Page 28 of The Secret Castle in the Highlands

The next few weeks were a blur of deciding which of my paintings and Katie’s ceramics to put for sale in the cottages, ensuring the correct furniture was delivered and finalising the design of a colour brochure advertising White Willow Cottages.

We’d also managed to secure a series of adverts in the Port Starr Press and Caleb had finalised our website and social media accounts. We’d been surprised and delighted by the response to our job advert for another cleaner to replace Katie, and after interviewing three suitable candidates, we hired a local young mum by the name of Maisie Prestwick.

Our official opening date of Saturday, 4 May was just a few days away, and so was the realisation that we didn’t have a great deal of time left to ensure everything was in place. We were delighted to have most of the cottages occupied already, after Caleb worked his magic on the website and new online booking system. As Joe and Katie chatted, their voices drifting up from the courtyard, Caleb asked, ‘So what’s the story between you and this historian guy?’

I snapped my head up to look at my big brother. ‘There isn’t a story.’

Caleb’s lips twitched. ‘From what I hear, you two have joined together to defeat the forces of evil.’

‘You’ve been reading too many comics.’

Caleb smiled. ‘I half expected you to turn up today with your knickers on over your trousers.’

‘You leave my underwear out of this.’

There was a pause. ‘So, it isn’t true, then?’

‘What isn’t true?’

‘That you and the hot Aussie are getting close.’

I fidgeted. Caleb wasn’t going to drop the subject until he got a satisfactory answer. Mason and I weren’t getting close. We were just working together … weren’t we? ‘Yes, I did have lunch with him, but it was just a chat about the Scarlet Highwayman.’ I lifted my shoulders and let them fall again in what I hoped was a casual look. ‘I haven’t seen him since. We’ve spoken about how his research is going, though.’

Caleb shot me a wary glance. ‘I saw him and a woman last night strolling down by the beach with a dog.’

My back stiffened. I couldn’t help it. My voice turned all weird. ‘Mason was with a woman?’ So, were all Mason’s protests a ruse? Was he dating somebody after all? Had I been right when I’d been wondering whether he was taking someone out to dinner the other evening? An odd, heavy feeling settled in my stomach.

‘Aye. It looked pretty intense from what I could see. She was petite, attractive, waist-length dark hair.’ He narrowed his eyes in concentration. ‘She was maybe of Chinese heritage. They were huddled together down by the shore, talking away.’

‘Right,’ I replied, arranging my face into a stiff ‘I couldn’t give a toss expression. I busied myself with some mugs in the cupboard for something to do. ‘And why should I be interested in that?’

My brother frowned down at me. ‘I just don’t want to see you get hurt all over again.’

Frustration flared up inside me. ‘You only get hurt by someone if you’re emotionally involved with them and I’m not.’ I dismissed pictures of Mason’s dimples erupting when he smiled. ‘He’s just an associate,’ I faltered. ‘That’s it.’

Caleb studied me gently. He paused. ‘Joe said Mason lives in one of those snazzy new apartments overlooking McKerron Castle.’

‘Yes. Rather hypocritical, don’t you think?’

Caleb and I spun around at the third voice that had interrupted us.

Alex Lapley was standing on the cobbles at the annexe entrance, like a blond mannequin. ‘A historian, supposedly appreciative of our national treasures, and yet he’s treated himself to one of those brand-spanking-new flats?’

‘Don’t you know it’s rude to listen to other people’s conversations?’ snarled Caleb. ‘And what are you doing back round here again, anyway?’

Alex’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. ‘Oh, just looking into one or two things.’ His fingers reached up and stroked his raspberry-coloured tie. ‘I hear that Mr Cooper is still investigating the Scarlet Highwayman?’

My mouth pressed into a firm line. ‘And?’

Caleb took a couple of deliberate steps towards Alex, his combat trousers rustling. ‘If you want any gossip, I suggest you head elsewhere.’

Alex’s stare narrowed. ‘Still drawing matchstick men, then, Summers?’

Caleb grunted and I shot out and grabbed hold of my brother’s bunched fist, which was promising to make contact with Alex Lapley’s jaw. ‘I’m afraid we can’t help you. Sorry.’

Alex tweaked the matching handkerchief poking out of his jacket pocket. ‘Good luck with your little business,’ he lied through unnaturally white teeth. ‘Something tells me you’re going to need it.’ Then he swaggered back towards his expensive monster of a car.

‘That sounded like another threat,’ I whispered to Caleb. ‘Why is Alex Lapley lurking around Port Starr?’