Relaxing somewhat, I nodded. “That sounds good.”
“Good. So are we starting over, then?”
“I’d like that very much.”
Thane released a heavy sigh of relief and grinned. He was so sexy I could cry again. I stubbornly ignored the butterflies in my belly.
“Good. That’s great. So … will you join us at Dunrobin Castle today?”
Stunned, I didn’t know what to say. When he suggested starting over, I thought we’d set boundaries, not return to how we were before the hands-on-ass drama. Dunrobin Castle was the one Lewis had mentioned earlier in the week. It was in a place called Golspie, on the North Coast, about thirty minutes north of Ardnoch. The kids had never been to it before despite its proximity.
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“Well, the kids have been pestering me all week to invite you. I didn’t because of how things were between us, but not because I didn’t want you there. Eilidh and Lewis enjoy having you around, and I just want my children happy.”
Why, oh why did he have to be such a wonderful dad?
“But no pressure.” He hurried to say. “If you need boundaries, we can do that.”
And let him think I was so crazy about him, I couldn’t be around him?
I still had some pride, for God’s sake.
“No, it’s fine.” I shrugged, like it was no big deal. “I’ll come hang out with you guys.”
Regan Penhaligon, you are such a masochist.
18
Regan
I’d returned to the annex to shower and dress. When I went back into the main house, I found Thane in the best mood he’d been in since McClintock had approached him. I assumed the man hadn’t been in touch again, but I made a note to find a private moment to ask. Other than a quick double glance at my legs when I walked in (I was wearing one of my preppy short dresses with thick tights, a pair of cute ankle boots, and an emerald-green, double-breasted pea coat I’d purchased online with my nice new salary), he’d treated me with nothing but friendly civility.
Eilidh and Lewis were happy I was joining them on their day out, but as always it took us twice as long to get them ready as we figured. By the time we climbed into Thane’s SUV, it was already midmorning.
“What’s so special about this castle?” I asked as we drove through the village. “It can’t be as spectacular as Ardnoch.” Not that I’d spent as much time there as I would’ve liked.
Thane smirked. “Ardnoch will always be special. Even if it was drafty and miserable to live in when we were children.”
Surprised, I said, “It was?”
“Oh, aye. It was nothing like how you see it now. Lachlan invested a lot into the castle and estate to make it the grand, luxurious building it’s become. But when we were children, it was baltic—freezing,” he clarified. “Some fireplaces were unusable because nests and other critters blocked the chimneys. We’d congregate around the one in the reception area with blankets and books and games.” He grinned like the memories weren’t so bad. “We were what you call land rich but cash poor.”
“I can’t even imagine that.”
“Lachlan knew changes had to be made after our father died. Dad had raised us to be very aware of our responsibilities as Adairs. We were custodians of a rich history. And Lachlan felt that responsibility deeply, but he knew if he didn’t do something, we’d lose everything. We owned land all over the Highlands and even in the Lowlands, some of it particularly lucrative because of its resources. Lachlan sold it all, divided the earnings between us, and then he invested his Hollywood earnings into the estate. Created the club. A percentage of its earnings goes toward the rest of our inheritance.”
Impressed by my sister’s fiancé, I said, “He’s very savvy. I mean, the club’s reputation precedes itself.”
Thane grinned. “My brother is a born showman. And the club is just one big show.”
“So if Ardnoch is better than Dunrobin, why are we going?” Lewis asked.
Thane glanced at him over his shoulder before returning his eyes to the road. “In just a few minutes, you’ll see why.”
Intrigued, we waited, and then as we turned a bend on the coastal road that followed the cliff’s edge, Thane pointed out the window. “There, do you see it? Eilidh-Bug, do you see it?”
I sucked in a breath. In the distance, stretching up above the trees, perched near the cliff’s edge, was a castle straight out of a storybook. It was white with conical spires.
“Oh, Daddy!” Eilidh gasped as she caught sight of it.
I turned to look at her in the back seat, grinning at how big her eyes had gotten. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
She nodded, amazed. “It’s the Beauty and the Beast castle!”
“I’ve seen it before,” Lewis piped up. “We’ve driven this way before, Dad.”
“We have. But Eilidh was too young then to notice it. Do you like it, Eils?” her dad asked.
“Yes!” She gave me an excited “well duh” look that made me giggle.
I sat back in my seat and shot Thane a grin. “She likes it.”
His pleased smile made my heart flip in my chest.
“It’s the seat of the earls and dukes of Sutherland,” Thane told us. “And the Adairs have some family connections to them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? Are you guys aristocracy?”
“Not quite. We’re what you would call landed gentry. That means—”
“I know what it means.”
He raised an eyebrow.
I shrugged and admitted unashamedly, “I read a lot of historical romance.”
Thane shot me a quick look, saw I was serious, and then grinned that stupidly sexy smile of his. “Okay, then.”
“So not aristocracy, but you have links to them?” I prodded. I found this fascinating. British royalty and aristocracy were like something out of a fairy tale.
“Yes. We have an ancestor who married the younger brother of the Duke of Sutherland.”
“Are we there yet, Daddy?” Eilidh asked impatiently.
“Nearly, sweetheart. Nearly.”
As Thane turned off the road, the castle appeared before us, imposing and beautiful. There were cars parked on the wide drive before it. Upon closer inspection, I saw the castle wasn’t white but more of a sandstone. Still, it was freaking beautiful. “It’s amazing,” I whispered.
“It’s inspired by a French chateau,” Thane said, “which is why, Eilidh, you think it looks like something out of Beauty and the Beast. The castle gardens were inspired by the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. It was a fort back in the day, but in the Victorian era, the earl hired the famous architect Sir Charles Barry.” He looked at me. “He designed and rebuilt the Houses of Parliament after they caught fire.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Impressive.” I could see why Thane, the architect, loved this place so much.
“Very. He turned Dunrobin into what it is now, and he also designed the gardens.”
“Ree-Ree …” Eilidh got our attention with her worried tone. She stared at us from the back seat with that deep frown furrowing her brow.