Page 64 of Her Reluctant Highlander Husband

Her face went hot and she looked away. She’d found herself hoping each month, only to be disappointed when her courses came. She didn’t think Bryce minded since he’d said he didn’t want children. But still, she felt that she had failed in some way.

Her father and Cam talked of other things, and Dorie was happy to change the subject. But on the way back to the castle it became clear the topic had only been delayed.

“Do you want children?” he asked.

“Yes. I find I want them more each day. But so far it hasn’t happened.”

“Has Bryce put any pressure on you about it?”

She let out a laugh that held no humor. “Definitely not. I don’t think he wants children. It would be yet another person he doesn’t want to have to care for.” Her father looked upset on her account, so she felt the need to explain. “He lost a child. I wish I could help to heal his pain.”

“It’s not your job to heal him. Your love should heal him.”

“Did Harriet’s love heal you?”

“Eventually.”

Dorie didn’t think she wanted to know how long it took, so she refrained from asking.

“Are you unhappy?” he asked as they turned to stroll through the village.

“No.” She shook her head quickly.

“Are you happy?”

“Isn’t that the same question?” She laughed.

“It isn’t at all the same question.”

She thought it over and realized the difference.

She wasn’t unhappy. Especially when she compared her life at Baehaven to her life now. She’d been terribly unhappy before, so it was easy to know the answer to that question. The other question—whether or not she was happy—was more difficult to answer.

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “I want to be.” She frowned, hating how ungrateful she sounded. “When I was locked in my room at Baehaven, I spent a lot of time hoping for something different. Sometimes I would wish for someone to come save me. Sometimes I wished someone would care about me. Occasionally I dreamed of sprouting wings so I might fly out the window. I fear I may spend the rest of my life hoping for something I’ll never have.”

Dorien stopped walking and turned to her. “Come to England with me. I can have an annulment drawn up. You’ll be free of this marriage to a man who can’t love you as you deserve. You’ll be able to find someone suitable who can see how wonderful you are and treasure you.”

She blinked in surprise. She’d never thought of such a thing. She stood there staring at him while she thought. Her legs wobbled with the shock over her father’s suggestion. Why was she even considering such a thing? She loved Bryce. He can’t love me back. She was content. But is that enough?

Bryce hadn’t wanted to marry her. He’d only done so to secure an alliance for his clan. An alliance that was now invalid.

There were dozens of reasons to agree to her father’s suggestion, and only one selfish reason not to. She loved Bryce and would miss him.

But that wasn’t enough to sentence him to a lifetime of unhappiness.

…

Having accepted the viscount’s invitation to join him for a hunt, Bryce slipped from his bed before dawn to meet the man in the stables. He knew better than to think this was about gathering food or sport.

This was their first time alone since his arrival, and Bryce knew he was being measured as a match for Dorie. He could save the man some time and tell him he did not measure up, but pride kept him from admitting such. Bryce held no titles. He held power in the clan as war chief, but that did nothing but ensure he had a greater chance of leaving his wife a widow than any real status.

Being a viscount, and an army captain, meant Dorien Sutherland spent his days around powerful, honorable men. He was bound to be disappointed by his time with Bryce.

Rascal followed along despite Bryce’s order for him to stay with his mistress. Apparently the beast thought Bryce was more in need of his support than Dorie. Animals were able to sense things men could not, so he took the dog’s companionship as an omen.

“Faithful dog,” Dorien said, nodding to the mutt. “It is a dog, correct?”

They both laughed at the joke, the tension lessening slightly.