My steps were muffled by the worn runners protecting the original hardwood floors beneath. As I walked through the main living areas to get to my office,I was stopped along the way by various employees. Winnie, the head housekeeper, didn’t so much as say hello before going off into a rant about how the carts keep snagging on the second-floor carpet by the elevators. Another fix I’d have to add to my endless list. Poppy took care of the front desk, making sure guests were properly taken care of, and trailed me as I kept walking. She was an eternal optimist, and people often took to her very quickly. She was also my cousin and caught me up on the latest family gossip. She delved into her brother Henry’s current love life. He was dating someone the family didn’t approve of for some reason or another. It was hard keeping up while trying to sift through the mountain of mail and paperwork waiting for me at my desk.
There was no reprieve from all the work I had to catch up on. Phillip, the cook, had brought me my meals so I could do it all without taking a break. Luckily, he was the quiet type and left me to work in peace.
It wasn’t until dark that I decided to give it a rest. It helped that I never really took a break while in LA, so everything more or less fell into place now that I was back. Mum and Poppy had done a pretty good job taking care of the things I may have missed, and I rubbed my face as I looked out the windows. The dark expanse of the side yard bordered the forest. If I went past the trees, I’d find the sea, and I had an itch to go and take a walk, even though it was dark.
A soft rap at the door drew my attention, and when I turned back to the room, Mum was smiling softly.
She’d never been able to spend much quality time with Angus and me while growing up, so in recent years since I’ve been back, we’d worked on rebuilding our relationship. She apologized for not being a moreattentive mum, and it was the closure we both needed to move forward. Slowly but surely, we were no longer strangers.
“How was your trip?” she asked.
Her short blond hair was streaked with gray, and she wore a different pair of floral glasses every day. Today’s was lavender, and it made her blue eyes shine a little brighter. I got up from the creaky wooden office chair and went to hug her.
She smelled like banana bread, coffee, and ocean air. “It was good. Took care of Elle as best I could. I think her pub should stay afloat if she plays her cards right.”
“How’s she doing with her mum’s passing?”
“She seemed strong but sad. She had a lot of help before I got there.”
“That’s good. I always liked Lindsey. She was a good woman. I wish I could have gone to the funeral.”
“When are you going to get over your fear of flying? There’s a whole world out there waiting for you.”
Mum scowled. “I don’t need to see the world. And in any case, I should be worrying about you. You look like hell.”
I rolled my eyes and scrubbed my face with my palm in tiredness. “It’s been a long day. I didn’t get much rest on the plane.”
Mum eyed me suspiciously. “Is that all?”
I’d spent years on covert missions where lying and espionage were a constant.
But put me in a room with my mum, and she’d know everything in minutes. “That’s all, Mum. I think I’m going to bed.”
She huffed and let me walk past her, but I knew the conversation was far from over.
Chapter 20
William
The next day, I was hoping to see a text from Nairie, but she hadn’t reached out yet, and it made getting out of bed that much harder. My two-bedroom cottage was small but cozy. I didn’t need much anyway as long as I had a warm fire and running water. One of my favorite things was the fireplace. It was hobbit-like in design with a semicircle stone arch and a cushioned bench along its base. I usually ended my days sitting by the hearth with a scotch, watching the embers glow brightly as the crackling wood burned.
I sipped my coffee in silence, squinting out at the overcast clouds sweeping over the sea, forest, and mountains. It felt like years, not days, since I’d heard Nairie’s sexy morning voice. I couldn’t shrug off the melancholy as I got dressed for the day, layering my clothing to prepare for the incoming storm.
I had to meet with the contractor to discuss some minor renovations. Then I had to check with Phillip on our food inventory to make sure everything was on track for the upcoming holidays.
I was checking off my to-do list in my head and almost didn’t notice the staff gathered around the table by the front desk. “What’s going on?”
The murmuring stopped, and everyone looked at me. They cleared away to reveal a large fruit basket sittingon the table. I walked up to it and looked at the card attached.
Happy birthday, Mum. I hope William had a good trip. Speak to you both very soon. Love, Angus
My hand curled in on itself as I crumpled the message. “Where’s my mother?”
Poppy hesitated. “She, uh, I think she’s in the barn.”
I walked toward the door and spoke over my shoulder. “Throw that out.”
I didn’t need to explain my foul mood. Everyone in town knew about Angus and me. What I didn’t understand was why Mum appeared to be on speaking terms with him again, considering he was a dangerous criminal bastard. I was also worried he had somehow found out about Nairie. But there was no way to know for sure, which set me on edge even more. The idea of her getting hurt in all of this set my teeth on edge.
