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“Ah, a man after my own heart.” Agnes laughed. “It’s marvelous, isn’t it? I’ve always envied Lachlan for being able to come here every day. It’s a room for dreamers, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Sophie agreed, her voice like a caress, and I sucked in a breath. Surely I must be going mad if the mere hint of a woman’s voice gave me shivers. Cursing softly, I struck a match and set it to the tinder, the erupting flames mirroring those in my soul.
“That’s a nice fire, Lachlan. I forget our guests must be chilled,” Hilda said, and I returned to the table. I took the seat she offered, putting me directly across from Sophie, and I wanted to remind Hilda that Sophie wasn’t a guest. We were nowherguests. I waited to see if Sophie would say anything to the like, but the moment passed without her asserting her power in this situation. Maybe she’d been truthful at breakfast, and she was willing to be here with an open mind. God knows, I needed one.
“Let’s start at the beginning?” Hilda looked around the table. Archie entered the room, tacklebox in hand, and took a seat by the fire where he resumed working on his flies. “Just how much do you know about MacAlpine Castle and our history?”
“Erm,” Sophie said, biting her lower lip. “Until two days ago, I didn’t know this castle existed.”
“At all? But I thought the sale went through six months or so ago?” Agnes turned to me.
“Sophie’s uncle, Arthur, purchased the castle. Sophie inherited it this week after her uncle passed away,” I said.
“Such a shame,” Agnes said, sympathy crossing her face. “I’m sure that’s a lot for you to be processing then, isn’t it? You came very quickly as well.”
“It was a directive in the will. I’d been given leave of my job and needed to be on a flight as soon as possible. He’d even arranged for use of his private plane, which I can only guess at the costs for that. It seemed imperative that I be here, and quickly, though I’m still not certain how I can be of use to you. But I can try. I like a challenge and I’m great at brand management.” Sophie gave a half-hearted smile.
Brand management? What was she on about? Distracted from the way her round body shifted under her jumper, I cocked an eyebrow at Hilda, my meaning clear.
“That’s a fine attitude to have, Sophie.” Hilda smiled, while Agnes put several leather books on the table in front of us. More documents, tucked in protective slips, followed.
“Shall we begin?” Agnes asked, her tone serious.
“Should I be taking notes?” Matthew asked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook and pencil. Sophie rolled her eyes.
“Ever the professor…” Sophie smiled.
“You can take the nerd out of academia…” Matthew winked.
“You can, if you’d like. But best to just jump into it, right?” Agnes looked at Hilda.
“You’ll need to suspend your disbelief for a bit.” Hilda leaned forward, prompting Sophie to meet her eyes. “This may all sound a bit fantastical, particularly to an American who might not be used to living with myths. I’ll just ask that you hear us out before drawing judgment.”
“If this is a religious cult, I’m out,” Sophie said, raising her hand. “I don’t do blind obedience.”
The thought of her being obedient, only for me, sent a bolt of heat straight through my body, and I shifted in my chair, turning to look across the room.
“No, I’ll concur with Sophie on that one. Plus, the outfits are horrible, no?” Matthew agreed.
“No religion. Promise,” Agnes said.
“So a non-religious cult then?” Sophie asked, and despite my misgivings at all of this, my mouth twisted in a smile.
“No cults. Well, I guess…och, I never really thought about it that way. Would the Order be a cult then?” Agnes scrunched her nose at Hilda.
“No, it’s the person’s choice to step into their power or not.” Hilda shook her head.
Sophie’s eyes widened at that. “Excuse me, did you say…step into our power? Care to explain?”
“Start at the beginning. The Clach na Fìrinn. The Stone of Truth,” Archie’s voice boomed, cutting off the chatters, and Agnes took a deep breath.
“The Stone of Truth. It’s a rumor whispered at night, a legend told over a pint, and the truth is only ours to hold,” Agnes began.
“One of the holy grail,” Matthew interrupted, his eyes wide. “Say it isn’t here?”
“Aye, it’s here,” Agnes said, and Matthew’s face went white.
“Wait, didn’t youjustsay this wasn’t about religion?” Sophie interrupted, concern crossing her face.
