Chapter Fourteen: A Shocking Discovery
The meeting with his solicitors had taken up most of the morning. Niall now had in his possession every document he would need to present to a judge in the event that his family made him take them to court. It was a bitter thing to have to do, and after his conversation with Willa Mae earlier in the day, the last thing he wanted to do. But he was a businessman, and the estate needed to be made into a viable and successful business. That could only happen if it was earning its keep, so to speak. He was all for preserving family traditions, but only if they resulted in the greater good for more people.
He didn’t care about pomp and circumstance. He never had. That was why he had always fallen afoul of his mother. It was why he had never gotten along with his siblings. It was why the other members of his extended family had taken to calling him the rebel when he was still quite young. It was why he was the unofficial black sheep of the family.
Thanking his solicitor, Niall made his way down to his car, and drove away without knowing really where he was going. He didn’t want to go back to the castle just yet. The work on the gardens would begin in another day, and he was looking forward to seeing how it would progress. For the moment, there was nothing else to do on the project. Maybe he could go to California to oversee the acquisition of that prime acreage that he was thinking of developing into a luxury condominium complex. That would definitely keep him busy for a few days. Maybe he could advance the timetable on the Mexican resort.
He mulled over the options he had for keeping himself busy, just so he wouldn’t have to think about the woman he loved. He sighed. It had taken him all of a day after he flew back to Scotland to admit to himself that what he was feeling for Willa Mae Jamison was nothing less than love. He wanted her with him, in his bed, in his home, in his life. Right this second, he was angry with her for trying to make him feel guilty about his business decisions, but none of it stopped him from wanting her with a soul-deep ache. She was the only woman of his acquaintance who had made him dream of sleeping in her arms without taking her body.
Of course, he loved making love to her. She was so responsive, so passionate, and so open to him that it made his knees weak. Her desire for him matched his for her…she wanted him with a kind of desperation. Her kisses were like sweet wine to his palate, and her soft, warm body was his haven. He turned off and found himself headed toward the pond where they had had their first meal alone together. He drove to a shaded spot and parked, sitting there and watching the people scattered around. A few were trying to fish in the pond, and one or two strolled hand in hand around it. There were picnickers, dog walkers, and a couple of mamas with baby carriages.
What would it be like to have a woman willing to bear his children? He had never thought about having children of his own before this, but now the thought of Willa Mae large with his child fired his blood. He wondered what any child of theirs would look like as he sat there daydreaming. He’d like all his babies to be dusky-skinned like their mama, with full lips and beautiful smiles, and a sharp, biting wit.
“Slumming, your lordship?”
The familiar voice broke into his musings, and he turned his head to frown at his sister and brother.
“No more so than you both are,” he said, turning away again to gaze out over the pond.
“Can we talk?”
Niall turned to look at his brother. “What do you want?”
“This renovation is going to happen no matter what we say, isn’t it?”
Niall did his best to keep irritation out of his tone. “It’s what I’ve said from the beginning. Why do you care now?”
“There’s something you’re not telling us, Niall,” Angus said. “Something big. Mother has been trying to find out what it is and hasn’t succeeded. What is it? You can tell us.”
Niall chuckled sardonically. “And why would I do something so foolish?” he demanded. “Neither of you has enough backbone to stand by an independent decision for the good of the estate. Bannock Castle means nothing to you except as a way to boost your status in the community.”
“That’s an unkind thing to say,” Alison chimed in.
“But true nevertheless. Sorry if the truth offends your delicate sensibilities,” he sneered. “I’ve no time for foolishness any longer. You both should know better than to still be riding on Mother’s coat tails. Her funds won’t always be able to sustain you. When it begins to dry up, she will have to cut you both off. What will you do when she’s gone, eh? Whatever’s left of her funds will be evenly distributed between the two of you, but it won’t be enough for you to live on for any great length of time. Do you plan to live off the mercy of the state after that source dries up?”
“Why do you always have to bring it back to money, Niall? Is everything about money to you?” Alison was furious.
“Everything is about money, Alison! Have either of you ever stopped to ask yourself how the estate manages to meet all its bills, pay the skeleton staff, and feed and clothe you every month of every year?” He saw their answers in their blank stares. “I didn’t think so. Perhaps you should start doing that now.”
He switched on the ignition. He still didn’t know what their agenda was in approaching him, but he had had enough of them and the conversation. “I’m off.”
He pulled away, leaving them standing in the shade of the tree watching him drive off. He had never been as bone idle as either of the two still standing beneath the tree when he turned back onto the road. Despite his mother’s objections, he had done some volunteer service in the local hospital, and had worked as an intern for four different real estate and property management companies by the time he was twenty-two. He had learned the business from the inside out, from the upside down, backwards and forwards. He had never sat on his hands and waited for someone to find him a job, or expected anyone to give him a handout. He had never wanted to be coddled. He had wanted to learn the hard way, so that he could become the best at what he did; and now that he was, he was through pretending that he had any patience for his siblings’ laziness.
Over the next few days, the gardeners began working on making the gardens worthy of people’s pennies. The suggested donation for visiting in the gardens was one euro. He wanted to run a few ideas for making more revenue from the gardens by Willa Mae, but he couldn’t very well leave now, when things were at this critical stage. There was really no further reason for her to come to Scotland, so he would not see her again until after the project was completed. He could always email, and they could certainly talk on the phone, but no further physical meetings were necessary.
Andrews met him as he parked, and something about the man’s air told Niall that there was more trouble brewing.
“What’s happening now, Andrews?”
“The news from the village is that the Countess has managed to rally some members of the village board to have you served with a writ, Mr. Niall. I imagine that this is what is in this envelope.”
He handed Niall an unopened envelope from the village court and read the decree. It ordered him to cease and desist all contracted actions on the castle until the case was brought before the court for arbitration. The Countess of Ayesthorpe was seeking legal preservation of the castle’s heritage under local historic building codes. Until the courts ruled in the case, Niall and Creative Legacies were no longer allowed to continue the work.
He tightened his jaw. He would not respond as he was expected to do. If the family wanted a fight, they would get one. His mother had played her last hand. She had no money of her own to fight the renovations in court, but the village did, and as it was presented, she would have no need to retain a solicitor to get her dirty work done. She was showing once again how little she thought of the people whom she expected to pay her homage because of her title and social standing.
He needed Willa Mae to remind him that he was better than he felt in that moment. He thanked Andrews and handed him the keys. Then he wandered around to the side of the house where the rose garden beds were being refurbished and strolled between them, letting the beauty and fragrance soothe him. No doubt his siblings had known what their mother had done, and wanted to gauge his mood. He would beat them at their own game.
Pulling his cellphone from his pocket, he dialed Willa Mae’s number hoping that she was awake. It was nine in the morning where she was. The call went to voice mail. He didn’t leave a message; he’d try again in an hour. The phone rang almost as soon as he hung up. It was Willa Mae.
“Niall? Is everything okay?”
Her evident concern for him melted away the last of his anger at her. “No, but I’m glad you called back. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“I’m on the train. I didn’t really sleep last night.”
“Why have you cut your vacation short?”
He knew the answer, but he wanted her to say the words. The last time they had talked, he had said them to her, before their little spat.
“Why do you think?” she asked grumpily and he chuckled.
“I don’t know, do I? I need you to tell me.” He would never tire of teasing her.
“I miss you, okay? And after the way our last conversation ended, I couldn’t handle being alone. I needed to get back to work so I’d be too busy to mope.”
“I wish I could be there with you but I need to be here. Mother has managed to get the construction mired in court proceedings. So now I can’t move ahead with the work until we meet with an arbitrator.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll beat them at their own game.”
“What do you need from us on this end?”
“Nothing. I’ll call you as soon as I know when the court date is.”
“I’ll let Jill know.”
The conversation was stilted. There was more they wanted to say to each other, more they needed to say, but neither seemed to know how to get the words out. Niall forgot the anger he felt toward his mother. He forgot the frustration over the delay in his plans. He just wanted to be walking in the rose garden with Willa Mae. So he told her,
“I’m walking in the rose garden. It’s coming along really nicely. And I wish you were here with me.”
“Awww! That’s very sweet of you, your lordship.”
Evidently, she liked to tease him, too. He smiled. “You’re very brave with an ocean between us. But we won’t always be apart, sweetheart. Just remember that.”
He let her delighted laugh warm him, and soothe the tension in his shoulders.
“I don’t think I’ll need to come back to Scotland, Niall. I’m sure you’ll sort out this situation, and once the renovations are complete, you’ll be ready for business.”
“Would you come back if I invited you? As my guest?”
“Yes, of course I would. Maybe when you have your grand re-opening. I’m sure Jill wouldn’t mind paying for my stay.”
“I’ll pay for your stay. You’ll be my guest. So, we have a date…kind of.” He chuckled. “More info to follow.”
“I look forward to hearing from you.”
“May I see you for a moment, sweetheart?”
He didn’t want the call to end, but he would let her go if he could see her. It was times like these that he blessed the technology that allowed him to see the people he was talking to despite the distance between them. Almost as soon as she nodded he sent the request, and when her face popped up on his screen, his heart surged in his chest. She looked tired, but her smile still lit up her whole face.
“Hey, you!” he smiled back at her.
“Hey yourself! You look dapper!”
“I was in a meeting almost all morning.” He turned the phone around so she could see where he was standing. “I thought you might like a sneak preview of the work already in progress.”
After a moment, she asked, “Niall, doesn’t the order to stop working include work being done in the garden?”
He turned the phone back around. “No. Apparently my mother doesn’t mind having the garden enhanced and updated. It’s what’s planned for the house itself that has her tied up in knots.”
“I’m really sorry all this is happening. I imagine if it were some place other than your ancestral home, you might just have pulled your funding and moved on.”
“Yes. But sometimes withdrawing is the best offense. Usually, when people see money slipping between their fingers, they come to their senses pretty quickly.”
Her face showed her concern and he loved her for it. He had to find a way to be with her sooner than the six months it would take to finish the work, once the arbitration was complete. He was confident that he would win, but he knew the blow to his mother’s pride would be tremendous.
“Sometimes, when I’m not furious with her, I wish I understood why Mother is being so stubborn about this. It’s not exactly rocket science that any improvements to the castle will bring in greater revenue. I don’t understand her objection to more money in her bank account.”
Willa Mae sighed. He understood her feelings. “Anyway, the rose garden looks lovely. I’m sure a lot of people will be happy to contribute to its preservation.”
He studied her face as she spoke, and saw the lines of weariness deepening. “How close to Penn Station are you?”
“We’ll be there in another couple of hours.”
“I’ll call you later. Be safe, love.”
Feeling much calmer, he went indoors, wishing he could enjoy the beauty of his home without feeling the frustrations of having his plans mired in paperwork. He would prepare for this arbitration in the same way he prepared for major deals. He sent his solicitor an email, made a few phone calls, and then did some research. When the date was set for the arbitration, he would know everything there was to know about historic estate preservation in the village, what the statutes were, what precedents were set for this case to be heard, and what decisions had been handed.
It wasn’t that Niall didn’t trust his solicitors. He had a great team, and they earned their way with him. But he never liked to be in the dark, and this was one reason that he had earned a reputation within and outside his family as a shark. He was tough and didn’t allow personal feelings to enter into his business decisions. In fact, truth be told, he never allowed personal feelings to interfere at all. He had long ago decided that emotions weren’t worth the trouble of entertaining them, especially once he became almost a pariah in his own household. If his family had a hard time accepting him, then he would show them that he didn’t need them to succeed and move ahead in the world. He had done just that, over and over even in the years before he had become a legal adult.
A sound made him look up from the document he was reading. His mother stood in the doorway, her face pinched, her eyes suspiciously red. Niall watched her warily…he had never seen his mother cry, not even at her husband’s funeral. She had been stoic, cold, aloof, so much so that no one wanted to approach her. She hadn’t looked anything like a grieving widow might reasonably be expected to look, so her appearance now was puzzling to him. He eyed her suspiciously. At this point, he didn’t think anything was beneath his mother to try and halt the renovations.
“Mother?”
“Have you received the writ from the village board?” she began without preamble.
“I have.”
She waited, as though she expected him to say something more. When he remained silent, she continued. “You forced me to it, Niall. You refuse to accept that this house was not meant to become just another bed and breakfast. This is a castle with a fine heritage. It should be treated with the respect it serves, the respect it is due. All you want to do is turn it into another hotel for obnoxious people to spend their money as though they’re doing us a favor. We’re the ones doing them a favor by having this place here to begin with.”
Niall studied his mother. She sounded irrational, like a petulant child with no access to reason when her favorite toy has been taken from her. It struck him suddenly that he had not really been observing his mother, but had only been reacting to her behavior, which had been erratic, to say the least. What if there was something wrong with her? While she had never been a particularly warm woman, even when her children were small, she hadn’t been so egregiously unreasonable, either.
“Mother,” he began, deciding to test the waters, “when was the last time you saw your GP?”
“I’m not ill, Niall! Why should I spend good money to have some quack tell me what I already know? I’m perfectly fine. No need for a doctor.”
Niall hated that he had to do this, but he knew in her current frame of mind nothing but force would get her to do what he now realized she needed to do.
“Why don’t I make arrangements for Dr. Sutherland to come round? He’d be more than happy to make a house call for you.”
His mother glared at him angrily. “There is nothing wrong with me, and no reason for anyone to waste time coming out here.”
He was careful to remove all expression from his face as he made the statement that he knew would force her to comply. “I think you’re being very irrational without just cause, and I believe that means there’s something wrong with you. If you refuse to see Dr. Sutherland and to follow his recommendations, I’ll be forced to bring this matter before the arbitrators. Do you think they’ll allow any case brought by a woman who might be mentally or emotionally impaired to take up the court’s time?”
“How dare you impugn my good name with such a vile accusation!”
Niall watched as she drew herself up haughtily, like a queen over her country. “I haven’t accused you of anything, Mother. I have said that you’re not yourself. You’ve never behaved like this before. I’m concerned that you have been unwell for some time,” like five years, he thought, “and have gone untreated.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me!”
Her voice remained strident with denial, but Niall noticed that her eyes grew uncertain and then, to his utter astonishment, they filled inexplicably with tears. His unease, and truth be told his guilt, grew. He stood up, but before he could move towards her, she turned sharply and walked away. Niall sighed. He wondered whether or not his siblings had even noticed that their mother’s behavior had been growing more and more erratic. They lived with her…he didn’t, though he knew that that was no excuse for not knowing.
He called the family physician and made arrangements for him to come out to the castle the next day, and then waited for his brother and sister to return. When they did, he called them into his study.
“It’s almost time for dinner. What’s so important it can’t wait?” As usual, Angus was as pompous as ever.
“Have either of you noticed anything unusual in Mother’s behavior?”
Niall watched their faces. Nothing registered on Angus’s face, which didn’t surprise him at all, since his brother was the most self-absorbed person he had ever met. Alison, however, looked…uncertain. He waited.
“What do you mean by unusual?’ she asked eventually.
He sighed. “What do you think you’ve noticed, Alison?”
His sister bit her lip, looking at Angus as though for guidance. Seeing none forthcoming, she plunged in. “Well, in the last few months or so I’ve noticed she’s become very…shrill. It’s usually when she’s under a great deal of strain, but I thought it odd because Mama never cracked when we were younger.”
“What sort of stress do you mean?” Niall needed as much information as he could get before the doctor arrived, so he had symptoms to describe.
“Well, this whole castle business for one thing. Every time it’s mentioned, she seems to go just a little round the bend. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed that, Angus!”
She turned to look at her brother, whose gaze remained empty of awareness. “I don’t think a raised voice is an unusual thing for someone who feels threatened, do you?” he asked defensively, eventually recognizing that he might have missed something important. “In any case, what does it matter if she’s been a little louder than usual? You’re threatening our home. This is where she has lived since she was a lass of twenty-four. How else do you expect her to react?”
“Did it ever occur to you that perhaps our mother is unwell?”
Niall let the question sit for a long moment in the stunned silence that followed it, and then he dismissed them. “I’ve asked Dr. Sutherland to come out tomorrow. You both need to be here to hear what he has to say once he’s finished with his examination. He’ll arrive in time for lunch. Don’t be late.”
He stayed where he was, standing by his desk, until they walked out, and then he slumped against it. His mind raced with all the things that could possibly be wrong with his mother, and with how this discovery changed everything. He wished he could feel better about it, but he didn’t. He just felt defeated. He needed Willa Mae. She was better at this than he would ever be, because she cared and she had made him learn to care.
He called her, readying the words he would say to persuade her to come to him, and to stay.