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The Magic Ring of Brodgar. Кейтлин Эмилия Новак
Читать онлайн.Название The Magic Ring of Brodgar
Год выпуска 2024
isbn
Автор произведения Кейтлин Эмилия Новак
Издательство Автор
Now that I have studied all the information, it's time to make a decision, she thought. There seemed to be only one decision to make – appoint Warren as the head of the factory, leave him in charge of Castle Mal, and head back to London. The castle, in any case, needed to stay in reliable hands. Someone had to live in it to prevent it from falling into disrepair. But Megan had no desire to leave at the moment; after all, Derek had come into her life. She pondered for a long time on what to do. The family meeting was scheduled in three days, and she would have to announce her decision. First of all, it was necessary to talk to Warren, offer him management responsibility with a fifty-fifty profit split. She had no desire to manage the work personally, as the restaurant business required her full commitment.
She could stay a few more weeks at Castle Mal to see how events would unfold. Extending her stay in her historical homeland would not be too bad. The only thing left was to make arrangements with her cousin. Leaving the office, she went down to the hall.
“Glenn, do you know where Warren is?”
“He left for the distillery this morning.”
“Did he say what time he’d be back?”
“No, he always returns at different times. If I see him before you do, I'll definitely tell him you were looking for him.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope you had a successful introduction yesterday. Warren and I wanted to introduce you to our friends. If you're interested, we can arrange, for example, a friendly lunch or dinner in the coming days.”
“Why not? Meeting new people is always useful. Yesterday's rendezvous was quite ordinary, nothing special,” said Megan, feigning indifference. She didn’t like discussing her personal life, so she decided not to mention anything about Derek just yet. There was still nothing between them, and perhaps there never will be.
“Glenn, if you're not busy right now, shall we go for a walk? I'd like to bring some heather back to my room.”
“I'd love to join you. Just let me grab my wrap. It's always chilly with the sea breeze.”
For the next two hours, Megan and Glenn strolled along the beach and through the heather fields. They got to know each other better, chatting non-stop and discovering their differences. Megan was reserved and usually only talked about what she considered safe. She could carry any conversation, but skillfully changed the subject when necessary, so her interlocutor could hardly notice the shift. She only superficially touched on personal matters. Glenn was much more sociable. Always ready to share her thoughts, experiences, and hopes – she never seemed gossipy or pushy. She had a fine sense of when someone didn't want to talk about something and tactfully changed the subject. She was interested in everything around her and listened to her company with joy and attention. Megan felt easy and calm with Glenn.
When they returned to the castle, Warren was already waiting for them.
"There you are! I was wondering where you had disappeared to.”
“Megan wanted to pick some heather, and I decided to keep her company.”
“Warren, I was looking for you earlier today. I’d like to discuss some important matters,” Megan got straight to the point.
“Sure, whenever it's convenient for you.”
“If you’re free now, then I'm ready.”
“Then let's go to Malcolm's office,” the cousin suggested.
It took them about an hour to discuss all the details. Warren was receptive to the idea of staying in the castle and taking over the management of the distillery. He thought it was the best solution to the problem.
“I think I'll stay here a bit longer. A few weeks of vacation will do me good. I've enjoyed the peaceful, measured life here, unlike London, where every day is just hustle and bustle,” Megan said.
“Excellent news! Glenn and I would be delighted. The more frequent and longer your visits, the better. Glenn is so happy with your friendship. She missed that. She has become very attached to you.”
“Thank you, Warren, I'm also very glad that we became friends. By the way, I think it's time to eat something.”
They went downstairs, where Glenn was eagerly waiting for them.
“It's so good you came, I'm so hungry. I thought if you didn't come in ten minutes, I'd start dinner without you,” she said, neatly folding the wrapper from a candy she just ate.
“What's with you today? Where does this appetite come from?” Warren asked.
“I burned hundreds of calories today! Your cousin and I walked many miles. I probably broke my weekly record in one day,” Glenn laughed.
Dinner was pleasant and cheerful, but Megan couldn't wait to go up to her room and look out the window. She was anxious and thought only, will he come tonight? Every day of her life had become one continuous wait. Every few minutes, she looked at the hill in hopes of seeing him, but in vain – Derek did not appear that evening. Only at dawn did the girl finally fall asleep.
All morning Megan was tormented by theories as to why he hadn’t come. Perhaps he decided not to appear in her life at all anymore? She was suffering, not knowing how to pass the time until the evening. Assessing her own state of mind, she found it highly disturbing. The girl justified her restlessness and confusion by the lack of activities here; she was used to the busy schedule and dynamic life of a metropolis. The first half of the day was drowned in idleness.
When Megan came down for lunch, her relatives were already waiting for her.
“Warren, I keep forgetting to ask, what does the tree and sword on the family crest mean?” she inquired.
“The tree is a Celtic symbol of life. The meaning is that the McKenzies are firmly grounded, having set their roots, and the sword is nothing other than a symbol of bravery and valor of the clan's members.”
“And why do the Drummonds have a raven on their coat of arms? What does that signify?”
“According to one legend, the founder of the Drummond clan was a tall, thin, dark-haired man. He dressed in black and probably resembled a raven. Members of his family were nicknamed The Ravens by the people. They were all dark-haired. After some time, he decided that this bird would be on his clan's crest. But don't be afraid, Megan. They were not warlocks and had no association with magic. The Drummonds were honorable people, just like the McKenzies, and there was never any conflict between our families.”
“Thank you, Warren. I've learned so much these days, it's incredible. By the way, I really wanted to visit the neighboring islands. Can we go on a tour there? I can't wait to see them,” Megan asked with genuine interest.
“If you like, we can go there tomorrow.”
“That would be great.”
The girl sighed with relief, finding a way to spend another day.
“Megan, tonight our family plans to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town. Will you join us?” asked Warren.
“With pleasure.”
After lunch, the girl headed to the library she had discovered a few days ago while roaming around the castle, and continued to explore the vast rows of ancient books. Reading was one of her most favorite hobbies. Moreover, just as in Castle Raven, she found a book of Scottish tales and legends on a shelf and reached for the thick, old, ancient volume with remnants of a greenish image on the cover.
She binge-read stories about the mysteries of Scottish castles, about the blood shed within them, and the bodiless spirits forever locked within these stone walls. Here, she also learned that many Scottish families had their own spirits or house ghosts. She became so engrossed in the history and her own thoughts about it that she didn't notice how quickly the time had passed.
10. What Is Love?
The restaurant chosen