‘I am a quitter! I always quit, isn’t that what everyone always says?’ she snapped again as she reefed open the door.

Then prove them wrong now. Don’t give up.

Stuart’s forehead furrowed. ‘Quit what?’

Elle tipped her head back to look up at the overcast sky and gave a frustrated growl.

‘Look, you’ve obviously come a long way,’ he said, coming a few steps closer, ‘and I wouldn’t normally do this but—’ he stopped, placing his hands on his hips and looking at her warily before speaking again ‘—maybe I can help you.’

Elle blinked at him uncertainly. She had been so distracted arguing with Gran that she’d almost forgotten he was still there. ‘You will? You know who owns the land?’

‘Yes.’

Well, spit it out! Gran all but shouted. Maybe the lad is a little slow after all, she added uncertainly.

‘How do I find them? Is the castle far from here?’ Elle asked.

‘You found them. This is my property, and no, it’s not far. But you won’t be able to get there in that,’ he said, nodding at her hire car. While she was digesting that bit of news, he glanced swiftly at his watch. ‘I’m running late for an appointment right now. Come back tomorrow and wear some good-quality hiking boots.’ He looked her up and down quickly before his scowl settled on her bright pink leather wedge-heeled boots.

‘Tomorrow?’ she echoed dully as he turned and walked back up the steps into the house.

‘Ten am,’ he called over his shoulder.

He was gone before she could ask any more questions.

He was nice, Gran said, breaking the silence. No Jamie Fraser by any stretch of the imagination, but not too hard on the eye all the same.

Elle let her gran’s observation pass without comment. They were so close it was hard not to feel impatient. All these years she’d heard the stories about Stormeil and it was right here … somewhere close by. She wanted to go looking for it right now, but thankfully sanity prevailed and reminded her that this was private property and not suitable for her car. Did she really want to risk a run-in with police for trespassing, or having to call the hire-car people about towing her car out of a boggy paddock? With a reluctant sigh, she got back in the car and closed the door.

He was rather handsome, Gran piped up a little later as they drove.

Elle gave a grunt, hoping it sounded noncommittal. He was kind of handsome in a grumpy-faced, strong-silent-type way, she supposed. Not that she’d been really looking.