Page 16 of A Secret Scottish Escape

My shoulders sagged with emotional exhaustion after revealing the truth to her. Part of me felt satisfied by her stunned reaction, whereas the other half experienced a surge of guilt.

Hannah hovered, myriad emotions flitting through her eyes before she settled on strained defiance. “Thank you for the legal advice, David.”

Then, ignoring me, she whirled away.

My eyes followed her until she had barged back through the function room doors and into Mac’s gathering again.

“I’m sorry,” I gushed to David. “I shouldn’t have told her – especially not like that – but she was so insensitive…”

The solicitor nodded. “It would have come out sooner or later, I’m sure, and she was being her usual brittle self.”

“Thank you,” I managed after a pause.

David pushed his hands into his trouser pockets. “You’re welcome, Layla. A contest of Mac’s will is the last thing either you or Lois need right now.”

He tipped his head to one side. “So, about the royalty money Mac has left you…”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “This doesn’t change anything. I still don’t want it.”

David’s expression collapsed. “But Layla, don’t you think you’re being rather stubborn about all this?”

I shook my head fiercely. “Our relationship was a sham. It’s guilt money and I don’t want it.”

His reply was gentle. “Give yourself some time. Once you’ve had time to think it through—”

“I don’t need to think anything through,” I swallowed, dashing away a tear with the back of my hand. “I’m thinking very clearly now.”

I pulled Mac’s letter out of my jacket pocket and threw it onto the wooden coffee table. “I don’t want a penny from him. I wish I could forget I ever met him.”

And with that, I hurried back down the corridor and towards the function room in a haze of tears.

Chapter Nine

I burst through the wooden panelled swing doors so hard that I was in danger of dislodging the blue and gold ‘Selkie’ name plate that was attached to them.

As my eyes scanned the crowd of mourners, I noticed abandoned plates, screwed-up napkins, and loosened ties.

Faith was lingering by the stack of white ceramic coffee cups, chatting to Lois and Dad.

“I’m going to head off now,” I managed through a watery smile.

Dad took one look at me and set down his crumb-filled plate on the nearby pastry table. “What happened, lovey?”

I studied each of their worried faces.

What the hell had Mac been thinking? Why hadn’t he told me about his heart diagnosis? He had been leading this other life when he wasn’t with me, and it had been a reckless, selfish one that had left me without my fiancé and Lois without her brother.

Oh shit! Lois. Guilt crawled all over me. I had to tell her about Mac’s heart condition. This wasn’t just about me. She had every right to know.

“Layla?” asked Lois, studying me. “Are you all right?”

I felt suspicion nudge me. Could Lois have known about Mac’s illness after all? She hadn’t known about his affair with Hannah – or, at least, she said she hadn’t.

Who could I trust? Who could I confide in? Despondency thudded in my head. I opened and closed my mouth.

“Come outside, all of you,” I said after a moment. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Leaving behind the thrum of conversation, I slid out of the function room, with Dad, Lois, and Faith following me.