Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
"Ye cannae just decide that for me."
Ava crossed her arms more tightly, as if the gesture could somehow protect her from the absurd demand this arrogant man was making.
The movement also helped put a barrier, however flimsy, between herself and him.
He stood far too close for comfort, close enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, and close enough to notice he was a solid wall of muscle and height that seemed to fill all the air in the small kitchen.
She was aware of it in a way that made her skin prickle, though whether from annoyance or something else entirely, she refused to examine.
“Ye cannae just walk in here and expect me to uproot me entire life for a stranger.”
“She’s nae a stranger to ye anymore.” Noah’s voice was maddeningly calm, like he was explaining something simple to a particularly slow child. “Ye’ve been carin’ for her for days. And right now, in this moment, she feels safe with ye. I'd like to keep it that way…”
“Aye, because I didnae terrify her by bargin’ in like some... some barbarian!” Ava could feel heat rising in her cheeks. “And even if she does trust me, that doesnae mean I can just abandon everythin’ I have here!”
“What exactly would ye be abandonin’?” Noah’s eyes swept dismissively around the modest kitchen. “A volunteer position at an underfunded orphanage? Whatever other work ye do to survive?”
“How dare ye belittle that?”
“I’m nae insultin’ ye, lass. I’m bein’ practical.
” He took a step closer, and Ava fought the urge to step back.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Ye clearly care about these children. About helpin’ those who cannae help themselves.
So let me ask ye this, how much money does this orphanage have in its coffers right now? ”
Ava’s jaw clenched. “That’s none of yer business, me Laird.”
“How much, Miss Harris?”
She glared at him. Behind her, she could feel Esther watching both of them with wide, anxious eyes. Mrs. Crawford had made herself scarce, probably wisely deciding that standing between a laird and his temper was beyond her pay grade.
“Barely enough to last the month,” Ava finally admitted, hating how the words felt like defeat. “But I’ve been workin’ extra shifts at the tavern, and I give most of me wages to them.”
“Exactly.” Noah’s expression didn’t soften, but something flickered in his dark eyes. “Ye’re workin’ yerself to exhaustion to keep this place afloat. So here’s what I’m offerin’. Come to Castle MacGregor as Esther’s minder, and I’ll pay ye whatever ye ask. Use that money however ye see fit.”
“I told ye, I’m nae for sale!”
“Nay, ye’re nae.” His voice dropped lower, more intense. “But yer time is. Everyone’s time has a value. And right now, I’m offerin’ to value yers very highly in exchange for carin’ for a wee lass who desperately needs someone who actually gives a damn about her wellbein’.”
Ava opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. Because damn him, he had a point. A horrible, manipulative, infuriating point.
“Ye’re insufferable,” she said, but the venom had drained from her voice.
“So I’ve been told.” Was that almost a smile tugging at his mouth? No, it couldn’t be. Men carved from granite didn’t smile. “So what’s it goin’ to be, Miss Harris? Are ye goin’ to let yer pride stand in the way of actually helpin’ these children? Or are ye goin’ to be practical?”
Ava looked past him to where Esther stood, her small hands still gripping the chair.
The girl watched Ava with such desperate hope that it made her chest ache.
Then she thought about the orphanage—about the leaking roof they couldn’t afford to fix, the thin blankets that barely kept the children warm in winter, and the meals that were getting smaller because supplies were running low.
If I took the Laird’s offer...
“How much are ye willin’ to pay?” The words came out before she could stop them.
Noah’s eyebrow rose slightly. “Name yer price.”
Ava quickly calculated in her head. The tavern paid her barely enough to get by, and she gave half of it to the orphanage. If only she could earn enough to cover her own expenses and have some left over for the children...
“Fifty pounds a year,” she said, lifting her chin. It seemed like an enormous sum to her, nearly double what she made now.
Her heart hammered in her chest. It felt like too much to ask, more than someone like her deserved.
She was just a tavern maid with no family, no connections, and no real skills besides hard work and a stubborn refusal to give up. What made her think she was worth fifty whole pounds?
The Laird stared at her for a long moment. Then, to her absolute shock, he laughed. Actually laughed—a short, sharp bark of a sound that seemed to surprise him as much as it did her.
“Fifty pounds?” He shook his head. “Lass, I pay me stable master more than that.”
Ava’s cheeks burned. “Well, excuse me for nae kennin’ what lairds pay their servants! I’m just a simple tavern maid!”
“Clearly.” But there was no mockery in his tone now, just something that might have been... respect? “Ye’ll get seventy pounds a year. In addition to room and board, of course. And clothin’ appropriate for someone who’ll be seen regularly at the castle.”
Seventy pounds. That was... that was more money than Ava had ever imagined having. It could keep the orphanage running for months, buy new blankets, repair the roof, and stock the larder...
“I...” She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “Seventy-five.”
“Ambitious.” Noah’s eyes sparkled with what could have been amusement. “But I like it. Seventy-five it is. Do we have an agreement?”
Say nay, the sensible part of her brain screamed. This is insane. You daenae ken this man. You daenae ken what ye’d be walkin’ into.
But then Esther made a small, hopeful sound, and Ava realized she was already lost.
“I’ll need two days,” she said, hating how her voice wavered slightly. “To settle me affairs here. Tell me, employer, at the tavern, make arrangements for the orphanage, pack me things...”
“Two days.” Noah nodded once. “That’s acceptable.”
“Ava?” Esther’s small voice piped up, uncertain and trembling. “Ye... ye’re c-comin’?”
The stutter made Ava’s heart tighten. She turned and crouched down to meet the little girl’s eye level. “Aye, sweetheart. I’m comin’ with ye. I promise.”
Esther’s face lit up with such pure joy that Ava felt tears prick at her eyes. Then the child launched herself forward, wrapping her thin arms around Ava’s neck with surprising strength.
“Thank ye,” Esther whispered against her shoulder, the words barely audible. “Thank ye, thank ye, thank ye!”
Ava held her carefully, one hand smoothing down the tangled dark hair. “It’s all right, wee one. I’ve got ye. I’m nae goin’ anywhere.”
Over Esther’s head, she caught Noah watching them with an unreadable expression.
“Right then.” He cleared his throat. “We’ll return to collect ye in two days’ time. Be ready at dawn.”
“Dawn?” Ava pulled back from Esther’s embrace, though the girl kept a firm grip on her hand. “That’s a bit too early.”
“Dawn, Miss Harris. I’ve already been away from me lands for a day. I cannae afford to waste more time.” He turned toward the door, clearly considering the matter settled.
“Wait.” Ava stood, gently disentangling herself from Esther’s grip. “If I’m nae ready at dawn exactly? Ye’ll just leave without me?”
Noah paused, his hand on the door frame. When he looked back at her, his expression was serious. “If ye’re nae ready, I’ll throw ye over me shoulder and carry ye to the carriage in whatever state of dress ye happen to be in. So I suggest ye be ready.”
“I’ll make it very hard for ye.”
“I’d like to see ye try.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, and Ava realized with growing horror that he truly meant it. This man would follow through on every threat he made, regardless of propriety.
“Fine,” she bit out. “Dawn. I’ll be ready.”
"Right then." Noah crouched down to Esther's level. "Ye're comin' home with me tonight, lass. And in two days, we'll come back for Miss Harris together. Aye?"
The lass nodded rigorously.
“Good.” He pulled himself upright, opened the door, then paused again. “Oh, and Miss Harris? Pack light. Anythin’ ye need will be provided at the castle.”
Then they were gone, the door swinging shut with a decisive thud.
Ava stared at the closed door, her mind spinning. What had she just agreed to? Moving to a castle, caring for a child she hardly knew, working for a man who was clearly used to getting exactly what he wanted through pure force of will...
Mrs. Crawford emerged from wherever she’d been hiding and fussed over Ava, alternating between excitement about Ava’s good fortune and worry about what they’d do without her. The other children had to be told, which resulted in a chorus of protests and tears that made Ava’s heart ache.
But through it all, thoughts of Esther stayed glued to her mind, as if afraid Ava might disappear if she looked away.
By evening, there was a knock at the orphanage door.
“I’ll get it,” Mrs. Crawford called, but Ava was already moving, some instinct telling her who it would be.
She was right.
Noah stood in the doorway, looking slightly less intimidating than he had earlier.
“What are ye doin’ here?” Ava asked, blocking the entrance with her body. “Ye gave me two days.”
“And ye’ll have them.” He stepped to one side, where Esther looked longingly up at her. “But Esther will nae stop askin’ me to see ye, so we.”
It wasn’t really a question. Ava looked at Esther’s hopeful expression, and a small smile broke across her lips.
“She’s... attached,” Ava admitted carefully. “After havin’ me carin’ for her, she’s a bit nervous about bein’ far.”
“Aye. About bein’ separated from ye. I cannae deny that, so I brought her back tae ye.” Noah’s jaw tightened. “Which means if Esther stays here with ye for two days, then I’m stayin’ as well.”
“Ye’re... What?” Ava’s voice climbed an octave. “Ye cannae be serious!”
“Do I look like I’m jestin’, lass?”
He didn’t. He looked completely, maddeningly serious.
“That’s... Ye cannae just... It’s nae appropriate. Is everything ye do inappropriate because ye are the Laird?” Ava sputtered, very aware of Mrs. Crawford’s shocked gasp behind her. “A man and a woman, livin’ together unchaperoned for two days? The scandal alone!”
“Who exactly is goin’ to challenge their Laird about his livin’ arrangements?” Noah asked, one dark eyebrow rising. “Who’s goin’ to dare suggest I’m actin’ improperly when I’m simply ensurin’ me niece’s safety and wellbein’?”
“But—”
“Do ye have somewhere I can stable me horse?” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “And I’ll need to ken where I’ll be sleepin’. I assume ye have a spare room?”
“I daenae have any rooms!” Ava exploded. “I live in a wee cottage with one bedroom, a sittin’ room, and a kitchen! There’s barely space for me, let alone a... a...” She gestured helplessly at his considerable frame. “Whatever ye are!”
“A laird?” he supplied helpfully.
“A mountain of a man who takes up the entire bloody doorway!”
Something flickered in his eyes. Amusement, maybe? “So ye have noticed how I’m built.”
Ava’s face flamed. “That’s nae... I didnae mean it that way. Ye’re impossible!”
“So I’ve been told.” He leaned forward until he was the same height as the little lass. “Esther?”
Esther stepped forward, clearly wary, but not terrified to be near her uncle.
“We’re goin’ to stay with Miss Harris for the next two days,” Noah told his niece, his voice gentling in a way Ava wouldn’t have thought possible. “Would ye like that, lass?”
Esther’s face split into the widest smile Ava had seen yet, and she nodded enthusiastically.
“Right then.” Noah looked back at Ava. “Where do I sleep in this wee cottage of yers?”
Ava wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him this was insane, inappropriate, and definitely not going to happen. But Esther was looking at her with such hopeful happiness, and she’d already agreed to uproot her entire life for this child.
What were two more days of chaos?
“Fine,” she gritted out. “But ye’re sleepin’ on the floor of the sittin’ room. And if ye so much as look at me wrong, I’ll—”
“Ye’ll what?” Noah leaned down slightly, bringing his face closer to hers. “Throw me in me own dungeons?”
“I’ll find somethin’ worse,” Ava promised, meeting his dark eyes without flinching. “Trust me.”
For a moment, she was lost in his eyes; they stood close enough that Ava could see flecks of amber in his dark eyes, could smell leather and horse and something else that was distinctly... him.
Then Noah straightened, a strange expression crossing his face. “I daenae doubt it for a second, lass.”
And Ava had the sudden, unsettling feeling that she’d just made a deal with the devil himself.