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“Well, it’s been a whirlwind, I’ll admit.” I spent the next half hour telling her everything I learned about magick, the Stone of Truth, and the people of the town. By the time I’d finished, I had almost forgotten why I’d called.
“You’re right. I may have to get on a plane to come see you soon. This all sounds deeply fascinating and likely a good diversion from grieving. And navigating probate. The legalities of death are bland and tedious. I don’t like dealing with them, I’ll admit.”
“I’m happy to look over any paperwork if you need help,” I offered. “Actually, speaking of legalities, I do have a question for you regarding Arthur’s interests in this town. Did he invest in more than just the castle here?”
“I believe so. Do you need me to check? I’m passing his office right now,” Lottie said, and I heard the squeak of hinges through the phone.
“Yes, please. I need to know if David Goodwin of New York is the property manager for any other properties he’s acquired. And his contact information. Oh, and who owns those properties now, if that’s the case.” I opened a document on my computer, ready to type the information as I listened to Lottie rustle through some paperwork.
“Here we go. Neatly labeled. You and Arthur shared the same love of a tidy office, didn’t you? Hmm…” I waited for Lottie to continue. “Yes, I can send this all to you. It seems that along with the purchase of the castle estate, there were a dozen or so properties in the town that came as part of the parcel. Making you the owner of several other buildings. It seems a pub, a bookstore, a market…that kind of thing. And, yes, you’re correct. David Goodwin has been collecting rent from the tenants there as part of portfolio management for Arthur.”
“Can I fire him?” I asked, my heart pounding hard in my chest. It was a bold move, and one I wouldn’t normally make, but it felt right.
“Of course you can as these are your properties now. But why? Has he done something wrong?” Lottie’s voice held a worried note. “You can contact Harold as well. He’ll handle anything you need when it comes to that.”
“I’ll do so. Yes, he has. See, the town has fallen on hard times due to the Kelpies. People are scared to visit, and tourism has all but dried up. It’s becoming a ghost town, and families are suffering. Instead of being understanding, David has been demanding rent and threatening evictions.”
“Well, now, that’s positively churlish,” Lottie exclaimed. She, like Arthur, agreed that exceptions must be made in business.
“I’d like to fire him, make available a stipend for any families that need it, and provide free rent for at least a year for those in need. Can the finances support that?” I asked.
“Darling, you could not require rent of the entire village for the next twenty years and the trust would well support it. I think it is very noble of you, and a kind and generous deed,” Lottie said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. Her approval eased the tension in my shoulders that had stayed with me since I’d left the bookstore. I hated thinking that I had inadvertently contributed to the hardships in this lovely little town.
“And is there a way that this can all be arranged without revealing that it comes from me?” I asked.
“Of course. We can shield it in the business name or a trust. Harold’s a master at it. Knowing him, he’ll have it set up by the end of the day or tomorrow at the latest.”
“Perfect, I’ll call him now,” I said.
“It’s early…” Lottie started. “Ah, well, never mind. He’s paid well. Plus, Harold loves doing these things. He may be a tough attorney on the outside, but he’s a real softie. This will make his day.”
“I love you,” I said, standing at the window and looking out to where the rain still pummeled the loch. “I hope you’re doing okay. I know it must be lonely without Arthur around.”
“I miss him every minute of every day. But, oh, did I love that man. I never wasted a minute of my time with him, either. For that, I’m grateful. His memories will keep my heart warm, child. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be just fine. And I’m coming to see you soon. I want to meet this Lachlan of yours.”
“He’s not…why do you say it like that?” I asked.
“Your voice softened when you spoke about him,” Lottie said. “But you can tell me in your own time. That’s enough talking for me at this hour, anyway. Love you.” With that, she clicked off, and I was left staring at the background screen on my phone, my mind whirling with thoughts about Lachlan. Pushing those aside, I typed in Harold’s number.
As Lottie had predicted, Harold had things taken care of by the following afternoon, and I tried to entice Matthew to go to the pub to celebrate. Not that he knew I was celebrating, as I’d kept the information to myself. Matthew demurred, insisting he didactuallyneed to work on his book. To my surprise, Lachlan overheard and offered to accompany me to the pub instead. Now, nerves twisted low in my stomach as we left the castle together, as I’d successfully avoided him since he’d, well, since I’d last seen him. As we walked in the chilly evening hours, my brain scrambled for a topic of conversation that didn’t involve his mouth on my body. It was still light even though it was almost nine at night. Seizing on that, I pointed at the sky.
“That’s how you know we’re nearing summer,” Lachlan said, nodding to the dim sky. “It stays light later here.”
“Does it? I didn’t know that.” Loch Mirren looked starkly beautiful in the low light, the water rippling softly as a cold wind whipped across the hills. I burrowed more deeply into my sweater, breathing deeply of the soapy scent that still clung to it, and wondered if I would acclimate to the cold soon.
“It can be a touch disconcerting, as the time gets away from you. Then you’ve gone from having a wee dram to several pints thinking it’s not all that late.” Lachlan smiled ruefully. “But we make the most of our summer days as the weather is right beastly the rest of the year.”
“This is good weather?” I asked, a surprised note in my voice.
“Aye, lass. It’s not raining, is it?” Lachlan laughed at my disgruntled expression and brushed a finger across my nose. It was a casual gesture that spoke of friendship and intimacy, and there was no reason that heat should bloom inside me. And yet here we were. A lovely pull of desire slipped through me, and I found myself wanting to stop by the chilly waters of the loch and burrow into his arms, tilting my head up for a kiss. Pushing those thoughts aside, I picked up my pace as the first drops of rain splattered to the pavement.
“You spoke too soon,” I said, rushing toward the Tipsy Thistle, not wanting to get caught in a deluge. I’d already learned that there wasn’t much warning here before a wall of rain would soak you, and I wasn’t interested in hypothermia this evening. Reaching the door, I paused as Lachlan leaned over me, his tall presence cocooning me and making me realize, once again, what a large man he was before he pulled the door open. Warmth, soft music, and lively voices reached us as we ducked through the narrow stone hallway and into the pub.
“There ye are!” Agnes crowed, two bright spots of pink highlighting her cheeks. “I’ve been waiting to see you both. I have the best news. Sit, sit.”
It seemed that Agnes was well on her way to celebrating, and I had an idea of just what the celebration was for. Harold must have made good on contacting the tenants and, judging from the happy expressions on the faces of everyone in the pub, more than one person had come out to celebrate.
“Sure, and I could be using some good news. What say you, good woman?” Lachlan dropped a casual kiss on Agnes’s cheek before taking the stool next to me. Graham arrived, already sliding a pint of cider in front of me, and I smiled my thanks. He looked particularly handsome this evening with a red tartan shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows to reveal his tattoos. I noticed he kept his eye on Agnes as he slid a glass of water in front of her.
