“Aye. Malcolm did some research before I learned the facts of Jocelyn’s past. He’s a bastard. I dinna think he’ll let her go.”
“Clearly, he canna love her if he treated her so poorly,” Finlay offered.
Gunn scratched at his jaw, his stubble making his skin itch. He needed a shave. “’Tis all his ego, I believe. He sees her as property. Naught more.”
“Bastard,” Alexander spat. “’Tis good she found ye.”
Shrugging, he scraped his hand over his mouth. “We need to find a way to make him agree to a divorce. I dinna care if I have to pay the arsehole off. Whate’er needs to be done, I’ll do it.”
“Sounds serious.” It was Nicholas. His friend was usually quiet. Serious. But loyal to a fault. “Are ye sure this is what ye want?”
Was it? He thought about when he was with Jocelyn. It was as if the rest of the world fell away, and it was only them there in the moment. No worries or cares. It was just them. Drinking each other in.
He nodded. “I’m certain.”
“I dinna believe it,” Alexander said. “Ye, the last holdout from our group of friends, is finally settling down. With an English woman, no less.”
“Where she was born has naught to do with it, ye sod.”
“What’s the plan? Are we going to Rochester? Track him down? Or wait for him to show up here?”
“I havena decided. But there’s something else I need help with.”
Serious looks on his friends’ faces let him ken that whatever it was he needed, they were there for him. The same as he’d been there for them when they needed something. It was what friends did. Helped each other whenever one needed it. They’d been so close growing up. Played together. Served together. Supported each other. Now it was his turn to draw on their collective help.
He stood, refilled his whisky, and held up the bottle for whoever else needed more. All except Finlay raised their glass and Gunn kenned it was because his friend wanted to keep a clear head in case the bairn decided to enter the world.
Pacing the floor, he swallowed his pride and told his friends about the financial hardships he had been facing with the Thistle & Pig.
“When Jocelyn asked for employment, the only thing I could think of was ledger review. I had been meaning to do it but kept pushing it off. It was a task I loathed and I was too focused on trying to bring the pub and inn back to life.”
“That’s understandable given the stress ye were under. But why would ye have her assessing your books?” Alexander asked. “Ye’d just met her, and she’s a woman.”
Gunn laughed, pointed a finger at his friend. “Aye, but a smart one at that. Her father taught her accounting as a way of ensuring she would have the knowledge to care for her own finances when she married,” he scoffed. “The bastard took all of that from her.”
“So no’ only was he violent against her, he couldna stand for her to be independent thinking?”
“Exactly, Finlay. The last thing he wanted was for her to ken what he was doing with the money.” He sipped his whisky, emptying the glass so he placed it on his desk. “Whilst she was reviewing my ledgers she uncovered some unaccounted transactions. Long story short, Theodore has been stealing from my coffers and practically bankrupting my business.”
“What the hell?” Alexander spat.
“The louse,” Finlay snapped.
“Aye. No’ only that, he was the reason that e’eryone stopped frequenting the pub and inn. Rumors were spread that somehow managed to stay out of my ears. Jocelyn and I went on a walk a few days ago and talked to people around town and found that to be the case. I dinna think it was him directly, but word got out. Jocelyn was verra convincing in getting the townsfolk to agree to return.”
“Have they?” Nicholas asked.
Gunn nodded, sinking back into his chair. “’Tis only been a couple of days, but today the pub was filling up and patrons were once again filling the dining room at the inn. So much so, that I had to scramble to bring in help for Thomas and Flora. ’Twas too many people for them to handle themselves.”
“That’s great news, aye?” Alexander asked.
Agreeing, Gunn nodded. “I had to let so many people go, ’tis nice to ken that I will be able to hire a full staff back. That I will have the funds coming in to support them.”
“How did Theodore react?” Finlay asked.
“No’ well. He’s trying to act happy about it, but I see through his façade.”
“What can we do?” Alexander asked, leaning forward with his forearms on his thighs.
