Though as they left the cottage a short while later, Noah had no intention of standing idly by if this Malcolm character proved difficult. Ava might be independent and capable, but she was now his responsibility.
And Noah MacGregor protected what was his.
The Bell and Thistle tavern was already crowded despite the early hour—apparently, market day drew out both the drinkers and the shoppers. Ava pushed through the door, the familiar smell of ale and unwashed bodies hitting her like a wave.
She’d spent three years working here. Three years of long shifts, aching feet, dodging wandering hands, and pretending drunken insults didn’t sting.
And now she was walking away.
“There ye are!” Malcolm’s voice boomed from behind the bar. “Thought ye werenae comin’ in today! We’re already short-handed and?—”
“Malcolm, I need to speak with ye.” Ava made her way through the crowd, very aware of Noah and Esther following behind her. She’d asked them to wait outside, but apparently her new employer didn’t take suggestions well.
Malcolm’s eyes flickered to Noah, then back to Ava. His expression shifted, curiosity mixed with annoyance. “What’s this about, then?”
“Can we talk somewhere private?”
“Private?” Malcolm laughed, gesturing to the crowded room. “Does it look like I’ve got time for private conversations? Whatever ye need to say, say it quick.”
Fine. If he wanted to do this publicly, they’d do it publicly.
Ava straightened her spine, lifted her chin, and looked Malcolm square in the eye. “I’m quittin’. Today’s me last day.”
The noise in the tavern didn’t stop, but several nearby patrons turned to look. Malcolm’s jovial expression vanished like morning mist.
“Ye’rewhat?”
“I’m quittin’. I’ve been offered another position, and I’m takin’ it.”
“Another position?” Malcolm’s face was starting to redden—never a good sign. “After everythin’ I’ve done for ye? I gave ye a job when no one else would! I let ye work the best shifts, the ones with the highest tips!”
Ava bit back a bitter laugh. “Ye gave me the shifts no one else wanted because they were the longest and the hardest. And I’ve worked them without complaint for three years. But I’m leavin’ now. I’ll work today to give ye time to find someone else, but after that?—”
“Nay.” Malcolm slammed his hand on the bar hard enough to make glasses rattle. “Ye’ll work untilIsay ye can leave. Ye think ye can just walk out on me? I’ve got contracts with the brewery and suppliers who expect certain income levels. Ineedye here, Ava.”
“I’m sorry, Malcolm, but I’ve made me decision.” She kept her voice steady and professional. She wouldn’t let him see that his raised voice was making her pulse quicken. “I appreciate the opportunity ye gave me.”
“Sorry?” Malcolm’s voice rose another notch, loud enough that the entire tavern was watching now. “Ye’ll be more than sorry when I tell every tavern owner in this territory that ye’reunreliable! That ye break yer commitments! See how ye like findin’ work then!”
“I’ve already found work,” Ava said quietly, fighting to keep her temper in check. “That’s what I’m tryin’ to tell ye.”
“Where? What kind of work could possibly be better than what ye have here?” Malcolm was working himself into a proper fury now, his face going from red to purple.
Spittle flew from his lips as he leaned across the bar. “Let me guess, some farmer’s wife needs help with her brats? Some merchant needs a maid? Ye think that’s better than what I’ve given ye? The roof over yer head? The steady wages?”
“The roof over me head is me own cottage that I pay for meself,” Ava shot back, her own temper fraying. “And the wages are barely enough to survive on, as ye well know.”
“Ungrateful wench!”
“The lass said what’s goin’ to happen. That’s the end of it.”
Noah stood there, Esther’s hand clenched tightly in his, resembling an ancient Highland warrior who had wandered into the wrong century. His expression was as stern as stone, with dark eyes that fixed on Malcolm with a stare powerful enough to make grown men reconsider their life choices.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Every head in the tavern turned.
Ava spun around, her temper blazing. “I told ye I could handle this!”
“Aye, and ye were handlin’ it fine until he started threatenin’ ye.” Noah’s gaze didn’t leave Malcolm’s face. “I didnae like his tone.”
