Chapter 29 #2
She checked her phone. “Thirty minutes. Lottie, are you ready? Did you decide what you want?”
The girl raised a shoulder. “For Dad to give a shit?”
“Callum, do you have time for a chat?” Mathilda pressed her sister’s hand then turned to me, rising from the chair.
“I was about to ask you the same question.”
“If that means adult time,” Scarlet yawned, putting her dainty shoes up on the table, “nobody’s fooled.”
“Well, you can mind your own business, either way.” Ally appeared at my shoulder. He frowned and thwacked Scarlet’s feet from the surface.
I’d worried at his reaction to her in the airport—the lass dressed beyond her age and in a few years would be breaking hearts all over the place. Now, he looked at her with a wee wrinkle on his brow, like she was an irritating younger sister.
“Come on, you. Wasp and I are going to show you the beach. Chill you out before the battle starts.”
For once, Scarlet gave no sass in her answer. Instead, she rose and smiled prettily at my brother then the two of them left the room, Wasp joining them at the door.
“Lead me, woman,” I said, and Mathilda smiled, taking my hand.
“Always.”
We’d taken five steps down the corridor when a pounding came at the great hall’s front door.
“Shit,” Mathilda hissed and clutched my arm. “That’ll be Dad. He’s early. Oh God.”
“We’ll deal with him. We’ve got this.”
“Do we? I don’t know—”
I kissed her, stealing her words. After a moment, Mathilda smiled against my lips. “You are awfully good at distracting me like that.”
“Mission accomplished. Now, let’s go do this thing.”
She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. Mathilda had dressed for the boardroom in a smooth black skirt and cream shirt. Later, when all this was done, those clothes would be on the bedroom floor. Except the stockings. I had something else in mind for those.
“Let’s do it.”
Together, we marched to the door.
But as I swung it open, my jaw rigid in a forced, polite smile, it wasn’t Maximus Storm. Three people waited the other side.
Lachlan and the shiny-shoed land agents.
My resolve to be a calmer man strained at the seams.
“How can we help you, gentlemen?” Mathilda enquired, her recovery instant.
“Ah, Mathilda. Callum. How’s the boy doing? Can we come in? There’s a matter to be discussed.” Lachlan inclined his head like he hadn’t been a dickhead at his party.
“Ally’s fine. We’re expecting company, so I’ve no time for you now,” I replied.
“Ah, come on. Dinna be like that.” Lachlan grinned like I was an obstinate child.
Behind him, thick grey clouds rolled by, heavy weighted and low.
The wind had picked up and, down at the loch, choppy waves hit the beach.
Rain would hit soon, but the twins knew the signs and would bring Scarlet back in time.
“We have twenty minutes.” Mathilda slid her hand into mine. We stepped back and the men entered. “But I’m afraid that’s all as we really do have plans. My father is visiting.”
“Nae problem. This won’t take long.”
Mathilda led us through the great hall and down the corridor to my father’s office. Inside, she ushered for me to sit at Da’s desk then stood at my side while we waited for the others to shuffle in.
“Mr McRae,” the first land agent began, opening a briefcase.
“Laird McRae to you.” Mathilda frowned at the man and, inwardly, I beamed at her defence.
“I beg your pardon. Laird McRae. Regarding the precarious state of your finances, and assuming this is getting worse rather than better, we’re in a position to renew our offer to purchase Castle McRae, the estate, and holdings. Of course, the offer isn’t as good as—”
“Wait!” Lachlan exclaimed at the same time as Mathilda uttered, “Hold on a moment!”
The eyes of the room switched to her.
“What do you think you know of my fiancé’s private affairs?”
“Business accounts are available online. The state of Castle McRae’s accounts is public knowledge, Miss…?”
“Mathilda Storm.” She stared the man down. “And put your assumptions aside. You know nothing.”
Knives of shame slew me. No way did I want my dirty laundry aired like this. I put my hand to the small of Mathilda’s back and stood. “Lachlan, what the hell are ye doing bringing these vultures here?”
“We’d agreed to discuss land borders, not this,” Lachlan spluttered.
“Well, that’s another thing to be finalised.
” The land agent raised his eyebrows. Then he extracted a pen and piece of paper from his briefcase.
“The state of your legal situation is going to take months if not years to unpick, but that isn’t the point of this visit.
Mr McRae, I’m going to write down a number—”
“No, you’re not.” Mathilda reached out and neatly took his expensive-looking pen. She pointed it to the door. “Gentlemen, please give us the room. Callum and I need to talk.”
“Aye, we’ll go to the great hall.” With a dark expression, Lachlan led the men out.
Mathilda followed then slammed the office door behind them.
“I might need to hear them out.” With an ache in my heart, I dragged my gaze to meet hers and forced my lips to move. “I told you I inherited debt, aye? It hasn’t got easier. Fact is, I’m drowning in it.”
“Show me your accounts.”
She tapped the pen on her hand, and I grabbed my phone from my pocket, opening the spreadsheet I used to track every line of income, each bill and loan repayment.
All the lines were in the red. All overdue.
I handed it over and watched her face, crushing the instinct to snatch it back. No one had ever seen the extent to which Da had left us in trouble. The measures I’d taken hadn’t fixed our problems, not after my gamble with Storm Force had failed.
I trusted Mathilda completely, but it still hurt to share my failure. “I know it looks bad. I’ve been treading water, but my plan is—”
“Your plan is our plan, now. I’m investing. I have money, I think, and I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.”
“Wait,” I interrupted, but she pressed a finger to my lips, determination in her eyes.
“No, I won’t. Now you sit there and put your pride aside for one minute, and damn you, Callum, you listen to me.”
God help me, I shut my mouth, retook my chair, and let Mathilda in.