Page 6 of The Shadow of a Laird
The pair often made a nuisance of themselves because they were nearly always drunk, but Maura had been forbidden from barring them from the premises because they were both good customers who spent a lot of money. If it had been in her power, she would have cheerfully kicked them both out on the street and told them never to come back.
Maura could see that it was only a matter of time before one or both of them was hurt or damaged the property, and she knew who would be blamed for it. She leapt to her feet and rushed inside, Gavin followed her, anxious to see what was causing the racket. Then, to Gavin’s shock, Maura inserted herself between the two combatants, trying with all her might to push them apart, even though it was quite clear she could not manage it.
“If you two want to fight, pick on somebody your own size!” Gavin, suddenly, yelled, looking at the men one after the other. He was bigger and more muscular than each of them, and when he grasped their wrists and squeezed them with his powerful hands, both men screamed. They tried to break free, but Gavin was too strong for them. When he let go of them, he administered a forceful uppercut under each of their chins, and they dropped like felled trees.
However, he was not finished yet. He hauled them to their feet again, then banged their foreheads together. After that, it seemed they had had enough punishment, since they lay on the ground moaning and making no attempt to get to their feet.
Gavin turned to see Maura staring at him.
“Would you get me a bucket of water, please?” he asked politely.
Maura frowned in puzzlement, but summoned one of her helpers to do as Gavin had asked. She took it from the young man and gave it to Gavin, who splashed it onto the faces of thetwo semi-conscious combatants. They spluttered and moaned, but neither was able to rise.
Gavin stood looking down at them, his face a mask of disgust. He looked tempted to give them both a good kicking, but eventually, he restrained himself with a great effort, and walked back to the door and sat down again. He wrapped the blanket around himself, resisting the urge to scratch, and gazed at the muddy street, sighing.
Maura kept an eye on him until the commotion had completely died down, and her uncle had retired. He had been a completely different person those few minutes, and he saved her, too. She could see that his shoulders had slumped in an attitude of despair, and her heart twisted with pity to see such a big, brave man reduced to this pathetic state.
When she was about to close for the night, she went over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped, startled, and raised his hands as if to fend off a blow, but when he saw that it was Maura, he let out a sigh of relief.
“I will take my leave.” He hated to be seen in such a state of weakness and helplessness, so he squared his shoulders, trying to look dignified and made to turn away, but Maura caught his elbow.
“I think ye need somethin’ tae warm ye up,” she said, smiling at him. She led him into the tavern and ushered him into a chair near the fireplace, then she disappeared into the kitchen. She returned with a cup of warm mulled ale which she handed to him along with a bowl of fragrant chicken stew, two freshly baked bannocks slathered with fresh butter and a thick wedge of cheese.
“Thank you,” Gavin looked up at her with a grateful smile, then fell on the food like a lion on its prey.
“No, thank you,” she said appreciatively, “for what ye did. I have wanted tae slap those two for ages, but I am no’ strong enough an’ my uncle wouldnae let anybody else help me.”
“I am glad I was there,” Gavin declared, between mouthfuls.
Maura watched him with a feeling of satisfaction warming her inside. It was good to see a man enjoying his food as much as Gavin was, but she knew she could not keep on feeding him indefinitely. He was a big man, and she had limited resources, yet she felt such pity for him.
“Thank you,” Gavin said gratefully as he washed down the last morsel of cheese with his ale. “You have no idea how hungry I was.”
“I think I dae,” Maura replied fervently. She had been starving too once.
“May I ask a favour of you?” he asked suddenly.
She nodded.
“I need a place to sleep,” he said, dropping his gaze from hers. He looked embarrassed and ashamed as he went on. “I will be happy with a space on the floor in front of the fire, and if you need anyone to help you to break up fights and throw out drunks, I can do that too. I am happy to work for my food and somewhere to stay.” The words almost choked him, as he had no choice but to say them.
Maura frowned. “Ye can certainly hold your own in a scrap,” she agreed. “But so can some o’ the other fellows here.”
“Just a place on the floor for today, then?” he begged, hardly believing it was he who was saying the words. “I promise I will be gone before launch, and I will never bother you again.”
Maura smiled at him. “I didnae say I wouldnae take ye on,” she said. “I have never seen one man tackle two eejits at one time an’ flatten both o’ them. If ye want tae work here, ye are welcome. I can use a man like you.”
For a moment, Gavin was startled and he smiled. He moved like he was about to hug her tightly, but then reconsidered; he did not wish to lose the position he had just earned. “Thank you!” he breathed.
Maura flapped his hand at him and laughed. “We could spend a’ night daein’ this. Let me show ye where ye can sleep.”
She led him past the kitchens and through a narrow corridor into the main house. Gavin looked surprised at how big it was, but Maura believed he was not naive enough to think that he would be sleeping in a generously sized room on a feather mattress.
It would be a good thing if he had prepared himself because Maura led him into a tiny space no bigger than a stall for one horse in a stable. She unrolled a straw mattress for him and gave him another blanket, then said, “I know it is likely no’ what ye are used tae, but it is better than the street.”
He swallowed his dismay. “It certainly is,” he answered. “Goodnight.”
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