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At last, the trees open up, and the castle comes into view. Dùndubhan is a traditional medieval stronghold, with turrets and a massive wall surrounding the whole complex, not to mention two bloody huge wooden gates that stand open now, the halves spread wide to greet us. Jack navigates through the gates to park in the gravel courtyard near the main door to the castle. The compound also includes a large garage that had once been a carriage house and a walled garden with an attached cottage. No one lives in the cottage anymore. Mrs. Darroch, the housekeeper here, used to live in that wee house, but she moved into Loch Fairbairn when she married her second husband, Tavish, and became Mrs. Brody.
I don't see anyone milling about in the courtyard. No one came to greet us? That's unusual. I start to feel uneasy about what's waiting for me inside, but that's rubbish. The worst my family might do is drag me into a round of Highland games.
Jack shuts off the engine and aims that strange, enigmatic smile at me again. "It's time."
"To go into the house? Aye, I knew that."
He shakes his head slowly. "No, that's not what I mean."
"What, then?"
"We've arranged a sort of intervention."
I roll my eyes. "Ahmno a drug addict or an alcoholic. Donnae need an intervention."
"Oh aye, ye do." Jack swings his door open and steps out, leaning down to peer at me. "Donnae blame the lass for this. The American Wives Club did all of it for you, so try to be gracious."
"Have you joined the club? Maybe your wife has infected you with the meddling virus."
"Be as cheeky as you want. It won't spare you."
Why do I feel like my brother wants to scare me? I donnae get anxious that easily. "Your bum's oot the windae, Jack."
"Everything I've said won't seem like nonsense anymore once you find out what we've done."
"Ye helped? Aye, you've definitely caught the illness. Meddling is terminal, ye know."
Jack shuts his door and moves in front of the car, where he stands with his arms locked over his chest, facing me.
I climb out and follow him up the path, through the main door of Dùndubhan. It opens into the vestibule. A spiral staircase winds its way up the four levels that include three floors above our heads. I turn toward the doorway to the ground floor, but Jack plants a hand on my back and pushes me toward the staircase.
"Up, Callum," he says. "Nothing to see down here. It's all on the third floor."
That would be the fourth level of the castle. For reasons I've never understood, the ground floor is not the first floor. What bloody stupid medieval architect decided to name the levels that way? But I've gotten used to it since Rory has owned this castle for several years.
We wind up in the long gallery. I can see the door to the tower bedroom at the right end of the huge space that makes up this floor. MacTaggarts love to hold a ceilidh here when the occasion calls for it. And in my family, any sort of occasion qualifies for a party. Jack leads me into the middle of the room and stops.
"Are we waiting for something?" I ask.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"Donnae like the secrecy, Jack. What are you lot scheming to do now?"
His mysterious smile returns, but he says nothing.
My skin starts to itch. Jack plotting? I know he's conspiring with all those American lasses who married MacTaggarts, but I donnae like it. Their plotting might have helped a lot of my cousins, including Jack, but there is nothing for them to engineer for me. Kate is gone. Hugh is gone. It's all over.
"I'm hungry," I say. "Let's go downstairs and have a piece in the kitchen."
"No eating until after."
Cannae help growling. "After what? Getting bloody sick of your mysterious act."
Jack's mobile rings, and he digs it out of his trouser pocket to answer. "Hello, Luke. Aye, it's time. Donnae worry about Callum. I've got him, and he won't be getting away no matter how hard he tries. No, I haven't done that yet. Thought I should wait until you're sure you and the lads have the package in hand." Jack grins and gives me a thumbs-up sign. "Brilliant. I'll take care of things at my end."
What in the name of heaven is my brother doing? Luke must be Luke Turner, the fiancé of our cousin Kirsty. But what are he and "the lads" doing? What sort of "package" did they get in hand? Ahmno liking the sound of this.
"Think I'll jump on my Harley and go for a ride," I say. I'm leaving out the bit where I plan to drive back to my house and lock all the doors and windows. "Need fresh air after the long car trip."
