Chapter 4
Glumly, I head in the direction I’m assuming the pub is in, trying to force myself to accept this new reality: to call Margaret
and take her up on the offer to buy me a ticket home. I can’t. When I try to picture myself getting on that plane and returning
to Milwaukee, my mind goes blank. It will not compute. It refuses to compute.
I take several wrong turns, a stupid little salmon swimming upstream during rush hour, and somehow end up home. Or rather,
what was supposed to be my home for the summer. When I go to put the key in the door and let myself in the back entrance,
I freeze. What am I going to do up there in my quaint little flat? Start packing? Draft an email to Margaret asking for the
flight money? Call my parents?
I put the keys back in my bag, let it drop onto the ground, and lean my back against the brick wall. Feeling something sturdy
behind me is a small comfort.
“Let me guess,” a voice says. “You’re upset because you met the love of your life last night and you’re afraid you’ll never see him again.”
Even though we’d spent less than an hour together, I immediately recognize the upper-class British accent. Still, my eyes
widen at seeing Finn. Not only did I assume I’d never see this guy again, but he’s catching me at my worst (I’m not one of
those pretty criers).
I sniff and try to play it cool. “Oh great. Not only am I unemployed and homeless, I’ve got a stalker.”
Finn leans against the wall. “What do you mean, you’re unemployed and homeless? What’s changed so quickly?”
“The author I was working for ran off to chase a man. The job was the reason I had a place to stay.” I let out a quivery sigh.
“I think I have to fly back to the States as soon as I can get a flight.”
Something flickers in his face. “What if you got a job today?”
I’d laugh if I weren’t so miserable. “That’s a long shot.”
“Not if I help you.”
I cock my head. “Are you offering to help me pass out résumés? Or do you want to hire me to help you find strategic exits in pubs?”
“Neither.”
I’m losing patience with what I’m sure most people regard as charm.
“I don’t have time for this. I’ve got to go pack.” I pick up my bag and get my keys out.
“Wait,” he says. “I have a . . . contact at Inveresk. The castle there, rather. The royal family’s Scottish residence.”
“You’ve got a contact with the royal family,” I say skeptically.
“I said I have a contact there. Someone who can get you a job.”
“You’re suggesting I work at a castle? What would I do there? Be a beefeater?”
“Those are at the Tower of London. Though you would look quite fetching in one of those fur hats.”
“So what’s the job, then?”
“Are you saying you want to know more about . . . the position?”
He gives me a sultry stare at the word “position,” and I jangle my keys, threatening to leave again.
“I was referring to the job position. Not what we could do with our leisure time. You’ll need to get your mind out of the
gutter if you want to work at a castle.”
I put my key in the door and begin to turn the knob. My threat doesn’t make him rush. In fact, he seems to really be dragging
this out.
“I’m thinking along the lines of, say . . . working in the gift shop?”
Working at a gift shop. In a castle. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the prospect, so I stall for time. “What were
you doing here this afternoon anyway? Were you looking for me?”
A slightly embarrassed smile takes over his admittedly handsome face. “Just trying to walk off my hangover.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why are you being so nice? Is it because I didn’t sleep with you and that’s made me infinitely more interesting?”
“What are you like?” He shakes his head. “Here I am, coming to apologize for our behavior last night, and you keep bringing
the conversation around to sex.” He pauses thoughtfully. “Though, in fairness, it is entirely possible I find you interesting because you’ve been playing hard to get.”
In the back of my mind I’m warming to the idea of working at a castle. But I want to make some things very clear with Finn
before I tell him that.
“What if I tell you there’s zero chance of me ever hooking up with you? Do I still get the job?”
“You drive a hard bargain,” he says with a grin. “But yes, you’ll be safe from me. Only tourists go to Inveresk Castle.”
I pretend to continue to deliberate even though the voice in my head is yelling at me: Inveresk Castle or go home to my parents and Gigi and Dean? How is this even a question?
“Okay,” I say, when I feel enough time has passed. “I’d love that job, if it’s available.”
His hazel eyes light up. “All right, American Hannah. Now, what about that homeless problem? Do you need me to sort that too?”
I look back at the pub. “I’ll have to ask Bill and Eileen how much they charge and see if I can afford rent. Could I commute
to Inveresk every day?”
“No worries,” he says, practically cutting me off. “I’ll get you accommodations at the castle grounds, so you don’t have to
worry about how expensive Edinburgh is or how maddening it is to commute.”
“You’re going to get me a place to stay too,” I say slowly, not as a question so much as a fact I’m trying to work through.
This is starting to fall under the category of “too good to be true.” “If this is a long con to murder me, it’s really convoluted.”
“Fair point. I suppose I’ll have to skip the whole murder and just get you the job and the room.”
I want to laugh but refuse to give him the satisfaction. I’m still not convinced this isn’t a long con to get into my pants.
Or trousers, I should say.
“Shall you give me your number so I can report back?”
I nod and take his outstretched phone, typing in my number. Warning bells are ringing in my ears as our hands linger a little
too long during the exchange.
“I best be off, then,” he says and gives me a rakish wink. “I’ve got a helpless American to save.”
“I’m not helpless,” I holler to him as he walks away.
“You were before I got here,” he tosses over his shoulder.
I open the back door and trot up the stairs.
In the safe refuge of my room, I replay the day over and over again in my mind, from my talk with Margaret to accepting Finn’s help.
Desperate to get someone else’s opinion, I pick up my phone and am about to click on Gigi’s number.
It’s muscle memory. Thankfully, I hang up before it starts to ring.
Calling my parents is tempting. Things are likely awkward between them without me there as a buffer. I’m certain they’ll try
to convince me to just come home and work at the smoothie shop at the mall since my mom’s friends with the owner. I flop onto
the bed and close my eyes. I may not know what I want right now, I just know I don’t want that.
In the distance, I can hear muffled voices coming from the direction of Bill and Eileen’s kitchen. They’ve been so welcoming,
they might be open to batting around this idea with me. Besides, they’ll know a lot more about Inveresk Castle than I do.
When I reach the kitchen, I see I’ve caught them on a break. They’re seated at the small table, each with a cup of tea and
a sandwich in front of them.
“Ah, there’s the lass,” Bill says upon seeing me.
“Shouldn’t you be at Maggie’s?” Eileen asks.
I’m about to tell them she’s running off with a boyfriend and check myself. I may be upset, but I’m not unprofessional and
petty. Instead, I say, “Plans have changed and she’s leaving the country. Which means, I’m out of a job.”
Bill and Eileen exchange a concerned look, and then Bill gets up to pour me a cup of tea while Eileen pulls out a chair, encouraging me to sit.
“We have our summer hires filled here already, love,” Eileen says apologetically. “I’m afraid we don’t have the shifts to
offer you at the pub.”
“Oh, no, no.” I wave off her thoughtfulness and accompanying dismay. “This obviously isn’t your problem to solve. But I know
Margaret’s team had arranged for me to stay here and—”
“Never ye mind. You stay here for a few days and get your legs underneath you.” Bill places a steaming cup of tea in front
of me.
I choke down a sip because they’re being so kind. “Something has come up—an opportunity—and I wanted to get your take on it,
if that’s okay?” They nod for me to continue. “I might be able to get a job at Inveresk Castle. In the gift shop.”
“Oh, lovely,” Eileen says. “We haven’t been to Inveresk in, what, ten years, Bill? It was when your cousin was visiting from
Australia.”
“No, no, that was when we went to the whiskey tasting and ya got—”
“Don’t you say it. I haven’t been pie-eyed since before we were married. I told you, I was coming down with the flu.”
Eileen tuts at him, and they return their focus to me.
“Inveresk Castle is a fine place to work for the summer,” Bill says.
“Oh, it’s better than fine: It’s a lovely spot with the grounds and the history,” Eileen adds. “But a bit far to commute by bus every day.”
I explain that I’m fairly sure I have a place to stay there but would appreciate keeping my room here until everything is
organized. “I can pay you, obviously,” I add, unsure how much that will set me back and already wary of calling my parents
to ask them for money—especially knowing they’ll try to talk me into coming back.
Eileen gives me a wink. “Oh, no you won’t. We’ll be charging Maggie. Imagine her running off last minute like that, leaving
you in a lurch.”
I thank them both and nearly hug them. The grandparent vibes they give off are strong and make me feel like I’ve known them
forever. Then I go to my room to read and wait to hear back from Finn.
Putting my future in the hands of this rapscallion seems like a very bad idea, indeed. But what other choice do I have? This
was the summer that was going to change my life, and I refuse to give up.
I can’t go back to being the girl I used to be.