Time would tell.
Chapter Three
Despite the impending excitement of looking for the jewels, Cat would still need a cup of coffee to wake her up. The anticipation of what she’d find had kept her up most of the night, and she’d only managed to drift off to sleep mere hours before her wakeup call. Her head was in a fog, and if she didn’t get some caffeine quickly, she’d fall asleep on the way to her appointment with Iain.
Iain. She cursed the smile that tugged at her lips, and reminded herself just how infuriating the man had been. Absolutely, without a doubt, the most frustrating man she’d met in a very long time. At least he was willing to help her. That was huge—and for that, she wouldn’t write him off as a complete jerk.
Needing that cup of coffee and some breakfast, Cat quickly showered and got dressed, twisting her hair up and out of the way with a pretty clip, before wandering downstairs.
“Morning. If you’re looking for your friend, he’s having a bite to eat in the dining room.” Mrs. Gordon gave her a smile while tidying the papers behind the counter. “It’s a buffet, so help yourself. And if you need anything, just let me know.”
Cat was confused. She thought she was meeting with Iain at his home. “Iain’s here?”
“Iain? Iain MacCraigh? Och, no. This lad’s an Englishman.” She shook her head and tapped at the computer. “Says here his name is Dr. James Tanner.”
Cat’s face flushed with anger, as she wondered if he’d followed her up from Cambridge. There was no way in hell she’d let him swoop in and find the jewels when she’d been the one to find the clues. Cursing under her breath, she stalked into the dining room, immediately spotting him amongst the other few guests.
“What the hell are you doing here, James?”
He looked up from his paper, a pretty porcelain cup held daintily between his two fingers. “Cat. What a surprise to see you here. Will you not join me?”
“You’re a real bastard. I can’t believe you actually followed me here. Only you would stoop so low. Not that it surprises me after you stole my find and took credit for my work.” Did he know about the jewels? Or did he suspect she was onto something and was hoping he could figure out enough to beat her to the punch.
“My dear, your recollection of events seems to be different from what actually happened.” His smug smile only angered her further.
People were starting to stare—and it probably didn’t help that she looked intent on committing murder.
“You keep telling yourself that, but people are starting to see past your lies. Before long, you’ll only have the undergrads to con and seduce into your bed.”
He leaned towards her, closing the distance between them so he was infuriatingly close. “It was a bed you were more than happy to share with me, my dear. Or have you forgotten all those lovely nights together?”
Her skin crawled at the memory. She had been stupid and naïve, but she was seldom a fool twice. “Why are you here? Or are you going to try and tell me it’s just a coincidence that you’ve shown up in the same town I’m in—the same hotel—when you’re a day’s drive from home.”
“I cannot help where my research takes me. Perhaps it is you who’s following me? Why are you here?” He perked an eyebrow in question, making her want to wring his neck.
In her desperation to throw him off her track, the words were out of her mouth before she’d thought them through. “I’m here to visit my boyfriend, if you really must know. So don’t waste your time, James. Go. Home.”
She pulled herself upright, scoffed, and then walked away without another glance. By the time she got outside, her heart was pounding a deafening beat, and her body was shaking.
How the hell had he tracked her to Dunmuir? The only ones she’d told were the MacCraighs, since she was meeting with them, and Tansy, who’d nearly murdered James herself when that nastiness went down with her previous research project. He must have followed her when she first came up. Damn it!
And now that he’d caught whiff of a find? She’d never get rid of him—unless he actually believed she was here on a romantic getaway. What had come over her, she didn’t know, but with luck, he might actually believe her and go back to Cambridge. In the meantime, she’d channel her anger into finding the necklace.
Before he got the chance to follow her to Iain’s, she got in her car and headed off, going for a bit of a drive first to make sure he hadn’t caught up to her. She’d need to find another place to stay too, though that would have to wait until after her meeting with Iain. It’d be impossible to avoid James if they were staying in the same inn. Problem was, in a place as small as Dunmuir and with the closest city nearly two hours away, she might be hard pressed to find a different place. Perhaps she could grab a room at a bed and breakfast, though she suspected many of them might not be available in the off season.