Vic nodded. She couldn’t reveal what several corporations had already offered for the land around the stables where Sophia’s crew had been filming, but the figure was substantial enough that few agencies in the country could have turned it down without pause.

“And they’d want to develop much of the coast,” Emma added with a little shiver.

Brogan wrapped an arm protectively around her wife’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “That’s the last thing we need, condos on our beaches.”

Vic snorted. “My family hasn’t stayed out of the real estate development business. We’ve not exactly been charitable in our efforts to balance affordable housing and income properties either, as I’ve been told often.”

Brogan grimaced, causing Vic to laugh.

“What did I miss?” Sophia asked.

“There’ve been some controversial building projects over the last few years. And by controversial, I mean there may have been calls to have my father and me drawn and quartered.”

Sophia’s elegant eyebrows shot up. “If they were that unpopular, then why go forward?”

“The same reason no one else tries to sell their homes or land for a loss, either. Financial responsibility.”

“I wouldn’t have thought your family needed to worry on that front.”

“No one ever does.” Vic sat back. “I can’t go into details, obviously, but the castle is more money than it’s worth most years. The tourism over the summer doesn’t make enough to cover the upkeep. Honestly, it would be a considerable financial boon to our family to let it go to ruins like so many others around here or sell it. It’s not as though we haven’t had plenty of offers from entertainment or amusement companies.”

Brogan and Emma both groaned.

“What?” Sophia glanced from them back to Vic. “What do you all care who owns the castle so long as it stays open?”

“The places where those big conglomerates take over turn into total circuses, and the towns around them become bloody side-shows,” Brogan explained. “Cheap labour, transient populations, garish medieval-themed attractions, low-end lodging, it’s all a mess with zero local oversight.”

“They aren’t wrong,” Vic said, “but few people ever think that far ahead. They see all our wealth and land and rightfully say no single family should own such a sizable share of space, money, or power.”

“And those people aren’t wrong?” Sophia pushed back.

“No, they aren’t,” Vic said emphatically, noting once again how much she enjoyed that Sophia didn’t hold back.

Brogan tipped her glass in Vic’s direction. “Glad you said it instead of me.”