Page 113 of A Good Scot is Hard to Find
“That’s where ye’d be wrong, lass.”
Everyone jumped at the interruption. Aila and Brontë rolled their eyes while Tris outright groaned at the sight of the auld man. Rab leapt up from his spot at Aila’s side and went to greet him, tail wagging, and she inwardly fumed.
“Donell?” Finn and Ian exclaimed in unison.
“Why am I not surprised?” Brontë muttered under her breath. No matter where he went, the old man always seemed to be well known by all the players in his games. She shot Donell a dark stare. “Before another word is said, I’m going to need you to stay away from my grandmother. Fair warning.”
“I willnae bother ye for long,” Donell answered with a smirk and a wink that provided no assurance at all. “I merely wanted to say job well done. Ye’ve exceeded my expectations for ye, lass.” He turned to Aila with that last compliment. She only recalled Rab to her side and glowered at the old man, which prompted him to add, “Have ye nothing to say, lass?”
“Such as?”
“A word of thanks mayhap?”
Aila gaped at the old man wondering where he summoned the nerve. “Ye set me up and almost got me killed…twice! Ye expect me to thank ye? Ye’re lucky ye’re no’ getting skelped right now.”
He took off his flat cap and scratched his balding head as he looked around the table. “It provides comfort for my battered heart to see such love in abundance, same as that I’ve kent before. My dear wife would approve of my efforts, even if ye dinnae.”
“I’ll no’ thank ye, ye auld bampot!” The steam went out of Aila as the extent of his admission and its implications soaked in. “Ye’re saying stopping Derne wisnae the whole point of this exercise?”
Donell shook his head. “Despite his grandeur, Derne had already failed to achieve his goals. I merely needed to be assured that he would be unable to do more harm.”
Violet had claimed Donell was something of a matchmaker. Was it truly possible that all his mechanizations were more than thoughtless manipulation and that he’d intended for her to find love with Finn despite the pitfalls along the way? How could she resent him now?
“What sort of harm?” Finn asked. “Who is behind all of this?”
The old man’s gaze moved from Ian to Fiona and back again pointedly. “That is a conversation for another time, I’m afraid.” He held up a hand to forestall any argument. “It will come, I promise ye. For now, I’ve come only to assure myself that ye’re content wi’ the outcome of yer adventure and to toast to yer success.”
He withdrew the Lalique bottle of Macallan they had sampled in his shop. Aila ran her palms down her cheeks. Gah, now she really couldn’t hold a grudge, could she? The wily auld man. He did know how to play people.
“I’m no’ saying I forgive ye for what ye did,” she said as he poured a round for them all. “I’ll only say I dinnae regret coming into yer whisky shop that day.”
Donell beamed at her as though she’d buttered him up with the thick layer of praise. He lifted his glass in her direction. “Why, thank ye, lassie. That means a lot coming from ye.”
Everyone around the table laughed and after a moment, Aila joined them.
“And just so we’re clear, I’m keeping the dog.”
