“Sorry,” Annie said and put down the plate she’d been drying less forcefully. Her mother liked using the bone china once a week for gentility’s sake. She said it reminded them to maintain good manners.
Her mother had just chosen the wrong night.
Annie had known Niall would be upset to find her gone from the warehouse this afternoon and he’d shown his displeasure as soon as he came in the door of the boardinghouse. He had barely been civil to Owen, instead asking why she hadn’t waited for him.
She might have told him that Mr. Haines had wanted her to meet Oliver Nolan, a business partner of his, and that he’d dropped her off in his carriage later, but before she could say anything, Niall had practically ordered her to wait for him next time. His brother—who had never met her—had tried to hide a grin. No doubt he thought she deserved the scolding for not obeying Niall. Annie glowered at the glass she’d just picked up.
“Careful,” her mother said again. “’Tis nae Waterford crystal, but still expensive to replace.”
“Sorry,” Annie repeated. “I will take more care.”
Her mother glanced at her before plunging her hands into the soapy water in the basin once more. “What ails ye? Is the job nae what ye thought it to be?”
Annie shook her head. “’Tis nae the job. I have a lot to learn, but I think I will like it.”
“Then what is it?”
When her mother used that no-nonsense tone, Annie knew she couldn’t sidle her way out of the conversation. She sighed. “’Tis Niall. He is bossy.”
Her mother raised both brows. “Like ye?”
“Nae. I doona order people around.” Silence met that remark and Annie frowned. “At least, I doona expect anyone to sit and wait like some loyal hound for its master.”
Her mother smiled at that, which only made Annie’s frown deepen. “Well, I doona.”
“And neither does Niall.” Her mother took the towel from her and dried the next glass herself. “But it might help if ye doona bark at him so much.”
Annie gaped at her. “Bark at him? How can ye say such a thing?”
“Ye could be kinder to the man,” her mother answered. “He is only trying to protect ye after what happened to Bridget and ye.”
“But that was a one-time thing,” Annie replied, trying hard not to raise her voice. “I doona need protection!”
Her mother set down the glass and gave her a direct look. “As much as I admire your independence and as much as I agree that womenshouldbe allowed to work, there are many who doona agree.”
“Men, ye mean,” Annie said.
“Aye. And whether we like it or not, having someone to protect ye is nae such a bad thing.”
Annie opened her mouth to protest and then closed it. She knew her mother worried about some of the things the club did, especially in light of recent workers’ strikes and general unrest, but she didn’t understand how much Annie didn’t want to depend on a man for anything ever again.
“Niall means well,” her mother said.
Annie nodded, more to end the conversation than to agree with it. She started putting the dishes away, careful not to crack anything.
Niall MacDonald had a talent for vexing her. Except for the fact that it would probably have given him great satisfaction, Annie would have gotten up and left the table after his remark about Inis having both beauty and brains. He didn’t have to point that out, as it was obvious to anyone who did not need an eyeglass to see. And then, he’d added insult to the remark.
Nae as lovely as ye, of course.
Did the man think she was such a fool as to actually believe something like that? Oh, there might have been a time when she had. When she’dwantedto believe such a thing. But she’d come to terms with herself after Broderick left her. She was tall andangular, not dainty and curvy. Her hair was straight as a nail, not softly curling. She even had a splattering of freckles, thanks to a fair skin that burned in the sun. She didn’t smile demurely or bat her eyelashes.
Not that she wasenchantingeither, but Owen MacLean had lived in London and that was just one of the things that gentlemen said to flatter ladies. She knew he didn’t mean it any more than Niall truly thought she waslovely. The idea that she was some sort of a seductive siren nearly made her giggle. She ought to be able to laugh off Niall’s remark as well. So why hadn’t she?
Annie closed the cupboard door, wishing she could close off her thoughts as well.
****
“I really doona need two of ye to accompany me to work,” Annie said the next morning as both Niall and Owen awaited her by the door.
