Chapter 18 Regan
REGAN
I’d returned to the annex to shower and dress.
When I went back into the main house, I found Thane in the best mood he’d been in since McClintock had approached him.
I assumed the man hadn’t been in touch again, but I made a note to find a private moment to ask.
Other than a quick double glance at my legs when I walked in (I was wearing one of my preppy short dresses with thick tights, a pair of cute ankle boots, and an emerald-green, double-breasted pea coat I’d purchased online with my nice new salary), he’d treated me with nothing but friendly civility.
Eilidh and Lewis were happy I was joining them on their day out, but as always it took us twice as long to get them ready as we figured. By the time we climbed into Thane’s SUV, it was already midmorning.
“What’s so special about this castle?” I asked as we drove through the village. “It can’t be as spectacular as Ardnoch.” Not that I’d spent as much time there as I would’ve liked.
Thane smirked. “Ardnoch will always be special. Even if it was drafty and miserable to live in when we were children.”
Surprised, I said, “It was?”
“Oh, aye. It was nothing like how you see it now. Lachlan invested a lot into the castle and estate to make it the grand, luxurious building it’s become.
But when we were children, it was baltic—freezing,” he clarified.
“Some fireplaces were unusable because nests and other critters blocked the chimneys. We’d congregate around the one in the reception area with blankets and books and games.
” He grinned like the memories weren’t so bad.
“We were what you call land rich but cash poor.”
“I can’t even imagine that.”
“Lachlan knew changes had to be made after our father died. Dad had raised us to be very aware of our responsibilities as Adairs. We were custodians of a rich history. And Lachlan felt that responsibility deeply, but he knew if he didn’t do something, we’d lose everything.
We owned land all over the Highlands and even in the Lowlands, some of it particularly lucrative because of its resources.
Lachlan sold it all, divided the earnings between us, and then he invested his Hollywood earnings into the estate.
Created the club. A percentage of its earnings goes toward the rest of our inheritance. ”
Impressed by my sister’s fiancé, I said, “He’s very savvy. I mean, the club’s reputation precedes itself.”
Thane grinned. “My brother is a born showman. And the club is just one big show.”
“So if Ardnoch is better than Dunrobin, why are we going?” Lewis asked.
Thane glanced at him over his shoulder before returning his eyes to the road. “In just a few minutes, you’ll see why.”
Intrigued, we waited, and then as we turned a bend on the coastal road that followed the cliff’s edge, Thane pointed out the window. “There, do you see it? Eilidh-Bug, do you see it?”
I sucked in a breath. In the distance, stretching up above the trees, perched near the cliff’s edge, was a castle straight out of a storybook. It was white with conical spires.
“Oh, Daddy!” Eilidh gasped as she caught sight of it.
I turned to look at her in the back seat, grinning at how big her eyes had gotten. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
She nodded, amazed. “It’s the Beauty and the Beast castle!”
“I’ve seen it before,” Lewis piped up. “We’ve driven this way before, Dad.”
“We have. But Eilidh was too young then to notice it. Do you like it, Eils?” her dad asked.
“Yes!” She gave me an excited “well duh” look that made me giggle.
I sat back in my seat and shot Thane a grin. “She likes it.”
His pleased smile made my heart flip in my chest.
“It’s the seat of the earls and dukes of Sutherland,” Thane told us. “And the Adairs have some family connections to them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Are you guys aristocracy?”
“Not quite. We’re what you would call landed gentry. That means—”
“I know what it means.”
He raised an eyebrow.
I shrugged and admitted unashamedly, “I read a lot of historical romance.”
Thane shot me a quick look, saw I was serious, and then grinned that stupidly sexy smile of his. “Okay, then.”
“So not aristocracy, but you have links to them?” I prodded. I found this fascinating. British royalty and aristocracy were like something out of a fairy tale.
“Yes. We have an ancestor who married the younger brother of the Duke of Sutherland.”
“Are we there yet, Daddy?” Eilidh asked impatiently.
“Nearly, sweetheart. Nearly.”
As Thane turned off the road, the castle appeared before us, imposing and beautiful. There were cars parked on the wide drive before it. Upon closer inspection, I saw the castle wasn’t white but more of a sandstone. Still, it was freaking beautiful. “It’s amazing,” I whispered.
“It’s inspired by a French chateau,” Thane said, “which is why, Eilidh, you think it looks like something out of Beauty and the Beast. The castle gardens were inspired by the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. It was a fort back in the day, but in the Victorian era, the earl hired the famous architect Sir Charles Barry.” He looked at me.
“He designed and rebuilt the Houses of Parliament after they caught fire.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Impressive.” I could see why Thane, the architect, loved this place so much.
“Very. He turned Dunrobin into what it is now, and he also designed the gardens.”
“Ree-Ree …” Eilidh got our attention with her worried tone. She stared at us from the back seat with that deep frown furrowing her brow.
“What is it, sweetie?”
“I’m not dressed right!”
Confused, I studied her for a second in her adorable red winter coat and matching hat. Underneath she wore a navy dress and navy ankle boots. The kid couldn’t be any cuter. “You look beautiful.”
“But I’m not dressed like a princess.” Her eyes flew toward the castle. “I should have put on my unicorny dress.”
Thane and I looked at each other, both of us clearly trying not to laugh at how cute she was. Then suddenly I realized how close our faces were. As if Thane realized it, too, a strange, hot tension sparked between us, and we jerked back in our seats.
“You’re perfect, sweetie,” I said, scrambling to unbuckle my belt and get away from my boss. “Come on, I’ll help you out.”
Once Thane had paid for our entrance, we walked into the castle, Thane’s hand on Lewis’s shoulder as he talked to him about the castle’s history.
Despite his age, Lewis hung on to his father’s every word.
Eilidh, while old enough to appreciate the castle’s beauty, just as Thane knew she would, was too young to take much of anything else in.
So while her dad lingered with her brother over every little thing in the rooms that were open to the public, I took photos of everyone with my camera phone and only stopped Eilidh at the parts I thought she’d like.
Like the room with the old-fashioned ceremonial clothing.
She seemed right at home in the opulent drawing room and wanted to touch anything shiny.
Thankfully, Eils, despite her big personality, listened when she was told not to do something.
Okay, so she listened after the third time I told her with a sharpened tone not to touch. And that was only after she shot me a dark look that made me want to laugh. But I didn’t. Because if she knew how funny I found her antics, she’d never again see me as an authority figure.
We were standing in the fanciest dining room I’d ever seen, and it was like I’d stepped into one of the period dramas I loved so much. A hot breath suddenly whispered across my ear, and a rumbly, masculine voice said quietly, “I’ll take Eils if you want to have a proper look around now.”
Goose bumps prickled my neck, and I couldn’t look at Thane as I nodded. “Sure, that would be great.”
“I can take you around,” Lewis offered.
“Sounds good.”
“Come on, Eilidh-Bug.” Thane grasped her hand. “Do you like the castle?”
“Can we live here?” I heard her ask as I followed Lewis out of the room.
For the next half hour, Lewis led me back into rooms I’d hurried through with Eilidh, and I discovered not only had he been listening to his dad but he had retained nearly everything Thane had told him. Smart as a whip.
Once we were done, we headed downstairs and found Thane waiting with Eilidh. “Did you enjoy it?” He grinned down at me.
Squeezing Lewis into my side, I replied, “With the best guide in the world showing me around? Of course.”
Lewis blushed a little but grinned when his dad smiled proudly at him. “Right. Time to see the gardens. The falconry display is on in twenty minutes.”
“What’s fall-rony?” Eilidh asked as we wandered the grounds.
While Thane tried to explain to his five-year-old daughter about the ancient art of using birds of prey to hunt, I peered over the edge of the top tier of the back of the grounds, amazed.
Thane had not been kidding. The castle was perched above the lower gardens with many steps down to get to them.
Despite being tiny in comparison, the landscape had the same beautiful order and formal grandeur of Versailles.
Beyond that was the sea, gleaming like a tranquil mirror.
Though it was a cold November day, only a very slight sea breeze blew past, the sun cutting through the iciness to create perfect, crisp salty air.
My favorite kind of day. Thane lost Eilidh’s interest five minutes into the garden walk, and she took off with Lewis to run around instead.
I captured photos of them with my phone, and Thane approached me while I snapped a picture of them staring up at a fountain.
They did so in the same manner, and with their dark curls, there was no mistaking they were siblings.
Thane leaned into me to see the picture, and I caught a whiff of his fresh, citrusy scent.
“Can you send that to me?” he asked.
“Sure.” I met his gaze, swallowing hard at his nearness. “I’ll send them all to you.”
Our eyes held for a moment too long.