Lost in Shadow (A Shadow Walkers Ghost Novel) (21 page)

Walking towards the rental place, she wondered how her brother was doing. She made a quick call on her disposable phone and left a message letting him know she was fine, having a great time on vacation. He was away on a deep sea fishing tournament, and they hadn’t talked in a couple of weeks. It wasn’t unusual for them to go a few weeks at a time without touching base, but they always knew they were there for each other and both always made sure to leave some way to get in touch if any kind of emergency cropped up.

Spotting Colin, her mouth hit the snowy ground…she’d expected your average rental or maybe an SUV, but this…not only was it totally impractical, but it couldn’t be great to drive in the snow, could it?…boys and their toys. She rolled her eyes. It was a midnight-blue Porsche. Well, this was certainly discreet…not. He seemed so pleased, she didn’t have the heart to tell him how crazy she thought he was, vowing not to say “I told you so” when they got stuck. Emily wondered if she should buy more snacks and beverages, heck maybe a down comforter…on second thought, they’d be lucky to fit in what they had with them, into the small trunk of this machine…it was beautiful, impractical, but oh yes, gorgeous, she thought opening the door, smelling the leather interior.

Loading up the car, they headed towards Ravensmore. “Hmmrph, do you think you bought enough ‘road trip snacks’? Granted we won’t arrive until after dinner, but I don’t think we’ll starve by then, lass. I may be powerless and require food but I think we could feed half of Scotland on what you purchased.”

Smacking his arm, she sniffed, “You’ll be happy when your stomach rumbles in an hour or so. Anyway, it’s snowing harder. We could get stuck and then you’ll be grateful I have plenty of snacks. One should always be prepared on a road trip. So not only do we have snacks, we have bottled water, hot chocolate, potato pies, sandwiches, and a wool blanket. Don’t look at me like that, the blanket is a gift for my brother, but if we get stuck, I hate to be cold.”

“Lass, I dinna know whether to be offended or laugh…do ye really think I’d let us be stranded? But if it makes you happy to have provisions, by all means. Cars and horses aren’t so very different.”

“I didn’t know you could rent a Porsche, especially in this weather. It looks and smells brand new. I love the smell of a new car.” She groaned, sinking back into the leather seats, which by the way, were heated, hello.

Looking over at her, he came clean. “Well, that’s because it is new, it’s not a rental—Gus keeps a car for me at his place in case I need it.”

“Um, exactly how many cars do you have that you can leave them waiting at various ports of call? And why do you need cars, can’t you just ‘pop’ wherever you want?”

Chuckling, he shifted, picking up speed, navigating the roads with ease. She didn’t cover her eyes but snow made her nervous. Weren’t the weather people always telling everyone to stay home when it snowed?

“Don’t be nervous. I’ve been driving on snow covered roads since cars were invented. To answer your question, a lot…I have a lot of cars. I used to have lots of horses, the finest breeds, now it’s cars. I like the high-performance ones best. And no, I don’t ‘need’ them, but I have quite a fondness for them. While I dematerialize frequently, sometimes I like to drive, enjoy the feel of the road, the sound of the engine.” Seeing her expression, he told her, “Don’t worry, I won’t talk about cars the entire way. I need to make one quick stop before dark.”

The snow came down harder as the sky turned the color of gunmetal, nothing but countryside around them, passing through the occasional tiny town or catching a glimpse of one of the cute shaggy highland cows alongside the road, it was warm inside the car. The lulling rumble of the engine, the warmth of the car, and fatigue from the last few days caught up to her as she fell fast asleep.

Glancing over at Emily, Colin was struck by how peaceful she looked sleeping. Her head tilted to the side, using her scarf as a pillow, her full lips parted slightly as if she had fallen asleep mid-sentence. She approached life the same way, meeting whatever challenges came her way head on, listening to what she was told, weighing the facts before deciding to believe or not…she believed him. He surprised himself by realizing it mattered what she thought.

He hoped Rawlins and his merry band of misfits wouldn’t bother them—granted it was as likely as pigs flying but still, a man could hope. The fact he was after Emily meant he had to know about her ability. Possible he also knew about the curse…that was more troubling. Rawlins wouldn’t think Colin would go to Ravensmore, since it was the obvious choice, he hoped that thinking would buy them some time, time to get Emily safe, prepare for whatever was going to happen. He’d called Thorne, but it went straight to voice mail. Speeding up, the tires grabbed the road, the car purring as they sped along the deserted, snowy roads.

Pulling over to refill since they’d likely not see another open petrol station; Emily woke up as the car came to a stop. Watching her stretch, desire flared to life. He pulled her across the seat, crushing his mouth to hers, his kiss demanding, hungry. Blinking at the rapping on the window, they broke apart, Colin jumped out of the car.

“Easy lad, didn’t mean to interrupt your snogging. I’m getting ready to close so if you need petrol, better fill her up now.” Running a hand down the side of the Porsche, the attendant whistled, “Now that is one fine piece of machinery.”

Emily had gone inside to use the ladies room and stretch her legs.

The snow was coming down in big, fluffy flakes. Slipping, Colin caught her arm, holding the door for her.

“Can’t believe I’m going to admit this, you were right, I’m hungry. Think you might share your wee road trip food with me?” He gave her his most charming smile. Could admit when he was wrong, wasn’t a complete dolt.

“Won’t even say I told you so.” Emily handed him food and hot chocolate. He’d never admit to anyone but he liked the chocolate drink. As his stomach rumbled, she passed him a potato pie. “Would you tell me about your home? I’ve never been to a castle before.” She’d turned in her seat to watch him. The small gesture pleased him.

“Ravensmore has been owned by a Campbell since it was built back in the thirteen hundreds. It burned to the ground at one point but was rebuilt, though uninhabited for a long time. It’s made of gray stone and sits on the edge of a cliff. Behind the castle is the sea, in front, open ground sweeping down to the forest. The walls have never been breached. It has over a hundred rooms. Some of the wings aren’t used so they’re closed off unless we need them. You’ll meet the staff; they keep it running and clean when I’m away. This is where I prefer to spend most of my time though I have a place in Edinburgh.”

“I can’t wait to see it. I’ve always been fascinated with castles. Will it be terribly cold inside like Edinburgh Castle?”

“’Tis cold but nothing like most old castles. The Roman’s figured out how to run water through ceramic pipes, heating the floor, so your toes won’t be cold.”

“I remember the guide at the museum saying you were ahead of your time partially due to the castle being built upon an old Roman fort? Is that where the heated floors came from?”

“Aye, the Romans were so advanced in their construction and building techniques. They had figured out heat, running water, and bathing chambers. These were all intact and the castle built utilizing them. My ancestors were thrifty and didn’t want to waste anything that might be useful. Ravensmore has gardens, both flowers and edible things such as vegetables, fruits and herbs. The castle boasts a large greenhouse or as it used to be called an orangerie, where oranges, lemons, and other fruits difficult to grow in Scotland flourish. You’ll see the old mosaics in the bathing pool and yes, we have electricity and hot water along with toilets. We’re not complete savages.” He told her. “See it was expensive even then to maintain such a large holding. My father had squandered the family fortune, so there wasn’t money for repairs and upkeep. I couldn’t bear to let go of the place. It has secret passages and rooms that as a boy were exciting to explore. One passage leads from one of the old garrison buildings down to the sea.”

She interrupted him, “Is that where the smuggling took place?”

“Aye, there’s a hidden cove where small ships could dock without being seen and load the whisky. There’s another passage leading down from the kitchen, it goes to three chambers. One was used for refrigeration, one for freezing and the last for ice. It was so cold in the rock, the way the sea water came in, created these ideal temperatures. Wine was stored there along with homemade cheese. It truly is a wonderful place. I’m planning to bring back the wine and cheese making—as you know, the whisky is still being produced. Many of the families who relied on me then…” His voice was strangled. She saw the emotions play across his face as he composed himself.

“They had a rough time of it after I was gone. One of the first things I did when I came back was to make sure they were being taken care of. Hamish stopped all whisky production, turning the families—rather what was left of them…he’d had most of the men hanged—the rest he put out into the streets. I tracked down every one I could find, set them up in an abandoned hunting lodge owned by my family but forgotten, on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Told them I survived, had to keep my existence a secret. Eventually, I told some of them the truth. To this day, descendants of those families still work for me.”

“The guide said Hamish was killed at Castle Gloom while Abigail was away. Did they ever figure out what happened?”

Looking down at her hand on his arm, he clasped her hand tight. “Abigail was to blame. She’d decided she was done with Hamish, having spent his gold, had no further use for him. She had him murdered while she left, bound for the West Indies to marry a wealthy plantation owner. She never made it, the ship was attacked by pirates and said all perished…though it was Robert who attacked the ship. He was going to sell Abigail to a whorehouse for what she did. As much as I hated her, I couldn’t let that fate befall her. Instead, she was sold to be a maid in a fine house.”

Emily snorted, “You were nicer than I would have been, I don’t know what I would have done, but a maid in a grand house was much too nice for her after what she did.”

Pulling in to a snow-covered drive; a well-lit, cozy cottage came into view. Parking in front of the door, Colin came around to let Emily out.

“The snow’s getting bad, we won’t stay long. This is the MacGregor family. They’ve worked with me since the beginning; all three sons are part of the business. I wanted to drop their check off since I know they’ve wanted to put a down payment on a new boat.”

The door opened, Alistair greeted him. He was growing up fast. Sixteen looking twenty.

“Colin, you didn’t have to stop by tonight, it could have waited. Come in. Mam’s got tea on.”

The boy gave Emily an appraising glance as she came in, taking off her coat. Catching Colin’s look, he blushed and looked away.

Mrs. MacGregor came bustling into the room, a plump woman, in her late forties, with gray streaked liberally through her auburn hair which was in a messy bun, wisps escaping.

“Welcome Colin! Come, come, sit by the fire, warm your bones while I fix some tea. ‘Tis a lovely snowy night, isn’t it?” She fussed in the kitchen, getting tea and cookies ready while he and Emily made themselves comfortable.

“Emily, this is Mrs. MacGregor, her sons—Alistair, he’s sixteen. Hugh is eighteen, and Colum is twenty.”

“Pleasure to meet ya’ll.”

Colin suppressed a guffaw at the dumbstruck looks on the lads faces. All smitten by the looks of it.

Finishing their tea, Mrs. MacGregor thanked him for the check, patted Emily’s cheek, telling Colin, “You’ve got a good one here, even if she is a Yank. Now be off with you before the snow gets worse. I’ve packed you a full thermos of hot tea and there’s rolls, still warm from the oven.”

Heading out, the snow scraped against the low-slung car. “We’re an hour, maybe two with the snow, from Ravensmore.”

“I’ll cross my fingers we don’t get stuck. Take my mind off the weather, you said the MacGregor’s all work for you, do they all make whisky?”

“Nay, Alistair has the knack for it while Hugh works on the vineyards, and Colum works on ways to continue to modernize operations and the castle. He’s an engineer, always tinkering with some new gadget.”

“I’m curious, what’s the boat for?”

“Alistair wants to also transport goods for Robert. A small boat comes in handy for some of the locales. The family shares in the profits of Ravensmore Whisky. I decided a long time ago; all profits would go to the families who were betrayed along with me.”

Seeing her shocked look, he continued, “The distillery makes a decent profit, helps them, and I don’t need the money.” Cut off from telling her anything else, he swore, swerving hard to the right to avoid a red Range Rover bearing down on them as the sound of gunfire shattered the stillness.

“Tell me that was a car backfiring.” Emily slunk down in the seat.

“The glass is bulletproof; make sure your seatbelt is tight.” He narrowly avoided the oncoming car, only to hear a loud pop, as the car hit something, puncturing a tire. Coming to a stop in the deserted road, he warned her, “No matter what, stay in the car, keep the doors locked. Do you know how to use a gun?”