Page 26 of One Night of Surrender
Val grunted.“Love is making you boring.”
“Love is making me happy.”Cole grinned to further annoy Val.“You should try it again some time.”
Before Val could swear at him, Cole ducked away and left the tavern.Val went to the bar, and Doyle slid him his tankard full of Cole’s Valentine Ale.“He made an adjustment to it this year.Something his betrothed suggested.”
Of course he did.Scowling, Val picked up his mug and took a sip.It was, of course, maddeningly good.
He took a deeper drink and silently chastised himself.He wouldn’t begrudge Cole his happiness—he deserved every bit of it.
“A new barmaid started today,” Doyle said.“Normally, we wouldn’t have her start on a night like this, but with Gertie sick, we were desperate.”
“Excellent, thank you.I’ll just go check on things in the kitchen.”Val strode to the rear of the tavern and into the kitchen, where cooks were bustling here and there.It smelled delicious, and he wondered if he might find a spare piece of ham or beef somewhere.
As he pivoted toward a worktable, a woman came from his left and ran square into him, spilling a jug of wine down his front.
The damp soaked all the way through his shirt, and he looked down at the deepening burgundy stain covering his coat, waistcoat, shirt, and cravat.“Bloody hell!”
“Val?”Still clutching the jug, Isabelle looked up at him, her blue eyes narrowing as she winced.
“Isabelle?What the devil are you doing here?”
Her apparent discomfort increased as she hugged the jug to her chest as if it were some sort of shield.“I’m the new barmaid.”
He was keenly aware of the silence that had fallen over the kitchen as everyone stopped their work and stared at them.Without thought, he took the jug from her hands and placed it on the nearest surface.Then he clasped her elbow and pulled her from the kitchen.
“What are you doing?”she asked, trying to tug her arm from his grip.
He tightened his hold, careful not to hurt her.“Come with me.Please.”
“Let go of me.”
He did as she asked and paused, staring at her.They stood in the storage room, surrounded by foodstuffs and implements for cooking and cleaning.“You can’t work here.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes blazing.“You’re going to terminate my employment too?”
Hell and the devil.He couldn’t very well dothat.“Of course not, but Isabelle, this is my pub.Obviously, you know that.”He scowled.“Is that why you wouldn’t tell me anything last night?”
She lifted a shoulder and glanced away.“I was—am—in desperate need.”
“To work as a barmaid?This is far beneath you.”She should be tutoring the best families in the realm.Or running Oxford.That would never happen, although she bloody well could.
“It’s honest work.”She looked him up and down, but there was nothing provocative about her appraisal.“Owning and operating a tavern apparently isn’t beneathyou.”
“I’m not workinginthe tavern.”
She cocked her head to the side.“I could have sworn Prudence showed me your office where you and Colehaven have desks.”
Val muttered an oath.“I told you I would help you—whatever you require.”
“And I told you I can’t accept anything from you.”
“But you can work for me?How is that different from just taking my money?”
Her jaw dropped again.“Are you in earnest?This is completely different from taking your money.As I said, this is honest work.”
“And my giving you money would be a transaction between friends.Asecrettransaction no one ever need know about.You could even call it a loan if you prefer.”
She stared at him as if he’d just offered to steal everything she owned instead of give her money.“You’re mad.”
