Page 96 of Her Accidental Highlander Husband

It was time to tell her of his plans.

He took a seat across from her. “I want to tell you something. Though it hardly matters now, but it was a plan I’d wanted to share with you.”

She reached for his hand. “Tell me.”

“I asked Lach for a place for us. That field where we first met. I had planned to build us a proper home there. Nothing as extravagant as what you were used to here, but a home of our own. I didn’t want you living in a cottage or in my chambers in the castle. I wanted to give us a place that was just ours.”

She swallowed. “It sounds lovely.”

He let out a breath and flashed a smile. “I’d planned to have a library, too, for all the fancy houses have them.” He stood again and walked to the window, allowing his finger to trail down the glass. “It would have taken me forever to afford it. We would have been gray and wrinkled before we’d have been able to live there. Our children would be grown with their own little ones, no doubt.” He clenched his fist. “I’m grateful for this place and the time we have, but at times…my heart fills with rage at the unfairness of it all.”

She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his back.

“Pretending everything is wonderful isn’t working,” she whispered. “It was unrealistic to think we could keep all of our fears inside and not be affected by them. I think it’s better that we are honest with each other and ourselves.”

He nodded and shifted to hold her. “Are you scared?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. Terribly.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Cam had gone on errands early the next morning and still arrived first for breakfast. He filled his plate and had just taken his seat when a woman’s scream had him running out of the room.

“She fell down the stairs,” Parkes said from the foyer, clearly upset.

Cam raced to get to his wife. The baby. But it wasn’t Mari lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, but the dowager. The prideful biddy was attempting to get up, using her cane to support herself and failing at the attempt.

“Be still, woman, until we assess how badly you’re injured. Parkes, send for a healer,” he ordered.

“At once, sir.”

“I’m fine,” the dowager barked, but winced and whimpered as the final word crossed her lips.

“Aye, I see that. Let’s check you over.” As he did on a battlefield with wounded soldiers, he went about checking her legs and arms.

“Unhand me, you savage! That is not the proper way to touch a lady.”

“Trust me, Your Grace. I well know the proper ways.” He winked at her to make sure she was thoroughly offended by his remark. When he could see she was in no great harm, he continued his campaign simply to ruffle her, now that he had the opportunity.

“Please just go back to your meal and leave me my dignity, so I might get back on my feet.”

“That will not do at all. Your foot is broken. I believe your wrist is, as well.”

As if to challenge him, she turned her foot and promptly hissed. Then she moved her wrist and winced.

“It’s back upstairs with you, Your Grace.”

He slipped his arms under her frail body and lifted her up, being careful because she might have lesser injuries in other places.

“Put me down, you brute!”

“I’ll do so soon enough.” With a nod to Parkes to lead the way, Cam carried the dowager up the stairs she’d just fallen down and into her elaborate suite of rooms at the farthest side of the house away from his and Mari’s.

He settled her in bed and removed her slipper, noticing how the skin was already turning purple.

“Well, you’ve gotten what you wanted,” she snapped at him when he propped an extra pillow behind her back so she could sit up.

“Nay, hardly. You didn’t break your neck, did ye?” Cam laughed so she knew he was teasing. It was so easy to rile her up, he couldn’t seem to help himself.