“Miss MacDuff, how are you? Sorry, I was in a meeting when you called. What can I do for you?”
“Well, the sale of my home fell through, and I'm at the end of my rope as to what to do. I have no more money. I just wanted to know if there was something you could do to help me. I know that when I manage to sell this place, I will be able to pay everything back. I just need a little time.”
"Oh, Miss MacDuff, everything is fine. All your debts have been paid. The back taxes, mortgage − everything.”
“I beg your pardon, what did you just say?”
“You are free and clear. Everything is paid.”
“By whom?” Chelsea asked, looking at Marjorie with a concerned expression on her face.
“By an anonymous donor,” he answered. “You have no more debt with the bank or the town.”
“I don’t understand,” Chelsea whispered when she had hung up the phone.
“What?” Marjorie asked.
“My debt has been paid, including the taxes," Chelsea said, looking at her friend.
“That’s great, but who would do that?”
“I bet it was Logan," Chelsea said, dialing his number. "Hmm, that's strange.”
“What’s strange?”
“It says he isn't available, which means he has his phone turned off. That’s not like him.”
Quickly dialing the office number, she hoped listened to it ring, hoping he was there.
“Darlington Realty, Geordie speaking.”
“May I speak with Logan Darlington, please."
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Darlington is out of town at the moment.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“I’m sorry, all I know is that he said he would be back in a few days,” Geordie said. “Can I take a message?”
“No, that’s fine. Thank you,” Chelsea said, hanging up. Throwing down her phone, she looked at her friend. "Out of town. He is meant to be selling my house, and he suddenly goes out of town. Then my debts are mysteriously paid off. I need to find out what’s going on.”
“Would it be so bad if he had paid off everything for you?” Marj asked carefully.
“Yes!” Chelsea cried. “I don’t want his charity. I had everything planned out. I sell this place, and with the money, I pay everything off. I don’t have to worry about going to Scotland anymore because Logan helped with that, but the money left over would have been plenty to set me up, and I wouldn't have to worry about money anymore."
“When will he be back?”
“His assistant said a few days, but I’ll just keep calling in case he comes back early. I’m going to get an answer one way or another.”
✽✽✽
Logan stood up and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you. It was great doing business with you, Angus.”
“Are you going to tear down the cottage? The land is about the only thing of value there,” Angus MacTavish said. Angus was the realtor selling the cottage and land. Logan had gotten his number from the for-sale sign that had been up at the cottage when he and Chelsea went to spread her father’s ashes.
“No, it’s being renovated,” Logan said, shaking his head. “It’s a surprise for someone very special. The cottage has many fond memories for her.”
“Ack, I kin what it is like to try to win a girl’s heart,” Angus said. "Been down that road myself."
“Do you know any good contractors in the area?” Logan asked, picking up the papers and standing up.
“Aye, I’ll text you a list. How long are you here for?”
“As long as it takes to get things settled,” Logan said. “I just hope it doesn’t all backfire on me.”
Chapter 20
Logan landed at the airport and went straight to his car. He was determined to get Chelsea back no matter what. Driving to the office, he went through the few things he needed to finalize before he went to see Chelsea.
One of the things he wanted to do was see Vanessa. This stupidity of threatening Chelsea was going to stop, and he knew that Vanessa was in no position to argue. Her father’s bankruptcy and the subsequent discovery of the various under-handed operations he was involved in had led to him being sentenced to ten years in prison on corruption charges.
He had heard through friends that Vanessa was just devastated and had pretty much disappeared from the public eye. Logan figured she was probably embarrassed by the whole situation. He certainly hoped that she would be understanding and agree to a truce so he and Chelsea could reconcile and move on with their lives.
✽✽✽
Vanessa laid her head back against the seat of the private jet and looked down at the large shiny diamond on her finger. She was married. Her worries were over, and her father’s problems were long forgotten.
After her father’s hidden lifestyle came to surface along with the discovery of his bankruptcy, Vanessa had gone into hiding. She remembered the last conversation she had had with her Dad; she had told him that he was dead to her, and she would never visit or see him again.
She was going to live in a palace with her husband in Monaco. She was now Princess Vanessa Werner.
“Tell me again, Albert, what the palace is like?” she asked, looking over at her new husband, who was studying some documents.
Albert looked at her and smiled. “Why don’t you wait until we get there, my darling? I can’t wait to see your face when you see it.”
“Do we have servants?”
“Yes. Lots of them to do your bidding,” Albert laughed. “And a cook and nanny when the time comes.”
“A nanny? Why?”
“For our children, my darling. That was part of the deal,” Albert said, putting down his papers and looking at his wife seriously.
Vanessa shook her head. “You never mentioned children. Just that you needed a wife.”
“Hmmm, I thought I had,” Albert said, making a face and shrugging. “No big rush. Just one or two would be nice.”
“What if I don’t want children?”
Albert scowled at Vanessa. "Then we divorce, and we both get nothing."
Vanessa thought for a moment. There was no way she was willing to live without the luxuries she was accustomed to, and she certainly wasn’t going to work for them.
“I guess a baby wouldn’t be that bad. If it makes you happy,” Vanessa said casually, looking away from Albert and out the window of the plane. Having a baby wasn’t on her list of priorities, but she guessed that getting a title and living in a luxurious palace would be worth a few months of pain. Besides, it wasn’t like she would have to take care of it, that’s what the nanny was for.
✽✽✽
“Hey, you’re back,” Jason said when he saw Logan in the hallway of Darlington Realty. “Success?”
“Yep, signed and sealed. I just have to wait to see if it was all worth it,” Logan said. “I’ve just stopped in to check my messages and see what Geordie has left on my desk, and then I'm heading over to see her."