Page 13 of The Castle of Carnal Desires

They left and I fell back onto the bed, wishing that it might just swallow me whole and put me out of my misery.

Chapter Five

Life settled back into the usual routine after what everyone started calling “the fox incident” and the gossip spread through the town like wildfire. Everyone knew that the McTavish twins were staying at the castle, and there was more than a little speculation that we were testing out all the rooms in our sex shack.

In fact, we had been nothing but platonically friendly after our late-night drinking session in the kitchen, firstly because recovering from the hangover took more time than minor surgery these days, and then because we’d had several fine days and we were extremely busy. Oh, sometimes Derek would touch my arm when he spoke to me, or Harris brush the hair out of my face when I was pouring over plans, but their touch could be construed as nothing but friendly.

However, there were times when I caught Derek staring at me with such yearning, and my body would respond in kind, and I’d have to leave the room or I’d lose the internal battle to not run into his arms and make love to him on the cold, stone floor. However, in the background of the weird mating dance me and the McTavish twins were currently undertaking, was the heartbreaking fact that there was still no sign of Durell, and I was trying to come to terms with the fact he may never return.

Five days after the fox incident, the town council called a meeting to address the violent act. The police were coming to voice their condemnation, and the town mayor asked me if I could answer any questions the town might have. I willingly agreed; I would be glad to put this whole animosity to bed.

As I sat up on the pew of an old stone church, one of the few surviving 17th century buildings of the old town, I felt a lot like a sacrifice. What appeared to be the whole town was crammed into the church, the pews stuffed to capacity and people lining the walls. The collective murmur in the room was nearly deafening from the front of the church. Harris and Derek were with me, sitting beside me on folding wooden chairs.

The mayor stepped up to the parapet. “Could we have a little quiet? Quiet please?” No one seemed to be paying any attention.

Harris put his fingers in his mouth and gave an ear-piercing whistle.

The mayor, a middle-aged man with a slight paunch, gave Harris a nod. “Thank you, Young McTavish. Okay, we all know why we are here. There has been some local dissent to the proposed hotel up in Dun Durell. While some healthy opposition is good for democracy, the atrocity that happened the other night is not. So, I’ll open this forum to any and all who want to question Miss Aili Gowan about the project. Please keep in mind this is a civilized meeting, not a witch hunt. If I feel that ye question is out of line, Fulcairn’s fine officers will eject ye from the meeting. Okay, who would like to go first?” Hands shot up like daisies in the spring and I bit back a groan.

The mayor pointed to a middle-aged woman in a deep green pea-coat.

She stood up. “How do we know that this hotel isn’t going to bring deviants in the town. Fulcairn has always been a safe place to let our kids play in the streets. I don’t want to worry that they are going to be picked up any moment by perverts staying up there on top of the hill.”

I stood up and walked towards the microphone. “The hotel is being marketed as a place that people can come and holiday in absolute privacy. The price tag for such a stay is quite substantial, and I imagine that it will deter a lot of the unsavory element. However, just because someone has unusual tastes, does not automatically make them a deviant or a pervert.” There were some angry murmurs in the crowd. I held up my hand. “That being said, the hotel takes our duty of care very seriously. If anyone in town feels like they are being intimidated or harassed in any way, we will always encourage you to go to the police with your suspicions. We will make it very clear to our patrons that the town is not their playground; any inappropriate behavior will result in ejection from the hotel.”

An old man from the back piped up, “Tis worse that they’re rich. They think they can just buy off any problem they may have.”

I nodded. It was true and I’d seen it for myself numerous times. “That may be true, but the company has a reputation to maintain, both with our customers and with this town. Customers can come and go, but we will always be situated in the town of Fulcairn. We want to share our prosperity with the people, not have them live in fear. We have very strict employee policies regarding “gifts” from customers, and any staff member caught taking bribes will be instantly dismissed and then prosecuted. Our success is symbiotic. Without the support of the town, the hotel may never achieve its full potential. But the opportunities the hotel will create, by way of jobs and tourism dollars, could be a huge boon for the town. We can help each other, or we can hinder each other.”

I looked around the room. “But I want to make one thing clear. The company, and myself, will not be bullied out of this project by violent and sociopathic means. If you can fight us legally, then I will tip my hat to you and bid you good day, and Dun Durell can continue its slow fall into ruin. However, scare tactics and violence will not run me out of Dun Durell or Fulcairn.”

There was a clamor of voices and hands, and I picked them one by one until my voice was hoarse and I’d answered all the questions. I’d answered everything from the accuracy of the restoration, the contents of the rooms, the jobs that would be available, who would be the management, etc.

By the time the last townsperson shuffled out of the church hall, I wanted to collapse. But the meeting had been a success, and the vibe had been more positive and less accusatory by the end. I felt like I’d won over the majority of the people. Eugenie Sinclair and her husband Gavin, as well as their two sons, had been there, giving me the evil eye from the second row. But other than that, the rest of the town seemed pretty onside.

The McTavish’s and I said goodbye to the Mayor and walked back to our car. I let out a relieved sigh. “I don’t know if I should crack the champagne or just fall asleep. I feel like I’ve been through the ringer.”

Derek slung an arm across my shoulder. “You were great in there. You had them eating out of ye palm by the end.”

When we got to the car though, my good mood plummeted. Someone had slashed every one of my tires.

“Goddammit!” I kicked the now useless tire and hurt my toe inside my boot. Harris was already on the phone to the police, and they arrived within minutes.

They took notes, and our statements, and left again. It took all of fifteen minutes, but by their serious faces, I could tell they weren't happy about the sudden onset of violence in the normally sleepy town of Fulcairn. I let my head slump forward against the car door.

“When is this shit going to end?”

Derek patted my back as we walked to Harris’s work truck. We piled onto the bench seat and I was squished in between the two McTavish twins. Normally, this would be a dream come true for women everywhere, but I was just too exhausted to appreciate it. I let my head tip back against the headrest and closed my eyes.

Despite what I had said to the meeting, I wanted nothing more than to pack my bags and head home. Away from my feelings for Derek, my lust for Harris, my distress over Durell’s disappearance, and away from the hatred that seemed to cling to my skin like dirt.

But I wasn’t a quitter. When Harris pulled his truck into the shadows of Dun Durell, we all piled out of the car, Harris helping me down from the huge vehicle. He and Derek went from room to room, checking there were no more surprises lurking in darkened corners.

Once they were finished, Harris came over and slapped me gently on the back. “‘Til work itself out. You’ll be fine.”

Derek wrapped his arms around me. “I’m sick of fighting,” I murmured weakly into his chest. “I’m sick of fighting the town. I’m sick of fighting my lust and the feelings I have. I’m just so tired.”

“Feelings?”

---