No one talked shit about the estate to tourists, let alone journos and paps.
Harriet tittered as if I were flirting by commenting on her youth. “Oh, that’s sweet. I’m twenty-one. But I’m not a graduate. No, I started interviewing celebrities on my social media platform. I have five million followers.”
Bloody Nora. “Is that so?”
“Aye,” Monroe finally spoke as she gave me a meaningful look. “Harriet here was looking for some—I think the word she used was dirt—on Ardnoch Estate and/or the Adair family.”
“Did I say that?” Harriet’s fake grin faltered. “I’m not sure I said it like that.”
“I’m certain you did.” Monroe gave her a false smile.
I glanced at Harriet’s phone. “Are you recording this?”
“Yeah, so?” She shrugged.
Instead of answering, I took Monroe by the shoulders and guided her away from the girl.
“Hey, where are you going? I have questions.”
I looked over my shoulder at her. “Ms. Blume, we don’t take kindly to journalists harassing our residents or tourists. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your plane fare.”
“Are you an Adair?” she called after me.
I ignored her, cursing under my breath, and then Monroe stopped us a few feet past Flora’s. “You all right?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I had to book the morning off school to take Mum to a doctor’s appointment and thought I’d just drop her at home and then grab a coffee before heading to school for the afternoon. I didn’t expect to get accosted by an aggressively happy and nosy girl shoving a phone in my face and asking me what dirt I could dish on your family.”
I glanced back down the street to see Harriet had disappeared among the crowds. Those same tourists walked by Roe and me as we huddled against the side of the building that housed Flora’s. “Hopefully, she’ll be gone soon.”
“This place is different,” Roe said quietly, almost mournfully.
I sighed. “You mean, since Lachlan opened the estate?”
Roe looked at me but didn’t hold my gaze. “I’ve only been home a few times over the last eighteen years. Only once since Lachlan opened Ardnoch as a members-only club, and it was in winter, so I didn’t see this. Ardnoch was always a busy wee place in the summer, but not like this. It didn’t attract paparazzi, for a start.”
“It’s a pain in the arse, I know. But the village is financially thriving from it.”
“I know.” She nodded. “I just … I’m … I’ve missed the quiet this past week. They seemed to converge on the village in a sudden swarm.”
“I’m surprised you’ve noticed. I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
Roe looked up at me now, guilt in her expression. “I’m sorry for running away last time I saw you.”
“Things don’t have to be awkward between us, Roe. I’m not angry about the past. Brodan and I are good. We’ve been good for years. It’s in the past. I hope we can move on from it and be friends.”
Her expression softened. “I’d like that.”
“Good. Now, tell me how you’re doing? Really?”
“I’m fine.” She shrugged, but I saw exhaustion in her eyes. “I like my job. Mum broke her hip about six months ago. She didn’t tell me. I got a phone call from her neighbor about how much she was struggling with recuperation. She also mentioned the job at the primary school, and so it seemed like the right thing to do, the right timing. I came back to help with her recovery.”
I didn’t know all the details, but I knew their relationship hadn’t been easy when we were younger. “How is that?”
Roe looked away. “She’s doing well enough that I can move out. Gordon’s renting me a caravan in his park down by the beach.”
Irritated by the thought of Roe in a caravan, I scowled. “You can’t stay in a caravan permanently. It’s bloody freezing down there in the winter.”
“It’s just until something affordable comes available. Rent is much higher here than it used to be.”
Because of Ardnoch Estate.
Fuck.
My mind raced. Surely, we knew someone who could offer Roe a nice apartment or cottage for a decent rental cost? I’d look into it.
“I can see that Adair mind racing, but I don’t need help, Arran. In fact, I won’t accept it if you try.” Roe laid a hand on my arm. “I’m fine. I promise.”
Aye, we’d see. I sighed. “You’ll come to me if you need anything. Promise?”
She smiled that pretty smile and reached up on her tiptoes to draw me down to a hug. Memories flooded me. She and Brodan walking together on the estate. Or hanging out down by the beach, when we were kids, and me and Arro would chase after them. The many, many times we played hide-and-seek in our old drafty castle. So many years of friendship.
I squeezed her tight. “It’s good to have you back.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and looked up as I released her, only to find Eredine standing in the middle of the pavement staring blankly at us.