Page 4 of A Flower for Angus

“She must be used to snow then, I reckon. Mayhap yer mysterious housekeeper will fit right in.” He polished off the last of his lasagna by cleaning his plate with the last bite of his garlic toast, then rubbed his stomach. “Did I hear something about peach cobbler?” he asked hopefully.

Darro rolled his eyes. “Again, I don’t know where ye put it all.”

“I already told ye. I need the calories because ye’re such a slavedriver,” Angus replied with a wide grin.

Lucerne got up to fix Angus a big heaping bowl of the peach cobbler. “Would ye like it heated with ice cream or just cream?” she asked with a giggle.

“If it’s no trouble, some cream would be nice,” he replied with relish. “Darro doesn’t deserve ye if I have to say so myself.”

Darro snorted. “After ye’ve finished stuffing yerself, I have some work in the barn I could use some help with. One of the snowmobiles sounds like a sparkplug is misfiring.”

Angus sent his gaze heavenward and stretched out his arms. “See what I mean, Lord? Always making me work after hours. And he wonders why I need to eat so much.”

“Ye need to do something to make up for all the food ye scavenge, ye old fart.”

Lucerne was used to their squabbling by this time and actually enjoyed it. She knew how close they were and that they would each do anything for the other.

Her thoughts drifted to the new housekeeper, wondering what she would be like. With things getting so busy for her now, it would be heaven sent to find someone who fit in with their household.

She automatically packed the rest of the lasagna in a takeout container for Angus. And most likely for Ben to, although Angus would probably never admit it.

She wondered if Angus would ever marry again? Rosie had been gone for over a year now and he seemed lonely at times. But like Darro had pointed out, Angus rarely left the highlands except to visit family. How in the world would he meet someone?

***

MACY KENNEDY TOOK THEwritten directions to the Highland Estate called Neamh from Jamie MacNamara, her new employer at Happy Housekeepers. This job was a godsend. Especially since she’d only been in Inverness just a little over 24 hours. “How long will it take for me to get there?” she asked.

“Usually about an hour depending on how many sheep herds are crossing the road on yer way,” Jamie replied with a chuckle. “Ye never know what can cause a delay in the highlands, whether it be sheep, rockslides, or even water across the road. Especially with the run off from the mountains. Being from Canada, I’m sure ye must be used to some of the same road conditions we have here after the winter is over?”

Macy nodded, the question in his words not lost on her. “Potholes are certainly a huge factor too.” She knew he was hoping for more information, but Macy was being reticent for a reason.

“Aye, the roads can be quite dangerous in places,” he agreed suavely.

Macy was quite aware of the admiration in Jamie’s gaze, but she wasn’t looking for a male in her life. He was quite a handsome man with a tall, lean figure and white peppering his fine dark hair. You could easily call him a silver fox. His dark expressive eyes and cultured tones made him seem a real gentleman, but looks could be deceiving.

In another time and another place, she might have been interested in getting to know Jamie MacNamara as other than an employer. Today, she just wanted to get as far away from people as she could. The more remote the better.

“One more thing, Mr. MacNamara,” she added quietly. “If anyone should call asking about me, tell them you don’t know me. Please? Especially if it’s a call from out of the country.”

Jamie hesitated a moment, then nodded affirmatively. “Of course, Macy. Your privacy as an employee of Happy Housekeeper’s will be protected. No one will give out any information about ye.”

Macy bobbed her head gratefully. “Thank you so much. If your daughter and her family like me, I may not be coming back tonight. I’ll let you know of course, if that’s the case.”

He frowned and seemed to want to say more, but he didn’t. She didn’t blame him; she was lucky he was taking a chance on her without references and being a stranger in the city.

“Be careful on yer way up to Neamh. The Highlands can be as unpredictable as they are beautiful.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Macy replied as she headed out the door. She quickly returned to her rented four-wheel drive SUV behind the office building and slid her slim figure into the driver’s seat. Looking at the map Mr. MacNamara had given her, she studied it thoroughly.

She’d been to Inverness once before, years ago with her cousin, Molly O’Hara whose family lived in Dublin, Ireland. Molly was dead now, so no one could trace her through that line of questioning. Her memories of Scotland were hers alone, and there would be no earthly reason to look for her here.

Scotland, especially Inverness, was an enchanting place, and steeped in mystery and legend. A country with a proud, rich history. She’d always wanted to return one day, but never had the chance until now.

After her second husband, Julian Condoloro, had died in unusual circumstances, her stepson had blamed her for his father’s death. Especially since the lawyer had informed them at the reading of the will that Julian had changed some things. He’d unexpectedly left her with some of his fortune and investments. The will stated that Adrian was to have their ancestral home and would inherit Condoloro Enterprises, but Julian wanted to make sure Macy had enough money to support herself where ever she might choose to live. Adrian had been furious and vigorously contested the will. She shivered at the memories. This last year had been a living nightmare.

After the brakes had gone out on her car, Macy began to fear for her safety. So, she moved to Canada six months ago to get away from Adrian and the endless subpoenas to appear in court. She hadn’t been in Toronto long before she began to feel like someone was following her. Perhaps it was too close to Chicago, or perhaps she’d just been paranoid, but after she’d come home one day and realized someone had been in her home, she finally decided to move to Scotland and make a complete break. Traveling had always been on her agenda anyway.

After her arrival in Inverness, she’d perused the local paper for a rental home and had seen the ad for a housekeeper in a rural area. The idea occurred to her it might be a good place to hide until she knew for sure that Adrian had given up looking for her. It would save her money too. On the run and only using cash, her funds were limited. If no one were to call about her, or show up looking for her, then perhaps she was finally safe.

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