Page 39 of Healing the Highland Sinner
She grimaced. “Because ye’ve been such a good customer all these years, I can dae five percent, Rory,” she said. “After all, I’m takin’ the bigger risk in all this. A shipment seized by the lairds will cost ye some coin and inconvenience, but it’ll cost me me life if they catch me.”
He chuckled, his eyes still sparkling mischievously. This was the dance, now fully engaged. From the corner of her eye, Rosalind spied somebody lurking near a stack of crates. She cut a glance that way and felt her heart leap into her throat when she spotted Ellair lurking about. He stood with casual ease and wasn’t looking her way, but she knew he was watching her all the same. He could be looking in an entirely different direction, but he was able to watch her at the same time. It was unsettling.
She wasn’t going to lie, having him watching her back brought her a sense of comfort. Ciar was not one of those men who was able to move about in the daylight. Too many people knew him and if they saw him with her, they would know she was theWidow… a carefully kept secret. But it also frustrated her. Ellair still was not fully healed from the beating he’d received at the hands of Sinclair’s men and he should have been back at the compound resting. Healing. He should have been taking care of himself rather than worrying about her.
“What in the bleedin’ hell are ye daein’?” she muttered.
“Beg pardon, me lady?”
The merchant’s voice pulled her back to the moment and Rosalind gave herself a shake and turned back to Rory. “Apologies. I was only thinkin’ out loud,” she said. “Where were we?”
“Oh, ‘tis quite all right. I was inquirin’ as tae whether twenty percent would be acceptable?” he asked. “Just fer the next few shipments, of course. And if ye’re willin’ tae give me this break, we can work out some sort of recompense in the future, when times are flush again.”
Despite being engaged with Rory, Rosalind kept stealing glances at Ellair. It was as if he had some sort of gravitational pull that drew her eyes, even against her will. And when she watched a pretty young fishmonger’s daughter approach him, appearing to be offering him a fried fish on a stick, Rosalind found herself grinding her teeth. She did not like the way the girl looked up at him or the smile on her face. Nor did she care for the way Ellair leaned down to speak with her, like he was whispering in her ear. And she really hated the way the girl blushed and giggled when he’d said whatever it was he’d said to her.
“Me lady, are ye all right? Ye seem distracted.”
She was distracted, all right. By the pretty maiden obviously flirting and making cow eyes at Ellair. Rosalind cleared her throat, swallowing down the bitter lump of jealousy that had risen from deep in the pit of her stomach and turned back to the merchant.
“Apologies again, maister Rory. ‘Tis a lot goin’ through me head right now.”
He gave her an understanding nod. “Aye. I understand. ‘Tis a great many things goin’ on in around us that require our attention. Such as me shipment…”
“Of course, of course,” she said. “Again, me apologies.”
She snuck another peek over at Ellair and felt a bright jolt of lightning shoot through her veins when she found him looking straight back at her. The girl was leaning close to him, saying something, and he was smiling—though she got the feeling the smile was for her benefit. It was as if he had smelled her jealousy. Damn that man.
“Me lady, if this is an inconvenient time?—”
She ground her teeth. “Of course nae, maister Rory,” she said. “Let us dae twenty percent fer the next few shipments and we’ll settle up on recompense at a later date.”
The portly merchant smiled wide as she grimaced internally, unable to believe what she’d just done. She’d fouled up the entire negotiation because she hadn’t been able to get Ellair and his pretty little fishmonger’s daughter out of her head. She’d just given away the farm on the promise of recompense later—something she knew would never come to pass. Rory was a notorious spendthrift and made promises of recompense that never materialized.
“Well then, I believe we have a deal,” he said. “And I’m grateful fer yer understandin’ and flexibility in this matter, me lady.”
The man beamed like he’d just gotten away with the crime of the century. And she supposed he had, all because she’d been distracted. Because of Ellair. Damn him. Rosalind continued kicking herself inside but offered the man her most gracious smile and a polite bow of the head as she tried to salvage her reputation.
“Of course. Let it never be said I dinnae appreciate me long-term clients,” she said. “I’ll wait fer yer details and let ye ken how quickly I can get yer goods tae yer kin.”
“Thank ye, me lady.”
Rosalind turned away and headed for the docks, steaming and wanting to break something. Never in her life had she flubbed a negotiation so badly. She’d done it because her head had been anywhere but in the game. She’d gotten fleeced by the man. Staring at the sun, which was already beginning its descent tothe horizon, she leaned against the railing and breathed deeply, savoring the scent of the sea as she tried to calm herself down.
She heard his boots thumping on the dock and felt his presence behind her. She already knew what she was going to see when she turned around, so Rosalind kept her eyes on the ocean.
Unable to calm her churning mind, she huffed a sigh and turned around and just as she’d expected, found herself staring at Ellair’s smarmy smirk.
“How ye daein’, Rosey?” he asked, his voice light and teasing.
She grumbled a string of curses under her breath and shook her head.
CHAPTER 18
“Idinnae see how this is me fault,” he said.
“Ye ken exactly why this is yer fault.”
Ellair laughed and put on an expression of feigned innocence. “I’ve got nae bleedin’ idea what ye’re talkin’ about.”
