(Present Day)

“Ms. Jameson,” the driver said, “are you sure you’re all right?”

No, I wasn’t, but I knew I had to pull myself together if I was going to survive.

“Yes, I’m sorry, probably just jet-lag.”

He nodded as if understanding.

The driver drove up a slow sloping hill and the castle came into view. The drive was lined on either side with wide, towering trees.

He pointed out the window. “Those are Scots Pines planted over three hundred years ago.”

Three hundred years? How old was this castle?

As the trees cleared, opening up to the front of the castle my breath caught. The structure was much larger than I’d anticipated from our perch on the bridge.

The castle was three stories high and made of grey stone with white framed windows across the front. A large balcony ran the width on the top level. On either side of the castle rose turrets affixed with two flags waving wildly in the air. One was blue with a huge white X, the other a yellow and orange flag with a lion raised on its haunches. It looked similar to the family crest I’d made for my family in middle school.

The landscaping was breathtaking, flowers mixed with shrubs and small trees surrounded the base and of the castle and out as far as the eye could see. The rolling hills and greenery were breathtaking.

The driver rounded a fountain and came to a stop in front of two huge wooden front doors that looked medieval. My body shivered at what lie inside.

The man turned and glanced at me over his shoulder. “Are you ready?”

His face seemed filled with as much trepidation as mine, as if he knew more than I did. 

No, I’m not ready for this, I wanted to scream. How could anyone be ready to destroy an entire family? I had no choice though. I was a slave to the man who’d claimed to have killed my daughter and ex-husband. Now my own life, and those I loved, were in jeopardy. Although death seemed like a better option right now.

I drew in a deep breath and exhaled a heavy sigh. “Sure,” I said instead. If I couldn’t save Annemarie, perhaps I could save this family from a similar fate.

The driver exited and made his way around the car, opening my door.

As I stepped out and waited for him to gather luggage, I studied the land surrounding the castle.

The sweeping views of the surrounding countryside were breathtaking. The River Dee wrapped around the estate and grew in width with several small arched bridges allowing guests to cross larger fields adorned with lush trees and foliage. 

From the corner of my eye, I noticed an older man sculpting the shrubbery around the base of the castle with long shears.

“That’s Espinoza,” the driver said, stepping up next to me. “He’s the head groundskeeper.”

Head? How many gardeners did they have?

“The Laucherfield Castle gardens and landscape are renowned in this part of the country.”

“Oh,” I said, nodding. She could totally understand why.

Suddenly a woman opened one of the massive doors and stepped down from the small porch.

She appeared to be in mid- to late-forties, her long red hair littered with strands of silver. She was of average height with a shapely form that belied her age. She met my gaze with bright blue eyes and a warm smile that set my heart at ease for the first time in weeks.

“Welcome, To Laucherfield Castle,” she said in an accent I couldn’t quite place as she tossed her braided hair over one shoulder. She was beautiful in a simple sort of way, the smooth skin of her face dotted with freckles.

I immediately felt drawn to her, as if we were kindred spirits. Something told me I would find solace in her company.

“I’m Fiona MacFarland, the house keeper.”

Fiona. That was Irish, wasn’t it? Or maybe Scottish? But the driver’s accent had been British. Where the hell was I? I’d been lost in my own fog for days after the visitor had instructed me of his plans…or threats really.

“We have the most beautiful landscape in all of Scotland.” Fiona’s smile grew.

So, I was in Scotland. Suddenly more of the man’s diabolical plan came to surface.

“I’m so glad to finally have you here dear,” she said, walking toward me with arms opened wide.

Unused to affection of this kind, stiffened and leaned back on my heels.

She slowed her steps, letting her hands fall as if hearing my silent fears. She turned attention to the driver. “John, will you take Laurel’s things to the guest room I have prepared.”

John. That was the driver’s name. I turned toward him with a small smile. “Um, thank you, John.” I tried to sound confident, as if I’d known his name all along.

With eyebrows raised, his expression assured me he wasn’t fooled.

He nodded once. “Please let me know if you need anything, ma’am.” He smiled but it seemed forced. He carried my luggage into the castle. His departure left me feeling more fearful than I had since this entire situation had started.

Fiona grabbed my hand and tugged. “Please, come inside and let me show you around the castle.”

Her excitement would have been infectious if I hadn’t been so worried about my unforeseeable future. My captor still had yet to disclose why I was even here in Scotland. He’d only presented me enough evidence to know I was in danger if I didn’t follow his fiendish plan.

I stepped inside and noticed a massive wooden staircase with intricate banisters standing in front of me. The steps led up to a landing which split into flights of stairs to the left and right.

A beautiful Grandfather clock stood high on the landing, its pendulum swaying gently inside a glass encasement. On either side of the clock were portraits of men in various states of dress and pose. Some looked as if they dated back hundreds of years.

“Your room is upstairs, but I’ll show you around the castle first.” Fiona said.

I turned my attention to the kind woman. Her eyes sparkled with what looked like genuine care and concern.

She walked down a hallway and I followed behind, taking in the high ceilings and ornate tapestries hanging from the walls.

“This is the grand ballroom,” Fiona said, waving her hand toward two large doors that were closed.

I stepped toward the room, my curiosity almost winning out as I reached for the handles, but Fiona quickly led us further down the dark hallway with no intention of stopping.

“The castle makes a large square,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “If you get lost, just follow the corridors until you reach the grand staircase.”

“Okay,” I said quietly, noting the dimness despite the small sconces adorning the walls. A chill suddenly swept over me and I wasn’t sure if it was from the weather or the eerie feeling the castle emanated.

Fiona pointed to the left. “Down this hallway are two small guest rooms and a bathroom.”

I glanced down the long hallway that seemed even dimmer than the one we were in. This castle seemed filled with all sorts of nooks and crannies.

My captor had told me I was here under the guise of being the nanny for the owner of the castle who had a 4-year-old son. I cringed, thinking of all the places the young boy could get lost. Annmarie would have had a field day playing hide-and-go-seek in this huge house. The memory of her made me smile.

“This,” Fiona waved her hand in front of an open door, “is the sitting room.” I glanced inside, noting the beautiful windows. They were tall, nearly floor to ceiling and tipped at the top like those she remembered from church. Heavy drapes of a jacquard fabric were pushed open allowing a small portion of the ever-dimming sun to filter in.

Fiona quickly continued our tour, leaving me little time to inspect all the intricate details of the castle. I’d have to return later and do my own tour.

I moved to catch with Fiona as she made her way up a large spiral staircase made of the same stone as the exterior castle walls. 

“Wow,” I hummed as my fingertips grazed the stone.

“This castle was built in 1574.”

“Amazing,” I breathed out with reverence. The oldest building I’d ever seen was the state capital of Texas.

Fiona led us down the same hallway that we’d travelled downstairs, only this was on the second floor. I noticed a portion of the hallway looked down over the main floor.

“This is Mr. Lauchlan’s study,” she announced, coming to stand just inside a wide doorway. 

I stepped inside a round room and quickly realized this was actually one of the turrets in the castle.

The room was spacious but sparsely decorated, the exposed stones from the outside lining the walls. A large round, ornate rug sat in the middle of the room and in front of the mahogany desk was fireplace I could stand in.

“I bet that takes a lot of wood,” I said with a light laugh.

“Indeed.” Fiona smiled.

Two tan chairs sat in front of the desk and a small couch was positioned in front of the fireplace. Glancing around the walls, I noticed the windows were similar to those downstairs but not as tall.

“The windows here are beautiful,” I said.

“They were redone years ago. See there.” She pointed to the very top and I noticed a small pane of stained glass filled the top portion of the window. The colors reminded me of the pendant my father had made me. I instinctively reached for my necklace but remembered I’d lost it after meeting the Texas Ranger.

I laughed to myself. Texas Ranger.

Leading us back down the hallway we’d just travelled, Fiona stepped down the stairs. I wondered why she hadn’t shown me the rest of the second story but was grateful. Suddenly I was tired, the travel and the stress of this entire ordeal weighing heavily on me.

Once we reached the bottom floor, she rounded the staircase and stopped. “This is the door to the private garden.” 

Without waiting for my reply, she opened the door and we stepped into a large courtyard in the middle of the castle. I glanced up, surprised to see the sky. “So, there is no middle of the castle?” I asked.

“There was years ago, but a portion of it burned almost two hundred years ago. Instead of rebuilding, the cleared the rubble and built this garden.”

I studied the continents. The flora and fauna were impressive, ferns and flowers littering the abundant space. “It’s beautiful,” I said.

A familiar sound drew me to the center of the courtyard. A flowing fountain caught my eye and I smiled. Water had always drawn me home.

I glanced up and noticed three bronze angels standing in a circle. Their backs faced one another as they stared out over the courtyard seeming to protect the area. Their wings were welded together as if holding one another back from flight. I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be to have someone hold on to me that tight.

A spring of water shot from their center of the angels, leaving a cascading flow of water down two tiers below.

“Isn’t it a beautiful fountain?” Fiona asked.

“Yes, it is,” I said. “I love the angels.”

She stood quietly, staring at the top, seemingly lost in thought. This fountain was obviously very special to her.

My attention was drawn to a large thatch of rose bushes of varying colors.

Fiona stepped up beside me. “Mr. Lauchlan loves roses.”

I reached out, touching one of the soft petals. “Your gardener does an amazing job.”

“Mr. Espinoza does do a wonderful job around the castle but the rose bushes are Mr. Lauchlan’s. Unless he’s away for an extended period of time, Mr. Espinoza leaves them for Anders.”

Anders?

I hadn’t heard her refer to Mr. Lauchlan by his first name before.

To the right I noticed a wall of reflective glass.

“That’s the pool area,” Fiona said, noticing my gaze.

“You have a pool?” My heart beat harder and I worked to hold down my excitement.

“Oh yes. Do you swim?” she asked.

“Yes, I do, but I didn’t bring a bathing suit.” Who in the world would have thought I’d need a bathing suit on this trip. I wasn’t on a vacation…I was trapped in a nightmare.

“Oh, don’t worry dear, John can take you into Aberdeen to purchase one,” she said. “Or you can purchase one on the Internet and have it delivered here. I would love to see the pool used. Callum always asks me to teach him to swim but I don’t know how. And Anders will never take him. He’s deathly afraid of the water.”

Who was deathly afraid of water, I wondered.

“Callum is Mr. Lauchlan’s son?” I asked. Miller had shared very few details about this assignment. And to be honest, after his threats I really hadn’t heard much.

“Oh yes, he is,” she said. “I forgot you two haven’t met yet. Although I thought the nanny agency would have given you some information.” 

Nanny agency? What nanny agency? Obviously DeputyMiller had planned everything and hadn’t offered me many details. Suddenly I wondered what else he had neglected to tell me.

“Oh well, you’ll meet Callum soon enough.”

“I swim,” I said. “Maybe I could teach him.”

Fiona’s blue eyes lit with happiness as she clapped her hands together. “That would be wonderful, dear. He would so love that.”

At least maybe I could do one good thing while I was here.

Fiona led me through another door. “This is the kitchen.” She motioned to her left as we walked through a stone archway.

It was a huge space, much warmer than the other rooms. Despite my aversion to cooking, I vowed to visit the kitchen often.

The space seemed to be outfitted with modern amenities. Copper pots and pans hung from a wrought iron rack anchored to the ceiling. Simple grey stone countertops wrapped around the perimeter, the color matching that of the outside of the castle.

Walking further into the kitchen I noticed a large wooden table with two benches along one of the walls. The piece was so thick and worn it looked like it came from medieval times.

“This is where we eat most of the time,” Fiona said. “The main dining room is too big for just me and Callum. This is the pantry,” she pointed to a door next to the refrigerator. “Feel free to take anything you want at any time, from the refrigerator too. This castle is now your home.”

Home? I wanted to laugh out loud. If she only knew. This place was my own private prison.

Trying to forget my dire situation, I motioned to an opening near the table. “Are those more stairs?” I asked, rounding the corner.

“Yes,” she said, coming to stand behind me. “This turret is actually a full staircase leading from the first floor to the second and third floors. That way we don’t have to travel all the way back to the front of the castle to the main staircase. It’s quite large.”

“That’s an understatement,” I said under my breath.

We left the kitchen and I followed her down another long hallway. “This is the dining room,” she said, pointing to a closed door on the left, but continued walking. “And this,” she said, finally stopping, “is the pool room.”

Finally, a place that truly felt like home.

Fiona opened the door and I was instantly assaulted with the smell of chlorine and victory. This room would be my respite from the nightmare I’d been trapped in. I vowed to find a way to get a bathing suit no matter what.

The pool was “L” shaped, one end made for laps, the other a playing area. A small patio area sat off to the side with several tables and chairs. The space looked homey and inviting, two things I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever.

“I’ll bring Callum here as soon as I get a bathing suit,” I said. “Do you know if he has one?”

“You know dear, I’m not sure. That’s a good question. I’ll find out. If not, we’ll get you two to town and go shopping.”

“I would like that,” I said, smiling for the first time since I’d met Miller.

Fiona led us from the pool room. The safety I’d just found evaporated as she closed the door.

She pointed to another room. This castle was huge and I was definitely lost. “This is the library and media room. There’s a huge television and sound system in the cabinet but they rarely use the one in this room,” she said. “There’s another system in the game room upstairs.”

“Game room,” I said. That sounded fun. “How many rooms does this castle have.”

“Laucherfield Castle has twenty-two bedrooms, twenty bathrooms, five living rooms, one formal dining room, a library and a grand ball room. It’s 3,400 square meters, not including the interior garden.”

I stared at Fiona in confusion. “This castle has to be larger than 3,400 square feet.”

She smiled. “Oh, no, sweetie, square meters.”

“Oh, that’s right, I forget.” I tapped my temple. “Different measuring system.”

“Yes, sorry.” She nodded. “I believe that figure would equate to almost 40,000 square feet. The Laucherfield Estate encompasses 762 acres and has been in this family for over 450 years.”

She recited the stats like she’d done it a million times before.

“Wow, this is a huge place. Remind me not to play hide-and-seek with Callum.” I laughed. “Speaking of Callum, when will I get to meet him.”

“I thought you would be tired today so I made other arrangements for him,” she said. “You take it easy, walk around and get acquainted with the castle and the grounds.”

I nodded. That did sound like a good idea.

“Why don’t I show you to your room, then we can finish the tour after you’ve rested and had something to eat. Does that sound all right?” 

“Yes, that sounds perfect. I don’t know why I’m so tired,” I said.

“You’ve been travelling a long way and you’re probably not eating and drinking enough. A new country and a new home are a lot to take in in a day.”

“May I be honest with you, Fiona?”.

“Why yes dear, you can always be honest with me.”

Her words rang true to me. I could trust her. I drew in a ragged breath and released a heavy sigh. “Everyone keeps calling this my home,” I paused, wondering how much truth I wanted to reveal.

She stared at me, her blue eyes so clear and compassionate.

“This isn’t my home,” I said on a sigh.

“You’re right, dear, I’m sorry. Your home is in California isn’t it?”

“California?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

She stared at me in confusion. “That’s what the nanny agency said.”

Crap, California was part of my cover. I’d already forgotten the story. I had a terrible memory, and I was a horrible liar. I was going to mess all of this up. It would be best to interlace at least a little of the truth.

“No, not California,” I said. “I’m originally from Texas. But honestly, I don’t know where my home is.” It’s just not here, I thought. 

“I understand,” she said, glancing around the castle. “Sometimes I feel the same way.

We both stood in silence for a long moment. There was something in Fiona that drew me to her. She seemed as lost as I felt. 

She shook her head then turned to me and smiled. “Let’s get you upstairs and settled in. Scotland may not be your home, but I’ll try to make you feel as if this castle is a place you’d like to be, even if it’s just for a little while.” Stepping closer, she gave me a gentle hug.

Please God, don’t let me have to destroy her too. Fiona MacFarland seemed to be the first real friend I’d had in a long time…maybe ever.