Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
LIKE CLOCKWORK
Beth
I woke in the warmth of James’s arms and opened my eyes to him barking orders at people around us. Where was I? Antler candelabras, heavy wooden furniture. The castle’s dining room?
Ugh, I’d fainted.
“Hey,” I said, peeking up.
James’s features were tight, and he looked how I’d felt when he’d been knocked out—haunted by fear. It hit me in the gut, the love he had for me.
James’s attention snapped to me. “You’re awake!”
“Role reversal, huh?” I struggled to sit.
He clung on. “Don’t move, you might be dizzy.”
Mattie came into sight over James’s shoulder. She passed me a glass of water, and James reluctantly let me rise. They fussed over me while I took a sip.
“Honestly, I’m fine. Maybe I didn’t eat enough today.” I’d felt dizzy earlier, but it was stress. That was all.
“Shall I get you something?” Mattie asked.
I shook my head and thanked her.
The trustee guy hovered in the background. Oh yeah, we still had all that to come.
“After, maybe.”
James’s eyebrows drew in. “We can delay. I’m worried about you.”
I linked fingers with him and pressed up on my toes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you. But really, it’s okay. I didn’t faint over the news. I told you, I’m good with anything now. Let’s continue.”
He kissed me on the forehead, and his expression gentled. “If you’re sure.”
Mattie’s eyes narrowed, an air of suspicion in her look, but she relented and left the room.
For the next two days, I was hers, and we were going to tour each and every wedding dress shop within driving distance.
I was easy to please, but Mattie enjoyed perfection.
Plus, I knew James already had a suit fitting, so I wanted to match.
A big part of me was excited about dressing up nice for him. If there was one time in my life I was going to be all fancy, I guess my wedding day should be it.
Ella was coming with us, and I planned to spend the time getting to know her.
Maybe try again to talk about her friend’s betrayal.
That part, I wasn’t anticipating so much.
She already knew the basics—that Taylor had intended to marry her brother, but we hadn’t been alone to go over the rest of the details.
With us seated around the table, the trustee commenced his work. From his bag, he extracted a stack of yellowed documents, then a series of newer folders.
I engaged my brain and settled in for a very boring hour.
Three bottom-numbing hours later, I’d learned many things.
One, James was stinking rich. Or about to be, anyway. But he also had a lot of obligations, and running the estate, the tenancies, and managing the land could be a full-time job if we wanted it to pay for itself.
Two, I wore the countess’s ring, one James’s grandmother had worn. Since my flip-out, I’d come to cherish my engagement ring. Now, it meant even more.
Three, if we ever had a baby, I’d be given millions. It came from a protected account that did nothing but ensure heirs were funded. Fuckadoodledoo.
And four, that his uncle was a bigger asshat than we’d guessed.
All of it could’ve been undone—all of the antiquated legal requirements that read like something from Jane Austen’s time could have been written out of history if his uncle had chosen to start the legal process when he’d taken over James’s care.
But with mere weeks to go, James had no such option.
The session ended with James needing a private conversation, and I was more than happy to duck out.
In the great hall, Ella and Gordain sat by the fire, poring over the papers from the lawyer’s other bag. I joined them.
“James is almost done,” I said to Ella. “Your turn next. Warning, simple questions don’t always get short answers.”
My future sister-in-law glanced up and took a fortifying breath. She stretched, then shook out her long, black hair and said to Gordain. “You good to carry on with this alone, captain?”
“Aye, lass. I’ll manage,” he replied softly and gave her a salute.
She grinned. “Cute. Right, see you later.”
I’d wanted to catch Gordain alone, so now was a great chance to ask him a question, but instead my attention snagged on the expression on the big man’s face.
He watched Ella walk away. Not staring, and certainly not leering. It was more like he needed to see her securely across the room. Like he watched for danger and was ready to spring to her aid.
Whew. I knew that look. I’d woken up to it on the floor of the dining room. Utter adoration, disguised as concern.
The dining room door closed, and Gordain twisted back. He found me grinning at him.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.” I cocked my head to one side.
“Oh.” Colour swept up his cheeks, and he busied himself with the papers.
“What did you find out on Richard?” I gave him a break. It would be good for Ella to have admirers. If she was anything like James, with little experience with the opposite sex, learning to flirt against a solid man like Gordain would be a safe start.
Gordain tossed the papers down with a sigh.
“A load of legalese. I stopped trying to understand it a while ago. Ella did better. She said her uncle was trying every trick in the book to stop James inheriting, but I get the impression it’s volume he’s going for, rather than having any genuine legal case. Her name is mentioned a lot, too.”
“Tying the lawyers up in knots to delay them. What sort of man cons his own family out of money? I really hope he ends up with nothing.”
Gordain grunted agreement. We sat in silence for a moment.
Living at the castle for a week, I’d gotten to know the McRae brothers better.
Callum was happy, if grumpy, with eyes only for Mattie, the twins ecstatic to have a busy house, but Gordain…
he seemed quieter. The easy manner I recalled from our off-road driving experience had gone.
A cloud hung over him.
James had mentioned something about Gordain. He’d been worried why the man hadn’t gone back to his military base. Back to the glittering career he’d just started.
“I was wondering, with you still being here… Did something happen with your job?” I placed my words carefully.
“Aye.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He raised his gaze, heavy with something unknown. Hesitant.
I hurried on, wanting to give him an outlet.
I was happy. Scared, with everything going on, but underlying all of that was a growing certainty of James’s love and a future with good things in it.
I wanted that for everyone. “I’ve been fired from two jobs in quick succession.
Employers can be dicks. If you have a problem—”
“Aye, I do. But talking solves nothing. The break means I’m here for you and James, and for that, I’m grateful. Some good coming from a whole lot of bad. And now I’m going to haul my arse to the gym and work off the miserable mood I’ve sunk into before the lass has need of me again.”
He stood and offered me a grim pretence of a smile then strode away.
Ella and Mathilda took to the dress racks with a determination born of short time and high expectations.
My best friend had already done her research and created a list of places to try, and I was only really along for the ride.
And the fittings. The phrase ‘option anxiety’ had never been so meaningful, and I was lost, staring at acres of white and off-white flounce.
Maybe it wasn’t so easy to find something nice. I was never happier to have help.
“You won’t suit an A-line or a sheath,” Mattie decided, her forehead creased in a pretty frown. “And you’ll be lost in a ball gown.”
“They are no good for the shorter among us,” Ella tactfully agreed, a clatter coming from the hangers as she breezed through the rack. “Mermaid or trumpet shape would be better. We’ll focus on those.”
I sat back and happily watched them work through all the different styles of dress, dreaming of when I’d get back to James.
I needed to make him cave on the no-sex-till-our-wedding-night plan.
We slept so tightly together, and I’d get hot and bothered and so turned on.
Kissing his neck. Stroking my fingers over his arm.
I knew he was burning up for me, it was, well, obvious, but his willpower held out.
I’d tried to resist but I needed him and, this afternoon, when we got back, I was going to seduce him. I grinned, dreaming up my plan, content to sit quietly until the real choosing began.
Eventually, the two women agreed on a shortlist, and Mattie organised for the assistants to take a selection to the changing rooms.
I pressed the rim of my champagne glass against my lip.
It contained orange juice as I still felt a little unwell and had been dizzy again this morning.
Plus, drinking while spending money didn’t sound like a great idea.
In my purse lurked James’s credit card. He’d handed it over and told me to get used to having money, but I felt awkward.
I’d have to find some sort of job eventually but… from Belvedere?
The reality hit me, but I absorbed it. I’d have to move house. Life was strange right now, but being with James was everything. Huh, it didn’t bother me at all.
Ella joined me on the sofas.
“Are there any restaurants or bars near your home?” I asked.
“There’s a pub in the village.”
“Do you think they need help? I need a job.”
She gave a pretty peal of a laugh. “You’re so different to the wife I imagined for my brother. You could be demanding to know how many servants you’ll have and your monthly allowance.” She patted my arm. “I’m so glad you two met.”
“I am, too. I guess I need to get over the job thing for a while.”
“Don’t worry. There’s plenty to do just looking after the house. You’ll easily make your own role.”
Across the room, Mattie held up a gorgeous, shimmering gown like a final offering. Ella scrunched up her nose. “They’ll never get the beadwork done in time.” My friend gave a sage nod and replaced it on the rack.