Macgowan Meets His Match

“Oh.” Jenna pictured a white-haired gentleman, possibly a little overweight, who wasn’t ready to retire quite yet. “You said you don’t necessarily recommend this position. I’d like to know why. It sounds like just the position for me. It probably isn’t a permanent one, but working for Sir Ian would give me time to get acquainted with the area.”

Violet sighed and removed her glasses. She massaged the bridge of her nose as she stared myopically at Jenna. Without saying anything, she carefully cleaned her glasses and replaced them. It was obvious to Jenna that the woman was trying to decide what to say. Was the man some kind of monster? she wondered.

Finally, Violet spoke. “Do you see these papers?” She waved her hand at the open file. “They represent the applicants I have sent Sir Ian during the past several weeks.”

“He didn’t hire any of them?” Jenna asked. What an odd man.

“After complaining incessantly about the lack of qualifications in the women he interviewed, he finally settled on one who stayed two weeks. The second left after three days.” She sighed and shook her head.

“Is he a sexual predator?”

Violet looked startled for a moment before she broke into laughter. “No, no, no. I didn’t mean to give you that impression. He’s just a very difficult man to work for.” She sorted through the papers, reading portions out loud. “‘He’s short-tempered and impossible to please,’ says one. The other says, ‘He set impossible time limits on the work I was doing. He’s really impossible.’”

“Ah,” said Jenna, nodding. “I know just the kind of boss he is.” She smiled. “My last employer was that way when I first started to work for him.”

Violet’s eyebrows rose. “Really. That surprises me. According to his letter of recommendation, he hated to lose you. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I would think this was a letter recommending you for sainthood,” she said archly.

“He was a very busy man, and until I was hired he hadn’t had much luck finding someone who could work with little direction. Once I got past his gruff exterior and convinced him I wasn’t a ‘lazy twit’—I believe his words were—we managed to work quite well together.”

Violet nodded, smiling slightly. “I see. Perhaps you will have more success with Sir Ian than the others.”

“When could we set up an interview?”

Violet’s brows rose. “Oh, he no longer interviews. He said it takes too much time out of his day. He told me to find someone who wouldn’t pester him to death with questions and comments and hire her.”

“Sight unseen?”

“If you think you might want the position, of course. Perhaps you might try it and see. If you don’t like it you will at least know you tried and perhaps by then something else will have turned up for you. So, what would you like to do?”

Jenna weighed her options. She didn’t want to spend any more of her reserves than necessary if she had an opportunity to work. “I would at least like to meet him. Perhaps we’ll both agree that I won’t suit it, but I dislike turning down the offer without meeting him.”

“Good. That’s good. If anyone can assist him, my money is on you, Jenna.” Violet reached for the phone and dialed a number from the file in front of her. She waited. Jenna could hear the quiet “brrring-brrring” of the phone at the other end. When it was answered, Violet said, “Good morning, Hazel. This is Violet Spradlin at the employment agency. How are you this morning?”

Jenna listened to the one-sided conversation with amusement. They sounded like old friends, which she supposed was possible considering the number of people Violet had sent there. She idly wondered if Hazel was Sir Ian’s wife.

“I’d like to speak to Sir Ian,” Violet said. “Yes, I know he’s busy. Yes. No, I’m not calling about his most recent help. Yes, I know. New employees can be quite trying at times. The reason I’m calling is to let him know that I have hired a secretary for him. I believe she will be just what he’s looking for. Yes, that’s right. Yes, I’ll hold.” She looked at Jenna and winked.

After a lengthy wait, Violet said, “Yes, good morn— Yes, I do— As a matter of fact, she’s right he—” She covered the phone and asked, “He wants to know when you can come. He seems to be a bit stressed at the moment.”

“I could come today if I can get directions how to get there.”

“Well, that might work. I did say the position is not here in Edinburgh, didn’t I? I would imagine you don’t have access to a car.”

“No. Will that be a problem?”

Violet spoke into the phone. “She doesn’t have transportation at the moment, Sir Ian. I could have her take the train to Stirling, if you— Oh. Yes. Well, that will work, I’m sure.” She glanced at Jenna. “She’s petite, with reddish blond hair. She’s wearing a dark green suit. I don’t think she’ll be hard to— Yes. I’ll tell her.”

Violet hung up the phone. “Well. That was certainly a short discussion. He wants you to take the train to Stirling. He’ll have his housekeeper, Hazel Pennington, meet you at the station. Once you’ve arrived he’ll discuss salary and days off with you.”

“All right,” Jenna said. Her question about Hazel had been answered. She stood. “I appreciate your willingness to hire me for the position.”

“Don’t thank me yet, dear. Wait until you’ve worked a few weeks with him. Then I’ll know you’re sincere. Sir Ian is abrupt, but according to Hazel, who’s worked for his family for years, he’s fair.”

“Have you met him?”

“Not in person, no. But I certainly recognize his voice when I hear it. It’s very distinctive.” Violet touched her throat with her fingers and Jenna could have sworn the older woman actually blushed. Aha. The plot thickens. Maybe Ms. Spradlin has some designs on the old gentleman. Good for her.

Jenna said, “I need to gather my belongings and check out of my room.” She held out her hand and Violet took it. “Regardless of how this turns out, I’ll still be grateful that you have given me this opportunity.”

“Don’t feel that I’m sending you off like a lamb to be slaughtered. I’ll be checking with you from time to time. If another position should open up, I’ll let you know.”

While Jenna packed the few items she’d unpacked since she’d arrived yesterday afternoon, she thought about what she was doing. She’d accepted a position without meeting her employer first. Given the experience she’d gained working with Basil, she hoped that she could deal with another curmudgeon with little difficulty. She would have to write an amusing letter to Basil and let him know how his training had been put to good use.

Besides, she could visit Edinburgh on her days off and continue her search for Mr. Dumas. As soon as she’d checked in to her room, Jenna had gone through the telephone directory in hopes of finding a listing for him.

There was none.

She’d called the telephone company for any new listings or possibly unlisted numbers. If his number was unlisted, she would at least know he actually lived in Edinburgh or nearby. She’d had no luck there, either. However, she didn’t intend to stop looking for the mysterious—at least to her—stranger. She’d hoped to find work in the city, which would make her search easier, but she’d manage.

Once on the train to Stirling, Jenna thought about her new position. She’d never met an author, published or unpublished. She was curious about what sort of stories he wrote. Perhaps he’d fought in one of the wars and was sharing his experiences. She might find his writing fascinating.

On the other hand, Sir Ian might be a terrible writer. Maybe that was why he was so brusque. Perhaps he was the sort of person who preferred to blame others for his own shortcomings.

What was really important, though, was that she was in Scotland and had a job.

When the train neared the station, Jenna gathered her rather cumbersome bags in preparation for getting off. She had gotten rid of most everything she owned before she came to the U.K. She’d had more than one twinge of regret to see the furniture and furnishings she’d carefully acquired go to strangers. However, the money she received from the sale helped her to feel more secure about her leap into the unknown.

One of the commuters helped with her third bag when she stepped off the train. She thanked him and turned to scan the area. Several people waited to board as others disembarked. Once the train pulled away, Jenna stood alone on the platform.

She had no idea how long a wait she would have for the housekeeper and wished she had a description of her.

Jenna pulled two of the bags behind her, the third hanging from a strap across her shoulder, and headed toward the depot.

“You must be Jenna Craddock,” a cheerful voice said. Jenna paused and looked around. A tall, raw-boned woman of indeterminate age came toward her from the parking lot. “I’m Hazel Pennington, Ian’s housekeeper. I apologize for not being here when you arrived. I got behind some slow traffic, which is frustrating enough without needing to be somewhere on time.” She took one of the bags and started back toward the stairs.

Jenna hurried to catch up. “How did you know which train to meet? I didn’t know which one, myself, until I arrived at the station.”

As they loaded the luggage into a utility vehicle, Hazel said, “Oh, Ian knew. He checked the train schedule and chose the one you’d most likely take. If you hadn’t been on this one, I would have waited until the next one.”

Jenna had many questions about Sir Ian and knew that Hazel would probably be able to answer them. However, she didn’t want to appear too anxious about working for him. She sat quietly and listened to the housekeeper as she pointed out various historical sights along the way.

“If you haven’t visited Stirling before, you might enjoy touring the William Wallace Monument.” Hazel nodded toward a tower in the distance. “The only way up is by stone circular stairs, so you’ll want to be in shape for the climb.”

When Jenna saw the castle high on an escarpment, she made a sound of awe.

“The castle is worth visiting, as well. There’s a military museum there in addition to the carefully restored rooms. There’s a cathedral nearby that has become a tourist favorite, as well.”

Jenna’s excitement grew as she considered the age of so many historic places in the U.K. compared to the relatively newly settled Australia.

She eagerly tried to see everything they passed on their way north. The scenery was breathtaking. She could hardly wait to begin exploring. She would continue to look for a listing for Mr. Dumas wherever she went. Surely, she would find him sometime.

Hazel turned into a driveway no more than half an hour’s drive from Stirling, catching Jenna off guard. From the way Ms. Spradlin talked, Jenna had expected to find an isolated home deep in the countryside.

They followed a narrow lane, and from the way it nestled into the earth, it no doubt had been in existence for centuries. Massive trees marched along on each side, their bare branches arching over like a canopy. Jenna could only imagine their beauty in the summer, covered with green foliage.

She noticed a large and, no doubt, ancient wall that followed beside the lane. If only those stones could talk, she thought. They must have witnessed a great deal of history.

The lane made a sharp turn at the end and Hazel drove through an arched opening. Jenna saw a paved parking area in front of an honest-to-goodness castle. This is where Sir Ian lived?

“This is absolutely wonderful,” Jenna said reverently, looking around her. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to have grown up in such a place. It would be like living in an enchanted castle.”

Hazel opened the back of the utility vehicle without glancing around. “It’s an ancient piece of rubbish, is what it is, but we’re all quite fond of it. It takes a fortune to maintain, of course. There’s always something to repair. If it isn’t the vintage wiring, we’re sure to find a leaky pipe somewhere.” She pulled Jenna’s luggage out and set it on the ground.

Jenna grabbed the handle of the heaviest one and leaned to place the one with the shoulder strap over her shoulder. Hazel stopped her. “I can get these two,” she said, matching her actions to her words. She carried the bags as though they were empty.

Jenna followed her to the entrance. Two beautifully carved doors were set in an arch similar to the one they had driven through. Jenna gazed at the massive example of skilled craftsmanship in awe. Once they entered, Hazel set the luggage into a recessed area near the door and said, “We’ll leave these here for now. Ian is eager to speak with you. Let’s not keep him waiting. Afterward I can show you where you’ll be staying.”

Jenna looked up and blinked. The lofty ceiling of the great hall soared at least thirty feet. Family crests and giant oil paintings of people from earlier times covered the wide expanse. Immediately beneath the ceiling, fan-shaped windows filled both ends of the four-walled entrance room.

Hazel paused in front of a closed door near the wide staircase that curved to the second floor. Jenna could almost see the graceful women who had lived here sweep down the stairs in their beautiful gowns.

The vision abruptly disappeared when Hazel opened the door and said, “Ms. Craddock is here.”

“Good,” a rumbling voice said. “Send her in.”

Chapter Three

Jenna caught herself holding her breath. She consciously took another deep breath, exhaled and stepped into the room. Once inside she discovered a book-lined library that would cause an avid reader—which she was—to mentally salivate with anticipation. She almost chuckled at the idea of living in a castle with access to such a treasure trove of riches. The idea sounded too good to be true.

She took in everything in the few seconds before she looked at the man standing in front of the fireplace. Once she focused on Ian MacGowan, the room faded into the background. The commanding energy emanating from him inexorably drew her eye.

She immediately revised her mental picture of a white-haired elderly curmudgeon. Sir Ian bore no resemblance to such a person. For one thing, he was far from old—somewhere in his early to mid-thirties, she guessed. Instead of white hair, his was light brown. It curled riotously over his forehead and around his ears like a young child’s—and looked so soft and silky, her palms itched to touch it.

She had a sudden vision of a laird standing there, the family crest mounted above the mantel. Golden brown eyes beneath thick brows scrutinized her. A noticeable cleft in his chin drew her eye, and she thought he would be quite attractive if it weren’t for the frown that seemed etched into his face.

He held a cane in his left hand and she noticed that his weight rested on his right leg. A scar ran along his temple and a smaller one bisected his left brow. There were signs of suffering in his face.

“Come,” he said, motioning his hand impatiently. “I won’t bite you, for God’s sake. Stop hovering at the door.” He motioned to one of the chairs arranged in front of a brisk fire. “Sit.”

Now that he had spoken, Jenna could better understand Ms. Spradlin’s reaction to him. His deep voice sent a shiver of sensual awareness through her even while his manner of speaking irritated her. If she was going to be working for him, she needed to set some ground rules.

“Yes, I will, thank you,” she replied graciously, crossing the room. “As you know, I’m Jenna Craddock and I’ve come to transcribe your work for you. However, I would appreciate your not using dog commands when speaking to me. I’m perfectly capable of responding to entire sentences.” She held out her hand to him.

He looked at her hand in surprise before he briefly shook it. “Ian MacGowan,” he muttered brusquely, his frown deepening. With exaggerated politeness, he said, “Please have a seat, if you would be so kind.”

No eye-rolling, she reminded herself. If she intended to work for the man she would need to adjust to his sarcasm and abrupt manner.

Once she was seated, Sir Ian limped to a nearby chair and carefully lowered himself, his jaw flexing when he bent his left knee. She made a point to focus on his face, most especially his eyes. When he made eye contact she smiled at him, folded her hands and waited for him to speak.

Abruptly, he said, “You’re not what I expected.”

Her smile widened. “You come as a bit of a shock, as well,” she said, intending to voice her thought that he would be older. “Mrs. Spradlin didn’t mention—” That was as far as she got when he interrupted her.

“I’m sure my reputation precedes me,” he said irritably. “That ninny Spradlin must lead a very boring life to get so much titillation out of my search for a decent secretary.”

Oh, my. Sir Ian was definitely an irascible sort. “She mentioned that you’ve been without an assistant for a few weeks.

“Through no fault of my own, I assure you. The woman has an absolute knack for sending me the most inept or overly sensitive women who fall apart whenever I frown at them, raise my voice or point out a typing error. The last one left in tears, the silly thing. You’re from Australia.”

Jenna blinked at the sudden change of subject. “Yes, Sir Ian, I am.”

He rolled his eyes. “Forget the title and call me Ian.” He pulled at his earlobe. “I’ve asked Ms. Spradlin more than once not to use my title but she’s too busy chattering on to hear me.”

From her observation during the conversation in Ms. Spradlin’s office, she knew he had been busy interrupting while Ms. Spradlin was speaking.

“I would think being a knight is a great honor,” she said lightly.

“You would, would you? Tell me something about yourself,” he said abruptly. “You’re young— I can see that. Are you single?”

One brow lifted. “Yes.”

“I don’t want you to think you can move someone else in with you—married or single.”

That comment didn’t merit an answer.

“Why did you leave Australia?”

She held his gaze and smiled deliberately. “To see the world.”

“Why Scotland?”

“Why not? I like it here.”

He leaned back in his chair, staring at her from beneath his frowning brows. He had to be aware of how intimidating he looked. She wondered if he used that look to keep his employees in their proper place. She almost smiled at the thought. He might be laird of his castle but he would quickly discover that she wasn’t easily intimidated.

What did it matter to him why she was there? she wondered. Perhaps he enjoyed irritating people.

After a rather lengthy silence while he stared at her, he said, “Okay, now I get it. This is a joke, isn’t it? Todd told you to show up here, didn’t he?” He spoke in short, abrupt spurts. And his mind seemed to jump around like a grasshopper. She wondered if he was on pain medication. Being on drugs might explain his lack of focus and, to her at least, his strange remarks.

“Todd?” she repeated.

“Yes, Todd, my supervisor. He probably got tired of hearing me complain about not being able to find decent help and sent you to help out. Not that I’m bothered by the ruse, you understand. I need someone competent and Todd would make certain of that, at least. But there’s no reason for you to hide the fact.”

“Since I’ve no idea what you do for a living—other than write, that is—I have no idea who your supervisor might be. Why would you think I would lie about my reasons for being here? Are you always so suspicious of people?”

“Yes.”

Great. Paranoid, as well. He was going to be a joy to work with, she could see that already.

“Your story doesn’t quite work,” he said gruffly. “There’s no reason that I can see for you to come to Scotland in the first place, much less apply for work. If you’re serious about living in the U.K., London would be the most logical place for you to search for work.”

Was this some kind of test? Was she supposed to break down in tears at this point? Calmly Jenna replied, “Do you have a particular reason for questioning my honesty, sir? You may not believe me but I have no reason to lie to you.” She stood and ran her hands down her thighs to smooth her skirt. “You’ve made it quite clear that once again you’re displeased with Ms. Spradlin’s choice. I respect that. You certainly have the right to disagree with her.” She picked up her handbag. “I do want to reassure you, however, that I didn’t accept the position with some nefarious plan in mind. I merely wanted a job. Your family’s heirlooms would have been safe with me.”

Jenna walked toward the door, mentally telling the rows of books goodbye.

“Oh, for God’s sake, stop being so melodramatic,” Ian snapped. “Come back here. I don’t want to be hopping up and down every time I say something that displeases you.”

She turned and looked at him. “It isn’t melodramatic to dislike rudeness, sir. I’m capable of dealing with a great many foibles, but I will not tolerate your disrespect.”

He pushed himself out of his chair and faced her. Their gazes locked and she, for one, did not intend to back down. She felt a small victory of sorts when he glanced away and muttered something that might have been an apology.

Or a curse word.

“Let’s start over, shall we?” he asked, running his hand through his hair. Definitely irritated, she thought to herself. Well, so was she. “Please sit.” When she was seated once again, he said, “May I see your references?”

Without replying, Jenna reached into her purse and brought out her résumé and two letters of recommendation. After handing them to him, she waited for his next salvo.

After reading the documents, he looked at her and said, “According to this, your previous employer is convinced you walk on water. With this glowing recommendation, I’m surprised he allowed you to leave.” He studied her for a moment. “Did your departure have anything to do with a lover’s spat? Because if it did, I see no reason to have you settle in here only to receive an apologetic phone call from him that will send you scurrying back to Australia…with all due respect.”

“Not that such information is any of your business, but since Basil Fitzgerald is sixty-five years old with several children and grandchildren, I doubt he could have found time for an affair…and if he had ever entertained the idea, Mrs. Fitzgerald would have bashed him on the head for considering it.”

“If I seem to be prying into your personal life, Ms. Craddock, I do apologize. I need an assistant who will focus on my work. What you do on your own time is up to you. Just so we’re clear about our arrangement, I’m not looking for a personal relationship with you. I don’t have time for flirting or any of that nonsense. I need a skilled assistant. That’s all.”

Jenna fought to hang on to her temper. Fighting for control, she studied the man, allowing her gaze to slide over him from his curls to his rather large feet. Eventually she raised her eyes to meet his and said, “Tell me, Sir Ian, are you always this obnoxious or did I luck out and catch you on a bad day? I can’t for the life of me imagine why you think that I—or any other self-respecting woman, for that matter—would be interested in having a relationship with you.”

He looked startled for a moment, then gave her a boyish grin that was wholly unexpected…and devastatingly attractive. “You’ll do, Ms. Craddock. You’ll do.” Before she could find her voice to tell him that she wasn’t at all certain she wished to work for him, Ian mentioned a salary that made her eyes widen. The sum was at least twice what she’d expected to receive, taking into account that her room and board were part of the compensation. For that amount of money, she’d be willing to work for Attila the Hun. From what she had gathered so far, the man could very well be the reincarnation of Attila.

“I hope you’ll find your stay here satisfactory,” he said. He stood, wincing as he straightened his left leg. “I’ll have Hazel show you to your room.”

He touched a button on the extension phone next to his chair and Jenna heard Hazel’s voice. “Yes?”

“I believe Ms. Craddock and I have dealt with the necessary hiring procedures. Will you show her to her room, please?”