Absent in the Spring (The Shakespeare Sisters 3)

It didn’t hurt to say it – not the way it used to. And he was pleased at the way she didn’t flinch at all – the last thing he wanted was sympathy. He’d come to terms with his relationship with his father. What was done was done.

‘And what about the rest of your family?’ she asked. ‘Was there an assumption among them that Duncan would inherit?’

‘We always knew he’d inherit my father’s business,’ Lachlan said. ‘He was groomed to take over the cruise line from the earliest age. But I don’t remember the estate in Scotland ever being mentioned. Compared to the business, it was small fry.’

In money, perhaps, but not so much in meaning. His father had grown up on the estate, after all. It was their heritage – his and Duncan’s – and only one of them could have it.

The thought of losing to Duncan felt like a knife in the heart.

‘Okay, that’s about all the questions I have for now,’ Lucy said, offering him a smile. ‘If you decide you want me to act for you, I’ll draw up a plan of action, and then we can talk next steps.’ Her voice had become hoarse from talking so much. She took a sip of water. ‘Do you have any questions for me?’ she asked him.

About a thousand.

‘What are my chances of success?’

She smiled at his question. ‘Honestly? I can’t give you a firm answer. But as you’re the one named in the will, it’s up to your brother to prove his case. And unless he can show coercion, or bring up case law that supports him, then he’s going to lose.’

They’d both finished their coffee – and the waiter appeared almost immediately, stealing their cups away with a flourish. Lachlan asked for the check – not that he needed to pay, but at least he needed to sign. Everything in his businesses was done above board.

When the waiter took away the check, and Lucy had put her notes back into her briefcase, they both stood up. Lachlan felt reluctant to say goodbye, knowing that tomorrow she’d be on a flight to London and he’d be speeding his way back to New York. All those questions he had were still swirling around his mind, fighting for supremacy. And that exhaustion he’d felt earlier had disappeared, replaced by an edginess, and a need to find out more about the woman next to him.

‘Thank you for a lovely meal,’ she said. ‘Please feel free to email me if you think of anything else. And let me know if you want me to take on your case.’

Lachlan frowned at her question. ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ he asked her.

Standing up, their height difference was so much more obvious. He towered above her, in spite of her heels. She had to lift her head up to look at him. ‘It’s clear this inheritance is important to you. You wouldn’t have flown me all the way here if it wasn’t. Choosing the right representation isn’t just about getting the best, but about finding somebody you can trust.’

Her eyes flashed as she spoke, and he took a step forward until there was only a couple of feet between them. He scanned her face, studying her, though her expression gave nothing away. There was the merest hint of a scar that disappeared beneath her hair, and he found himself wondering what had caused it. ‘You want me to trust you?’ His voice was low.

Her eyes never left his. ‘Yes,’ she said, nodding slowly. ‘Or this won’t work at all.’

‘Then I trust you,’ he said. ‘And I’d like you to represent me on this case.’

As they walked towards the exit, he felt the strongest urge to put his hand in the small of her back, but he clenched his fist tightly, keeping his arm by his side. She was his attorney, not his date, for God’s sake.

They made it to the lobby. They were both staying in the hotel, in different rooms, on different floors. And it felt awkward lingering in the marble-clad hall, neither one of them quite willing to say goodbye.

‘It’s late,’ he said, glancing at the clock above the reception desk. ‘You must be tired, with all the travelling.’

She glanced at the bank of elevators to her left, nodding. ‘It’s been a long day,’ she agreed. ‘I should get back to my room, and call my boyfriend before I go to bed.’ She offered him the smallest of smiles. ‘I haven’t had a chance yet, and he’ll want to know I arrived safely.’

‘And I’ve got some work to do before bedtime.’ He reached his hand out, shaking hers before stepping backward and giving her a final smile. ‘Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me.’

‘It was a pleasure, Lachlan.’

He liked the way his name sounded on her tongue, the first part sounding more like ‘loch’ than ‘lach’. It reminded him of his childhood, of a life when things didn’t seem so complicated, and everybody wasn’t constantly vying for his attention.

‘Good night, Lucy,’ he said, giving her one final glance. She was looking straight at him, and their gazes locked. For a moment he could hear the blood rushing through his ears, blocking out the sounds of the hotel. He smiled, and her lips slowly curled up, making her look more enticing than ever.

‘Sleep tight, Lachlan.’

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her, Lucy leaned her head on the mirrored wall, holding on to the handrail as it began to ascend. Though he was in the lobby, she could still smell his cologne, still see that dimpled smile. She’d never met somebody with so much presence, with such an easy ability to take her breath away. He was danger, dressed in a designer suit.

And her response to him scared her to death.

Was that why she’d lied to him about having a boyfriend? To provide her with a barrier, something to stop her from being caught up in an attraction that was almost impossible to ignore? She shook her head, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirrored wall. This was so unlike her it wasn’t funny. She was always calm, in control, and she never crossed bou

ndaries. Lachlan MacLeish was a client, no matter how attractive he was. She needed to remember that.