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His blank expression quickly turned to a glare. “Out.”
Nice to meet you too, Duncan Asshole Murray.
Carys glared at him. “Excuse me?”
“Not excused.” He pointed to the door again. “Out.”
“Not until you tell me what happened to—”
“Outside.” The man practically bellowed. He stalked toward Carys, herding her toward the door. “Out. Now.”
The sweet office manager followed Duncan, her face clearly distressed. “Duncan, I didn’t mean to—”
“Fiona, you’re fine. Carys, I will talk to you. Outside.”
He held the door until Carys walked through it. She left the warmth of the cozy office, and walked toward her car.
She had to fight the urge to hug him. He looked like Lachlan. Sounded like Lachlan. The only problem is that he was glaring at her like she’d just kicked his dog.
She fought the tears that welled in her eyes. “I’m sorry for just showing up like this but you wouldn’t return my calls. Lachlan’s phone went dead and—”
“For good reason.”
She gaped at him. “What?”
“You’ve no right to come here.” Duncan crossed massive arms over his chest. “Especially not to my place of business.” His scathing eyes looked her up and down, from the top of her head to her sturdy walking shoes. “You are… not right for him and that was obvious to everyone but Lachlan.”
Carys blinked. “W-what?”
Was this a joke? Was she misunderstanding his measuring look?
Sure, Lachlan and his brother both looked like advertisements for Scottish tourism, but how could he be so rude?
Carys wasn’t a supermodel, but she was perfectly nice looking. She had long brown hair that couldn’t decide if it wanted to be curly or wavy. But she liked her hair. She had her father’s blue eyes and sadly, his nose too, but she wasn’t an ogre or a piece of trash.
Duncan lifted his chin. “Lachlan left you. It’s a shit situation, but relationships end every day.”
How could he be so cold? She had lectured herself on remaining calm, but she found her anger rising. “I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t know why not. You weren’t together very long.”
“Are you telling me your brother has a habit of traveling the world, making women fall in love with him, and leaving them with his car in their driveway and not a single word of explanation?”
Duncan opened his mouth, then closed it. From his guilty expression, she knew that wasn’t what had happened.
“Do you know where Lachlan is?” she asked. “Is he okay?”
“Yes,” Duncan forced out. “And… yes. I believe he is fine.”
Carys squared her shoulders. She wasn’t leaving without answers. “I want to talk to him.”
“You can’t.”
“Is he here?” She looked around. There was no one in the yard, because the air was frosty and the sun was completely covered by dense clouds, but maybe someone was coming out for a smoke break. Maybe there was someone she could ask.
“Carys.” Duncan’s expression softened. A tiny bit. “Lachlan did tell me about you. He should have… He has responsibilities here.” The man would barely look at her. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“He left all his things in California. Not just his car. His passport. His bank card.”
“I’ll take those and give them back to him if you want.”
“No! He left his books and… things his wife gave him before she died. He wouldn’t have left those things behind, Duncan. No one would.”
The big man said nothing.
“Did your family…” It seemed almost impossible to think. “Did your family kidnap him?”
“My family has nothing to do with it!” Duncan’s tenuous patience broke and he shouted at her. “Listen, there was a lot that my brother didn’t tell you about himself. And I do understand why you’re confused. I didn’t know how to explain things to you, so I didn’t call you back. I figured you’d move on. My God.” He let out a harsh breath. “Lachlan told me about you, Carys. You’re a bright woman and a college professor. It sounds like you have a wonderful life in California. You’re going to be fine.”
Carys was momentarily stunned by the compliments coming out of the antagonistic man’s mouth. “I… thank you?” She shook her head. “That’s not the point. I love Lachlan.”
Duncan stepped closer and stared at her. “Do you now?”
“Yes.” She’d had weeks to think about it, to examine every moment of their relationship. “Lachlan made me feel alive after a really horrible time in my life. He was kind and generous and he saw me. I love him, and I’m not leaving here until I know what happened to him, because I know you’re not telling me the truth.”
Duncan moved closer, and the heat from his body cut through the chill of the cool Scottish morning. “He wasn’t honest with you, Carys.”
Her stomach dropped. “Is… is he married? Did his wife not really die?”
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. Was she the other woman? Was she in love with a married man?
“No.” Duncan’s answer was emphatic. “That wasn’t a lie. Lachlan was widowed about two years ago. Seren was…” He paused and stared at Carys. “It was very hard for all of us to lose her, but Lachlan was wrecked.”
“It’s been two years.” She knew it was, because Lachlan had lost his wife right around the time Carys had been diagnosed with depression. It was one of the things that had bonded them so quickly. “Is it so wrong that he doesn’t want to be alone anymore? Is that the problem? Your family doesn’t want him to—”
“Carys.” Duncan’s voice was harsh. “Lachlan has responsibilities here. He was supposed to be on holiday, and he took things a bit too far.”
“A bit too far? We were together for four months. He was working on getting a visa. We were going to—”
“It was never going to happen,” Duncan said. “It’s not possible.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want to talk to Lachlan. If he’s here, I want to talk to him.” She looked around the yard. “Where is he?”
Duncan stepped toward her. “He’s here, but he’s not right here.”
“So how do you know he’s okay?”
Duncan shook his head. “I know where he is, but I can’t take you—”
“Why the fuck not?” Carys was starting to feel crazy again. Duncan was acting like this was all a bad breakup, but nothing about his disappearance was normal. “I’m not leaving Scotland without talking to Lachlan.”
“Well, good luck.” Duncan offered her a tight smile. “You can ask around, but no one is going to help you.”
“What does that mean?”
The door to the office popped open. “Can I get you a cup of tea, dear?”
Duncan’s head swung to the open door. “She’s not staying, Fiona.”
Fiona’s eyes went wide. “Sorry,” she mouthed.
“Don’t be a bully.” Carys had come to the smith works feeling timid, but now she was furious. “Why are you being a bully?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Duncan crossed his arms again.
“You order me around. You bark at your secretary. You imply that Lachlan is a… a liar. You’re acting like everything about this is normal. It’s not! I know Lachlan, and he wouldn’t just—”
“You knew a part of Lachlan,” Duncan said quietly. “And that’s all any of us know in this world.” He stepped away from her car. “Go home, Carys Morgan. Live your life. Leave my brother in your memories, because that’s all he’ll ever be.”
“I’m not done with this.” She opened her car door, spitting mad. “Do not think for a second that I am leaving this country without talking to your brother.”
Duncan didn’t say anything else. He walked back into the office and shut the door behind him, leaving Carys alone by her car.
She looked up, over the top of the barn where a hill rose sharply behind the building, dotted with dark grey crags. A bright red fox perched on a boulder, watching her from a distance, but when Carys stood up straight and walked toward it, the animal darted away.