“I guess? Just something about lies. And I don’t know what lies. Gran never told me any of this.” I pressed my palms against my eyes.
“Maybe she didn’t know.” Liora put her hand on my arm. “Or maybe she was protecting you from something.”
“By keeping me in the dark?” I dropped my hands and stared out at the loch. “How is that protecting me?”
“I don’t know. But Agnes, we’re going tofigure this out.” Liora’s jaw set with determination. “Have you looked through everything you have? Family wise?”
“I’ve looked through Gran’s things before. Letters and photographs and keepsakes. Nothing that explained any of this. But I’ll look again.”
“There we go. It’s a start. Look with fresh eyes.”
“And what about the archives here?” Zara asked, leaning down to pat Mitch’s head. Sir Buster zoomed over and stood in front of Mitch but seemed to understand that the other dog couldn’t play because he didn’t growl or play bow. Instead, he just politely sniffed Mitch’s nose. “I’m told the library is quite extensive.”
“It is. But I haven’t looked with these parameters on my search before,” I admitted. “I guess I didn’t really think to.”
“Then we start there. I can help.” Liora squeezed my arm. “You’re not alone in this.”
“I need to go,” I said. “I’ve got to open the shop.”
“Agnes—”
“I’ll think about what you said. I will. But right now, I just need to be normal for a few hours. Sell some books. Pretend my life isn’t falling apart.”
Liora looked like she wanted to argue, but something in my face must have stopped her.
“Okay,” she said. “Um, also, excuse me, but did you say you went to dinner with Graham?”
Heat flooded my cheeks.
“Ohhh boy. Zara, Agnes is blushing.”
“Is that right? So it was a date?”
“It wasn’t a date,” I insisted. It was one hundred percent a date.
“Uh-huh. Did you shag him?” Liora leaned in.
“I feel like she’d look a lot better this morning if she did. Didn’t, like, two people mention she didn’t look well today?” Zara scrunched up her face.
“Aye, that’s true. She’d have that well-shagged look about her if Graham had gotten his hands on her,” Liora mused, studying my face.
“Right, that’s enough of that!” I threw up my hands and turned away. “That’s me off. I’ll catch up with you ladies later.”
“I’ll text you later. I’m good at research. We’ll figure this out. Together,” Liora called after me as I stomped away from the castle, feeling like my cheeks were on fire.
Even the thought of Graham’s hands on me again was enough to send my heart rate soaring.
Bloody hell, but that man knew how to please a woman.
He lingered.
He savored.
He feasted.
There were times where it was as though every moment was an aching eternity and other times where it was a flash of fire and I was left gasping for breath, my body sated, not even fully realizing what had happened.
It was no wonder every woman who came through town was attracted to him. It was like they could smell it on him, a man confident in his ways, and I honestly couldn’t blame them. Making love to Graham Kincaid was an experience no woman would ever forget.
