Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
SARAH
We met a few people on the stairwell, but I didn’t recognize their faces and, thankfully, they didn’t seem to recognize mine. Music cascaded up the stairwell toward us, bagpipes and accordions with fiddles leading the tune.
I’d grown more and more nervous about the Christmas party as the day progressed but was attempting to hide that from Theo.
It was strange, though, to come to the castle as his guest. For seven years, I’d scuttled around the halls here, trying to be invisible.
It wasn’t my job I was embarrassed by. No.
I wasn’t particularly proud of my timidity back then.
And now I felt like a fish out of water. Like I was a fraud.
Theo didn’t even acknowledge the weirdness of it. Maybe for him, it wasn’t weird. We were in a relationship, and he wanted me to be his date for the Christmas party.
I think he just wanted a distraction, and I was willing to suck up any discomfort I felt to give that to him.
The great hall was filled with guests. A small band, including a bagpiper, played traditional Scottish country dance music as guests performed the Gay Gordons, some successfully, others not so much.
I spotted Lachlan Adair with his wife Robyn among the participants. Years ago, my eyes would have lingered on my longtime crush. Now I looked up at Theo. “I’m having primary school traumatic flashbacks. Please do not make me country dance.”
Theo chuckled. “We’re on the same page. Let’s find something to drink.”
We skirted the edges of the great hall and followed other guests through the arches and down the corridor to the dining room.
It had been transformed for Christmas. Glittering trees, wreaths, an abundance of fairy lights, and garlands everywhere.
A long buffet table was set up along one side with serving staff.
Tables in the middle of the room were decorated with elaborate vase centerpieces filled with gold-sprayed foliage and fairy lights.
Miniature golden deer and red wreaths decorated the bases.
The tableware was gold, the napkins red, and the table linens a crisp white.
Servers in the usual Ardnoch tailcoats and gloves moved through the guests with trays of champagne, offering them to those they passed.
“I used to get a peek at the décor the day of the party, but I’ve never seen the place filled with guests or music.”
Theo gestured to a server who slowed to offer us the tray. My date handed me a glass of champagne before taking one for himself and muttering his thanks. When the server moved away, Theo turned to clink his glass to mine. “To grabbing life by the balls.”
I smiled curiously. “That’s our toast?”
“Yes. Despite your fears, you went after what you wanted when you came to me all those months ago. And despite my utter terror, I went after what I wanted when I chased you here from London.”
Tenderness warmed me and I clinked my glass against his. “To grabbing life by the balls.”
We’d barely taken a drink when my ex-boss Aria Howard appeared with her fiancé North. North and Theo greeted each other easily, which made me relieved for Theo. I knew men weren’t good at admitting such things, but I believed his friendship with North meant a great deal to him.
“Aria, you’re looking effulgent this evening.” Theo gave her a cordial bow of his head.
She grimaced. “Was that an insult?”
I snorted into my champagne glass, but at her suspicious look, I hurried to explain, “It means radiant.”
“Oh.” Her expression slackened as she turned to Theo. “Well, thanks.”
“It doesn’t sound like a compliment, so I understand your confusion,” I added.
Aria nodded, wrinkling her nose. “It sounds like a fungus.”
Theo barked out a short laugh.
Aria shook her head, a small smile playing on her face. She did look radiant. Her envious curves were accentuated in a dark red dress that made her look like a movie bombshell from the 1950s. “Sarah, can I sneak you away for a second?”
“Of course.” I gave Theo a reassuring smile, then noted his disgruntled frown. A playful side of me felt like sticking my tongue out at him, but I gestured toward North in a silent insistence that he talk with his friend while I was gone.
“You look beautiful,” Aria stated as we walked toward the dining room exit.
My cheeks grew hot. “Oh. Thank you. So do you.”
“I look effulgent, remember.”
I chuckled. “He’s trying.”
Her gaze turned assessing, but a group of people cut us off and we were separated before coming together again, just at the entrance to the great hall. Aria smoothed a hand over her hair. “It’s even busier this year than last.”
“It’s so festive.” And still so surreal to be here as a guest.
“Yeah.” Aria suddenly turned into me, concern marring her expression.
“I know it’s none of my business, but I care about you and, although North assures me that Cavendish’s feelings for you are real …
I just want to make sure that you’re good.
That you’re happy? That Theo isn’t taking advantage of you in a time of grief? ”
Gratitude moved me. I placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “Ms. Howard, thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine. I’m better than fine. What happened between Theo and me was unexpected for both of us. But it happened. Neither of us can deny it. And I can handle whatever comes.”
She considered this. “You can, can’t you?”
“I can.”
“You seem different.”
“I am. And I’m not.”
Aria nodded like she understood. “I also want to congratulate you on all your success. And the reason I pulled you away is that someone else would like to congratulate you.” She took my arm and guided me through the crowds along the edge of the dancing.
When we came to a stop before Lachlan and Robyn Adair, those old butterflies fluttered to life.
Lachlan had a short but lucrative career as a Hollywood action star.
When he returned to his family’s estate to develop it into the club, I’d been in awe of him.
I knew the Adairs from growing up in the same village, but Lachlan was the eldest and twelve years older.
He was already working in Hollywood by the time I came to live at Ardnoch.
I’d thought him the most rugged, handsome man I’d ever met.
And he hired me despite the history between his family and mine.
Grandpa had not been pleased when I took the job at Ardnoch, but he knew it paid better than anywhere else in the area and that I needed to make my own decisions about these things.
Every time I was around Lachlan, I blushed like a schoolgirl. It was mortifying. And I could sense all that past nervousness and embarrassment bubbling up.
Be brave, little darling. Show them who you really are. I stiffened at the sound of Theo’s voice in my head.
The reminder of him and everything we’d shared soothed me, and as Lachlan and Robyn turned to us, I let that calm take over.
Robyn Adair was a charismatic badass from Boston, Massachusetts.
I’d looked up to her, even when she’d suspected me of stalking Lachlan.
An ex-cop turned landscape photographer, rumor had it she’d also taught jiujitsu to every woman in the Adair family.
She and my grandfather had saved Lachlan’s life.
Tall with an athletic figure and large breasts, she was almost like a real-life Lara Croft. Not classically beautiful, but she had a face that was hard to look away from. And she was intimidatingly cool. Robyn was more charismatic than half the people in Hollywood.
Now, the American offered a wide, happy smile that relaxed me. “Sarah!”
“Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Adair,” I offered to husband and wife.
“Merry Christmas.” Lachlan bent his head to brush a kiss over my cheek and I felt my skin grow hot.
Laughing ruefully at the reaction, I almost rolled my eyes at myself.
He grinned a little smugly and Robyn nudged him not too gently. “Stop it.”
The cocky Scotsman just laughed, and his wife shook her head. Then Lachlan turned to me. “Call us Lachlan and Robyn,” he insisted. “I asked Aria to find you because Robyn and I are taking off early.”
“Oh.” It was my understanding as hosts they stayed until the end of the night.
Robyn patted her stomach, and I noted a slight swell. “The baby isn’t enjoying the dancing or the heat of all these bodies.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re pregnant?”
“Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting we just told the family yesterday.” Robyn let Lachlan pull her more deeply into his side, and recognition cut through me at the way he stared down at her so adoringly.
I realized … I’d seen Theo look at me that way.
Oh.
I suddenly felt a little breathless.
“Aye, Vivien is going to have a wee brother or sister.” Lachlan looked so damn pleased.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Robyn nudged Lachlan again. “So …”
“Oh, right.” He dragged his gaze off his wife. “We heard about your writing career and all your success, and we just wanted you to know how happy we are for you and how proud. I know Collum would be so proud.”
Emotion thickened my throat. “He was. And thank you.”
“So he knew?”
I nodded. “The books took off a few months before he died. Losing him gave me the impetus to accept my success.”
“I’m sorry that’s what it took,” Lachlan said gruffly. “But I’m glad he knew.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at them both, holding back the tears.
Then to Lachlan, I said, “And thank you for holding the wake last summer for the village. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.
” I’d been too devastated to show my face.
“Thank you for allowing me to work here despite everything between our families. I want you to know that I’m forever grateful.
And I want you to know that I knew my grandpa better than anyone …
and despite how he felt about the history between your families, he believed you are a good man and he respected the hell out of you. ”
A sheen of emotion appeared in Lachlan’s eyes, and he gave me a sharp nod as his wife squeezed him in comfort. “Thank you,” he forced out. “That means a lot. I respected Collum too.”
“He knew that,” I assured him.
A sense of peace settled over me, as if I’d done something for Grandpa that he’d lost the chance to do for himself.