“Ach, no one here is an innocent,” Maisie continues, sending Celia an exaggerated wink.
She’s not wrong. Celia’s great-grandfather made his money in coal in Wales and diamond mines in South Africa, exploiting the workers with unsafe conditions as he raked in millions.
“Some families find their fortunes off the backs of others,” Maisie continues, ignoring a suddenly stiff Celia. “And some make it by daring, ruthlessness and a bit of good luck. And some…” she gives Miles a kiss, “by washing all the stains away and leaving the cash shiny and new.”
I’m thinking my sister might have done a wee bit of pre-drinking before hitting the club tonight.
There’s a stretch of silence before Bryce jumps in. “So, the Rangers, a shite job of it against Manchester last night, aye?”
After another ten minutes of mind-numbing conversation, when my mobile buzzes, I’m grateful for it, though it’s likely more bad news.
And I’m correct.
Xenia - Sorry to ruin your only night out, but we’ve got a problem. Can you meet Georges and me at the office? There’s another security breach.
Chapter Five
Sophie…
“I have to say, my Miles dressed is much less fun than Milesundressed,” Maisie complains the next morning. “That date night was scunnert until I got him home and peeled him out of his suit.”
I’m sitting on the rooftop of the MacTavish office building, where they’d put in a generous garden area with tables and space heaters so their employees could catch a breath of (relatively) fresh air during lunch breaks.
We’re Facetiming and my girl looks rough, her red hair looking a bit like a stray cat’s and mascara still generously smeared under her eyes.
“I think you still win for the most entertaining end to the evening,” I say dryly.
“Ach, really?” She clicks her tongue disapprovingly. “Nothing to tell me? Bryce is a braw lad.”
“Yeah, and a cokehead,” I say. “He tried to offer me a bump on the ride home.” A mean-spirited smile creeps across my face. “I still think Celia’s date night sucked worse, though. Did you see her expression when your brother cut the evening short?”
“Even better, did ye notice his look of relief when he jumped for his mobile the minute it went off?” she cackles. “I stand bymy belief that I dinnae think Celia’s getting her monogrammed MacTavish china anytime soon.”
“Really?” I despise myself for sounding so eager.
“He had the same expression he always gets when he’s ready to, oh, so politely, tell a girlfriend to shove off,” Maisie says heartlessly. “I think he would have done it sooner, but things have gone to shite recently at work. He’s been flying from one end of Scotland to the other, clearing up shite tonne of disasters.”
I move to the far corner of the garden, putting in my earbuds. “You mean at work, or you know,work?”
She frowns. “Every time I stop by the house, there’s another meeting in Da’s office, shouting, everyone’s all in a radge. It seems like MacTavish property keeps getting blown up or set on fire. We always have setbacks, but this shite dinnae let up.”
I don’t have to be in the inner workings of the business to know there have been problems. I’ve been doing a lot of filing over the last week or two while the legal team has been in meetings up on the top floor in the executive suites. None of the higher-ups seem to be going home and I found Amanda, my direct supervisor, dead asleep on her office couch for the last three mornings when I brought in her coffee.
“Your family is the biggest…” I nod and smile politely as two guys from Developmental Finance walk by, waiting until they leave. “Your family is the most powerful organization in Scotland, there’s always some ambitious idiot coming after them. The Chieftain and your brother will figure it out.”
“I hope so,” she sighs. “Because Michael just doubled my security.”
There’s a beep and I see that Mom’s calling me. “Can I check back with you? Mom’s on the line.”
Maisie waves her hand, yawning. “Go. Talk later.”
Taking Mom’s call, “Hey, how are you? I want to take you to the new cafe you were talking about-”
There’s silence and a shuddering sigh.
“Mom?” My throat tightens. “Are you there?”
“Can you come home?” she manages. “Right now? I need you, it’s- it’s serious.” She seems to come to her senses as she adds hastily, “Don’t drive too fast! Be careful.”
