Page 77 of Her Forbidden Highlander Husband

“Aye. A sweet child with no family. I thought we might bring him into ours. Give him a home.” Liam was so excited he could hardly stand still. “He and Gwennie are already friends. He could be a big brother to help protect her. I daresay I’ll need all the help I can get when she comes of age. She’s sure to be beautiful like her mother. The lads will be persistent.” He frowned at this thought.

“I am just learning my way with my own child.”

Liam didn’t like the way she’d said my, but he let that go. “I want him to be our son.”

“Because I’m not carrying. You said you’d be patient, but my courses come and you’re off to the village to find a child.” She threw her hands in the air.

“You know that’s not how it is. I thought you would be as happy to help this boy as I am. You know I wanted a big family, I just—”

“Thought you’d take on others rather than wait for me to give them to you?” He knew she’d been disappointed that she wasn’t increasing, and he’d not handled it as well as he ought, but this was not like her.

“I can see you’re not in agreement with the plan. I’ve not spoken to him about it, so he’ll not be disappointed it didn’t work out.” Liam bit his bottom lip. “But I want to know why you’re against it, because I’m surprised it was not you who made the offer before I had the chance to speak of it.”

“Liam…” She reached for him, but he stepped back.

“I want a reason we’re not to be the boy’s family.”

Tears glistened in her eyes.

“Tell me why you can’t love him.”

“It isn’t that,” she said as her shoulders slumped.

“Then tell me the reason.”

The tears escaped and she shook her head miserably. “I can’t.”

Rather than rage at her, Liam raced out of the castle and headed for the gate. He found himself roaming across the field where he’d been found all those years ago. A lost soul wandering alone. At times, he still felt that way.

He didn’t want that for the boy. He didn’t want him to grow into a person with a cold heart from a lack of love. It was clear he’d not been treated well so far. He’d seen far too much for someone so young.

Liam would have to hope some other family would take him in and give him the love he needed to grow into an honorable man. After all, the task of taking in orphans didn’t fall solely on Liam’s shoulders.

He was no savior, that much was clear.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Evelyn was sobbing fully by the time she returned to the solar. Kenna and Mari were quick to come to her and offer comfort. Not that she deserved it.

“What’s happened?”

She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and sucked in an uneven breath to answer. “What’s happened is I’m a horrible person and an even more despicable wife.”

“That can’t be true. You’ve made Liam very happy,” Mari was quick to come to her defense.

She shook her head. “No. Liam would be happy with anyone, it’s the way he is. He would be so no matter who he called wife. And I just…” She moaned as she sunk to the floor. “I hurt him horribly.”

Kenna and Mari attempted to soothe her and get the whole story out of her, but Evelyn couldn’t tell them everything. She knew she’d see the disgust in their eyes, and worse, warranted their judgment.

She hadn’t been able to tell Liam the truth of why she didn’t want to take another child into her heart. It would already be enough to have to walk away from Gwennie and Liam. But to become a mother to Sheamus—a boy whom she already cared for—would be another piece of her heart left behind if she needed to return to her father and do her duty. How could she do it?

“I was rash and selfish.” She’d thought of nothing past protecting her already aching heart. “But I was wrong.”

Mari and Kenna said nothing but continued to sit by her. Their hands on her back offering support, despite her words.

“I’m a vile person,” she finally said.

“That’s not true,” Kenna said. “What you were was caught off guard. Your reaction may have been extreme, but Liam shouldn’t have presented it to you in such a way and not given you the time to think it through.”