavement. And while she didn’t have any loyalty to Angus, she did have a burning desire to support Callan.

She’d been there. She knew how hard this was. Her mother had fallen to pieces and if it hadn’t been for her university friends, she would have too. Having people around to support you made all the difference.

Callan shook his head. ‘I’ll be fine. I probably won’t get much done today. I have to make some calls and answer some emails for the day job.’

She smiled. ‘You mean you need to Blether?’

He laughed. ‘Absolutely. I need to Blether.’

She took a deep breath. This was difficult. She was struggling with this. She didn’t really know who Callan McGregor was. But he’d shared a little of himself with her today. He’d held her at the bottom of the cliff steps. He’d kissed her last night. He’d hugged her today. This was the closest she’d got to a man in months. And he set every nerve in her body on fire. There was something between them. For her, there were blurred lines all over the place. She just wasn’t sure what this was.

‘Well, you know where I’ll be if you’re looking for me.’ Her eyes fixed on his.

And he held her gaze. For longer than ever before. She could practically hear the air in the room sizzle between them. Was something else going to happen?

He tore his gaze away and fixed a smile on his face. ‘Yes, I do. Thanks, Laurie.’ Then he picked up the tray and disappeared down the corridor.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

* * *

At first glance the kitchen seemed empty and Laurie walked across the room and started washing her hands at one of the Belfast sinks. It only took her a few minutes to collect all the ingredients from the larder, including the fresh raspberries that had been picked from the castle gardens this morning. She breathed in deeply; they smelled gorgeous.

She lifted the large glass mixing bowl and whisk out from the cupboard at her feet and started adding her ingredients for the cheesecake. Marion appeared at her elbow. ‘Hi, Laurie, are you sure you’re still happy to help?’

She jumped about a foot in the air. ‘Where on earth did you come from, Marion? I was sure there was no one else in here.’

Marion laughed and tapped the side of her nose. ‘I’m like the genie in the lamp. I know all the hiding places around this kitchen.’

Laurie stared at her for a few seconds, trying to work out if she was joking or not.

Marion smiled. ‘I was in the pantry. You were so deep in concentration that you didn’t notice me when I came out. What are you fretting about? Is it about the castle?’

Laurie set down the wooden spoon she held in her hand. ‘No. It’s not about the castle. Not at all.’ She looked around her. ‘But that’s probably what I should be worrying about, isn’t it?’

‘Aha.’

‘Aha? What does that mean?’ Marion was giving her a strange kind of smile as she started to collect her own set of ingredients.


‘It means I always know what’s going on in this place.’

‘Well, I don’t. Why don’t you share it with me?’

Marion was practically chuckling. ‘I bet it was Callan that was on your mind.’

Her cheeks flushed instantly. The woman was a mind reader. ‘Why do you think that?’ Had people noticed they’d been spending time together?

‘Because I’ve been here a long time. I notice things. I particularly notice things when it comes to Callan.’ Her voice had a little protective edge to it. ‘I heard about the kiss,’ she added.

‘How long have you been here, Marion?’ Curiosity was piquing her interest, particularly now Callan had revealed a little part of himself to her.

‘More than forty years.’ She said the figure with pride.

‘And you haven’t thought about retiring?’ She knew instantly it had been the wrong thing to say as Marion bristled.

‘I have no intention of retiring,’ she said stiffly. ‘As long as I can still do my job I’ll be here.’

‘Of course. I didn’t mean anything by it, Marion. Forty years is a long time.’ She started mixing the ingredients in her bowl. ‘You must have been here when Callan first appeared,’ she added carefully.

Marion’s keen eyes locked with hers. ‘What did he tell you?’

‘He told me Angus found him as a young boy. He told me about his mother. And about the fact Angus named him as next of kin.’

Marion raised her eyebrows. ‘He told you quite a lot, didn’t he?’ Her eyes swept up and down the length of Laurie. ‘He doesn’t usually share much about himself.’ She stopped, then added, ‘But then he doesn’t usually kiss girls in front of a room full of strangers.’

Laurie gave a little smile. ‘I get that.’

She mixed slowly. Had she been misleading about how much Callan had told her? She was itching to know more, but she didn’t want to come right out and ask.

After a few guarded seconds Marion started to speak, her eyes fixed on the wall. She’d obviously drifted off into some past memory. ‘I’ll never forget that night for as long as I live. When Angus came in here with Callan bundled up in his arms, freezing and soaking wet after hiding from his brute of a father.’ She shook her head. ‘We made a pact.’

Laurie felt her heart start to race. Did she really want to know this? Should she be upfront and tell her Callan hadn’t told her this part? But the truth was she did want to know this. She wanted to understand why Callan was so fiercely loyal to Angus. She wanted to try and understand the connection between the two men.

‘All of us. Me, Angus and Bert. We were the only three here that late at night. But we promised there would always be a place here for Callan. There would always be somewhere safe he could come where people would be concerned about him.’ Her voice drifted off a little, and Laurie could see the tears forming in her eyes. ‘Where people could show him that they cared what happened to him.’

She looked out of the window. ‘Social services weren’t the same as they are nowadays. Children were left in conditions they shouldn’t be. Everyone knew that.’ She turned to face Laurie. ‘Do you know after his drunken rage his father didn’t even know that Callan had gone? It was two days before he turned up here looking for him.’ Laurie could hear the disgust in her voice. ‘We all knew that his mother was gone. But no one really knew why. We didn’t know about the schizophrenia then.’ She waved her hand. ‘That all came much later.’ She shook her head. ‘We guess that his father got worse after his mother left. But we don’t know that for sure. Maybe his father’s drinking contributed towards his mother’s mental health condition? All I know is, that must have been a terrible environment for a wee boy to be in.’

Laurie was shocked. No wonder Callan only shared little pieces of himself. What had he been subjected to at home?

Marion hadn’t said the words but the implication about his father being a drunk was clear. She couldn’t help the automatic shiver that ran down her spine. No child should be subjected to a life like that.

Her eyes fixed on the contents of the bowl as she stirred. She could feel the tears prickling in her eyes. Her natural thoughts were to compare Callan’s upbringing with her own.

She’d had a mum and dad who had loved her dearly and doted on her. Callan’s life had been nothing like that. And no matter what her thoughts about Angus McLean, thank goodness he’d recognised a child in need and had reached out to him.

She felt a hand resting on her back. Marion’s. ‘I know,’ came the quiet words of understanding. Marion could obviously see the whole host of emotions flitting across her face.

She waited a few minutes, lost in her thoughts. ‘Marion, if you’ve been here that long, tell me about my grandfather. Tell me why he didn’t acknowledge his children.’

She couldn’t stop this. It played on her mind constantly. She already knew Callan’s thoughts on all of this. Maybe Marion could offer better insight?

Marion shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’m not sure, Laurie. It seems odd. But Angus McLean’s life wasn’t entirely easy. He was much more involved in the pharmaceutical business than his colleagues thought. He would spend hours in the laboratories. He was involved in all the developmental work. Lots of people just thought Angus dealt only with contracts and sales—but that wasn’t true at all.’

There was something strange about her words. Something Laurie couldn’t quite put her finger on.

‘But lots of people have difficult jobs, Marion. That doesn’t stop them keeping in contact with their kids.’

Marion’s lips pressed firmly together. ‘Things aren’t always what they seem, Laurie. And remember, times have changed rapidly over the last few years. Angus did what he thought was right for his children.’

Money. Marion was talking about money. So, she wasn’t wrong about this vibe. There was definitely something that Marion wasn’t telling her.

‘All the money in the world doesn’t make up for not having your dad when you need him, Marion. I can’t imagine not having my dad there. I’m a grown adult now, and I still struggle with the fact I can’t pick up the phone and speak to him every day.’

‘I understand that, Laurie, really I do. But everyone’s life circumstances are different. That’s all I’m saying.’ She picked up the mixture she’d been preparing and started dividing it into tins. It was clear that from her perspective the conversation was over.

Laurie followed suit. It only took a few minutes to finish whisking the cheesecake and put it in the fridge to set. The gingerbreads were ready for the oven and now all she had to do was wait.

‘Have you finished up?’

She nodded. ‘Is there something else you need a hand with?’

Marion shook her head. ‘We’re all ready for the ball tonight. The turkey and the beef joints are in the oven. The veg are all prepared. And I’ve got a few girls coming in from the village to help serve again.’

‘What else is happening tonight?’

Marion rolled her eyes. ‘I have no idea. I do know that there’s a string quartet coming. They are expected to arrive in the next few hours. As for the rest of Robin’s plans? Your guess is as good as mine.’ She brushed her hands together and glanced over at the ovens. ‘If you’re finished up I’ll be happy to take everything out of the oven for you.’


Laurie smiled. ‘Has Callan been nagging you about me being in the kitchen?’

Marion laughed. ‘Don’t you worry about Callan nagging me. I’ve been dealing with that for years.’

Laurie took off her apron and hung it back up. ‘I’d quite like to go for a walk around the grounds before tonight—you know, to clear my head.’

Marion nodded and looked at her carefully. ‘We all need to do that sometimes. Even Callan.’

Her feet had already carried her to the door but she turned as Marion spoke again. ‘Laurie—just so you know. That’s the first time I’ve ever known Callan to be so...’ she was obviously searching for the right word ‘...affectionate in public.’

Laurie’s heart gave a little leap. She gave Marion a little smile and fled out of the door. Annick Castle was going to land her in a whole heap of trouble.