All for the Heiress (4 page)

***

Mellie walked all the way to the sheep paddock to find Shane and share her good news. Or, terrible news. She wasn’t sure, but she was too antsy to wait around for him to be done for the day.

As she hiked over the hill, her heart sped up at more than the exertion of crossing the vast estate. Had she really just tricked her friends, one of them her employer, into writing down a terrifying spell that could possibly hurtle them backwards in time? And why had she done it?

Yes, her life was all askew right now, but she should be knuckling down to fix things, not running away. And if she was going to run away, why not just take a weekend in Edinburgh or something?

Ever since Lachlan Ferguson showed up in the tower room and shouted at her in Gaelic, she’d been suspicious of the way he got here, at the way he and Piper went back and forth like it really was a weekend in Edinburgh. And now she was going to attempt the fearsome spell herself. Why had she suddenly gone mad like this?

Was it only to help Shane? She stopped to catch her breath, having been tearing up the ground in her haste to share her news. The castle loomed behind her and the mountains ahead, all the miles of forest beside her, as far as she could see. Normally the vast expanse of green calmed her down. She loved the castle and its grounds more than her own childhood home, but today it seemed to taunt her and offer no comfort.

Shane and his goats were still quite small in the distance, but he’d seen her and waved his arms over his head. Even as she felt a tug of annoyance, a smile took over her face.

Why was she helping Shane Brodie? Of course they were friends, after a fashion. They’d been quite close when they were very young, up until … she shook her head. It wasn’t worth thinking about the past, it only added to her irritation and guilt, a terrible combination of feelings.

There weren’t that many people her age in Castle on Hill, and they ended up hanging out together now whether they chose it or not. Everyone gathered for the village festivals and parades, went to each other’s birthday parties. Whenever the theater changed films, everyone gathered to see the new one. She’d sat a row ahead of him just the night before, and he’d given her and her friend Elise an Aero bar to share.

Elise had been suspicious, but Mellie put her at ease, explaining how she’d fixed his head for him, but feeling oddly protective and not mentioning the pig.

Shane’s reputation suffered when he’d broken up with his longtime girlfriend, and dated three girls in a row directly after, disappointing each one when it didn’t become serious.

Mellie thought they were hypocrites to criticize him while simultaneously wanting him to be their boyfriend. They’d prattled on about what a player he was, and not to be trusted, and his ex-girlfriend Bridget helped fan the flames in her lust for revenge, and he’d ended up with his bad reputation.

Of course he didn’t help matters, posting party pictures on the internet during the summers he spent with his aunt and uncle in Spain. He had to know he was the subject of the town’s wagging tongues and was either stupid or willfully giving them grist for their gossip mill. Or, she thought guiltily, having taken part in some of the gossip herself, he was just living his life and they should all butt out.

When she finally came upon him, looking surprisingly capable in his heavy boots and thick coat, she was short of breath from anxiety as well as the trudge.

“What brings ye all the way up here?” he asked, and she held up her phone with a grimace. “That’s amazing,” he said. “Ye’re like a secret criminal mastermind to get that so quickly.”

“Don’t say that.” Her chest constricted more. “That makes me feel worse.”

He shooed away a curious goat that insisted on nosing at her leg, then led her to the golf cart he’d used to ride out there. She sat under the awning and stared at the mountains, trying to unwind her twisted nerves.

“We really aren’t doing anything wrong, are we?” he asked reasonably. “Ye said this sort of thing has happened to people without their trying, right?”

She nodded, not feeling much better. It seemed she was destined to feel mildly guilty all the time.

“Shall we go tomorrow, first thing?” he asked.

“Are you mad?” She turned to him and saw he was serious, and shook her head at his lack of sense. “It’s not like popping over to the next village. We’ll need to be prepared. We’ll need clothes, and money from that time. Maps, if we can get them, and most certainly we’ll need weapons.”

“Christ, Mel, what would I do if ye didna want to come with me?”

“You’d die,” she said tartly, but softened it with a smile, unable to suppress the little wisp of excitement that fluttered within her. “You’d die within five minutes, just like I said.” She took out the small notebook she’d brought and flipped it open to the first page.

Shane grinned. “Brilliant, let’s make a list.”

He didn’t sound sarcastic and she was gratified when he had some actual good ideas.

“We’ll need cover stories, too,” she said. “So no one worries, or tears up the town looking for us.”

“We could say our love could no longer be denied and we eloped to America.” He hugged his arms around his ribs, expecting her to poke him.

“Well, that won’t work, because I’m coming back, remember? I don’t want to be one of your millions of jilted lovers, thank you. And,” she paused, putting her hand on his wrist. “What if you want to come back as well?”

It was the same as asking what he would do if Catie had already decided on Oliver, and he knew it. He furrowed his brow and slid his arm away from her pitying touch.

“I dinna see that happening,” he told her, his voice less confident than when she’d previously brought it up. “But we need to work fast. Every day I’m apart from her, that blackguard gets his meat hooks further into her.”

She put down her pen to stare at his earnest frown. “Okay, what to address first. Blackguard or meat hooks.”

His wind burned cheeks grew redder. “I’m trying to sound more like how they might talk. Y’know, old fashioned?”

“Perhaps we ought to just wait and see how they talk when we get there. And anyway, Catie liked you for who you are. You shouldn’t act differently just to please her.”

His eyes grew wide and he self-consciously tugged on a lock of her hair before sweeping it behind her shoulder. “Thanks, Mel. That’s kind of ye to say.”

She was surprised at his sincerity, and a little thrown by the affectionate gesture. Ah, that was just Shane. She needed him on his A-game, so nodded encouragingly. In order for her plan to stand a chance, his had to succeed.

“Well, I’m going to tell Piper and my parents I’m interviewing at a hospital in Glasgow, and then staying for a few days with my old pen pal.”

“Ye had a pen pal from Glasgow? That’s pretty lame.”

“No, idiot, she was from Taiwan. She’s just visiting— it’s all a lie, anyway!” she sputtered. “Do you really think I’m going to Glasgow? I’ll be with you.” She flicked him in the side of the head as he laughed at her. “It took me a long time to come up with that story! What are you going to say?”

He shrugged. “I’ll just bribe Danny and Tom to cover for me here and no one will even miss me.”

She sighed, wishing it would be so easy to disappear. “Piper will think it odd, since I haven’t even graduated yet. I might just chicken out and leave a note.”

“That’s what ye get for being so responsible and having people rely on ye,” he said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

She didn’t know what to say, not liking that he sold himself short, for she found him plenty responsible, especially since he’d begun working at the estate. She remained matter-of-fact, knowing he wouldn’t appreciate more pity.

“Let’s split up this to-do list and report back to one another tomorrow after dinner.”

“Aye, captain,” he said, offering a salute. He turned the key to start the golf cart, telling her to shut up when she said she could walk back. In truth, she was grateful for the ride, because she wanted to get started on her half of the list. “I’m awfully glad you’re coming along,” he said after they buzzed down the hill a ways.

She waved her hand, wondering when they’d become so kind to each other. Honestly, it set her off kilter, and she nudged her knee into his to get her equilibrium back. He turned and smiled, a real one, not his jokey flirtatious smile, and it made her recall how he used to email her funny little games he’d made. She wanted to jump out and roll the rest of the way down the hill. He pulled up next to the shed where they kept the carts and they sat there a moment.

“Well, see you tomorrow night,” she said briskly, but continued to sit in the cart.

He shoved her out and zoomed away, leaving her gaping in the fumes. Well, what had she expected? An escort to the kitchen door?

She was technically supposed to be in class, and to avoid the risk of being questioned if anyone was about, decided to head straight to the museum to beg for clothes.

Her guilt was in full bloom at the historical gallery, which was comprised of items that had been moldering in the castle before Piper inherited and sorted it all. The curator, Padma, knew she worked at the castle and blithely handed everything over without a blink.

“This is sturdy,” she said, emerging from a deep, air conditioned closet, her gorgeous, shiny black hair slightly pulled from its ponytail from the effort, but somehow looking as if she’d meant for it to go that way.

Mellie never felt especially pretty on her best days, but being around the glamorous Padma made her feel like toast that had been dropped with its butter side down. She held up the rough, sheepy looking dress to herself and frowned.

“Do you have anything, um, cuter?” she asked. “And perhaps softer? But still sturdy.”

“Ah, is it for you?” Padma asked. She gave Mellie a long sweeping look before nodding and heading back into the closet. “Finally going to make a move on Archie?” She came back out with a finer, burgundy colored dress with a bit of lace around the neckline. “This will look nice with your lovely dark eyes. They’re blue, right?”

Mellie nodded, her cheeks going hot at the mention of the head of the historical re-enactors who rented land on the property to live out the eighteenth century lifestyle. She used to have a little crush on Archebald Bancroft, but was mostly over it. He was quite a bit older than her, and had never treated her like anything more than a cousin, or perhaps loveable spaniel, no matter how enticing she’d tried to be.

“No, it isn’t for Archie,” she said quickly. “Just going out there for the weekend with Shane.” She clamped her lips together at Padma’s face, like a hungry shark, and she’d just emptied a bucket of gossip chum all over the place.

Padma grabbed her hand and gasped. “Shane? Shane Brodie? Mellie, when did this happen? Is it a secret?”

Mellie narrowed her eyes. “It is not a secret, and nothing has happened. It’s just because we’re going at the same time. I’ve been meaning to go out there since they moved in. And so has Shane, so we’re just …” she trailed off, knowing she protested too much.

“Okay, okay,” Padma said. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“God, Padma.” She gave up and took the dress. She declined the underthings, wanting to be comfortable and not have a bunch of layers, but of course that just set Padma off again. “I’ll be wearing longjohns, dummy,” she said. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Hey, if I were a few years younger I might give him a go,” Padma said with a shrug.

Mellie forced back the outrage she felt at Shane being treated like a piece of meat. Though, he’d probably be thrilled to know Padma even gave him a passing thought.

She got a couple knives, an old timepiece she thought might come in handy since nothing battery powered could go back, and a kilt and shirt for Shane, then left before she got herself in deeper with her unwise mouth.

Back at the castle, she kept her head down and hurried her huge pile of items to her room, cursing herself for not leaving it in the car as both Piper and Lachlan raised their eyebrows curiously.

“What’s all that, then?” Lachlan asked at Piper’s obvious urging, when Mellie returned to start making dinner.

“Oh? Sorry?” she asked, trying to look innocent. The looks they both gave her told her their imaginations were going to do worse damage and she used a lying technique she’d learned from the telly, to stick as close as possible to the truth. “Do you mean the clothes?” She shrugged. “Just Shane and I thought we might finally check out the historical camp.”

They both stared at her, as she’d expected. Lachlan looked peeved.

“That goatherd who tried to get close to my sister?” he asked, voice rising with each word.

On the one hand, she felt flattered that Lachlan should feel protective toward her, but on the other hand, she was completely over explaining it.

“You needn’t worry about my virtue. I’ve known that lad since birth. He’s all right.”

“Yeah, Shane’s all right,” Piper quickly added. She waved her notebook in front of his face. “Ugh, this wedding will kill me for sure. Can you just pick a votive holder style for me please? Silver scrolls or these cherub ones?”

He pointed at one with barely a glance, and it showed how little Piper cared anymore that she nodded and checked it off her list. It made Mellie sad that it seemed neither Piper nor Evie were getting any joy out of the wedding planning. She thought if she said anything her head would be the one to roll, so she left it alone. When it was all over, hopefully they’d laugh about it. She idly wondered what color dress she’d end up wearing. If she got to go at all. Who knew how long it would take to help Shane find Catie again. And what if a certain someone enticed her to stay as well?