‘What’s this?’ she asked, not even reaching for it.
‘It’s an agreement,’ he said simply.
‘An agreement for what?’
‘You can read.’ He pushed the paper into her hand. ‘See for yourself.’
30
Bex’s eyes locked on the top of the page where the address and name of the solicitors were written. Only then did she start to scan down. And with every line, she felt her jaw hang lower and lower.
It was in lawyer speak. Affidavits, clauses, subsections. But she didn’t need to know what they meant to understand the body of the letter.
‘I won’t contest the will, and I’ll even let him decide how the assets are divided.’ Kieron spoke, as if Bex couldn’t read what was in front of her. ‘Obviously, the castle and title will remain mine. He can have first choice of the village properties and other buildings. I’ll even let him keep the lodge. And obviously, all the dogs. It’ll be a fifty-fifty split, which you have to agree is more than generous, considering a week ago he was entitled to nothing.’
‘Why would he agree to this?’ Bex said. If she hadn’t thought Kieron was mad before, she did now. The castle and title would remain his? They had never been his in the first place! He’d just assumed. ‘Duncan gets everything. The titles. The land. It’s all his.’
Kieron shook his head. ‘Not while the will’s being contested, he won’t. The hall at least will have to remain uninhabited for as long as it takes to settle matters, and trust me when I say I will make sure that never happens. I will make sure that the will is contested from every last living relative the old man had. Second cousins fourteen times removed, all that jazz. Duncan’s gonna hear from them all.’
‘You can’t be serious?’
‘Oh, I am. I’ve never been more serious. And let’s not forget the impact this will have on the local community. I mean, people can hardly work when they don’t know who they’re working for, can they? No, I can see some very dark times for LochDarroch ahead. Unless, of course, you work with me.’
‘This is pure evil.’ Tears pricked Bex’s eyes.
‘No, this is how you get ahead, Rebecca. You can’t be afraid of trampling on a few toes and fingers if you want to get to the top. I thought a high-flying city woman like you would get that.’
Her back teeth ground together as a heat that was nothing to do with the crackling fire flowed through her veins. ‘We are nothing alike,’ Bex seethed.
Kieron merely shrugged. ‘There is one condition that’s not mentioned in this letter,’ he continued. ‘You sign this agreement and promise never to be in a relationship with Duncan Duffy again.’
‘What? What are you talking about?’
‘There will be no relationship between you and him,’ Kieron said coldly. ‘I’m not letting him win. I refuse to. I don’t care about you, or him, or your little romance. I will not be made a fool of, Rebecca. And you’ve already done that.’
He snatched the letter back out of her hand. The unexpected movement caused Bex to flinch, though she quickly steadied herself.
‘You’re completely delusional,’ she said, her voice steady despite the madness of it all. ‘This won’t hold up in court.’
‘It will if Duncan agrees to it,’ Kieron sneered. ‘I’ve got a solicitor waiting in the study right now to witness your signature to your part of the deal. I’ve already sent a copy of the letter you read to Duncan, with my solicitors informing him he will have three days to respond before the offer is retracted.’
‘This is insane!’ she exclaimed, shaking her head. This was the type of stunt pulled by some sick television villain.
‘You have to choose, Rebecca.’ Kieron’s words dripped with calculated venom as he took another step closer. ‘Because if you don’t sign that piece of paper, I will ruin you. Your reputation, your career in London. Everything. It’ll be over for you. And not just for you. Your friends. Your family. That garage you spent the other morning at, trying to keep it afloat? I’m going to double the rent when I get this place. And if I don’t, I’m going to report them for tax fraud. And that old villager you hold dear, what’s that old woman’s name? Moira, is it? She hasn’t had a rent increase in over a decade. I think it’s time that inflation made its way to LochDarroch. And don’t you have a friend down south with a coffee shop? It would be awfully inconvenient if a health visitor was informed of several violations there too.’
Bex couldn’t respond. Moira, Daisy? Was he going to threaten her parents next too?
Her jaw was throbbing from how tightly it was clenched, but she didn’t respond. She had known money to be tied up for years in inheritance battles. Issues were taken back and forth between the courts, costs constantly rising until the beneficiary had to use most of it to cover the fees. She had no doubt that at least part of what Kieron was saying was true. He could make it very difficult for the people in the village and even worse so for Duncan.
Duncan. What would he do if he was here right now? Other than knock Kieron out in one straight punch? She honestly didn’t know. It had never been about the estate or the title to Duncan. It was about family. About Fergus. And what Fergus wanted was for Duncan to take on the role of laird.
‘This isn’t going to work,’ she said, her voice firm. ‘I spoke to my boss this morning. I told him all about your games. He knows why the clients dropped me, and he doesn’t care. He knows me. He knows my integrity. These petty little threats won’t work.’
‘You have no idea what I’m capable of,’ Kieron hissed. ‘I deserve this, Rebecca,’ he said, his tone softening as he moved towards her. ‘I was born for it. And I get it. Duncan is rugged, handsome, that outdoorsy type, and every woman fancies themselves with a bit of rough now and then. But there’s a reason you two broke up. You don’t work in the real world. Everyone can see it. If Duncan is going to inherit a portion of this estate, he needs someone who understands this life. Someone who fits. That’s not you. Not unless you give up everything you’ve worked for. You could do that, of course. Play lady of the manor for a little while, until you start to resent him. And judging by those photos I saw from that Australian, I don’t think you’re quite enough for Duncan as it is anyway.’
‘I don’t know what you’re implying, but if anything happened, it was when Duncan and I weren’t together. It’s none of my business.’
‘Really.’ Kieron moved over to the fireplace where he plucked a small manila envelope from the mantelpiece. ‘Then you’ll have no issues with me sharing these images with the local rag, will you? Show them the village exactly what type of person their potential laird is?’
