Glasgow rogue, p.6
Glasgow Rogue, page 6
“I am, but she has a full house,” Niall answered.
“Well, I will bunk with ye tonight. I can find another place tomorrow.”
“One night,” Niall replied, “and ye will have to sleep on the floor.”
His brother grinned. “I suspected that.”
Niall nodded. “Tomorrow I can show ye the books.”
Aidan lifted a brow. “Numbers were never your strong suit, brother. I had best take instruction from the bookkeeper.”
“And I would be more than glad to let ye do that,” Niall replied, taking no offense. “But Mr. Graham is recovering from consumption and his nephew who was in charge has taken off.”
“Robert dinnae mention that.”
“’Tis because he doesnae ken it.” Niall shrugged. “I saw nae reason to make him fash.” Aidan looked doubtful, but then he’d always been the most levelheaded of any of them. “Besides, the harbormaster is there as well.”
Aidan nodded. “We will make do.”
“Aye,” Niall replied. “So where is the office going to be? The small port at Armadale?”
Aidan shook his head. “Off Loch Bracadale.”
Niall felt his eyes widen. “That far north? ’Tis MacLeod country.”
“That may be, but the sea belongs to no one,” Aidan answered.
“True, but the MacLeod own the shore.” Niall frowned. “Robert is American. He doesnae understand how far back the clan wars go.”
“The one on Skye was finished over two hundred years ago,” Aidan said.
Niall lifted a brow. “Are they ever really over, brother? Land is important to Scots—”
“Doona forget that Robert married a MacLeod and so did Alasdair.”
“But nae the branch of Tormod.”
“But MacLeods, just the same,” Aidan answered. “Besides, when we were on expedition there a few months ago, I met with the laird at Dunvegan. He is nae opposed to the operations.”
Niall’s eyebrow went up again. “Nae?”
“Nae.” Aidan shrugged. “I offered him a percentage of the profits for using his land.”
Niall scowled at him. “Ye could have said so in the first place.”
“I was planning to,” Aidan replied, looking definitely pleased that he had managed to irk Niall. “Another reason the laird agreed was because Owen MacLean was prowling the waters around Indrigill Point—”
“Owen MacLean?” Just saying the name made Niall want to ball his fists. The MacLeans had lands bordering the MacDonalds and were always hungry for more. Reiving cattle and stealing brides might be things of the past, but the MacDonalds had been ambushed passing through MacLean land a year ago. Owen’s father swore that it had been brigands, not MacLeans, but suspicions remained. And Owen was cunning. He’d clerked for Nathan Rothschild’s bank in London before he’d returned to Scotland. Worse, having learned city ways, he acted like a dandy. Women flocked to him like bees to a hive. Even Niall’s own sister, Margaret, had not been immune to his smooth talk.
Niall grimaced. “No wonder the laird agreed. MacLeans are nae to be trusted.”
“Och, well…” Aidan shrugged.
Niall stared at him. “Are ye forgetting all the times—”
“I am nae forgetting the on-going spats between us,” Aidan said, “but the decision on MacLeod’s part was strictly business. Uniting with us MacDonalds will keep MacLean—and anyone else intent on harvesting kelp on Skye—a safe distance away.”
“I suppose ye are right,” Niall said grudgingly.
“I always am,” Aidan replied.
“And ye are nae conceited about it either,” Niall returned, “but doona forget who is the stronger of us.”
Aidan grinned. “Are ye so sure of that? Do ye care to find out?”
“Any time.”
Aidan’s grin widened. “I will check my calendar, then.”
“I will look forward to besting ye, brother.”
“We will see,” Aidan said. “Meanwhile, shall we see to getting the kelp unloaded?”
“Aye,” Niall grumbled, knowing they probably would not even spar. With any of his other brothers, a conversation wouldn’t even have taken place. They’d just swing a fist. Not that Aidan was less strong than the rest of them. He just didn’t believe in unnecessary violence.
Several hours later, after they’d hauled close to a hundred bales of dried kelp into carts, Niall was beginning to rethink the sparring challenge. Aidan had not even broken a sweat with the heavy lifting, but Niall had. Actually, it was just a bit of dampness on his face. But still. The idea didn’t sit well that Aidan might best him in a match after all.
Adding to his frustration, he found Annie had left the warehouse before he arrived. Aidan had looked amused at that and Niall had spent the entire walk home explaining how the lass took foolish chances and was making his hair grow gray.
At least, she was home. He heard her voice as they climbed the steps to the boardinghouse. The door had been left slightly ajar and he caught a glimpse of her standing by the counter. Pushing the door open, he stopped and groaned.
Owen MacLean was standing by the counter too. He and Annie were laughing.
Aidan cleared his throat. “I was going to tell you that Owen plans to open an office in Glasgow also.”
Chapter Six
Niall didn’t think he’d ever heard Annie laugh as much as she did at dinner that night. He didn’t see anything particularly humorous in MacLean’s stories about London, but Annie apparently did.
“You look quite enchanting this evening,” Owen was telling Annie now.
“’Tis kind of ye to say so,” she replied.
Niall nearly choked on the sip of ale he’d just taken. ’Tis kind of him? Kind of him? Anytime Niall gave Annie a compliment she either rolled her eyes or made some comment to the contrary. Now…kind of him? Niall stabbed a piece of meat.
Aidan arched a brow at the gesture. Damn it. His brother had always been overly observant. Niall refused to look at him, not wanting to see a smirk appear on Aidan’s face. His brother had better not make a comment either or they would be sparring after dinner.
“Tell me about this office ye plan to open,” Niall said to Owen before he could wax forth on another compliment.
Owen turned his dark gaze to him. “I am finishing the negotiations I started the last time I was here. The kelp harvest on Eigg and Rhum has been plentiful. Enough so that I do not want to entrust an independent agent to handle things on this end. Having a MacLean office in Glasgow will also help me procure more financial backing when I go to London in the spring.”
“If ye need someone to manage the office, I have several friends who might be interested,” Annie said.
The ladies of the Progress and Liberty Club, no doubt. Niall wasn’t surprised that Annie would try to promote one of them. MacLean didn’t strike him as someone who would want a female managing his business though.
“Who would that be?” Owen asked.
“Well, there are several. Aileen Douglas. Fenella Grant. Deirdre Gordon. Cora MacBain.”
A shuttered expression crossed Owen’s face. “They are all women?”
Aha! Niall had been right. Owen didn’t want a female working in his office. Although Niall had to admit the man had hidden his surprise well and kept his tone neutral. Something for Niall to keep in mind.
“Aye,” Annie replied. “I—”
“Doona forget Inis Russell,” Niall said. “She has both beauty and intelligence.”
Annie gave him an annoyed look. Niall bit back a grin. “Not as lovely as ye, of course.”
The annoyed look changed to a scowl before she turned away, then smoothed her features to speak to Owen. “What I was trying to say is that I have recently been offered a job managing a warehouse which shows at least one businessman is a progressive thinker. I thought ye might be of the same caliber, having lived in London.”
“Thank you for thinking so highly of me.” Owen gave her a wry smile. “Most of London’s ladies are kept quite busy pursuing social events. Unfortunately, those not involved in society have not achieved equal status in the business world either.”
Annie looked disappointed. “’Tis the same there as here, then.”
“I am afraid so,” Owen replied and then tilted his head to study her. “What kind of a warehouse do you manage?”
“Haines Consolidated,” Annie said. “’Tis close to the wharf.”
Owen nodded. “I have heard of it.”
“Henderson Shipping uses it,” Annie said and gestured toward Niall. “I have a shipment of barley ready to be loaded onto one of their ships tomorrow.”
Owen turned to Niall. “Has Henderson used it long?”
“I am nae sure—”
“For several months at least,” Annie interrupted. “According to the ledger, the accountant at Henderson Shipping approved the site.”
“The accountant?” Owen asked. “Why not Henderson?”
“Probably because Robert’s house in Arisaig was struck by lightning and he hasn’t been here,” Niall replied. “I am keeping an eye on things for now.”
“Ummm,” Owen said and then turned back to Annie. “We have several orders for shipment to France this fall. I’ll need a place to store the kelp bales until I can contract with one of the shipping lines. Would you have room?”
“Aye. I am sure we do,” Annie said, looking delighted.
“Good.” Owen gave her an engaging smile. “I will look forward to working with you, then.”
Niall barely refrained from growling. First he had to worry about the male crew at the warehouse, to say nothing of Kingsley’s unwanted attention toward Annie. Now MacLean was adding himself to the list. Damnation. If Annie had to pursue a job, why couldn’t it be one that didn’t involve a score of men?
Aidan coughed discreetly as Niall stabbed another piece of meat. He ignored the smirk he knew would be on his brother’s face.
****
“Have a care with my dishes,” Annie’s mother said mildly as they were cleaning up the kitchen after the meal.
“Sorry,” Annie said and put down the plate she’d been drying less forcefully. Her mother liked using the bone china once a week for gentility’s sake. She said it reminded them to maintain good manners.
Her mother had just chosen the wrong night.
Annie had known Niall would be upset to find her gone from the warehouse this afternoon and he’d shown his displeasure as soon as he came in the door of the boardinghouse. He had barely been civil to Owen, instead asking why she hadn’t waited for him.
She might have told him that Mr. Haines had wanted her to meet Oliver Nolan, a business partner of his, and that he’d dropped her off in his carriage later, but before she could say anything, Niall had practically ordered her to wait for him next time. His brother—who had never met her—had tried to hide a grin. No doubt he thought she deserved the scolding for not obeying Niall. Annie glowered at the glass she’d just picked up.
“Careful,” her mother said again. “’Tis nae Waterford crystal, but still expensive to replace.”
“Sorry,” Annie repeated. “I will take more care.”
Her mother glanced at her before plunging her hands into the soapy water in the basin once more. “What ails ye? Is the job nae what ye thought it to be?”
Annie shook her head. “’Tis nae the job. I have a lot to learn, but I think I will like it.”
“Then what is it?”
When her mother used that no-nonsense tone, Annie knew she couldn’t sidle her way out of the conversation. She sighed. “’Tis Niall. He is bossy.”
Her mother raised both brows. “Like ye?”
“Nae. I doona order people around.” Silence met that remark and Annie frowned. “At least, I doona expect anyone to sit and wait like some loyal hound for its master.”
Her mother smiled at that, which only made Annie’s frown deepen. “Well, I doona.”
“And neither does Niall.” Her mother took the towel from her and dried the next glass herself. “But it might help if ye doona bark at him so much.”
Annie gaped at her. “Bark at him? How can ye say such a thing?”
“Ye could be kinder to the man,” her mother answered. “He is only trying to protect ye after what happened to Bridget and ye.”
“But that was a one-time thing,” Annie replied, trying hard not to raise her voice. “I doona need protection!”
Her mother set down the glass and gave her a direct look. “As much as I admire your independence and as much as I agree that women should be allowed to work, there are many who doona agree.”
“Men, ye mean,” Annie said.
“Aye. And whether we like it or not, having someone to protect ye is nae such a bad thing.”
Annie opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. She knew her mother worried about some of the things the club did, especially in light of recent workers’ strikes and general unrest, but she didn’t understand how much Annie didn’t want to depend on a man for anything ever again.
“Niall means well,” her mother said.
Annie nodded, more to end the conversation than to agree with it. She started putting the dishes away, careful not to crack anything.
Niall MacDonald had a talent for vexing her. Except for the fact that it would probably have given him great satisfaction, Annie would have gotten up and left the table after his remark about Inis having both beauty and brains. He didn’t have to point that out, as it was obvious to anyone who did not need an eyeglass to see. And then, he’d added insult to the remark.
Nae as lovely as ye, of course.
Did the man think she was such a fool as to actually believe something like that? Oh, there might have been a time when she had. When she’d wanted to believe such a thing. But she’d come to terms with herself after Broderick left her. She was tall and angular, not dainty and curvy. Her hair was straight as a nail, not softly curling. She even had a splattering of freckles, thanks to a fair skin that burned in the sun. She didn’t smile demurely or bat her eyelashes.
Not that she was enchanting either, but Owen MacLean had lived in London and that was just one of the things that gentlemen said to flatter ladies. She knew he didn’t mean it any more than Niall truly thought she was lovely. The idea that she was some sort of a seductive siren nearly made her giggle. She ought to be able to laugh off Niall’s remark as well. So why hadn’t she?
Annie closed the cupboard door, wishing she could close off her thoughts as well.
****
“I really doona need two of ye to accompany me to work,” Annie said the next morning as both Niall and Owen awaited her by the door.
“I would like to meet Mr. Haines in person if I am going to be using his warehouse,” Owen said and then smiled. “But I agree, MacDonald doesn’t have to come along.”
A muscle twitched in Niall’s jaw. “’Tis nae out of my way.”
Annie closed her eyes briefly, then shook her head and started down the steps of the boardinghouse, leaving the men to follow. They did, one on each side of her, their assortment of knives, swords and muskets rattling with every step. Apparently, clan rivalry was still alive and well, for they both also wore tartans. Even a bairn still in leading strings could probably figure out the two of them had no liking for each other, but they seemed to have decided to play some kind of competition-like game to which only they understood the rules. She just hoped they weren’t regarding her as some kind of trophy.
She was tempted to point that rather important fact out, but since neither of them had actually alluded to her in the game in which they were engaged, she could hardly say she didn’t want to be the prize. And maybe she wasn’t. Judging from the way both Niall and Owen tried to stay a step ahead of each other, they probably wouldn’t even notice if she stepped back and let them continue on jostling one another for position.
She tried it. Three steps later they both stopped, turning about as precisely as soldiers in a drill.
Niall frowned. “Why did ye stop?”
“Are you all right?” Owen asked.
“I… ’Tis a bit crowded walking three across,” Annie replied.
Owen nodded. “MacDonald can go ahead to his own office since I need to meet Mr. Haines.”
Niall gave him a steely look. “I told Annie’s mother I would escort her.”
He was bringing her mother into this? Annie was about to tell him that was nonsense, but then remembered her mother’s words to be more kind and bit back the retort. “There really is nae need, gentlemen. No one has accosted me or even come near.”
Niall and Owen each put a hand on their swords’ hilts.
“’Tis because they ken to respect the MacDonalds,” Niall said.
“And to fear the MacLeans,” Owen added.
Annie sighed. She hadn’t intended to encourage the rivalry. “’Tis a safe walk. Nae a person has even looked at me this morn.”
That much was true. Everyone that had been on the sidewalk had given startled looks to two highly-armed Highlanders and given all three of them a wide berth.
“Ye doona need strange men looking at ye,” Niall stated.
“Indeed, although it is difficult for a man to ignore a beautiful woman,” Owen said smoothly, “but that is why I am here to keep you safe.”
Niall glowered at him. “’Tis why I am here.”
Annie looked heavenward. She couldn’t stop herself. If she didn’t put a stop to whatever silly game they were playing, they’d probably end up in fisticuffs or worse, given the assortment of weapons they each carried. “Gentlemen. May we continue? I doona want to be late for work.”
Owen adjusted his sword belt and stepped to her side. “Of course. I should have thought of that.”
Niall adjusted his belt too as he stepped to Annie’s other side. “Aye, I should have thought of that too, lass.”
“Very well,” Annie answered and picked up her pace. It was only two more blocks to the warehouse. Surely they could make it.
****
“Excellent!” Mr. Haines said when, after they managed to arrive intact with no one wounded a short time later, Annie explained that Owen was interested in renting space. “I am sure we can find a spot. I will leave it to Kingsley, since I have a meeting this morning.”
