“Something like that. Anyway, I’m driving to Inverness this morning on business. If you’d like, I can help you leave your car there, as was suggested. I’m assuming that is Lord Patrick texting you.”
She nodded. “It is, though I have to say I really don’t like accepting favors from them.”
“Favors?”
Why not spill her guts right there on the sidewalk? That wasn’t her usual modus operandi, but she was out of her depth at the moment. “He and his brother are insisting that I stay at the cottage for free. I shouldn’t have accepted, but I was off-balance before. I’ve got to change that today.”
“I’m sure they can afford it,” he said without hesitation. “Do them both a world of good.”
She wasn’t sure how to judge that. Who knew how much it cost to keep a historical property like Benmore Castle running? She’d only seen the main MacLeod castle as an X on a map, so she could only speculate on its size. She didn’t want to think about the expense—
She realized her hand was shaking, but there was nothing to be done about that. It was cold and raining, and she was suddenly quite chilled over a text that should have had her scoffing.
“Being backed into a corner is never a pleasant thing,” Nathaniel offered cautiously. “In regard to both cars and life. Your car, though, can be sorted easily enough. My fault on your phone as well. I’ll replace it.”
She shook her head. “It was old—”
“I don’t think it was, so let me see to it. Do you need to run back to your cottage, or shall we just go from here?”
She let out her breath slowly. “I can go as is.”
“Then let’s be off. Where did your hire car come from? The place by the station?”
“I hate to admit this,” she said, wincing, “but I honestly can’t remember.”
He did smile then. “Jet lag is hell. Where’s your car now?”
“Up the street.”
“Can you drive?”
She shot him a look that he apparently found amusing.
“I take it that’s an aye,” he said. “I’ll wait for you then, shall I?”
She paused, then looked at him. “I have unhealthy food from McCreedy’s in this bag. I can share on the way back, if you’d like.”
“And so I am repaid tenfold for my prodigious generosity.”
She smiled, then looked at him. “Finish your business from yesterday?”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure that business is ever finished, but aye, ’twas done very quickly and hopefully for a few days at least. Let’s flee the scene before that catches up to me.”
She supposed the enigmatic nature of that should have had her perking up her ears, but maybe it was indicative of how her day was going that it didn’t. She simply nodded and walked off to get her car.
The drive south was substantially less stressful than her initial drive north had been, but this time she wasn’t half asleep and it definitely helped to have someone to follow. She couldn’t deny, though, that she was relieved when she pulled into a rental place behind Nathaniel and turned the car off. Realizing she was indeed in the right place was a bonus.
She wasn’t all that surprised to learn they wouldn’t give her a refund on even what would be unused days. She was fully prepared to just walk away, but Nathaniel shot her a brief look and took her place. He leaned on the counter and smiled at the girl working there. Emma had to admit that if she’d been on the other side of that Formica slab, she would have given himanything he wanted. Whatever his faults and potential nefarious life activities might have been, the man was absolutely charming. No wonder he had so many women hunting him.
“Surely we can work something out,” he said smoothly. “If not a refund, then an extension or a trade, aye?”
Emma realized she was nodding in agreement, then rolled her eyes and stopped. The girl across the counter unbent, but only far enough to agree to put the rental contract on hold until Emma could perhaps get to another city in the south and pick up a different car. She wasn’t going to argue. She also didn’t think it was the right time to mention that she hadn’t planned to be in any other cities, never mind somewhere as far south as London. She took the deal, signed what was necessary, then slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked outside with Nathaniel.
“I’m not sure how soon I can get to London,” she admitted. She looked up at him and resisted the urge to feel a bit faint. “I really hadn’t planned to go that far south.”
“I hadn’t imagined you had,” he said, “but it seemed wise to throw whoever’s troubling you off the scent. Renting a car there might be a good piece of misdirection.”
She considered. “I suppose I could try to get one of your fans to pick the car up for me.”
