Chapter 1 The ghostly fog made Julia feel as though she had slipped into the primordial past. She couldn’t believe she’d made it to the Highlands of Scotland where a castle beckoned, filled with secrets, intrigue, and hunky Scots—with any luck. Hopefully, none of them would learn why she was really here and put a stop to it. Nothing would dampen her enthusiasm as she and her friend Maria Baquero headed for Baird Cottage, within hiking distance of Argent Castle—and the end of her writer’s block. At least, that was the plan. After flight delays and missed luggage, they’d had trouble getting their rental car at Inverness Airport—following a mix-up when a Scotsman declared their car was his. Another man had creeped Julia out when she realized he was watching them, and she’d felt apprehensive at the way his thin lips hadn’t hinted at a bit of friendliness. But then she dismissed him as she and Maria finally set off in late afternoon with Maria driving the rented Fiat into the deepening fog. The laird of Argent Castle, Ian MacNeill, had been a royal pain to deal with concerning filming the movie at his castle. Luckily, as assistant director, only Maria had to do business with him. Pretending to be Maria’s assistant, Julia was to watch from the sidelines and take notes. But not for the film production. For her breakout novel. Julia