Page 19 of Transporting a Ruthless Highlander
11
Presently, they arrived at Haldstane and tied the horse to a rail outside the tavern. He did not seem too pleased, but Struan whispered to him until he calmed down before they entered the small building.
“Well done,” Gavina said, smiling at him. Then she turned to where a group of men was enjoying a boisterous game of cards. “Remember our shillin’?” she asked, winking at him before approaching the table. “Any objection tae a woman playin’, gentlemen?” she asked, in a voice that was so full of confidence that Struan doubted any of them would dare to refuse.
The men looked up in amazement, but the sight of Gavina’s shapely figure in her “new” dress was enough to win them over, and a moment later, she flipped the shilling onto the table. She had only one coin to bet with, but fortunately, she won the first hand and netted herself three more shillings.
“Beginners’ luck,” she said, smiling at them all. “I am sure ye will win yer money back in the next hand, gents.”
And they did.
Gavina lost the next hand and the next until she was left with only her original shilling to play with.
Struan was beginning to panic. She was following in the footsteps of her father; had she learned nothing? He watched her clumsiness as she dropped the cards while dealing and saw her face looking more and more despondent. One of the men took pity on her and bought her a cup of ale, and that was when everything changed.
She won the next hand and reclaimed her four shillings, and after that, there was no stopping her. She won three more hands then bought all her fellow players and Struan a drink, but the others’ faces were becoming angrier and angrier.
Gradually the others dropped out, and Gavina was left with twelve shillings. As the men left, one of them turned back and growled, “I dinnae know how ye did it, hen, but dinnae ever try tae play wi’ us again. Ye were cheatin’!”
Gavina shrugged. “I won fair an’ square. I cannae help it if ye are a sore loser.”
The man took a couple of threatening steps toward her, holding one fist up, but he was stopped in his tracks as Struan stepped in front of Gavina and caught the man’s wrist, squeezing it so hard that he winced and moaned in pain.
“That is no way to treat a lady.” His voice was soft, but it throbbed with menace, and his dark eyes were as hard and shiny as polished glass as they bored into his adversary’s. Struan was standing only a couple of feet away from him so that the smaller man had to tilt his head back to see him, and his eyes were full of fear as they stared into the eyes of the big, muscular man.
“Go away,” Struan said angrily, staring aggressively at the short man’s friends as they came to his rescue. He produced his dagger and held it up as he followed them until they reached the door. Then he made sure they went on their way by standing in the doorway to block it and watched them until they were out of sight.
Gavina was standing with her arms folded in front of the bar with an incredulous look on her face. “I am very impressed,” she said in wonder, trying not to show how frightened she had been.
Struan grinned as he slipped the dagger back into its scabbard. “You have to make them believe you are invincible, even when you are not,” he laughed. “I cannot produce tears at will, but I can look quite fierce.” He glowered at her threateningly, and she flapped a hand at him.
“I am terrified,” she laughed. “Now, what say ye tae a meal an’ a room?”
“I say that would be heavenly,” Struan agreed, sighing. “A great improvement on sand and straw.”
“Do ye have a room wi’ two beds in it?” Gavina asked the landlord.
The elderly man smiled at her, showing a row of yellow, uneven teeth. “Aye, hen,” he replied. “An’ ye are just in time, for we are full tonight. ’Tis the last room in the place.”
“Thank ye.” She was immensely relieved. Gavina had envisaged she and Struan sleeping in another barn or even underneath the stars again.
“I could eat my own weight in beefsteak,” Struan complained.
Gavina was so hungry that she had begun to tremble, and Struan put an arm around her shoulders and helped her gently down into a chair. They had only eaten half a haggis each and a few hunks of bread the whole day, and now they were both ravenous.
“It has been a long, long time since I sat at a table to eat,” Struan remarked, laughing, then he shook his head in puzzlement. “It feels very strange. How did you manage to win that money, Gavina? Did you cheat? Tell me, for if you did, then I will not hold it against you.”
For a moment, Gavina was furious at his suggestion that she had been dishonest. She only stole when she had no other choice and then only from those who could afford it. However, as she looked up into his dark eyes, she realized that his question was completely sincere, and she smiled at him fondly. Like most people who had not grown up around gamblers, he had no idea of the subtle strategies involved in playing against opponents who would do anything to win.
“No, Struan,” she replied. “I didnae cheat, but I learned a lot fae watchin’ my da. He didnae win very often, so when I watched him, I learned how tae lose, an’ by daein’ that, I found out how not tae lose. I watch faces; ye have no idea how much people give away wi’ just a look. I counted the cards they put on the table. I dinnae know how tae cheat.”
“You are astonishing,” he breathed. “I have never met anyone like you, Gavina. I have only known you for a short while, but you have taught me so much.”
“You have taught me too,” she said as she smiled at him.
“What exactly have I taught you?” he asked in disbelief. “How to save us from freezing? How to find food? How to charm men? How to pick pockets? No, the only thing I have taught you is how to be caught in rock pools.” He looked away from her, ashamed.
“None o’ those things.” She laughed, shaking her head. “How tae be grateful, how tae be kind an’ no’ turn away help when it is offered. Most o’ all, no’ tae believe everythin’ ye see on the surface. I thought ye were a criminal, an’ now I see ye are a good man.”
